Title: Lost Souls

Summary: Something's haunting the Sunny. And Brook, with his newfound abilities, is the only one who can feel it, and furthermore, do something about it. Unfortunately. "Why do I have to the one to deal with- Yohohoho- GHOSTS?!' :"( Brook-centric, no pairings, supernatural themes.

Disclaimer: I wish, I wish, I wish-…. well, that didn't work. Back to the drawing board. One Piece is property of Oda, the great. I write fanfiction; Killjou, the geeky :D

Warnings: Tiny spoilers for those who haven't reached the new world yet, but otherwise this is completely clean! Even no swearing! I know, wtf? Especially for me. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Author's notes: Brook is my absolute favourite Stawhat. Him and Lu, and they actually tie in how much I love them (with Franky nipping at their heels). Really. Brook needs more love! His story just touched me so much… his past ain't the worst, but it is definitely one of the saddest. And he's- just- so- LOVEABLE. And also, I reckon he could go so much further with his powers. So this is me, playing around with the cool freezy soul powers he already has and giving my baby some love :D

Hope you enjoy! It was so much fun writing Brook, cause he's just so damn eccentric and almost schizo (like me :P) and I hope he comes off as in character as possible; while fun, it was hard, too. Onwards!

Also, I am no musical person, so be gentle on my feeble attempts to actually convert tunes and singing into suitable words.

'Yo ho-ho-ho… yo ho-ho-ho… yo-mm-mm-mm, mmm, mm, mm, mmmm.'

Brook was no stranger to having his voice as his only companion. He had weathered many years on the Rumba Pirates beloved ship as such, never allowing the brutal grip of the silence to sneak up and grab him. Back then, his music had brought with it survival, and a wistful hope, like the wick needed to keep a tiny flame burning. Now, though, his music was for happiness, plain and simple. As it should have always been.

'Mmmm-mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm.'

His humming slowed as an even breeze wafted through his hair atop the lookout room, and his violin slowed as he paused a moment to scan the surrounding seas suspiciously. He dutifully did that for a few moments, and only when he was sure there was no rivalling ships in sight on such a fine night did he relax slightly and continue his relaxed melody.

The night was warm (almost unbearably hot), the seas comfortingly rough; this was, after all, the new world, and such a new world it was! Brook had been keeping an obsessively eager eye on the pod of West blue whales milling about right beneath the surface. The beasts had taken to following them, as if out of respect for the new rookie crew on the seas. It was painful for him, though. Every time he glimpsed their deep blue hides in the water his consciousness gave a little jump and he had to remind himself that it wasn't Laboon pining for attention.

Just to reassure himself, he craned his long neck to glance into the surrounding waters and glimpsed the streamlined hide of a few juveniles just below the surface, lazily batting at each other and the Sunny from time to time, which was really no different from the erratic bobs Sunny endured from the waves. They looked just like Brook imagined Laboon would look half-grown. He sighed, transferring his gaze to the sky.

'Oh, Laboon…' he murmured. 'I'm finally on my way. Just a little longer and we can sing again, you and I… and this time with my new crew!' As he spoke he started a low tune on his violin out of comforting habit. 'You'll love them, Laboon… but then, you already do, don't you? Yohohoho. It's hard for me to remember that you've already met.'

Just as he angled himself up for another melody the floor boards below squeaked loudly and Sunny's sails creaked, flapping towards Brook happily. Brook chuckled. 'What is it, dear Sunny-chan?' He queried, peeking over the side to the deck.

A grinning face stared up at him far below. 'Hiya Brook!'

Brook brightened considerably. 'Ah, Luffy-san! What are you doing out of bed at this hour? It is not time to swap yet.' He dropped gracefully to the deck, landing lightly, before taking a step and tripping on his leftover momentum. Or was it his rattling bones? Yo-

'Couldn't sleep,' Luffy answered with a smile this time after a few giggles at Brook's awkwardly sprawled body. He then rubbed at his eyes, yawning. Brook guffawed as he danced lightly up, steering his captain over the the closest seat- the swing. 'I hope you don't risk asking me for hot chocolate this time,' Brook told him, his voice as stern as he could possibly get it when speaking to his endearing half-asleep captain. 'Yohoho, I like it when the kitchen is in one piece! Ah, one piece! Could it be I secretly know the secrets-'

'But yours was delicious!' Luffy stated, looking blatantly confused. He kicked his feet, starting to swing forwards and backwards. All Brook could do was settle nearby on the grass, laughing softly. He could almost feel Sanji materialising in front of him, snarling 'Hot Chocolate is NOT melted chocolate and vanilla popmellows! Oh, and by the way, when you put popmellows and chocolate in the microwave, surprise, surprise, they EXPLODE!'

