The Secret of Me

The Thing Called Death

They all inhale sharply from behind me.

"How'd ya do that?" Questions the amazed Luffy.

I shake my head. "I didn't do it."

"You must of!" He protests and I shake my head once more kneeling next to the still tiger,

I confirm my suspicions.

Two holes in its chest seeped blood, my fingers slightly stained red because of it.

"Snake bite." I say flatly, yet my bottom lip was trembling.

I stand whipping the blood on the side of my pure white dress, tears working their way from my eyes.

The tigers death was my fault, something I could openly own up to, but the reason... the way...

Disgraceful.

Horrid.

Inhuman.

I walk away, my hair whipping around behind me as I leave the three boys.

What would be even worse would for them to witness my tears.

I make my way to the village the evening air settling in my skin and hair as I slowly approach Makino's Bar. The wind was slowly picking up, my hair whipping around me with more vigor, and the usual pale moonlight and twinkling stars where unseen, hidden by canopies of gray.

I slip through the back entrance and into the bar, I hear a pleasant, "Oh is that you Nyx?"

I nod, if I spoke, I knew my voice would be off, cracked, and tearful.

She turns and looks at me smiling then lets out a gasp, kneeling she looks me up and down, "What happened to you?!" She questions worriedly.

I look at her threw blurry water filled eyes and the dams break, tears pouring down my cheeks I wail, "Tiger....and .... The boys......and died!"

I felt disgusted.

Not only with the situation but with myself as well, for acting like this, in such an unmannerly, childish way. I've been the one to keep my cool in bad situations, to take control and lead and not let anyone get hurt.

Man, woman or beast.

She comforts me while I bawl, then into the room bursts Garp.

"Have you seen N-?" he then catches sight of me, "What did those boys do to her?" he said in a dangerous growl.

"She has blood on her..." Says Makino quietly, holding out the finger prints of blood on my white gown.

"Not mine," I manage to say, tears dripping from my cheeks to the floor, my sobs quiet, then out of the corner of my eye I see a three heads peer around the door.

I tense, my eyes wide.

I raise a trembling hand and flick away the remaining tears and leave the bar, pushing past Luffy, Ace, and Sabo.

Some while later I sit on my new own personal bed, in my own personal room.

Half room....

I run my fingers threw my hair and sigh. I'm stuck with these. . . people...

Yes, I've been in much, much worse situations.

But still. . . there not horrid..... well, it's obvious Ace has a burning, kindled hate for me, but Sabo and Luffy aren't that bad...

I hear rain coming down from outside, I sigh once again closing my eyes.

I once again, a faulty disunion ... now I have to pay the price, whether I like it or not.

Then a yell caused me to sit upright and gasp as the little boy ran in and sprang onto the small bed I was sitting on, the old wood creaking then a loud crack,

"Oi Nyxxx!!!" Cried the kid drawing out my name with a laugh.

"Hello." I respond, looking down at him, unfazed.

"You came here with Shanks, right?!"

I look at him, blinking a few times, and said in my quiet accented voice, "Yes..."

"Where'd ya come from?"

I stare at him, wide eyed, my breathing temporarily stopping.

"I... uh..."

I could feel sweat damping my face, my palms clammy.

My vision whirls back to before I was saved by shanks. Imprisoned.

The dirt floors.

The angry yells.

The blood.

No one but myself. Day after day. Just me. And then, right when I think I found a thing called. . . 'Nakama' . . . he was gone. Stabbed me in the back . . . left me for dead,

More than dead.

The red hair, and sweet and off and... one of a kind.

But he's gone now . . . off living his own life. I doubt he even remembers me. . . my face, my voice, my whisper as he falls asleep.

No.

None of that.

I must succeed, turn the bad to good... right all evil.

When the worlds a happy place...I know... I can close my eyes and die.... Knowing that I left a world of happiness and grace.

Until then. . .