Chapter 3: Wake Up

The darkness surrounded her. The only light that came was from the moon outside. She had been up for hours doing as her mother told her and couldn't even sit till it was perfect. All was quiet except for the sound of night creatures and the plucking of a shamisen. Sakuya sat on her knees playing her shamisen and watched her daughter dancing in front of her intently. Her young child's face had a small smile on it, it was not real, but pretend and meant solely for this practice.

Kai had two fans in her grip and spun around, opening and closing them to a certain beat. She greatly did not want to look at her mother's face because she was sure it would be filled with anger and hate at the horrid dance she was giving. But her eyes could not do as she pleased. Just thinking of her mother's face in her mind she always expected it to look like it did whenever company was over; bright, vibrant and smiling with such a sincerity no one would ever have thought she had frowned once in her life. The beauty that it radiated made her mother glow with perfection. But never when she frowned. And it had been a while since Kai saw her smile.

As her eyes gazed up from her own feet to her mother's dark brown orbs, the ones she inherited, she saw the common angry eyebrow that twitched when she was aggravated. The straight face that she wore showed strain and tension and Kai knew she was not doing well. This thought, however, only made her do worse and she missed a couple of steps as she thought of her mother's anger.

Quickly, the music stopped and the sound of a huff surprised Kai into freezing where she stood. She stared at her mother who stamped toward her in anger. She had dropped her shamisen with a clank and grabbed Kai by the arm and yanked her to her own side. She started to yell at her. A common thing among the two, Kai would mess up and Sakuya would scold her for it. Soon enough she began to beat her. Hitting her over and over again Kai was on the ground crying from the pain and her mother's words, calling her worthless and a failure. After several minutes of that, her mother stopped and dropped her child's limp arm. Sakuya left Kai crying on the floor and returned to her prior position with her shamisen.

"Again." Sakuya sat straight faced watching her daughter stand up in pain and start her dance over. Kai tried to suppress her tears like her mother told her but couldn't help but let a few slip through. Kai's skin was very pale, it didn't have that dark tint her mother had. Instead, she had her father's skin tone.

Kai finished her dance even worse then she had started it, but her mother just left the room to sleep. She told Kai that she couldn't recede back into her room until she practiced till she thought that her dance was finally acceptable. Kai sat for several minutes before playing the music in her head and dancing again, this time with her eyes closed.

When Kai closed her eyes, she saw a world much better then the one she lived in. She imagined her mother's smile, her father's presence, and her own happiness. It was a world where she was normal, not beat for imperfections. Something Kai never knew was that she did her activities better when she closed her eyes. Often she would get lost in the music when she danced and would close her eyes, but her mother would yell at her for it. She always said that Kai needed to connect with her audience, and to do so she had to look at them. The only compliment Kai ever got from her mother was that she had beautiful brown eyes like her own. She said it was the only thing she inherited from her mother. Everything else was her father's. Sakuya rarely mentioned Kai's father. He wasn't a man that made Sakuya smile. He was one that made her cringe.

"Hey Kai! How are ya?" Kai was sitting on the side of the fountain eating her lunch when Kuina came up to her. It looked like she had just gotten finished with a sword fighting session and was sort of sweaty. Kai smiled at her and stood up to bow and answered that she was fine. When she started sitting back down Kuina stuck her hands into the fountain and splashed her face with water then sat down next to Kai.

"Kuina?" Kai's voice was small. She didn't often talk to other people nor did they ever try to talk to her.

"Yeah Kai?"

"What's it like using a sword?" Kai had watched Kuina and other students practicing their sword fighting in her father's dojo. She found it interesting and sort of like dancing. They were told to do a certain move and corrected if they weren't just like the others who had it right. The only difference was that in real combat the person could do whatever they wanted, working in the moves whenever and wherever but ultimately doing what they felt like. Kai didn't get that when she danced or did tea ceremonies. Everything had to be exact. It had to be just the same every time and never different. Being different was bad in her mother's eyes, if it wasn't something certain, it was wrong. That is why Kai liked sword fighting. It was freedom. Freedom to do anything. Nothing they did was wrong.

"Well it's great fun, I love it. But I'm getting a little older now. Girls aren't supposed to use swords. That's what my dad tells me at least."

"Why not?"

"Girls are, well, supposed to do what you do, I guess. Dancing, cooking, learn to serve men and all that. I was never one for it, but now, I have to learn. I don't know how I'll get through all the girly stuff though." Kuina finished her answer and gave Kai something to think about. Kai nibbled on her food a couple more seconds before speaking again.

