One Piece: A Sea of Endless Possibility

Avalon happily taking his offered bowls, Alphonse politely declined. Avalon in particular was quite happy, until he ran out of food, Alphonse quietly stewing over the task ahead, endless possibilties cming to mind.

The pleasant meal passing, Avalon and Alphonse followed the Elder without complaint, reaching their room. Avalon seemed dismissive, while Alphonse was quite impressed.

While Avalon retrieved the futons, Alphonse nodded, "I believe we'll be fine, thank you for the hospitality."

The Elder gave a knowing smile as he insisted, "We hope to be thanking you!" With one last farewell, he headed out, leaving the pirates to their lonesome.

Alphonse suggested, "We should be getting to bed: they may wake us early."

Patting out his futon, making sure it was flat, Avalon said, "You sure? I mean, we can go grab a bite from the ship..."

Alphonse insisted, "I'll be fine."

"You had one bowl."

"You had four."

Avalon opened his mouth, before sighing, "Look, I'm used to that kind of stuff. They served something like that at prison, but I swear it was actual seawater..."

Alphonse winced, murmuring, "You were...never mind."

Avalon nodded sagely, "Nobody should be stuck eating crappy stew like that!"

"I-indeed," Alphonse muttered. Stepping to the window, the dim starlight from outside helping to light the room, he slid the shoji closed a bit, before moving to his futon as Avalon lay down in his.

By the time Alphonse had removed his vest and began to lie down, Avalon seemed to be sleeping, until he asked, "You think Coffret's going to make it?"

Shuddering at the thought of the alternative, Alphonse insisted, "She's in good hands..."

Avalon blinked, before reiterating, "I mean, is she gonna come or..."

Eye twitching, Alphonse growled, "Go to sleep. She needs rest as well."

Rolling over, Avalon admitted, "I dunno, it's only been a couple days, but it feels like it'd be weird to adventure without her."

Slipping off his glasses, Alphonse stated, "And I'm sure she'd be glad to hear it. Go to bed."

As Avalon did as suggested, Alphonse rolled over himself, hoping to conserve as much energy as possible for what was to come...
 
Coffret could feel the sun warming her skin, the light picking playfully at her eyelids, urging her to wake up and open them. Slowly regaining her vision, she was met by the clear blue sky, and a few birds were circling high above her. Pushing her upper body up with her hands, she could feel the soft grass tickling her palms, as well as her legs and bare feet. She was sitting at the foot of a small hill, and in front of her, a sea of flowers stretched out as far as her eyes could see, and the familiar scent of lily of the valley wafted through the air. Looking up the hill behind her, she could see a woman standing on top of it. Her figure was impeccable, enhanced by an elegant champagne coloured dress, cinched at the waist with a corset, and with a low cut neckline generously portraying her ample bosom. Her skin was fair, flushed rose only at the cheeks and her supple lips. Two silky, pure white locks framed her sculpted face, hanging from an otherwise tidy and intricately braided bun. Coffret could not help but to be struck with awe at the sight of such a beautiful apparition. She wanted to take a closer look, and so she got up on her feet and started walking towards her. But as she walked, she noticed her own body shrinking, her legs growing shorter, and she had to pick up her stride. When she had finally arrived, standing in front of the woman, Coffret was probably no larger in size than an average, nine year old girl. Looking up at the woman, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. However, the serene, warm expression she was expecting did not greet her. Instead, her eyes were met by a blank stare, and a pair of limp, slightly separated lips. Coffret tried to call out to the woman, ask her what was wrong. She tugged at the skirt of her dress, but still, no reply. And then, the admirable and statuesque figure of the woman fell, crumbling to the grass. Coffret panicked, stumbling backwards. The pace of her breath quickened, but the lovely aroma of lily of the valley no longer filled her nostril, instead it had been replaced with the stinging stench of sulfur and ash. Around her was no longer a sea of flowers, but an ocean of fire and chaos. She cried out, but there was no reply. She cried out, but she was all alone. All alone...


Gasping for air, Coffret's body shot up from the somewhat simplified hospital bunk she found herself in. Her entire chest was wrapped in bandages, and while still aching, it didn't hurt as bad as before. Moonlight streamed in from a small window, illuminating her sweat drenched face and the hair plastered to it.

"So, you're awake..."

Coffret flinched at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, and let out a small yelp. Covering her mouth, she looked around, trying to find the source, and her eyes met with those of an old and bald man sitting next to her. Technically, his was closed, but to Coffret, it felt like he was staring right into her soul.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why..."

