Chapter 15

Love. It's so strange. What is love? I guess it would be a force that draws two people together. But what drives love? Is it better to listen to the brain? Or would it be better to follow the heart? How can you love and end up happy? How can you be sure that the choice you've made is right? Is it possible to tell? Maybe that's not to be known.

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"I have to know for sure. But how? Zolo keeps acting so idiotic." Adella frowned and put her head down. His stupidity and ignorance makes me want to strangle him!

"I do?" Zolo walked over to her side. He leaned on the railing of the ship and stared out into the midnight blue sky. Adella felt uncomfortable, and he knew it. He sighed. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him through the corner of her eye. "…Sorry?"

"Yes. For acting the way I have…"

"I'm listening."

"Adella, I've been doing the things I do recently because I don't wanna lose you. I don't know how to handle this and I think…" He looked away. God, I hate love. It makes me sound like a sissy. And it makes me sensitive to the one that I love.

"…What do you think?" She was getting into the conversation.

"I think that…you don't love me." He looked at her. "How do I know that you love me? You tell me all the time that you don't, and I believe it. I believe it and it hurts." He took her hand and placed it on his heart. "Right here is where it hurts."

She blinked, touched by his words. Something inside her felt sorry for the swordsman. "…Zolo…"

"Adella, I've been through a lot. I've got one big scar to prove it. What I'm trying to say is that I've been cut up and everything, but I can stand the pain. I end up ignoring it and going on with enough endurance for five. But the pain here, where your hand is, it's like nothing I've ever felt before. It's overwhelming. And I can't stand it." He released her hand and turned his back on her. "I want it to go away, but the way I want it to go away isn't possible, and you've said it yourself. It'll always be there…" He blinked back tears and ran his hand through his hair. "…So I've decided to let you go. I guess I am capable to love, but it's with…the wrong girl. Now that I know that I can love, I can always wait for that-"

"Zolo…" She forced by tears. "Please don't talk like that."

He turned back to her. "Eh?"

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her heart. "I have pain too, and it's more that I can handle. The things that I'm going through right now, it's so strange. All of these feelings that I have, for different…things. I want something, but I feel as if a small part of me might want something else. I don't understand, and I'm not smart enough to figure it out."

"I'm a swordsman Adella. I'm not supposed to have feelings like this. I haven't cried since I was ten, but everything that's happened between us is breaking my heart. I don't know how to handle something like this. Like…love. I have everything that makes me who I am, but not the knowledge of certain feelings. I…" He withdrew his hand. "I don't want you to be unhappy. And as far as I'm concerned, I've been making you miserable." They both looked away, back at the night sky.

Adella laughed lightly. "It's kinda funny."

"What is?" Zolo didn't look at her.

"I mean, before all of this, we were so carefree. I was happy, you were happy, life was so simple. And now…I've ruined it for both of us."

"No you haven't."

"Yes, I did. Had I not said anything, if I had just kept my mouth shut, we'd still be happy. I'm so sorry Zolo. What I've done is unforgivable. And I've decided that…I'm gonna leave this crew."

His eyes became wide. "What! Why!"

"Because," she smiled, "it'll better that way. I'll only cause more problems. I'm going to leave in a few days, maybe three."

He couldn't let this happen, not yet. And there was still something that he had to know. "Adella…" She looked at him. "Do you love me, for real? I have to know. Do you?"

Why? Please, don't ask me something like this. I don't know the answer. She thought a moment; she needed to examine her heart. "If…just one kiss could determine everything…" She faced him fully. "Please, hold me." They embraced. "If just one kiss…" She reached up on her tip-toes and gave Zolo and gentle kiss. Just one…

Zolo was surprised. He had kissed her a couple of times, but they never felt like this. They had felt…fake. But this one, this one was different. It was special. It's like I feel my happiness, my life, returning to me.

If just one kiss can make everything better, if it can break this nightmarish curse…then so be it… She broke it. It had seemed like an eternity between the two. She turned and headed for her room.

"Adella, wait." She stopped, but didn't turn. "I-"

"Does it have to be this way?" She turned and ran back to him, right into his arms. "I just want to know what it might feel like, if it came true." She kissed him with true passion. The little bit of love that she had left within her seemed to grow. They embraced and shared one more kiss for a while before separating.

"Adella…" She stopped again. "Promise me just one thing at least…" She said nothing. "…Please don't leave this crew."

She turned to him and smiled. "I'll think about it." She turned back to the door. "We can finally be happy again. This is my special gift to you." She left before she began to cry. My only real romance with the swordsman. It ended as soon as it started. But now I'm free. We're both free. And now we have our lives back. But most importantly, we can have our lives back and share them together. I'm glad that the suffering is finally over. She smiled one last time before she cried.

Zolo leaned against the railing of the ship alone. "So, that's what love is. I'm glad that she could show me. Even though it was brief, I understand now. I just wanted her to be happy, and now she can be…and so can I." Just one tear rolled down his cheek. "Someday, when my dream comes true, I'll find someone one to share it with." He wiped the tear away and smiled. "I just have to have faith." He looked back at the door to the girls' room. "Adella loves me and I love her, but…in a different sense. And she is someone that I can live for. She's just one of the people in my life that gives me the energy and reason to move forward." He looked up at the midnight sun. It was full, and beautiful. "But I can finally be myself again." He smiled and let out a shout of joy.

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"So it was true…" Sanji pulled himself back into the crow's nest. "They are in love with each other." The tears began to fall. "I thought that I could be there for Adella, but I was wrong. I thought that I could be strong enough for her, but she stilled loved him. I should have known that this would have happened. Zolo must be a better lover than I am." He pounded his fist on the floor of the crow's nest. He cried and tried his best to stop. He hid his face in his hands, then let them slide over his blonde mess of hair. He pounded the floor once more. "How did this happen?" The image of Adella kissing Zolo flashed before his mind's eye. "Dammit! I hate my fucking life!"