Fallen Skies

Pairing: Zosan

Disclaimer: All one piece characters belong to Oda

She was beautiful. Her long black hair, thin waist, long legs and hips were almost comparable to that of a goddess. Yes, she was stunning, but her soul was as dark as it came. She stole, slept with every man she met, she never loved, and she had many lovers. On top of that, she was a murderer; most men she slept with would not see the light of tomorrow. From young, she knew her womb would never bear, but one fateful night she got pregnant.

Even when pregnant, she continued her ways, until she became sick. It was a miracle the infant survived herself destruction. The day her child was born was the day she passed away. Her egoistic acts left a baby without a mother, and no one to yearn for him. Because unlike other babies this one different.

A green- A green prettier and healthier than the plants outside, but the repulse was so strong they failed to see it. It wasn't until two weeks a woman with shoulder length hair and pale skin with a long nose, and a kind smile with a beautiful overall appearance entered the hospital after hearing in the media that a child was left without a mother and would need taking care of, and if no one came for the child, he was to go to an orphanage.

/

Zoro stood in front of a huge beautiful building; it was covered with flowers and trees stretching until touching the front steps. The setting sun gave the place a warm feeling as the sun seemed to hug the building.

The women holding his hand, gave a little nudge, pulling the green hair child with her. Her grip was tight, but not overly so. Stopping the woman looked down at the child holding her hand, a small smile working its way to her lips as she watched Zoro with his little bag.

"Zoro, you ok?" She stopped walking when the young child did not answer her, making the small child also stop in his step. "Tell me what's wrong?" she asked gently, placing one of her hands under Zoro's chin and bringing his face to face her.

"I don't want to stay here, and you have to leave..."

"I can't take care of you anymore. It's been three beautiful years since you came into my arms..." she smiled as she remembered when she first held her son.

"I know." Zoro place his small hand on the woman's heavily pregnant belly, feeling a slight kick Zoro couldn't help but smile. The raven hair woman placed her hand over his much smaller one.

"Once he is born..." She didn't need to say it. He already knew...

When Banchina got pregnant, her health went down- she fell gravely ill. After taking her to the hospital, it turns out she was suffering from an advanced cancer. She was forced to choose her life or her unborn child's. The answer was pretty obvious.

She told Zoro and her husband. Yasopp raged- angry at the universe for what happened. The man hatefully looked at Zoro, like always, because unlike Banchina, Yasopp did not want Zoro. In fact, he blamed the child for anything dreadful that happened.

"If you die then you better take that snot nose brat with you!"

"Yasopp he is our child!"

The man slammed his hands on the table, scaring the small two-year old next to him who was eating his pudding snack. "You went and got him, I never wanted that freak! He is not part of this family. That one you are holding, the one growing inside you, I will take care of him when he is born," Yasopp looked to the side with a glare directed to the unwanted guest in his house. "That one can starve and die for all I care." With that, the man stood up and left, slamming the door behind him.

Banchina gaze went to her child sitting on the table, pudding in hand, but not eating it anymore. She ran to Zoro, stumbling as she picked him up from his chair and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry Zoro..."

"Two more weeks and Usopp will be born?"

"Yes, he has gotten a little feisty in there. I think he is ready to come out soon." Her smile changed into one of sadness. "Zoro I wish you could stay with me forever. But I need you to be a big boy." Tears started to fall down her cheeks. "Don't forget to always brush your teeth before you go to bed, to eat something before eating sweets, and don't you ever give up no matter what anyone tells you."

Zoro could feel his own eyes start to water. "I love you mommy." Zoro hugged his mother, his body shaking with the emotion running through him. They stayed like that until they heard the door to the building open.

"Ah! Hello, you must be Banchina and Zoro, the one that called earlier?"

Banchina wiped her face before answering, "Yes, This is Zoro." She looked down at the child still cling to her. "He is a good boy; please do take care of him."

"Of course, when you're ready...?"

Banchina took a hold of Zoro's small hand. "I'll always be with you. I need you to go with the nice lady."

