Snow

Characters: Law, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi. Rating: T. Warnings: injury

The island appeared to be largely deserted. Law was unsurprised by the fact, as it was far north, even more so than Swallow Island, and the icebergs guarding the land were ferocious – too much so for a ship that relied on its sails. Uninhabited islands were a wealth of opportunity to both gather supplies and lay low away from Doflamingo's ever-expanding sphere of influence, so Law had decided to split up in order to investigate the area.

The snow was thick beneath his boots, giving easily under his feet but reluctant to let them rise again, resulting in an exhausting trudge through the barren landscape. If anything lived in these conditions, they were well-hidden. His fist was clutched around the fabric of Bepo's jump suit, the mink's white fur making him difficult to spot against the white background. The snow falling steadily from the sky did nothing to help.

Deciding that he was getting too cold to continue the trek, Law made the decision to return to the Tang. Bepo didn't argue, instead wrapping a warm furry arm around Law's shoulders. The mink had grown a lot since they'd met, now standing head and shoulders above even Penguin, and Law accepted the offered warmth. He hoped that Penguin and Shachi were managing alright on their own expedition. They had grown up in conditions like these, making them far more experienced than either Law or Bepo, but ever since Law had finally realised that they had no plans on leaving him any time soon, he'd discovered it didn't take much for him to worry.

He and Bepo were maybe halfway back to where the Tang was moored when there was a distant thump and they froze, looking around cautiously. They could see no change in the horizon, and after a moment resumed their journey, although with more purpose. Something wasn't right, and Law didn't like it, mentally praying that Penguin and Shachi were back at the Tang already so they could leave straight away.

Perhaps half a minute after the initial thump, the rumbling began. Law looked around again, Bepo clinging to him tightly, and finally spotted movement. Raising a hand against the falling snow, he squinted to try and identify the source before his blood froze.

The snow was moving.

Law had never seen an avalanche before, but he'd heard of them, read about them in books and listened to tales from the Donquixote Pirates about the devastating force of nature snow could become. They were deadly, his books had said. Too fast to outrun, Diamante had recounted.

The avalanche roared as it powered down the slope. It was a little way away from Law and Bepo, and they were still high enough that even if its course changed it wouldn't catch them. They were safe where they were, they just needed to wait it out until it had run its course then continue back to the Tang.

Bepo's grip on Law tightened suddenly, and he looked up at the mink to see his ears pressed back, eyes wide with horror. Law started to reassure him, pointing out that they weren't in its path, before he realised that wasn't what Bepo was afraid of.

The avalanche was in the same direction Penguin and Shachi had gone.

"They'll be okay, Bepo," he said, trying to believe his own words. They'd grown up on a snow-covered island with a giant mountain, they had to know how to avoid an avalanche. Ergo, they were safe and would be heading back to the Tang as soon as they could, if they weren't there already.

Bepo's grip increased again, and he gasped involuntarily.

"Captain," the mink said mournfully, and Law's knees went weak at the sound. "Penguin screamed."

Law's world shattered and Bepo's grip was the only thing stopping him from collapsing into the snow.

"No," he denied weakly. "They're fine. Penguin was just a bit startled."

"Captain," Bepo said again, burying his face in Law's hat. Law clung to the arms embracing him tightly as he watched the snow hurtling down.

"We have to help them," he realised, using Bepo's grip to pull himself back to his feet. Bepo stared at the avalanche, his ears still pinned back, and Law began to fight to get out of his grip. "We have to help," he insisted, and the mink blinked suddenly, his ears righting themselves.

"I heard Penguin this way," he said, before picking Law up and sprinting forwards. Law would have protested at the action, except Bepo darted across the snow with a sure-footedness he'd never be able to replicate. The snow was slowing, its damage done, and Law clung to Bepo as the mink followed signs he couldn't begin to identify towards the disturbed snow. Now closer to the carnage, Law could see that the snow had not been alone in its cascade. Littered through the fresh layer were broken fragments of trees, and even occasionally a boulder.

"Penguin!" he shouted as Bepo slowed, casting around for something to guide him the rest of the way. "Shachi!" He waited, looking around for any sign of them, as Bepo continued to pace the area. A flash of colour caught his eye and he wriggled free of Bepo's grip to run towards it. It was Penguin's hat, mostly buried in the snow. He stared at it for a moment, numb, before panic set in. "PENGUIN!" he screamed, clutching the hat to his chest with one hand as his other began to scrabble in the snow. "SHACHI!"

"Penguin!" Bepo shouted, before pouncing on a spot up the slope from where Law was clutching the hat. "Captain, I heard him!" He was digging viciously at a spot by a tree that was missing half its branches, and Law scrambled to join him, falling to his knees and clawing at the snow desperately. His hands met something soft and moving, and he grabbed hold of it. The hand clutched at him in return.

It took Bepo less than a minute to uncover Penguin's face, the older teen gasping and squinting his eyes against the snow.

"Are you hurt?" Law asked him. "Where's Shachi?"

"One thing… at a time…" Penguin complained. From the tightness of his face and his laboured breathing, Law realised he was injured. "Shachi's… here." He made to move only to let out a pained hiss.

"Don't move," Law ordered. "Where?" He'd heard that survival dropped drastically after fifteen minutes. He hadn't been counting how long he'd been looking, but suddenly he wished he had.

"My arm," Penguin said. "Held… on…" Law shot Bepo a look but the mink was already there, burrowing down beside where Penguin lay. When the arm in question was uncovered, Law winced. It was clearly broken – at least two breaks, at first glance. A pale hand was clutched around it, and it in turn was clenched around another arm.

Law wanted to help as Bepo followed the arm, wanted to dig Shachi out, but Bepo had it under control and Penguin needed help. He pulled at some more of the snow still covering Penguin's torso and legs, determined to get him out. It took too long to shift all of the snow, Law panting heavily by the time his nakama was uncovered, and the sight that greeted him was not a pleasant one. As well as from the broken arm, one of Penguin's legs was twisted unnaturally beneath his body. Moving him would be difficult.

A sharp cry caught his attention and he looked up to see that Bepo had finally uncovered Shachi. His hat and shades were missing, but more crucial was the way his torso was twisted. Bepo's gentle paws were resting on his shoulders, and Law's heart sank.

"Don't move him, Bepo," he said, making his way over to the ginger's side and tentatively exploring with feather-light touches. Like Penguin, his arm was broken – it was a miracle they'd managed to cling to each other – but Law's greatest fear was realised when his exploration reached Shachi's spine.

Broken.

Law formed a Room immediately, sending Bepo to attend to Penguin, who was starting to shiver from spending so long in the snow. He'd read up on spinal surgery, but he'd never performed it, or even seen an operation. Their surroundings couldn't be much worse, but it was what it was and Law refused to let something like that stop him as he got to work.

The damage hadn't been as severe as he'd feared, to Law's relief. Once they returned to the Tang, all Shachi would need would be rest and gradual rehabilitation. The problem, he mused as he looked at the pair of them, Shachi floating somewhere on the edge of unconsciousness and Penguin not much better, was getting them back to the Tang.

He knelt between them and began to coax their hands into releasing each other. Penguin let out a strangled hiss as his arm was shifted, and Shachi let out another sharp cry.

"Bear with it," Law reassured them, his own voice tight. "Try to relax. I need you two to let go."

"I don't… think I can walk… Captain," Penguin admitted as Law worked. "Take… Shachi first…" Law hushed him. He couldn't leave either of them behind. Both were becoming hypothermic on top of their injuries, and he feared that if he left one, they'd be beyond saving by the time he got back. And that was if they weren't buried by a second avalanche in the meantime. The snow around them was unstable, although the tree the pair of them were immediately downhill from was providing some sort of basic shelter.

"Bepo," he said once he finally disentangled the two from each other. "Carry Shachi back." The mink nodded and crouched beside the ginger.

"How do I pick him up?" the mink asked, clearly unsure of where to place his paws. Law eyed the pair of them, before flexing his fingers.

"Hold your arms out like you're already holding him," he ordered, and Bepo obeyed instantly. "Takt." Lifting Shachi wasn't easy. Takt required an immense amount of concentration, and Law had never tried to move anything as big as a person before. Gritting his teeth, he tried to manoeuvre Shachi into Bepo's arms. The mink intervened – instead of waiting for Law to gently deposit Shachi in his arms like he'd initially planned, he moved forwards as soon as the ginger was clear of the snow and plucked him out of the air with all the gentleness Law had come to associate with the mink.

Breathing heavily, exhausted by the action, Law returned his attention to Penguin.

"Law…" the older boy began, cut off when Law snapped off two more small branches from the sheltering tree and tore away the bottom of his top.

"This is just until we get back," he explained, splinting the leg as gently as he could and wincing as Penguin cried out. "I'm sorry." The older boy was too tall for him to carry properly, but Law pulled him over his shoulder, staggering under the weight. "Let's go," he said to Bepo, and the mink looked at him with his awkward burden in concern before he led the way back to the Tang. Law followed along close behind, stumbling at Penguin's weight but determined to get him back safely.

The walk was thankfully uneventful, aside from Law needing to take a break and put Penguin down every so often to catch his breath, and Law had never been so pleased to see their ship. He headed straight for the infirmary, Bepo now trailing behind, and rested both his older nakama on the beds.

It hurt to see them in such a sorry state, but they were alive and for that, Law was thankful. It wouldn't be fast, but they would heal.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari