Aishiteru 2

The Price to Pay

A/N: Finally.
Enjoy the show...

Zoro managed to make it back to the battle field after taking wrong turns down halls and up and down stairs. He was outside again the sun was in his face as it sunk under the horizon. The day was almost done.
"Crap. Where is that son of a bitch." He swore as he rushed out into the middle of the courtyard littered with bodies. He new none of those lifeless on the ground. He knew none of their faces. But in there was one face he knew. A person stood among the bodies. Zoro was very surprised to see him.
"Old man! How the hell did you get away?!"
"Ha! Sanji came and rescued us," said King Zeff, "What are you doing here brat? Go help the kid. He's alone with that bastard and he's a crazy one. He'll do something stupid!"
Zoro was off again in an instant.
"And it's not 'old man'"! Zeff cried, "It's 'your highness' brat!"
Zoro didn't quite hear that last part, he wasn't meant to really, but he was now full speed. He could see Krieg from up on what was left of the balcony over looking the palace and all of Grand Jipang.
He gritted his teeth and took out two swords. With a super human jump he was leveled with Kreig.
"Found you, son of a bitch."
Krieg turned his head too look at the man behind him.
"Hm. It's about time, boy." He turned to face him fully, "What took you so long?"
"You'll have to forgive my sense of direction," he looked to the left, "My scene of smell isn't so great right now," he looked to the right, "After all, the sent of blood is in the air." He looked back at Kreig like a tiger staring down at it's pray, "Where is he?"
"Who?" Kreig asked coyly. Zoro scowled and sunk lower to the ground ready to pounce.
"-Oh you mean the prince," he clicked his tongue, "Shame really, he was all talk and no show. The fight didn't last long. I told him I'd end all of this if he agreed to stay with me... and be mine."
The grip around Zoro's swords tightened and his knuckles became white.
"But you see," Kreig continued, "Well long story short, he refused."
He then backed away from where he was standing. Zoro's good eye shook.
There on the cold balcony floor was Sanji, his body still and spotted with blood. Zoro couldn't see his face because it was turned away. Was he-? He couldn't be.
"Such a pity," the wicked man cooed, "And he was so beautiful t-"
There was a swift wind on one side and before Kreig even realized it, there was a cut in his face and Zoro was behind him.
The young swordsman was crouched low to the floor as he eyed the prince's unconscious body.
"Hey Sanji, can you hear me?" He checked the boy's body, it was covered blood. Desperately, he looked to see if he was breathing. It was very faint but he was. He was so beaten up, there were even small cuts on his face.
"How did this happen to you?" Whispered Zoro.
Behind him Krieg turned around laughing.
"So, you and the prince on a first name basis huh? How charming. It makes me sick!"
Zoro stood and readied his swords saying, "You're gonna pay for touching him."
"Ha! You're just as up tight as he was. I guess brats these days don't know how to control their emotions! You want to know what happened to your sweet prince, hm? He got ahead of himself! That's what happened!"

Sanji was furious. His home was being destroyed, his friends were risking their lives, his family was harmed, and it was all because of one man. The prince wanted to end it. He wanted Krieg to pay for everything around him.
He shot a kick at the man who then dodged it. He did this continuously till Krieg was on one knee panting on the floor before him.
"When I said I'd never go with you I sure as hell meant it. You disgust me Krieg, you always have!"
The man began to chuckle,
"That's too bad," then he stood up, "It seems like you have a strong kick but that's all."
Suddenly, Krieg reached into his pocket and pulled out something and threw it. Smoke was everywhere. One thing was for sure, Krieg did not play fair, he had many tricks up his sleeve.
Sanji coughed and tried to cover his mouth in the midst of it all.
He wasn't able to see a thing until a shadow appeared.
With full force he kicked the figure in its chest and it flew back followed by a crashing sound.
It was Krieg.
How the hell did he kick me? He can't even see me!
He forgot to factor in one thing, they were outside, and the sun was at a point in the sky were his shadow was visible, even through the smoke.
He got up and tried to strike the boy several more times, but each time Sanji would land the blow first. In fact, there was a few attempts where Krieg's blood would splatter over Sanji's clothes — a sign for him to keep at it. Luck seemed to be on the prince's side... until it wasn't.
The master of trickery pulled out yet another object from his pocket and threw it into the remaining smoke before it cleared.
Sanji heard a tap then a click.
"Crap!" He swore as he tried to dodge to safety. But it was too late, with a loud bang heat surrounded him. He fell to the ground to see Krieg towering tall above him. The man gripped him by the neck and forced him up and off the ground. To Sanji's horror he took out a knife.
"Such a beautiful face. It
will be a pity I won't be taking you home with me. Well maybe not all of you." The blade was deathly close to the young man's face, "What if I took a lock of hair hm? Oh! What about one of those gorgeous eyes~"
Before the metal could get any closer Sanji's leg burst into flames as he kicked him in the chest. Smoke arose from it as he burned through his armor and his skin. Krieg yelled in pain and hoisted him high into their air by his throat. Sanji was wide open. This was it.
The world seemed to be still. Sanji opened his eyes just in time to see a man with three swords and unmistakable green hair running on the level below them.
"Zoro." He whispered through his crushed throat. He had this strange feeling, seeing the swordsman down below. It was as if he was, relieved somehow. It made him... complete.
Another feeling came over him. It was sharp and quick. He felt something warm and wet trickle down his abdomen. His opened his mouth as Krieg's grip slowly loosened. The prince fell to the ground. He could taste blood in his mouth and felt it drip at the corners. He saw black. Was the sun setting? He thought for a moment.
No. His eyes fluttered shut and it was dark.

