Okay, Okay. This is actually a fanfiction I have posted on a 'private' site, but I have decided to also post it here! This little gem was actually created by a bet, where my friends and I brainstormed for the most normal, but interseting OC character we could come up with. I lost, so I am currently writing a story about her, and have posted her profile on my deviantart account. I will leave the link on my profile. Enjoy, and comment are aprreciated!
Disclaimer: The only think I own are my Oc's, and the basic plot.
...
"GOLDEN FLAME!"
"KYAAAAA!"
The small girl slammed into the surface of the dojo, screaming loudly as the cheap walls shook under the force of her impact. A tall, intimidating woman with short, raven hair and a skinny body stood proudly over her, a iron sword with a gleaming, golden handle held high, the tip pointing towards the ceiling.
"NICE, ONEESAMA!"
The buff men dressed in an array of colors cheered wildly as their captain twirled the end of the saber, before pointing right at the girl's neck. The sharp edge pressed threateningly into her skin as she gulped, fearing even to muter a word. The separated sleeve of her gold and white shirt fell a little bit more down her arm as she tried to scurry away. The woman glared at her with dark-brown eyes, before they suddenly turned soft. She lowered a hand on her head, patting the girl's hair as she pouted.
"Still no good, eh Maiko?" The girl pushed the hand off her head before swiftly jumping to her feet, brushing dirt off her clothes. The older female watched with a faint smile of amusement as she watched her straighten herself up. Her badly dyed hair fell out of its usual odango style, the purple locks falling into emerald eyes. She groaned, getting on her hands and knees, searching for the ribbon, until she found it right behind the woman's heeled shoe- a gold, silky hair tie, which she promptly picked up.
"It was a surprise attack! Good, or no good, how did you expect me to avoid that?" she argued as she wrapped her hair back into the two usual buns, leaving the back out, which fell slightly past her shoulders. The woman tsked, shaking her head as she watched her daughter proceed to pick up the dropped laundry, and place them back in the white bin she was previously carrying, before she was thrown into a wall. Their crowd had now calmed down, and began worrying for their Ritorumisu, the previous excitement and hype of seeing their Senchou in mid-battle now diminished.
"And? You fail to see the honor in surprise attacks, Maiko! Besides, wasn't that fun?" The minute the girl narrowed her eyes, and dropped the basket, the Senchou realized she might have said the wrong thing.
"Fun? Fun?" The girl repeated incredulously, mixed with a bit of anger "How is being slammed into a wall by your Golden Flame fun? Now I have to re-wash all of the clothes!" The raven-haired roman rubbed the back of her head uncomfortably, before she suddenly got an idea. Punching the palm of her hand with her fist, she turned to Maiko with a large, sparkling smile.
"I know! Ask Otousan to do it for ya'!" The girl shook her head.
"Kaasan, didn't I tell you this morning that Tousan went to the village to buy food?" Her mother pouted, crossing her arms as her sword clattered to the floor.
"Eh? But he promised to take me next time!"
"The village people barley stand us living all the way out here, if you go into town carrying the Dancing Saber, well, we might as well just call the marines ourselves! Then again, I really shouldn't be taken in with you should I?" She squeaked when her mother suddenly took a step further, and pinched both of her cheeks. With an annoyed look on her face, she pulled them, the girl now donning a look that was childishly cute. She let out more noise as the woman pinched harder.
"What was that?" she asked in a scary voice. " I know that my oldest and only child did not just verbally disown her family, and her crew, did she?"
"Ah wan wahh an wa wew!( I don't have a crew!)" her voice was muffled due to her cheeks being almost ripped off, yet her mother seemed to be able to understand her perfectly. She let go of the girl, who began to back up at the sight of the glint in her mother's eyes.
"Wait... When did she pick up the saber?"
"GOLDEN FLAME!" with another shriek, Maiko was once again flung into the walls, the freshly folded clothes falling to the ground like snow. Thank Kami her mother used the back of the blade, or else she would have been a goner! Her only thought was that she wished her skirt wasn't torn, again, from her mother's rough treatment.
"Watch your mouth! You have had a crew since the time you were born. No matter what, you will become Senchou of Dancing Gold. It's in your blood to become a pirate, no matter how much you whine! It's you're will of D.!" The forgotten audience shed a tear at the touching word's of their Senchou.
"I don't have a will of D.," she argued " My middle initial is H!"
"Says who?"
"Me!" Her eyes gleamed again, and Maiko prepared herself for another speech.
"Where is you're sense of adventure? The greatest part of being a pirate is the romance! Discovering different places, finding treasure, you could find anything you want!"
