Pony Piece: Yonko Journey

by Theblondeknight

7) Discharge and Divergence: Two Paths

"Sorry Buggy," Shanks told his friend with a hand on the headless body's shoulder, "I can't let you kill 'em."

The flying head zoomed down and shouted angrily back.

"NO CHANCE! I'll kill them all for the embarrassment and damages they caused me!"

"You can tell everyone I did that."

"THAT DOESN'T HELP ME LOOK GOOD! IDIOT!!"

"Well, if you'd rather tell people a bunch of ponies did it rather than me...I guess it's your choice. I don't think people will take you as much of a threat though."

"I really hate you...and stop touching me!"

The head landed back on the shoulders and Buggy practically jumped aside to face Shanks, Warlord to Emperor. Buggy struggled to hold a human composure, while Shanks seemed to be showing the edge of a smile, which further enraged the Clown.

"Come on, have some of the good stuff before your men wake up. We can all enjoy ourselves for a bit while we fix them up, and then we'll let you go without another word about it."

Buggy gnashed his teeth together and contemplated the offer for a moment, when Shanks suddenly spoke up once more.

"By the way, if you have a transponder snail, tell your men in those ships over there to pull back...or I'll sink 'em."

Buggy eyed his rival, then the ships, then Shanks once more, and quickly scrambled to find a snail among his fallen mates.

"Okay! OKAY! You win! I need those ships!"

As soon as the words left his mouth and went through the snail, Shanks practically dragged Buggy below deck, while his men attended to the wounded ponies with the still up and about members of Twilight's crew.

---

"It's a bit of tough situation."

"Yeah."

Was that Shanks?

"We could take her to a specialist...maybe when we find that man?"

"I doubt even he could help fix this."

"To think...a Warlord. It was a Warlord. Imagine the end of this adventure. Imagine what a man like Blackbeard could do...or an Admiral. Or-"

"We have a Yonko with us as well. He won't sit by with a peer involved. And this isn't life threatening....just unfortunate."

"I still think it's not..."

The rest became a blurry mess, and darkness once more became overbearing. It was time to sleep again.

---

On a shimmering, glassy beach on a deserted island, a man walked alone with a snail in his hand, his voice exchanging with the other amid the beating of waves on the sand and the call of birds in the air.

"Most interesting, wouldn't you say, Thief?" The snail asked.

"Red Hair didn't act until loss was a certainty. They haven't met a real test yet."

"We've got one lined up," The snail replied, "several, in fact. Their triumphs, whatever the circumstances and whatever you label them, against both Vice Admiral Smoker and the Royal Warlord Buggy the Clown have earned them all bounties. High bounties, all things considered."

The thief made a disapproving sound, but did not speak; the voice behind the transponder snail carried on.

"In the meantime, our agents have their own objectives."

"Red Hair is still the biggest problem. Don't underestimate him."

"You need not remind us. We are well aware of it."

"Then I'll continue my observations and reports, and move the plan along."

"Very good."

When the Thief remained on the line, the voice allotted him the time to ask.

"I'd like to request a squad of Pacifista."

"You'll have them and much more. When the time is right, we will give you the tools to dispense of Red Hair and bring us the visitors."

"And is it within my prerogative to decide that time?"

The voice took some time to answer, "....We will consider your judgement, but we are your authority."

"Of course. That is something you need not remind me of."

"Then keep a close eye on them a while more, soon they will face more Marines, other Warlords, and without doubt, many other surprises along the way. We'll contact you again in three days time."

"Understood."

"Oh, by the way, your comrade, Angler, reported suspicious activity going on in Baltigo. Be wary of surprise visits...from that man."

"I always am."

The communications ended, and the Thief went on his way, traversing the glossy sand all by himself, save for the birds overhead and the small village in the distance.

---

Again the voices stirred away the sleep, but again it was unclear who was there and who was saying what.

"I heard the antidote worked. Not very much longer now."

"Ask me, their luck is greater than Buggy's."

"For the most part, at least."

"...unfortunately, you're right. This poor one..."

Then everything went dark once more, and there were words spoken in the darkness, some she understood, some she did not; she saw many things in the pitch blackness as well, some scary, some enraging, but very few comforting. Certain things kept coming across her thoughts, like luck and skill, swords, sabers, and the blood...of Emperors and of Admirals.

And before she knew it, Rainbow Dash woke up.

