We have made to to chapter 3 and so far so good
I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and hopefully you'll stick around for more
Oda-sensei owns all of One Piece not me. I just own my OC and secretly wish I owned Zoro...
+Past, Memories, and Scars+
Yun always enjoyed the quiet of the night. Except for this night. The boys were all cackling like hyenas, enjoying the man made hot springs. She hide half her face under the water, her bangs being held up by a bright blue bandanna and watching the stone wall that divided the two pools which Nami was protecting with her weather summoning staff. Robin's keeping to herself in the corner with a book.
"Those boys, honestly. Even you're brother us a perv Yun-chan."
"I know."
"What's your guy's story? Raiu-san mentioned you have a foster father. What happened to your real parents? If you don't mind me asking."
"I don't mind, but we don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Robin asked, scooting over to sit next to Nami.
"We don't know much about our real parents other than what's written in a journal left by our father. Though some pages are torn out. Raiu and I were born in the West Blue, but for some unknown reason, our father took us and fled to the Grand Line," Yun explained, pulling her knees to her body. "But our father vanished during the trip. We were barely a year old when we arrived on Steam Peak. We weren't exactly welcomed with open arms."
"Meaning what?" Nami questioned.
The mechanic placed a hand on her upper left arm that was bandaged. "When the suits saw the merchant ship that Raiu and I were on, they attacked, killing the entire defenseless crew."
"That's terrible! Why would the do that?"
"They didn't know it was just a merchant ship and not a pirate ship. Once they realized what they had done, they tried burning the ship when we were still in there. Axely, the man who raised us, must of heard us screaming and charged in to save us. We were unhurt surprisingly, but because of us being the only survivors, Raiu and I were seen as being cursed. The suits don't like us. The Noble that's living here doesn't like us and many of the lower level people are still afraid of us. That's why we live over here. Tending to the machines and keeping to ourselves."
It went quiet save for the hissing of the steam and the chattering of the night creatures. Yun didn't look up, but she could feel the stares of Nami and Robin. Those painful memories slowly began filling her head. The bullying, the taunts, the name calling. Whenever Raiu and her beaten, they never fought back. It may seem like a coward thing to do, but Axely always told them:
There's no point in fighting without a reason. Find a purpose to fight and protect that purpose.
"Yun-chan?"
She looked up when Nami called her name. "For the first year of our lives, we were forced to live on a ship. And the 18 years we've been living here, we've been treated worse than animals. But that's how life is sometimes. Not everyone has the luxury of living a good life. Excuse me."
Yun nodded her head at the two girls before stepping out of the spring and grabbed towel, wrapping it around herself. Raiu and she set up temporary beds in the downstairs living room for the boys and Yun is letting the girls sleep in her room while she'll be sharing her brother's room. She went into her room to get some clothes for the night, stopping in front of the balcony window, staring at her relfection. There are so many scars etched into her pale skin. And it's the same with Raiu. They had let the older kids from the second and third levels and sometimes adults beat them until either they all got bored or Axely stopped them.
"You are quite the interesting person Yun-san. You and your brother."
She recognized the voice as Robin's but didn't turn around. "What makes you say that?"
"You kept your voice steady when you spoke, but I saw pain and maybe even hatred in your expression. Do you hate the people here for treating you poorly?"
"No it's not that."
"Then do you hate yourself?"
Yun finally looked over at Robin who was wearing a loose robe, but said nothing. Robin only smiled a little more and left the room. She does hate herself. She hates herself for not being stronger. She hates who she is. There is also anger and a lot of it. Anger that she's been keeping locked away for a long time. She looked back at her reflection and wasn't sure what she saw. Pale eyes stared back at her, but it felt like it wasn't her eyes. Is it a person or an animal she's looking at?
"Oi Yun! Hurry up or you're gonna miss dinner!"
She flinched a little when she her Raiu's voice pass by. Yun gave her head and shake and lightly slapped her cheeks. She took the towel off and folded it up, grabbing some clothes from her dresser. She pulled on a loose shirt and a pair of short shorts, slipping on her shoes before leaving. Her nose twitched a few times from the amazing aroma that was coming from the dining room and it made her mouth water. When she reached the dining room, Luffy was already eating like crazy from the many plates that were set up. Her stomach growled loudly.
"Yun-chan my lovely dear~! Please come over and join us. I have a spot right next to me for such a-"
She completely ignored Sanji and sat next to Raiu. "This all looks...amazing."
"Oi! Blueberries! Why isn't there any meat?!"
Yun and Raiu exchanged glances and Raiu spoke. "Blueberries? Oh! Because of our hair color. And to answer your question... um well you see Yun and I have never had meat before. We've always eaten things like fish, lobster, clams and crab and such."
Luffy looked at the twins like they were insane. "You guys never eaten meat before?!"
"Why is that such a surprise, kid?"
"Meat is the best thing in the world! Everyone should eat it!"
"We grew up eating seafood not meat," Yun said quietly which shushed up Luffy. "Everyone has their own taste. Because we never eaten meat before it's not something we'll eat."
"What my sis said."