There was a moment of silence where Brook shuddered and Luffy giggled, prompting Brook to think Luffy had brought the exact same imagery to mind.

Brook's fingers danced on empty air, aching to play. He stilled himself and questioned, 'Troubled sleep, Luffy-san?'

Luffy was silent for a moment, watching the stars above them. Brook waited patiently and gave up; he grabbed his instrument and started playing a gentle tune to fill the silence.

'Yeah,' Luffy finally answered with a heavy exhale, offering no more. Brook nodded, understanding one's unwillingness to reveal nightmares. He said no more, knowing that just by being with Luffy, he was already healing whatever had spooked the young captain in his dreams that night. He would take a guess it was Marineford, but there were many other things that could haunt the young man deep in slumber, and Brook vowed to help Luffy in any way he could through them. Although using the kitchen had been ruled out, unfortunately.

He continued to play, increasing the volume and adding his soothing voice to the mix. He felt his pride spike as a smile grew and spread on Luffy's unusually thoughtful face. Luffy started softly singing Bink's Sake to the strum of his violin. Brook was shocked; although not exactly on-key, Luffy's voice was genuinely quite pleasant to listen to. What a wonderful surprise! Luffy truly never ceased to amaze him.

'Going to bring Bink's Sake...'

They sang through the whole song together to the choppy seas of the new world. By the time they finished, Luffy was swinging happily, humming loudly to the gentle ease-down of the song. Brook finished and swept up with a flourish. 'Ta-daaaa!' He sang, clapping his hands at Luffy. 'Ah, such beauty our two voices made that my very bones were jangling! Yohoho! All bones~!' And he started singing his own little tune, twirling.

Luffy laughed. 'Ne, Brook! Can you play Wimoweh?'

Brook paused, remembered he was on watch and looked around hastily. When nothing new was spotted, he coughed inconspicuously into his skeletal hand and peered at Luffy with interest. He settled back down. 'Of course I can, Luffy-san! Ah, such an ageless melody! If I might ask, how is it you know of such a lost lullaby?'

Luffy blinked. 'Huh? I dunno, it's just what Sabo used to sing to me when it was stormy...'

Brook watched Luffy for a moment, debating asking, then felt the ghost of a smile on his non-existent lips. 'Very well, Luffy-san.'

'Ummmm…. huhUmmmm… Ummmmmm...'

He started with the gentle cooing that began the music and Luffy's movements on the swing slowed. His smile returned, this time soft.

'In the Jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…

In the Jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…'

Brook could feel Luffy's restless energy slowly easing peacefully to the song. Thumbing his violin gently, he could feel warmth rise from within him. He was made for this. Spreading the joy and love music could bring.

'OhWheeeeeeeeeemmmmmm Weeehoo-beh-wha.

OhWheeeeeeeeeemmmmmm-beh-wha.'

Luffy's voice joined his own. The two sung softly to the starry skies and glistening seas. They shared large, goofy grins as they leant forwards together and sung to the bright moon before them like wolves.

'OhWheeeeeeeeeemmmmmm-beh-wha.'

'In the tree-hooouse, the peaceful tree-hoooouse…

Oh, In the tree-hooouse, the peaceful tree-hoooouse… the lion sleeps tonight!'

Brook threw Luffy an amused glance at his choice of words, but smoothly blended them into the lyrics. His bones rattled slightly as a breeze swelled through them; as close as he could genuinely get to shivering.

'Don't fear my little darling, oh no, my little darling…

Don't fear my little darling...'

