Thirst. The lack of water in the human body could lead to many things, many of them potentially dangerous, even deadly. But that smooth, clear liquid did amazing things. It kept civilization from dying, kept everything from dying for that matter. It could help prevent diseases. It kept everything clean. Thirst was something no one, no thing in the world could deal with for very long.
Zoro hated thirst. It forced him to stop training, eating, or sleeping, just for a glass of water.
But he liked water. He just didn't like the need for it. It seemed weak, to need something so badly. Especially when you couldn't have it. It made him seem weak. But there was no one to witness it.
Zoro stumbled around in the desert. He had been under the hot sun for hours now, as lost as a blind mammoth. And he was severely dehydrated. So much, in fact, that he was hallucinating.
"Oh…reindeer, surely you have water to spare?" he waited for an answer. Seemingly getting one, he replied back.
"Oh, thank you…it's only a few drops, you say?" he waited again.
"It's not enough…you need it more than me. Luffy…" he stumbled, falling to the ground, the hot sun boring into his burnt eyelids. This was torture.
"Luffy…help…" he tried to push himself back up to his feet, but it was no use. His body was spent. So he settled for dragging himself instead.
"Luffy…if you give me water I'll owe you two tons of meat…just one glass of the precious liquid…please…" His voice faded.
"I'm here, Zoro." Luffy's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I'll always be here."
Zoro sat up quickly, making his head spin, and looked around. "Where…"
"Right here, Zoro." The voice came from his right.
He turned and saw nothing. Zoro sighed, defeated, and fell back on the ground.
"Don't worry. You'll make it out of this. You have before. Just push through. You can do it. I'll be here to help you." This time the voice was on his left.
Zoro didn't have the strength to look over. Besides, he knew he'd see nothing. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it.
He forced himself to roll over one last time and looked up at the sky. It was so blue…like water…like Luffy's eyes…
Zoro choked out a shuddering sob. There was no water left in his body to make tears.
"I'm…sorry…"
He closed his eyes.
-x-x-x-
The crew found him there the next day. Luffy spotted him first, jumping down from the rescue helicopter and landing by Zoro's side.
By the time everyone else had gotten out, Luffy was kneeling by his first mate's side, crying freely.
Chopper saw him next. By first glance, he knew there was nothing he could do.
Luffy knew that as well. "It's okay, Chopper," he said through sobs. "He lived a great life."
Chopper nodded and stepped back, leaving Luffy to his lamentations.
-One Week Later—
Zoro lay in the casket, hands folded in his lap, swords by his side.
Luffy sighed and wiped away a tear. He had heard the crew talking about finding a new swordsman, but upon hearing that, Luffy had yelled at them. There was no way he was going to replace Zoro.
-x-x-x-
Zoro stretched and sat up. He looked around.
"Where am I?"
Then all of the memories from the past few days came flooding back, and he gasped. "Am I dead?"
A person wearing a white cloak came around the corner. He spread his wings.
Zoro's eyes widened. "Are you an angel?"
The man nodded. "Yes. I am Arthur."
"So I am dead."
"Yes."
"NO! I wasn't ready to go! My life can't be over yet!" he jumped out of the bed.
The man motioned with his finger. "Follow me."
Zoro sighed regretfully and followed.
The man led him to a large room that was empty save for a giant pool in the middle.
"Look."
Zoro walked up to the ledge and looked down into the pool. What he saw astounded him.
He saw Luffy standing next to his casket, crying, a bunch of flowers in his hands. The rest of the crew had held back, probably letting him go first.
Zoro took a look at himself. He looked just as he did now, except his swords weren't at his side. They were in the casket on earth.
He turned and looked at the angel. "Is there any way-?"
"That you can go back? Yes."
"How?"
"All souls here have one pass back to the mortal world. If you die again, you won't be able to go back." Arthur folded his hands.
Zoro thought about that. He wanted to go back and see Luffy again, but, knowing he wouldn't be able to get back if he died again—
He shook his head. He had made his decision involuntarily a while ago.
"I'll go back."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. It feels right."
"Alright then. Follow me."
Zoro followed Arthur, excitement coursing through his veins. He was about to come back to life!
Arthur led him to another room, this one smaller. There was a portal of some sort in the floor.
"This is your last chance to stay here."
Zoro shook his head. "I'm not ready to die yet. I still have a lot of life to live." He walked up to the edge of the portal and turned.
"Thank you," he said.
Arthur nodded.
Zoro smiled, one of his rare smiles that reached his eyes and beyond. It came straight from the heart. Then he turned and jumped into the portal.
-x-x-x-
Zoro felt a thunk and groaned. He stretched and sat up, his hands automatically reaching for his swords.
Fastening them to his belt, he looked to his left and saw Luffy standing there, eyes wide. He had dropped the bouquet of flowers, and now they were scattered all over the floor.
Zoro smiled at him. "I'm real," he said. "It's not just a dream." He opened his arms.
"ZORO!" Luffy screamed and ran into his arms.
Zoro lay down, still in the casket, Luffy in his arms. He pressed his face to the boys' hair.
They stayed like that for more than an hour, during which Zoro explained everything that had happened to him, from when he had first gotten lost in the desert to when he had come back to life.
Zoro smiled and sighed, Luffy still perched in his lap, face buried in his chest.
He leaned forward and kissed Luffy's forehead. He was so happy to be alive again.
*Sigh* Oh, the joy! Zoro has lived! I like writing this. :P It was pretty fun, even if I thought it was sad when he died.