To her immense surprise, she was alone save for the Red Haired captain she and her friends had aligned with. He seemed to not notice her at first, gazing into the bright, blue sky and looking out over the waters. She noticed as she groaned and raised herself into a sitting position on the bed that her back and wings were numb. Most everything else hurt though. At last, Shanks turned towards and handed her a cup.

She looked inside for a moment, at the clear liquid tranquilly calling out to her; she was very thirsty, and though it was no cider, it was still very soothing.

"Welcome back," the Captain greeted.

"What happened?" She asked, breathing deeply, as though for the first time in too long.

His bluntness was a bit shocking her as well, "You fell in battle. You'll get a nice scar on your chest to match the new bounty, but I'm afraid you'll find things will be different from now on."

It was at this moment Rainbow noticed two very important things, firstly, that they were not aboard the Star, but from the looks of it, the Red Force. Secondly, she found none other than her own Captain lying on a bed to the side opposite Shanks.

Her head filled with questions a burning sensation, a part of battle injuries or the before-mentioned questions. As he was so very good at doing, he seemed to feel exactly what was going on in her mind, and smirked his usual grin while explaining what he knew.

"Firstly, I'm sorry to say your ship was scrapped. You'll all be aboard the Red Force now, at least until another ship can be gained for your crew."

"Well....it was just a ship right? Our things can be replaced and-"

"Many of your friends died...."

".....Oh........."

"Let tears fall where they are wanted. It's not a crime to cry, not even for a pirate."

And so she did. Rainbow had many good friends on that ship, she fully realized as she wondered who she would never be seeing again. As far as the strange things in the world of the Great Blue Sea went, the most shocking thing had to be the death that abounded. How many ponies had died since their arrival? At least thirty of forty? Probably, and sadly, more than that. It was a dangerous business, existing here.

"Twilight is okay though, isn't she?"

"Yes. As are the other close friends of the Princess."

"Well, that's a relief."

"But I might as well add that you...won't be flying anymore."

The words shouldn't have hurt after hearing all she had before, perhaps the relief that the other Element bearers were alive and well had restored some happiness. If pirates were cruel, Shanks was a great pirate...of all the things to say. Now.

But it just couldn't be true. She looked at her left wing, and it was fine. She moved to see her right and nothing seemed amiss. Shanks looked her in the eyes and explained.

"Buggy got you. Near the end of the battle. When you fell, so did everything else. Twilight is a good leader, but she's inexperienced here. I advised her not to underestimate Buggy."

"It doesn't seem like Twilight to underestimate anything," Rainbow replied with a growing choke in her throat, "but what does that have to do with my wings? With me...flying?"

"She has led her crew into many dangers, but even great captains can't protect their nakama all the time. This time, you took a knife in the back. Under your wing, you might be able to feel the bandages when the numbness goes away."

Now her heart was beating fast, racing at the thought that she might not be able to do things like race ever again. She knew this wouldn't be a recreational trip, knew dangers were going to be around every other corner, but she never thought any of it could happen to her. And if she was being honest, the great many deaths aside, it was hardly ever real, until now.

"We're no expects, but we know when something is beyond repair. I'm afraid your right wing will never support flight again."

That was when the tears really started coming down.

"Oh Celestia.........."

Shanks sat quietly, looking at her, doing his thinking with a somber face.

"Why............I..."

He took his arm and placed it around her neck, sitting down on the bed beside her and holding her because no one else could. It was a Captain's job to protect their nakama, and though she was Twilight's nakama by technicality, she was also a guest on his ship. Her friends would bring comfort to her when she needed it most, but there was something else that needed to be done first.

"Why am I...so selfish? Ponies died......and I'm crying......over myself. Twilight is there....knocked out....fighting for her health....and I'm crying over a stupid thing like flying....."

"It's never easy to lose something you're attached to."

"D-Did you...feel this way over your arm?"

Shanks actually smiled, and for a split second, the tears had nowhere to go; his answer, and the smile with it, evaporated the sadness, even if for only a moment.

"No."

"No?"

"No. Because I gave it up for a worthy cause. Just like you. Your friends were in peril, and you stepped up to save them. You took a knife in the back, but would you rather it was Fluttershy? Or Rarity? Perhaps young Spike? Does flying really mean so much to you?"

The tears came back to her, but the sadness was diluted. Something in his speech was healing her. Somewhere, he had a very good point. She wanted more of it. And he obliged with a small smile, and a warm voice.

