Feelings in the wind(by lunna-star-8)
I was bored.
I was bored out of my mind!
Despite my injuries, my body was itching to do something, anything that felt remotely productive but I had promised Law that I’d be careful so my options were very limited. Very.
I sighed and leaned my head on the tree I was sitting against, looking around, everyone seemed bored too as they lied around the small patch of grass that Hancock and her warriors had reserved for us. I could tell that most of them were itching to get onto forbidden grounds and just go check out the village, consequences be damned, but Law was sitting by the opening that lead deeper into the island and let’s just say that every time one of his men stepped too close, he’d… How do I put this kindly…? Dissuade them? Yeah… Dissuade them by glaring at them in a way that made them regret all their life choices that lead them to that look.
I chuckled to myself, taking my eyes off the pirates and looking at my hands. What could I work on…? My power, maybe? What could I change? I could improve control, I guess? Air wasn’t the easiest of elements, it demanded freedom and free reign over the skies, so if you tried to control it, it fought back.
An idea struck me “Thanks Sabo.” And I rush over to the grouchy captain that’s eyeing another of his pirates like a leopard ready to pounce “Law!” I call out and he raises me an eyebrow, I can tell that he’s bracing himself for whatever terrible idea I just had, but I don’t give him time to speak up “Do you have some spare sheets of paper?”
He eyes me for a minute and I try to give him my best lost kitty look “Why…?”
“C’mon! Please! Please!” I insist “If anything, I’ll ask Hancock to get you some more later, yeah? Please!”
He sighs, seemingly too tired for my antics – he probably had a bad night again “My office, my desk, bottom drawer on the right. Use whatever you want.”
I basically jump to my feet calling out a “Thank you!” as I dash to the submarine.
“What are you doing, Sabo?” I ask as I peek over his shoulder.
“Origami.” He replies smiling “An old man at the Terminal showed me how to do it a while back.”
I nod even though he can’t see me “It looks cool!” I watch his fingers folding the paper over and over and over again and before I know it “It’s a bird!”
He laughs “It’s a crane.” I get off his back and stand by the table. My brother hands me the bird and I remember how awesome I thought that was “Why don’t you try making it float?”
My enthusiasm fizzed out “Last time I tried anything like that, I hit Ace over the head with his own pipe. He was furious.”
Sabo laughed again “C’mon, it’s just us.” He gestured around, Ace had gone hunting for dinner and Luffy had ran straight after him much to our oldest brother’s annoyance. I was still in bed rest after my little stunt with the tiger and Sabo had stayed to look after me “Plus, it’s paper it’s not like you can do much damage with it, right?” I wasn’t convinced “Tell you what, if you can make it float around the room, I’ll teach you how to make one.”
I basically jumped in the air and my tiger ears with me “Really?!”
He nodded “I wouldn’t lie to my little sister, would I?”
I grabbed a small stack of papers and ran back outside, sitting beside Law and starting to fold the paper in my hands. I could tell my tail had slipped out, I felt it swinging but I didn’t care, I wasn’t sure if it was for the opportunity of actually having something to do or for the memory but it was a nice feeling. I didn’t even notice Law eyeing me suspiciously as I stacked up origami cranes on the side.
When I folded the last sheet of paper, I got up and took a deep breath feeling the air around me. I’m not a Logia, I can’t just make wind but I can control the air around me, shifting it in my grasp and bend it to my needs. I let the breath out and started to shape the air so it would lift the cranes up in the air, with little to no effort I raised my arms into the air and had them spiralling into the sky, once I got every single one of them off the floor I moved my arms down and with my right arm directed the cranes to fly over the bored crew. My control was wonky, some of them flew backwards or even upside down, I tried to adjust it by moving my fingers but it didn’t seem to do anything. Still, I kept it up, by the time I noticed, I had an audience – the crew had turned from their conversations to watch what I was doing and some of them applauded when I made the cranes flip around in the air in an attempt to control them.
Most of my tries to control the cranes were pointless, some of the even fell from my hold, the wind refused to listen to me more than it absolutely needed to, still, the Heart Pirates were loving it and it was nice to feel useful in some way again. I brought the remaining cranes back to me and got such a warm reaction out of the crew that I even bowed like a real performer, even Law grumbled out a “Nice trick” kind of comment, that seemed like a compliment…? I think? Shachi and Penguin were the most excited ones, by far! They ran over to me with stars in their eyes and speaking all over each other “She can’t understand you if you both say different things at the same time, idiots…” Law grumbled, still in the same position.
Penguin was the first I was able to understand “You can make things fly?!”
