Save Me, Shanks!

XxXxX

FOR REFERNCE:

The Elemental Family (From eldest to youngest)

Leah (Fire)

Nera (Water)

Kendra (Earth)

Ruby (Thunder)

Amalia (Air)

Vera (?)

Nama (Fire)

Mia (Water/Ice)

Razu (Earth)

XxXxX

It was ten years too early for Mia to be running around the Temple, chasing after brats who avoided their classes just to run around the pristine halls without a care for accurate molecule placement in water particles. Especially when the halls were so tiresomely long and stretched, adding to the fact that the Temple's design was nothing short of unnecessarily intricate. It was well-organized maze, surprisingly easy to navigate oneself in, but absolutely and physically draining to explore.

It didn't help that Mia wasn't really at the pinnacle of her physical form. It also didn't help that the brats she was hunting down had ten times the energy she had. Neptune alone knew where they got it from.

"Mera! Nino!" she hissed over the soft footfalls of her sandals. Her words bounced of the hallways white walls' hauntingly. She had always found them eerily naked and cold, in contrast with the colourful people who lived within its lifeless walls.

Praying to luck, she took a random turn at the next corner, hoping to find one of them hanging themselves outside a window or sporting about one of the glorious fountains that decorated the terrain around the large oriental structure. Though she doubted that sincerely, she figured it wouldn't hurt to just check anyhow.

"Yo."

The voice made her jump and for a second her heart stopped. She turned on her heels to see one of her eldest sisters gazing at her curiously. Mia felt as if she'd been caught doing something wrong, and the irony aggravated her as she was clearly the victim here.

"Nama! Don't sneak up on me like that! What are you doing stalking me in the hallways? Don't you have your own pair of twin nieces to chase after?"

Her sister took a cocky stance, of course being older and having more confidence, she was prone to be a bit full of herself at the most needless of times. Nonetheless, notwithstanding being the third youngest, Nama was easily one of the best leaders among the nine sisters, and certainly had a temper on her. Of course, it was no secret that the Fire Elementals were a tad hot-headed – it was somewhat of a family joke.

"Lost them again, hey? You're terrible at this." Nama smirked, her tanned face betraying her loss of elegance. Despite her teasing, she sympathised. "Come on, I'll help you look for them."

Mia smiled with gratefulness as her sister fell into comfortable step next to her. It wasn't as much as rushed searching as it was casual strolling until they were to conveniently stumble upon the two misfits.

"Such a nice big sister I have," Mia remarked, feeling herself relax. Nama always had this effect on her, which caused her slight confusion, because Nama was most of the times a rather intense character, if not always in a bad mood. Even so, her loyalty outweighed anyone in the family. She would gladly die for anyone who shared her blood, no matter what the cost or cause. Mia, on the other hand, felt herself more useful on the side-lines, or to be more specific, on Nama's left-hand side, where she could subsequently support her sister through any battle.

Nama kept her face cool and aloof sometimes. "Yeah, well, I know it's hard raising someone else's twin brats."

Mia's eyes twinkled knowingly. "Yes, but you warmed up to Fureah and Nensho eventually, and they simply adore you. Whenever they have trouble, who do they go to? Their Aunt Nama, not Leah."

"And then I end up beating up boys for breaking their hearts. Sucks that they're so pretty for such a young age. Attracts a lot of unwanted attention."

"Nama, they're seventeen."

"What's your point?"

Mia sighed. There was no use. Nama didn't understand men, nor had she any interest in romance or relationships. Men were a foreign being to her, an alien race she kept her distance from, preferably always. Mia once theorised that perhaps Nama was made for another type of love, one that couldn't be simulated, but rather kindled – this is where Fureah and Nensho, the daughters of the Eldest, came into play.

Primarily, Nama had no interest in training or raising them, and for once turned her back on her family and fled to a neighbouring world whilst breaking many of the temples rules. The twins chased after her, 'things happened' as Nama described it to Mia and here they were. Nama would do anything for those girls, Mia knew, as she would do for her own charges. Who knew what happened in that world, as Nama refused to talk about it, even though she still frequently visited it with the girls.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought popped into Mia's head. She gasped involuntarily, but did not stop in her tracks. "What if they entered a New World?!"

Nama huffed, unaffected and unfazed. "Would do them some good," she muttered, form straight. Her flaming red hair did well to compliment her power and profession. She grew it down the length of her back, believing its length was testament to her strength as well as experience. Mia just thought it was very beautiful.

"I'm serious!" Mia quipped, her stepping becoming anxious along the path of the halls.

"So what?" Nama grumbled. "So they open one of the doors and enter a world to have an adventure of a lifetime! What is the problem?"