No matter how much Banchina coax Zoro to go with his new care keeper, the small child refused to move. Banchina didn't feel like Zoro was acting rebellious, she knew the boy was not at all like that, but Zoro wanted to stay with her. Taking the bandana wrap around her head, she placed it into Zoro's hand.

"Don't forget me."

New tears started making their way down his cheeks as he held on tighter to the black bandana in his hand. "I won't." With one last tight hug, Zoro turned to head into the building. The three-year old looked back as he walked, waving to his mother good-bye for the last time.

"Don't be scared Zoro. My name Paula and I will take care of you." A small smile formed on Zoro's lips as the woman took his hand and guided him into the building.

Zoro almost jumped when the heavy doors closed behind them when they entered. As they walked, Zoro felt like Paula was practically dragging him, considering how fast she was walking, he even stumbled on his feet a few times, only being able to catch himself using the woman's hand to hold himself.

"Ah, Ms. Paula, who do you bring here?" The man who was passing by asked. He was tall, and fat, he had fat lips and short blonde hair.

"Mr. 4, I've told you before when no one is here you call me Miss Doublefinger!" Zoro looked at Ms. Paula confused. "While you're at it, take this filth and take that green dye off his head." She flung Zoro's small body towards Mr. 4. Zoro would have fallen on his face by the force the women threw him if it weren't for the fat man who grabbed Zoro by the arm.

The woman with black curly hair that was wearing a brown coat, shredded it off to reveal a black long-sleeved jacket, a bikini top looking like a spider web pattern across her torso, she wore long pants and platform sandals.

A complete opposite of what she was wearing not too long ago.

Zoro stared wide eyes. He had never seen a woman dressed like that. Zoro shook his head before opening his mouth- to tell them his hair color was his own. "This is not-"

"How dare you speak!?" The black hair woman brought her hand up and lashed it across Zoro's left cheek, a loud clap sound following.

Zoro held his stinging cheek where the lady had slapped him; he looked at the woman with questioning eyes. Smiling, Doublefinger explained. "You cannot talk without my permission. The children staying here are worthless, just like you. So the next time you want to say something, you should think twice before asking it." her voice coming out sweet.

"Now, Mr.4 take him to wash. I will meet you at the top room."

Mr.4 dragged Zoro's through the long hallway. The hallway was brightly light, with flowers and pictures of smiling children decorating the walls.

They reach the end of the hallway, one continued as a bright hallway while the other was dark, the lights seeming to have stopped working. Mr.4 went down the hallway with light, to Zoro's relief. The man kept pulling until they reached a door on the left side, opening it the man pushed Zoro inside as he also entered the room and closed the door.

"Take off your clothes and enter the bath."

Zoro looked up at the fat man in front of him "My mother told me not to take off my cloths in front of strangers."

Mr.4 leaned down to be the same height as Zoro, a smile on his lips. "We are family now, you shouldn't be scared." The fat man pulled the bag off Zoro's back and placed it by his foot. "I'm going to get you some clothes to wear, I'll be right back." He said skipping away.

Zoro slowly shredded his clothes, tying the black bandana around his arm, then stepped into the cold water. The tub was pretty deep, reaching his neck when he sat down. Within moments the man came back with the items promised.

"Now where did I put that shampoo?" The fat man joked as he pulled the shampoo from the cabinet. Sitting by the tub, a chair pulled to the edge, the man grabbed a fist full of Zoro's green hair. "Let's see if this comes off quickly."

Zoro opened his mouth to tell the man it won't come off, but held his tough; he didn't want to get slapped again- the stinging feeling still lingering on his cheek. Zoro made a face as the man behind him started to scrub, trying harder and harder, seeing no color come off.

Up until now, Zoro still didn't understand what was wrong with his hair, even with Banchina people would give him disgusted looks, saying something about his hair being repulsive and just weird. He was called a freak.

Feeling his scalp start to burn with all the rubbing the man was doing, Zoro finally had enough. He pushed the man's hand off his head, turning slightly to be able to talk to him, "My hair isn't dyed..."