I nodded “Yeah…?”
“I thought you were a Zoan type.” Came Bepo’s kind voice from beside Law.
I turned to him and nodded “Mythical Zoan type, actually.” I explained “I ate the Neko-Neko no mi: Byako no Tora model. Byako is the mythical guardian tiger of the Eastern winds, so I get this extra trick.” I caught Law’s golden eyes on me, over that damn smirk he did, damn him, not even tired “What?”
He shrugged “Cat-Cat, huh?”
I narrowed my eyes at him “Tiger. Tiger! Do you miss that bit on purpose?”
“Whatever you say, scardy cat.” And his eyes were once again hidden under his hat.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have a very puncheable face?”
He tilted his head but he was still smirking “Not in those exact words, but I guess the answer is still a yes.”
“Mythical Zoan types are super rare, aren’t they?” Bepo spoke up again before I could say anything else to Law, I shrugged at him though.
“I have… No idea?” I replied “I mean, it’s not like I’ve seen anybody with powers like mine though…”
I heard Law sigh like I was a child that needed to have the same thing explained to them a thousand times over, I naturally glared at him waiting for his ‘wisdom’ “Whitebeard’s First Division Commander has a mythical type power.” He said “A phoenix if memory serves me.”
I remembered the blue flaming bird in the war “I swear, his head looks like a pineapple!” Ace had said with a big smile on his face “Marco’s a cool guy though. If you ever meet him, don’t you dare say I said that!” “Why? What are you gonna do, tough guy?” “I might grab a big fluffy spider and put it over your sheets while you’re sleeping.” “C’mon! That’s not fair!” “Hence, I’m being a great brother and warning you beforehand.” “Mean bastard…” “Ah! Language, shorty!” “Who do you think I learned it from?!”
“That’s not important!” I didn’t realize I had sunk into my own head until Shachi’s voice pulled me back to the present. Law’s clinical gaze was straight on me despite the fact that the others didn’t seem to have noticed. I looked back at Shachi that was still beyond excited like Penguin “If you can make stuff fly, you can make people fly too, right?!”
I nodded again “Yeah—”
“MAKE US FLY!” they asked with stars in their eyes before I had a chance to say anything else, making me laugh “Oh! Please, please, PLEASE!”
“Sure.” I smiled “One at a time though.” Didn’t want to a) over do it and b) accidentally drop one in the ocean.
They played rock-paper-scissors for it and Penguin would be the first one in the air. Asked me to wait before he ran to the sub and came back out with a… towel? He came back out with a towel tied around his neck that made it look like a cape – an image of Luffy smiling like a kid crossed my mind as Penguin stood there smiling from ear to ear “All set!”
I laughed but tried to focus, feeling the air currents around him I plucked his feet off the grass and the moment his weight was off the ground, I could feel the strain on my wounds but I kept it to myself and took him to the skies. To say that Penguin was delighted was a major understatement. He was holding out his arms, kicking the air, making superhero poses. Shachi was cheering from beside me, the rest of the crew seemed to be loving the scene, Bepo was cheering too jumping closer to us, I could even feel Law’s eyes on my back like my wounds could snap at any moment and he’d have to jump in. I could feel it too, the strain this was causing on my weakened body, I wanted to be stubborn, to keep at it but that would be more than stubborn, that would be selfish. Impossibly selfish. Penguin had, consciously or not, trusted me with his life and I could barely hear the cheers of the crew over the sound of my own blood pumping in my ears. I also didn’t want him thinking that he had made my wounds worse or something, he seemed like the kind of guy that would feel guilty even if it wasn’t actually his fault.
Without much fuss, I brought him back down, trying to not look as exhausted as I felt “Me next! Me next!” Shachi piped up to my left but before I even opened my mouth, I heard a familiar voice right behind me.
“No, that’s enough for today.” I glanced up to see Law towering over me.
He was right, I couldn’t take Shachi into the air like I did with Penguin and I was about to tell him this, but it really bugged me that he felt the need to speak for me. It ticked my already injured ego and I couldn’t stop myself, I stomp my right foot onto the ground as I move both my arms up, creating a gust of wind that takes Law up in the air. Is it making my arms feel like they might come undone? Yes, it is. Did it stop me from grinning mischievously at his surprised expression? Hell no. “Too grumpy to play superhero with us, Captain Panda?”
He frowned at me and held out his hand where I saw a spiral form and then extent around us in a blue veil “Room!”
“I wouldn’t that.” I interrupt him, keeping him in the air with both my hands, he raises me an eyebrow “If you shamble me away, I’m gonna lose focus and you’re gonna fall on your ass.”
