The Puppet Master [One Piece]

Second Chances

~Echo’s POV~

                Was it possible I’d finally found somewhere I belong? Most of the crew was passed out in random locations across the forest floor in our giant party clearing. I smiled softly to myself as I spotted Shanks, Yassop, Benn and Lucky Roo still locked in a never ending drinking contest. They were the only ones whose livers were strong enough to continue on. Everyone else had reached their limits well over an hour ago and was currently trying to sleep off ensuing hangovers.

                “Where are you going, Echo?” Yassop slurred as I slowly rose to my feet from the log I’d been sitting on after my ‘fan-club’ had passed out.

                “I think I’m going to explore a bit.” I shrugged.

                “Need a bodyguard?” Shanks teased me.

                “I doubt any of you are sober enough to walk a straight line, not sure how useful you’d be at protecting me.” I shot back with a smirk.

                “Why do we keep her around?” Yassop grumbled, “She’s vicious.”

                I rolled my eyes at this and turned to disappear into the forest.

                “Be careful, Echo.” Shanks called after me soberly.

                Was the inebriation all an act? I threw him a scrutinizing look, his cheeks were flushed and the aura about him seemed unsteady and completely intoxicated, but there was something in his gaze that made me believe if need be he could sober up in a heartbeat. Just how lethal was this man?

                I gave him a curt nod before ducking under the cover of the low hanging foliage and slipping off into the darkness. The dark forest reminded me of home and I felt a strange sense of elation as I sprinted barefoot across the cool damp moss covered earth.

                My thoughts lingered to the home I once had and my loving parents as I leapt over upturned roots and ducked under low hanging branches and vines. Did I deserve to feel a sense of belonging once again? Did I deserve to be happy? Everything had been viciously taken from me, my family and all of my kin, murdered by a crooked government. I was the only one who got away, the only survivor, but did I deserve this second chance at life?

                Was it fair that I survived while everyone else died men women children and even infants? They were all murdered. I clenched my fists tightly at my sides and attempted to blink back the burning tears that clouded my vision. Their screams and pleas echoed across my mind. They’d done nothing wrong! They were all innocent! Children crying in the streets as their parents were shot down, reaching out to strangers as they attempted to flee to safety, their tear stained blood streaked faces plagued my dreams at night and occasionally drifted into my thoughts during the day.

                “I’m sorry.” I cried as I felt their tiny hands reaching out to me trying to pull me back, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t save you!” They tugged at my clothing and hair as I struggled to fight my way through the pitch black forest.

                A child stepped onto the path ahead of me with blood streaming from a festering wound to its chest that looked like it had once been caused by shrapnel. It reached out a bloody partially skeletal hand for me and I turned with a scream to avoid colliding into it. My feet slipped as I hit the ledge of a very steep ridge looking out over a crystal clear pool with a tranquil waterfall just below. I teetered on the edge for a moment fighting to keep my balance before falling back onto the heels of my feet with a sigh of relief.

                That wouldn’t have ended well, the water looked pretty deep and the force of the falls would surely have kept me under even if I were able to swim. After taking in a few deep breaths to steady my nerves I turned to head back to the camp only to come face to face with the now completely sober captain of the red hair pirates and screamed as my heart nearly jumped right out of my chest.

                “What the hell are you doing?!” I demanded as I nearly lost my balance.

                Shanks reached out to steady me with a laugh, “I heard you scream, I was worried.”

                “So you thought it would be a good idea to sneak up on me and scare me?” I glowered.

                Shanks turned serious for a moment, his hand still firmly gripping my arm to keep me steady, “Are you alright, Echo? You’re shaking.”

                I quickly avoided his gaze and looked down to my trembling fingers. The hallucination of that child had shaken me up quite a bit. “I’m fine, aren’t you supposed to be drunk?” I asked curiously as I shrugged out of his hold.

                “Who said I wasn’t?” He teased but his eyes were filled with clarity.

                “I’m not as dense as the rest of the crew, Captain; I know it’s all an act.” I smirked.

                “I think you give me too much credit.” Shanks laughed and draped his arm across my shoulders. He gave a slight tug and pulled me down to sit next to him on the grassy ledge.

                I rolled my eyes at this and shrugged out of his hold once more to lie flat on my back and look up at the star blanketed sky above. “I’m a lot more observant than you may think.”

                Shanks chuckled at this and I looked over curiously as I heard him plop down on his back beside me. “You know, Echo-chan,” He drawled in a teasing manner, “I can see through your act too.”

                “What act?” I glared.

                He turned his startling gaze to me, “This act of being cold, hateful and angry. You try to push everyone away from you. But it’s not you.”

                “Don’t act like you know anything about me.” I clenched my fists, “For your information I really am cold hateful and angry.” I hissed as I sat up, “Perhaps I was wrong, you really are drunk.”

                Shanks caught me effortlessly by the arm and pulled me back, “You’re lonely and filled with so much remorse and guilt. You wanted somewhere to belong but now that you’ve found it you feel guilty. You feel like you don’t deserve happi-.”

                “SHUT UP!” I snapped, “This conversation is over.” I growled as I rolled to my feet and turned to walk away.

                “Echo, I don’t think your kin would want you to be miserable. I think they’d want you to move on and be happy.” Shanks called after me.

                I didn’t deserve happiness.