CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Zolo's Promise

EJ spent the rest of the evening explaining, and re-explaining, for Luffy's benefit. At least her posters and Luffy doll could be retrieved.

Luffy was happy after he'd recieved an explanation, and settled down to play One Piece Grand Battle (2). Nami was pleased because the posters had captured her good side (in anime).

Sanji was happy because now EJ (Chan) knew all about him. Usopp was glad because the posters made his anime-self look H-O-T (in his opinion).

Zolo was silent, and remained silent all evening. His face showed no emtion and, despite her injuries, EJ was more worried about him.

Jed came up a few hours later, and checked EJ's face and shoulder. Each was turning a nasty shade of purple - when Nathan kicked/slapped, he did some serious damage.

Finally, Zolo spoke: "Where's Kyo?"

EJ told him, and Zolo said: "I'm going to go and keep him company."

EJ watched as he left, and then she noticed that the Blood Sword was glowing from its place on her bed.

Sanji noticed it too (the others were far too engrossed in the video game). "Why's it doing that, EJ-Chan?"

"I don't know." EJ replied. She picked up the sword, and at once she knew. "Wait, yes I do." Suddenly, the realisation of what that meant hit her. "Oh no, Zolo!" She cried, and bolted out of the room, carrying Blood Sword with her.

OoO

"Who's there?" Zolo asked. He was sitting on a chair in the dark backyard, with Kyo in his lap, and up until a minute ago he'd been scratching the black cat's ears thoughtfully. Now, he stood up, and he and Kyo looked around for the source of the sense Zolo got that he was not alone.

Something shifted in the trees above, and a figure dropped to the ground a few feet away.

Kyo's hisses immediately turned to a calm meow. Probably he sensed that this person held no threat to himself or his mistress.

Zolo, however, was a different story.

"You," Zolo growled, unsheathing his swords and arming himself for battle. "I thought I had killed you! Did you kidnap EJ the other day?"

"Maybe," Siam said mockingly, as if Zolo didn't even deserve to know. "Although why would you care?"

"Ignorant cat," Zolo said angrily. "What has your captain got planned for EJ!?"

"That I do not know," Siam said, eyeing Zolo's swords. "However, he did bestow upon her the sword she now wields, and I helped her to colour it."

"Yeah, I know." Zolo said, feeling strangely jealous. "But, you didn't come here just to tell me that! So, why are you here?"

"I just wanted to check to see how our little Princess is doing." Siam said casually. Actually, he had been sent by Captain Kuro to assess how EJ was doing, but Zolo wasn't to know that just yet.

"Why do you care?" Zolo echoed the Meowban's words, and Siam's grin faded.

"You enjoy mocking those you 'defeated', don't you sword-boy?"

Actually, that couldn't be further from the truth but, before Zolo could reply, Siam pounced. Zolo was caught completely off guard, especially when Siam repeated his actions from their other battle, and stole his swords.

"Damn you!" Zolo cursed, still holding onto his one white sword. "You don't fight fair, you bloody cat!"

Kyo hissed indignantly.

"I learned from our last battle it's best to disable your foe's assault power!" Siam told him, and tossed the swords aside, leaping at Zolo's throat again.

Damn! Oh well, I beat him once before, and I can do it again! I don't know what happened between the Black Cats and EJ, but it stops, right now! Zolo prepared himself for battle, but wasn't prepared for Siam's changed of direction.

"What!?" Zolo cried. "Where'd he go!?"

Hands suddenly clamped down hard around his neck, and dug in from behind. "Guess who sword-boy!" Siam cried, and they fell to the ground, a tangle of striking claws and one deflecting blade.

EJ, meanwhile, was standing transfixed to the spot where she had emerged from the darkness into the moonlight-lit area. She had caught Zolo's swords in one hand, and was holding Blood Sword in the other. Kyo rushed up to her, and climbed up onto her shoulder (the non-hurt one).

She noticed the sheaths of Zolo's swords on the ground, and then the blood that was falling from both the swordsman and the cat-like pirate.

Fear and panic gripped her heart, and the Blood Sword glowed even brighter. To her, it seemed to be saying: Intervene! Slash that swordsman in two!

I can't do that! EJ thought in a panic. Zolo's my friend!

