~AN: Yes, I've started on a new story! It's an Ace fanfic this time. Don't worry, my Law x OC one would not be abandoned. Sorry I haven't been updating that. I feel like this one is a little more well written. The formatting is something I'm a little more familiar with. If you guys would like I could go back to edit My Nightmare into this way of writing. It might be better. Oh yes and you guys have probrably guessed it by now, I have a thing for a brother figure so... like always, my oc has a brother in the story. So Shuu is Shanks' little sister! Haha anyways, hope you guys enjoy this ^^~
The little girl climbed up a hill that looks towards the harbour of the town. It is her usual schedule to sit on that hill and gaze at the horizon. She was waiting for something, for a sign, for someone. She waited every day in rain, in shine or in snow. She would wait even if she is sick. Without fail, the little girl would be waiting.
Her break time would be at noon when a townsfolk would come up the hill to bring her lunch. It is a routine that everybody in town got used to. They will take turns to bring her food, it was something they were paid to do by the person whom she is waiting for. The cycle never changes except for the occasional few days where the person she was waiting for would finally come to the island. With him in town, she would stick to him like glue. She would sit by his side as he tells of his adventures beyond the seas. It almost seem as though the only reason for her to live is him. Waiting for him patiently until he returns home to see her.
"Shuu, its lunch time." An elderly woman called out to her. She shot up like a rabbit at the sudden sound of the voice before making her way to the woman.
"Thank you." She said with a slight bow of her head as she receive the lunch box.
"How's the wait?" The lady questioned kindly.
The girl shake her head "There's no sign of him. Maybe he won't be back today." She said with a disappointed voice.
The lady gave her a light pat on her head. "Don't worry, he'll be back soon."
Shuu gave a light heart-warming smile, one that could melt anyone's heart. "Thank you." She thanked again and mentally noted that she had no idea how to address the lady in front of her. She was so distant from the village she did not even bother learning their names.
The lady let out a light sigh. This innocent girl in front of her owns such a wonderful smile. Her heart pains to see Shuu's disappointed face as the person she was waiting for failed to turn up.
"Well then, I'll leave you to your lunch." She said before making her way back to the town. Shuu gave her a nod before running off.
She dashed pass the meadow and up another hill. The scenery from this hill is much different than the other. This hill overlooked a small lake. Surrounding it is a beautiful garden of flowers all lined up like a complicated maze. At the centre of this mini maze is a stone slab with two tombstones on it. Shuu sat on the elevated stone platform and bowed slightly to the tombstones.
"Good afternoon mom, dad." She greeted. Her hand then reach into the lunch box and brought out two sandwiches. As she ate, she begun to tell the tombstones about her day waiting, the same story she had told for the past 3 years.
"I'll go back to waiting now." Shuu said as she finish the last of her lunch. "I hope he comes soon. Like always, he leaves me waiting. I miss him… I miss both of you." She reach out to touch the tombstones of her deceased parents. Her eyes closed as she gave herself a moment of silence. She thought back to the days where she had no need to wait endlessly for anyone. How many years had it been? Did such days even exist? For the 12 years of her life majority of the time she was waiting. Even when their parents were alive she was always waiting for him.
As her eyes opened, Shuu noticed the area around her became darker. It took her a second to realise that there was someone behind her casting a looming shadow over her.
"It's been 3 years since they passed away. Time sure flies doesn't it?"
She jumped up and spun around at the sound of that voice. Tears begun to weld up in her eyes as she came face to face with the man she had been waiting on top of the hills for 2 years. She leaped towards him and wrapped her arm around his neck. "Shanks! Onii-chan! Welcome home!" She looked up at him as her lips pull up to the warmest smile she could give off.
The red head look down at the sweet girl, his little sister, with a smile of his own. "I'm back, Shuu. Sorry to keep you waiting." He greeted.
For the next few days, Shuu followed her brother everywhere he went. From the bar whereby she would sit close to him and listen to his miraculous stories, to his ship where she would question new devices added to the vessel which she had not seen for 2 years. She was inquisitive, excited and filled with awe and respect for her brother. He was everything to her, her greatest companion, her best friend and the only family member she had alive. All the years of waiting on top of a hill for signs of his return home was worth it. She felt as though those terrible lonely days were a dream. Suddenly, her monochrome world was filled with an array of colours. The days of waiting was over. Even if she knew it was only short lived.
