A Fairy's Tale (Kidd X OC X Killer

Chapter 41: Left Behind

Six Years Ago...

Loklynn sat cross-legged on the beach, just below the dock, meticulously cleaning her daggers. Her movements were deliberate and practiced, a compulsive to-and-fro that served to soothe her nerves and veil how utterly betrayed she felt.

Shanks sat beside her, his rugged features illuminated by the dying embers of daylight as he silently peered into the distance, ostensibly at ease despite her hidden turmoil. She had spent half her life thus far under his care, growing attached to the laughter and camaraderie of his crew, believing she was part of their family. Shanks had always been kind to her, training her, teaching her, sharing tales of his adventures and giving her the opportunity to go on new ones at his side... Yet, despite how open he always seemed to be, he had outright refused to reveal the real reason for her departure beyond it being 'for her safety.'

Loklynn trusted Shanks with her life, but she couldn't help feeling like a pawn in a game she didn't understand.

Never before had she been so aware of the fact that she was nothing but a child. Never before had it hurt so much.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Loklynn couldn't help but clench her small fists, her knuckles turning white in the fading light. She gazed out toward the horizon, where the sea warbled cheerfully in contrast to the cold storm of bitterness inside her. The gentle lapping of the waves against the wooden dock seemed to mock her.
Even as her entire life was falling apart, the world would continue to spin. The sun would rise and set, the tides would come and go, and the Red Haired Pirates would move on without her.

As she continued her mission to pointedly ignore her would-be caretaker, her sharp eyes caught a peculiar sight on the horizon.

It was a vessel that defied easy classification. It wasn't quite a ship, not exactly a boat... it seemed to be an amalgamation of a sloop, a fishing vessel, and a raft. A wooden cross rose from the center of the structure, gracefully carved to resemble a crucifix. The sails, half-drawn, hung from the cross, draped like inky curtains from its outstretched arms. The candles affixed to its outer rim glowed a pale seafoam green, lending it the aura of some ghostly apparition as its sleek ebony hull sliced effortlessly toward them through the water.

Loklynn's curiosity burned her enough to break the silence first. "Shanks... what is that?"

"That," Shanks said with a wistful huff, "is Hitsugibune, Hawkeye's vessel. He doesn't have a crew, so he doesn't really need a big ship like ours."

"Why would he go through the effort of soaking the candle wicks with barium, of all things?" She asked absently. Her eyes narrowed with judgement on the otherworldly glow. "Just for some sort of spooky effect? Seems like a waste of time to me..."

Shanks raised an eyebrow at her. "Barium...? Ah, I forgot; Yasopp's been tutoring you, right?"

"Mm-hm," Loklynn nodded before patting the bag at her hip with a fond smile. "He gave me some study material before we left, too."

"Heh, You'll be making bombs in no time. Hawkeye hoards books like a goblin, so I'm sure there's more where that came from," the captain laughed. He either didn't notice or refused to comment on the way her smile fell off her face like a cheap mask as his gaze returned to the oncoming boat.

"I couldn't tell ya his reasons, but you're definitely not the first one to ask. A couple rumors started awhile back about him being a vampire 'cause of the whole, 'woooo, I travel in a coffin, look at my spooky green ghost fire,' thing..." Shanks brought his cape in front of his face and shot her a playful glare over the top, wiggling his fingers for effect before dropping the act completely. "Personally? I think he was asking for it. I'd even go so far as to say that somber son of a gun actually enjoys scaring people off; It's like his hobby or something."