Zoro wasn't sure to believe the tyrant or not but it was hard to deny the fact that Sanji was in a serious condition. The swordsman knew he had to end this fight quickly, the prince's life depended on it.
"Before we get started," began Zoro, "...you should know something. I don't give a shit who you are or how powerful you think you are. All I know is that you came here and fucked shit up." He then placed a sword in his mouth as he always did, "And now..." he stood ready, "I'm gonna fuck you up."
A smile spread across Krieg's face.
"Try me."
The battle was on. With every swing of Zoro's sword Krieg would counterattack with some bizarre move or gadget. Frankly it was getting under Zoro's skin.
It lasted for several minutes. The sun was setting over the horizon.
Both of them were panting, Krieg more so.
They jumped apart from each other setting a great distance between them.
"I only look to gain power. A brat like you would never understand!"
"There's no point in understanding greed! You gain power by taking from others. That is not true power, it's just control."
"You think I'm disgusting don't you, the way I long from the prince?" This made Zoro's eye twitch slightly. Long? He longed for him? "Tell me boy, how long have you known him for? I've known him since he was a young boy. Ever since I laid eyes on him I wanted him. I knew I'd make him mine!"
Zoro's blood boiled. His anger exploded.
"HE IS NOT YOURS, OR MINE, OR ANYONE ELSES!"
"I WILL TAKE WHAT I WANT!" Krieg reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a pistol, "I always get what I desire."
Zoro got low to the ground, his swords making a triangle shape.
"The only thing you will get... is what you deserve."
Krieg pulled the trigger. A loud BANG rung in the air capturing the attention of those on the battlefield. All eyes turned to the balcony. Then all was silent.
Krieg stood still as if frozen. His eyes wide and pupil shrunk to an abnormal state.
There was a gash in his left cheek. Zoro stood behind him with blood on his blade. And his pistol was sliced in two... as was the bullet that laid on the floor.
"You claim that you've known Grand Jipang for years? You say that you've known Sanji since he was young?" Zoro turned to face Krieg but the man dared not turn around. He could feel his monstrous aura making the hairs one the back of his neck stand up.
"You think you know this land and it's people so well..."
Krieg's blood ran cold when he felt an ice cold blade against his throat reeking of death, "...but you don't know me."
Kreig tried to grab his attacker but Zoro was too quick. He pulled away and jumped back.
"You have many things to pay for today..." The swordsman crouched low to the ground once again. Kreig had no time to think before Zoro sprung into action.
In a flash he felt a gust of wind, then sharp pain in his leg. Looking down slowly he saw a gash in his left thigh. His golden armor did nothing.
"That was for taking the king and his family hostage."
Another flash and more sharp pain, this time in his upper arm.
"That was for hurting my friends."
He slashed him again, and with every slash Krieg gritted his teeth and growled in pain. The boy was too quick.
Slash. His lower leg.
"That was for destroying the palace."
Slash. He cut Krieg's right hand and the man let out a yell.
"That was for stabbing Luffy."
He then slashed him down the shoulder.
"That was for forcing my friends to fight."
Slash.
"That was for hypnotizing me!"
By now Kreig stood, blood dripping from head to toe.
Zoro stood before him. His eyes were dark, it was as if he was not human. Kreig could see death in those eyes... his own death.
"And this..." Zoro raised his sword one last time, "Is for touching him..."
There was no time to react, no time for anything. The man's mouth opened and warm blood trickled from it. He felt it. A sharpness in his heart. Zoro was inches away from his face. He then leaned in and whispered,
"This is what I felt when you laid your hands on him."
A Katana blade was deep through Kreig's heart. Zoro's sword had run him through.
"This is was it feels like to loose. You'll never touch Sanji again you son of a bitch."
Krieg's eyes were wide but they faded and rolled to the back of his head.
"Well... done." He breathed as his body slowly began to fall backwards. As it did so, it fell right off Zoro's blade. With a crash his golden armor met ground.
Krieg was dead. And the sky was pure gold as the sun glistened then disappeared.
Zoro watched it set but soon felt darkness creep up on him. He got into his knees and knelt before the prince's body. He ran a hand through the boy's soft golden hair.
"Sanji." He laid down beside him as his good eye closed slowly, "Please. When I wake up..." he touched the other boy's soft cheek with the back of his fingers, "...please. Be there."