Luffy's eyes were closed, his mind revisiting a different time. Brook strummed off the ending quietly, not wishing to disturb Luffy; he looked so happy. Another breeze buffeted them both. Luffy typically didn't notice, but Brook tensed, realising that both had been absolutely freezing. Almost too freezing to be natural. Rubbing at his arms uselessly (moreso for his own comfort than warmth) he delicately placed his violin down and stood, surveying the area.

'Luffy…' he whispered, eye-holes narrowing out of fear. 'Something…'

The words were ripped from him as the his lost his footing; the whales had bumped Sunny a bit more playfully than they had before. Luffy toppled onto his side, snapping back to reality with a confused muffle. Brook started to straighten him before the Sunny was lashed again from below and he fully lost his footing, hitting the deck and skidding. 'Dear me, what?!' He gasped, struggling to get up.

Deep, resonating calls were coming from below.

Luffy bounced up with a laugh and ran to the side, tipping his front half over carelessly. 'Baaaah, big whalessss!' he called, pulling his cheek out and poking his tongue at them with a grin. 'You're gonna halfta try harder if that's all you got!'

'Luffy-san, be careful! I can't swim either-!'

Brook joined him at the edge and cautiously peered over. He gripped the edge tightly with one hand, the other grasping tightly at the stretchy scruff of Luffy's neck. The whales continued to call underneath them and move erratically, jostling the Sunny at a continuous pace now. But, one by one, they were slowly disappearing into the deep. Brook felt an unnatural freeze creep into his bones, and it wasn't just a figure of speech.

'Luffffffffy-san, there is a chill in my bones…'

Those whales weren't playing, they were spooked. And Brook felt it fully then, actually felt it; a terrible icy grip travelling throughout his entire being and filling him with foreboding. He had felt this before, many times unknowingly.

He could hear Luffy asking him impatiently what was wrong. He couldn't seem to answer; he felt frozen to the spot. Then Luffy gasped, gazing towards the prow. The young man looked exceptionally curious. Uh oh. Starting, Brook forced his bones into motion and whirled around. He didn't need to follow Luffy's gaze. What his captain was staring at was blazingly obvious.

It (for it was, with the utmost certainty, an IT) floated despondently near the hull, a transparent ghostly entity fringed with white smog and shaped vaguely like it might have once been a human being. What it appeared to be now was a mere shadow, with deep, hollow, sad eyes on a blank face, and an empty white body. It looked this way and that with slow motions, seemingly not noticing anything around it at all.

Brook seriously couldn't hold it in; he shrieked worst than any lady could. Luffy, however, gave a cheerful yip and settled into an aggressive stance. 'What is it?' He sounded excited, and without waiting for any answer, started swinging his fist.

A bony hand clamped onto Luffy's with shocking and definite force. Luffy paused, more in surprise than obedience. 'Broooook, what-'

'Luffy, you mustn't!'

Brook would never be able to hold Luffy back but the sharp tone -and lack of his ever-present honorific- in Brook's voice halted the normally exuberant young captain. 'Why not?' Luffy demanded intensely instead, gaze jumping from Brook to the thing and back again. 'What is it?'

'Luffy, this is not of our world- I can feel the chill - it must be sent back, but I don't know how or why is it here! And I have no clue how to pass it on! I don't know this stuff, I've just been back and forth a bit, geez!,' Brook was aware he was babbling quickly by this point, but was unable to stop or properly explain. His thoughts were racing through his empty skull and out again in a tiny tornado that was threatening to blow his consciousness out completely.

…He was scared, but he knew one thing. 'We can't interfere with it!'

'Then what do we do?' Luffy asked, slightly frustrated but very uneasy. The serious fear in Brook's voice was not something Luffy heard often.

'I- back away slowly, Luffy-san. Just… If we keep our distance, it might move on by itself! That would be lovely…. Did you hear that? No interaction with it!'

'It sounds very lonely…' But nonetheless Luffy followed Brook's slow movements, heading back towards the cabin door. The two, one in curiosity and the other in indescribable fear, didn't take their eyes off the ghost-like spirit. It hadn't really deviated from it's initial actions, except flitting around faster and with more urgency. It had started to look around wildly in every direction without seeing, it's movements becoming more and more erratic as they watched.

Brook started to humm softly (hopefully it would drown out the sharp clanking of his shivering frame).

The thing's movements slowled momentarily, and it disappeared. Simply winked out of existence.

