So, I've written another One Piece fanfiction. For those of you who have read "Sleepy Waters", "Of Flies and Fists" or "A New Year", you may enjoy this story as it focuses on Hotaru and her growth as a young pirate over the years. This does include other OCs I have created, including Anne (who will be starring in the companion piece/prequel that I will eventually start working on, when I have time) and Lily (from "Wilted Flowers" and "Burning Flower"). So, I've thrown in a nice little mixing of characters into this story to help tell it. I'm actually surprised I finished this story as quickly as I did, considering I'd put it on the back-burners for school work, but it's done, and all that's left is to post it here. Now, without anything further, I hope you enjoy "Fallen Flames".

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of its characters. The only characters that belong to me are the ones I have created.

The sun was high when the Moby Dick moored off the shore of a small island in the Grand Line. It was a Summer Island and the sun was blazing overhead as the infamous Whitebeard Pirates waited for the Log Pose to record the magnetic force of the island for them to move on. Upon entering the port town nearest them, Fourth Division Commander Thatch found that it would be two days before they could leave. That left the crew with little to do during the waiting spell.

"Oi, Marco! You going into town?" one of the chefs called after the First Division Commander. The blond man lazily looked over his shoulder and nodded an affirmative to the portly man who had called after him. "Get some fish while you're there. We need to stock up."

"You got it, Emile," Marco answered and took one of the smaller boats to the island for supplies.

Walking through the small town, Marco found it to be much like Thatch had described earlier in the morning. There was a single, wide dirt road that served as the main path through the village, with only a few narrow streets branching off to lead to the homes of the people. The main road acted as a marketplace, where the villagers and travelers could purchase goods. Vendors shouted out their wares to passersby, children ran through with happy grins, and parents called after their children to settle them down.

"You're not from around here," a child said as Marco looked through the selection of fish for Emile.

He glanced down at the child to see she was only a small girl. Her body looked thin, as though she wasn't fed well, and she wore clothes that looked like little more than rags. Her pants, reaching halfway down her calves, sported tears in the knees and her thin red shirt looked as though it was nearly two sizes too large for her. The black hair on her head reached the middle of her back. Her skin was lightly tanned, and dirt was smeared on her face. Behind the dirt and hair falling in front of her face, Marco saw a pair of green eyes that held depth beyond the child's years.

"No, I'm not," Marco answered, turning his eyes back towards the fish.

"You're a pirate, aren't you?" Marco glanced at the little girl again and knelt to look into her eyes.

"What gives you that idea?"

"I'm right, aren't I? Nobody would be so calm about being called a pirate unless he was a pirate. And you wear the same symbol as that weird guy who was here this morning." Marco gave a soft chuckle at the child's description of Thatch before standing again.

"You're right. I'm a pirate, but you don't have to worry about anyone being attacked."

"I know that. I've been reading about you in the papers. You're from the Whitebeard Pirates. There hasn't been a single town that the Whitebeard Pirates have attacked."

"Why don't you head home? I'm sure your parents are looking for you."

"Tch. I doubt it," the girl muttered, turning to leave. As she walked off, Marco noted the child walked on bare feet, while the other children ran with at least sandals.

"Poor girl," the fish merchant murmured after the child had left. Marco turned his attention to the man with a curious stare. "Mum don't feed 'er much. We merchants around town give 'er what we can spare, but it ain't much." Marco almost asked why the girl wasn't fed by her mother, but figured it was none of his business. Instead, he simply nodded sympathetically.

"Must be hell," he muttered.

"Aye, it is. But what can I get for ya?"

"Ten of your largest fish."

"Ten?"

"I've got a lot of men that need feeding for some time."

"Aye, I follow ya. Ten of my largest fish, coming right up." The exchange of food for money was made and Marco began walking down the main road once more. As he walked, he heard the padding of footsteps behind him. Marco turned to see the child from before following him, a content smile on her lips.

"Do you need something?" he asked, regretting it a second later as he thought of what the merchant had said. There he was, standing with ten fish larger than he was over his shoulders, asking a clearly-starving child if she needed anything.

"I want to come with you," the girl answered simply as she stood to stand beside Marco.

"I'm only buying a few spices."

"I don't mind."

"You don't know me."

"And you don't know me, so we're even." The cheeky grin on her face elicited a chuckle from Marco.

"Alright, you can walk with me, kid."

"My name's not 'kid'. It's Hotaru."

"I'm Marco." He hoisted the fish to better stay on his shoulders as he and Hotaru continued to walk down the main road together. They stopped at a couple stands for Marco to purchase the spices requested by the cooks and the Second Division Commander, Anne.

"I'm kinda surprised you know what this stuff is," Hotaru commented as she reached for the bag of Dragon's Flush—a very strong spice native to that island—that Marco had purchased. The First Division Commander took the bag from her hands and hung it with the others on his arm. "Hey!"

"A friend told me about the spices," Marco answered simply.

"Why won't you let me carry anything?"

"Because it all needs to go back to the ship with me."

"I'm not gonna steal it from you. I've got better things to do than steal food from a pirate, least of all some measly spices."

"Then why are you following me?"

"Because I want to," Hotaru answered earnestly. The question of 'why' came to Marco's mind again, but he left it unasked. They neared the boat he'd taken into the town and he dropped the supplies into it.

"You should head home, or go play with some friends," Marco said as he untied the rope from the knot.

"I can't come with you?"

"No."

"Well, why not?"

"Because you're only a child."

"Am not!"

"How old are you?"

"I'm ten, but that doesn't mean-"

"You're too young."

"Will you come back later today? Or tomorrow?" Hotaru asked hopefully, surprising Marco. Why was this girl so adamant on being around him? She knew he was a pirate, maybe even knew he was a very dangerous man. Of course, he would never harm her, but she certainly wouldn't know that.

"We'll see."

"Can I please see your ship just once? Just for a couple hours."

"You want to go onto a pirate ship? Why?"

"I want to see what it's like."

"Most kids would be afraid. It's dangerous."

"I'm not like most kids. Please, Marco."

Those bright green eyes stared up at him, pleading for him to answer her request, through her messy bangs. Marco sighed heavily at the child's face—an expression used by many children when attempting to bargain with their parents—and wrapped an arm around Hotaru, hoisting her onto the boat. Her grin and wide eyes made him give a small smile as he began on his way back to the Moby Dick with Hotaru and the supplies he'd bought.

I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. Please R&R.