The Straw Hat: Dragon Slayer

Chapter 38

My eyes wide with terror as I stared at the dirt. Smoke filling my lungs with each breath. The air filled with smoke from the flames, leaving an unsettling burning sensation in my nose and lungs for the first time.

Was this worth it?

Tears trickled down my cheeks, my knees painfully scrape against the rough dirty trying to hold my weight. My body shook from the pain both mentally and physically. I let out a wail and gripped the dirt with my hands. My hands stained with blood mixed in with the dirt. Tears dropped into the dirt as I continued to cry. My heart sunk with each breath, everything around me in ruins. Trees in flames, some collapsed and crashed to the ground. Embers flying everywhere igniting more fire on trees that were left alone.

Fire that I created.

Was the death worth it?

Footsteps approached me, I lifted my head and stared at the person who was the reason of all this. The reason to why I was here. "LEAVE! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE!" I cried out and continued to sob, I grabbed my shirt tightly and just felt so defeated and lost. I couldn't do a thing to stop this. "I DON'T WANT TO FORGET! Just let me die." My voice got quieter and my shoulder hunch over. My arms sink to the ground as I kneel helplessly before this person. The footsteps stop in front of me, looking at them. The one person I trusted so much, someone who I gave my full trust to. They ripped that apart and threw it to the wolves. Their body was blurred and grayed, I couldn't even see their face. Nothing I could recognize. But their eyes, a emotionless gray set stared at me. Almost like all this time between us didn't matter. They lifted their left hand up to me, and started to chant a spell. Tears trickled down my cheeks, gold runes start to surround me. The only color that showed around them. Everything around us starts to slowly fade as the gold runes get brighter.

Natsu I-

I shot up panting, tears streamed down my face. My chest heavy and my heart raced. What the hell was that!? Sweat covered my body, I shook as well. My mind raced trying to figure out what I just imagined. The bed kept me from rocking, I wipe my face and dry my tears. Looking around and see my two roommates still sleeping. Reaching towards the nightstand I grab the new brace Chopper gave me. Slowly I get out of bed and tip toe to the door. Putting my boots on, I open the door and step out. The night was beautiful. Closing the door behind me, I take a deep breath enjoying the fresh clean air. The smoke in that dream felt so real, my lungs really felt like they were burning. Carefully I put my brace on and it clicks. Franky added a few adjustments, making it more comfortable and less likely to lock up. Slowly I guide my right arm and bend it back and forth with the assist of my left arm. I nod satisfied and head down the stairs. It was one hell of a night, yesterday we had a feast as we celebrated. The guys lay passed out all around the deck, Zoro had a few barrels around him as he slept. Luffy and Usopp lay next to each other, one with a bulging stomach. The other with flushed cheeks, both snoring. I saw the cook who was leaned up against the mast sleeping next to Franky. And then finally, the doctor. I smile and headed over to chopper who was sleeping on one of the lawn chairs that was left out. He was snoring and almost falling off the chair. I pick him up gently, walking down to the hallway that leads to the stairs under the deck. Walking down the hallway I pass his sick bay.

I open my door to my workshop and turn the lights on, chopper's hat covered his eyes so the lights didn't bother him. I hold him in my left arm and use my right to pull out the chair that reclines. Reclining it back, I set chopper down and he rolls to his side sleeping. Smiling at him, I unwrap my scarf and lay it on him like a blanket. Slowly I move the chair away from my desk so I could work. Walking over to my filing cabinets and started opening them.

Empty, I chewed on my lip nervously. I knew two of the six were empty. But now half of them? Where the hell did my blueprints go? I open the fourth drawer, and then sigh in relief. It was stuffed full of blueprints. Okay, so I have a few. That's good. Opening the fifth one, I stared dumbfounded.