"I was a left hand man. I was on par with swordsmen like "Hawk-Eyes" Mihawk. I was a fantastic duelist. But I gave it up, because if I hadn't, someone very special would've been killed. When I compare my once greatest strength to all the warmth and delight and inspiration that person has brought into the world, especially after I saved him....then my arm means nothing. Flying is special to you. Understandable. But if circumstances were different, it may have gone into Pinkie Pie's neck. Or Applejack's heart. So smile and be glad. Be thankful you could take a knife for them, so they can make your life and the lives of everyone around them better. Smile because things so silly as arms or flying aren't worth crying over."

The tears didn't stop, neither of them truly expected them to right away, but Rainbow Dash felt it in her heart. Something inside was changing; Shanks was right, things were going to be different, but they didn't have to be worse. There was room for more tears, but right now the two most pressing things on Rainbow's mind where doubt, and curiosity.

"So..." She asked with a sniffle and a fresh run of tears, "If I can't fly anymore, how do I continue to protect my friends?"

"That's a question only you can answer. We all protect each other in different ways. If you can't do it by flying, find yourself a new power. Use what you still have to the utmost, and be there when your friends need you, however you can be."

"I want to protect my friends like you do."

"Then you're in luck. Your teacher is almost ready. When Twilight wakes up, we're setting sail to meet with him. Haki isn't an easy thing to learn, not in the amount of time you're going to have, but it is an excellent way to protect your friends."

"Good."

They sat for a moment together, admiring the magic of the moment. But she couldn't resist asking him one more question when he finally did run his fingers through her mane and rough up her head before stepping away.

"Wait! That person....that you gave your arm for...who was he?"

Shanks smiled brightly, but kept his back to her as he answered, "I wish I knew who he was right now...it would be nice to see him grown. But I can't forsake what I know he will be."

"What does that mean?" She begged as he got closer to the door.

"It means that I can't break a promise, just to re-unite with the future Pirate King."

---

As the ponies rushed into the medical room, Benn Beckman and Shanks were joined by Yasopp and Lucky Roo.

"It's confirmed...the old man will meet them on that island. But what will we do?" Yasopp asked.

"Well...no need to let them worry about these things just yet. Let them learn to defend themselves first," Beckman replied.

"I agree," Shanks added, "Whatever is going on behind the scenes...be it the World Government, another Emperor...or maybe even something else entirely, let's let them learn to overcome failure before we push them into even tougher things."

"It won't be easy to keep those challenges away from them. As soon as they finish training, pirates, bounty hunters, and Marines of all sorts will be tailing them...not just because of the new bounties," Beckman reasoned.

"True...heh...360,000,000....that's bigger than mine was for over ten years," Yasopp spoke, lament and admiration within his voice, "I wonder if the world will buy it. Buggy's not much of a Warlord, and pirates with far lower bounties can stand up to Vice Admirals."

"There's also association with us," Beckman reminded his crew mate.

"Look at Jack...his bounty is bigger than any of yours, he's an Emperor's lackey any way you put it. The people might fear them, but the ones coming after them won't. It'll just get them riled up. We best try to take the heat off of them. They're more important than we are, after all," Shanks advised.

"Yeah. But you know, I wonder...if you had to choose between Luffy and Twilight..."

"Stop joking, Yasopp," Beckman scolded.

"Who would I pick? Hard to tell...but I'd give my life for either of them," Shanks said, "Without a second thought."

"Doesn't matter right now," Lucky Roo said from behind his bone of meat, "we're sailing smooth. There's a long ways to go yet."

The four maneuvered below deck and Beckman poured them all sake cups in the galley. The cook himself gave them a bottle from a hidden compartment.

"All that's left now, is to tell Twilight when she wakes up," Yasopp summed up, "the rest of her crew will be glad to see her up and about."

"It will lessen the sting, but won't change the reality around them. Three hard losses. Three points at the edge of destruction. They'll come to rely on us as even more of a crutch if they don't do well with the Old Man."

He handed Lucky Roo and Yasopp cups, took his own, and left the bottle for his captain.

"To a time of splendid hard work then," Shanks made the toast.

They clanged the cups together and all drank, and if anyone enjoyed it more than the Red-Haired captain, none could prove it.

---

It took a couple days longer than it did for Rainbow Dash, but Twilight finally awoke. The crummy feeling in her stomach wasn't entirely the residual effects of the poison, she realized, but the fact that she had a bad habit, if not a vice, for losing badly. She was no pirate by nature, these challenges were far from academic...but she thought she'd fare better, frankly. This was not a pleasant case of deja vu...but there were far worse things than waking up to see her friends after a long, lonely sleep.