"If I become a pirate the only thing I'll never find is romance! Who wants a pirate for a wife?"
"Apparently, your Otousan!."
"That's different..."
"How?" Knowing she was fighting an already lost battle, Maiko bent her head in defeat. With another war cry, the Dancing Saber was once again lifted into the sky, her mother striking her usual pose. With a sigh, Maiko picked up the clothing, coolly walking past her still posed mother and the weeping men.
"Aikawarazu..." She mumbled to herself as she dragged her feet along the long way to get outside to the lake, where she would re-wash the clothes at. She passed through the familiar, brightly gold-colored walls filled with pictures of her ancestors and previous Senchous, her mind unconsciously seeking out one in particular. Eventually, she came to a rather large portrait, framed in gold like the rest near the very end of the line, only before her mother's.
An old, wrinkly woman with warm chestnut eyes and dark purple hair tied into a loose bun grinned back at her, carrying a saber she knew very well. Maiko sighed, using her free hand to trance her outline.
"Baachan... I miss you." She gave a small smile to the weary picture, then spun around, clutching the basket to her chest. She ginned up at the ceiling, a new, warm feeling of nostalgia bubbling up in her as she recalled past memories of the old woman. Suddenly, she was thrown out of her thoughts by the loud sound of crashing, something breaking, and a chorus of "Good Job, Onee-sama!" before her Kaasan's maniacal laughter could be heard.
"Yare, Yare." shegave a lengthy sigh, before jogging off to wash the clothes, and begin on any other chores she needed to do.
"QUIET DOWN!" Maiko winced slightly as her mother's assertive voice rang throughout the small eating area, immediately silencing any conversation. Everyone got suddenly serious when they spotted the sullen look on their usual cheery Senchou's face. She put down her fork and swallowed the her last bite of fish as everyone listened intently. Next to the Senchou was a very quiet, feminine looking man with tan skin, brown hair, and large green eyes that were slightly blurry. He had a dreamy and unfocused look on his face as he stared at the pirates.
"When my husband went into town today, he found out some...troubling news... The village people have contacted the marines." Shouts of disbelief and outrage rang out. A mini-riot almost broke out as they jumped from their seats, yelling. The girl placed her bowl of rice down, and waited for the men to calm down, still chewing.
"Surely its nothing but kaze no tayori!" one shouted. The woman shook her had sadly.
" 'Fraid not. You all know what this means right?" a low murmur went through the crowd, and Maiko looked around in confusion. The Senchou gave a dramatic pause.
"We must... Send someone to chase them out!" Almost immediately, every head turn towards her. She gulped, fearing what will happen next.
"The Ritorumisu?" they asked. Her mother, with that cursed gleam in her eyes, nodded. Maiko automatically started choking, white rice spewing all over the place. Those who surrounded her either backed up in disgust of the flying food, fear that she may throw a fit at her new task, or began pounding on her back.
"F-Fine! I'm FINE!" she pushed the large ,meaty hands that were doing more harm than help off her, before shooting up from her seat, knocking over the food placed before her in her haste. Now everyone around her moved away, knowing she was about to explode. She certainly looked like it too, with her face turning red and small hands clenched into fists, practically quivering in anger.
"NO!" she shrieked, her voice high and shrill " NO! NEVER! I WON'T DO IT!" her mother calmly cupped her hands over her ears, watching with mild amusement as her followers pinched their faces in pain, ye refused to protect their aching eardrums all for the sake of looking 'manly'. Ignoring her daughters loud protest, she casually turned to the man seated next to her, who was still smiling, and said to him:
"Ne, Otousan?" He turned to her, his face serene.
"Hai, Rimi-chan?"
"Do you think I'm being a little too...harsh on her?" Looking at his pouting wife, he shook his head, before reaching out a hand to pet her. She stared up at him with innocent eyes-something the fearless Senchou would never do before nodding, replacing her previous look with one of determination. Kicking one bare foot on the table, Rimi gave her daughter a cool glance, almost challenging her to refuse this task. Maiko took a step back, intimidated at how the aura around her mother seemed to intensify. The men all stayed still,, silent, watching with anticipation at the newest showdown between the Ritorumisu and their beloved Senchou. The only normal one in the entire room was Maiko's Otousan who sipped his green tea, eyes closed and enjoying the silence.
"You will go to where the General is residing." she stated with a tone of finality. " I don't care how you do it, but you will find a way to run them out. Understood?" Maiko ground her teeth together, using all the will-power she had not to say something stupid.
"I probably look like a child!" she thought bitterly, fighting to keep the tears that clouded her green eyes at bay.