"Yes, and we know how thrilled Nera would be of that idea," Mia snapped, more angry with her own carelessness than her sister's disinterest. Nama shrugged, running her rough fingers through her long and unrealistic hair.

"Like anyone gives a damn about what Nera thinks."

"Ugh, Nama! Come on!" Mia went into a sprint, rules be damned, she was going to run down the halls. Clearly these girls were testing her limits and patience, so whatever was required, she'd find them and make sure they were safe. Grunting annoyingly, Nama sprinted after her, their sandals padding on the clean floor of the Temple. A few twists and turns later and they were in the desired hallway.

It was lined with many ornamental and decorated doors, each emitting a world full of mystery. It was menacing the way they stood shut, as if one could burst open any moment and bring about the end of their own world. The halls were stark white, yet every door held a fair amount of artistry and colour, some painted upon, others had ornaments hanging off the shining doorknobs and handles. Mia leered down the hall, scanning for imperfection. It was horrid how these doors stood unattended and unguarded – they could just as well have stood open. Yet, placing guards in the Temple went against Temple culture, or whatever poppy cock the First Five came up with.

Her eyes spotted an irregularity. One of the doors clearly stood ajar, and her heart skipped another beat for the day. Nama seemed to notice it as well.

"Oh, they actually did it," she remarked, almost dryly, but still held some of her own concern. She wasn't going into another world – it was dangerous to jump around worlds and be connected with more than one. Her own world was challenging enough, and soon she would become Elemental Guard of the world if she played her cards right. Of course, she'd have to take her own twins with her, but she'd get to that later.

They rushed to the door in question and froze in front of it. It was a particularly famous door, reportedly untouched by Elemental heritage and ancestry. Little was known about the world, which was rare, as most worlds had been explored and somewhat drawn up and written about in the Temple.

"What world is this?" asked Nama, sounding a little less disinterested than she did a few seconds ago.

"You've never set your foot in the Library, have you?" Mia rolled her eyes. "Nera called this the 'One Piece' world."

"Piece of what?" Nama grumbled dumbly, scratching her head.

"One Piece," Mia repeated, running a shy hand over the edge of the door which stood naked to the world. "As in one singular piece."

"But Piece of what?"

"I don't know, Nama," Mia ground out, her frustration boiling over. She wasn't one to generally lose her temper, yet her current display was Child's play in comparison to Nama's anger-management issues. "I can sense their spirits. They definitely went in."

Her heart jumped in her throat. They went in. Oh, dear Neptune, who knows the dangers that lurked in this particular world? Were they okay?

Nama crossed her arms, yet her face conveyed a sense of being impressed. "So, what's the deal with this world that they want to go in?"

Mia frowned, her gorgeous face uncharacteristically clinching at this defeat she had found herself in. "We don't know much about it, other than that it is a pirate-centred world."

Nama exploded with laughter. Mia's face turned red with fury, though she didn't see the comical side of the situation at all.

"It's not funny! Do you have any idea what possible danger lies in there?!" she pointed towards the door that still stood ajar. Nama's laughter subsided into snickers, until she finally calmed down and gave Mia a hard clap on the back.

"OW!" Mia exclaimed, rubbing her lower back which was red underneath from the impact. She glared at Nama, totally upset with her now. As always Nama seemed unfazed by anyone else's anger but her own.

"Mia, come on. We're talking about the daughters of a woman who can flood the planet if she wanted. So they'll run around the ocean with pirates a little, big deal! Let them slay a few Krakens and walk a few planks!"

Although she was trying to sound earnest, she did nothing to soothe Mia's over the edge nerves. Defeated and helpless, Mia sighed and rested her head in her hands. "What am I going to do? Nera's going to kill me."

From next to her, she heard Nama sigh. "Look, sis. Go after them." Mia raised her heavy head to look into her sister's strong eyes. "Go pack some herbs and orbs and stuff and go in after them."

"But Nera-"

"I'll deal with Nera," Nama added, voice deep and coated with bravery Mia could only hope to own one day.

She smiled at her sister, eternally grateful.

XxXxX

If looks could kill, Mia would be dead. Disintegrated and a laying pile of ash on the ground beneath Mihawk's feet. It was not to be underestimated how powerful the impact of his eyes was on a person. He seemed to be able to pick one's soul apart with a mere blink or one second's focus of his pupil. His form was rigid, strong, and overwhelmingly criminal in the sense that his mere stance should be a crime.

Mia swallowed.

From next to her, Shanks was still his boisterous self. "Woah, did you wake him up from his nap? Because you shouldn't do that," he said to her casually before he excitedly turned to Mihawk.

