A Bird's Journey - A One Piece Fan Fiction About Soul King Brook (Hiatus)

Part 13: Peace is Temporary

Brook's Point of View...
It's been 13 years since the massacre on that island. I am now 33 and Sparhawk 35 years old. Kureha went out on her own after teaching the doctors a thing or two. They appreciated it but thought she was crazy despite her skills.

Jay grew up a trouble maker. But knew his manners and never did anything that could do serious damage. Coot was the one teaching him all of his, Daniel's and Eder's old tricks when they were his age. He'd love to hear stories about his father though. Not about him being the best known surgeon, but the goofy stories about him. How he cared about others. Stuff like that. Coot had the most stories being the 3rd oldest growing up. Then Jackdaw, then Kestrel, and finally Sparhawk. Sparhawk would usually look sad by the end of them though.

She felt guilty because of how he died more than any other death that day. I'd usually take her off and cheer her up with a song. It would only last for a bit though. When I didn't do that she'd go and beat up some trees afterwards. Poor trees never knew what was coming.

Jay grew up to be a fine young man regardless of his little tricks now and then. He started being like an older brother to our twins 12 years ago when he was 5. They were a boy and a girl named Merlin and Magpie.

Merlin (our son) had blonde hair and similar appearance to Sparhawk but hair almost as curly as mine and my eyes. While our daughter Magpie (usually called her Maggie) had straight black hair with blue eyes with tiny purple flecks in them. She had a combination of our looks. They are to this day inseparable. Often they don't agree on anything but they have a love of music and adventure.

My father was so glad he got such fine grandchildren. He even thought of Jay as part of the family. Since he didn't get to spend my youth with me we let him spend lots of time with the 3 of them. Especially since he had more free time since me and Sparhawk were acting rulers. Though he couldn't do some of the more adventurous stuff with them because of his age and bad back.

Derek, Coot, Jackdaw, and Kestrel taught the three kids different fighting styles til they found what they were good at. The 2 of us would sometimes fight them to see where they were at. We only let them fight because they asked first of all. Second, because we or someone else isn't always going to be able to protect them. Finally, because we didn't want them to go through what we did.

When Derek wasn't training the kids though with the others he'd either be flying around using just his wings instead of going full dragon. Or he'd be taking a nap somewhere usually close to Sparhawk. There have been times though, usually once a year, sometimes with Coot, Kestrel, and Jackdaw, they track down the island and visit Grizzles and Gerome. As well as bringing something to the graves and talking to those that passed that they were close to.

Things have mostly been good these past 13 years. The people trust and respect us. We occasionally had family outings (like camping trips, or the rare date with Sparhawk), walking around, spending time getting to know our people as normal people.

I've also started fully trusting Sparhawk again. She's been opening up more with her emotions more and not bottling up as much. There was still some secrets but I knew that when she was ready she'd come to me first if it was important enough.

It was like all those nightmares of the past has never existed. Sparhawk would sometimes train with her brothers when they all had time. The kids were pretty responsible at this point but still getting into trouble. We should have figured with our luck it wouldn't last.

Sparhawk's Point of View...
It was paradise until they came. I was in town with Kestrel, Jay, Merlin, and Magpie when it happened. Merlin noticed flames at the port in the distance. People started running to try to find some help putting it out. I told Kestrel to go get help from the castle. He went into and alley and turned into a crow before flying off.

I told the kids to help what civilians they could and watch each others back. Jay was also in charge because he was the oldest. They went off to help who they could.

Once I made sure they were off in the other direction I went to the port to check things out. As soon as I arrived there I saw them. I thought they had given up. They had no right to set fire to those ships. It was infuriating to see the sails of Germa ships coming to this place after what they did. I was starting to lose it when I heard a couple children crying out on one of the burning ships. A mother close by calling for her children.

That snapped me right out. I ran towards the ship where I heard a child. Making my body tough as bones without the use of haki I jumped through the flames looking to see where these children could be. I call out to see where the children could be because it got quieter except for the occasional nasty cough when I noticed some rubble with a charred doll nearby. Then with the strength I could muster I moved most of the flaming rubble aside but couldn't toss the last of it.

I luckily saw the 2 kids. An older boy and a young girl. She was unconscious while her brother was barely awake. I managed to get his attention calming him down enough so he wouldn't freak out from my appearance. Handing him the doll I'd found through a small crack he was willing to listen. I told him he'd have to pull himself and his sister out quick while I had the rubble raised up on my back and then I'd get them back to their mother.

He looked back at his sister in his arms before looking back at me and nodding faintly. So I hoisted it up the rubble on to an angle getting it on my back just enough so he could drag her out. Once they were clear of the rubble I slipped out and grabbed them before something else could happen. We got off the ship and a bit aways from it and I made my body normal again as I brought the 2 kids back to their mother and told her they'll live. I also told her to head to the castle and bring whoever she could because it would be a lot safer there. She was so grateful and started running off towards the castle.

By this time luckily most of the guards from the castle were helping people away. Coot, Kestrel, and Jackdaw flew in and warned me that someone was behind me. As I turned jumping away from my attacker and got a flesh wound along my eye in the process.

It was one of them. One of the damn bastards that killed my other brothers and most of the small population of my home island. He had some of his men behind him. The guards started coming to help but I told them the 4 of us had it and that the civilians needed them more right now. We could hold them off until they got back. Some of them teared up a bit and others tried to join us when my brothers smiled at them reassuredly and said that we got this. Go do what you got to do to keep this country's citizens safe. They went pretty motivated after that.

"Oh, so you think you can hold us off with a one armed man carrying a frying pan, a nerdy looking fellow with a silly looking feather cape, and a guy that looks like he has a skunk on his head? I'm so scared," snarkily snorted Reus (one of the younger Vinsmokes).

"It's been a while. We're not as weak as we used to be plus we have more motivation to kick your butts now." I rebutted. "You, your men and your family killed most of ours. So let's have at it with preferably as little damage to these people's homes as possible."

I made a couple of good quality weapons out of bones quickly for me to use. Hardly bothered me to do it either. We began fighting and it seemed evenly matched. Even managed to push them to the port again with little damage to the port. The 4 of us knew our fighting styles so well. Practice does seem to make perfect.