Of Princess and Leader
They were gone. Vivi lowered her arm, her friends had set sail on the ocean without her. However she was happy of the little way she'd traveled with them, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper. She had things to do in her kingdom, she wanted to build a new future for Alabasta with her people, this was her dream, that was why she wanted to stay. But her friends had their own dreams to accomplish, she had faith that they would stay friends throughout their entire life.
"I'll miss them, won't you Carue ?"
Carue the loyal elite duck answered her with a quack and a nod of the head. Vivi smiled, it was time to go back home but before that she had somewhere else to go. She got on Carue's back and they were gone too.
It took them two days, but they finally reached Yuba. The spot-billed duck went to quench his thirst while Vivi hiding under a cloak entered the town. At least she stood before the house she wished to visit, it was already night, soundlessly she got to one of the window.
"Kohza, you can't be serious ! You can't go looking for Vivi, you're still recovering from your wounds !" She heard Uncle Toto say.
"It doesn't matter, Vivi disappeared after her speech, she could have been abducted by former Baroque Works agents !"
"I'm sure she's alright. Wait at least until tomorrow to go. It's useless to go at this hour and the soldiers of the palace are already looking for her."
She heard the sound of someone sit heavily on a matress.
"Get some rest tonight Kohza, we'll talk about it tomorrow." Said Uncle Toto before he left the room of his son, closing the door behind him.
The lights of the room went off, Kohza seemed to be laying on his bed. Carefully she opened the window from the outside, then lifted herself on the window sill, she set foot inside putting it down on a soft surface, Kohza's bed was apparently under his window. That's when she felt a hand throw her completely inside, her back pressed against the bed, someone restraining her tightly.
"Who are you ? What do you want ?!"
"Ouch ! It's me Kohza !" She whispered.
"Vivi ?" Hearing her voice, Kohza had released her and was looking at the dark form that she was in her cloak.
She let her hood fall back and he could now see the smiling face of the princess.
"What are you doing here ?"
"I wanted to see you." Said Vivi like it was obvious.
"Do you know that everyone is looking for you in the kingdom, everyone thought you had disappeared, again." Vivi stifled a pang of guilt that rose in her at the mild reproach.
"But I wanted to surprise you by coming to see you before going back to the palace."
"Why ?"
She didn't answer imediately, simply looked intently at him .
"Because we didn't saw each other for a long time and we haven't really had the time to talk at Alubarna. And I wanted to know how you were." She said averting her eyes from him.
"I'm better, I had the best treatment thanks to your father."
"Good, I'm relieved then." She smiled. "Huh… could you let me go so I can take my cloak off ?"
Indeed Vivi was still pressed between the bed and Kohza, even if he didn't hold her tightly anymore. Seeing this he quickly rolled off her and sat on the edge of the bed. Vivi closed the window and got off the bed. With one gesture of her hand she pulled off the grey cloak, underneath she still had her ceremonial clothes on, they weren't as dazzling than once but the sight that Kohza witnessed would stay carved in his memory for as long as he lived. Vivi was simply beautiful, with the shining light of the moon illuminating her skin she could have passed for a goddess. She sat back on the bed at Kohza side, snaping him out of his daze. A moment of silence passed between them.
"You became a great princess Vivi."
She blinked not sure from were the topic came from, she seemed lost in her thought for a bit, before hesitantly answering.
"I'm not sure if that's true. I should have been able to stop my people from fighting otherwise."
"Nothing could have stopped this battle, Crocodile is far too good a manipulator. Besides your voice reached them, it's the most important. Your voice reached me." Said Kohza turning his head toward her. Vivi watched sadly the ground.
"I was afraid. I was really afraid. I didn't want people to die. I was afraid to lose my friends. I was afraid to lose my father like Igaram and Pell. And then there was you…" Tears were now streaming down her cheeks.
"I certainly didn't facilite things for you, I was foolish." He sighted lowering his head.
"That's not it." Vivi looked at him in the eyes, then lightly deposed her hand on Kohza's scar. "I thought I lost you again, like when we were little and you protected me at the risk of your own life. You were severely wounded but still fought. When I saw you get shot I thought my heart had stopped beating. But I had to somehow stop this battle so I continued to fight and try to do everything I could…"
"And you succeeded. You were amazing."
"But you were wounded, I waited ten years to see you again and you nearly died before my eyes."
"Don't think about it anymore. The rain washed away the anger of everyone. Though there are scars remaining, those three years of suffering are over. Now we have to turn toward our future and rebuild Alabasta." Vivi locked gaze with him.
"I'm already turned toward the future." She said barely audible. Her hand still on his scar then came to stay on his cheek and she leaned slowly over him before kissing Kohza's scar near his eyes. He seemed surprised by the gesture of the young woman.
"Thank you for being here for me since so long ago, and thanks to have stayed my friend throughout everything that happened. Thank you Leader." She grinned.
"I was in the one in the wrong, you should hate me."
