I'm Not Lost: Redux

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own either of these fine series and now I might add that I refuse to write any more disclaimers it should be obvious at this point that I don't own anything.

"Hey kid time to get up."

Opening his eyes Zoro found himself staring up at a man with dark blue-black colored hair.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Geez," said the man as he rubbed the back of his head, "You sure are a head strong brat aren't you? The name's Macao."

A groan escaped Zoro's mouth as he sat up, his body aching in protest.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember," asked Macao. "I guess the master hit you harder than I thought."

Zoro scrunched up his face in frustration as the memories came flooding back, "That's right. That old man. I lost didn't I?"

"Lost," repeated Macao, "Kid you didn't even come close to winning."

"I have a name you know," said Zoro as he crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Please do tell."

"My name is Zoro."

"Zoro huh," questioned Macao, "Got a family name?"

"Roronoa," answered Zoro curtly.

"Well Zoro Roronoa we should get going we don't want to be late for your first day at the guild do we," asked the man as he turned to leave the room.

"You said it wrong."

"Come again," said Macao.

"My name, you said it wrong."

"No I'm pretty sure I said it the same way you did."

"You said it backwards," said Zoro. "It's supposed to be said as Roronoa Zoro."

"I thought you said your last name was Roronoa."

"No I said it was my family name."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No," answered Zoro, growing annoyed.

"Right, you must be from one of those foreign lands," said Macao more to him-self than to Zoro. "Look just get out of the bed and follow me. I'll take you to the guild."

"What for?"

"You lost. As per your agreement with the master you are now the newest member of Fairy Tail."

"Shit," swore Zoro.

"Hey," said Macao, "you may want to watch your mouth around here. If my wife hears you talking like that she'll wash your mouth out with soap."

"She can try."

"Believe me kid she'll do more than that."

Zoro followed Macao out the door and down the road taking in his surroundings as he walked quietly behind the blue haired man. The city was a lot like Water 7. The buildings were built in close proximity to one another leaving little to no space in between them. Zoro himself preferred small villages with lots of space and very few buildings. Those were much easier to navigate.

Zoro found his progress halted as he walked into the back of the man's leg.

"Hey," said Zoro, "what did you stop for?"

"We're here," was his reply.

Looking up Zoro found him-self standing in front of what he would have guessed was a bar. In fact that's exactly what he said, "It looks like a bar."

"It is a bar," replied Macao.

"I thought you said this was the guild hall."

"It is."

"But you just said it was a bar."

"It's both," said Macao as he entered the door.

Glaring daggers at the back of the man's head Zoro reluctantly followed him in. Upon entering the building Zoro was greeted by the small guild master Makarov.

"Hey there kiddo," greeted the old man

"What do you want you geezer?"

"Still as rude as ever I see."

"Still as old as ever I see."

"Well then," said Makarov, "I think that's enough banter for now don't you? Now where do you want it?"

Zoro looked at him curiously, "Where do I want what exactly?"

"Your guild stamp of course," said Makarov as he brandished the little stamp.

Zoro eyed the stamp suspiciously, "Won't it just wash off?"

"Not as long as you're a member of this guild it won't."

Zoro didn't really like the idea of that at all. In fact he really didn't like the idea of joining the guild, he needed to be trying to find a way to get back to Luffy and the others. But he had lost. And he was a man err I mean boy of his word. Pulling back his sleeve so that his shoulder was visible he looked at the old man and said, "Just get it over with."

The old man pressed the stamp to his skin and took it away revealing a green version of the emblem all the other members seemed to have.

"Green," questioned Zoro, "Why green?"

"I thought it would match you hair," replied Makarov.

Zoro scowled, "Whatever. Where are my swords?"

"Oh yes," said Makarov, "wait right here and I'll go get them."

Zoro watched the old man retreat up the stairs to retrieve his blades. Feeling a tap on his shoulder Zoro turned to face a smiling young girl who he guessed was his current age. She had brown hair and brown eyes and was wearing a sun dress.

"Hi there," started the girl, "I'm Cana. What's your name?"

"Zoro."

"Hi Zoro. Do you want to play with me," she asked hopefully.

"Sorry," replied Zoro, "But I don't have time to play with little kids."

"But you're a kid too," she said sounding disappointed.

"No I'm not."

"Uh-huh," she argued.

"Nuh-uh," he argued back childishly.

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Well if you don't have time to play what do you have time to do," she asked angrily.

"I have to train and get stronger."

"Fine," she practically shouted, tears welling in her eyes as she turned and stormed off, "It's not like I thought you were cute or anything anyway!"

Zoro just stood there blinking owlishly 'what just happened,' he thought to himself.

"Having girl troubles are we?"

Turning around Zoro found Makarov standing there with a grin on his face and Zoro's three swords held in his hand.

"I don't have time for girls."

"I see," said the guild master, "Well any way here are your blades."

"Thanks," said Zoro as he took the blades from him.

"You know if you wanted we could have Lacrima inserted into your swords."

"What's a lacrima," asked Zoro.

"It's like a stone that contains magic energy," explained Makarov. "With it you would be able to use magic.

"No," said Zoro.

"Are you sure?"

"I said no."

"Fine, fine," relented Makarov. "Hey where are you going?"

Zoro, who was nearly out the door truned and face the guild master, "There's a forest near here right?"

