For Freedom We Fly

chapter 16

Fate Whispered to the warrior 'You cannot withstand the storm' and the warrior whispers back 'I am the storm'

Darkness surrounded her on all sides, the heavy stonework of the collapsed building trapping her in the enclosed space. She blinked, her breathing becoming rapid as panic began to rise.

Time alluded her. She had no idea how long she'd been trapped under stone – only panicking thoughts racing though her mind.

She was trapped, not again! She needed to get out. She needed out now! Out! Out! Out!

She felt her throat stricken, threatening to close on her as her panicking grew. She tried to move but was blocked by the fallen rocks pinning her in place. She blinked rapidly – she had no doubt that the hand gripped the blade was knuckle bone white – the only thing to ground her in the enclosed space.

She needed to think clear, think of a way out. But her mind was frazzled, trapped in a swirling cage like her own body was trapped, pin by stones.

Her breath caught in her throat – as if the air was stolen right out from her lungs as she felt something caress her check.

She froze at the feeling, something still nuzzling her check in a loving matter. But other that her and the rocks no one was here...

She felt another caress, thing time on her waist. And other on her barefoot. It was smoothly, the soft caresses calming her panicking mind – the thoughts were still there but there was something else on the forefront of her mind.

Her freedom.

It took a good few minutes to figure out the cause of the caress.

A breeze. A small breeze travelling though the rocks to her prone form. A breeze that lend to freedom. But how?

She thought back to the other devil fruiters she knew. Of Luffy, ace, smoker and crocodile. All of them could transform into the element they ate. Luffy was made of rubber. Ace fire. She'd seen crocodile ability to transform himself into sand and move, could she do it too?

She had partly do it before, bullets and sword traveller though her body without damaging it but could she do it whole?

She closed her eyes focusing on the breaths entering and leaving her lungs. Concentrating on the feeling of the gentle breeze caressing her skin like a loving figure. It was a weird sensation that tingled down to her toes, as she focused more of on the trail of air – it ripples down to her fingertips. The very tips being the first to fade into the breeze, the rest slowly following but in different directions.

The rocks shifted fallen onto the ground beneath her figure, as she felt herself travel though the creaks and creases of the rockfall. Little parts of herself travelling in different directions. It was a surreal experience, she didn't need to breath, need to see where she was travelling only following the airflow upwards out of the destroyed building.

A stronger breeze latched onto her windy form, pulling at her – tugging at the different tendrils tugging them in different directions.

The caresses breeze now pulling her apart wanting to take her higher in the sky and away from the lands. A thought drifted across her concisions; did she really need to help? She could be free, free to fly in the skies like the birds she used to watch from her cage?

She could feel the wind tugging, edging her to be one with it, to leave those on land behind, it sung to her rocking her like a lullaby...

A sudden weight pulled her to the ground, her tobutori shining brightly, dug deeply into the rocks she'd just escaped from. No, she couldn't leave, no yet.

Concentrating on the sword – a hand began to form around it, the wind coming together, whirling with dust to form a person. Soon the dust and wind, began to form skin and bones as slowly she began to stitch herself back together.

Dawnya sagged to her knees, taking a shaky breath. Eyes wide as sweat dripped down her brow. The grip of her tobutori deafeningly tight, afraid that if she let go, she would disappear into the lulling winds.

She could feel it, feel the air, the breeze and winds around them, around the city. A connection that had snapped into place once she become one with it, a connection that just rested in the bad of her mind – a constant chatter slowly talking.

Dawnya gasped, head dropping to the ground thoughts whirling as realisation entered her brain.

She was free.

The swordswomen were unsure how long she had stayed kneel, holding onto the hilt of her sword for dear life. But she knew she needed to move. She pushed herself up on unsteady feet. Glancing lovingly at her sword, "once again you save me..." she muttered, sheathing the long nodachi.

Climbing off the crumbled rock she moved, her slow walk turning into a run as she passed the streets of battle, she needed to find the crew or get back to Vivi.

She knew one thing, from the sounds of battle the war had hit the plaza of the palace.

"you!" a voice shouted as a man stood in the way of her path. "your one of the ones we get a bonus from if we beat!"

The thug, stepped towards her as his friends smiled with malice. He blocked her path onwards, yet she didn't stop in her run. Gripping the sword, she unsheathed it. The wind making her light on her feet as she danced like the breeze though the group of thugs the blade dancing with her enemies.

Dawnya didn't look back only hearing the screams and cries on the wind as she ran towards the plaza. The blood dripping from the blade.

She didn't care to much about the blood she'd shred. It wasn't the first and would be the last.

Swiping the blade clean of blood, she replaces it into her holder. Quickening her pace. She had a war to return to.

She skidded to a halt. Blue hues darting to the crew, two in the clock tower, the rest (bar Luffy she noted) staring at the top of the very tower.

A bomb. the was a bomb at the top of the tower.

"what..." she muttered in confused. Gaining the attention

"Dawnya! You're, okay?!" cried Vivi, happy that her friend was still alive. Later she would question what had happened but for now she had a bomb to deal with.

The dark-haired women nodded. In response. "What's going on?"

Vivi took a breath before quickly explaining, crocodile had put a bomb in the city to wipe out both sides of the armies even his own people who laid scattered in the armies and throughout the city.

No one was to be left alive.

to be continued...

and here it is! the second one of the day!

hope you enjoy it! let us know what you think! :)

happy sailing xx