He's no friend of yours if he kills that other guy!The sword told her.

Why?

Think about it, Blood Sword sounded impatient. Without that cat-like pirate's claws, you wouldn't have been able to reawken me. In a way, he, you and I are all connected.

I never thought of it this way... EJ thought. B-but I can't! Zolo's my friend, we're nakama almost! I can't kill him, Luffy and the others would never forgive me!

The sword seemed to sigh. Well do something!

EJ did. She whispered to Kyo, who leapt off of her shoulder, and rushed up to the two fighting pirates.

Gotta get their attention first, without yelling because then other people might hear me. EJ thought, with a smile, as she watched Kyo latch onto Zolo's left arm, causing him to howl in distress. Kyo let go and pounced on Siam, scratching him across the face as Zolo held his arm in agony (Kyo's teeth are very, very sharp and besides, Zolo was wondering why the cat had attacked both of them).

The two pirates finally spotted EJ, who was calmly returning Zolo's swords to their sheaths, all the while holding the glowing Blood Sword.

"You two should have leashes or something," EJ said calmly. "You're worse then the accident-prone Luffy." She added, handing Zolo's swords to him. Kyo let Siam get up, and the two green-haired pirates continued to glare at each other, although they didn't dare start fighting again.

EJ might've killed them.

"EJ," Siam said, noticing her injuries. "What happened?"

To anyone else, EJ might have been inclined to say 'I tripped' or something, but to Siam it was a different story, and she briefly explained what had happened, and then grabbed onto Siam's arm as he attempted to reach the house and kill Nathan.

Zolo meanwhile, was watching EJ and Siam carefully. She was as natural-acting and friendly around Siam as she was with Zolo. Zolo watched as Siam calmed down, and then EJ reached up and carefully wiped the blood away from Siam's face, where Kyo had scratched him.

"Does it hurt?" She asked him, as Kyo purred on EJ's shoulder.

"No." Siam lied. He actually felt a lot better with EJ wiping the blood away from his face, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

Then, EJ reached up, and poked the cat ear headband that Siam wore. Siam gave her a puzzled look. EJ giggled. "I've wanted to do that for ages now."

Siam grinned, and EJ smiled back at him.

Zolo felt his blood boil over this exchange. How could EJ be this natural-acting with somebody she knew less then she knew, say...Zolo? Could it be that EJ trusted Siam as much as she trusted Zolo? How could anybody trust a Black Cat Pirate?

The Blood Sword was still glowing a little bit, and seeing it made Zolo relaxed. Yeah, the sword's colouring, that must be it. Nothing else. Wait, why should Zolo care? He didn't know.

"Can we get on with the program here," Zolo asked testily. "Or are we doomed to just stand around all night talking about ears?"

"Oh, sorry." EJ said, turning away from Siam and looking at Zolo. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied awkwardly, as he sheathed his final sword. "Sorry, I made you worry."

"I was more worried about the state of the backyard!" EJ snapped, indicating to the splatters of blood everywhere, and the blood dampening all of their clothes now. "It looks like a murder scene!"

"It so nearly was." Zolo said, glaring at Siam, who glared back.

EJ groaned, and that's when they saw it. A shooting star, trailing blue across the sky, a rare sight in the southern hemisphere (really, I've only seen one).

"Oh no!" EJ suddenly cried.

"What!!??" Siam and Zolo cried in unison.

"Whenever I see a falling star, I have to sing the chorus of a song, before I can make a wish!" EJ explained. "It's something Jed and I do all the time." She furrowed her brow, and then said: "Oh, I haven't sung this song yet!" And she began to sing: "I promise, I won't let you down, if you take my hand tonight! I promise, we'll be just fine, this time, if you take my hand tonight!" She smiled, and then closed her eyes. A few moments later, she opened them, as the star disappeared, and she said: "There, I made my wish."

"What was it?" Zolo asked her.

"I can't tell you, or else it won't come true." EJ replied. To herself she thought: I wished that I could be worthy to wield the Blood Sword...

Unbeknownst to her, Zolo made a wish as well (Siam's mind was miles away by that time).

Zolo's wish was more like a promise. He would help EJ in any way that he could.

Always.

OoO

MEG: That song, Promise, by Simple Plan, I don't own.