"...so...how bad was it this time?" Twilight asked with a wry smile.

"Went off without a hitch...except for the ship...more ponies lost..." Rainbow explained.

"Oh," She muttered, retracting the dry humor, "well, the ship was just wood.....our friends knew the dangers...we'll have to work harder to prevent the rest of us some meeting the same ending..."

"But it wasn't all bad," Fluttershy put forward, attempting to put a patch of optimism on the glum moment, "whatever we did, we did something right...the map, it changed."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, not sure how "good" was used to apply to a map that acted like a painting mid-completion.

"Take a look for yourself," Pinkie said, holding up the map in front of her with a smile which infected the others quickly.

To her immense amazement, the map was no longer a contorted, incomplete picture, though it retained many of these elements. But now, it sported a fine red line slowly weaving its way across the brown seas, cycling in action until they progressed far enough. It was leading them somewhere now. And that made Twilight forget all about what had happened to her.

This enigmatic piece of parchment had caused so much mental frustration; where in the world Celestia could've forge or gotten it from was beyond Twilight's imagination, but now that it was acting like a proper navigational tool, things were really beginning to turn her day around.

"Amazing!"

Twilight practically jumped out of the bed, but the dizzying effects made her swoon right back into it. Applejack and Pinkie helped her get settled again and Fluttershy brought forward a (very soft) drink.

"It is a refreshing bit of news, isn't it? Rairty asked, giving the biggest smile she'd put on in a good while.

"it's wonderful!" Twilight corrected, "After losing so much so many times, falling into traps and blunders and problems of all kinds..."

"Well, things are looking a lot better now," Applejack cut her off, "we have a map that works like a map!"

"It even led us to this!" Spike exclaimed, unable to contain the excitement straining his patience, holding up the second surprise of a burlap sack that was waterlogged and weathered down to patchy fabric in some places.

"That's..."

"It is!" Spike confirmed happily, "Shanks himself made sure....it's a devil fruit."

He pulled the pink orb from the sack, discarding the burlap and holding up the swollen ball with an odd pattern across the skin. It wasn't quite a perfect circle, and who could tell how the water may have affected it, but it was the most unusual looking fruit any could imagine. They all watched it bathe in the sunlight, still dripping a little sea water onto the wooden floor.

"So who gets to eat it!?" Pinkie asked with an excitement only Pinkie Pie could tap into.

"Twilight is the Captain of our crew, and a Princess, we shouldn't forget. She should eat it," Fluttershy suggested.

"H-Hang on...I'm not even sure I want it. I mean, it would be nice, but...now that I'm looking at one...the risks..." She turned away and rubbed her temple soothingly. Of all the surprises after an injury...

"Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to let her have it..until she heals up a bit," Rarity reasoned.

"Can we really keep Pinkie from eating it that long?" Spike asked with some concern as he passed the fruit over to Rainbow, all the while Pinkie scooted closer to the beautiful fruit.

"Maybe Fluttershy should eat it," Applejack spoke her mind.

"Why me?" Fluttershy inquired, backing up a step in anxiety.

"Well, I figure if we all have to get stronger, we might as well get the, er, least battle-experienced the better tools. Right? Shanks can't carry us forever."

"A valid thought," Rarity figured, "but perhaps not the right one. Ultimately though, Fluttershy is correct in that it must be Twilight's decision."

The Princess quietly groaned in the bed. A decision like this to make at a time like this...not a good combination. But now they were all staring at her, seeking her wisdom, and unable to turn away without an answer. Oh well...

"Somepony has to have it, right?" Twilight reasoned, more to herself than any of her friends, "I mean...we are going to have the chance to learn Haki soon, but you can use both powers...but then there are risks...Shanks and his crew won't touch fruits....hmmm..maybe nopony should have it after all."

Pinkie was taking this turn the hardest, but they all kept watching her, studying her reasoning process until she realized she was going in circles with this debate; sometimes the best decisions were snap decisions, even if there was a factor of randomization to it. Finally, she declared her ruling.

"OK...this is what we'll do, spread the word to the rest of the crew. Whoever finds a fruit can choose to eat it, or pass it on to somepony else. Who found it?"

The floor was given to Spike, who stepped forward, once again in possession of the orb of sheer, unknown power. He was shaking now that the reality was dawning on him, and Twilight couldn't blame him for it.

