Opavia

73.

kierra's eyes flew open at the faint cheers of the villagers, immediately sitting up.

"eos." she whispered, looking over the rekran who groaned. "where is kuma?!"

"we won!" luffy cheered, sanji standing next to her. he looked around in a panic.

"where is zoro and vitani?!" he fretted, kierra standing as well. she looked over at zeze who was curled over a foreign object protectively, shaking. her skin glew a brilliant purple as her body shook in strain.

"zeze!" kierra leapt over the rekran who bellowed mournfully. she turned to reveal vitani against her chest. her paints had peeled, body frozen stiff as if dead with blood covering her. kierra screamed out, shakingly cupping her sister's face.

"vitani..." robin joined, followed by the other straw hats. franky picked her up, luffy looking down.

"he did this to her?" he turned to nami who nodded shakingly. kierra suddenly turned, sprinting towards the forest.

"zoro!" she screamed, stumbling over rocks and fallen trees. "zoro!" she paused in a clearing, staring forward at his body. he stood, frozen stiff. blood stained the ground yards around him, kierra swallowing.

"zoro." she sobbed, walking forward. she froze at his faint breathing. "wh-what happened?"

"nothing." he murmured. "nothing at all."

"zoro, it's vitani." she started to walk forward but he suddenly collapsed. she rushed forward, beginning to offer her energy to him desperately as her hands blew a faint green.

"where is she." he gritted his teeth. sanji closed his eyes.

"she's knocked out." he exhaled smoke. "it's pretty bad."

vitani laid beside zoro in silence as kierra watched over them. she ran her hand through vitani's curls soothingly, looking up as sanji handed her a bowl.

"you should eat." robin smiled behind him. "vitani wouldn't like seeing you like this."

"i don't like seeing her like this." she replied, leaning back. "i should call my mother."

"chopper can handle their injuries." robin assured her. "it's no worries." kierra looked over her bowl solemnly, zeze nuzzling against her. she urged the spoon forward, kierra slowly beginning to eat. she looked up as brook began to play the piano, watching the straw hats and villagers dance. she stood and stretched, zeze following her to the piano. she sprawled out on top, looking upside down at sanji as brook sang.

"what happened to my sister?" she demanded as he stepped back. sanji closed his eyes in thought.

"kierra-"

"tell me." her gaze bore into him. sanji sighed, closing his eyes.

"luffy's pain is what put zoro in that state." he murmured. "vitani stepped infront of him and took a portion of it." kierra sat up and closed her eyes.

"His pain?" She whispered.

"Kuma took all the pain and hurt Luffy was enduring and made it into a bubble."

"damnit." she swore, stepping from the piano. zeze followed, standing over vitani.

"what is it about him." kierra whispered, looking over vitani. her tail rested on zoro's ankle, her eyes closed peacefully.

"what was up with that whistle, kierra?" usopp approached as she rose. "the one we blew? how'd your brother hear it?"

"it's a whistle made by a skilled medal opavian, do you know where it is?!" she suddenly panicked, usopp shaking his head.

"luffy blew it!" he pointed to luffy who was talking to brook, kierra jogging over.

"luffy, where's that whistle?!" she snapped. he looked up and gave a shrug, kierra gritting her teeth. zeze looked up as she ran past her, stepping outside. she looked through the rubble desperately until the sun sunk below the horizon.

she returned to the castle, dragging her body slowly. zeze's ear's pinned as she passed, eos allowing Kierra to lean against her in support.

"where have you been?" nami rose. "zoro woke up! and v- what's wrong?"

"i can't find my brother's whistle!" kierra choked, tears forming in her eyes. "i don't know if they're even close enough to hear us anymore. i can't even search and check because vitani's not waking up and i cant even check on my ma and my trisos and my masetno..." she balled her fist.  "luffy .. you dumb idiot!"

"i'm sorry!" he insisted. "i could have sworn it was in my pocket."

"we'll figure out a way to get in contact with your family." franky promise, resting his hand on her shoulder. "it can't be that hard and they can't be that far."

"and vitani's gonna be up real soon." zoro added as he tore his bandages off himself.

"zoro!" chopper fretted.

"why are you taking off your bandages?" kierra whispered as he threw them on the ground.

"can't move in 'em."

"that's the point!" chopper snapped, attacking him in bandages.

kierra took a seat beside robin who smiled, sanji setting a plate of food before her.

"eat up." he sighed. sanji sat across from her and lit his cigarette, watching her devour her food.

"usopp went ahead and fed zeze and eos while you were gone." robin smiled as usopp shuddered, taking a seat on the other side of her.

"yeah it was a hell of a challenge." he yawned. kierra finished her plate and laid down beside robin and nami, sighing. zeze watched beside vitani before laying down, groaning faintly.