She felt her form shrink, yet stood her ground, Shanks's presence definitely feeding her confidence. A gasp escaped her throat before she could stop herself and she found herself suddenly crashed into a very hard and muscular body. She blinked and found herself against Shanks, as apparently he had thrown a protective arm around her and retracted her to his safe form. Normally she would have objections. It was uncanny that two men had held her like this in the last few hours. No wonder everyone in the family thought she was a slut, a family joke she was cursed to deal with because she was the alleged 'pretty one' among the triplets. It was moronic. She, Nama and Razu were triplets. They looked identical, damnit.

There was a moment of bloated silence. No one in Shanks's crew dared make a sound, even if petrified by Mihawk's mere presence. Shanks and Mihawk seemed to be staring each other down, Shanks serious in his expression for once. The sight made Mia quiver, and for a moment she was reminded of the dangerous figures that travelled across these waters.

It was Mihawk who spoke first. "Camping on an island like this …you're much too casual." He did not even acknowledge Mia first, something that bothered her a little for some reason. Perhaps because it was rude.

Shanks smirked and for a moment Mia felt invisible. "Yo, Hawkeyes," he greeted severely as if the latter hadn't made any comment whatsoever. Mia moved to shift, and Shanks's grip intensified around her form. She felt caught between two predators. "Long time no see. I'm a little busy right now. You come for a match?"

Mihawk huffed. "I have no interest in challenging a one armed man like yourself. But that woman you seem to be clinging to is mine."

Flabbergasted, Mia's eyebrows raised high in shock. His? What an odd and bold statement at the same time. She tried to figure out his statement before the two men's friendly banter ran dry, and the only thing she could conclude is that these two probably had a rivalry. So, at the end of the day, she was the favourite toy that two toddlers wanted to fight over.

Either that or Mihawk was the jealous type. Maybe Shanks stole all his girlfriends back in the day. Both were equally good looking in their own way, but there was no denying Shanks's warm and welcoming exterior.

'Getting off topic here, brain.' Mia focussed back on the interaction between Shanks and Mihawk.

Shanks then grinned. "But she's my guest, and for the rest of the day, my date," he stated boldly. This was news to Mia. Date? Uhm, okay.

Mihawk was not amused for the most part and to Mia it felt like Shanks was playing with venomous fire. There was a split second where Mia was positively convinced a fight was going to break out and that these two men would exercise their infamous power on each other in another one of their 'legendary battles', as Shanks called it. Instead, Shanks chuckled, released his hold on Mia and retook his seat from before. He then proceeded to pick up his jug of beer, chug it down greedily and then release an unrefined belch fit for a pirate.

It had been some while since Mia had been so confused.

Shanks laughed at her expression. "C'mon, sweetheart! Sit down! Mihawk's here to party! So let's all have some fun and unwind a little!"

Mia almost expected Mihawk to blow Shanks off, call him a fool or simply grab her and leave without a word. Thus, she prepared herself for any reaction he might have, but nothing prepared her for him merely walking towards Shanks, taking a seat next to him and pulling out Luffy's wanted poster, much to Shanks's enjoyment. They began conversing, Mia's company unnoticed or either ignored. For a brief moment she felt insulted, then reminded herself of the situation she was in. She decided she would play Shanks's game, hoping it would turn out in her favour.

Mia shifted on her feet as music began to play in the background, a little unsure of what she had to do next. Shanks saw her discomfort, stretched out his hand to grip the material of her long skirt and pulled her off her feet and into his lap. She squeaked at the contact, founding herself pressed against a tall and toned chest.

Despite all the trouble these pirates were giving her, there was no denying the eye-candy they turned out to be. She mentally blushed after that thought, though it must have shown on her face, because Shanks then proceeded to openly tease her about it. Then, he shamelessly flirted with her, in front of Mihawk of course, no doubt to aggravate him or to get a rouse out of his cold and stoic form.

"Come on, darling. Have a drink!" he insisted, moving to hand her some alcohol. She respectively declined. Her culture dictated she only drink water. Being in the company of pirates, this was apparently a very funny thing to say as they all burst out into yells of laughter that made her go red again. Whenever Mia was embarrassed, her face lit on fire and the heat made her uncomfortable – she simply hide her face in her hands until her face cooled down. It was a sad habit.

Shanks thought she was upset. "Hey, sorry, we're pirates. We don't know about culture." He sounded very sympathetic, and pulled her delicate hand away from her face. "Come on, don't hide that beautiful face."

Her cheeks burned red. Really, where she came from there was no flirting to this degree. There was only the Temple, training and studies. If an Elemental wished to marry, she had to be a designated Guardian of a world and then may be allowed to marry. Of course, Mia was far from World Guardian status – she could barely protect her own nieces.