She knew that her brother and his crew would not stay for long. The sea is his passion. He loves it way too much to leave it for good. Occasional short visits to his home island once every few years was all he could spare. Shuu knew that. About a week after they arrived, they were preparing to leave.
"Do you have to go?" Shuu asked as she held on tightly to his shirt.
Everyone was saying their goodbyes but she just was not ready for it. She was not ready to return to the cold empty cottage. She was not ready to eat lunch alone by her parent's grave and she definitely was not ready to return to waiting endlessly for his next return on top of a hill. More than anyone, she did not want her bother to leave.
"Of course I have to go. Don't worry Shuu, I'll be back as soon as I can. When I return, will bring back with me more stories to tell you alright?" He tried to assure her.
However, Shuu was no longer that gullible little child. She had grown in his absence and she was smart enough to understand that if he leave he would be gone for years. Yet she just cannot make him stay. She could not tear him away from his dream, it would be horrendous to do such a thing.
"Smile Shuu, your smiles make the world of people around you so much brighter." He commented.
Her lips pulled up lightly at his words. Yes, if she were to smile, it would be fine. She would be the one to suffer. If she were to choose between the pain of her brother or herself it would always be better if she were to choose herself. After all, that smile of hers could hide all sorts of pain.
Her grip on his shirt begun to loosen when a voice sounded from the crowd that was there to send them off. "Shanks, bring her with you" The mayor of the town said.
"Bring her?" Shanks questioned. That thought had never crossed his mind. It would be terrible to remove her from such a safe and loving environment just to throw her into a world of unexpected danger.
"Yeah, you should bring her with you." Another voice called out.
"She has no one here anyway."
"If you leave her here she would just go back to wait for you on that hill."
"She's a shadow without you here."
Every one of the villagers begun to speak up and reveal Shuu's pathetic daily routine. Shanks was in genuine surprise. He had always thought his sister was living a wonderful fun filled life in the village. He always thought she would play with the kids and live care-freely like what 12 years olds are supposed to. He never knew she was this lonely without him.
"Shuu," his voice was slightly louder than a whisper. "I never knew."
The girl, who had lowered her face so that no one could see her, clenched her first tightly. Why must they voice out. They should just let things be and she would be perfectly fine with letting her bother leave. She would just go back to her normal routine. It was nothing much. Her life would not be any different. She could get used to it. Could... Might... Probably… Her tears flooded the back of her eyelids. Never.
"Shuu?" Shanks questioned as she kept silent
"Onii-chan…" She began to speak with a shaky voice before looking up at him with the most painful pair of eyes he had ever seen. The tears broke through her lids and flowed rapidly down her innocent cheeks. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and despair.
"Onii-chan please! I don't want to be alone anymore! Take me with you! Bring me away! I don't want to sit by a hill and wait for you to come back to me days after days, weeks after weeks, months after months and years after years. It's sad and painful! I have no friend, I have no one! You are the only one I have and it scares me so much! I don't know when you'll be back or if you'll even come back at all! I won't know what to do if you don't come back to me! I'm terrified of you not returning every day. I'm lost without you onii-chan!" She confessed to him.
Shanks's eyes were wide with shock and his mouth hands open in disbelieve. In a swift move, he wrapped his arm around the small girl and pulled her towards him. After her sobbing died down a little, he squatted down in front of her so that they could see each other eye to eye.
"I'm really sorry Shuu. I'm sorry I was so oblivious to the things around you. I should have known. I thought I was giving you a wonderful life but I never knew you were suffering so much. I apologise for the years I've made you wait. I promise you won't ever have to wait for me again. Shuu, would you join the Red Haired Pirates?"
The girl whose eyes are still wet and blood shot from crying stared at him as she tried to let the information sink in. The moment it does however, she started to nod rapidly and a beaming warm smile graced her face. She wipe the reminiscence of the tears away with the back of her hand.
"Of course!" She shouted.