"Yes," answered Makarov.

"Then I'm going to go train."

"But you still don't have a place to stay. You need to find a house or an apartment of some sort."

"I'll just sleep in the woods for now," said Zoro dismissively.

"What about food," asked Makarov.

"I'll just kill some animals and eat those," said Zoro as he exited the guild, the conversation over for him.

By the time Zoro found his way to the forest it was nearly dark out. On his way to the forest he had acquired some of the items that he would require to continue in his training.

Leaning his back against a tree, his swords held tightly in his arms, Zoro drifted quickly off to sleep. His training would begin bright and early the next morning.

And so five years past with Zoro staying in the forest continuing his training, the old guild master or pink haired hag stopping by every now and again to check on him. He found he still retained all of his skill with the blades but most of his techniques were inaccessible at the moment due to his lack of strength. And so he trained his speed and strength constantly while challenging the occasional passing mercenary to a fight if only to ensure his skill with the blade didn't diminish.

He was currently meditating underneath a tree as the sun started to descend behind the horizon, trying to further enhance his mastery of Haki when he felt a presence behind him.

"What do you want," Zoro questioned without even bothering to open his eyes.

"I'm on a mission," came a young female voice.

Cracking open his eyes he gazed at the young girl in front of him. She had scarlet colored hair that fell past her shoulders and was wearing armor and a skirt and was carrying a sword at her hip.

"What kind of mission," questioned Zoro.

"I was sent to deal with the green haired menace that has been terrorizing travelers in the forest."

Zoro raised a curious brow at this. "So what, they were mercenaries, it's not my fault they were weak to beat me."

"Be that as it may, I have come to defeat you," she declared drawing her sword.

Drawing Shusui from its sheath he stared down the girl in front of him allowing some of his killing intent to leak out and yet the girl still stood her ground. He was mildly impressed by her determination but mostly he was annoyed.

"Aren't you going to use one of your other swords too," asked the girl.

Zoro merely grinned cockily at her, "I'm only going to need one to beat you."

"Don't get cocky," she shouted as she charged him her sword raised to strike.

Bringing her blade down the sound of steel on steel echoed through the forest as Zoro easily blocked her strike holding his sword in only one hand still smiling at her, "It's not being cocky if you know you're going to win."

The girl growled at him as she leapt back putting distance between them.

"You're not half bad," said Zoro crouching low as he prepared to finish the fight. "But the difference in skill between us," he continued as he cut through her blade in a burst of speed she couldn't follow, his blade now held to her neck, "Is like night and day."

"H-how," she stuttered, her eyes wide in fear as the remains of her sword clattered to the ground, "I couldn't even see you move."

Zoro was about to reply but stopped and tensed his body as he felt another presence approach.

"I see your training has gone well," came a familiar voice from behind him.

Zoro turned and glared at the small man while keeping his blade on the girl. "You've gotten good at disguising your power. I couldn't even tell it was you. Now what do you want old man?"

"M-master," the girl stuttered, "I'm so sorry. I not only disobeyed your orders not to take the request but I also failed a mission."

Makarov merely raised his hand and waived her off dismissively, "The reason I told you not to take the mission was because this young man is a member of the guild."

"That can't be right," said the red haired girl, "I've never seen him before."

"That's because he's been in the forest for the past five years training. By the way Zoro, would you mind removing your sword from Erza's throat?"

Zoro slowly place the black blade back in its sheath. "Answer my question old man."

Zoro rubbed his head as Erza smashed her metal clad fist into his head. "What was that for?"

"Fool, show respect to Master Makarov!"

"Now, now there's no need to fight again," said the master in an attempt to calm the two hot headed children down. "The reason I'm here is because I figured it was about time I brought you back to the guild."

"Who says I even want to go back to the guild," questioned Zoro.

"Oh come now," said Makarov, "there have been lots of people your age join the guild since you've been gone and besides, I think it's about time you started completing some requests and earning some money don't you?"

"I don't really need money. I'm fine out here on my own," replied Zoro.

"How dare you disobey the Master," shouted Erza. "You insolent moss-head!"

Zoro glared at her as his eyebrow gave an involuntary twitch at the familiar insult. He honestly couldn't understand her. One minute she was terrified of him and then, once she found out they belonged to the same guild she started trying to boss him around.

"Oh-ho," chuckled the old man. "How about this then. I Makarov, the master of the Fairy Tail guild, order you, Zoro, a member of the Fairy Tail guild, to return with me to the guild hall."

"Damn it," muttered Zoro under his breath as he tightened his hands into fists. He had never once questioned an order that Luffy had given him. Despite what others thought of him he was extremely loyal. Especially to those he was indebted to. "Fine, I'll come back to the guild with you."

"Great," said Makarov delighted, "Let's get going then. If we hurry we can get there before the guild closes for the day and you can meet all our new members."

"Great," muttered Zoro sarcastically dragging his feet as he fell in step behind the elderly guild master, the young red head continuing to scold him for his behavior as they walked.

A/N: yeah, yeah, I know a short chapter with nothing but filler. I'm sorry I want to get to the current story but I feel like I can't completely skip out on some of the earlier story so as to show character development and relationship building between Zoro and members of Fairy Tail. sorry this has been done for a week. i didnt post it because i wasnt sure if this is what i wanted to post or not. still not sure but i want to at least get the story going