Her sadness at the memory of her nieces must have shown on her face, because Shanks was very affectionate all of a sudden, which did nothing to pacify her, yet was well successful in making her extremely uncomfortable. Her one hand grazed though her hair and stroked her face, then moved down to her back to stroke circles on the surface. She wriggled in his lap, which was a mistake, because the movement might've come across as provocative.

"Shanks, stop handling the woman," Mihawk drawled, and if he was drunk, didn't show it. Mia dared to make eye contact with him and his face betrayed some irritation. It seemed that if anyone was capable of getting under his skin, it was Shanks.

Shanks narrowed his eyes at his rival. "You're just jealous."

Mihawk then rose to his feet, steadily, and so not showing any sign of intoxication. He looked Mia square in the eye. "You broke your promise that you would come peacefully."

Mia shrunk under his gaze. He truly was terrifying and for that second she didn't mind pressing herself tighter against Shanks's form. She involuntarily began to shiver and, almost childlike, turned her head away from his view and into the protection of Shanks's chest.

"I've never seen you act so passively against a woman, Mihawk," Shanks said in mild accusation, out of the blue very serious and protective. He shifted Mia in order to stand up, albeit somewhat unsteadily due to intoxication, which made Mia nervous. He then placed his hand behind her back, which Mia took as comfort. Unexpectedly, he pushed her, hard. She fell forward and was caught by another.

'I really should try standing firmer and stronger. These men are throwing and carrying me about,' she thought sourly in order to distract herself from the fact that she was back in her captor's hands. He hoisted her up on her feet and grasped her wrist strongly so it most definitely hurt her petite arm. The pain showed on her face, but if Mihawk had noticed, he didn't show it. Instead, he shot Shanks a piercing look and Shanks returned one that shadowed a certain emotion Mia couldn't pinpoint. A brief moment of understand ran between the two, as if they spoke a language only they understood. The crew seemed oblivious to this exchange, going on with their merriment and drinking.

She felt betrayed and hurt that Shanks would give her away so easily, despite promising to protect her. He was her last hope at freedom and she foolishly trusted from the beginning. She threw him a soft and questioning look, not angry, just confused.

He met her eyes, smiled and winked. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You're safer with Mihawk then you are with me. You're too beautiful for your own good, and I got my own lady to go back to so best to go with him. Just don't wake him up from his nap again, okay?"

And that was that.

XxXxX

Without a word, Mihawk began to jerk her in the direction of the beach. His grip on her wrist was quite painful, for she was rather delicately built and his hand was used to wielding a deadly weapon with unimaginable force no doubt. The two didn't sit right with each other. She fought hard not to show weakness, but the pain was becoming unbearable. She refused to cry. But for the moment, she was tired fighting. The day had been long. She was emotionally and physically exhausted.

The pain in her wrist dulled. She saw white and promptly half-fainted. Out of discomfort, she groaned as Mihawk caught her once more, and unsuccessfully tried to put her on her feet.

"You seem exhausted. There is an island not too far with a fair inn we can rest at. Take rest. I will get us there safe." She had no idea what caused his irritation to subside all of a sudden, but for now she did not care.

She heard him with a half ear, yet something in his voice eluded her to trust him, if only on this one thing. There was something oddly idealistic in the way he spoke to her at that moment. She felt overwhelmed, as if the waters surrounding her were trying to communicate with her finally, but it appeared to be coming from inside her soul – alas, she couldn't hear it anymore, for it was gone as quick as it came. She imagined the wind tucking a stray hair behind her ear, but it was only later did she remember that the winds had died down the moment Mihawk hoisted her into his arms.

XxXxX

A/N: Rewritten 2016/12/07. I'm a little disappointed with this one. Not as long as I wanted but I swear from here on it gets better. Had to fix some spelling errors and so. Sorry if there are still a few.

Nama will return in the future.

RESPONSES:

bookgrl: I promise I won't stop! Not as long as reviews like yours exist. You got me so pumped to start the next chapter. Thank you for your wonderful words! :)

Yoshisaki Asuka: Thanks! He's one of mine too!

PurpleJosei: You flatter me. *blushes*

Ravenclaw Slytherin: Thank you!

Juliedoo: Possibly my favourite review. I'm so glad someone feels that way and it's wonderful to hear it from someone on the site. Trust me, I've read them too and I knew I wanted to try something different. I'm ecstatic to hear you like Mia! She's always been in my mind through the years and somewhere in my fantasies, she ended up with Mihawk. I hope to hear more from you in the future!