He grinned with golden eyes piercing my grey ones “You think I’ll go easy on you because you’re injured?” I didn’t have the chance to reply as he unsheathed his sword and I noticed that his crew had cleared out of the circle. I found it strange before I felt an odd feeling on my waist and turned back to Law, he was sheeting his sword which I didn’t understand since he hadn’t done anything with it… Had he? He still had that grin on his face and I felt myself rise up to meet him but I could also still feel my feet on the floor?!
I looked down to realize that my legs were gone?! I opened my mouth but then I remembered him fighting in Sabaody and of him chopping up those marines without actually injuring them with the cuts. I looked back to find my legs where I had left them, I was still wearing my sandals and could see my toes, I wiggled them and saw them move, getting a chuckle to make its way up my throat “That’s a really cool trick.” I looked back at him that was at my eye level now, which was something I wouldn’t be able to do if we were on the floor, but it allowed me to fully see the look of surprise on his face.
A surprise he quickly recovered from, going back to his grumpy self “You’re pushing your limits there, thought you said you were gonna be careful.”
“I am being careful.” I technically was “I haven’t ripped my stitches, have I?”
His look hardened at me as he pointed at the center of my torso “If this one ‘rips’, you die.”
I let the reality set on me for a moment, now paying close attention to the heat right under my skin and how holding Law in the air made me feel like my skin would tear apart, but my eyes never left his, even as I smiled “Show me another one of those cool tricks and I’ll put you back on the floor.”
“With my power, I could just get myself down.”
I shrugged, intentionally wobbling his rather stable air support “Can you though?”
It was like a game, see who could push each other’s buttons more and both too proud to back away “You wanna see a cool trick, huh?” he switched his sword to his right hand and pulled his left back “Mes!” his palm hit the top of my chest so fast and so unexpectedly that I lost my breath “Shambles.” I don’t know what he shambled, I know that I lost all sense of where I even was for a moment, I felt myself fall, cold hands on my arms, my knees hitting the floor as I was suddenly looking at the grass as I struggled to get my breath back.
I didn’t realize I had even stopped hearing until sound came back around me “C’mon Captain, that was a bit mean.” Bepo’s voice was the first to break through “She is injured after all.”
“She asked me to show her something cool.” Law’s voice was as steady as always “I did as she asked.”
“I think that was payback for catching you off guard, captain.” I heard Penguin trying not to laugh but he soon stopped, Law must’ve glared at him again.
“It’s also not cool, captain.” Shachi’s voice sounded now “Most people consider that technique of yours really creepy, you know?”
“I’m telling you, she asked.” Law spoke up again and I found that breathing had started to feel easier now, so I sat up to realize that my legs were once again attached to my torso.
I scratched the back of my head as I got to my feet “What did you do?” I let my eyes focus again as the air started to settle in my lungs, Law turned slightly to face me and I noticed what he was holding “Is that a heart?!” he smirked and I looked at my chest, where his hand had hit and where now there was a square hole “Is that my heart?!”
I looked back at Law to find him grinning and there, right there in the light reflected in his golden eyes, I could see the satisfaction of being able to hold someone’s beating heart in your hands “Oh yeah.”
I looked at my heart as I touched the edges of my skin where that was supposed to be. I looked at him, his golden eyes making me feel like small prey, like I should run and never turn back, like I should shake in his presence and I consider myself lucky to still be standing. I mean, what other reaction should you have when someone just pulled your heart out of your chest like a damn Jenga piece? I could feel his cold hand supporting my beating heart, I could feel how his grip wasn’t any tighter than it needed to be – I tilted my head as my eyes remained on my heart – soft even? I was standing right in front of him before I knew it, only one question in my mind “Can I touch it?”
“Eh?” the crew tumbled in surprise and even Law’s usually stern expression could be perfectly read as confusion.
“I know it’s my heart, but I don’t know how this works.” I clarify “I don’t want to touch it and die!”
Law glanced from me to the heart, like it could fix his confusion but as the heart simply beat normally, the pirate captain looked back at me with seemingly even more questions “Sure.” As soon as I got permission, I poked it and collapsed on the floor as I had done it a bit too harshly “WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN, MORON?! IT’S A HEART, YOU CAN’T JUST POKE IT!”
“You said I could touch it!” I argued from the grass.
“Touch, not poke!” he countered “And I figured you’d be more careful with your own heart!” I heard him sigh as the crew laughed exchanging various comments from how crazy I was to how this was nice change of pace for their captain. Whatever this was that they were talking about, I couldn’t say.