"Understood?" her mother asked again, this time with a bit more base. Turning her head to the side, letting her bangs cover her face, Maiko quietly mumbled ' Yes, ma'am', before turning on her feet and departing, leaving behind her 'family'. Her walk was quick and rushed as she practically ran down the hallway, seeking the comfort and privacy of her room.
"I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry..." Her inner mantra seemed to fail as, regardless of her wishes, the clear drops, appearing almost crystalline in the moonlight, ran down her face before falling to the ground. Gasping for breath between her quiet sobs, Maiko paused for a while, wiping the tears away from her face.
"I-I-" she stuttered, barley able to speak between her whimpers " I hate them, I hate being born to a family of pirates, and I hate the stupid, disgusting will of D.!" she spat, turning the corner and kicking the door to her small bedroom open. It contained, and was limited to a small bed in the corner a desk, and a shelf, filled with books. Obviously, everything was centered around the color gold, yet nothing was actually really made of gold. Strangely the only things that were gold in the Dancing Gold household were the frames surrounding every past Senchou's portrait.
Falling on her bed, Maiko bit her lip to stop her sobbing.
"Don't be such a wimp!." She mentally chastised herself, slapping her cheeks until they turned pink. There must be some way to get out of this! She thought hard, thinking of every possible rout, every possible escape to avoid this oncoming danger. After cramming so hard her head hurt, Maiko slumped back down on the wight sheets and groaned. Suddenly, the yells of her mother and pounding on the door filled her ears. Grimacing, she stuck her fingers in her ears, blocking out the sound.
"Baachan!" she mentally asked, sniffling" What would you do?" Ideas and plots raced through her mind, only to be promptly shot down by excuses and holes in the planning. Going through with this...It would only serve to solidify her situation. Once she did this, Maiko would be branded as an official pirate and their would be no way to get out of it! Gah, and she would probably mess that up too!
"Wait..Mess up!" She shot up, punching the palm of her hand with her fist. It was almost as if a bright light bulb just went off in her head. A wide, sly smile slowly slid its way across Maiko's face, and she started chuckling to herself, throwing her head back and letting it resound off the golden walls. The pounding increased, more voices joining in.
"Why didn't I think of it before? Aw, who cares? I'm a genius!" she gloated aloud, striding over to the door, pushing it open with the heel of her sandal. Her mother, accompanied with a good 1/3 of the crew promptly fell in, falling at her feet. Her father peeked around the corner, his soft voice somehow raising above the moans and groans of pain coming from the crumpled heap of people on the floor in front of him.
"Are you okay now, dear?" Maiko gave him a large smile, saluting her brand-new 'Senchou'.
"Hai! I have gotten over my brief bout of immaturity, and have properly prepared myself to carry out this task with the best of my ability!" immediately, Rimi easily pushed the huge men off of her, and gabbed her daughter's hands in her own, eyes sparkling.
"Honto?" she asked, disbelief coloring her words. Pushing back that nagging piece of guilt, Maiko smiled , giving her hands a squeeze.
"Honto!" The next moment, she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Awkwardly, the girl patted her sobbing mother's back, that previous feeling of guilt returning, now twice as strong. Choking out an awkward laugh, Maiko averted her eyes from the woman's sparkling gaze, opting to look at the wall beside her, scratching her head.
"Heh, heh..."
"Don't sound so sad, Ma-chi! You are now officially part of The Dancing Gold. Our legacy shall go on!"
"M-Ma-chi? Ahhh, Kami-sama... I'm going to hell for this..." Hands clasped on his chest, her father stared at the heartfelt scene with a warm gaze. Well, it seemed pretty to the crew, but to any outsider with common sense ( which was definitely lacking in this house), they saw an overgrown woman sobbing like a child while she clinged onto a uncomfortable looking girl who seemed to have something troubling in mind, all the while a group of muscle-rippling men blew their noses and wiped their eyes, next to a man who seemed so calm he could fall asleep any moment. Suddenly, Rimi let go of her daughter, and turned to her crew, fist pumped in the air.
"Yoshi! Ikuzo! Planning is key! We have the maps to the building, all we need is a battle strategy! Ruyi, get my jacket, Hana, go stake outside their headquarters, Iko, get me some Takoyaki! Yes, the ones we had last night-" Maiko drifted back into her room, closing the door to successfully muffle the energetic orders of her mother, received by the crew who replied with the usual 'Hai, Oneesama!'. Dropping her face into her hands, she slid down the door, resisting the urge to scream.
"Baachan... I hope this works out right!"