Children of the Sun

Many Different Futures

Listening to the Trigun Stampede soundtrack while writing this... 

This is a sad one sorry 

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The merchant ship Vienna bought passage on arrived at their destination within three days. Ve headed into the city while the sailors unloaded their cargo. This island has a mild climate known for its tall trees and flower fields.

While she ate lunch at a local tavern, Ve learned of a merchant ship leaving the next day willing to provide passage to travelers who could pay. She found the captain of this ship and bought passage for the next few islands which would be two weeks' worth of sailing. The ship wouldn't depart till the next day so Vienna explored the town making sure to purchase the latest newspaper. Sitting at a small cafe she read through the articles looking for any of the people, places, or events she had marked while looking for Sabo. She finds nothing helpful in her search for Sabo, but one article does catch her eye. It's about the Whitebeard pirates, Ace's crew, Ve thinks reading the article. Apparently, their main ship, the Moby Dick, was seen sailing towards Fishman Island and it is speculated that they are crossing over into Paradise. Maybe Ve will see Ace sooner than she thought.

Vienna rents a room for the night thankful to be in a bed that is not constantly swaying. However, her dreams that night are anything but calm. They start on a brighter note showing Ace smiling at her, the Whitebeard pirates behind him as if they are waiting for her. Surrounded by these pirates she feels calm, can feel the wind in her feathers, and can smell the booze being shared. She will sail with the Whitebeards someday, but not anytime soon, she has to find Sabo first.

Suddenly she is no longer on the warm safe deck of the Moby Dick but in a dark cell that reeks of blood and death. The feeling of despair is thick and almost as heavy as the feelings of guilt and self-loathing. Ve has to blink several times to make out anything in the low lighting but when she turns around she wishes she didn't. Against the stone walls of the cell sits Ace chained up like he's on display. He's beaten and broken, starved and tortured lying limply against the jagged stone. The winged girl slowly approaches her brother still in disbelief.

"Ace?" She whispers. Her stomach drops to her feet when he looks up a deadly glare directed right at her, or maybe behind her. His body may look broken but his soul isn't. He still has the will to fight even in a place that has never seen sunlight.

"My, my, if it isn't the great Fire Fist Ace. Not so dangerous now huh." A voice taunts, Ve whips around to see the face that haunts her nightmares. Captain Shigaraki stands outside the cell with a menacing sneer on his face. The jingle of keys snags her attention as Shigaraki opens the cell and approaches Ace. She watches as her brother flinches while trying to hold his glare,

"Go to hell, you bastard." He spits out, his throat raw from shouting and lack of water. Shigaraki just laughs,

"This is hell." He looks Ace up and down, "You don't look like you will survive another one of our sessions." Vienna flinches remembering her own torture. Will Ace have to face the same pain she did? For how long? And when? Even as beaten as he is, Ve can tell he is a few years older than he is right now so she has some time to stop this. But something in her gut tells her there is no stopping this, fate will drag Ace down here and it will be almost impossible for Vienna to pull him back up.

Vienna watches in horror as Shigaraki unchains Ace's shackles from the wall and drags him out of the cell. Ve moves to chase after but the cell door slams shut in her face.

"ACE! ACE!" She screams desperately trying to find a way to escape. Throwing her body against the door it finally gives way, but she tumbles into a crowd of marines and not the hallway she saw.