My first story that I have ever posted so I apoligize if things are a little strange its been an idea running around in my head for weeks and I finally bit the bullet and started to write I hope its not to confusing. Please do tell me any problems you find especially if Maili becomes a Mary-sue.
Disclaimer: I do not have never once and never will own anything of One piece or its characters it is completely owned by the original author (who's name eludes me at this time.)
Waves caress the warm sand of a small cove near a little fishing village. The sound of the village beginning to move for the day could be heard across the beach. A tall man walks toward a set of small fishing boats he had a small tackle box and a fishing pole in each of his hands his short black hair tousled by the breeze, sun kissed skin a soft bronze color from many days in the sun, His eyes a sparkling clear blue. Whistling he lays his fishing gear in one of the boats before he stepped into the boat himself, something softly hit the side. Curiously he looks over the edge of the little row boat to see a small girl floating in the water draped over a small fragment of wood, her long cherry hued hair stuck to her sun burned skin and tangled in splinters of wood several pieces of seaweed. Quickly he pulled the small frail looking girl from the clear blue waters. He assessed that she was still breathing but her heartbeat wasn't very strong, her skin was a sickly pale color beneath the burn; her breath came in ragged gasps. As he lifted the light form of the child into his arms several wounds started to bleed profusely from her middle. Quickly he abandoned his fishing gear and rushed the child to his house.
Once the tall man was to his house, near the beach on the edge of the village, he carefully laid the girl on the bed. A tall slender woman walked into the room carrying a basket of folded laundry her doe brown eyes filled with humor.
"Oh Cain your home already? Is the weather no good for fishing? Oh… "The woman stopped talking when her eyes rested on the now shivering form of the child her husband had brought home.
"Kiko dear can you please help this child I found her by the North beach." The tall man asked looking at his wife worriedly. The woman couldn't help but to smile softly at her partner and nodding shooing the man out of the room so she could undress the girl and tend her wounds. Upon inspecting the gash in the child's midsection she found no visible infection, so she cleaned the wound and stitched it neatly closed bandaging her carefully. The woman found a large shirt of her husband's in the pile of laundry she had brought in and dressed the frail girl in it, laying her back down for her to sleep undisturbed to heal.
After three days of not waking slowly the small girl's eyes flutter open to stare at the ceiling in confusion, Kiko was sitting next to the child a bowl of soup in her hand ready to poor in her mouth as the girl woke up.
"Ah your awake good I don't have to force feed you. Here have some soup." The child eyed it warily before silently accepting the bowl and spoon. As soon as the broth touched her tongue her eyes lit up brightly. With an approving sound she downed the contents quickly sighing happily. Kiko smiled softly at the small girl sitting in front of her, watching the silent child look around the room happiness changing to confusion.
"You're in mine, and my Husband Cain's home. He is the one who found you. We are on Gecko Island in Syrup Village. My name is Yukiko but you can just call me Kiko if you like. What can I call you?" Kiko asked smiling still. The child thought really hard before finally shaking her head and shrugging. Kiko was confused by this at first but then figured the child had some form of amnesia caused by whatever caused her wounds. "Alright how about we call you… Maili?" The child smiled brightly and nodded enthusiastically
"I like that name very much thank you." Maili said her voice soft barely reaching Kiko's ears.
"Well Maili can you remember where you came from?" The child concentrated very hard for a moment before sighing and shaking her head sadly. Kiko smiled sadly at the depressed child then a thought occurred to her maybe this child's parents were killed in whatever attack wounded her so grievously. "How would you like to live with Cain and I? At least until you regain your memories." The child nodded, not giving it any thought.
Maili finally all healed was wandering aimlessly through the woods around Syrup village when she came across the sound of pebbles hitting wood and cheering, curiosity got the best of her so she had to investigate. Unfortunately she came at the wrong moment from around a tree and nearly got a marble to the forehead had she not reacted quickly and ducked. Slowly she stood and turned to look at the dent in the tree that was left by the marble, she sighed in relief.
"Oh thank goodness that would have hurt badly if that hit me." She turned and smiled at the four gawking boys three of them looked about 5 or 6 and the older one looked about her age maybe a year younger. "My you're a pretty good shot you must be the infamous Usopp the liar I have heard about from Kiko."
"Who are you?" All four of the boys said in unison pointing at the petite girl standing in front of them.
"Oh I'm sorry I am Maili I am happy to meet you." She bowed politely still smiling happily at them.
"Hey no girls allowed!" The smallest one shouted pointing at her. She smiled wider in return.
"Why? Do you have something against girls? Little sisters perhaps?" They all shook their heads. "No then perhaps there is a girl club in the village that boys are not allowed into?
"No it's a rule girls can't be pirates!" Another of the boys said loudly she shook her head sadly looking at the ground beneath her pouting. "H-hey don't cry!"
"B-but y-you won't let m-me play with you…" She pretended to cry while looking up through her bangs watching as the boys began to crack.
"Fine but if things get to dangerous you just run away while me the Great Captain Usopp protects you!" Usopp said pointing in the air. Maili smiled cheerfully and cheering joining usopp and his pirates on their silly adventures.
1 year later Klahador shows up and the family in the mansion all die except for the young mistress. Maili often went with Usopp as a look out as he went to tell the young mistress his fabricated stories.
"Honestly Usopp if you are not careful one of these days you are going to get caught and there will be nothing I can do about it." Maili stated standing over the grinning Usopp who is sitting against a tree near Kaya's window after Kaya had gone back to sleep.
"Don't be stupid Maili-Chan I have the best lookout ever I'll never get caught… oop time to go!" He shot to his feet grabbing Maili's hand and dashing through the whole in the shrubbery just as the butler came around the corner.
"I don't trust that butler there seems to be something off about him… He smells of blood" Maili muttered sticking a biscuit stick dipped in strawberry flavored chocolate and glaring at the butler suddenly one of the villagers ran up to her panting heavily.
"Maili I finally found you go home quick Yukiko has collapsed the doctor can't figure out what happened to her." She didn't let the man finish as she dashed back into the town headed for her dwelling tears already streaming down her face. Shouting out her foster mothers name she burst into the house flinging herself onto the edge of the bed.
"Maili…" the sickly woman gasped out panting. "Please child… do not… cry… I knew… My time… was coming… I have known for a long time… please Maili… my beloved sea child… Do not cry for me… Continue on and live your dreams… perhaps you or I can find Cain at last. Remember to smile…" Maili nodded tears spilling from her eyes still but she still managed to smile shakily at the now smiling woman in the bed. "When we meet again you can tell me more of your misadventures with the Usopp pirates." The woman laughed breezily at that closing her eyes gently. "You were truly a blessing brought to me by the gods of the sea. Thank you Maili. Don't live in the past continue on as you are now Maili my too smart for her own good daughter. The past does not matter." With that said the sickly woman slowly drifted off into a slumber from which she will not wake.
Usopp arrived just as Maili walked out of the house a small pack on her back. She smiled sadly at him wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Well Captain it appears that I will have to leave the crew for a time. I am going on an adventure to try and find my father. I hope someday you will be able to live out your dream. If I cannot find him I will be back in two years." She smiled hugging her captain happily. "At least now you can say you had an older sister that left to find who she is. Remember you are never alone." Letting the stunned boy go she ran off toward the north coast as fast as possible not letting the boy have time to recover and try and stop her she was after all still just a child.
Thanks for reading... if you even did lol I am not going to beg for reviews I will write weather I get reviews or not... or i might get stuck quickly and not write... who knows... Bai bai ~Rayne~