A searing pain went through her head, and she clasped her forehead.

"Relax. You're in safe hands. Your friends brought you here. You were injured, quite severely so, but we fixed you up. But, you shouldn't strain yourself. The anesthesia still weighs heavily on your body."

"My friends... Avalon and Alphonse. Where are they?"

"Don't worry, they're here as well."

"And where exactly is here?"

"The great temple of Cloud Valley."

Coffret froze, remembering something, and gazed out the window.

"Cloud... Valley?"

"That's right. Now, your body is a most peculiar thing, isn't it? Very unlike us regular people. Easily broken, as brittle as a twig, but once broken it grows back stronger than before. We hardly had to do any work but to realign your... Bones. I remember seeing something like that in the past. Still, what a surprise it was, opening you up and finding that..."

Coffret let out a disgruntled noise.

"Yes, I know, now can you stop talking about opening me up? It's kind of bothering me..."

The Elder nodded.

"My apologies, I was being insensitive."

Coffret continued looking out the window for a while, and some time passed in silence before she spoke again.

"I'd like to talk to my friends. Where exactly in the temple are they?"

The Elder shook his head.

"They, and even more so you, need to get rest. They've promised to help us with a certain predicament we're having, as thanks for us operating on you, and for that they need to be in top shape."

"But... It's not their debt to pay, it's mine. I must join them."

The Elder shook his head once more.

"You are not ready. You may be a fast healer, but you're not ready yet. I cannot with good conscience let you join them in this. But trust me, they won't be alone. One of my finest disciples will guide them."

Coffret sighed, flustered.

"I don't really get it, but I'll stay here as you say. But, please, you must let me see them. I have to talk to them, and tell them I'm okay."

The Elder gave out a sigh himself.

"You're a tough nut, I'll give you that. Alright, I think you're well enough to go see them. I'll call for someone to guide you to their room."

"Thank you... Ah, and may I ask you to do me a favor?"

"Of course, I'm here to help. What is it?"

"Well, you see..."


There was a slight knock on the wood of the fusuma door's framing, before Coffret slid it open ever so slightly.

"Hello?... Are you awake?..." She whispered softly, waiting to see if she got a reply.
 
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"Hmm?" came a grunt. Sitting up, Avalon rubbed his eyes, before glancing over to the door, spotting a large, familiar, yellow eye. Alphonse began to stir as Avalon gasped, bounding to his feet and rushing over to the door, sliding to a stop as he threw it open. Spotting Coffret's bandages, he slowed his roll, dropping to her eye level as he began, "Coffret! You're okay! How was it?"

From behind him, a hand scrambled for a pair of glasses, Alphonse putting them of before sitting up, his hair out of order. As he tried to pat it down, he nodded, "Good morning, Miss Coffret. How are you feeling?"
 
Coffret smiled, scratching her hair, which was at least equally as messy as Alphonse's, and then pulled the cloth robe she had been given closer to her body. The sentiment of the two men was comforting to her, and she felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest that she didn't even know had been there in the first place.

"I'm fine, a bit shaken, that's all. Um, it's not exactly morning yet, but... I hope I'm not disturbing. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm grateful, for you guys carrying me here, and calling for help. If you hadn't noticed me, I could've... Could've..." She had to clear her throat so as to not choke up. "Things could've gone really bad. Also, that Elder person told me that you promised him to help out with something about the Cloudgrazers, which is pretty dangerous... But you two shouldn't have to pay for a debt that is mine to pay. Really, the least I can do is come with you, but since I'm still too weak to do even that, I thought I could at least lend you this."

She reached behind her, grabbed something, and then handed her small leather backpack to Avalon.

"It has some stuff in it that might be of help. There's some sedative root, the infusion of Regorgia, some vials I took from that Jersei guy I fought on the ship... Look, I know it's not much, but I feel awful about not being able to help, and you guys have already promised to, so... Just remember to be careful, alright?"

Shifting her weight, she waited discouraged for Avalon to accept the little help she had to offer.
 
Wordlessly, Avalon watched Coffret as she spoke, before taking the offered bag. Approaching from behind, Alphonse took the bag as Avalon handed to him, giving it a look. "Thank you, Miss Coffret," he nodded, before taking note of Avalon, who's face was oddly stern.

"Let's get this straight," Avalon began. "All that about paying debts? Forget about it. You're on my crew, and that's all there is to say about it."

Alphonse stared for a moment, before Avalon added, "But thanks for the stuff. I'll try not too break too much of it."

