Time Skip! Why? Because mush family reunions aren't my thing. Why else would I give Avery such screwed up families in everything else? Cause I know how to do those things.
Chapter Eighteen: The Fire of Shandia Rekindled
It was a week after Enel had gone that a man came running announcing the belfry had been found. Neither Avery or Wyper went to help with it. Neither could. They would have loved to, Avery even tried. But then Nami had hit her on the head. Avery had followed Nami off and Wyper was left with Laki, Autumn, Aisa, and Chief. He was about to fall asleep when there was a large commotion.
The Straw Hat Pirates were leaving and several people had sighted Avery running after them, her hair free and falling into her eyes. While everyone went back to the belfry He noticed that the two Skypiean's that had been around the pirates often were also missing. "Ring it!" Called Wyper. He'd made his way to see it again. If the straw hats were leaving then he'd make sure that they knew they were welcome back.
The bell rang loud and clear. The Vearth was singing once again. They were making sure that any lost souls could make it home again, including the Straw Hats. This place would always be a home for them if they needed it.
Avery was standing with Conis and her father, who's name she would never truly learn. Just as they were about to be out of sight for ever Avery yelled, "You guys!" They all looked. She looked down at the ground and rose her stub of an arm as high as she could. They all turned away from her and they all raised their left arms too. It was the arm they'd used to symbolize that they were nakama for Vivi and they were using it now too. One day they would come back.
When she could see them no more and her tears had slowed she turned and started back to Shandia. The bell rang. And she had to stop. The sound was beautiful. It was nothing like she'd ever heard before. The tones were perfect and she realized that this was the song of the Vearth that her father had talked about so long ago.
When the sound finally stopped she rushed off. She had come to say goodbye without telling anyone where she was going so they might be worried that she'd left. Sure she'd told Wyper she wasn't leaving, but she'd formed it in more of a if you say this then I do that form. And he hadn't really been too clear. A one armed hug wasn't much of an answer so if he did want her to stay, then he might be worried he hadn't been clear enough. Or Avery was just blowing it out of proportion.
She entered Shandia and started to look for Wyper. He wasn't hard to find. Grinning she ran up to him. "They made!" Gleefully she said. "And I'm sure they heard the bell too." He smiled at her and his eyes seemed to soften. She ran off again to go do something.
Though he wasn't going to tell anyone about this, he had for a moment doubted her return. Those pirates were her nakama after all. But here she was, returning to him. The Chief walked up to him then. Wyper saw that Avery wasn't too far away but she should be out of hearing range. "Chief." Greeted Wyper.
"Once your arm is healed we will perform the ceremony." The Chief wasted no time in telling Wyper what was on his mind. "And soon after that I expect to hear news of a child. There was a slight commotion to Wyper's right, the way Avery was. He looked and saw her sitting, blushing, on the ground with a bucket of clothes strewn around her. "We expect to do the ceremony in a month or two."
"Of course." Wyper agreed. "And as soon as she is with child, you'll know." The Chief nodded and left. Wyper looked for Avery and soon found her. Her eyes were covered by her hair again and he took a moment to look her over. She was still quite small. Her chest wasn't much bigger than when she'd been fifteen, and her hair was much, much shorter.
Before it had been nearly to her waist. He hadn't liked it that long at first and had mentioned to her once about it. It was a good week or two before her hair was drastically changed. It was about her shoulder length. When he'd asked what had happened to it she reused to tell him at first. Then there was a meeting with Gan Fall at the village and Avery had came with her father. It was a while before Wyper even acknowledged her and that was only when asking God what had happened to shot stuffs hair. Fire. She'd somehow managed to catch a good part of it's length on fire before getting it put out and she'd had to have up to her shoulders cut off. And now it was above her shoulders. It was so short now, and he was considering mentioning it to her.
Not much else was different about her, that he'd noticed. Except her cherry red face as she noticed him staring. He walked over to her and grabbed the last piece of clothes that had fallen. Handing it to her he looked right at her face. Once she took the article from him he used his now free hand to push her hair out of her face. "You should grow your hair out." He said after pretending to think it over. "And cut these bangs." She huffed at him and put the shirt in the basket she'd been carrying. "Maybe if they weren't in your face you wouldn't have fallen."
He went to go find something that he could help with. "Well if you weren't talking about getting me pregnant, I wouldn't have been distracted." She grumbled too low for him to hear. But someone did. Autumn stepped into her path. "What do you want now?" Avery asked. She was getting really annoyed with this girl.
At every turn Avery took she'd been showing up. Wyper this, Wyper that. It was all that girl said! Not even nice things either. She'd compliment Wyper and simultaneously insult Avery to such a degree that Avery had to put her fist in her mouth and bit to keep from hitting. The women have been mention quite a lot how fighting was not the answer unless the other person hit first. So taking the not-so-subtle hint, Avery's been trying to not hit the other girl. Autumn was insulting Avery once again and was lucky that Avery had the laundry to occupy her arm.
Five minutes of insults were pissing her off at first but now it was just annoying. The same damn insults were being repeated five, six times and it all held no meaning. Avery finally let out a yawn. Autumn stopped speaking and looked in disbelief at Avery. "Oh, you're done now? If so then excuse me, I have to go wash these." Avery pushed passed Autumn and continued on her way.
And right then Avery realized that she no longer cared. Nothing Autumn said should bother her because nothing that was said had any meaning behind it. It was all just words that couldn't be backed up. So she sat next to the water and worked on washing the clothes. This job was hard enough with two hands, let alone one. It took nearly three times as long to do. Finally finished she took the now heavy basket back to camp. "You can't hang this this wet." A woman said almost horrified. "You have to wring it out first!"
"And how do you suggest I do that?" Avery questioned. The woman, now realizing Avery's problem nodded and took the clothes to go do it herself. Sitting down Avery wiped her brow with the back of her hand. She'd love to wear the bandana again, but that had been Zoro's and it was hell to get him to even let her borrow it. And he had to put it on for her because of her lack of an arm. Wyper was no where to be seen and Avery was bored. She'd nearly finished her arm and the one person she wanted to be with was missing. Kamakiri was also gone. Just fucking great.
A child ran passed. He was a little thing, probably no more than two. With dark hair nearly black, wide dark eyes and even a slightly tan color he looked to be the definition of a Shandian child. Giggling wildly he looked over his shoulder at the woman running after him. His mother probably, who too was laughing as she pretended to be unable to catch him. But as he was looking at his mother he failed to notice the stone in front of him. Avery reached out to grab him just as he started to fall. Her hand landed in his shoulder and steadied him.
Wide eyed he looked at her. But she pretended to be looking elsewhere and took her hand back. "Thank you." The woman said as she then caught up. Avery didn't say anything. She just stood up and walked off. But the woman saw her blush and knew that Avery didn't mind.