A/N: Why do I keep doing these? Why that is a fantastic question but it is also one of those questions that has no clear or logical answer. Ya' know, kind of like "Which came first: the chicken or the egg?" "Why this woman keep writing this crap: because she's bored or because she's dumb?" Neither. I'm feeding fandom. –shot-
It wasn't the dark that terrified her or even what could be in that darkness: it was what she thought that made her shake. Koala knew there was nothing there lurking where her sight could not see but her mind told her, "No, something's there, trying to get you." Her paranoia would not go away and often times, she would lie there all night, never closing her eyes in fear. She knew, just knew, nothing was there but it never seemed like enough support to put her mind at ease. So she would lay there, covers to her chin, and wait until morning to finally relax. What shadows the child could make out played tricks on her mind and eyes all night, or at least until she couldn't handle it any more and would pull her covers over her head. She felt silly, because she knew nothing was there.
Even after weeks following her freedom, Koala's unhealthy sleep pattern continued; staying awake until the break of dawn in paranoid fear. Couldn't she have one, just one, night that she could sleep at ease? Where she wouldn't have to worry to something would snatch her away again? That she wouldn't panic at an unfamiliar sound? Was something like that that far from her reach? Koala should've told someone; she knew that too. She knew that if she told someone, her fears could be eased and she would feel better. Yet her mind told her not to as she was still a burden to the crew; why would she want to make that worse? So each morning, when questioned how she slept, the girl would mask her exhaustion with a smile and cheerful tones. If she didn't show it, they wouldn't know; that's how she saw it.
And finally, the habit of fear was broke. Koala was far too tired to even uphold her cheerful disposition no matter how hard she tired. Enough was enough; she was becoming a mess. "But then you'll be in trouble and you know what happens then." She did know what happened but she also knew that even if she didn't tell anyone, they would eventually find out. So Koala slipped from her bunk quietly to the floor, careful to not disturb those around her. She could've gone to any of them for peace of mind, but only one person would still be awake at this hour. Her tired eyes strained to see in the dark, following a wall with her hand to find the door. It was a room so simple yet inky blackness seemed to make it so much more complicated to navigate.
Koala felt bad for bothering someone with her problems; just another thing slavery changed about her. But as she snuck up the stairs to the main deck, she knew that they probably wouldn't have minded. Well, that wasn't entirely true; she knew what Arlong would do if she told him. Koala felt somewhat better as her feet touched the deck, taking comfort in the moderate light the moon provided. She still tried to stay quiet on deck even though she knew her footfalls would never be heard by anyone; how deep the paranoia ran. The wood felt cold beneath her bare feet as she walked the deck to the quarters of her destination; she had since gain her sea legs and wasn't constantly struggling for balance. Koala hesitated as the massive door loomed over her but felt a bit better seeing faint light through the bottom crack. Did she knock or simply enter? Either way, it felt strange. She opted to simply enter, taking the handle in her little hand and pulled it open; it took more effort than an average door would.
Inside, Tiger was still awake, hunched over maps and coordinates. Koala assumed he was mapping their location and how long it was until they reached her homeland. She wanted to say something, in the event that he hadn't heard her step inside, but found that she couldn't bring herself to say anything. The girl chose to shuffle inside quietly and close the door behind her, officially blocking her exit. Even though she tried not to come often, Koala felt most relaxed in Tiger's quarters because she felt like nothing could get her there. She stood there for what seemed like forever, when it had really been a few seconds, before Tiger took notice of her. He looked over at her, saying not a word and for a moment Koala wasn't so sure about coming. The silence spanned another few seconds before the captain sighed and motioned the girl over; she complied obediently.
It wasn't the first time this had happened, Koala going to Tiger when she was frightened, and she felt rather terrible noting that it probably wasn't going to be the last either. As she approached, Tiger moved far enough away from his desk that she could climb into his lap, to watch him work as usual. Koala liked watching him work: she learned about places and things she wouldn't have learned anywhere else. When she had settled, Tiger went back to his task. The girl peeked up: maps, coordinates, and the log pose to her homeland. She had guessed right.
Koala always tried her best to avoid being in the captain's way while he worked, shifting this way and that to keep from bumping his arm. Tonight, she just leaned against his chest, watching with half-lidded eyes. She felt relaxed, her fear slowly slipping away and her paranoia quieted for once. Everything seemed right. She yawned quietly and rubbed at her eyes, blinking to keep awake. One hand came away from the maps to pat her head, an action telling her without a word to sleep. Koala shifted slightly, nestled up, and let her eyes slip shut. The dark didn't feed her paranoia and for once, she didn't worry about something snatching her away. She felt safe, like she felt back home before her enslavement; Tiger just felt like home. The girl didn't find it strange at all to say such a thing, something that any other human would've scorned.
It was still a very early morning when Koala woke up. Her eyes blinked open and she raised her head to look outside; still dark. She sat up, noticing that she had been moved at some point during her slumber. No longer was she in Tiger's lap but tucked under covers in the bed nearby. The girl looked back at the desk where she had once been. Tiger was still at his desk but less than awake, his hand propping up his chin as he slept; it wasn't an uncommon sight but it still made her feel bad. So Koala inched off of her perch and shuffled quietly over to him, stopping a fair distance away. Maybe she shouldn't bother him any more than she already had but… Her hand reached out and grasped the fabric of his coat, hesitating before slightly tugging on it.
Tiger blinked his eyes open and looked down at her. Koala took a step back as he stretched his arms and bluntly inquired if she felt better having some sleep in her system. Koala knew he would've known and she felt terrible about it. However, she had to agree: she felt much livelier now. So she told him as such, smiling as she had before. Tiger seemed convinced but also told her to never hesitate to come to him if she was troubled; he wasn't great at handling a child or a human, but he could try. The small girl blinked before smiling again and thanking him eagerly. Her paranoia would leave her be now; she had a place she could run to.
Okay, ending sucks BUT I'm too tired and lazy to care. XD So, hope you enjoyed!