Chapter 31
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, but Kyra was my idea.
Beta'd by Tomas the Betrayer.
Trafalgar Law lowers his scalpel to the twitching flesh laid out on his table and makes a deep incision in his former cook's chest, just over his right pectoral. The man screams in agony, obviously very much wishing for the withheld painkillers that sit tantalizingly over to the side on a rolling tray, in full view of the suffering patient.
Law smiles, the expression lighting up his usually laid-back face into something deeply terrifying. The blood splattered across his cheeks only serves to deepen the horror.
"Are you ready to tell me when exactly you began working for our dear Rear-Admiral, Mr. Neil?"
Retching sobs are the only reply. Law's smile deepens, the glint of insanity shining brighter in his eyes.
"Very well then."
A tattooed hand - sans gloves, already coated in gore - slowly inserts itself into a deep cut on the patient's abdomen. Ignoring the renewed screams of pain, the Surgeon of Death gently takes hold of a coil of small intestines and carefully begins working it out of Neil's body. Blood suddenly gushes from a different wound; Law pauses with his hand halfway out of Neil's gut and frowns slightly.
"It would seem that your writhing around has disturbed the clamp on your artery, Mr. Neil. You do realize that without that clamp you would bleed out? We can't have that; you haven't answered my questions yet." Law shoves the section of intestines back into place before going to work on what's left of Neil's leg. The amputation had been a success; if the subject can refrain from flailing around so much, he should be able to live for another forty-eight hours or so before infection sets in. Once the internal clamp has been readjusted - and a few more slivers of glass have been lovingly inserted into the raw meat of what was once a fully functional hand - he goes back to his earlier exercise of pulling out Neil's small intestine.
The screams are a balm on Law's soul.
An undetermined amount of time later, when Law exits his infirmary coated nearly head to toe in Neil's blood, he immediately turns to the giant guarding the door.
"Where is Gable?"
Jambarl doesn't look at him, only keeps his eyes fixed ahead down the hallway. Law watches as the big man's throat works and wonders how often in the last twelve hours of guard duty his subordinate has been forced to swallow down bile.
"Bepo's got him in the control room, Captain," Jambarl eventually replies, voice remarkably steady despite the slight greenish tinge to his skin.
The Dark Doctor nods his thanks before walking away, gory scalpel in hand and dripping blood down the halls of his submarine. It is the first time he has emerged from his surgical theatre since dragging Neil there three days ago. He has not slept, eaten, or washed since that time, nor has he had any interaction with his crew. They have been around long enough to know that when Trafalgar Law is in this kind of mood, even the most innocent exchange with him can end with someone's blood sprayed over the walls like paint.
The control room is empty but for Gable, heavily bound to a chair in the center of the room, and Bepo. The bear is standing right behind the navigator, a deep growl rumbling out of his chest as an obvious warning against sudden movements.
"Good evening, Mr. Gable. I was wondering if you'd be willing to answer a few questions for me." Law's voice is light, almost cheerful in tone as he advances across the room.
"Captain, what - what's going on?" Gable sounds bewildered, his features twisting in confusion as he pulls lightly against his restraints. Bepo's growls kick up a notch until the bound man falls still once more. "Bepo won't tell me anything. What did I do wrong, Captain? Why are you angry with me?"
Law's head cocks to the side. He is unsure of Gable's involvement. Neil is guilty, of that there is no question, but Gable? Law has no solid proof that Gable is working in cahoots with Merrick. The Divine had specifically said 'traitor', which due to the words' singular nature denotes only one turncoat. Neil is the one who was caught red handed communicating with the Rear Admiral. Gable has so far escaped physical harm due to these facts, but Law still intends to question him. Bepo will use his nose to sniff out any falsehoods; Law will punish these lies with his blade.
He will ferret out any and all traitors aboard his ship, however long it may take.
"Will you answer my questions truthfully, Mr. Gable?" Law pulls up another chair and sits, slouching until he is comfortable and fixing his gaze on the tied-up navigator.
"Yes, of course, Captain," is the immediate reply given by the confused man. Behind him, Bepo ceases his growls and perks up slightly, nose working furiously.
"That's true, Captain."