"I-I fished it out on the deck with Lucky Roo," he told Twilight.

"Okay, so what's it going to be, Spike? It's your call to make now."

Back in Equestria, Twilight wouldn't have given a second thought to refusing Spike a danger like this, but in her role of protecting Equestria, and at the same time her friends, she was thrust into difficulty situations. Shanks himself told them the only way to survive was to adapt, and if the way of adapting was to take on a power with a curse, then it seemed they'd take the curse; surely it was preferable to dying with all hope for their home.

Meanwhile, Spike only looked dumbfounded, both in awe and curious of the fruit's power, but cautious of it all the same. He began to stutter a reply as Applejack and Rainbow held Pinkie at bay.

"Patience is a good thing," Twilight told her assistant, "but so is promptness. You don't always have all the time in the world to-"

Spike grabbed the fruit firmly and thrust his face into it, taking a large bite and ripping it right off the pink body. Twilight smiled and the others watched on eagerly as he munched on it, dropping the fruit as he swallowed it and holding his stomach and turning a new shade of green.

"Spike!? Are you alright?" Rarity asked, putting her hoof on his back as he covered his mouth.

After a period of low, rumbling gurgles, the unease was lessened somewhat as Spike spoke up at last.

"It tastes awful....like mold and....blegh..."

He covered his mouth again, and things seemed to be calming down. Now it was just a matter of time to see what would happen to him.

He seemed to be regaining his bearings, standing to full height again and watching himself, moving his fingers and legs, blinking and sniffing the air. He kept on for a minute, then shrugged, feeling no different than he had before he took the bite. And then the others back away as his whole body began shaking uncontrollably, and fear entered his eyes like it scarcely had before.

"Spike!?" Twilight moved towards her assistant with fervor.

"W-What's happening to me?!?" He panicked, shaking like a tornado was ravaging him from the inside.

"SPIKE!!"

---

"Just to be clear," Buggy advised those gathered in the meeting room aboard his flagship, "I didn't let them get away."

"Of course not," One of the sailors replied, "that was never in doubt."

"It's all a brilliant plan to catch them later, right?"

"No," another jumped in, "it's even better than that. He's working on a grand plan to catch and destroy them all."

The pirates continued their speculation of the clown captain's plots, while Mr. 3 and Alvida had a quiet discussion off to the side.

"It was a miracle you escaped alive...what were you thinking? Taking on the Yonko Shanks like that?" Alvida demanded.

"I was profoundly against it from the start."

"This kind of thing isn't going to fly. We may be operating under his name, but this is still technically the 'Buggy-Alvida' Alliance."

"I wonder if they'll let this one go? If he ends up doing nothing about it and moving onto something else, will they forget it?" Galdino wondered.

"Doesn't matter. If either of you had bothered to ask what I had been doing while I was away, you'd know this actually wasn't the stupidest thing he's ever done."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I made contact with the World Government as Buggy's representative while you two were running wild...they've called for a strategic conclave, all the Warlords are going to be attending. Seems this strange crew of mishaps sailing with Red Hair have a big target on their backs. Your experience against them will improve our standing as a Warlord's crew. With another vacant spot from Doflamingo's dismissal, it's a great chance..."

"What are you getting at, exactly?"

"Well, down the line....we might try to do it again. More organized, more ruthlessly, and more better equipped to get the job done. It'll all come down to timing."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."

---

"So...what's the verdict?" Shanks wondered.

"It doesn't match the picture perfectly....maybe something happened to it before we got it...but it looks like the 'Time-Time Fruit: Self Model'...capable of changing the user's physical and mental abilities based on growth or rewinded aging," Twilight recited, putting the book down on the stand beside the bed. Quite fortunate that for a crew of non-Devil Fruit eaters, they had a Fruit Encyclopedia.

"I've only seen a handful of pirates consume Devil Fruits, and I've never seen this. He seems to be doing well. We'll keep a close eye on him," Shanks promised, leaving the very same bed Twilight had occupied just hours ago, now in use by a semi-conscious Spike. The Princess trailed after him, and more ponies and humans fanned out after their captains.

"I'm gonna bake something special for when he wakes up, see you later, Twi," Pinkie bade farewell.

"I look forward to it," Twilight returned, then shifted her focus to Shanks beside her, "...Did I make the right call?"

Shanks chuckled, "If you keep asking me what's right and wrong you won't learn to tell for yourself."