"I was angry at you at a time, but I think even if I tried I would never be able to hate you. You're very special to me after all."
"All those years I thought of you and when I joined the rebel army those last two years I frequently wondered where you were, I knew you wouldn't let your people suffer. I often dreamed of our childhood, sometimes I thought I saw you in the passing crowd, I even thought I heard your voice when the attack on Alubarna began."
"It wasn't your imagination, it really was me. I tried to stop you before you entered the city but a soldier at the sold of Baroque Works shot a cannon and I failed. I would have died trampled on if Carue hadn't protected me."
"So it really was you… Sorry for not seeing you. If I had recognized my mistake sooner there would have been fewer unnecessary deaths."
"It wasn't your fault. It's Crocodile, everything is his fault." Kohza looked at Vivi and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You're wearing your ceremonial clothes but you left before doing your speech, didn't you ? Why ?"
"I had to say goodbye to my friends."
"The Staw Hat pirates."
"Yes. They're wonderful if slightly crazy people." She said smiling fondly.
"They saved our country for you, they must be. They really are strong." Vivi didn't say anything, she just smiled proudly to be their friend.
"Shouldn't you have gone back directly to the palace ?"
"Something more important was waiting for me."
"What ?"
"You. The only two time when we spoke in Alubarna were when you discovered the truth and when you left on the stretcher after the battle. Then you immediately went back to Yuba without saying a word to me."
"I didn't want to bother you at the time. And I had to apologize to my old man."
"That's why I came. You can't run away from me now."
"I'm not running from you Vivi."
"You no, but your feelings for me ? Since I got here you haven't said anything at all my mentions of what there is between us." She said getting closer to him before drawing him in a hug. Sliding her arms around Kohza who was more than surprised.
"Vivi ?"
"I won't let you go this time Leader." She whispered in his ear.
Kohza hesitated, but he had thought about it since a long time, so he too hugged Vivi in his arms drawing her even closer to him. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes. She smiled and shifted a bit so their forehead were resting together and her arms snaked themselves around his neck.
"I'm not afraid of my feelings for you. But you are a princess, you're worth much more than a former rebel."
"I want you. You're brave, love your country and it's people, and you're the former Leader of the rebel army. But you'll always be the Leader of my heart. You are you, I am me. The Princess love a former rebel that's all."
Kohza's eyes widened, she had said she loved him. He didn't know how to describe what he was feeling at this moment. So he leaned in and kissed Vivi on the lips, she closed her eyes and lost herself in the sensation. She felt like she had waited this moment all her life. They only broke the kiss when air became an issue, and Vivi dropped her head on Kohza's shoulder. Her eyes stayed closed, and she felt sleep tugging at her.
"Can I sleep here tonight ? I have been traveling for two days straight."
As answer Kohza loosened his hold on her and repositioned himself on the bed, so he was laying on his back, head on his pillow, Vivi tucked in his side. She watched him for a while her own head on the pillow turned toward his, they looked at each other as if to convince themselves they weren't dreaming. Then Vivi pressed herself even more in Kohza's side and closed her eyes, falling soon asleep in his arms.
In the morning when Uncle Toto entered his son's bedroom to see if he was still here, he had to come to a stop seeing the young couple enlaced sleeping peacefully. He smiled and left the room soundlessly to send message to the King on the whereabout of his daughter.
Vivi stayed several days in Yuba, helping rebuilt the oasis. When people had known princess Vivi was here they had all wanted to see her. Kohza against the protests of Vivi and his father had begun to help rebuild too, Vivi never too far away from his side. Which many people didn't fail to notice, making them grin at the pair.
Then it was time to go for Vivi, and to say goodbye.
"I don't want to go but I have to help rebuilt Alubarna, people are waiting for me."
"When Yuba is completely repaired, I'll come see you."
"No way. I'll come back before that. I don't ever want to stay separated from you for as long again." She said intertwining her fingers with his. Kohza then pulled her to him with his other hand. "It's a promise Vivi."
She smiled at him and they kissed before breaking apart. Then Carue's head poked in the house so they went outside where the duck was waiting with the people who came to say their goodbye. They all acclaimed Vivi while she got on Carue's back and she waved back at them smiling, she thanked them to have welcomed her here so warmly and after a last look at Kohza, left to go back to her home.
"Ah, young love." Toto sighed watching is son.
"Stupid old man." Said Kohza before going back in the house, leaving his laughing father behind.
Vivi reached the Sandora where a boat awaited her and then got back to Alubarna safely. The King was waiting for her there with none other than Pell, he had survived. This night they ate a feast all happy to be reunited. Then it was only Vivi and her father talking peacefully together of everything.
"Goodnight Dad."
"Vivi, Kohza is a good man, he would make a great King." Said Cobra Nefertari.
Vivi was surprised by the comment, but then she smiled at her father before she left. She had the same opinion than him, after all Kohza was a Leader.