He danced like the wind; without weight, without a care. With a snap of his fan, he stole people's attention, so that they would unwittingly follow his fingers, the curve of his arms.

And just like everyone else, Zoro was entranced.

After the performance, Zoro threw his spare coins into the upturned straw hat that the boy passed around. They made eye contact.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

Zoro was too surprised to say no.

The boy was a free spirit, all right.

He nearly ate everything in Zoro's storage.

Took up half his sleeping mat before Zoro made him scooch over.

Made up a song to match the screeching of the cicadas outside. Zoro fell asleep staring at the boy, mouth grinning with some secretive glee, the moonlight slanted across his face to paint it pale. Zoro's last thought was whether he had come across some spirit of nature, turned human for but a moment.

The next day, it was not a supernatural force that took the boy away, but a royal decree from the emperor, having become interested in the traveling dancer.

"No! Mister!" The boy reached his hand toward Zoro, even as he was being dragged away.

"Wait..." Zoro tried using his sword as leverage, but eventually he fell onto the ground, into a puddle of his own blood.

But I don't...even know...your...

He haunted Zoro's mind.

The slightest breeze and he thought he could hear that unique laugh again.

When someone snapped a fan, he saw a face behind it.

A thousand times he thought of just barging through the imperial gates, life be damned.

A thousand times, he pulled at his hair, calling himself a fool.

A thousand and one nights of restless dreams.

"We're looking for a traitor to the emperor," the royal messenger read from his scroll. "A young boy, black hair, brown eyes, about one and a half mi tall."

A boy. Vague enough to sound like that boy. Zoro peeled himself away from the crowd. Wandered the outskirts of town, search behind boulders and through tree canopies. His mind said this was foolish, but something else asked what if, what if he had one more chance?

Zoro finally found him at dusk. Wrapped in beautiful kimonos that were shredded and dirty on the edges. Panting against a willow tree by the river. He didn't seem to recognize Zoro, just held out a sharp rock like a knife and growled, "I'm not going back."

Zoro nodded.

The boy relaxed. Allowed himself to pass out in front of Zoro.

The boy woke up to the smell of stew and ate like a starved animal. However, it was not like last time. He hunched himself over his bowl, flinching every time Zoro made a motion. "Are you going to turn me in?"

"No." then after some thought, Zoro asked, "What happened?"

"He made me dance. In that tiny little room, with no sunlight, and only the way he wanted. Then he wanted more than my dancing. Wanted me. Wanted," he shivered, "to touch me. I got scared and attacked him. Then I fled, through doors and hallways and just running and running. And that's when you found me."

Zoro scooted closer to him. He dared to put his arms around the boy, ready for the flinch. Carried him to his mat and, both of them lying down, started patting him awkwardly on the head. Eventually the boy loosened the tension in his muscles. Even made a tiny tug at Zoro's kimono.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." the boy gazed at Zoro. "It's dangerous for me to stay here."

Not again. "I'm coming with you." Zoro instantly regretted the force in his voice. Just after the boy had escaped one prison, he must have felt as if he landed into another.

Instead, the boy's face lighted up. "No one's ever told me that before." His fingertips gently touched the edge of Zoro's jaw in wonder. "They always tell me, 'stay with me' or 'you're not allowed to leave'."

Zoro frowned. "That's not right. You look much happier when you're free." His breath was knocked out of him by the boy's hug.

"Luffy! You're still a wanted man. Stop drawing attention to yourself!"

"Me? How?"

"By twirling around in circles, obviously!"

"Oh. Then what, should I just crouch and walk like this?"

"Never mind, that looks even stranger. Just do what you want."

"Shishishi! Ok, Zoro!"

Luffy skipped and twirled, brushing past a field of dandelions. The seeds rose with the wind and were carried away.

Zoro picked up his pace, suddenly nervous that Luffy would fly away with them.

A/N: i put on a new cover page for this series. it was drawn by baratiepromise from tumblr. i may or may not still be crying about it.