Firestorm (Ace x OC)

Chapter 38: A Storm of Dreams

"Ryoko!" Chopper screamed toward the woman as lightning crashed down on her, the bird and the strange man. He was crouched beside the old man who lay on the deck of the ship, eyes half-lidded but looking up to the surging lightning strike from the sudden storm clouds that had formed.

The thunderous boom that followed in mere milliseconds after the lightning hit was deafening and left ringing in the old god's ears. Had she known that lightning was going to strike and tossed him to the deck of the ship in order to protect him? It was a foolish choice, yet a brave one. 

The lightning ceased and everything was still for a moment, then there was a sudden movement from the back of the priest's bird. With the sheets of rain falling, and the now absence of lightning to light the area, it was hard to tell who was moving. One thing was for certain, Fuza, the giant three-length bird that the priest rode upon, was falling from the air. One figure fell from the back of the bird, while the other wrenched something out of the creature's mouth.

Two more strikes of lightning shot down from the clouds to either side of the Sky Knight's mount. Pierre then also began to fall, although, unlike the other bird, he was able to maneuver back to the deck of the Merry. 

The person who remained on the falling bird leapt swiftly onto the bottom of the staircase, as the other two fell into the clouds behind them, the cloud sharks immediately circling. The woman looked up the stairs toward the doctor and began to make her way up the steps shakily. 

Chopper immediately hopped over the railing and carefully made his way down the wet moss-covered stone stairs, meeting her halfway, "Ryoko, are you alright?" He asked, clearly panicked since she had been just struck by lightning. However, the woman didn't respond and kept moving up the stairs, "Ryoko! You're back!" He exclaimed in fear.

The woman's top was slightly singed, but what worried the doctor was the white-blue glow that emitted from the contours of her back muscles. She grabbed onto the doctor for support as she continued up the steps with Chopper sticking close to her side. Clenched tightly in her free hand was a deep orange-coloured spiral shell, a dial, which she had been able to wrench free from the mouth of the giant bird. 

As they made it to the top of the stairs Ryoko moved to sit on the ground only for Chopper to pick her up and carry her onto the ship deck. Her eyes drooped slightly as the glowing on her back began to fade, "Chop-per...?" She mutters in a tone barely heard over the rain. Her breathing was a bit ragged as she tried to gulp down the thin air. 

As her breathing evened out slowly, the storm began to pass, the clouds burning off like mist in the midday sun. "I... need a nap..." She mutters to the doctor who sets her down on the couch in the dining hall, "Wake me... if you need... anything." She adds before her eyes shut and she falls asleep swiftly, and the dial hits the floor next to the couch.

~~~

Ryoko's eyes widened as she snapped into a sitting position and looked around only to see the mostly empty room. There was her blanket that she was sitting on, along with a table and three chairs. She stood up and looked around as she felt a shiver run down her spine she spun around only to see shadows moving across the walls. Her eyes darted around, as the shadows began moving on each cold grey wall. She turned her eyes to the floor, stooping to grab her blanket only to be met with the cold stone floor.

Panic began to set in as she crouched down in the center of the room, her eyes darting to the shadows, whose eyes opened to look at her. Her heart began to race as she looked around at the many different sets of eyes. However, she recognized a few, although the faces weren't there. A few that stuck out to her, hurt deep in her soul, the narrowed gazes causing her to clench her eyes shut tightly and grip both sides of her head, "Don't look at me!" She yelled, her voice echoing around the room. The shadows began to pull away from the wall, glowering and moving toward her. "Stop! Please!" She screamed, feeling the eyes boring into her as she covered her head.