"Well Kuina, how about this. What if I help you act lady like and you, well, you can teach me how to use a sword." Kai looked down after putting forth her proposition as if it was a bad idea. Kuina looked at her and laughed a little.

"Why would you want to learn how to use a sword Kai?"

"Well, I've seen the things you do, and it's really interesting. It kinda reminds me of dancing." Kai's answer gave Kuina a little smile. She knew Kai wasn't very outgoing so this came as a slight surprise.

"Sure! That sounds like fun! I would love to." Kuina's enthusiasm made Kai smile a little and she jumped up from her seat in excitement and bowed for her leave.

"We can start tomorrow. I'll teach you the proper way to drink tea at a party."

"Great, then I'll show you how to hold the sword correctly and other stuff too. Bye Kai!" Kuina waved after Kai who walked back home grinning ear to ear.

Her chest heaved up and down wildly as she tried to get her breath back. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see several unknown faces talking over her. No one was looking down and hadn't noticed her waking up. Trying to move her head, she took notice of a sound, a very familiar sound. It was her shamisen. Someone was playing it. And badly. Very badly. Coughing a bit, she turned her head and caused everyone to take notice of her.

"She's awake."

"No duh dumbass."

"Hey! Don't talk to him like that!"

"OW! If you touch me one more time you dirty thief!..."

Mahiru was ignoring the voices that covered up the sound she was trying to listen to. Slowly, she turned even more and saw something strange. There was a person holding her shamisen, and trying to pluck it. He had a confused look on his face which seemed to say he didn't know what he was playing with. Then, another body came into view. It was that reindeer, looking confused at the instrument as well. He tried to pluck a string with his hoof and it made Mahiru go wide eyed. Ultimately, she rolled over quickly, and spun off the bed. After this, the voices and music stopped.

"Are you okay?" A head of orange entered Mahiru's line of vision and she saw a girl, a little younger than her it seemed. She still didn't answer but looked around the room confused. Then, her eyes settled on the boy with her shamisen and she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Don't touch that!" The volume of her voice made her head ache and she clutched it and curled into a small ball. The boy next to the instrument still held it, and looked between it and the girl with a strange face.

"I think we got some explaining to do. She must be so confused about what's going on." The orange haired girl stood up and looked at a blonde. "Sanji, go put some soup on for her. We'll try and get her to the kitchen."

Mahiru felt a hand on her shoulder, helping her to her feet.

"You're okay, looks like you ripped your dress. I can help you mend that. My name is Nami, what's yours?" Mahiru was then led from the room out into a hallway. She turned her head back to see the boy still plucking at her instrument. Nami could see and turned around too. "Hey Luffy! Stop touching her things and get into the kitchen!" At the girl's strong voice, Mahiru stared into her demanding eyes, surprised at how straight forward she was toward her male friend. Then, she was practically shoved into the kitchen by the strange boy.

"Food! Food! Food!"

"Luffy! Watch where you're going! Sorry about him, he's a little hyper most… er… all the time. So, what was your name?" Mahiru looked reluctantly at the girl as she was softly put into a kitchen chair.

"Mahiru, my name is Mahiru."

"Well Mahiru, you took a pretty bad fall out there. What happened? Did you hit something?" Mahiru took several seconds to think before answering her. She was trying to comprehend what was going on right now and where she was.

"No no, I just fainted I think." She pressed her hand to her forehead as if to check her own temperature. She was still trying to figure out if she were in a doctor's office and the rocking feeling she had was just from wooziness or if she was actually on some kind of a ship. Finally, she found out her answer when a door opened from above and the sea breeze swept through the room. "This is a ship!" Mahiru stood up quickly, surprised at where she was, but sat back down just as fast since she got a head rush.

"Well, yes this is a ship. The Merry Go. We brought you here to be worked on by our doctor, Chopper."

"Chopper?" Mahiru said the name in confusion since it seemed like a strange one. Before she could think even further, though, the blonde man named Sanji set a bowl of soup right in front of her.

"Here you are my dear. Beef soup, it'll heal your pretty little face right up!" Mahiru looked up at the strange blonde man who had a heart in his eye. He wouldn't stop looking at her and it scared her slightly. Plus, she had never seen such blonde hair before, at least not where she lived.

"Thank you." Her voice was small, and she gave a small bow to him before picking up her spoon. She ate silently, ignoring the eyes that were boring holes in her still painted face. The only noise was coming from the boy who had been playing her shamisen as he was eating rather loudly. Mahiru saw it as very rude.

