Survivors Guilt

Chapter 1

"I promised, when we first met, that I would pay at the end of your blade if I ever got in the way of your dream." Kneeling in the several inch deep mud, the man bowed his head to show his respects - gratitude and apology overwhelming him as he cried softly - to his fallen friend. The raven haired man gently placed three blades on the ground as if they would shatter if he moved too quickly. "You died for mine, so I guess that counts as getting in the way."

He sat in the mud for several long hours, unbothered by the elements that tried to hide the swords. He didn't care about anything other than the grave in front of him. He briefly scoffed at himself as he knelt there, he didn't stay in front of his other friends' graves for nearly as long as he was this one. Maybe it was because Zoro was the first one to join him on his journey, or maybe it was because Zoro was the only one who hadn't tried to kill or betray him at any point. He didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it. All he wanted to do was sit there and grieve.

"Oh, I bid farewell to the port and the land," he'd never been much of a singer, but he'd make an exception, "and I paddle away from brave England's white sands, to search for my long ago forgotten friends; to search for the place I hear all sailors end." Almost comforting, the wind seemed to warm and wrap around him as he sang between sobs, "As the souls of the dead fill the space of my mind, I'll search without sleeping till peace I can find. I fear not the weather, I fear not the sea! I remember the fallen, do they think of me? When their bones in the ocean forever will be." His crying soon overpowered his singing. He couldn't continue on as thoughts and memories of their time spent together overtook his mind. Though, the rain let up almost completely.

He was almost startled by the sound of bushes rustling behind him. Whoever it was obviously knew that he wasn't in the right state of mind to sense anything, so they made as much noise as they could without being disrespectful. The raven haired man was grateful for that.

"Luffy?" the person called out, his nodachi resting across his back instead of its normal place on his shoulder. He didn't want it to get in the way of comforting his friend. "You've been here for almost a day and you haven't moved. You should come inside with me and the others."

Not even lifting his head, Luffy asked, "Others?"

His expression softened as the taller squatted beside the shorter, "Yeah, Kidd and Bonney got here a few hours ago; Marco and Shanks should be arriving with Mihawk in a few minutes." When Luffy didn't make any signs of moving, he sighed and stood up, "You'll get sick if you wait out here any longer."

"Law?" Luffy spoke just as Law took off his coat to drape it over the younger male, "Am I a bad person?"

Dropping his coat over the young man, Law looked slightly shocked, "What? No! What brought this on?"

Instead of answering, Luffy simply started to mumble the words of the song again, "Plot a course to the night; to a place I once knew; to a place where my hope died along with my crew. So I swallow my grief and face life's final test: to find promise of peace and the solace of rest."

Law could only look at his friend in pity as he joined in singing, "As the songs of the dead fill the space of my ears, their laughter like children, their beckoning cheers. My heart longs to join them, sing songs of the sea. I remember the fallen, do they think of me?" Law idly noticed that Luffy had cried himself to sleep. So, he picked up his fellow and started the small trek back to the small house he'd built, "When their bones in the ocean forever will be."

"Law!" called Bonney as he neared the small house. It wasn't the best looking thing, but it served its purpose of keeping its occupants safe from the elements. Besides, it was built to only last a few days at most, not a few weeks. It was a miracle it was still standing.