The Secret of Me

Seven Long Years

SEVEN YEARS LATER

My paces steady, but fast, the acceleration caused a woosh of hair to play with my still short hair, my lips were in a smile, soft and almost unnoticeable, the sun warmed my face.
Two other people ran on either sides. My little brothers. They two were enjoying the same moments of bliss. Then in unison we jump.
I flail my arms upward, letting a small sound emit from my now grinning lips, something like a laugh and shout, both at the same time, for a few mere seconds I was flying, then I hit the ground, dust puffing up around us, but we were once again running.
I'm 19.
My brothers too have aged, now 14 and 17.
All of us stronger.
The small insecure scared shadow of a girl still stood in the corner of my soul, but it's been a long, long time since I've heard anything from her.

The old me.

We've stopped running, now Ace and Luffy laughing, saying words I wasn't hearing, lost in my own world. Again. . .
"Right Neko Nyx?" Says Ace using my most hated name and nudging me with his shoulder a little to hard, causing me to flail to the side.
"Shut it!!" I cry with a vein popping, red faced, my staff coming down on his head in a blink of an eye Luffy erupting into laughter. 
"Ooh! The kitty got her claws!" He cried, poking even more fun over the little cat pun that had happened a while back involving a cat ear headband and tailed panties. Don't ask. . .
"And I'll be more than glad to demonstrate what these claws can do!!" I say, leaning forward, my staff resting under his chin, then popping it up, causing his head to be slung backwards.
Luffy's laughter was deafening.
"And you Rubber Man!" I yell turning around, the staff narrowly missing Luffy's head, and it would of hit if he hadn't of ducked at the last second, "Watch it" I growl, acting like I was serious when they both knew I was kidding.
I stick my staff back in it's place against my back.
Then I remembered what today was.

"Ace." I say, taking off my jacket, "It's the first Sunday of the month"
He sighed, nodding, readying himself.
This ritual had been going on for the last past seven years. The first sunday of every month Ace and I would have a fight, a battle, a test.
The test I'd been working on for the last past seven years.
The test that was almost complete.
"You know I never strike first." I remind him, wrapping white strips of fabric around my hands, the fabric was old, blood stained and frayed.
It was the fabric of an old dress I wore on a day a long time ago. One I'd never forget.

He sighs, and I nod to him, my face straight.
The blow was far from weak or playful.
I raise my folded fists in the way I had been taught by the very person I was fighting. I throw the punch, my fist connecting to his jaw, his head flying backwards, a combination of both blood and spit spewing from his lips.
This was a tiny portion of what was about to happen. Our last fight lasted a total of three hours. And I've trained since then.
The sun rotated, shadows lengthened, shades of pink, orange, and blue painted the sky. 

And the fight stretched on.

Ace and I were both dirt smeared and dripping sweat and blood. I stand, facing him, him facing me, a few feet apart, the sun setting behind us.
I look at him, eyebrows furrowed with determination, he returns a similar look. I then step forward oh so slightly, then spring forward, my fist slamming into Ace, sending him backwards, skidding across the dirt on his back.

I take this opportunity, jumping forward, slamming down my palm on his chest, a slight groan coming from him, I real my fist back, and wait a few seconds for him to throw me off him, for me to hit the ground with a bitter taste in my mouth, but that taste will only fuel my determination. For Ace to say, 'You tried.'

But none of those things happened.

Instead he whispered horsely,"Enough," a slight smile playing on his lips, "Nyx, you win."
My eyes go wide with shock, and Luffy falls from the rock he had been perched on the entire fight.
I was paralyzed. I was amazed. I was beyond proud and excited.
After seven long years of training and duels. . . I beat him.

I did it.

I, Valdis Nyx, defeated Portgas D. Ace.