A/N: Hya, everyone! So, fanfiction, hmm? I've read things before, and published things on other sites but it never became really popular. Maybe because I'm just sucking at writing, or maybe those sites were just unpopular. Well, I'm sure this site is popular so I'm pretty exited now.
I wrote this one shot because I wanted to know your opinions about my writing style, I have this idea for a longer story. Yes, this is fast and carelessly written because I was too enthusiastic, but don't hold back, I respect your critique ! (Seriously, I'd be so glad if you reviewed it!)
Well, I hope you'll like it or give your opinions, Enjoy!
Kusoshitsuri.
XXX
The night inked the sky black, stars graced the air and the moon was reflected in the depths blue oceans.
A lone man sat on the figurehead of the Thousand Sunny, waiting for a special person to arrive.
"Mom, mom! Is that tale about Santa really true? Do the sweet children get presents?"
As he glanced over the streets right from him, his is attention was drawn by a young, brown haired girl pulling her mothers coat, while she was rapidly throwing questions at her poor mother.
The streets delighted, young kids running, the moon shining. It was Christmas eve.
"Yes, Mocha," her mother chuckled. "The sweet children will get presents indeed."
"Christmas eve ..." he muttered as there was an utter aversion present in his voice.
His chin rested on the palm of his hand, and he stared at the red haired man in his reflection again.
Manes as furious as the seas, hair red as blood, a tan skin resembling Lion's fleece.
And a twinkling of despair dancing in his eyes. He grunted, as he pushed his face in his bare hands and while he was unaware of it, a loud shriek left his mouth and spoke unspoken words.
"Luffy! Everyone!"
His voice echoed through the streets, but no respond followed and the townspeople continued what they were busy with.
It was as if no one could hear him; No one could see him: No one was aware of his presence.
Even his friends couldn't see him nor hear him.
He was alone, but he didn't mind that. He didn't mind not being noticed by his friends.
But what he did mind was the fact his friends were gone for ten months. Ten months and two days.
"Luffy … Everyone ..."
He muttered again, giving up. He was dying, not being noticed by any one.
"Luffy … I know that name really well."
A voice too feminine to be his, sliced through the silence.
Whirling, Sunny stood in his fighting position, glaring at a slim girl. Two horns pointed out of her white, fluffy hair resembling wool. He wondered whether she talked to him or not, but it seemed she saw him.
"Impossible ..." he muttered, followed by a "Who the hell are you?!"
"It's Merry, Going Merry," she said.
Sunny's eyebrows twitched as gesture of confusing.
"What?"
"My name, it's Going Merry," she said smiling as she sat down on the seats nestled to the front mast and folded her hands.
"I'm an old friend of Luffy and the others," she added with a smirk.
Going Merry,
A mysterious woman appeared out of nowhere and claimed she knows Luffy and the others.
Sunny narrowed his eyes and walked to the lawn,
"I've heard your name before, indeed," he said.
"That's good to hear," she said smiling, looking him in the eyes. "I … I'm really glad to hear that."
He did not know what she meant with that, and he also did not know how to respond, but he did know that she probably was visiting the ship on the wrong time.
"The … Strawhats are not here at the moment ..." Sunny said in pity.
"Oh, but I know that," Merry responded as she looked up.
"W-what …?"
"I'm here for you, Sunny."
For some reason, it seemed that she enjoyed leaving him in thousands of questions, she enjoyed teasing him … And he did not like the way she amused herself.
There twitched a vein in his temple as she pronounced his name, which she impossibly could know since they've never met.
He tried to fully ignore it and walked to the figurehead again. Maybe she would disappear?
"Mind it if I sit next to you?"
She asked when she already stood up and innocently hopped to the figurehead.
He had already turned to the seas when she plumped down.
"You enjoy staring at the blue oceans?" She asked as a smile graced her lips.
"Yeah, I am a ship after all," he mumbled loud enough for her to hear it.
She grinned, but remained silent as she stared to the dark blue in front of them.
"How come you can see me?" Sunny asked after admitted he was desperate with all those unanswered questions shrouding his mind.
She sighed. "I also was a ship," she said. "I was Luffy's first ship."
Sunny looked her in the eyes for the first times, when that answer reached his ears. He stared into the depths of grey and without him noticing his jaw almost touched the ground.
"You ... Were ... What?!"
"I'm sorry if I awakened confusing, but I prefer to not talk about my past," she said as she stared to her knees while her cheeks colored as red as Sunny's hair.
He nodded as an answer and turned his head slightly.
"Why are you here?"
"Hmm," she shrugged. "Look."
She gestured to one of the houses, the most shiniest one, on the streets right to them. To be exactly, Merry pointed to the window which was lovely graced by the red lights.