Alphonse sighed, "This is why I'm the one carrying it..." Throwing the strap over his shoulder, he finished, "But now that we're up, we may as well begin our day. The sooner we deal with the Cloudgrazers, the better for everyone, I think."
 
"Thank you..." She smiled, and she was genuinely happy, but there was an emotion inside of her that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It had been so long since anyone had given anything to her unconditionally. She had gotten used to a world where everyone was left to fend for themselves, a world where every little favor had to be repaid fully in due time.

As Alphonse suggested that they'd head out already, footsteps could be heard from the hallway around the corner, and the Elder came around.

"Well, I was just coming to tell Coffret she needed to go back and get some more rest, but it seems like you two have already had enough of it. If you're that eager, I'll send for some breakfast, and you can head out after that. I'm afraid we can't offer more than fish soup again, but it should hopefully be sufficient for now."

Coffret said goodbye to Avalon and Alphonse, and then followed the Elder back to her room. Shortly thereafter, a monk carrying a terrine dish filled with fish and clear broth entered their room, and set it up for them to eat. As they ate, dawn could be seen breaking outside, light gently beginning to pass through the thin rice paper separators. When they were finished, the outside separator suddenly slid open, revealing Genryu, who was carrying a very large, metal bell-like object which seemed almost inhumanely heavy over his shoulder. There was a slight elevation from the ground outside to the tatami floor Avalon and Alphonse were sitting on, but Genryu's head still reached above them.

"So, are you finished yet? I've yet to complete my morning duties, but the Elder said you were eager to go..."

There was a tone in his voice and a look on his face which said that Genryu still wasn't entirely comfortable with bringing two outsiders along to the Cloudgrazers roost.
 
After the necessary meal, Avalon and Alphonse were good and ready. Alphonse remained composed as usual, but Avalon was a bit animated, stretching his arms and legs, clearly full of energy.

At Genryu's call, Avalon headed over, patting the taller man on the shoulder as he passed, grinning, "It's cool, I'll bet someone else can take care of that stuff for you!"

Alphonse let out a resigned sigh as he headed over, adding, "Well, I suppose we should get a move on, shall we? But on the way, perhaps you could share what you know about the area?
 
The clouds were growing thicker and closer to their heads as Genryu walked towards the Cloudgrazers roost hill with Avalon and Alphonse in tow. He sighed, looking up at the swirling formations.

"Well, this island has been considered holy ever since the first settler monks came here. Especially the hill on top of which the Cloudgrazers has their roost. As mentioned, they're a sacred breed of birds, directly descent from the god of the skies. Usually, their presence blesses our lands, enriches our soil and brings good fortune, until they started attacking us. Some of the monks of weaker belief say that the gods have turned on us, and that it's a sign that we should leave this place. But anyone with some common sense can see that that's a load of… Gibberish. Of course the gods wouldn't turn on us without reason! Not when we're the ones carrying on the faith. Obviously, the Cloudgrazers are calling for our help, even though their methods aren't very straight forward. I can sense it. But of course, the other monks are too afraid to head up there and see what's wrong! I've been telling the Elder that I should go alone, as I seem to be the only one able to hear their pleas, but he refuses to let me. He says that it's dangerous to go alone, even for me. So I guess I should be glad that you two happened to stumble across this place, but still, I envisioned those who would eventually help me carry out this mission to be of a better understanding of the sheer respect and venerability needed to step on this holy ground…"

As Gen continued blabbering, the group had already begun their ascent up the great, grassy hill. They were now surrounded by a thick, milky mist, blanketing them and blocking their vision.

"Not long now, we should soon break the surface of the…"

Gen was interrupted by a loud shrieking, echoing through the empty space around them, and he immediately froze. Slowly, he lifted the grandiose bell above his head with a firm grip. It was silent for a while, until a massive silhouette appeared in front of them. Wings spread wide, sharp beak raised high, the breed of birds known amongst the monks as the 'sacred Cloudgrazers' would appear more like terrible beasts to the common man. The bird shrieked again, flapping its wings and readying its long, flexible neck to whip its head in attack, but this time, it was the Cloudgrazer that was interrupted by Gen. He swung the bell from side to side with determined force, and the resounding noise echoed far louder than the bird's shrieking.

"Cloudgrazer! Hear my prayer! We bring good intentions, we bring peace. Please, let us pass, so that we can help your kin!"