They made me forget what life was like at the moment, it was easy to push it out of my mind when I heard them laugh, the Heart Pirates were a good, fun crew to hang out with. They made me miss my own crew like crazy. Sabaody seemed like so very long ago…
My thoughts were interrupted by the cheers of the crew and I raised my head to see what they were cheering about, walking into our little corner of the island were a handful of Hancock’s warriors, all familiar faces – why did I have to be so damn close to the entrance? - As the men fawned over the warriors, Law came to sit beside me “What are they doing over here…?”
“Right, you and Ikkaku had lunch on the island yesterday.” He said “The same warriors brought us food yesterday at around the same time too.” I didn’t say anything as I eyed their movements, setting up little stands with food “Why do they make you nervous?”
I blinked a couple of times before looking between Law and the warriors and back at Law “What are you talking about? They don’t—”
He showed me my fast beating heart still in his hand “It picked up the pace when you saw them come in.” he explained “You might be able to control your facial expressions well enough but your heart rate is another story.”
I… Had totally forgot he was holding my heart “We met them when me and Luffy first landed on the island, they’re alright. The blonde one?” I signalled over with my chin “Her name’s Margaret, she was the one that hung out with us more.” I tilted my head in retrospective “And I use the ‘hung out’ term really loosely here. She saved Luffy, then was trying to hunt us, then Luffy kind of kidnapped her, then she tried to kill us, then she kind of helped us, then she tried to kill us again, then she tried to defend us, got turned into stone because of us, we saved her, she saved us… You know, the usual.” He raised me an eyebrow “Oh, trust me, that’s the short version.”
“Alright… But ‘usual’?”
I actually laughed as several moments like that crossed my mind at the same time “Oh, you have no idea.”
He looked back at the Kuja “I guess that might explain why she was the only one that came over to ask me about you two.”
“Yeah…” I said more in a sigh than in an actual word. Law turned back to me as I laid my head back on the grass “They all wanted to know and ask too… How are you? How’s Luffy? I’m sorry about…” I took a deep breath and let that hang in the air “I’m alright, thanks. It’s what I reply every time.”
“How many times did you mean it?” I looked at Law but he was looking away from me and my grey eyes move back to the blue of the sky.
“Not even once…” I reply honestly and there’s a minute of silence between us “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think it’s nice that they care enough to ask but…” I didn’t know how to phrase that so I had to stop and think about it, Law didn’t interrupt me, he just waited for me to sort out the words in my brain “I wish they didn’t ask.” I finally say, feeling a tear slip from the side of my face that would be followed by more as I let my mind sort through everything “It still hurts to think about it all, it hurts to feel, it hurts to remember, it hurts to feel like I’m not doing anything, it just hurts. The day is to distract myself and I’m too tired to feel at night, at night it seems like a story that happened to someone else… I wish they’d stop asking.”
I’m about to rub my face with my hands when he puts his hat over my face “She’s coming. Don’t move.” Is all the explanation I get. It’s dark and my nose is overwhelmed by the fresh smell of mint that becomes all I can breathe in with the fluffy hat over my face, my cheeks felt warm as I inhale the smell once again and I blame it on the fluffiness of the hat on my face.
“Doctor?” Margaret’s voice makes me almost jump and I feel something cold softly caress my heart “Oh! Is that Luna?”
“She’s asleep.” Law quickly interjected with his usual calm voice “Fresh air is good for her but she got tired quickly due to the exertion on her body.”
“Oh… I see… But she’s doing better, right?”
“It’s too early to tell.”
“What about Luffy? How is he doing?” she kept asking.
“I still can’t say when he’ll wake up.”
“Alright…” she didn’t seem to have left yet “Thank you for looking after them.”
“I’ve told you not to thank me, it was a whim.” I smiled under the hat. A whim? Taking his crew into the middle of a war to pick up two ‘enemies’ as he put it himself? It’s called kindness, Trafalgar Law.
“Thank you anyway.” she insisted.
“MARGARET!” another of the Kujas called out to her.
“Going!” she called back “I better go. Do you want me to bring you a bowl of food?”
“Thanks, but no.” Law said “I’ll see if Luna wakes up before you leave, save us a bowl for before you go.”
“No problem.”
A couple of minutes passed before I felt the hat being taken off my face, instinctively I rubbed my eyes and cleared the tears away “Thanks.”
“No problem.” I turned my head to him and noticed that he still had his hand on my heart, I turned back towards the sky. We were once again in silence as I lied on the grass and he sat beside me. It was a comfortable silence between us as we heard his crew celebrating the presence of the Kuja warriors…