"What should I see?" He asked when he followed her pale finger.
"Look," she repeated calmly.
As he followed her orders, he narrowed his eyes and glanced over the window.
Two shapes, a kid's one and a man's one were resembled. The smallest one, which he assumed to be the kid, was being thrown in the air and caught by his or her father. He heard a scream of joy when he landed in his hands, and for some reason it even would make you happy by only looking at it.
He smiled, but did not fully understand why he had to look.
"Ugh," she muttered with a clearly presence of annoyance in her voice.
"Don't you get it? People shouldn't be alone on Christmas Eve. It should be a moment of joy, which you share with important people!"
Sunny glared at her, not knowing whether she did this on purpose or she really was stupid.
"But that's it! Luffy and the others are missing for almost a year now! How am I supposed to be "with someone" when there is no one?!"
"That is exactly why I am here ..."
"Wha ...?"
His voice was tempered by Merry's hissing, as she looked at him in the eyes. Maybe it was because she was an old friend of Luffy, but he felt like he knew her longer.
When he was completely silent, Merry was the one who broke the silence.
"Why don't we tell each other some great adventures we've experienced. I'd like to know how the crew's doing?" She offered with the most serious face ever, which didn't allow him to grunt or to be sarcastic, So he answered
"Why won't we?"
She grinned, "Okay, I'll start. Hmm … Have you ever been in the sky?"
"What...?!"
Hours had passed, and it was the night which slowly turned into day again. They've filled hours with talking, smiling, crying. He never had such a great time for months.
"Well, I think it's time for me to go," Merry sighed when she stood up as gesture for Sunny to do the same.
He grabbed her hand and shook it slowly and decided to not ask why or where she was going.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Merry," he smiled gently.
"The same," She smirked. As she turned around, Sunny could hear her softly muttering
"Merry Christmas, Sunny," she chuckled.
He could do nothing but laugh at her word joke.
"Hmm, Merry Christmas," he responded as she vanished in front of his eyes.
XXX
Sunny's eyes snapped open and he stopped trembling and sweating as soon as he took sight at the oceans of blue and released his blanket from his tight clutch.
He was sitting on the figurehead, and the sun had came up a few hours ago.
And as soon as he realized it, he regretted opening his eyes. He was alone, there was no Merry and it was December 25today.
It all was a dream.
Luffy and the others did not come back.
With one hand covering his yawn, and the other one dragging the blanket he walked to the kitchen, but he froze as soon as he took sight at the big fur standing on the deck.
Twinkling baubles, shiny lights and a silver peak on the very top.
"Who did ..."
Underneath the tree he spotted a small ''Record dial' in the shape of a baby snail, and he could do nothing but pick it up and press the ''Play'' button as he pushed it against his ear.
"Hya, Sunny!"
His eyes blinked furious when he heard the first voice. He didn't know whether he still should trust his eyes, and muttered a soft "Luffy …!" when his name was being pronounced.
"Yo, Sunny!"
He pressed the stop button again when Franky's deep voice reached his ears again. He could already see him blinking under his black sunglasses and fell down. It remained silent until he gathered up enough courage to press the Play button once again.
"Sunny-kun..."
There was a clear pout present in Usopp's voice. He could see his proud smile gracing his lips, while tears walked over his cheeks.
Why would he cry?
"Sunny! We wanted to say something."
It was Luffy's voice again, which took the Record Dial out of Usopp's hands with much noise.
"We wanted to thank you," Luffy added with an audible chuckle.
"For sailing us through the New World," Zoro's voice went.
"And struggling for us," Nami said.
"We are glad that you're our ship," Sanji smirked.
"We hope you're patient, Sunny-san!" Brook sang.
"We'll be gone for a while, but we will return one day!" Chopper reassured him.
"I won't let my SUPER nakama wait too long!" Franky laughed.
"Yes," Robin smiled calm.
"And when we're back, we'll bring a lot of meat!" Luffy continued.
"Meat?! Luffy, be serious!"
*BOOM*
"Yohohoho!"
"Nami's too cute when she's mad!"
"Ugh, Curly brows."
"What ya said, Marimo?!"
"Be serious, you guys!" he heard Chopper saying.
"Give that dial to me!"
"Fu, fu, fu," he heard Robin chuckling.
"Sunny! Better be ready! We'll be setting sail soon again!"
Sunny replayed the dial over and over again, every time it grew more emotional every time he replayed it.
He did not know how, but on the very end he heard Merry smiling "Merry Christmas".
She really existed, and it wasn't just his imagination. He thanked her for doing this.
For the first time in ten months, he finally had hope again.
XXX
A/N: I know this story doesn't make a lot of sense (especially at the end), sorry for that one but I felt like writing this story. Thank you for ready, tho!