The bird stopped mid-motion, cocking its head to the side while blinking with its massive yellow eyes, the only colour that could permeate this endless fog. It seemed to calm down, lowering its wings, and Gen stopped swinging his bell. But suddenly, its head turned towards Avalon, and it once again let out a loud shriek, pouncing him.
 
With Gen's call to placate the bird, Alphonse held his breath: he'd listened to much of what Gen had said on the way here, but while most of his thoughts were speculation on the current crisis, another part of him wanted to get a better look at the beast.

A bit disappointed by the lack of a view up here, Avalon stood firm, watching what he could of the bird carefully as Gen worked.

For a moment, it seemed to have been a success, when the bird began to pump its legs, pushing itself at Avalon. The Captain's eyes widened and he ducked to the side, bouncing a short ways down the incline as the bird neared, digging it's claws into the turf as it reared its neck back, ready to snap it's beak.

"A-Avalon!" Alphonse called.

The Cloudgrazer briefly turning its eye on Alphonse, Avalon insisted, "Don't worry, I'll calm it down. I'm good with animals." Staring down the bird, he glared, "Now you need to stop freaking out!"

Letting out another shriek, the Cloudgrazer snapped out its neck, its sharp beak aiming to peck at Avalon. Gritting his teeth, Avalon ducked, before smashing his fist into the muscly neck, making the Cloudgrazer release a pained noise. Continuing the attack, Avalon lunged, grabbing the bird at the body and holding it, before tossing it to the ground a bit uphill, where the sacred animal flopped a bit as it recovered.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Avalon wiped his forehead, nodding, "There. It's calm."

For some reason there was was still a steady pained noise sounding...oh wait it was Alphonse. His eyes were wide with horror behind his glasses as he let out a faint, high pitched groan. Finally running out of breath, he could only bring his hands over his face, hiding his agony.
 
Gen fell backwards as the Cloudgrazer took charge towards Avalon, letting out a shocked groan as he dropped his bell and watched it roll down the hill. He scurried onto his feet, dashing to catch the bell while watching the bird relentlessly trying to attack the pirate captain. When he finally got hold of the bell again, holding it up to once more attempt to calm down the Cloudgrazer, his eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets as he watched in horror while Avalon retaliated against the creature. He was at a complete loss of words, not letting out a sound.

The Cloudgrazer squawked in agony a few times before getting back up on its feet. Shaking its body, like a dog drying itself off, it then turned back and stared at Avalon with a menacing glare. It slowly walked towards the group, towering above them. But, instead of taking another jab at Avalon, it lowered its neck towards him, rubbing its head against his side while letting out a low rumble, almost like the purring of a cat. It then flapped its wings, temporarily ascending into the air, only to drop back down behind Avalon, this time tapping him on his rear with its beak, as if it was urging him to walk forward.

"A-amazing..." Gen stuttered, letting his bell drop onto the ground with a heavy thud. "The Cloudgrazer must have challenged you to a battle of raw strength, and by winning, I guess you must have earned its respect. I've never seen anything like it before!"

The Cloudgrazer looked around at Alphonse and Gen, squawking with an impatient tone.
 
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Alphonse blinked vacantly at Gen, before gawking, "You...you're not serious." And yet, the Cloudgrazer was indeed less hostile, nudging Avalon slightly.

Avalon looked at the large bird, before crossing his arms over his chest, nodding, "Told ya I was good with animals! It's...you know...peeking? Pecking! Pecking order. Yeah. I'm the boss."

He had no idea what he was doing, Alphonse concluded. He could only shake his head at Avalon and his ungodly luck.

As the Cloudgrazer flashed him and Gen a dangerous look, Alphonse gave the bird a wary look, before Avalon blinked, grinning, "Oh, I know what's up!" Waltzing forwards proudly, he raised he fist, bopping Alphonse on the noggin. As the Navigator blinked away a few spots, Avalon repeated the process with Gen, nodding, "Pecking order."

Grinning at the Cloudgrazer, Avalon nodded, "Still the boss! Bossest. No, Captain...est." Alphonse felt his eye twitch, not enjoying Avalon's mood.

Avalon moved back towards the bird, which raised his head again, pushing it against Avalon's back, as if trying to guide him. Avalon wondered, "Hey, we going somewhere?" Without further prompting, he began to make his way, Alphonse stepping after, not wanting to lose him in the fog.

Though as he began to move, a thought did crop up in his mind: hitting these sacred animals was against the sacred tradition of these monks...was there a reason beyond their supposed divinity? Did it have something to do with the response Avalon got? Alphonse promised to keep that thought on the back of his mind for now.
 
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