Fanning Flames | Book 1: Titanium Worlds

Chaoter 22: Children Are Not Suppose To Make These Choices; It Leads To Disaster

"Remember my last words? I live in a place where the world's most dangerous criminals have children, but none of us dare to hurt them. They are not their parent, they're their own person. We let them live, to create their own path. I've always wondered how you'd fair in my world," I told them.

"How do people from your home know all about us, may I ask?" Whitebeard inquired.

I shuffled on my feet, scratching my hand. "You're not real, but your adventures have been told in...stories. Like legends I guess, just a fairy tale to entertain kids. Luffy is usually the main person the stories focus on, and so many were devasted when Ace was killed to allow his younger brother to become stronger. When I came here, I knew if I saved him that Luffy might not train for those two years. And so I decided that instead of just saving him, I had to die in his place. I told myself I'd become the catalyst, not Ace."

"Catalyst?" Izo asked.

"A catalyst is a person in a story that dies to serve a purpose in the story, to cause important events to happen. Ace had died to give Luffy a reason to train, so he'd become stronger and be able to protect those who he loved. Ace's death gave him the push he needed to realize he wouldn't be able to protect his nakama the way he was. He was weak, he had needed to get stronger."

"You gave your life up for a stranger?" Ace asked me.

"You may be a stranger, but I know you'll do more good in this world than I will. I don't belong here anyways. I technically don't exist, what would it matter if I died? Maybe I'd get to go home," I whispered the last part.

"Don't say that! You know that you won't go home now, not by dying," Ace told me.

I sighed. "I'm sorry for causing you and Luffy so much guilt. I'm sorry that you cared, because it would've been better if you didn't."

Ace's eyes turned into a glare. "How could we not? We couldn't save you. You gave up your life for the son of the pirate king, a person so many want dead. Scum."

Anger spread through me. "Do you know how it felt? When I saved you, I couldn't get your last words out of my head! I knew your last words, Ace, and I truly wished I didn't. In that moment, my will to save you was stronger than ever. I didn't want to hear them from you. The stories were enough."

"What were his last words, yoi?" Marco asked.

""Thank you for loving me." Those were his last words as he died in Luffy's arms."

"Sounds like my son," Whitebeard said, and I could see the sadness in his eyes.

"Even if her goal was to save you, she saved Pops, too. You should be thanking her," Thatch told Ace.

Everyone blinked.

"What?"

"Oh! Kristin told us that when you died, Pops was so angry that he died fighting Blackbeard. Apparently, Teach was able to absorb his devil fruit and not die in doing so. Oyaji's death created a new age of pirates."

Slowly, heads looked in my direction. I glared at Thatch.

I cried out. "Thanks a lot!"

Thatch shrugged calmly. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

"I don't need any credit!"

I saw Marco smirk. Oh no.

"Like the credit of bringing Thatch back to life?"

This time, I did see Thatch give me a sympathetic look.

I slapped my hand over his mouth almost immediately.

I laughed nervously. "Such a kidder...shouldn't joke about stuff like that..."

Marco pulled my hand from his mouth. When I tried to cover it again, he just held my hands away from him.

Man, he was strong! He wasn't even budging!

He smirked down at me again. "So what we talked about back at the island was a lie?"

I started to splutter utter nonsense. I watched Thatch sigh.

"You know they're not going to believe you, right?" He asked me.

I turned a glare towards him, catching the amusement in his eyes. "This isn't funny! You started it anyways!"

"Sorry." I could tell he was being serious.

"That's why you were on our ship, you brought Thatch back to life," Izo confirmed.

Thatch pouted. "And watched me die."

"Seriously!!!??"

"You watched Teach murder him and didn't do anything?!" Ace yelled.

I waved my hands. "You don't get it! I didn't want to let Marshall do it, but the war needed to happen! And Thatch's death was what set off all of the events. He was like Ace, a catalyst. Luffy needed to try and save Ace, get a reason to become stronger. The war made him realize that he was weak, that he couldn't save his brother!"

"So millions needed to die because Ace's little brother needed to train for two years?" Curiel asked angrily.

"I don't know! All I know is that the war was the key event! I'm sorry, okay!? I'm only thirteen, I can't save everybody! I'm not strong or smart! You think I want to be here!? That I wanted to have this burden on my shoulders!? I could've let the story play out, but I didn't! I didn't because I realized that sometimes I don't have to play by the rules! I saved him because I wanted to, AND YOU KNOW WHAT!? WHEN I GO HOME, I CAN'T TELL ANYONE! I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE MEMORIES OF WAR FOREVER, WITH NO ONE TO HELP ME!!!"

I could hardly breathe.

"Yes, I let people die to allow the rest of the story to happen the way it did, and maybe I shouldn't have. I'm only a kid, I make mistakes. And my decision might've just been one. I'm sorry that I messed up."

My face was red with anger and wet with tears. I could smell the salt on my skin, and it made me sick.

I hated crying. My lip always jutted out, and I could never make it stop. I stuttered horribly, and my nose would get stuffy. I wouldn't stop wiping my eyes, and I sobbed horribly. All in all, I looked like a mess every single time.

"P-Please...don't yell...!...I-I'm sorry..." I sobbed out, gasping for breath as snot clogged my throat and nose.

I hardly registered the arms suddenly around me, didn't feel the person hugging me, and couldn't see anything but a blur of colors from the tears pouring out of my eyes.

The warmth was comforting, but in that moment, all I felt was a bitter cold that squeezed me harshly.

It made my lungs beg for more air, making me gasp, choking on more sobs.

I hated crying because it hurt, too.

Very slowly did my cries die out, did my tears stop flowing, and did I finally realize someone had been hugging me.

"I'm sorry..." I was surprised I didn't start crying again. I usually did.

"No. I'm sorry."

I wasn't surprised to find out it was Ace hugging me either.