One Piece: Madness of Regret

The bell kept ringing. 

The hymns kept singing. 

 I could see the children's sing. 

I hummed with them.

I walked with the figure to the cathedral.

I slurped.

I couldn't take a step more.

I tried. I commanded my legs. I commanded my body. It didn't move.

I stayed still. I stayed thinking. 'Why?'

Sloth appeared behind me and whispered. 'Whole. Be whole.'

'How?' 'You have the answer. You are the answer.'

I had an inkling to the answer for I was the answer.

I looked at the figure.

I slurped.

A figure laughed. A figure sound encompassed all, the hymns, the bells.

A figure slapped his forehead.

A figure came near. A figure walked straight of me.

A figure left his knees on the trail.

A figure gave me his knees.

A figure gave me my knees.

I stepped on his knees. I steeped on my knees.

I walked with my knees.

I slurped.

A figure walked the trail covered with red fog. 

A figure made the trail clear.

A figure hated the red fog. A figure liked the red fog. A figure swatted away the fog.

A figure wanted me walking.

I walked.

I slurped.

The red fog cleared. The only red was the cathedral. 

The cathedral was pulsing. The cathedral was alive. The cathedral was waiting.

A figure walked into the Cathedral with a brick. A pulsing one. A wailing one. A silent one. A lonely one. A malleable one. A rejected one. A broken one. A new one.

A figure stopped at the entrance. A figure gave me a glance. 

A figure spoke a thousand words. A figure spoke none.

A figure entered the Cathedral.

I slurped.

I walked. I wasn't stopped. My body obeyed me. My legs obeyed me.

I walked the remaining trail. Of bones. Of veins. 

Every step broke a bone. Every step burst a vein. Every step left a trail of blood and bones.

Every step I took repaired the veins. Every step I took made the bones harder.

Every step brought out a beauty. A beauty of temptation. A beauty of the mysterious. A beauty of madness.

I wanted to stop. My legs didn't.

I walked.

I slurped.

Two statues stood tall on the entrance. Both blurred. Both tall.

The statues stayed stationary. Their eyes didn't. They looked straight into me. Into my soul. Into my madness.

The statues closed their eyes. The statues accepted the madness. The statues accepted my soul.

The statues gave me their welcomes.

I walked.

I slurped.

The cathedral had no door.

The cathedral held its door open. The Cathedral had no light on the inside. The Cathedral was pitch black.

I walked. 

The Cathedral pulsed more and more with every step.

The veins on the trail grew redder with every step. The bones grew whiter with a shade of yellow.

The trail grew harder, more concrete and gave out a smell of iron.

I walked. The Cathedral pulsed. The bricks in it screamed, stayed silent, stayed lonely, wailed, remained broken, molded itself.

The Cathedral welcomed me.

I welcomed it.

I slurped.

The cathedral gave a sense of belonging. The Cathedral felt like the place I grew up. The Cathedral Felt like home.

The brick with me pulsed. The brick wanted to go home. And so did I.

The Hymns grew in volume. The bells kept on ringing. The hymns and the bell wanted all to know I returned home.

A step in. A step more.

I entered the Cathedral. I entered home.

I slurped.

I could see rows of children singing the hymns. I could see the figure watching the kids.

He stood there proud. He stood there happy. 

The hymns stopped. The children surrounded him. Some jumped. Some talked. Some laughed. 

I smiled too. 

A figure carried three kids in his embrace others climbed his clothes.

A figure laughed. A figure smiled. A figure was genuinely happy.

I was happy too.

I slurped.

A figure carried all the kids he could. Some in his embrace. Some in his back. Some clung onto him. Some climbed him.

Children after Children. He carried them. He crouched a little when few more jumped on him. He was frowning a little. More kids climbed on him. He was still frowning. 

A kid started to cry. He looked at the kid. He had a look of reminiscence. A few more started to cry. He woke up from his reminiscence. He stared a bit more on the crying kids.

He adjusted his back. He stood tall. He stood as tall as his back could let him. The kids stopped crying. He started smiling. 

The kids climbed more and more on him. Some climbed to his head. Some climbed to his face. He didn't stop them. More and more climbed on him till not even a smile could be seen from him.

The kids engulfed him. The kids kept climbing on him.

A figure stood tall. A figure stood smiling. 

A figure was happy.

I slurped.

I walked front amid the benches. 

I walked pass the kid and the figure. The kids glanced at me. The kids kept staring. I stared back.

I knew why the figure stood tall when the kids climbed him. I knew why the figure stayed smiling. I knew why.

A answer I got. A answer I wished I never got.

The brick with me pulsed and grew a little more. The brick fed off of me. The brick made sure I didn't steer off of my path.

I sighed. 'So fragile, is it not? Dreams. Aspiration. Choices.'

The kids stopped looking at me. The kids started climbing the figure.

I walked.

I slurped.

Every step I took. The Cathedral pulsed a bit more. The bricks spoke, wailed, stayed lonely, stayed sane, stayed broken. 

The veins connected the bricks. The veins burst open. The veins blood made the brick red. The blood made the Cathedral wall red.

The brick with me pulsed. The brick with me grew. I kept on sighing. I kept on looking back. I kept on seeing the figure's smile. I kept on watching the kids climb atop the figure. 

I kept on walking.

The brick didn't want me to stop. I didn... couldn't stop. 

I slurped.

Every step I took. Kids started to appear seated on the bench I passed. Some happy, Some tense, Some sad, Some energetic. Some sluggish. Some gentle. Some fierce.

Yet, all I could see in their eyes was something I had already lost. I had already lost what their eyes could see. 

I wished to regain it once more. No, I wanted to regain it. 

NOOO.

I will regain it. 

The bell rang with every step I took.

Even if not for me. For the kids, I would regain it. 

I will regain it and I will match my eyes when I see you again. 

'For now, I can never look at you not in the same level. But I will.' I had another goal. Another regret.

I slurped.

All the benches were filled with kids. I reached the end of benches. 

A kid from the very first bench walked towards me. He looked straight into my eyes. he looked into my soul. He looked into the fire in me. 

'Such a small flame. You can't even cook with it. Mummy said. The bigger the flame. The faster she can cook. With my flame, Mummy can cook yummy food for me.' he said.

I stopped walking. I stopped thinking. I couldn't stop it. My tears. 

I cried. 

I didn't cry not in any situation, I went through after coming here. But few words made me.

I understood every single words and what they meant. 

The kid gave my leg a hug. 'Mummy said. A hug can make tears go away. If tears don't go away, then two hugs.'

I stopped crying. Not for me but for the kid.

I stayed there hugging the kid.

I slurped.

I don't have it in me to take a step further in the Cathedral.

I am not worthy to take a step more.

The brick agreed with me. It grew a little more. 

I took a seat on the bench with the other kids. The first kid jumped into my lap. He tore a piece of Cloth and gave it to me to wipe my tears. 

I laughed but accepted. 

All the other kids looked at me. They wanted something. 

I smiled. They all smiled back. I was happy. They were happy.

'Next time, I will bring back a bigger flame to cook yummy food.' I spoke and all the kids jumped to me happy. 

They hugged me. 

I slurped.

I stayed their accepting all the hug I could get.

'I want to eat all the yummy thing. But mummy told me that my teeth will rot. I don't want my teeth to rot.' the kid said.

'Then how about I bring you something that you can eat without rotting your teeth.'

'Promise.' he held his pinky finger to me.

I held his pinky finger with mine. 

A promise. A promise I intend to keep.

I slurped.

I listened to every kid and answered them. 

I cared not for time. At least not with them. Every kid I talked to made the brick grow bigger. Every kid I talked to fed a new brick. One I knew nothing of.

It didn't matter. The kids did.

I played every game I could imagine. Every trick that would make them laugh. Once all the kids stayed smiling. I felt the flame in me grow a little brighter. A tad bit. 

I slurped.

Sloth woke me up from my stupor. All the sins stayed behind him. All the sins stayed watching the kids smile. All the sins except Sloth. 

I could feel it. Sloth cared not for the kids. Sloth cared not for anything. Sloth cared for everything. Sloth was and is something in me. I detest it but I cannot ignore it. 

Lust kept a hand on my shoulder. Lust understood but Lust didn't like it. 

Greed just kept on looking. Greed kept on looking.

Wrath stayed silent. Wrath smiled. Wrath kept on watching the kids smile.

Gluttony started eating the red. Gluttony could eat the smile of the kids. Gluttony didn't eat the smile of the kid.

Pride stayed silent. Pried stayed alone. Pride looked at the kids. Pride looked at the smile.

Envy stayed envious. Envy was ignored.

I slurped.

The kids rushed towards the Cardinals Sins. They played with all of them. Lust carried them. Greed kept watch on them like a loving parent. Wrath smiled and played with the kids antics. Gluttony stopped eating. Gluttony fed the kids. Pride stayed still. Pride became a statue for the kids to play. Envy was ignored by all.

'I can do it too.' A kid said. He split into Seven more parts. He split into Seven Cardinal Sins and Himself. he looked so proud. 

I ruffled his hair. All the kids looked at my hand ruffling his head. They got jealous. 

'I can do it too.' They shouted and split into eight. All wanted me to ruffle their hair.

So I did.

I slurped.

Pride walked towards me after I ruffled all the kids head. Pride had something with him. Pride stayed silent. Pride offered me the bell. Pride offered me my heart. 

'Not now.' The Cathedral spoke.

'At least a bit later' The Cathedral pleaded. 

Pride ignored it. Pride looked at the smiling kids. Pride looked at me. 

I looked at the kids smiling. I looked at Pride. I looked at the Cathedral. I looked at the bell. I looked at my heart.

'A little more.' I spoke looking at the kid.

Pride nodded.

I went on my knees to reach his height level. 'Do you want to eat yummy things?' I asked.

'Yes. I want to eat till my stomach gets big.' He said.

I smiled. 'You will.'

I slurped.

I looked at the Cathedral nd the places I had yet to visit.

I looked at the kids. Their smiles. Their flames.

'Do it. I have to come here to give them yummy foods later on.' I spoke to Pride.

Pride nodded. Pride pushed the bell, no my heart inside my chest.

I could feel my heart beating in me. I could feel the flame grow a tad brighter. 

'Not enough to cook a yummy meal.' I whispered to myself.

I had one more question to ask.

I slurped.

Every heart beat that echoed from my chest brought the Red layer towards me. All the sins except for Envy stepped forward and shielded the kids.

The Blackish Red wanted me and the kids dead. The Sins did all they could to stop the Red. Gluttony ate the Red. Sloth punched the Red. Lust planned the Sins every movement. Pride stayed still as a shield against the Red. Envy stayed away. 

Wrath wailed. Wrath didn't want it to happen once more.

Wrath tore into his chest. Wrath brought out Blue.

Blue gushed out of Wrath. Blue brought out a fog that contended with Red.

The kids and their sins came to me. They wanted to protect me. 

A kid jumped towards me and took something from me. 

Others kids pushed me.

The kids grew smaller and smaller as I fell. I fell somewhere far beyond the Cathedral. 

No, I still wanted to ask you one more thing.