The Kitsune's Heart
Chapter 12
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"Luffy..." he started and Luffy to him hopefully. "I can't do anything. The wheel of fate is already turning and when it does, we can't do anything once it starts. Have you yet to notice what has been happening before?" he questioned. Luffy tilted his head curiously and he sighed before ruffling his brother's head playfully. "Every time you tried something, you were buffered one way or another when you try to help Sanji. The only person that can do anything is the swordsman and the swordsman alone. The fates are between them and them alone and only the swordsman will decide the outcome of it." he said.
"But that isn't fair to Sanji! What happens if Jyabura and Lucci get to him before that Zoro guy can do anything?"
"Let the fates decide. Maybe Sanji will get his wish or die trying. We can only observe." he spoke before changing into his phoenix form. "Now I need to go so you be good and don't try to meddle around in Sanji's fate. We all want to help him but this is his battle now." he spoke before flying off. Luffy pouted but nodded, hating the idea of leaving his nakama to fight this battle alone but he knew that what Ace told him was true to a tee and it was best for him to just keeping wishing with all of his heart that Sanji will be able to make it through this situation with Jyabura and Lucci without losing his life in the process.
Weighed down by the news, he took off into the trees and back to where Nami and Usopp waited for the answer he got from Ace.
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Sanji sighed with distress as he looked to his tails, all of them glowing golden except for the two that was loss without their hoshi no tama. "I have to get them back but at the rate this is going, I'll be killed before I even find them." he murmured and growled as he beat his fists on the bed. "Damn them! I hate those uncouth excuses for mystic animals with the very depths of my soul! With them around, my freedom is limited and I hate feeling trapped!" he snarled and if he wasn't in the present of his hope-to-be mate, he would be tearing through something to ease his anger. "But I suppose getting angry over it isn't going to help much." he murmured to himself as he stood and stretched. Zoro had already left for training so he didn't have anyone to bug now.
But he supposed the other training would give him motivation to work on his own training. Hoshi no tama or not, it was his duty to protect the forest and he wasn't about to continue to let himself be one-up by a stupid wolf and leopard. They had their fun but no more. "I shamed the spirit of Inari long enough by showing weakness. Either I get in shape to fight or I'm going to get killed and everyone, human and myth, will be in danger of whatever the hell those two have planned. Sucks that I don't know what the hell they have in mind." he murmured. Getting up, he stretched to loosen his limbs a little before moving to head outside, finding a little niche where he could train in peace with no chance of Hattori showing up and revealing his location to Lucci.
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"What?! What do you mean they can't help us?!" Nami screeched.
"Ace said they can't help. This is Sanji's battle which was the reason all of our attempts to help him usually mess up." Luffy said.
"This is terrible but if Ace says so, I guess we have to listen." she murmured with a sigh. Usopp frowned as well, having been dependent on the kitsune for the herbs that he usually gives to Kureha for her medicines. Luffy loved the food the fox made and to lose him was like a fate worse than death. For Nami, when Robin wasn't around, the other was another intelligent source to talk to. So the idea of Sanji losing his life was a heavy burden on them all.
"It sucks us can't do anything..."
"Maybe the fates will be kind and he'll beat them..."
"But without the hoshi no tama..."
There may be no hope...
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Zoro sighed as he took a seat upon the rock that was perched there. He set his swords down beside him before doing a mental recollection of the events that had happen to him over the course of a couple of days. First, after living a retired and peaceful life, he came to find out he was the interest of a kitsune, one of the legendary myths that surrounded the forest. Even after telling the fox no on various occasions, he still wouldn't leave. And now, he finds himself caught up in matters that belong to the fox and the fox alone but his assistance was apparently needed in order to ensure the fox's life.
"Maybe I should've moved away. Would've been a better option but I couldn't leave this place without some sort of overseer to make sure there were no secret attacks on my hometown." he murmured with a sigh as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Why the hell did my once peaceful life become so complicated?" he muttered to himself before moving to get up, grabbing his swords and placed them in the leather strap that held them to his side and decided to head into town for a bit.
When he got there, he went to his favorite bar and took his usual seat at the counter, the bartender walking over to him with a bottle of sake. "Been a while since I've seen you, Roronoa. Been hearing a lot about you. Says you're getting caught up in something big." he spoke and he shrugged.
"It's a long and complicated story but all in all, I wish it wasn't happening I want my peace back but it's a far off notion now." Zoro replied, taking a swig from the bottle. "Well, you want to tell me what's going on or is it as outlandish as you say it is?"
