A Scarred Mind

Dream Therapy

Tensions increased as the two entered the kitchen. All Sanji wanted was a midnight snack date with a cute girl, but instead he got a midnight struggle against a grumpy dragon. The cook unlocked the chains from the fridge and cabinets as quietly as he could. He wasn't exactly in the mood for Luffy raiding the food again.

"So, anything specific you want?" Sanji asked as he stuck his head in the fridge, searching for his ingredients for some black tea. And to go with his black tea, he decided to have some croissants the crew had left over.

But over at the kitchen table, Umi was having a hard time deciding what she wanted. She had a terrible migraine and didn't know what foods would make it better or worse. Suddenly, her stomach growled and she new exactly what she wanted.

"Umm, do we have pickles by any chance?" The young pirate laid her head down on the table, fatigue catching up to her quickly. Sanji raised a brow, surprised at the request. "Since when do you like pickles?" Umi turned her head to the other side, red marks now on the cheek that was in the table. "Umm, I think since forever. I just don't eat them often is the thing." Sanji just smiled and grabbed a jar of pickles from their fridge. He placed it in front of the sleepy girl, accidentally snapping her from her daze. She just grumbled a thank you and opened the jar.

Sanji stood by the stove, warming up his tea. He watched her eat the pickles one by one, hoping that food would help calm her mood. Once his black tea was done, he walked over to the seat across from Umi's.

"So, you feel better now?" The cook asked softly, afraid of her snapping at him again. Umi perched her head on her hand, staring at the jar. "Yeah, I think so. I just...haven't been myself these past couple of days." She put her head on the table again, as to not look at the blonde cook. Her fatigue was messing with her emotions, making it harder and harder to conceal her feelings. Sanji gently placed a hand on her arm.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" The blond chef started to rub the tired girls arm, trying to sooth her. All she responded with was a shrug, unsure of whether she should talk or not. Sanji sipped his tea and waited. He didn't want to rush the girl to a decision, he was just there for if she made one.

"Lately," Umi started softly, "I've been having these...dreams." She laid her face in her arms, making the table mute some of her sound. Sanji just nodded, and encouraged her to continue. "Well actually, they're more like nightmares. I keep having the same nightmare over and over again." Umi clenched her muscles, feeling the effect the dreams had on her. She buried her head further into her arms. "I always start in this room of darkness. I hear a voice. This voice keeps telling me that I'm theirs, like I'm their property. I don't know if I'm staying in place or running because, I can't feel my body, but I see this light. I try to move towards the light, only to be swallowed by darkness again." Sanji noticed that Umi's frame begins to shake. He immediately switches over to her side of the table and starts to rub her shoulders, trying his best to calm her down. She lifts up her head and shows her red, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. "But the worst part is, every time I wake up, I don't know who the person talking to me is. It may seem stupid, but it terrifies me." Fresh tears started in the girls eyes. The chef just offered his embrace, which she quickly took. The pair just sat there, listening to Umi's sniffling and crying. After some time had passed, the dragoness let go of the blonde cook.

"Thanks Sanji, I needed to get that off my chest." As she wiped her eyes, Sanji began to put their snacks away for the night. "It's no problem, I'm always her when you need me Umi-kun." From out of no where, Sanji gave Umi a rose that seemed to come from thin air. The gift made Umi smile.

"I think...I'll try to sleep." Umi had a scared expression, terrified at the thought of sleeping. The cook put a hand on her shoulder. "Remember, it's just a dream. No one can hurt you as long as we're all here with you." Umi nodded as she left the kitchen. But as soon as she left, a thought dawned on her. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

"It's her...it has to be." The thought left Umi devastated inside. At that moment, she knew that this might be the last time she sails with her friends.