Memories
Zoro was lying on his back and looking into the starry sky. He had lost against her again, and it made him mad, or frustrated really. Kuina, the only one to ever beat him. 2001 fights, and not once had he beat her, but he would… he would. He thought to himself.
"What is it that makes her so strong? No! It's me, I'm too weak, that has to be it."
He was so busy thinking that he did not hear that someone was coming closer. It took a few moments before he noticed he wasn't alone he sat up and looked to his left. It was Kuina, she was looking up into the sky.
"What are you doing here?" Zoro said rater snappishly.
Kuina looked down on him. "I… I needed to talk to you."
Zoro saw she had tears in her eyes. "Kuina… what is it?"
She looked away from him. "After our last duel my father came to talk to me. He… he told me that because I'm a… a girl I will be weaker than the boys. He told me that I could never be a swords man."
Zoro didn't believe it, no he didn't believe it! He shouted. "Kuina! I have not trained this hard to beat someone who will become weaker than me! That would make me look bad! I will beat you, but not because you get weaker but because I will train until I can! And don't you believe otherwise!"
Kuina looked at him and she couldn't hold it back any more, she started crying.
Zoro looked at her and said. "We promise each other that one of us will be the greatest in the world, no matter what!"
Kuina smiled and said. "No matter what!"
Kuina went back home to the Dojo and Zoro got back to watching the stars. Eventually he went back to the Dojo as well. There was a lot of commotion the next morning.
Zoro walked up to one of the other students. "What's all this about?"
The other boy looked back and said. "It's Kuina, she... she's dead, she fell down the stairs."
All went black, dead? She couldn't be dead, not like that! They were going to compete for the title of the greatest swordsman in the world, and now she was gone.
Kuina's father walked up to him and said. "Zoro, I need to speak with you."
Zoro followed him outside and sat down on the stairs.
"Zoro… I know you and Kuina were close friends… and that she valued you highly as her rival. I know she told you what I said to her. I regret it now, once she got determined to become the best she began to break down that physical barrier. She would have become so strong." He shed a tear.
Zoro looked at his sensei and said. "Sensei, with you permission, I would like to carry Kuina's katana."
The man looked down at the boy smiled and nodded. Zoro stood there holding Wado, Kuina's katana in his hands and his other two hanging in his belt he looked up into the sky and shouted. "Kuina! I will be the greatest swordsman in the world, and I will be so famous my name will reach to the heavens!"
Zoro felt a slight push on his arm, he opened his eyes and saw Luffy looking at him.
"Hey Zoro! You were sleeping:" Zoro looked around he was sitting on the deck of the Going Merry.
Memories really can hurt.