Disclaimer: I don't own any of this except for Reia. Happy New YEars, everyone!
---Chapter Twelve---
Chopper looked up as he heard something clash. He saw Zoro and Nami staring at a book, Reia underneath it, still sleeping. Chopper clip-clopped over to Reia's shoulder and the bandage roll fell from his hooves and hit the deck, its owner watching.
"GOD Luffy, hold your horses!" Sanji snarled as he stormed into the lounge. He dropped onto the bench immediately when he saw the spectacle, leaving the door wide open.
"FOOD!! Food!!" Luffy and Usopp exclaimed as they rushed in. They stood stock still as they stared at Sanji. Their heads turned to Sanji, then the book. Usopp's eye suddenly bulged and Luffy's mouth was wide open when they realized what they were seeing. They moved closer to the book and sat next to Zoro's head.
In the glass, Zoro sliced the air right in front of Reia's face. Her whole body emanated a blue aura, and she spun away quickly, her hair glowing blue. Zoro spun after her and sliced the air with his katanas. Snow sped rapidly to Reia's side, and everyone started to wince. It started to enter her and suddenly Zoro was pummeled by blue streaks. Reia's arms moved back and forth, hands open with the palms facing him. Zoro grunted and started to parry.
They moved around the floor in an unending dance. Zoro pushed forward, then Reia did. Blue streaks met flashing katanas. Reia whirled, and a lock of her hair floated to the ground. It lost its blue radiance as it touched the deck. As the two moved some more, not ungracefully, more hair fell.
The Zoro in the glass grimaced as a blue streak impacted his torso. The Zoro on the floor did likewise and glanced downwards at it. The three katanas flashed by Reia's left shoulder. As Reia whirled away, blood sprayed into the air and lost its blue glow as it splashed the floor.
The Reia in the glass suddenly howled eerily and her eyes lost its pupils. They turned blue as she whirled onto Zoro, quicker than the eye could follow. His swords, just as fast, met the blue streaks. Suddenly, a large "whoom" was heard, and Zoro was pushed back as the charged-up energy was let lose. It appeared to the Straw Hats as a gigantic blue wind, and Zoro stepped back a few steps as his katanas blocked the worst of it.
Ten more minutes of the intense fight left the Straw Hats breathless. They looked back at Luffy when they heard his voice, but then realized it was coming from the glass.
"Do something!"Nami's voice echoed in the lounge. Inside the glass, an arm stretched down from above and grabbed Zoro. It snapped back and Luffy stood in Zoro's place. The blue Reia kept fighting with ferocity, never noticing.
Luffy stubbornly stood in one place as Reia's blue streaks hit his stomach and face. Her glowing blue eyes narrowed as she seized Luffy in a lasso of blue and threw him.
Reia sumoned more streaks, but stopped them midway as an arm impacted her diaphragm. Her eyes widened, and she slumped to the floor, losing her blue glow. Luffy took her and carried her up the mast over his shoulder onto the deck. The glass fogged again.
Silence ruled the room as each person replayed the battle in their minds.
"Coool!!!" Luffy shouted. Chopper bent down to get the fallen bandage roll and yelped when he rose to see two blue orbs. They blinked, then looked around at the crew.
"Um…" Reia said uncertainly. She glanced at a contemplating Zoro.
"……is the haircut free?" Zoro turned to look at her and grinned. The silence broke and Usopp started chattering quickly. Luffy jumped up and down, and Nami shook her head in wonder. Sanji stood menacinglyover Zoro.
"You hurt Reia?" Sanji asked Zoro darkly. Nami wacked Sanji and asked the important question.
"Why did you guys fight?" Usopp stopped talking to Choper and listened. Reia raised herself up by her elbows. She bit her lip and winced in pain as pressure was placed on the cuts. Zoro watched uncomfortably. The set of panpipes lifted from the table and floated to her hands.
"For a very silly reason," Reia murmured.
"But where'd you learn all the moves?!" Luffy exclaimed. Reia started. Where did she--? She reached and grabbed the book. She opened it and gasped. The Straw Hats leaned closer and were baffled at the page's contents. Nami was the first, besides Reia, to realize what it meant.
---Section One: Passed---
Reia closed the book slowly.
"To think! It was a test," Reia murmured softly in thought.
"What?!" Zoro yelled.
"Test?" Usopp and Chopper echoed.
"AWESOME!!" Luffy clapped in excitement. Nami patted Reia on the back, smiling.
"Good job!" Nami congratulated. Sanji clasped his hands and leaned into Reia's face.
"Shall I bake a cake for you?" he asked smoothly. Reia blinked and shrugged, then winced.
"S-sure," she said painfully. Sanji leapt up and started mixing with energy. Chopper stood up.
"Everyone out please! These two need some rest," he ordered.
Luffy slouched glumly and sulked out, along with Usopp. Nami patted Reia on the shoulder.
"Hope you get better quickly!" Nami said to Reia. Nami stood up and walked out. Chopper sighed with relief and shooed Sanji out, the latter desperately trying to wave at Reia. Chopper closed the door and breathed out, then started dabbing at Reia's wounds with a piece of gauze. She winced and closed her eyes, also sighing.
"Chopper, how bad are my wounds?" Reia asked him. He looked up from her shoulder.
"A few unusual scars and cuts." Reia noded slowly and sank back on her mat. She stared at the ceiling, squirming around for a good spot to lay on that didn't hurt. She sighed again after a minute and placed her hands behind her head.
"Oy, watch it!" Zoro grumbled. Reia started and turned to her right to see Zoro right in her face, along with her misty elbow halfway in his face. She gasped and withdrew it.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" Reia apologized quickly. She continued staring at the ceiling, then turned to look at Zoro.
