The Guardian

Chapter 4

Lyra slept most of the next few days, replenishing her strength and energy after using it on Whitebeard. If she was to keep this up she'd have to break one of the seals soon.

She was currently hiding in Marco's pillows as a fight happened on deck. She wanted nothing to do with it, she hated fighting. Too many injuries afterwards.

Lyra curled deeper into herself, tucking her head close to her feet. If she tuned it out she could sleep.

Up on the deck, the fight slowly ended with the Whitebeards as victors yet again. Their injuries were being tended to and the damages repaired.

Marco stopped in his room to change his shirt when he paused. His bed was not how he left it, in fact the pillows were moved into a circle almost like a fort.

Shrugging a new shirt on, he slowly approached the bed and peered into the hole between two pillows. A slow chuckle left his lips at the sight of the red tabby curled up sleeping in there.

He left her there to sleep, at least knowing she was okay and not lost or hurt. That will ease the crew's worries for their littlest family member.

Lyra yawned and stretched, successfully kicking a pillow. A chuckle drew her attention to the other occupant in the room. Marco turned his head towards her, blue eyes alight in amusement at her antics.

The tabby just yawned and stretched again, before getting up to join him at his desk. She sat next to his paperwork, reading it over. Ah not bad, these are easy.

A hand gently scratched her head to her pleasure. "You wouldn't happen to know who did my paperwork the other day would you, yoi?" Lyra just meowed and pushed her head into his hand more, which earned her another chuckle. "You're one mysterious cat, yoi."

Humming Lyra agreed with that statement before she dragged a claw against his quill and made a mark on his paper. Green eyes shot him an amused look before she was gone.

Marco watched the door close behind her, picking up his paper to look at her correction. She was right, it seems he solved his paperwork mystery. Now why does the cat know how to write and how?

The best part of the day was night, when everyone was sleeping and the ship was silent. No one was there to watch her roam or do what she does. Lyra could hunt all she wanted, not that there was much left anyways with how little there was to begin with and how often she hunted.

So she did the next best thing she could. Heal. Lyra found herself in the infirmary, not a nurse in sight but several sleeping wounded men were there.

Lyra sought out the more injured and worked on what she could. The more complex the more energy she didn't have to spare. The little injuries were easy to do, they barely required much effort.

Once she was done with those she could help, she found her way back into Marco's room. Finding him still up she huffed and tugged on his pant leg to get him to bed. Stubborn bird.

He didn't argue much with her, leaving his paperwork unfinished on the desk, almost teasing her to do it. Well jokes on him she will anyway.

They had a routine now of her tucking him in slightly and nuzzling his cheek before waiting for him to sleep and doing his paperwork and leaving to sleep with Kotatsu.

~~~~~

"Did you know Lyra can write, yoi?"

All the commanders looked at Marco like he lost it, but he just calmly sipped his coffee with one hand as the other stroked Lyra's back.

The eyes turned towards the eating and purring tabby, green eyes flicking up to stare at them before going back to eat.

Thatch placed a hand on the blonde's forehead, concern on his face. "Have you been sleeping? Are you okay? Cats can't write." Marco swatted the hand away with an annoyed frown.

Izo spoke up, "It's a very random question. What brought it on?" They had seen some strange things on the Grand Line, but writing cats?

Marco just peered at them from over his cup, "She's finished my paperwork twice for me." Again all eyes went towards the tabby, now licking her paws clean. "Lyra can write. Pretty sure she can do math too, yoi."

Ah that she could! Lyra shot him a look, which made him smirk at her in confirmation. Ah sly devil he was. A few arguments broke out on her being able to write, making her sigh. He brought up such a controversial topic.

Leaning towards Ace's plate, she dipped a claw into his leftover sauce and pushed her plate away. Quick and concise movements were made, halting all conversation. Once she was finished she leaned back and meowed.

Heads peered over to read her writing, several bursting out into laughter at that. Thatch looked at her offended at what she wrote but his face turned distant in thought.

Thatch has two overdue library books

"Holy shit she can write."

"Wait, our library books can be overdue?"

"Shit I think I have a few that I never returned."

Thatch looked at the cat confused, "How did you know it was overdue? I don't even know where one is anymore." He watched as Lyra dipped into the sauce again to write more.

It's under your bed. I know because the dates are written in them. It's four years late

The chef bolted up and took off for the door in a hurry to check. Taking the time while he was away, Lyra wrote again.

He plans another prank on the seventh division

Someone scowled as she wiped the message away so Thatch wouldn't catch it when he returned. Izo leaned forward interested. "Where did you learn to write?"

Lyra shrugged but wrote an answer. A very long time ago. By someone long dead now. Not wanting to answer anymore questions, she cut the conversation short and leapt off the table and out the door.

Thatch came running back in a few moments later, hands clutching a book, "Holy shit she was right. It was under my bed." Pausing at the lack of the red tabby, "Hey where did she go?"