"That depends. You a big myth believer?"
"I drift in and out about it."
"Then be prepared for this one." he said as he waved a hand for the bartender to move closer. "I have a kitsune being holed up in my house but it's only because its fixated on me when it shouldn't be and now got me mixed up in some age old matter that he needed to take care of." he whispered so that no one else would hear and the bartender whistled. "Wow, that is outlandish but even you couldn't make up that elaborate of a lie." he said as he sat back. "So what are you gonna do then?"
"Well, it won't go away now because it's weakened and whoever is chasing after it apparently doesn't come around when I am around but once it gets its strength together, I'm kicking him out to take care of the matter himself." Zoro answered, taking another swig from the bottle. "Understandable but whatever it has to deal with, do you think it'll be able to handle it?"
"I would hope so and once it's all over, it'll go back to where it came from and leave me back to my peace."
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After having a few drinks at the bar, Zoro returned home to find a meal waiting for him and the kitsune on his couch, asleep. He sighed as he looked to the other before heading over to the table and took a seat before tucking into the meal left for him. After finishing, he put the dishes into the sink before walking back into the den and looked down to the peacefully sleeping lore creature that had been the bane of his once solitary life.
He still haven't figured out a clear reason why he hadn't just tossed the fox out, although knowing his tenacity, he would only find a way back to him anyway. Maybe it was just pity for his situation or at least that the reasoning Zoro kept telling himself. After draping a blanket over the fox, he headed up to his room to rest.
Later on that night did Sanji awake to being curled up in a blanket. He smiled as he hugged the blanket close to him before wrapping it around his shoulders and made his way upstairs. He peered into the bedroom at the peacefully sleeping man and slipped inside on quiet feet, moving over to the bedside and watched the swordsman slumber.
"I want you to be mine...but why do I feel that all my hard work will soon be for nothing..." he whispered softly to himself as he climbed in on the other side, keeping his distance so he wouldn't get an earful the next morning, and soon drifted off to sleep once more. The next morning, Zoro awoke to the smell of breakfast and sighed but decided to indulge the fox for being there for one of his meals at least once. Yawning and stretching to rid of some of the kinks out of his back, he dressed and made his way downstairs.
He came into the kitchen to a lavish meal with some food he knows he didn't have in his inventory before, a smiling Sanji already sitting down at the table with a full plate. "So you finally decided to join me for once." he said, smirking a little.
"Yeah but don't get used to it." Zoro mumbled as he took his seat and a plate before filling it up with food. Sanji watched him, still smirking before his lips eased into a soft smile as he reached for his cup of tea and took a sip. "Now that I've finally got you in an easier setting, we can finally talk."
"If this is about the mate thing again, I told you..." Zoro began but Sanji held a hand up to stop him.
"No, it's not that, at least not right now. I want to ask you for assistance with my growing problem. I know you've been involved in enough with me but this time, I might be in need of help truly with being weakened so much thanks to their underhanded scheme. If they keep up with this, I might end up being powerless for them and they will kill me." he said and sighed. "And with me dead, then they will gain control of the forest and all hell will break loose here...and I don't want anything to happen to you..." he murmured. Zoro sighed, placing his fork down.
"I will admit that I don't mind you caring about my wellbeing but this is your battle. I shouldn't even have to interfere. Me helping you may not change your fate whatever it may be. So you can do all the begging and pleading you want, I won't help. I did once but only on the whims of another." he said.
Sanji sighed before looking down. "I wish you would realize my plight, marimo. But I guess that would be asking way too much more of you. You do enough for me and I guess even if my death does happen, I would be grateful for what you have done for me." he whispered as he stood. "Sumimasen..." he said before leaving the room. Zoro watched him go before sighing as he went back to eat, giving the kitsune his space before they confronted one another again in their small quarters.
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Sanji found himself on the roof, a dull haze over his eyes as he looked out to the forest, knowing his enemies were waiting for the next ambush and growled. "I'm risking my ass for this forest and I get nothing in return except for the assurance that the inhabitants will live. And the one person I wish would be mine still won't acknowledge a thing. If I die cause of this, I will raise hell on the entities themselves." he growled before leaping off from his perch. Landing softly, he took off to do some more training in agility using the trees as obstacles but made sure to stay close since it seemed until something else comes to mind, Jyabura and Lucci would avoid bringing Zoro's wrath by showing themselves to him.
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Zypher: And there's that chapter. Not much else to say here but see you in the next chapter.