How (Not) to Save a Life

My entry for SaboLu week! I've been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to actually upload this until tonight but hey, the week is technically still going on, even if I was hoping to have this up for day 5 (family). I have another oneshot I'm going to upload soon too, so I hope you enjoy! (: 

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The salty sea breeze ruffled Sabo's hair satisfyingly from his spot up on the ship's mast. Baltigo was finally in sight on the horizon, and the chief could already feel his breaths coming easier with each passing moment. He'd spent a long, hard month deep undercover as a slave in order to gather information, and needless to say, he was glad that nightmare had finally ended. After an entire month of waiting at the heel of stuck-up nobles, sleeping on cold, stone floors, and barely being fed enough to survive, the only thing Sabo wanted was to see his friends back at the base, eat a decent meal, and sleep for a hundred years or so in a proper bed.

The second he set foot on the shore - dropped off by the group of allies who had rescued him - Sabo felt a flash of excitement course through him. He was finally home.

The main entrance to the base opened, and a figure darted out to meet him, one Sabo would recognize anywhere. He raised a hand in greeting and moved her way, a grin growing on his face. "Yo, Koala!"

Koala slammed into him with the force of a speeding train, causing Sabo to stumble for a moment as she tightly wrapped his arms around his waist. He laughed and returned the gesture, holding her close. "Miss me?"

"Sabo!" she wailed, burying her face into the blond's shoulders, her own quivering dangerously. Only then did Sabo become aware of how tightly she was holding him and of the spreading dampness on his clothing.

"Oi, what's wrong, Koala?" He tried to pull away to see her face, but she gripped onto his coat determinedly, refusing to let him move. She didn't want Sabo to see her face when she told him what had happened.

"S-Sabo..." her breathing hitched, and Koala forced herself to calm down, to slow her tears and breathe so she could speak properly. She didn't want to have to say it again. "I- While you were gone... something happened."

All traces of joy and relief vanished from Sabo's mind, replaced with a horrible sense of dread. He hadn't seen Koala this upset in a long time, ever since they were kids together, back when she'd gotten the news of Fisher Tiger's death. The way she was holding him wasn't right either; she wasn't seeking comfort, it was almost as if she was scared. As if she was trying to hold Sabo together. Just the way she had when Ace died.

A tidal wave of horror, denial, and regret slammed into Sabo, his knees weakening at the thought of something happening to his baby brother. "No..." he whispered, voice growing louder with each word. "No! Koala, please, tell me I'm wrong. Luffy- Tell me Luffy's okay!" he shouted, trying to pull away from his friend, but she refused to release him.

"They were ambushed by marines on an island. All three admirals were there. There- they- nobody's left," she whispered brokenly, heart breaking in anticipation and gripping onto Sabo so tightly there were undoubtedly going to be bruises left on his skin. "It happened so fast- there was no warning, no way to save them."

"NO!" Sabo screamed, ripping away from Koala's hold and sinking to his knees on the ground, hands twisting into his hair so tightly he was ripping out strands. Flames erupted from his body in a whirling torrent, mirroring his internal agony as clear as day.

He'd failed. After all that big talk about always being by Luffy's side, that he would always protect him no matter what, Sabo had failed. He was the only brother left now, and all he had to remember them by was a handful of memories that he hadn't even had for most of his life. The sick irony twisted his insides like a seastone knife, and everything was so painful Sabo felt he could barely stand it. Not for the first time, Sabo wished that his own flames could consume him, devour his body until there was nothing left but ash in the wind. It would be far easier to bear than the crushing realization of what had happened while he was away.

A wordless scream ripped from his throat, raw and pure in its complete, utter despair. Shakily, Sabo rose to his feet, vision blurring wildly; though whether that was due to his tears of the flames encasing him in a fiery vortex was unknown.

He was surrounded by a horde of people. Allies, his subconscious said. Murderers, scum, trash, enemies, his mind thought.

Sabo lashed out with a kick, a whip of fire extending from his foot and taking out fifty people instantly. The crowd surged on him, and Sabo's mind went blank as he released attack after attack, effortlessly taking out hundreds of enemies.

At some point, he entered the building that was in front of him. He tore through stone walls as if they were made of mere paper, attacking all who stood in his way. A trail of fiery destruction was the only thing left in his wake - nobody could stop him.

But the feeling of rocks crumbling beneath his hands and the scorching heat of the fire churning around him could do nothing to ease the building agony in his chest. It had transcended the unbearable threshold long ago, yet the pressure continued to grow and grow. His head was pounding and he was only half aware of his surroundings, vision blurred with grief and anger and despair.

Finally, a lone man stood in front of the blond, strong and powerful where all others had been weak and afraid. Sabo vaulted towards him, preparing a devastating hiken attack, but the man stopped the fist with his own easily, not even moving from where he stood. A gust of wind whipped through the room so fiercely it put out Sabo's fire, and the blond was left standing alone, chest heaving for air as he unsteadily took another step towards the man, hand reaching for something unseen.

"Stop."

With that simple command, Sabo's legs finally gave out as he crumpled to the floor bonelessly, his consciousness fleeing just as quickly.

When he finally awoke again, he found himself somewhere he didn't recognize. Whitewashed walls and a sharp sterile smell that made his nose wrinkle indicated some kind of medical room, but...

"Sabo!" two voices chorused, and he was swept up into a tight hug by a woman he didn't recognized. His body lit up in pain at the contact, causing him to gasp and curl into himself, arms wrapped around his torso.

"Sorry, sorry!" The woman released him instantly, hands raised in apology as she backed away, standing next to...

He jerked back suddenly in shock, falling off the bed in a tangle of sheets and bandages. His body protested violently at the movement, but he scrambled to his feet, backing away from the woman and the thing until he ran into some type of machine. "What the hell is that?" he demanded, eyeing the thing warily.

Silence exploded in the room, and he watched as realization, shock, and horror flitted across both of their faces

"Sabo..?"

He reluctantly tore his gaze away from the thing, looking back to the woman uncertainly. "...is that my name?"