"Excellent. On the afternoon during which we were engaged by the Navy, why did you tell me that they were simply enemy pirates?"
Gable blinks in confusion for a moment, obviously sorting through the events of that day in his mind. His answer, when it comes, is slowly verbalized as though to ensure complete honesty. "Because they were flying the skull and crossbones, Captain. There was red on the flag, too, like bloody tears from the skull's eye sockets."
"That's true," Bepo repeats, still looming over Gable's shoulder though the snarl is momentarily absent. "I saw that flag while we were fighting."
Law knows that Bepo would sooner swallow his own tongue than lie to him. If he says the flag was present, then it was there. Next question. "Why was Mr. Neil at your post three evenings past, Mr. Gable? If I remember correctly, you are the navigator of my ship. Why were you not fulfilling your role on my crew?"
The words come fast and sure this time. "I hadn't eaten that day, Captain. I thought it'd be best to stay at my post as long as I could since Ky - uh, well, since everybody was so on edge. Neil came in and told me he'd cooked up some grub, said it was set up over in the galley since you've always had that policy about not eating in here. I wasn't going to leave, Captain, I swear, but you've reprimanded me before about skipping meals and I didn't want to upset you even more than you already were!"
Law did not pass by the galley the night he apprehended Neil. A glance at Bepo earns a nod from the bear, signifying that Gable is indeed being honest.
"Has this happened before? Mr. Neil taking your place at the controls for any length of time?"
"Yes, Captain. Used to be I'd have to flag one of the guys down if I needed a break to eat, or use the head, or whatever. But a while back Neil started coming in here every day to relieve me long enough to take care of business. He said it was to get away from Ky- uh, I mean -"
"I have not forbidden you from speaking my magician's name, Mr. Gable," Law calmly interrupts, folding his blood soaked hands in his lap. "Continue."
"Right. Well, like I was saying, Neil said he was trying to get away from Kyra. Sometimes he'd stay after I came back, usually to bitch about her. He's hated her since day one, Captain, ever since she rejected him that first time. I figured it was just a case of sour grapes, y'know? Neil's always been like that. I just let him talk; figured it'd be better he say it to me than go off on Kyra."
The gears in Law's mind are whirling, processing this new information. "So this trend began right after Kyra joined us?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"And at any time before have you seen Mr. Neil speaking into the Den-Den Mushi I found on his person? Were you aware that it is a direct connection to Rear Admiral Rafe Merrick?"
Here the color leaves Gable's face. He does not reply for a long moment.
The Dark Doctor smiles coldly, leaning forward slightly. "I expect an answer, Mr. Gable."
Bepo rumbles menacingly in the background.
"It... I thought... I didn't -" Gable is rambling, sweat beading on his forehead as he scrambles for a suitable answer. Law stands fluidly from his chair and approaches Gable, carelessly knocking the navigator's hat off and grabbing a hank of hair. Perhaps a little pain will loosen the man's tongue.
Law has just begun to cut the skin directly below his captive's ear when Gable exclaims, "I didn't know it was a connection to Merrick! Gable's had that snail for years, Captain! He uses it to keep in touch with the Joker's crew! I thought that's what he was doing! Ask Sachi or Pengiun or any of the guys that were around when we formed! He's always had that snail!"
"He's not lying, Captain," Bepo quietly confirms, furry features held carefully blank when Law glances up at him. A heartbeat passes before the scalpel is gently pulled back. A bandage appears from a bloody pocket, carefully slapped over the bleeding cut before the medical instrument is used to slice the ropes binding Gable to his seat. A tattooed hand on one shoulder keeps him from rising.
"Are you working for Rear-Admiral Rafe Merrick, Gable?" The formality is dropped, thought the grip on the shoulder is bruising.
"No, Captain. I don't take orders from anybody but you. I swear it."
Bepo shifts slightly. "Still not lying, Captain."
"Good. Thank you."
Law removes his hand from his navigator and allows the man to stand, shifting his attention to Bepo for the moment. "I want a round-the-clock guard on Mr. Neil. He's stabilized in the infirmary, where he is to remain for the time being. Tell the men I want everyone in the galley in ten minutes, no exceptions. I'm going to get a little... cleaned up."
