.: There is a character in the series 1883 that I thought was interesting, so I decided to use him. I may not get his personality fully intact, but I also don't have full access to the show so I have to just do my best with what the internet provides. Anyway, I do not think I'll get another chapter in before the new year, but one thing's for sure: I'm concluding this story in 2024. A lot more has been added than intended, but I can't help it! This story has been so fun to write. I want it to go out with a bang, so I'm not holding back. :.

The Girl with A Half-Soul

Chapter 37:

Gone With the Wind

Their departure meant they were to stay here until they returned. Nobody knew when that would happen. Naturally, the Lun'aecho people dismounted from their bison and began setting up camp. The tribal grounds were too far away for a trip back, but they came prepared. Cone-shaped tents started erecting and everyone started getting comfortable. Many campfires were set up, including one for the cowboys and the pirates.

The Lun'aecho were very hospitable and eager to acquaint themselves with the newcomers. Two women found Nami's clothes to be beautiful and started gifting her to make it better. One placed a woven band around her cranium that had a white feather sticking up in the back and another started stitching a tear in her skirt. Nami thanked them by offering her earrings to them. They decided to each take one so they could match and were grateful for her kindness.

Despite the Lun'aecho keeping to themselves, they were knowledgeable of devil fruits. Even one of their own possessed powers. So when they found out about Luffy and Robin, they enjoyed seeing them do inhuman things like blowing up into a ball by inhaling a lot of air and adding arms to their elbows.

Butler's way of giving gifts was making glass figurines. He made a ring with his thumb and pointer finger and proceeded to blow air through like a balloon. Liquified glass stretched out, but he was allowed to hold it and pull on it to manipulate its shape or add details. Many animals were made like horses, prairie dogs, and rabbits. Oakley helped distribute them to show that their friendship was still sound. They could either be kept or used to help in their trading.

Usopp found Jen sitting with Billy in a circle. She was telling stories about life on the ranch and their recent travels with animated hand gestures and all kinds of descriptive words. The art of storytelling truly was one of her strong suits. Since he fancied himself a brave warrior with great tales to share as well, he joined the circle.

The Straw Hat who was out of his element here in Lone Star Island knew that he had to do something if he wanted to adapt properly. Zoro managed to get insight from Rip, who was an expert on the rugged life this place offered. Guns were one of the only things that kept a soul intact, but not the only option. Rip started teaching him how to lasso to start out.

The only ones not actively participating were Garrett and Sanji, but they were not hanging around each other. Garrett leaned against Bessie as he relaxed. An old man truly needed his naptime. Sanji sat with his arms hanging over his knees as he ignored the stream of smoke drifting past his cheek. The horses, bison, and cows were allowed to roam, so many of them were munching away in his line of sight. That was not what he was watching, though. Somewhere in the distance, he waited for the hunting group to appear. The sun would start descending soon. It would make him feel better to know Aurilee was accounted for and safe. Chopper, too, but he could handle himself in the wild.

His work was done for the day, so Ware decided to find something else to do. He could not help but notice Sanji. It was so obvious that he was lost without that Lun'aecho-looking woman. Even if they were only going to be apart for a few hours, every minute felt agonizing. The guy was young enough to be viewed as a kid in Ware's eyes. Life was too short to be worried over his lady's every choice.

Sanji was indifferent to him taking a seat next to him. "I can't tell if everyone trusts that girl of yours or if yer just overprotective of her," Ware said to stir a conversation.

He inhaled and exhaled to calm his nerves. "She went off by herself with a bunch of strangers. Why am I the only one who finds that suspicious?"

"They're testin' her. That's not the same as hurtin' her."

"She doesn't need to go through a test. Not in her condition."

Ah, there was the root of the problem. Ware looked at him with an amused smirk. "You think being pregnant makes her weak."

The accusation annoyed him because it twisted his position into one that looked down on the opposite gender. He did not think Aurilee was weak. Far from it, actually. "It's not like that."

"No need to get defensive. I used to think the same thing." He dug around his pockets to find a folded-up picture. When he passed it to Sanji, he was met with a family photo of Ware with his wife and many children. "There's something about settlin' down that changes you as a man."

Sanji looked at the picture. The wife wore a dress as she sat in a chair with a baby in her lap. Four other children ranging from a toddler to maybe a ten-year-old. Two girls, three boys. "Nice family," he complimented with a hint of jealousy.

"Thanks. Just had our sixth."

He slightly shook his head as he realized only five children were pictured. The two of them were grossly outnumbered, and he left his wife alone with them to be out here working? "Whoa."

He chuckled. "When I married Mildred, I thought it was my duty to give her a comfy life. I didn't want her to lift a fanger, so I took care of her and held her back. She butt heads with me over that. Let me tell ya, I doubled down hard when we were expecting our first child. I thought she was so fragile and treated her as such. Then, our Nettie was born, and I realized I was the weak one all along."

The cook did not exactly understand what he meant by that.

"Now, I don't know yer relationship with that girl, but I'll give ya a hint. There ain't noboday in this world who can endure the pain of childbirth except a woman. I couldn't do it. You couldn't do it. Why? 'Cause we're men who don't know true pain, and we never will. That's why women are the strongest beings in this world. I had to watch my child bein' born to be able to see that."

Once again, Sanji found himself contemplating his relationship with Aurilee and retracing his steps. This whole time they had known each other, he had tried to keep her safe and guided her through this challenging ordeal of hers. He let her do many things on her own, so he did not agree that he viewed her as weak. Independence was improving day by day. But he did acknowledge his desire to watch out for her at all costs. There were many components for why: trauma, her condition, and instability to name a few.

The most important thing he made sure to always consider was her little ones' welfare. Her body was their home right now; they were counting on her and her alone. Sanji did not think it was supposed to be that way, though. The mother was to protect them, and the father was to protect her and them. It was such a simple yet beautiful concept…One that she was not destined to have. So, he thought he could be that stand-in until they got the four of them home. He assumed her father – maybe even her mother, too – could take it from there.

But he wondered if he was technically doing this alone. The way he imagined it, the triplets were in the center, Aurilee surrounded them, then he surrounded her, and outside of that, the entire crew was the last line of defense. What was that saying? It takes a village to raise a child. That very much applied here.

"I'd do anything to protect those kiddos," he declared. "That's all it is."

Ware did not press the matter any further. He was unsure if Sanji grasped what he was trying to say. Maybe he would figure it out the way he did, but some people were stubborn or not cut out for that kind of stuff.

Aurilee pushed aside the mistletoe curtain that shrouded her family's hideout. Her mother was sitting inside with Rikea laying at her side, and a blanket with a pattern threaded in it was splayed over her lap as she sat on the stone ground. Tayen glanced up to see it was her daughter and quickly returned her attention to the stitching. "How was it?" she asked.

Luna pushed her head through the curtain and made a sound that made it seem like she was the one replying.

"Good," Tayen said without skipping a beat; however, a smile did form on her lips from it.

Aurilee entered with her basket of berries and herbs that she gathered. Their reserves were given more stock. "Hey, Mama."

"Hm?"

"How did you and Papa meet?"

It was an out of the blue question, but Tayen did not mind feeding her the information. She had been out long enough to think about random things. Plus, now that their family was whole, it was natural to want to know more about the new parental figure. "I went to collect water from the stream, and he just so happened to be stopping for a drink."

"And then what?"

"He kind of startled me at first, but then I recognized him from his one visit to the tribe where they sent him away. I wasn't really scared of him after that."

Aurilee sat across from her mother while Luna stayed near the curtain waiting. She wanted Paititi and Skah to return from their hunting trip soon. "You didn't think he was a demon?"

"No. He actually didn't try to convince me he wasn't. Your father's too easygoing with that kind of stuff. He let me think of him however I wanted to."

She suppressed a chuckle. "Let me guess. You thought he was cute."

Tayen giggled and paused in her stitching. That was an interesting way to be called out. And how did her only child, who was raised in seclusion, know anything about relationships? "I did, and still do. He was also funny, and I liked talking to him. He was my excuse to go out around the island instead of sticking to the tribal grounds."

Something about getting to know her parents' past was comforting for her. They had experienced a part of life that she could only dream of for now. Until she had gone through womanhood, there was no reason to even juggle the idea of falling in love with someone. Then she also had to consider how far she was from any boy her age and how she could snag one. Surely there was someone in the tribe like Mama: a person who was not scared of her and was willing to give her the time of day.

For some reason, the mere thought of trying to find her future husband hurt her motivation. Pilan's reaction to her presence painted an ugly picture for what other introductions could end up like. Death threats and being rejected were not things she could easily forget. "How'd you know Papa was the one for you?" she somberly questioned.

"Life was easy with him," she naturally explained. "We had our differences, but we got along perfectly fine. We helped each other become better people by matching each other's efforts. When you're willing to make small changes for each other, that helps bring you closer together. And as fate would have it, we found out that we were having you."

"Were you…happy?"

"Of course we were. You are an extension of our love."

"But I thought I was the reason Papa left."

She put down the blanket. There was a lot more to the story. It may have made out Paititi to be a deadbeat, but it was anything but that. "Your birth wasn't the reason why I had to raise you separately. The original plan was for me to raise you in the tribe while your father continued protecting the island. When that fell through, I simply kept up my end of the deal."

"But why is it we can live together now but not when I was born?"

"Because what we thought was best for you turned out to not be. We wanted to shield you from the heartbreak if your father got killed. But you ended up meeting him and I couldn't just keep you from him. We decided to hatch a new plan since you're old enough to fend for yourself some." She quickly finished the stitching and held up the finished product. "How's that?"

"Pretty," Aurilee droned.

Tayen tossed it over Rikea's back to show how it was meant to drape. The wolf was very large, so it just looked like a rectangle over her fur. If Tayen wanted to use it for warmth during the night, it would provide enough material to cover her whole body. "I know you're not a parent, so it's hard for you to understand," she continued. "But being parents was new for us. It's hard making decisions like that without knowing what the consequences would be. The best we could do was make a change and move on. Raising you alone did not cause me to regret having you."

Her feelings were still conflicted. Life was full of hard decisions. Aurilee had yet to make one that carried the same weight as her parents. But she was still young, so that was a good thing. Until life as she knew it drastically changed with the introduction of a child, she would have to hold onto her mother's words only.

Luna suddenly stood up with a wagging tail and happily watched the third silver wolf push his way into the hideout. He greeted his pup by nuzzling her head and then walked over to Rikea to flop next to her. His huff conveyed fatigue. It made sense when Paititi dragged in a heavy doe he had hunted for them all. Instead of getting busy with preparing it, he joined his wife and daughter by sitting and pulling Aurilee closer to him.

"How are things in here?" he asked innocently while placing his chin on her head.

"Your child is curious about our love story," Tayen replied.

"That's a good story. Did you get to the best part?"

"Uh…" Aurilee trailed. "I don't know."

"I'll give you a hint. It has a little baby probably about this size." He extended his arms in front of her and held his hands like he was holding a bundle. "I got to hold that baby one time. She was so warm and cute." He suddenly snuggled Aurilee hard enough that she felt like he was squeezing the air out of her. But at the same time, she was able to feel the muscles that rippled under his bronze skin. "I remember thinking about how I definitely made a good decision loving your mother because she gave me you."

"But how will I know when I find the right person?"

"Wow, you're thinking about this now?" He relaxed his hug. "Let's see. For me, it was just nice to have someone to talk to again. Skah doesn't have much to say, you know."

Skah huffed again but did not bother getting up.

"But even if other people in the tribe had gotten friendly with me, I still believe I'd pick your mother. I know her heart. I know her dreams. I know what makes her laugh and angry. I love everything about her. That's how I know she's the right person for me. Her being beautiful is a bonus for all of that!"

Tayen's entire face flushed, and she had to look away to save herself from the embarrassment. She hated that the man she devoted a marriage to could continue making her feel like a teenager completely infatuated. She should be accustomed to his affection, but she could not relax that easily.

Aurilee giggled at her mother's reaction. "Is that another sign?" she asked Paititi.

"Oh, that's just a sign that she likes me," he clarified as he moved her off so he could go shower her in love. "Right, Tayen?"

She did not respond straightaway, so he gifted her with a snuggle that squished his cheek against hers. The squeak from her lips was from an overwhelming sense of fondness.

"I love my wifey~"

She decided to rescue her mother. After all the talk about how she loved that shapeshifting man, it was hilarious that she could not handle his direct affection. "Well, Mama finally finished the blanket she was working on."

Paititi immediately loosened the snuggle and reached to pull it off Rikea for an inspection. "She sure did. Nice work, Babe."

Her flushness reduced to a blush on her cheekbones. "T-That's the third one," she revealed. The work took a few moons, but she got it done rather fast.

With his arm still around her, he pulled her close once more. "Then you wanna go for a ride as a family? It'll be fun."

"I don't see why we couldn't."

Happy with her answer, he planted a kiss on her unsuspecting lips, which caused Aurilee to block her sight with her hand. "Do you have to do that right in front of me?" she complained.

"You want some instead?!" Paititi excitedly offered as he scrambled to his feet.

"Ah! No!" she squealed as she also scrambled to her feet to run out of the hideout.

Paititi laughed as Luna disappeared outside with her. Tayen lay on the floor with steam flowing off her forehead. That kiss came with no warning!

But Paititi gathered the blankets and managed to get each of the three wolves to stand with them on their backs. It was simply a layer that could protect against irritation. They all gripped scruffs to keep themselves stable but let the large, white-furred wolves roam wherever they pleased. If there was anything Aurilee had learned that day, it was that finding her partner could wait many moons. She should enjoy being young for as long as she could.

"Aurilee," Chopper repeated.

She suddenly landed back in the present and realized someone was trying to get her attention. The sound of hooves clopping against the ground surrounded her from all angles. Whatever they were hunting still did not make its appearance yet. Something about the repetitive noises and noticing the blankets that draped over the bison's backs had her dissociate. "What? Sorry," she replied.

"Just wondering how you're doing."

"I'm fine," she upheld nicely. "Just thinking."

"You don't even need a restroom break?"

The answer was yes. Her bladder was so squashed that it could only hold enough volume that equaled the size of a walnut. But she already stopped to pee twice today, and it caused Chopper to have to hurry back with the drive, so she really did not want to inconvenience him once again. "I can hold it," she insisted.

Chopper hesitated but was not planning on forcing her. Maybe it was because the Lun'aecho were keeping them under a watchful eye that she did not want to bother. There was not a tension in the air; he and Aurilee were not being held hostage, so taking a few minutes probably would not be a big deal. Perhaps a good opportunity would turn up.

A part of her knew he was internally fretting for her, and words alone would not ease him. So, she leaned forward to start petting his soft fur. "You're the best, Chopper. Thank you for taking care of me," she sweetly expressed.

The compliment stirred him up enough that he was uncomfortable but happy. "I don't believe you one bit," he degraded while also sounding regaled. But his back legs started skipping to physically show he appreciated her gratitude.

"Aw, but I love da Chop," she continued with the same sweet tone in her voice. "You're so cute, and so smart, and so strong. I think everyone should get at least one Chopper hug in their life."

"Shut up!" he played. "Oh, who am I kidding?"

She laughed and relented by sitting back in the saddle. For some reason, her speaking with a reindeer did not get her weird looks from the Lun'aecho. The chieftain kept his gaze in front of him as the feathers in his headdress fluttered with the prairie's rolling winds. The five others (two on each side of them and one behind) did the same, except for one.

Aurilee happened to catch him in the act. The man to her right happened to be that one with the very long hair and dark blue coat. He found the interaction between the pirates to be interesting. Looking at her did not deter him. She saw that gentle smile of his form upon her mismatched irises gracing him. "I've never seen an animal speak before," he admitted, giving her an explanation for his actions.

She returned a smile. His voice was smooth like water flowing from a bucket into a fragile cup. It was not what she guessed, but not in a bad way. "Chopper might be the only one who can," she told him. "Devil fruit."

"What kind?"

"Human Human Fruit. He gained the abilities that we have, like talking and walking on two feet."

The information made him nod in understanding. "That's why he carries you. It's easier to protect you when he's smart enough to take the lead."

That was true. Chopper did not require the use of reins because of his abilities. It was probably strange to see her not use them. Everyone agreed that he should carry her just in case anything happened because he could get her to safety. She rubbed her belly when she replied again. "Well, I can't do it alone."

"You could."

Confused, she stayed quiet.

"Mothers are warriors," he said. "Those who die during childbirth gain a direct path to the highest place in Heaven. The ones who live become fiercer than they were before on the battlefield. Nothing defeats a mother's love. You sell yourself short when you claim an inability to protect your child."

"I…never thought about it like that."

Since he had to describe what he had been taught by his own mother, he could only assume that she was having her first child. She would truly understand in due time. For now, she could only try to prepare herself for what was to inevitably come. "What can I call you?" he asked.

"Aurilee," she answered. "What can I call you?"

"Sam."

The name surprised her because of its simplicity. "Sam?"

"Sam," he repeated.

Something about it did not convince her. Either he was lying to her or testing her. She grew a little nervous if she was supposed to figure it out as part of this hunting trip. "Why Sam?"

"That was the name of the man who killed my wife," he revealed. "I know because I made him tell me. And I killed him and took it."

It was no test at all. He had simply symbolized his death and rebirth by relinquishing his birthname. A man took something precious from him, so he avenged her. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A life for a life. The way he had done it touched her. An incredible display of unconditional love that sustained itself into the afterlife.

But his sin was noble. Hers was not. The man before her was not suddenly intimidating just because he murdered someone however long ago. Aurilee remembered the blood on her hands. She had to protect someone she loved, and killing the Marines who were after them seemed to be the only option in her mind back then. There was so much anger she wrestled with. Malicious resolve and a lack of care about who they were as human beings. She felt ashamed, and her smile vanished.

"I've killed before," she confessed. "But I didn't know to take a name."

"You don't want his name," Sam stated, her confession not fazing him. "His name you would mourn forever. Your name is Aurilee. Aurilee doesn't mourn."

But she did. The knowledge brought sadness to her. Fortunately, a stench in the air took her mind off it. It was bad, rancid even. Chopper was dying with his sensitive nose.

"Ah," Sam voiced. "I know what you'll be hunting."

"What?" she pried.

"Come see." He pulled away from the group to push farther.

Chopper was not keen on getting closer to the stench, but he did it anyway. He trotted behind Sam's bison until they came over a small hill's peak. On the other side, maybe a hundred yards away, a giant mass of black and white fur scurried. Before anything else could be noticed, Aurilee could easily identify it based on the fluffy tail that stuck up in the air. No wonder the stench was strong. That was the largest skunk she had ever seen in her life.

Tonto and his selected tribesman and women came up beside them. "You said you could hunt," he reminded her.

It was starting to dawn on her that this was going to be a complicated trial. Hunting normal-sized animals was difficult enough. How could her measly arrows take down something of that magnitude?

"We will help, but you are to deal the fatal shot," he elucidated. "Keep away from its tail-end. A direct spray will sicken you, and you may very well die from it."

Sam dismounted from his bison so that he could pick some stems that he noticed among the grass. He brought them to Aurilee. "Chew these and swallow. They'll help you focus."

Before she could take them, Chopper turned his head to sniff what the plant was. "It won't hurt the babies," he concluded. After that, she continued taking and consuming the stems. Whatever he meant by "focus," she was about to find out.

"This'll be quick," one of the other Lun'aecho hinted. "Be on your toes." Then they all started down toward the skunk.

Chopper quickly followed. He knew nothing about hunting since he was born an herbivore, so he started mimicking the bison's movements. Skunks attacked with the stink sacs in their backsides, so he knew to stay away from that area. The Lun'aecho warriors whooped and stood up in their saddle stirrups to initiate a fighting spirit. They quickly surrounded the skunk, but it was not overpowered that easily. It stomped its front feet as a warning. The size of its paws caused vibrations in the ground that Chopper could feel. When that did not dissuade the hunters, it scooted backward to warn them a second time.

The Lun'aecho recognized the pattern and quickly flocked to one side. Its tail bristled and its backside finally curled to aim for a spray. Chopper took cover behind the bison, but he noticed how quiet Aurilee had grown.

She did not realize how quickly the effects of the herbs would settle. The colors of her vision greatly intensified. The grass was suddenly bright yellow, and the sky's blue almost appeared jelly-like. All the sounds around her, from the whooping to skunk thrashing against the ground, were more distinct than normal. She pulled her bow free from her torso and managed to keep balanced despite Chopper moving around.

Angered by the ruse, the skunk charged them by taking a few steps and stomping again. The Lun'aecho backed away and spread out so that it was forced to choose its target. But it pressed its paws into the ground and scooted back. Its long claws dredged deep marks and uprooted grass.

"Chopper," Aurilee said, the sound of her own voice holding great resonance in her skull. "Take me straight to the side it aims away from."

"Got it," he confirmed, relieved that she was aware.

The Lun'aecho approached the skunk head-on, causing it to curl its backside the opposite way as it had the first time. It was smart enough to know that a spray could make every single bison flee. Chopper immediately cut through the bison to bring Aurilee to the side she requested. She loaded her bowstring and watched as the skunk's fur bunched with its muscles underneath. Her focus was so sharp that she could make out lines that indicated ribs. Ribs protected lungs. Lungs surrounded the heart. She pulled as far as her bow could handle, and then pierced the skunk's lung with an arrow.

But that only angered it more. It immediately changed its stance so that it was facing her directly. A triangular face with a wet nose and beady black eyes was all Chopper could see. He squeaked in fright. Aurilee saw something different. The moment it scooted back again, she shot another arrow. The angle of its chest just barely shifted. Right in the heart was all it took.

Chopper instinctively backed away. The skunk whizzed in a panic, and it scooted back more. But it was not interested in fighting anymore. Every beat of its heart caused more blood loss than it could handle. It tried running away. The Lun'aecho did not pursue it harshly. They whooped more and even cheered. A couple of them patted Aurilee's shoulders as they trotted by. The skunk eventually collapsed and did not move again.

Tonto motioned for Chopper and Aurilee to come with him. He was impressed by the swiftness of the hunt. Now there was plenty of food to go around for a meal. But one last thing had to be done.

The skunk was rolled, and its chest was cut open. Aurilee dismounted from Chopper to come see the large, arrested heart be harvested. They passed it to Aurilee, who was not expecting it, but she braced herself. Blood drained from its severed vena cavas and aorta, soaking the ground at her feet. Her hands became stained. The strong smell of blood overwhelmed her nose.

"I asked you to hunt, and you hunted," Tonto narrated with pride. "You are no stranger. You have proven yourself worthy of becoming a Lun'aecho warrior. The spirit and honor of our people flows through your veins. If you accept this gift, take a bite of your kill's heart."

Consuming raw meat was not the best idea, but it especially was not the best idea for a pregnant lady. Chopper almost revoked Aurilee the opportunity to partake in the tradition, but she was already a step ahead of him. "Do I have to swallow?" she asked.

"Usually, yes," one of the two females answered. "But we'll make an exception for you."

Chopper exhaled with relief, but it was cut short by watching Aurilee chomp down as much as she could into the organ. It stained her cheeks, lips, and nose, but she did not choke. It actually did not taste that bad. She smiled as she chewed. This was a vastly different experience than what she experienced with the tribe on her home island. They did not give her a chance to prove her worth. But the Lun'aecho were not fearful of her genetic irregularities. They accepted her with open arms.

Sam stained his fingertips with blood and proceeded to mark her face with it. "Do you have a birth moon?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Waxing crescent," she answered with her words muffled and pupils still dilated from the herbs.

The revelation made him blink. His finger traced the moon that had been absent from her forehead for too long. A single swipe was all it took. It was like the broken pieces of his past started falling back in place right before his eyes. He could not help but wonder if his deceased wife was trying to tell him something from the other side.

The welcome back was warm. The moment Sanji saw something appear, he stood up. Sure enough, it was them. But what was different was the giant dead skunk that they had tied to the back of their saddles and were dragging it effortlessly. He had never cooked up a skunk before, but there was a first time for everything. It had to stay a little bit away from the camp, though. The stench followed it all the way here.

After the fright of seeing Aurilee covered in blood, she got to talk about the expedition. Two arrows only for a smelly beast of that size? It was more than impressive. Luckily, the effort was not for nothing; the meat did not stink thanks to some cooking methods taught to Sanji, so everyone got to eat a filling dinner.

The biggest campfire of them all accommodated the pirates, Wild Westerners, Garrett, Tonto, and Sam. The meal and cover of night allowed them all to discuss things as if it were in private. Tonto knew about how the pirates sought the Wendigo, but he had to lay out what was to come their way. "The account of the Wendigo exists in a canyon," he explained. "It is a story passed down from our ancestors. I can take you all to it if you believe that it could answer your questions."

The vague description had Robin wonder if they would be taken to some kind of oeuvre or monolith. She looked forward to their goal now more than she had before.

"How far away is it?" Luffy asked, his attention completely taken by his third portion of meat. He had asked Aurilee to bring him back some, but she really went above and beyond!

"Two days from here," Tonto answered. "We travel from dawn to dusk. It won't be an easy journey."

A few members of the crew glanced at Aurilee. She knew that the obvious answer was yes, so she continued eating. They just questioned how well she would fare for an arduous ride. Going into labor out of the comfort of the Going Merry was not an ideal situation for anyone. But she refused to let possibilities hold her back. "As long as I'm back in a comfy bed by the end of the week, you can take me across the whole island for all I care," she said.

"Yeah, she's cleared to travel," Chopper bolstered. There were no signs of her body preparing her for birth yet. She was also progressing smoothly, and her babies were in a stable condition. By the time they returned to the Merry, she would just need to give the green light to when she was ready to have them. If all went well in this journey, she might wait until they got back to her island before doing that.

Zoro nudged Billy as he sat on the ground with a knee bent and a bottle of booze in hand. "You coming with us or are we saying bye tomorrow?"

"I dunno," he replied with a receptive tone. "Should we?"

"It'd be good exercise for the horses," Rip vouched. "Give 'em one last taste of true freedom before the military takes them off our hands."

"What he said," Ware reinforced without hesitation.

"I wunna say the Windy-go Cannon!" Jen pitched in enthusiastically.

Oakley giggled and looked to Butler, who simply nodded once. "Count us in," she translated.

Everyone suddenly looked at Garrett, who was intimidated by the silent pressure. "Well shit," he uttered, making them all laugh and back off from getting a better answer from him.

"We got are-selves a partay," Billy summarized.

"YEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWW!" Jen bellowed in celebration of the adventure. Usopp, Sanji, and Nami all shielded their ears from how shrill it sounded, but it was all in good nature. She quickly plopped down next to Usopp and tried to snuggle up to him. "You wunna backrub?"

He twisted his pinky into his ear, ignoring the way she gave him no personal space. "I don't, thanks," he replied.

"You wunna gimme wun?"

"No, I don't," he replied with a little bit of annoyance.

The complete disinterest in her baffled her, but she refused to go down without a fight. "Ya sure?" she whispered. "You don't like girls, do ya? Betcha wunna piledrive wunna them boys in yer crew."

Nami could not contain the giggle that slipped out upon hearing her. Yes, because Usopp not engrossed by her flirting meant that he was gay. That was no jump to a conclusion whatsoever.

It only annoyed him further, but he kept his cool as best as he could. "No, I don't wanna piledrive anybody."

Jen finally leaned away, but this was not the end of her trying. "Bullshit," she droned with an amused smirk.

In the middle of all that, Sam tried to get Aurilee's attention. By the time she noticed, he had finished eating. All she saw was him subtly nod behind him, and then he got up from his seat and disappeared into the darkness that the campfire could not touch. She realized that he wanted her to follow him. There were only a few bites left until she was finished with her dinner, so she enjoyed the rest, licked her fingers clean, and then leaned into Sanji's ear. "Wherever you're sleeping, save me a spot."

He paused to listen and then felt hot air expel from his nostrils. Did that mean she wanted to cuddle?!

She did not waste another minute. Getting up with a heave, she waddled out of sight until the moon was able to guide her to where the Lun'aecho warrior was waiting for her. He heard her footsteps and turned around. The first thing he saw was how lustrous her white hair had become. It did not matter that the tuft of hair lacked length. Seeing how it reflected bright white by day but a radiant silver by night left him awestruck. Aurilee had already caught his eye earlier, but now he could not look away.

Even when she stopped because coming any closer would impede his personal bubble, he had yet to greet her. The silence brought out some shyness. "Sorry you had to wait," she said, lowering her gaze and interlocking her fingers together.

Instead of answering her, he lifted a hand and reached. She involuntarily reacted by stepping back. Something about the gesture gave her a flashback to being hit as a chore girl. He realized that he acted without thinking and quickly retracted his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

She took a breath, knowing she had to give him the benefit of the doubt since they did not know much of anything about each other. "It's okay. I'm just used to being hurt."

The transparency alarmed him. "Hurt how?"

"Oh, you know…the typical slapping around and pushing kind of stuff. I eventually ended up like this."

He could not help but look past her shoulder where the others were. If she had been hurt like that, why was she so comfortable around those people? It also saddened him that she was abused. Women were cherished in their culture. Husbands took care of their wives. Fathers looked after their daughters. Anyone who neglected them was admonished. If a woman fell pregnant out of wedlock, the rest of the tribe lent a hand. Sam could not understand why people embraced evil.

"It's been a moon since I was hurt, though," she continued, looking over her shoulder at her friends. "They saved our lives. I'm still trying to heal, but it gets easier every day." The way she spoke of them was very fond and indebted. Nothing she could do would amount to adequate compensation.

"You have no husband," he inferred without ridicule fueling it.

"I don't. And I probably never will." She said it so steadily without pity for herself. She had already accepted her fate and grew to be okay with it.

"Tell me where you get this confidence from."

She chuckled. "You want some?"

His lips parted upon him smiling. Her spirit was infectious. "I could use it."

Her hands settled against the underside of her belly. Confidence was more of a ploy than anything, she had to admit. "Sometimes I feel like I have to keep going or else I'll just…let everyone down."

"That's not true," he overruled. "You are choosing to be a mother despite a man violating you. That takes true strength. Warriors with strength like that are few and far between. Your child should feel honored to have you as a mother."

Aurilee did not know what to say in response other than an awkward thank you, but he did not give her an opportunity to say it aloud.

"You were also gifted with a good face." His fingers brushed underneath her chin and jawline, causing her to look up at him. She was not startled this time. His touch was very gentle as his fingers curled and his thumb brushed over her cheek as if he were wiping away a tear. Even with the darkness of night trying to hide her features, he still admired her. "And silver hair."

The word "gifted" caught her attention the most. The Lun'aecho did not bat an eye when it came to her looks, but he viewed it all as the opposite of a malady. It was far different compared to Sanji calling her beautiful because that was reassurance. This was a declaration of attraction. "Is this why you wanted me to come out here with you?" she questioned innocently. They were alone, after all. It was the perfect time for him to make something happen.

He pulled his hand away. "I was hoping to get to know your better."

"Why?"

"You interest me."

The cover of night could not hide her smile. Not many people who entered her life articulated such a sentence. But the feeling was mutual this time. She refused to ignore all the signs that somehow the Lun'aecho and the people of her island's tribe were related. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. So, she went ahead and took a seat in the dry, yellowing grass to get comfortable. "You interest me, too."

Sam was given a chance, and he was not going to let it escape him. He sat next to her to start a back-and-forth exchange. Where did she come from? How did she end up here? Why was the Wendigo important to her? It caused her to talk about the silver wolves, how her people shared half-souls with them, and how her father unlocked the secret of their bloodline. He became the Wendigo, or at least, that was what she wanted to find out for sure.

Her half of the conversation came out so fluidly. Internally, she worried that Sam would be skeptical of the things she claimed. Regardless, he listened. Lone Star Island was possibly the second to last stop that the Straw Hat Pirates would make before returning her home. She wanted to raise her children with her family, human or canine. Once she professed that dream of hers, she stopped looking up at the moon to see if he had grown bored yet.

He had never averted his gaze from her. The style of her storytelling kept him invested, and although some things sounded outrageous, he decided to believe her. His favorite part was learning about Luna. Knowing that her fur shimmered the same way Aurilee's hair did entertained him. It was one of the many indicators that they shared a soul.

"What do you think?" she asked him, curious if he had any opinions.

It was just the question he needed because he had the perfect answer. "I think Aurilee is Luna, and Luna is Aurilee. You belong together."

She smiled and nodded in agreement. Then, she winced upon feeling a kick in her womb. If Luna was expecting a litter of pups, she would have felt the same thing and also winced.

"Lunalee with the Silver Hair," Sam upheld amiably. "That's what I will call you."

Hearing him dub her with a combination of the names made her pause. She wanted to one day break the paradigm between herself and Luna, but she never considered what that entailed intrinsically. When two half-souls converged into one body, they were two in one. It made sense to put their names together, too. "Lunalee," she repeated with awe. "I like that."

Hearing so pleased him. It felt good to be around her, and they had only known each other for a few short hours. The Lun'aecho warrior did not want to get too ahead of himself, but he also wanted to keep an open mind. That crescent moon on her forehead was what gave him the most optimism. If it was combined with his gibbous moon, a full moon would be formed. Two fragments of a whole.