Both Luffy and Brook stopped all movement completely, staring expectantly at the empty spot, before relaxing and looking at each other with nervous laughs. 'Aw, where did he go?' Luffy whispered, disappointed. Brook shook his head quickly. 'Whew…' he exhaled dramatically. 'See, I told you-'

They turned, and a white mask with empty black sockets was there, no more than a few feet away. There was a moment of complete and utter stillness, in which the creature's head slowly tilted, a rattling sort of breathing hovering around it like a cloud. It wheezed quietly, it's head shaking ominously.

'Aaaaa-AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-EEEEEEEEEEE-AAAAAAAAHAHAHAAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!' Brook bellowed, leaping back and tangling his legs in one another. He fell to the ground, scrabbling to get away from the thing before him. It screamed in response; a terrible, piercing WAIL full of nothing. It charged Luffy, and instead of passing through him like the two Strawhats expected it hit him, lifted him up and slammed him into the mast.

The wailing increased in volume, this time sounding both angry and miserable. Luffy's mouth opened and his eyes widened, struggling to get free, before the thing leant forward, right into his face, and Luffy suddenly went limp. A disbelieving whimper came from Brook as he watched Luffy's eyes go glassy. Luffy hung like a rag doll, his mouth open in a silent scream. His eyes were open but unseeing and tears poured down his face unchecked.

Brook watched fearfully for a second. He had never seen Luffy look like that. A terrible burning instinct to protect rose up.

Fear forgotten, he charged at it, screaming his angry battle cry as the confused yells of his nakama echoed throughout the ship. His sword was drawn in less than a second and he parried, striking the thing through his head, arms, legs, all the while careful not to hit Luffy. His sword just kept going through, trailing pearly mists in it's wake. Brook wanted to scream in frustration, and so he did.

Think you useless pile of rusty bones, THINK! New abilities, dead men, my soul, LUFFY!

Lights started snapping on and thumped footsteps could be heard, but none of that mattered to Brook at all. Dropping his sword, he concentrated, hard. Just like when he left his body, except he stayed right where he was, channelling his soul. Vicious soul energy started to leak from the bones of his hand, and without thinking, he plunged it into straight into the thing's centre.

Success!

It shuddered in revulsion and dropped Luffy, spasming into itself. The blank face locked onto him and wheezed in either anger or despair or both and suddenly Brook was flying though the air with considerable force. He managed to see the thing shake some more and then, just like before, vanish, straight from the plane of existence. And just like that, the chill disappeared.

He hit something warm and smooth yet hard at the same time. It smelled of cola and the sharp tang of metal. That could only mean…

'Woah, woah! Brook-bro! Are you alright? What happened?'

…the quarry had arrived. Thank goodness.

'What the hell is going on?'

'Brook?'

'Oh dear…'

Brook struggled frantically out of the cyborg's hold because none of that mattered now! Luffy!

He didn't remember getting there but he was suddenly crouched by Luffy's side. His captain's eyes were blank, he was cold and drenched in sweat. But alive and fine. Brook practically deflated right onto Luffy's chest.

'What the-? Luffy-'

'Luffy!'

'Shit, what happened?'

Brook nodded weakly. What happened indeed. 'CHOPPER!' he bellowed, still feeling the cold rush of terrifying adrenalin. 'HELP HIM! SANJI! MAKE ME SOME TEA! ...please.'

By now everyone was gathered around and, oh, good, Chopper was there. Everything would be fine for now.

His world was suddenly fading. Huh.

Someone grabbed him and shook, hard. Ah, dear Franky was always such an affectionate cremate.

'Tea…' he whimpered pathetically before everything went black.

Sabo would totally sing to Luffy. But only on late, dark, stormy nights when Luffy couldn't sleep. 3

I have a strong connection to The lion Sleeps Tonight (Winoweh/In the Jungle) because that's all my father used to sing to me when I was young ^^ A truly beautiful melody! Altho, when I finally went a-hunting for a wimoweh track I found there were millions of versions, and none seemed to incorporate the powerful but gentle way my dad did :(

But there is one! Give The Lion Sleeps Tonight by the OBCR Choir a try. It is just gorgeous, and has just the right tone for this story.