A/N:: The song still implies from last chapter into this one.

Hope you enjoy it as we are making our way into the end.

In a chapter or two I will ask a question so keep an eye out.

*throws chappie at you with forming tears*

Battle Royale

I Can't Fail

"Ah, sorry…" Fingers tried to be careful on bandaging up my eye and I sighed out. When the bandage was set, a hand began petting my head as brown eyes viewed me. "Let's finish together, Zoro."

"Huh?" My voice sounded dead, but I viewed him curiously.

"I don't have anyone else either… and I had wanted to at least finish with you if I could, but I knew… th-that he was important." I shifted my hands to caress the face before me with this smile straining to my lips.

"If it had been the three of us, I would have died for both of you." Shock was on him as he soon smiled with a short whine and hugged around my head.

"I don't want to be alone anymore."

"Luffy…"

"I didn't watch it happen, but it was already too late when I went back to Usopp." The choked noise had me cringe that he was reliving something as well. "I don't want to lose you too." Fingers griped into my hair as I wrapped arms around his waist and held him close.

"Then let's survive…"

It took me a bit, but we ended up 'burying' Saga into a log that was hollowed out and it had his body hidden. Luffy had collected supplies from all the packs and he had stopped to view the massacre of the two guys. The look on his face was pretty obvious on the question and when I had answered that I did it, he seemed pained. If anything he had apologized that it had to happen and I couldn't reply. I wasn't sure if I should have said it was necessary or if I had lost it without knowing really.

We found ourselves travelling through an area he is aware of and made sure he stayed on my blind side since I couldn't see that way. It was a bit lonely though, not seeing him and it seemed like he noticed on occasion since his hand would grab mine in reassurance; that or he needed comfort too. Our feet dragged us along as we found the river and I heard the crashing noise.

A waterfall?

"Here it is." The voice left him as he held my hand tightly and led me along the path.

We found ourselves tucking away into the cliff side a bit behind the waterfall, the path a little difficult and unorthodox, but that would keep others away. I noticed the few bags hidden away and figured he had been hiding away here. It would make sense that I only saw him a few times if he merely hung around this area. The space was tight farther in where we went to, but good enough as I felt him rest against me on my good sight side. A hand shifted to entwine with mine and let the huddled form press close. This sigh of content left him as he must have been craving the contact of someone close to him and I felt the same, though it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since Saga passed.

"Did you ever see the girls?" The question came out and I tensed with a cringe. "I knew they wouldn't last long… maybe Nami, but I figured it was inevitable."

"I killed the guy who did it." A tension filled him as I stared down at our hands and I let my other hand trail circles on the top of his. "Well, some guy got to Kaya and the girls got him, but a sick bastard came in with an automatic and proceeded to…" I gritted teeth as I trembled in light anger and the hand squeezed.

"Thank you." A breathless laugh left me at the words as I remembered Kohza afterwards.

"At least someone sees it that way…" A questioning noise left him before tilting his head to view me. "Kohza blames me."

"You ran into Kohza?"

"Yeah, he ended up attacking me with a good hit to the shoulder… I guess I kind of deserved it." This shrug left me as my eye throbbed lightly, but not as much. "I didn't know you knew herbs." A light shone in his eyes and he wiggled lightly as he took it as a compliment, which it sort of was in a way.

"Ah, the guy in a grade lower than me, Chopper, showed me when I used to go over. Usopp and I used to always get into rough housing and he would rub medicinal stuff… o-oh…" This realization found and I cringed lightly at seeing the hurt face. "What am I going to tell Chopper? Sanji?"

"Luffy, you have people to return too…" Eyes viewed me as I looked to him with a frown on my lips. "That's better than nothing, okay?"

"…Zoro, I'm sorry…" I shook my head as I held tightly onto his hand and viewed him.

"My father is probably worried by now." A hurt look was on him as he knew I took it deeper, my only friends are either dead or out for me. My father no doubt was probably cursing up a storm, he and Shanks had been trying to stop this cruel twist of fate, but it's hard to come up with evidence when the government is corrupted in itself.

"My brothers are probably too…" A look was down and I shifted to lean more on my shoulder to view him and showed a slight smile.

