Here is a new story that has been bouncing around in my brain for several months. It's one of those stories that refuses to leave me regardless of how much time has passed. Since this is the first time that I have chosen to write a story in first person I look forward to your take on it.

Also, for some reason I was not given an option to state the pairing, so here it is: Rufio and 16 year old Maggie. Just to clarify, the time skip to when Maggie is 16 will occur by chapter 4 or 5.

- Rampant Id


Chapter 1:

"Blink of an Eye"

I don't even remember screaming at the sight of a blade protruding from of my father's back. That was the very instant that everything in my life had changed. The happy ending I had been hoping for - counting on - was no longer possible. All I remember is the silence, and lots and lots of red. My father's clothes were soaked in it and with every second the colour spread, until it began dripping onto the deck. Someone was screaming now; The disbelief and horror in the sound shook me out of my daze. The teen with the Mohawk was holding my father in his arms now, and it was his cries that I could hear over the cheering of the pirates that surrounded me.

I never heard my father's last words; I never got to tell him how much I still loved him - even though he never really paid any real attention to me. My hands were shaking... so were my legs. My vision was blurry as I tried to blink back the tears filling my eyes and running down my face. Someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder roughly and tried to shove me back into the cabin where I was usually kept prisoner. All the pain, confusion and despair that I had been holding in finally overwhelmed me...

"Let go of me!" I yelled as I tried to pull away from the tight grip of the pirate's hand on my shoulder. Apparently my refusal to cooperate and my demands for freedom were unwelcome, since the next thing I knew my mouth was being covered by a large hand and I was being propelled so hard toward the cabin door that I nearly fell down. Nearly, because as I fell, the pirate's hand slipped a little and my sharp little teeth clamped down on the thin flesh where his thumb met his index finger.

I was released in an instant, and ignoring the hollering going on above me I ducked down and through his legs. Then I was running full tilt for the front of the ship. I don't really know why I headed in that direction, perhaps it was the furthest away from the cabin door as well as from all the fighting. However, once I was nearly there I suddenly realized that it was a confined area with tall handrails and no way to get out. Instead, I pivoted on my heel and ran for the side of the ship. As I got there I realized my immediate dilemma. A group of four pirates who had chased after me approached from all sides. Glancing quickly behind me, the only way I saw that would allow me to get further away from them was the plank. Clenching my dress in my hands to keep them from visibly shaking I slowly inched back until I felt the plank hit my heel. The instant that the pirates realized where I was heading they sprang into action. One of them made a grab for me and missed as I jumped back to get out of range. I felt the plank wobbling a bit beneath me and tried not to whimper. I really hated heights, more than anything, but as another pirate started to slowly make his way onto the plank in order to reach me I backed up even further.

"Come here little girl, you don't want to fall do you?" A scary-looking man with a large scar going down his face called out to me as he slowly approached. His gold tooth shone in the light as he attempted to smile at me in what most likely was supposed to be a reassuring way, but to me it looked like a grimace. I was so focused on trying to stay away from him that I almost slipped off the plank when my back foot only found half a plank left to stand on.

That's when the pirate made a grab for me. As I leaned back to avoid his reaching arms my foot slipped off it's precarious perch and I fell toward the water - or I would have, if not for an arm that shot out from the end of the plank and grabbed my wrist. I heard a sudden splash below me and glanced down to see that very same pirate floundering in the water several meters below my dangling bare feet. I glanced up fearfully, thinking I was going to see another horrid pirate in his place.

Instead I found myself looking into dark eyes that belonged to the teen who had been with my father.

"Give me your other hand!" He yelled down at me as his free hand strained towards me. I swung up with all my might and to my great surprise he caught my other wrist without missing a beat.

"I'm going to stand up now, so you need to make sure not to move around or we'll both fall off." He explained, and after receiving my terrified nod he slowly lifted one of his legs so that rather than kneeling his foot was planted and the knee was bent at a ninety degree angle. When he started to stand up I could see him straining with the weight of my smaller body pulling at his arms. When he stood up my knees were level with the plank itself, and as he stepped back toward the ship I was able to scramble up and find purchase. His hands on my wrists helped stabilize me, and when I finally realized that I was no longer dangling over dangerous waters I managed a watery smile.

"Thank you," I got out in a half-whisper, since my voice was still not working properly from my most recent scare.

"It's not over yet," The boy replied, nodding toward what awaited us at the other end of the plank. There stood the same pirates who had chased me to this plank originally - minus the one in the water. They watched the teen with trepidation, as if he was someone to be feared. What could a teenager possibly do that had these grown men afraid to make the first move?

"I will let go of you now. You will need to stick close to me while we get out of this mess. Okay?" The strange boy waited for my nod before he started forward.

"All right, let's do this!" With that as his battle cry the Mohawk teen pulled out a sword and started brandishing it at the pirates as he moved effortlessly across the plank. In the second it takes a person to blink he was already on them, clearing a path for me to follow without even taking a pause. I was off the plank and on the deck before I even registered what I was doing. Two pirates were already injured and crawling away, while the last one got a sword straight through the stomach - in a similar manner that my father had. The pirate slid off the sword and landed in a heap at the teen's feet. The boy turned quickly back to me and noticed my eyes glued to his bloody sword. Grimacing he turned back to the body, wiped his sword on the shirt and sheathed his weapon.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," He said as he approached with his outstretched hand held out toward me. He paused when he saw me take a step back. His dark eyes met mine as he crouched down to be eye-level with me.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I promise that I won't hurt you, but we can't stay here. I swore to your father that I would keep you safe, and for that you need to trust me. Okay?"

I remembered seeing him fighting along-side my father against all of these pirates, and I knew that he was one of the good guys. I could feel myself slowly nodding, and I was proud when I did not flinch as his warm, much larger, hand enveloped mine.

"Good," he said with a gentle smile and turned his back to me. "Climb on, go on." He encouraged, as I stared dubiously at his leather clad back.

"I need to be able to fight, and the only way to do that is for me to have my hands free. You will need to get on and hold tight."

All the loops and bolts sticking out of his leather jacket provided it with many odd-looking handholds. After a hesitant moment I gripped the protrusions and climbed up onto his back. Slinging my arms around his neck, the safest-looking and most secure handhold of all, I gripped as tight as I could so I would not fall off.

"kid... kiddo, I can't breathe. You need to loosen your grip on my neck," I heard the teenager choke out, and a moment later I could feel my hands being slightly re-positioned so that I was now gripping the lapels of his leather coat instead. I tried to gain some purchase with my legs so that they would stop dangling annoyingly. Once I was settled I found myself thinking that I probably resemble some strange sort of monkey.

"Just in time. Here they come." I felt the teenager swiftly stand but it was impossible for me to see anything because his extremely tall collar was in the way. "Hold on tight" He called out to me and I suddenly heard his sword hissing out of it's sheath. It was probably for the best that I would not be able to see the carnage. I was not all that fond of blood.

As he fought his opponents the boy would often yell out insults, throw in a quip here or there, or simply settle for a sarcastic rejoinder. All the while I just squeezed my eyes shut and held on for dear life.