"Why do you look like that?" The boy spoke unexpectedly and Mahiru jumped a little. She looked up and saw the boy staring at her intently with a group of noodles hanging from his mouth. She grimaced a little, not used to the openness of a man's eating when he wasn't drunk. Actually, she had never even seen a drunken man eat as rudely as this boy.

"Luffy! Be respectful! Eat your food before you speak to a lovely lady!" Sanji hit Luffy on the back of the head and his face landed in his practically empty bowl of soup. Mahiru went wide eyed at what was happening. Nami took notice and spoke up.

"Okay you two, calm it down, you're scaring her! Stop fighting and act normal for once."

"Yes Nami." Both Sanji and Luffy spoke in unison and instantly stopped. Again, Mahiru stared. She had never seen a woman have so much control and power over a man before. In her experience, the woman was always told what to do by a man and followed his every wish and desire. Even more so when he was a Danna.

"So, why do you look like that?" Luffy's question prompted Sanji and Nami to raise their hands in the air about ready to hit him but they stopped at the sound of a small voice.

"I am a geisha." When she spoke, Mahiru got several stares from the three feuding teens. She looked at them after setting her spoon down and waited for a reaction.

"What's a geisha?" Luffy's question was set aside as Sanji and Nami started to talk themselves.

"Really? You're a real geisha?"

"Incredible! Those are the most beautiful women of all Japan!"

"I thought there weren't any geisha left."

"I think I'm in love!"

"Sanji?"

"Yes Nami?"

"CAN IT!"

Mahiru stared between the two people in utter confusion. Part of her still thought that she was out cold and dreaming since she had never seen such animated people before.

"What's a geisha?" Luffy still did not know.

"Don't they give sex to men?" A new voice entered the room and Mahiru stared wide eyed for two reasons; what was said, and who said it.

"ZORO!"

"Shut up you stupid Moss head! That's so rude!" Sanji was about to kick Zoro in the face but Zoro stopped it easily. Mahiru slowly turned around in her seat and looked at the tall body of Roronoa Zoro. Her breath caught in her throat for a second before finding the voice to speak. Her voice was calm and clear, with the same polite tone she used when she first fought Zoro.

"Those are failed geisha. Ones who cannot make enough money to support their okiya and have to rely on other forms of work." Mahiru was silently cheering herself on in her head for she had never spoken to Zoro like this before. Geisha school definitely had something to do with her ability to speak to people better and not shrink in nervousness. She was happy no one else could feel the pounding of her heart in their head as she could in hers.

"See Marimo? She ain't a skank, she's a perfect flower!" Mahiru smiled slightly, and stood up. Her head was still a little woozy feeling and she wanted some fresh air. Standing up, she decided to say a little more before she left the kitchen.

"You can tell if one is that kind of failed geisha by their obi. Obi's tie in the back, but if it is tied in the front, you have found a failed geisha." She turned and bowed to the group. Her eyes had been closed the whole time and she began to turn to leave before another question filled her ear.

"Why does their obi matter?" It was the young boy again.

"Simple, if a woman must be taking her kimono on and off all night, it is easier for her to tie the obi in the front." She gave a small smile, and fully turned to leave. The faces of the crew were priceless. Zoro simply raised an eyebrow, Sanji smirked but tried to hide it, Nami just had a look of disgust and Luffy was as confused as ever.

"I still don't know what a geisha is!"

Outside, Mahiru looked at her surroundings. She was still in port which was good and she could see the place where she had fainted. Lucky for her, she felt perfectly fine now. It had been a while since she did anything as physical as her fight with Zoro and she should have sat down instead of walk off.

Her hands were hidden in the long sleeves of her personally made kimono. At first, she had wished she had put her komon on instead since she had to rip this one yet again, but that thought quickly depleted soon after. Hearing something suspicious above her, she gripped tightly onto a fan she had attached to the inside of her sleeve and froze. Waiting, she heard a voice above panic.

"Intruder!"

The voice was rather wavy sounding, not exactly something pleasant to listen to. Instantly, she slid the fan out and fanned it open while turning around to face the voice. Before she could see the face of the voice, a small silver ball came flying at her. In under a second, Mahiru brought her fan to her face and began closing it, trying to time it well. When she was done, and closed it as much as she could, she swung her arm out to the side and looked up. She could see a pencil nosed man looking down at her with his mouth wide open.

"Where'd my star go?" His head flicked back and forth from left to right trying to find his missing ammunition.

