An Old Cliche:

the desert's rose

Chapter 01 - A King's Gathering

By: L.R. Pelgina

and Starfirehime

Authors Note: The first chapter will seem very VivixKohza-ish but that's because Zoro isn't here yet. For all the ZoroxVivi pushers don't worry there WILL be ZoroxVivi action in later chapters. And for the KohzaxVivi ones, there will be some of that too! Happy reading

Disclaimer: Besides the villians I create I don't own any of this! I don't want Oda-sensei to get me for copyright or infringment laws. Thanks so much.

Kohza hestitantly bowed before his king and princess. Ever since he was a child, Kohza never could believe that another human being could be worth more than himself, which was why he always had trouble bowing. He probably wouldn't have done it at all had he not caused them so much trouble just a few months earlier.

"Kohza, what are you doing? We're all on familiar terms here. Stand up," the princess smiled softly at him.

This was more than Kohza desereved at the moment and he knew it, but he did as his princess requested of him. He stood slowly and took in the sight of the country's king and princess. Kohza had only seen Vivi for a brief moment he had run into the castle during the rebellion. Although he had seen her in all the chaos with Crocodile, he hadn't really been abe to take in how she really looked and how much she had grown since he last seen her when they were children.

Even when Kohza was young he had thought she was cute, but now he felt as if all the breath in his body had been taken from him; time had been lovingly tender to Vivi. Instead of the hot-headed little brat he remembered, Vivi had grown into a lovely woman. Her now long hair cascaded into a lovely waterfall of blue, and her face was pale, despite the emence heat of her country, that gave her a beautiful China doll appearance. Not to mention she had filled out in other places that he found disturbing to think of on his childhood friend, and Kohza could feel a slight red surface on his cheeks. He couldn't help but wonder what she thought on how the sands of time had been with him.

Kohza realized he must have been staring, because the King then loudly reminded Kohza that the girl's father was also in the room with them. Kohza panicked, and in such a state forgot himself and bowed again.

"We already said you can stand," King Kobra stated matter-of-factly.

Kohza stood in a hurry this time and decided it was probably best to keep his attention on the King. Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea afterall. The king was looking at him with an irritatingly smug smile, like he had just read every thought that had run through Kohza's mind, and couldn't be prouder that his daughter was so. . . well, Kohza wasn't sure yet just what she was, but he didn't really want to entertain the idea with the king in the room at the same time. Kohza did his best to swallow his nervousness and speak.

"In any case, what did you call me here for," he asked impatiently, he never did like to waste his time.

The King's smile grew wider, "Now, that's the Kohza I know," he said, "Always to the point. Well, I won't upset you this time, as we're short on it anyhow," the king stood, "Kohza, I'm sure you are aware that the next Meeting of Kings is coming up soon, am I wrong?"

Kohza's eyes traveled away from the king to rest briefly back on Vivi. What was going on? What did this have to do with him?

"What does this have to do with me? Once more, what does that have to do with Vivi?" Kohza asked.

"Good question! What indeed! Kohza, this year, I want to send Vivi in my place," Kobra beamed.

Vivi turned to her father, just as shocked as Kohza, "What? Father, do you think that's wi--" Kobra lifted a hand to silence her before she could finish.

"Do you think she's ready for such a thing, Kohza?" Kobra asked him.

Kohza shuffled his gaze to the floor. Damn king. The king had always liked to play mind games with Kohza, Kohza knew that the king hadn't asked him to come all the way from Yuba just to ask him if he thought Vivi was ready to go to a King's meeting.

"She just about stopped the civil war in the country single-handedly, of course she's ready. Such a task would be simple for her," Kohza said.

Kohza let his eyes travel back to Vivi, courious about her reaction to his words, and was elated to see that she had also turned a light shade of pink.

"Just the answer I was looking for!" Kobra exclaimed, "Now, on to your second question," the king paused and his expression sombered; Kohza could tell this was going to be serious, "I want you you go with her," he said, every inch of seriousness in his voice.

Kohza's mind dropped to the floor. What was the king proposing? Was he suggesting that he be the next king? NO! That would never happen! Not in a million years...right?

"W--what are you saying? I'm not the king! How can I go to the king's meeting in Eden!" Kohza stuttered, turing a slight red color and staring aghast at the king.

"I want you to go with her as her protection, with Pell of course, and as the rebel leader. We need the rebel leader there just in case they wish to assume things in Alabasta are still not okay between the rebels and us. You are going in order to prove that the rebellion is indeed over," Kobra finished, smiling his widest yet at Kohza's embarrassed face, "That is, of course, if it's all okay with Vivi-chan," The king said, turning to his daughter.

"Eh! I'd be more than happy to have Leader accompany me," Vivi beamed.

Kohza found that he had to, once again, let his eyes leave Vivi and hit the floor in order to avoid his red face to be seen, or to avoid it from getting any redder.

"And you Kohza, do you accept?" Kobra asked.

Kohza nodded silently, he still hadn't taken his eyes off the ground.

"Well, it's settled then!" The king exclaimed, "I'll have a boat prepared at onc--"

"Your highness," Kohza interrupted.

The king stopped instantly at the serious tone in Kohza's voice, and was even more shcocked when Kohza bowed his head, eyes still on the floor, got on one knee and bowed deeper, "Your highness and princess, I offer my deepest apologies for the things I have done and said, not only to your country, but to you as well. For this, I feel that I could never properly repent because I should have trusted you, not just as my king and princess, but as my friends as well."

Kobra and Vivi exchanged looks of surprise. To Kohza, it seemed like an eternity, the silence that followed his apology never seemed to end, and then Vivi was suddenly in front of him, inches away from him. She put her hands on his shoulders so he would sit up and look her in the face, and when he saw her up close for the real first time in years, she was smiling at him and crying at the same time. She threw her arms around him and hugged him.

"We're both just glad you're safe, Leader," she said through her relieved sobs.

Kohza, unsure of himself, wrapped one arm behind her, reassuring his dear friend that he was indeed there, and also reassuring himself that she was real as well.

Behind them, the king smiled again.

Authors Note pt.2: There you have it. The begininng to a very confussing but exsistant plot! Oh, and for all the SanjixNami fans theirs going to be plenty of that too. My friend Starfirehime is going to see to that. And if your a LuffyxRobin fan there's some of that coming too! Just be patient! By the way, next update will be on Nov. 4! Otanoshimini!