The Fire & The Requiem

Chapter 13

The Requiem of self healing

Marco was gliding along in the sky looking around the vast desert known as Alabasta. What was he looking for you ask? Oh just the residential requiem user. The soon to be pirate requiem user he corrected himself. He was gonna wear down her resolve before they got back. But first, he had to find the insane woman!
Honestly, he should have known she would shadow hop the second he heard she wasn't taking Ace with her. But no he assumed he would fly them back to the desert. Oh how foolish he had been.
So now he was stuck, flying under the blazing sun while looking for some fucking Oasis! Yet he soon saw said woman casually leaning against a tree as she waited for him.
"What took you so long Marco?"
She asked once he landed in front of her. His eye twitched and he went to pinch her cheeks only for her to side step him.
"What took me? What took me?! Woman I had to fly from the boat, across the town and around the desert looking for you."
Yuki rubbed the back of her head and sheepishly smiled.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that. But I have an idea on where she is."
Now he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That makes things a bit easier."
"Yeah, just we might wanna get a move on."
Now he groaned, why did they need to rush? He was hot and he was damn sure she was too.
"Why do we need to rush?"
"Because she's moving. Which, as far as I know is unusual for a requiem."
He blinked, the requiem was moving?!
"What could that mean?"
"Hmm, she could either be in trouble or avoiding me. There's a possibility of her actively looking for me too though."
Marco blinked, worried, so now he had to hope the requiem was doing the latter and actively looking for Yukina. But now, now he wanted to know why her arm was wrapped up.
However before he could ask Yuki had started walking off forcing him to move and keep up with her. After awhile though his curiosity got the best of him.
"So I normally wouldn't ask, but why is your arm wrapped up?"
Yuki glanced back at him then to her left arm. As she thought it over.
"Is it because of the scar?"
"Yes and no."
He blinked, he honestly hadn't expected an answer from her.
"So if it's not just cause of the scar, what else is it?"
Yuki went dead silent at this as Kage laughed in her head.
'You gonna tell him?'
'Hm, I haven't decided. Probably not yet.'
"That is not something I am yet comfortable sharing."
Marco blinked as he crossed his arms. "So you don't trust us?"
Now Yuki froze, where had that come from and she turned to look at him.
"Where did that idea come from?"
He motioned once more to her arm. "It's covered and when I saw it. It was just a scar. But you say it's not the only reason."
Yuki looked at him, partly now regretting her idea to bring someone along, and because his words were true. She didn't know how to trust anyone. Not even Ace and he was her best friend.
So with a sigh she started walking again. "I don't mean to. I don't know how to openly or blindly trust. I walked through this world, and I walk through it swimming in darkness."
Marco started to follow as he listened to her.
"Even Ace doesn't know what I hide upon my skin. And he's my best friend. Or I thought-"
"Ima stop you there - yoi."
Yuki glanced over and saw he was now next to her.
"That man is your best friend no if's ands or buts about that. You trust but you're afraid to let people get to close. You see the colors of this world and you have those lights. Mainly in the form of Ace."
"You're there too."
He was shocked by her words.
"I will tell you. When I know how, when I know how to explain it." She was silent after that and Marco could see she was troubled over it.
"Hey, there's no need to be upset over this. Come to us when you're ready okay Yuki-yoi?"
Yuki simply nodded and before anything else could happen did the requiem appear before them.
"There you are." Her voice was soft yet oddly powerful and Yuki blinked leaving even Marco baffled by her sudden appearance.
"I have been looking everywhere for you."
Yuki went to walk over to her when all of a sudden something tore open her side.
"Yuki!?"
Yuki groaned before she saw the sand lizard and moved backwards as Marco steadied her.
"Hold on. I'll deal with it. You deal with the Requiem."
Yuki wanted to argue that she didn't need help, that just cause she had been blindsided didn't mean she was weak. Yet Marco was worried, and he had a point.
Standing up she headed towards self healing only for her to be in front of her within a moment.
"You get hurt too often."
Yuki laughed the sound oddly hysterical.
"Yeah I suppose lately that's been a theme. But I'm not fully recovered."
The woman nodded and took both of Yuki's arms.
"I am Aiya. I am the requiem of self healing. I will heal all of your wounds. Do you accept my oath to keep you safe and alive?"
Yuki nodded as she tightened her grip, Marco was finishing up his battle after all. And she felt it, something else was calling to her.
"I accept and swear to you, to keep you safe and alive." And with that Aiya vanished and Yuki felt her wounds begin to heal. Glancing back at Marco she summoned Shade before turning to leave.
"Yuki?"
"Keep an eye on him and lead him to me. Something else is here." And with that she was gone leaving both Marco and Shade to fight the sand beast.