Luffy sat down with a grumpy face, muttering to himself. Yun stared at the food before her. It all looked too good to eat. She's use to something like a soup or a whole fish that was grilled and thrown on a plate. This food looked like it should be in a museum with art.
"Yun-san if you don't eat then Luffy is gonna take it," Nami told her.
"Oh right."
She took a fork and stabbed it into a barely cooked piece of fish with spice, dipped it in some ponzu sauce and stared at it. A few moments passed before she ate it. She wanted to cry because it was so damn good. She took another and another until she was eating at the same pace as Luffy. She even fought a little with Raiu to get some more pieces of fish. So many different dishes, each well made with care. She never imagined a pirate could cook such a delicate meal.
"T-this is really amazing..."
"Sanji-kun is a pretty awesome chef. Thank Luffy for being able to drag him on the ship."
"He didn't join by choice."
Nami let out a laugh. "Not all of us joined his crew by choice."
Yun stuffed another couple pieces of fish in her mouth, saying nothing and looking around the table at the pirates. They didn't all act like the blood thirsty, village destroying, looting pirates she's seen. They are all laughing. Well except for one person in particular. She slowly turned her gaze to the swordsman, noticing that cold dark gaze of his. She wanted to know what his problem is with her and Raiu.
After all the glaring and dinner was done, Raiu and Yun opted to wash the dishes, but Nami told them that the boys will wash them in return for the twins fixing up the Merry Go and letting them stay at their house. With that said, Yun decided to lay outside for a bit to watch the sky. It's something she likes to do to help clear her mind. Stare up at the night sky, watching the stars dance when it's not cloudy. It's also a time she'd think about her parents, about her past. There are so many unanswered questions swimming in her mind.
"May I join you?"
Yun tilted her head up a bit, seeing Nami. "Sure if you want."
The navigator sat next to her. "You're a lot different from Raiu-san, almost polar opposites."
"Axely would tell us that too. He's the one always chatting and bouncing around while I'm the one that's quiet and shy."
"That sounds a bit like Luffy and Chopper."
"Did you join the crew by choice Nami-san?"
"Hm me? Not really. At first I joined for my own self. But later on Luffy helped me along with the others. He destroyed the one thing that was keeping me back and now that I'm free, I can go on with my dream."
"A dream huh?" Yun mumbled, sitting up. "Axely said he had a dream once. He wanted to go back out to sea like he did in his youth. He said that he would take us with him too."
"What happened to him?"
"He told us he was going to a neighboring island to pick up some supplies and that he'd be back in no more than a week if the ocean was kind. That was 3 years ago."
"He hasn't come back?"
Yun shook her head. "We use to wait for him out on the bridge, watching the ocean for the ship that he went on. Raiu finally said that he wasn't coming back and that we shouldn't sit around waiting. That was the only other time I saw my brother angry. The other was when some kid beat me up when he wasn't around. I'm going to bed now Nami-san. Enjoy your evening."
The mechanic stood with a nod of her head, making her way back into the house. Luffy, Chopper and Usopp where running around the living room while Sanji and Zoro were fighting in the corner over who sleeps where. She didn't see Raiu or Robin around. She found Robin looking over some books in a study, but didn't bother her. Raiu was in his room on the balcony. He turned around when she closed the door behind her. She noticed he looked sad.
"Is something wrong Raiu?"
He said nothing as he walked towards her and hugged her tightly. She blushed just a little, but it slowly vanished and she hugged back. They only got each other and they both know that. But Yun felt like something was off.
"Remember that time you go beat up by someone we thought was our friend and I fought back?"
"Yes I remember."
"People became afraid of us before we can speak. People hated us before we can walk."
Yun stepped back from him. "Raiu what's wrong? Why are you-"
She stopped. He was crying. She's never seen Raiu cry before. Yun reached out to him, but she stopped and dropped her hand. Part of her was feeling guilty. Maybe that cheerful face of his is just a mask and he's been hiding this pain from her. And she's been blind this whole time. She shook her head and hugged him close.
"Don't be sad Raiu. Whatever is wrong tell me please."
"You're the only one I've got Yun."
"That should be more than enough right? We don't need anyone else as long as we've got each other."
"I can't take this anymore."
Yun froze, hearing those words and backed away from him a little. "What are you saying?"
"I never wanted you to worry so I was always happy around you. Axely noticed it too, but I begged him not to tell."
"But why would you do that? Why not be honest with me?"
"Because I don't want to lose you."
He didn't wait for her to speak and left for the bed. Yun stayed where she was. How could she have been blind to her own flesh and blood's feelings? They've been together all their lives. Played together, laughed together. How could she not see the pain he's in? She stepped next to the bed, wanting to speak and wanting to comfort him, but she couldn't. She just grabbed the extra blanket that sat on the bed and went to sleep on the floor.
What are you hiding from me Raiu?
Thank you again for reading and staying with me this far
Phew another long chapter. Please tell me what you think
And my apologies if there might be some confusion about the twins past. More will be told throughout the story
I hope you can join me again \OvO Mata ne!