"Tell me about your brothers." Eyes looked to me curiously before he smiled to me before beginning out with Ace before moving onto Sabo. No doubt those brothers are awaiting their baby brother to come home and I should make sure he does. I know my father wants me home, but I would do anything to at least save one friend. I failed you Saga, but I will not fail Luffy.

I can't fail Luffy.

Seeing his face lighten up talking about his brothers had me smile to him and it felt like for a moment that maybe this could be a bad dream. I knew it was reality, but it's a nice thought even just for a little bit. The free hand animatedly shifted around to explain some things and I rubbed the other to show my attention. At points I actually chuckled in humor and this would make him brighten more. How could you not ask for more, but then that was when his eyes widened as he looked out and I shifted to notice it.

Yellow soared through the air.

I swallowed hard at seeing that before feeling the grip and I looked to serious eyes. Lips shifted as he didn't want to say it, but I knew what it was and nodded. We had to go and have to be the last ones to get out of this. A part of me hoped that we only have to kill one person and I knew it was just that, hope. This whole fucked up game, I want to help my father after this. How am I supposed to live normally after this? The stuff I have seen and done could never be forgiven by anyone. The parents are just going to blame the winners and that felt worse to endure than death, but I have Luffy… at least anyways.

"We should go." The words had me look to brown orbs that mirrored mine showing the pain and worry for everything that happened and to come. My hand squeezed his tightly and I smiled to him.

"Together." The smile returned as he soon shifted to let go of my hand and arms were around my neck.

"Together!" My arms found his waist as we gave a tight embrace and he winced and I smelled herbs on him.

"Were you hurt?" The body pulled back with a tinge of red on cheeks as he complained lightly.

"It happened when I got separated from Usopp." I felt worry flutter through me as I tugged up his ragged t-shirt to see bandages hugging his chest.

"Wh-what?"

"I ran into the guy with a flamethrower and got a good burn, but it's a lot better than it was a couple days ago."

"You didn't waste the bandages on me, right?" Worry flared through my words as I lined over the dirty material and he shuddered out a breath.

"A few left, not enough to rewrap mine though." Slight anger found me, it was towards me as I soon shifted to grab our supplies and shifted through them. Hands found my shoulders to stop me, but I feverishly looked through them as I began dumping a bag and soon tore it. "Zoro, wait…"

"We have to redress it, if you get an infection then it will be all for not." I spoke out as I reached a hand to find his face since it was on my blind side. My accuracy was picking up a little as I found his face and had to adjust to line the heated cheek. "Luckily I am very skilled with working with what I got, you get the herbs ready." I pulled away to begin the makeshift bandages from the bag and soon heard rustling noises. As I finished I turned to him to be startled by the large X burn mark on his chest and winced. It looked absolutely painful and I wondered how he managed because burns are no joke.

"We didn't have to."

"We need to, like I said." The serious tone had him nod as a way to show he gave in and suddenly I found myself kneeling before him. "Just tell me how to apply the medicine."

"Just rub it in well." The feel of the lumpy mixture found two fingers as I began spreading it around.

A startled jolt left us both as we heard gunshots going off, it wasn't too far from us. This scream was heard and I swallowed hard as I concentrated on the work at hand, but tried to be quick. Luffy's skin was trying to scab in certain areas while most stayed very raw and fresh looking. I smudge remaining herbs around the wound before wrapping him up. It was hard to say on how long we would still be here whether it's finding the other people or when we are retrieved. This sigh of relief found him and I wondered if it still hurt on a more painful level than he was letting on. Hopefully the medicine helped with any of that like it did my eye, though I think some of the stinging is from the medicine slipping to my eye. Not that it matters, no skin could have stopped that and I knew already that I would be permanently blind in that eye.

"Thank you." The words left him with a slight smile on him as I began putting our supplies back and he pulled his shirt on.

"Of course." I merely responded as I got the last bit into a bag and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Zoro." A hum left me as I pulled away from my task to look to him and felt a noise leave me. Lips pressed to mine before pulling back to show red cheeks and I felt mine flare.

"L-Luffy…"

"Just in case." A cringe left me before I shifted a hand to cup his face and pressed for a chaste kiss. This hum agreed as I soon moved to pick up our bags and handed him one. "I'm ready."