"How bad are your wounds, Zoro?" He gave her a side-long glance, then looked away slowly.
"Not bad," he replied shortly. Reia nodded slowly and turned away.
"There!" Chopper said happily. He clip-clopped over to Zoro.
"You two can get out now, but your wounds are still a little fresh. Don't reopen them, Reia!" Chopper instructed her. She nodded and stood up.
"And Zoro, you can't train anymore."
"WHAT?!"
"Your internal wounds will start bleeding again. Just walk around slowly…" Chopper finished. Zoro scowled and tried getting up. Chopper handed Reia a glass of water.
"You both need to drink lots of water to make up for the blood loss," Chopper said. He started shoving them out. Zoro winced as Chopper pushed on his leg.
"Now, outside! Get some fresh air." Chopper closed the door. Zoro leaned onto it and closed his eyes in pain, then opened them.
"You okay?" Reiai inquired. He shrugged. She frowned thoughtfully and walked down the stairs, then disappeared. Zoro slumped more visibly and held his head in his hands. He looked up at the spot where Reia last occupied and sighed tiredly. As he turned around he raised his arms up to grab the roof. He lifted himself, then lowered slowly, his feet never touching the deck. The muscled in his arms flexed and tightened as he repeated the movement.
Suddenly, he felt a pain in his torso. He lifted himself up and sat on the roof,his forehead dotted with sweat and faintly panting.He sethis swords to the side. The orange trees swayed in the wind, and his earring jingled. His green hair blew about, and his eyes started feeling heavy. He fell back. The wood was uusually warm…he glimpsed a glass of water next to his swords. The aching left him,and he laid there, trying to listen for it.
Zoro smirked when he heard a soft, rhythmic whisper. Where was she? He glanced around from the floor. And what was wrong with the floor? Abnormally warm…soft and pleasant---! Soft?! He started and tried sitting up. As he did, blood rushed to his head and everything started to turn red;. He moaned softly in pain and fell backwards to the floor, gently, of course. Pain and sleep battled for control over the swordsman. Which one won didn't matter to Zoro. He adjusted his head for a more comfortable position on Reia'sinvisibleleg, and then the pain took him. He knew no more. A small grin was left on his lips as his breathing slowed.
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Reia's eyes opened to see the rustling orange leave whispering in her face. How'd she end up here? She tilted her head and smiled at her glass of water. So Chopper drugged it. Smart! The pain would've kept her awake for a while. The noonday sun leaked in through the branches. She frowned when she noticed three katanas on the other side of her glass. Ghost's hilt glinted at her. She gasped softly and abruptly sat up. Or tried to, at least. Something awfully heavy weighed down her leg. She glanced down and stared.
Zoro's head lay on her leg, and his arms were crossed. He snored quietly. She bit her lip thoughtfully.
"Zooorroooo," Reia whispered. "Whoooops." She transformed back with a "whiff". Sitting up, she looked down at him, her head barely a foot above his. Her hand rested underneath his head and she lifted it. Suddenly her arm spasmed painfully. She let goand hesitantly touched her arm,biting her lip.The bandage on her shoulder had fallen halfway off. She took it off and gasped. She looked down at Zoro, then to her shoulder. She looked back down at Zoro.
His head was almost in her lap, and it was very uncomfortable. Reia frowned and moved his head to directly rest on her lap. She frowned even more.
"Zoro!" Reia called. He stirred, then the snoring continued. Her eyebrows came together in irritation. Her hair dropped onto his face, and she brushed it away. Still looking down at Zoro in her lap, she pinched him, yelled, pulled his har, but to no avail. She finally tried pushing him off, but her arms spasmed again. Her cheeks started to flush from the effort.
The wind blew suddenly, and an orange leaf found its way into Zoro's hair. It tangled and lay still as the wind stopped. Reia pulled out orange leaves from her own hair, and reached down to do the same to Zoro's. She pulled the leaf out, then smoothed Zoro's green hair back with her slender fingers.
Why did I join this ship? They left Chinshima already…That's not a good excuse. I wanted to see the world.
She frowned.
…To find my place in this world? I am, with Luffy and everyone. My crewmembers. My friends...
Reia closed her eyes in thought, then absently began to stroke Zoro's rightcheek.
To live life to its fullest, to have adventures! Just live and have fun.
Reia grinned, then opened her eyes. She started when she realized what she was doing and stopped immediately.
"Don't stop," Zoro murmured, his eyes closed. She looked at him in shock.
"....What?"
"To live life to its fullest. Don't ever stop." He opened his eyes and sat up to turn a bit so he faced her. They sat side by side, legs in the opposite direction of the other's.
"I said all of that outloud?!" Reia exclaimed. He nodded and looked out to the sea. He looked back at her, then his face filled with horror.
"Y-your shoulder! When---?!"
Reia looked at her left shoulder. She looked back at him, hair blowing around in wisps. She was silent for a few moments.
"It was probably yesterday. Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. It doesn't hurt that much, anyways," Reia told him. Her eyes turned steely as she looked out at the sea. The moment passed and she gave him a small smile. Hestudied her facecarefully, but she was back to normal. The glass cup hovered and floated to Zoro's hands.
"Drink it. It'll help," she told him. She stood up andpatted his shoulder amiably without lifting her arms. Zoro turned around quickly, and turned back to just glimpse Reia disappearing into thin air. She kind of flickered, then went out.He looked up and saw her sitting on the wooden part of the sail high above the trees. Her legs dangled, and she touched her left shoulder. Zoro looked away and closed his eyes,touching his right cheek,the image of a stitched, crooked "Z" on her beautiful pale skin lingering in his mind.