He doesn't pause to watch his bear nod in acknowledgement of these orders. He simply turns and exits the room without another word.
Ten minutes later, the Supernova surgeon strides shirtless into the galley of his sub dressed in lounge pants with his hair damp. All murmuring amongst the men is instantly silenced. Law moves to his place at the head of the table, sits down and props his feet up. Out of habit, his eyes dart to the empty seat where his magician should sit. No one has dared to fill her place, a caution of which the captain approves.
He does not dawdle with a lead-up. He ploughs straight into the issue he wishes to address.
"For the better part of two years, Mr. Neil has been following the orders of someone other than myself. At some point after our initial meeting on Fishman Island, the Navy Rear-Admiral Rafe Merrick gained access to the second of a pair of Den-Den Mushi, the other half of which belongs to Mr. Neil. Your former crewmate has been using these snails to relay our location to the Navy, in an attempt to rid himself of my magician's presence aboard this vessel.
"Under the influence of my... persuasion, Mr. Neil has confessed to keeping the Marines abreast of our location for the aforementioned time. He had a deal with Mr. Merrick that was intended to spare the rest of us from persecution or capture once the Demon Witch Kyra was apprehended. He assures me that Mr. Merrick's promises several days ago to return my magician's heart at the death of Marshal D. Teach was genuine, but the offer to be made a Shichibukai is apparently false. It was to be given as a simple enticement, should the return of Kyra's heart not be sufficient to sway me. That is of little concern to me at the moment. Mr. Neil will pay for his transgressions against me with his life. He swore to follow my orders above all else; all of you have sworn to never abandon a crewmate. He has violated these oaths, and for that, Neil is going to die."
Law pauses for a moment to let the gravity of that pronouncement sink in. When he continues, his voice is deadly quiet.
"Mr. Neil was not forthcoming as to whether or not any of you were aiding him. If you are part of this... if you have been aiding Rafe Merrick at the cost of my magician's safety... if you have been working against me on my own submarine, now is the time to come forward. I will have no mercy for you should I discover your duplicity at a later date. If you have betrayed me and wish to continue living, tell me now."
Not a sound in the galley but for the faint rumble coming from Bepo. There is outrage on the faces of the Heart Pirates; outrage and confusion that one of their own could actually do something as terrible as betray their captain. Fists are clenched to white-knuckled intensity. Teeth grind as exclamations of fury are bitten back. Now is not the time to curse their former cook into the deepest circle of Hell. Now is not the time to swear vengeance against this traitor and the odious Merrick. Now is not the time for empty words and gestures.
Now is the time for confessions.
Not one word is spoken by a single man in the room.
Law looks each of his crew in the eyes, assessing their expressions, searching for a faltering gaze. He finds none. These men are loyal to him and to him alone. They will kill or die at his word. The notion of betrayal disgusts them. Whether or not they are fond of Kyra, whether or not they fear or dislike her, she is a part of Law's crew, under Law's protection until otherwise stated. Not a man amongst them would lift a finger to harm her by word or deed.
They are Law's men to the soul.
The Surgeon of Death smiles at his crew, a rare smile of genuine feeling rather than an expression of sarcasm or the mask behind which he always hides his thoughts. It is in thanks for their loyalty; it is an expression of gratitude. It is the reason these men will follow him to Hell and back if he but says the word. They sit in silence for some time, soaking in the meaning of this moment, preparing themselves for what will doubtlessly come next. There is not a doubt in any of their minds what Law's next course of action will be, so it is no surprise when Sachi speaks up.
"When are we going after Kyra, Captain? If that fucking turncoat's out of commission, we're going to need our pretty chef back."
Law's smile morphs into something feral.
"Not yet, Sachi. I have a few loose ends to tie up first. Gable, keep following the Log Pose for the nearest island. If Mr. Neil's screams are to be believed, it will bring us one step closer to the Yonkou Blackbeard. I think his head would make a lovely 'welcome back' present for my magician, wouldn't you agree? Bepo, I want you in the hold with me. There are some gifts for the Marines in the cold locker that I require your help with."
