Ketsueki no hana-One Piece fanfic

Chapter 2

     Ketsueki awoke to a nice warmth at her side, shielding the cold from her. She cracks open an eye and sees that it's Shi who's laying beside her. Frowning at the closeness between them Ketsueki wiggles herself out of his skinny hold and straightens up. Popping her joints as she lets out a small yawn. The sun was just rising over the horizon's edge, giving the night a run for it's money.

    Ketsueki cracks her neck and sighs in relief as the stiffness in her neck releases. She buckles her sword black onto her hip and straightens the folds in her simple black tank-top, also running a hand over her shorts. Ketsueki inhales another breath of crisp early morning air before setting about some tasks she had to do before Shi wakes up. The sun was almost all the way up before Shi awoke and rubbed his balled hands over his eyes.

  "Why didn't you wake me?" Shi's voice was deep from sleep and held a note of hurt. But Ketsueki choose to ignore the hurt and just nod her head.

"Because you needed the sleep and there's nothing for you to do," Ketsueki explains in a monotone voice, her pale eyes emotionless. Shi nods his head, not wanting to set the girl off.

"Next time will you wake me?"

"No, not unless you learn to wake yourself." She shakes her head and checks her gear once more.

"You're very blunt," Shi peers closer to see the girl's expression, but he was rewarded with a blank face.

"So I've been told," Ketsueki smiles sadly, showing the first ray of a smile. Shi stares stunned at Ketsueki as he sees a hidden beauty take the place of the emotionless girl.

"You should smile more often," Shi's comment sends Ketsueki back to her expressionless state.

"Sorry," Ketsueki lowers her head before stomping on the burned out fire. She moves with an otherworldly grace that has Shi entranced. "Stop gawking and move the dirt to were it looked like we have never been her before." She orders quietly, not bothering to raise her voice for him to hear. Shi nods silently and gets to work, following Ketsueki's orders.

    The pounding sound of marching footfalls alerts the duo to the approaching Marines. Ketsueki makes a hand motion for Shi to stay quite and for him to go around the rock and start heading for the water.

"Don't step on any twigs and get your butt to the ship what has a pitch black flag." Ketsueki orders in a harsher tone then she would normally use. She hadn't thought that the Marines would get her this fast so she wasn't prepared for them to come so early. 'Damn! This is what I get for being lazy and for thinking we were home free,' She snarls inside her head in frustration.

"What about you?" Shi stops in his tracks to look back at the silver haired beauty. Ketsueki narrows her eyes and spits towards the ground.

"Don't worry about me. Just get your ass to the ship and get ready to haul ass when I come a run'in." Ketsueki turns her back to the boy and stars to walk in the direction of the Marines. Shi shakes his head, but does as told.

 Ketsueki watches in sharp precision as she times her attack. Timing is crucial and she can't mess this up. Otherwise it'll end up with her and Shi dead. Well more likely her dead and Shi tortured. She lets out a small sigh before unsheathing the sword from her hip. Balancing on the balls of her feet Ketsueki ties her shoulder length hair into a small ponytail before leaping down in front of a soldier. Taking the men by surprise Ketsueki swings her sword through the air. The sound of metal clashing with metal rings through the silent morning.

Shouts and orders clash with the sound of swords hitting flesh and other swords. Ketsueki was bleeding in several places, but the fact didn't falter her in her pursuit of killing them. Her mind was blank and only focused on the instinct to survive and live to see another day.

"Stay the hell down!" She hisses as the same marine kicks at her and knocks her backwards. She didn't like the fact that it took only one marine to make her take a step backwards. Anger and fury coils through her and she lunches sharply, striking her appoint through the stomach. The sucking noise that came from when she pulled her sword free caused her to wrinkle her nose.

"M-monster!"

"What the hell is she?"

"Ketsueki no hana!"

"It's the Blossom of blood! The lady who sees the dead!"

That one pissed Ketsueki off and it took her seconds to dispatch of the man who said those words.

"I ain't no damn Blossom of blood you bloody dumbasses!" She growls and crouches into a launching position. Sweat poured down the side of her face, but the smell of blood kept her going and even the possible chance of seeing her father. The pain of someone landing a blow kicks in and Ketsueki goes rolling down the hill, her lack of focus coming back to slap her in the face.

 Hissing as her sword pricks her thigh Ketsueki sheaths her sword and takes off a neck braking pace. The sun was well passed the horizon and she knew Shi must be worried or had already left without her.

"I don't give a damn about Shi," She whips the though from her mind and blows the words from her mouth. The lie of those words set in after he heard herself say them out loud. Ketsueki didn't have much more time to think when her ship came into view.

"Ketsueki!" Shi's voice hollers over the springing wind and the shouts of the floundering Marines.

"Get the past ready!" She barks back, her eyes narrowed into slits as she calculates the distance between her and the edge of the boat. Deciding that it was close enough Ketsueki springs through the air and launches her self into a tight ball and flips onto the railing. Silver strands swoosh around her cheeks and a natural glow captures her cheeks as she evens her breathing.

"Don't just stand there get the ship moving!" Ketsueki snaps out of it and stands straight up. Her pale eyes once more emotionless and cold. Shi frowns at the sudden change in the silver haired girl, but doesn't press her. Following orders Shi gets the ship moving and propelling through the waters of the harbor.

"Get back here you filthy b*tch!" A Marine general snarls and points his gun at Ketsueki. Shi stares in horror as he watches the slightly older girl pivot around and take the bullet straight on.

Ketsueki blinks, she'd taken the hit for Shi's sake. It was either her or Shi and for some reason Ketsueki had rather it be her than the caring blonde. It didn't really seem like much to Ketsueki, but she knew by the look on Shi's face that it was much worse then what she was feeling. Being Death's daughter had it's perks she suppose. Not being able to feel small physical pain was one of them, but emotion pain was another story all together.

Darkness swarms Ketsueki's vision and she feels her body fall to through the air. The deck's roughness catches her in it's wooden embrace. Pain flares through her abdomen, telling her that the wound she had just sustained was not a small wound, but something larger.

"Don't just stand there dummy get the ship moving and don't look back. Looking back always brings more pain then when you're leaving"

****************************************************************************************************************

Hi guys, Lilia here! I hope ya'll like the chappy and will vote or comment ^-^ I hope this isn't boring anyone!

~KISSES FROM LILIA