Soliloquy of the Broken Soul

Trapped and Alone

It had been two full years since they were captured.

Two full years since they had been branded as slaves to the Celestial Dragons.

Two full years since Luffy had been stolen from them.

Ace and Sabo were thin, too thin. To an unhealthy amount. Neither of them had much energy or strength nowadays with their very limited food supply, and constantly being forced to work. Although, as of late, they haven't been made to do quite as much.

This was probably due to the fact that when they were put to a task, be it cleaning or serving the Celestial Dragon, they made sure to make it go as horribly as possible. Blatantly refusing to do anything up until the very last straw and then making sure to do as poor a job as physically possible.

The number of dishes they'd destroyed was in at least the hundreds.

Of course, they were always crudely beaten half to death afterwards, and wouldn't be used for another week or so.

Used. They were property now.

Ace grimaced to himself. This was the exact opposite of freedom. Of their dreams. Of Luffy's dreams.

"Hey Sabo... " Ace wondered aloud, "What- What if we never get Luffy ba-"

He was cut short by a hard blow to the head. He looked up to see a seething and Sabo looming over him.

"Don't you ever think of something like that again, Ace." Sabo's voice was chilled as ice, and teeming with fury. " Luffy never gave up on us. He gave me a real family and made you feel like you were worth being born. So there is NO WAY we're leaving Luffy alone. We'll find away. Who cares how long it takes as long as we aren't too late and we save our little brother. You get that through your think skull! "

Sabo was huffing from the amount of effort he put into those words. Ace had no choice but to except it. A sly grin made its way to his face.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry." He replied softly.

He thought to himself for a minute before speaking again.

"It's a good thing they let him keep his hat," Ace commented quietly, "I'd be a lot more worried if he didn't have the reminder of his promise."

Sabo nodded grimly. "Yeah. Luffy'd really go crazy without Shanks to watch over him."

There was another long silence. Not awkward just... Long. There was a lot more empty air between the two without Luffy's bumbling babble; and they missed it. They missed it so. Much.

Ace sighed as he thought quietly of Luffy. Something that was actually quite hard to do considering that just thinking of Luffy invoked a loudness in one's skull that made it ring like crashing symbols.

"You think he's... Different?" Sabo asked suddenly, a hint of fear edging his voice. "You think he's still the same loud kid we used to know?"

Ace's lips quivered into sad frown. No, no he's not going to be the same. He thought solemnly. Not even Luffy could endure that long without touch or human interaction.... Especially not Luffy.

Ace sighed and forced the frown on his face into a sad smile. "I bet he talks to himself everyday. Couldn't keep him quiet even if you wanted to. I bet he drives the guards who feed him crazy."

Sabo simply hummed. Both were now thinking about Luffy's condition. The thought piled up and got worse the more they thought about it, but it seemed impossible to keep the dark worries away.

Was he getting fed? Did they have more than him? Did he even know how long he's been locked away? Where was he? Was he hurt? Was he afraid?

Both boys were suddenly struck into a silent horror as the same thought cross their minds: