She Came From Outta Space... I Think?

Obligatory Training Arc From All Your Favourite Shows

One year and eleven months until Straw hat reunion

A scream ripped through the air, wide green eyes stared across the battlefield, catching onto a yellow vest, a magma fist was aimed right for his chest. The fist was gonna kill him, kill him, kill, die, dead, gone forever. Tani couldn't have that. No matter what, Luffy needed to survive.

How many times would she have to relive this day? This dream that ripped her in two. She knew this was a dream, she knew it but that didn't stop it from feeling any less real. It never stopped her from running in and taking the blow without fail.

It never stopped her from waking up, screaming in pain as the phantom burns tore through her body. Hands clawing away at her bandages as she tried to breath with her burned lungs. Tears streaming from her face as she choked on her breath.

This had happened every night for the last month. Tani dreaded falling asleep, but the weakness in her body made it hard to stay awake for any longer than 12 hours at a time.

"Miss Tani?" A soft, frantic voice called out from the door. Tani turned to find Chopper standing there, only to blink and find a tall white bear standing in his place. The tears burst out of her eyes, her heart aching to see her nakama again.

Bepo came running to her side, her howling cries rang out through the cabin. The bear was careful to wrap his arms around the sobbing girl, avoiding the chest area as best he could. Tani shoved her face into the bears shoulder. Wishing for this nightmare to be over.

She missed her nakama, she missed waking up to the sound of Robin and Nami softly snoring away. She missed late night watches with Zoro, while Brook played haunting tunes. She missed fighting over breakfast with her crew, fighting off Luffy only to receive a full meal afterwards because Sanji was an absolute saint. She missed watching Franky and Usopp working on machines that reminded her of home... Most of all... She missed her family.

Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky and Brook... Tani sobbed harder into Bepo's shoulder. His large paw was gently rubbing up and down her back. Softly bringing her back from hysterical to a calm state of mind. By the time she managed to stop crying, the room was filled with four more people. Penguin and Shachi held out a tray with a hot mug that smelled strongly of coco. Wolf was by the door, watching from afar, a look of pity in his eyes. Law stood close by, his face knotted together in concern. Tani wiped the trail of tears from her cheeks. Sniffling back anything that threatened to leak from her face.

"S-sorry..." She couldn't let herself look at any of them. Too embarrassed of the emotions that swirled in her gut, the ones that she was certain could be seen in her eyes. Homesickness, fear, loneliness... So many emotions that made her want to scream and cry.

"You don't have to apologise." Penguin supplied, shoving the tray closer to the girl.

"Yeah, you'll start acting like Bepo." Shachi snickered. The bear bowed his head in shame.

"Sorry..."

"See!" Shachi hooked an arm around Bepo's neck, his free hand planted itself into Bepo's head, ruffling the tuff of hair that poked out longer than the others. "We don't need another Bepo when our one is already good enough." Tani let her self huff a laugh, finally accepting the drink that Penguin patiently held out for her. Taking a sip, the drink wasn't very flavourful, but it hit the spot just fine. Warming the stress away, Tani let out a sigh. The tension fled from her muscles. Something tapped on her arm, she looked over to find Law holding his notepad up for her to read his message.

'Are you in any pain?' Tani shook her head.

"It's all night terrors. Don't worry... I guess going through something as..." She couldn't finish the sentence. Not if it meant speaking her dreams aloud. She couldn't burden these boys with her struggles, not after only knowing them for a month.