Guffaws from the crew; they know about the locker, know what Law and Kyra have been filling it with the last couple of years. Talk breaks out amongst them as Law leaves with his first mate. They plot the demise of Merrick between them with a bloodthirstiness worthy of the Heart Pirates. It is merely talk - everyone on this ship knows that none may end the Rear-Admiral but for the captain or his witch. All the same, this verbal proof of their loyalty pleases Law immensely.
There is no talk between man and bear as the pair of them descend to the hold. There are no words exchanged as Law works his way through the series of locks Haru had installed when the cold locker was initially added to the belly of the sub. Bepo steps in after his captain, silent as the grave while Law walks down one of many aisles, his hand trailing over icy containers.
Hearts.
Scores of them.
Near on two years ago, after returning from her captivity at the hands of the dead shaman and Merrick, Kyra put her hand through a Marine's chest and punched his heart out through his back. Law had been the one to pick the fallen man's organ up off the deck of the routed Navy ship, awed and amused at the method of his death. Kyra had taken one look at the doctor's face and bolted into the fracas, keeping well away from him for as long as she could and unknowingly aiding him in controlling his urge to strip her and take her right there in front of everyone.
He had her that night instead, made her scream in the privacy of their room. Much more satisfying.
For most every fight after that, as long as it was an altercation with the Marines rather than their fellow scallywags, Kyra punched out hearts and Law collected them for storage. Not all of the organs were salvageable - if that were the case, Law would have long ago run out of room for them. Many were the times that Kyra would kill by a different method, simply decapitating her foes or spreading their guts to the four winds. Sometimes she would crush the hearts, grinning impishly at Law all the while. However, thanks partly to Neil's betrayal and partly to their own popularity, the Heart Pirates have had no shortage of Navy dogs tailing their every step. This room is filled floor to ceiling with the proof of the pirate crews' superiority.
Law thinks now would be the perfect time to return these organs to the Marines.
"Box them up. We're sending them to Navy HQ."
He's changed his mind about the Shichibukai thing, after all.
Kyra clings to the yard of Straw Hat Luffy's ship with both legs, cold fingers working to tie up the sail as the Thousand Sunny tosses to and fro in the maelstrom.
"Hurry up, witch, before the mast gets torn off!"
Kyra decides that cursing Zoro to within an inch of his life will have to wait a few minutes and continues with her work. In short order the sail is secured, and the Demon Witch uses her powers to teleport back to the deck rather than climb down the slick wood of the mast. Zoro grabs her arm as soon as she appears and takes off for the galley, dragging her along with him. The swordsman is strangely unafraid to manhandle her, yanking her around whenever he wants her to do something or go somewhere. If not for her ability to heal, Kyra suspects she would sport bruises in the shape of Zoro's hand after only a week in his company.
The rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, plus Fire Fist Ace, are waiting for them in the galley. Sanji is over by the stoves, the smells of exotic dishes already wafting through the room. Everyone else is seated around the table listening to the orange-haired navigator talk.
"...keep going east by northeast for the next few hours. It'll keep us on our course and at the fringes of the worst weather. We'll just have to hang tight; it's going to be nasty out there for a while," the woman explains nonchalantly, filing her already perfect nails as she speaks. She sounds just as sure of herself as Gable would when explaining a sudden directional change to Law, as if her decision to sail on the edges of a hurricane makes absolute sense. If the looks on the rest of the crew's faces are enough to go by, her word will be heeded just as Gable's would be. She is an excellent navigator, truly first class.
Now if only she weren't such a greedy little bitch...
"You hear all that, Marco?" Ace asks into a small, sleepy-eyed Den-Den Mushi. Phoenix Marco's voice answers from the snail's mouth in the affirmative, verifying their heading and assuring that the Whitebeard fleet will be fine. The Den-Den is then put away as Sanji begins moving dishes piled high with food to the dining table, his flowery greetings to the women of his crew drowned out by Straw Hat Luffy's shout of joy.
"FOOD! FOOD! FOOOOOOOOOD!"
And the boy proceeds to help himself, rubber arms stretching to platters on every corner of the table as he stuffs his mouth to overflowing. Down the way, his brother yells his thanks to the cook before likewise tucking in, and another meal breaks out on the Thousand Sunny amidst shouts and laughter and the occasional flying chicken leg.
Kyra sorely misses the relative order of a meal on the Heart Pirates' submarine. Her captain might be a sick, twisted, sadistic bastard with a seriously disturbing mind and a fetish for her blood, but at least his table manners are beyond reproach. Neil would never have been stupid enough to try to plant a kiss on her, the way Sanji always does no matter how hard he is thrown back in warning. None of her guys would have come to the table in a speedo, gotten up partway through the meal, and done a provocative dance for the entertainment of the crew as the cyborg shipwright does today. Nor would any of them have shouted for an encore while Kyra tried hard not to lose what food she had eaten. While with her crew, she does not have to worry about the cook saying something insulting to one of the fighters, or a swordsman taking extreme offense and pulling out his sword to retaliate with brute force. Had something like that actually happened with the Heart Pirates, Law would have but to speak the offenders names in a calm voice for all such actions to immediately grind to a halt. Luffy just laughs uproariously and stuffs more food into his gaping mullet.
These people are fucking crazy.
Kyra eats as quickly as she can and gets out of there, retreating to the women's quarters for some peace and quiet. She would rather go outside, but does not wish to expend the magic to keep from blowing away in the winds she can feel battering against this small ship. Hopefully by tomorrow they will be out of reach of this storm and Kyra will be allowed to return to her preferred position sitting on the roof of the crow's nest. At least there nobody bothers her except for Straw Hat. That boy has no understanding of the concept of 'alone'.
Speaking of unwanted guests, the sorceress has just pulled Law's hoodie from the depths of her satchel and buried her nose in the fabric when the door swings open and Nico Robin strolls in, looking as beautiful and unflappable as ever.
"Hello, Miss Kyra. Did you enjoy the meal?"
The food was exceptional, so Kyra nods in the affirmative as she tries to discretely stuff Law's hoodie back into her bag. Robin's blue kind blue eyes instantly dart to Kyra's hands, halting them with a polite smile. Shit.
"My apologies. I had forgotten that with this weather you would have to perform your evening ritual in here rather than on top of the crow's nest. I will step out and come back later, all right?"
What?
"What evening ritual?" Kyra blurts out before Robin can even turn for the door. The older woman gives her another of those empty, polite smiles before stepping over to her bed and fluidly folding herself to sit on the mattress. She crosses her legs demurely at the ankle, strangely ladylike for a pirate traveling with a band as rowdy as the Straw Hats are reputed to be.
"Each night since your first on our ship, you have disappeared to the roof of the crow's nest for exactly one hour. You take the hoodie in your hands and a small golden locket with you. Sometimes you simply sit and hold them while watching the sun go down. Twice you have sat with the hood pressed to your face. It belongs to your captain, does it not? Trafalgar Law?"
Kyra flounders for a moment, trying to decide whether to answer the question or smother herself before she dies of embarrassment. Finally she manages to give another nod.
Robin senses her obvious mortification and the smile on her face takes on a more gentle cast. "There is no shame in missing your crew, Miss Kyra. We all know what it is like to be separated from those we love. None of us would judge you for your reaction to such a situation. That is why no one bothers you when you retreat to the crow's nest. We understand."
"Guess Straw Hat didn't get the memo," Kyra mutters, still trying to bring the color down in her flaming cheeks. Robin's smile vanishes in a blink, leaving a very serious expression in its wake.
"Luffy is trying to help you in the only way he knows. You are his hero. You returned his brother to him from beyond the grave. Ace's wellbeing means everything to Luffy, and you saved him where the captain could not."
Here Kyra opens her mouth to argue: Straw Hat did save his brother! The flaming progeny of Gol D. Roger would have been killed much earlier than he actually was if not for Straw Hat's stubborn love and persistence. Robin speaks again before Kyra can insist upon any of this.
"Luffy does not resent you for interfering. I know, and the others know, that he saved Ace from execution only to have him die right afterwards. That is to be expected. Family will always put the wellbeing of their loved ones before themselves.
"But you were the stranger who saved Ace from something even Luffy could not overcome. You snatched my captain's brother from the arms of Death. Ace's continued life is due to you, Miss Kyra. Can you understand what that means to Luffy? How important that makes you in his eyes?"
Kyra cannot, and so offers no reply. Robin does not seem to require one, as she only pauses for a moment before going on.
"He will do anything to help you. If it does not put his brother in fatal danger, if it does not unduly endanger the lives of his crew, our captain will sail to the ends of the world if that is what you require. He considers you a friend, and take it from someone who knows, Miss Kyra: Luffy will die before giving up or letting down a friend in need."
The only survivor of the Ohara tragedy gives the witch a long moment to process all of this.
"He knows why you hide on top of the crow's nest. He knows that you are hurting. His refusal to leave you to your pain is a refusal to let you suffer alone. He expects nothing from you in return. You were there when he needed someone, Miss Kyra. This is Luffy being there for you."
There is wetness on Kyra's cheeks. Her bare feet are cold on the wooden floor of this ship that is not her home. A woman who is not of her crew is sitting across from her, speaking of a captain that is not Kyra's who cares in a way so much different than that which the sorceress is accustomed to. The pressure in her chest, the agony that has been tucked away since her conversation with Phoenix Marco that first day, suddenly expands until she feels like she will burst with it. Kyra doesn't understand, can't understand. Why? Why does Straw Hat give a shit about her? So she brought his brother back to life. She's done that for hundreds of people, and the only ones who ever thanked her are men from her crew. She is no one to Monkey D. Luffy. Why is he... why does he...
Kyra flinches away when a gentle hand wipes carefully at the tears on her face, Robin's a smooth hand following her backwards retreat to tenderly cup her cheek.
"It is alright to cry, Miss Kyra," Robin whispers into her hair. At some point in the last few moments, the older woman has sat beside her on the pallet and pulled her into her lap. One arm is wrapped gently around her waist while the other hand strokes soothingly up and down Kyra's back. Law's hoodie is clutched to the distraught girl's chest, her knuckles white and aching with the force of her grip.
From the door comes a loud knocking, followed by Straw Hat's shouted questions. Kyra cannot make out the words. Something inside has cracked, and from the fissure there is a flood of agony that is fighting to get out of her. She can hear a strange sound, a low animal keening noise, and wonders fleetingly where such a mournful wail is coming from.
The door bursts open to reveal Luffy with food decorating his shirtfront and a wide grin stretching his mouth to impossible proportions. The grin falls off his face faster than Bepo could down a fresh fish.
"Kyra? Robin?"
"It's alright, Luffy. Miss Kyra is just having a moment," Robin explains pleasantly, arm not loosening around Kyra's middle. "Was there something you needed?"
Kyra watches through a haze as Luffy mutely shakes his head, silent in a way so rare for him. He takes a step back, stops, slowly steps forward again. Robin seems to understand his hesitation; Kyra feels the stroking hand leave her skin as the Ohara native beckons the boy over. Very hesitantly, Straw Hat comes to sit at Kyra's free side, his hat now in his hands and his fingers fiddling with the brim.
"What's wrong with Kyra?"
The mage in question believes the boy to be speaking to his archeologist until Robin nudges her slightly in the ribs. Right; the rubber wonder has the peculiar habit of speaking in the third person. She shakes her head, extracting herself from Robin's gentle grip and striding out the door as soon as she gains her feet. She hears the patter of sandals, knows that Luffy is following, but does not stop her gait into the storm outside.
She doesn't pause until she's almost to the mast, wanting desperately to retreat up to the crow's nest but leery of such positioning in the middle of a gale like this. Her fingers tighten around Law's hoodie, encased as it is in her powers to protect the fabric and the scent it carries from the elements. It's all she has left of her captain. She can't lose it; she won't. The rain pounds down on her, on the ship, sliding off the deck in sheets as Luffy puts a friendly hand on her elbow before shouting into her ear.
"I was going to tell you that Sanji found the fake bugs in the pantry! He went crazy! You should have stayed longer, the look on his face was funny! I was thinking we could prank Chopper next - can you help me sneak into his medicine room? I wanna steal all his needles." Luffy seems completely unconcerned with the soaking he's getting, standing here in the rain with her and planning his next bit of mischief like he hasn't a care in the world. How does he do that? Shove all his worries and responsibilities aside for a spot of fun?
"Maybe tomorrow," Kyra mutters, unable to muster the false enthusiasm behind which she has hidden these last seven days. "I'm not a fan of needles. Maybe we could just -"
"HOLY CRAP THAT IS SO COOL! LOOK, KYRA, LOOK!" Luffy interrupts her midsentence as is his way pointing excitedly over to the side. Kyra looks, looks again, and has to suppress a groan. The 'cool' thing of which the boy spoke happens to be some kind of tentacled Sea King that is currently attacking one of the ships under Marco's command. It seems like every other swab on those decks is a Devil Fruit user; a fight in these conditions is bound to end up with someone going overboard.
"I'll be right back," she says as her powers rise up to encase her, sending Law's hoodie back to her satchel and herself to the beleaguered ship. She ignores Luffy's indignant shouting - "COME BACK, KYRA! I WANT TO FIGHT, TOO! NO FAIR!" his voice audible even from such a distance over the sound of the storm - and the exclamations of the pirates into whose midst she is deposited. Maybe a fight will get her out of this funk the weather's put her in.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO DIE!" she screams over the roar of the monster and wind. Pirates scatter left and right as she advances across this deck, towards the tentacles swinging dangerously close overhead. The monster seems to sense its' prey's withdrawal; the roars diminish slightly, giant maw closing as it turns its eyes in search of new quarry. Those glaring orbs land on Kyra almost instantly, stranded as she is in no-man's-land. The monsters regard each other for a long moment - and then the Sea King starts to laugh.
It is laughing at her.
"GIGGLE AT THIS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Kyra bellows, darting over to the nearest tentacle and and slapping her palm flat on the leathery flesh.
The appendage explodes in a shower of innards and blood.
Laughter becomes pained bellows. Another five tentacles lash out at anything available, swinging at the pirates on the ships and pummeling the frothing surface of the sea. Shouts are heard just before a blur of blue and gold flies directly into the monster's face. Shredded bits of flesh the size of dinner plates fall around Kyra like snow as the Sea King shrieks its displeasure and swats the offending phoenix away. The flaming bird tumbles beak over tail through the air, wings flapping against the wind and rain as it attempts to right itself - until it suddenly disappears into a rouge wave thirty feet high, gaining by the second and barreling straight towards the ship on which Kyra currently stands.
This just keeps getting better and better.
A black wall of magic stops the wave's current advance as the Sea King gives yet another mighty roar and uses its remaining tentacles to rock the ship dangerously to the side. A cutting motion with one hand is sufficent to sever the creature's head from its body. The corpse's hold on the ship has barely loosened before Kyra's powers take her into the heart of the tsunami, to the general astonishment of the Whitebeards and Straw Hats alike.
The flaming bird is nowhere to be seen. Instead Kyra grabs the wrist of an unconscious man with a weirdly receding hairline, doing a quick scan with her powers and jumping to several other dumped Devil Fruit users before returning to the battered ship and depositing them all in a heap. They have barely landed before she is pumping magic into her cargo, repairing damage to waterlogged lungs and kickstarting sleeping brains. The men come to with simultaneous jolts as Kyra flops back on the deck and tries to catch her breath, strangely exhausted all of a sudden. She's done much more strenuous activities with less of a backlash; were she not so tired at the moment, she would be concerned at the amount of energy such easy tasks as killing monsters and saving lives have cost her. Instead the Demon Witch simply closes her eyes and concentrates on getting her respiratory system back under control.
"Not bad for a girl, yoi."
One tired blue eye opens enough to glare balefully at Phoenix Marco, who is sitting next to her sprawled figure looking none the worse for his brief sojourn under the sea. The other men she pulled out of the water are being hustled off by their crewmates, while still more fellows run around hastily repairing the damage caused by the slaughtered Sea King.
"You're welcome, birdie," Kyra mutters. She is unsure if Marco can even hear her over the storm pounding at them. Mother Nature is throwing quite the tantrum today. "Now fuck off."
A hand darts out and ruffles her soaked bangs, withdrawing quickly when she snaps her teeth at it. Marco rises from the deck and gives her a lazy smirk before wandering away to help his comrades fix their ship.
Ungrateful bastard.
Kyra tiredly musters the energy to dump herself back in front of Straw Hat Luffy, who wastes no time in scooping her up like a bride and racing inside faster than a normal person should be able to move. Oh, wait: it's Straw Hat Luffy. Normal is not a word that has any business being used around him.
"OH MY GOSH THAT WAS SO AWESOME KYRA YOU'RE FREAKING AMAZING THE WAY YOU JUST BAM AND HE WAS ALL RAWR AND-"
Quiet is another word that has no business being applied to Straw Hat Luffy.
Law is much quieter.
Law can get his point across without a single word.
Law would simply give her that smirk of his, or brush his fingers over the tattoo on the side of her neck. Law's arm are so familiar to her that being held in them the way Straw Hat is now her usually leaves her feeling drowsy and content.
This one is better for you, little Kyra. He will keep you safe.
Law would have noticed immediately if Kyra had gone rigid in his arms. Luffy doesn't, he merely bangs into the now-empty women's quarters, dumps her on her sleeping pallet, and blows out again talking about Chopper and colds and dessert. Kyra immediately blocks the door behind him before hunching over her knees and gripping handfuls of her hair.
"You son of a bitch."
Why do you curse me, little one? I have merely done as your lover requested.
"He doesn't understand! You know how fucking powerful I am better than anyone else, you made me like this! You should have said no!"
I merely acted in your best interests, little one.
"Taking me away from Law? From my crew? My fucking family? Bullshit!" She realizes that she is shouting at thin air, that should any of the people aboard the Thousand Sunny hear her they will likely think her crazy. She doesn't care. "Take me back! I want to go home!"
The Divine sounds perversely hopeful at this. You will return to me? You will return to my domain and leave all else behind so that I might treasure you?
"That's not my fucking home!" she yells, furious at it for twisting her words. "I want to go back to Law! That sub is more home to me than your fucking island ever was!"
The exhausted mage plops back on her bed, uncaring of her wet clothes soaking the sheets. The left-over adrenaline from the fight is gone, leaving her bone weary. She wants badly to cuddle up with Law and go to sleep, be alone with him in their shared dreams. "You won't even give me that, will you, bastard? You've blocked the soul bond so I can't even dream with him anymore. I should have left you in that hole."
You were always meant to free me, little Kyra. That is why the books were sent to you and not another. That is why you were given into the care of the half-breed. Fate has branded you as mine, child. Mine to protect and mine to cosset. I would make you a queen amongst insects. This trash you have bonded with is not worthy of you. I have severed that link. You may join yourself with anyone you wish now, little one. You are free.
Everything stops. Kyra's eyes slowly fall closed against the tears that threaten to blind her. Fate. Oh, how it hates her.
"You piece of shit," she whispers, exhausted to her soul. "You broke the soul bond? It's gone?"
It is.
So that's it, then. The Divine has completely severed her connection to Trafalgar Law. Whether it did so for the stated reasons - it cares about her, wants her safe and happy and does not believe Law capable of making her so - or for some hidden purpose is unclear. It doesn't really matter. The end result is still the same. They are parted by more than miles and water and land. They are separated at the one level Kyra believed safe from destruction.
Law is lost to her until she finds him again and somehow reestablishes the soul bond.
He might not want it. He did send her away, after all, even if he did say it was for her protection. If Kyra knows Law, the stupid man is probably headed straight to Blackbeard right now to kill him so he can reacquire Kyra's heart without her interference. Well, screw what he wants for a change. Two years ago he trapped Kyra into joining his crew. The soul bond had been something Kyra was strongly opposed to at first while Law enjoyed the hell out of it.
For once, Kyra's going to get what she wants, dammit!
"Fuck you."
Kyra ignores whatever else the Divine might be saying and leaves the women's quarters. Her rage has rejuvenated her, the exhaustion from moments ago long gone. She feels like she could fly to the stars on the power of her anger alone. She needs to beat on something before she explodes. She runs into the swordsman on her way to the galley as he ambles through the downpour for the crow's nest. This seems like an excellent place to start, so she reaches out and puts a hand on Zoro's arm.
"What, witch? I'm going to train; hurry up and say whatever so I can go."
"Will you fight me? I could use a good spar."
She has to fight not to grin at the astonished expression on his face.
This is going to be a lot of fun.
A/N: Please Reveiw.