"I can't help it," Twilight complained, "back home, I could usually tell. I wasn't perfect mind you, but everything was clearer. I led my friends through a lot of dangers, but we always managed to come out OK...but now we're in the unknown. After what's happened to Rainbow and Spike, I just..."

"You're doing good."

Twilight took a moment to fight back what she wanted to say, now that the crimson haired swordsman had so effortlessly assuaged her argument.

"Thank you," She said at last.

"Doubts come and go with the waves. Stand with your friends and they stand by you."

"I know, and I'm so thankful for that. I just...I feel like we repeat the same mistakes, like I don't learn."

"That's usually a sign you're learning faster than you realize."

"Do you read self-help books secretly?" Twilight teased, "You've always got something wise and proverbial to say."

"I used to be almost as hopeless as you," He teased back.

"In any case," She rebutted with a renewed smile, "I'm sure we wouldn't have made it this far without you. But we need a ship. We need to be organized, now that we know where we're going, we need to focus on what we need to do."

"You're right, it's time to focus on what you need to do. But first, we should clarify where it is you're going."

"What do you mean?"

"You asked my man to steer the wrong way."

"Huh? What are you talking about? The map was clear which way to go."

"I'm not following your map, I'm following mine; your teacher is an old friend of mine, and he's in the opposite direction. He's been preparing for our arrival....and don't worry, he's not a clown."

"So...we're finally going to learn to defend ourselves properly. That is good...but this really would have been ideal had it happened before we ran into Buggy."

"You're worried your map will become unreadable again, isn't that so?"

"If I could just figure out how it works, I wouldn't be so worried....but have you considered that maybe the end is right before us? I know it wouldn't make much sense, to have the answer hidden in plain view, so easily accessible, but...I don't know if I can risk letting our only guide in this world turning against us again. And if we run into trouble, you'll be there to protect us while we finish this adventure."

"Or maybe the end is so far out of sight you won't make it a quarter of the way as you are now, despite my help."

"That might be....but I don't know which gamble to take."

"..."

"Do I go to the right, where there may be nothing left, or do I go the left where nothing seems right?"

"...That sounded like the hook of a self-help book."

"I used to be even more hopeless," Twilight admitted, but quickly lost the tinge of humor along with it.

She waited for him to pull out another of his amazing fixes, something key she was missing or not familiar with, but he just stood there, under the setting sun, silently admiring the view with her. These moments were perhaps the hardest of all, where he said nothing whatsoever.

So they stayed unmoved and unspoken for a time, Pinkie's baking putting an aromatic spell in the air. And for a second, Twilight thought that this time, silence was an acceptable answer. Her thoughts were streaming through so clearly in the perfect atmosphere. The decisions were tough to make, but the speed at which she analyzed her thoughts and came up with new ones was as impressive as it had been.

That didn't make for a flawless brainstorm, but the choice to take was soon clear. It was very wishful thinking to believe that the key to solving the mystery she'd been sent after was right in front of her. And if Buggy was someone who relied on luck instead of skill to conquer, then even a modest threat who managed to get by the Red Hair Pirates would obliterate them. And if the map became useless again, they'd just have to find the key to making it clear.

Before she knew it, the moon was out and Shanks was gone, but his echoing voice led her to the party unfolding on the deck. She made sure to stop by the wheel before joining in the festivities and belay her prior orders. To the teacher they went, to learn to become strong.

When she found a spot next to Shanks, she took a slice of Pinkie's cake first and notified him of her agreement with his assessment.

"Glad you solved it," Shanks greeted with a lightly flustered smile, "Make the night more worth celebrating!"

He had somehow slyly planned it all out to unfold like this. She was ninety percent sure of it.

"I look forward to beginning the training, but I think we should stop off and get a few things...a new ship would be nice. I'm never sure if I'm taking an alcoholic drink or not on this one."

Shanks laughed.

"Besides...the man at the wheel doesn't listen to me on this ship."

The laughing all around her grew more jovial, and she soon joined in. Tomorrow's worries were for tomorrow. She wished she'd learned that a while ago.

Author's Note:

I've noticed that the last several chapters have been running the same formula, and I'm not OK with that. From here, we shift gears a bit, and I hope you enjoy where I'm steering this thing, cause there's lots more planned.

Oh, and as for Spike's new power....I had switched around many times, I hope I made a good choice. I look forward to having him use it.

Reviews always welcome.

Thank you.
-TBK