"You mean this?" Mahiru moved her fan from her side back to her face. In between the iron guards of the fan was the supposed 'star' Usopp was talking about. He stared down at her in amazement at the accuracy of timing she had to have had to actually catch his star.

"What the—?"

"Usopp! Did you forget about her? What are you doing trying injure her? Are you crazy?" Nami stepped out onto the deck and stared up at their marksman.

"I'm sorry! I did forget! I panicked!" Usopp cowered down into the Crow's Nest.

"Wow! How'd you catch that?" Luffy came out as well as the rest of the crew. Even the little reindeer with a glass in between his hooves.

Mahiru blushed a little, but of course it couldn't be seen, and opened her fan, letting the small metal ball fall into her hand. When she looked up, she could see everyone looking at her. She felt slightly self conscious with all of their eyes on her when she was unsure of what she looked like exactly. She scanned their faces, and they were all friendly, all except Zoro. He seemed to be glaring at her which told her he had yet to figure out who she was.

The little reindeer then stood forward, holding the glass up for her. Chopper was surprised that this girl was not scared of the fact he could talk and walk on two legs. She seemed very respectful to everyone.

"Here, this should help you after your faint. Sorry I didn't give it to you sooner, I was a little distracted." Chopper shrank away a little, embarrassed at his unprofessional antics. However, Mahiru just smiled (she had seen stranger things than a talking reindeer), took the cup and gave Chopper a small bow in thanks.

"Yes, with my shamisen I believe." Mahiru took a sip of the slightly bitter tasting drink and wondered what had been put into it. While she spoke, she looked back at the crew that still looked at her and looked at the younger boy who was plucking it initially. He had started to walk over and stood in front of her, staring at her intently. She just looked back at him with her brown eyes, waiting for something.

"What's a geisha?"

The boy's question made Mahiru smile slightly under her bright red lips. She took a step back so she felt more comfortable and looked back at him.

"A geisha is an artist. That is what geisha means. We entertain for others with our skills in music, dance, and conversation."

"Music?"

"Yes, the instrument you were playing before was my shamisen. I assume you rummaged through my things." Mahiru finished her drink and looked up to see what the boy who do next.

"So you can play that?" She nodded. There was a pause and Luffy seemed to be thinking for a few seconds. "Would you like to join my crew?"

Mahiru was slightly confused. "Crew?"

"Yeah! My pirate crew! You could be the musician! And if you could stop Usopp's attack like that then maybe you could fight too!" Mahiru just looked at the big happy face of the strange boy in front of her. Giving a slight giggle, she answered.

"I am sorry, but I would never—" She stopped. Pirate crew? Pirates? But Zoro was with them… and he was a pirate hunter, wasn't he? "…be a pirate." She finished her thought after a short pause. Staring at each person very briefly in a line, she walked past them all to go retrieve her things and said "Excuse me" in a small voice. Quickly, she reappeared with her silk bag full of her things, ready to leave.

"Thank you for helping me, if you would like me to show you around town I would be very pleased to. I don't live here but I have seen most of it. If there's anything you need—"

"Wait Mahiru!" She stopped quickly at the sound of Chopper's voice and turned to see him looking up at her.

"Yes?"

"You can't be going out and about, the drink I gave you will upset you greatly if you move around too much. It would be better if you stayed here; there are side effects that I want to see if you get."

"Really? Well, all right. How long will this take?"

"Several hours. You could just stay in the infirmary."

"Okay, I suppose I must if you are not finished with me then."

Chopper nodded happily and led her back to the infirmary. While Mahiru passed all the pirates she looked up to see Zoro again. She made no change in her facial expression, just glanced at his face and turned at the same instance he looked back. Leaving nothing but her back to be seen, she smiled.

Later

"You fought her? You lousy swordsman! How could you do that!"

"Hey, she wanted to fight me!"

"Really? Why?"

"How should I know? She seemed like a nut job to me." Zoro wasn't about to admit that fear ran through him when she ripped Kuina's sword out of his mouth. He remembered confusion following soon after. He looked at the faces of Sanji and Nami who were the ones talking. He huffed, and turned to walk out to the upper deck.

"I'm taking a nap." He stood from his seat and left the galley wordlessly. The others just looked at each other and shook their heads.

Out on the deck in Zoro's usual spot for sleeping, he sat trying his hardest to remember who this girl was.

"Mahiru… Mahiru… Mahiru…" As hard as he could think, he couldn't remember a girl named Mahiru from where he grew up or from when Kuina was still alive. Nodding off finally into a nap, he kept repeating the same name over and over again in his head.

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Shade- Please review.