The man looked at Zoro with a puzzled face. "You mean to tell me... this is your natural hair color?"

Zoro nodded, confirming. With a laugh the man added, "You're a freak." Zoro turned around giving his back fully to the man behind him, a frown taking his lips.

"How old are you? You're so tiny?"

"Three."

The man laughed harder, "You're going to be a pretty small and pathetic man when you become an adult."

The small child's eyes went to the water ahead of him, his lips in a firm line. It hurts more than he thought when someone called you pathetic and laughed at you. Zoro hugged himself, wanting so bad to be in Banchina warm arms, where he could hide from the world when they decided to call him names, and try to hurt him. It was safer with her.

Feeling his body being pulled from the water Zoro couldn't help shrink into himself. "Don't be shy." Taking a towel the man wrapped Zoro around it, giving the child his clothes afterwards.

Zoro looked down at the fabric in hand; it was simple pants and shirt. Putting on the black pants first Zoro proceeded to put on the sleeveless orange shirt.

Barefoot, the man once again held Zoro by the arm, pulling him even further into the hallway once they exist the bathroom. They reached a double door, pushing it open the man led Zoro inside.

The room was huge, filled with seats as if in a theater, there was a stage and a stand to the left of the stage. The man continued pulling the green hair child until on top of the stairs where a line of children stood.

"Is that the last one?" a voice that sounded like it came from the walls asked.

"Yes, sir."

Zoro watched the seats in front of him where two men sat. One had a cigarette in his mouth, stitches across his face, right above his nose. The other man was dark in color had thick lips with a big tattoo in the middle of his chest.

The two men sitting, talked to each other, whatever they were saying inaudible. They would stop their talking and call a number. One and two were the most called, it finally reaches him and the two-man did like every other child before him, they started talking to each other. Maybe deciding my faith, Zoro thought to himself.

Zoro almost jumped when the man with the cigarette addressed him directly. He didn't expect the man to talk to him since he didn't talk to any other before him. "Boy! Why is your hair green?" Zoro gritted his teeth, was his hair really that off?

"I don't know." Zoro felt a pain at the back if his head, looking back while rubbing his head, he saw the lady that greeted him by the door- Doublefinger.

"You address Crocodile as 'Sir'!"

"Doublefinger, leave the boy for now. "Were you born this way?"

"Yes." Zoro looked at Doublefinger with a glare, the lady glared right back. Startled, they both looked at Crocodile when they heard him laugh.

"Not only are you abnormal, but you have guts- not addressing me as 'sir' even though she told you too, and to top it off you did it in spite." Controlling himself and getting serious again the man's smile became a frown.

"Rebellious children don't last long in here. You have a spirit, I would love to break, I just wish you were older; it would have been so much fun. Three for him."

With a nod the women pushed Zoro to where the other children were led to. Zoro didn't have to wait long as they sat him in a chair and strapped him down. His hands and legs.

"What are you doing?" Zoro tried to pull his hand free, but just couldn't. He watched as the man beside him pulled out a small tray. His eyes went to the tray next to the man; three identical earrings were placed there.

Taking alcohol the man roughly applied it to his left ear. Zoro closed his eyes as the man started to force each earring into his left ear without making a hole beforehand.

Closing his eyes, Zoro gripped the edge of his seat, biting his lips so hard he tasted blood as the first one was placed. Zoro opened his eyes for a brief second only to see the man take the next one in his hand and one more after that one.

00000

"You're telling me...?" Sanji looked down at Zoro, who was still asleep on his bed. His eyes went to the three golden earrings hang there. Sanji's hand subconsciously went his left ear. The reason he didn't get a piercing was because he was scared it might hurt, but putting them on raw like that?

Bonney passed her hand over Zoro's earring, hearing them chime as they hit each other. "If you can't handle this then you can't handle the worst part... You can almost say they were nice because it was their first day."

Sanji shuffled a little, feeling a chill run down his back. If this was how they acted nice, he didn't want to see when they acted badly. Sanji sighed before looking at Bonney again.

"Continue please. I need to know."

Closing her eyes Bonney continued...

R&R