"Okay. Plan B."
- - - - - - - - -
(Y/N)'s POV (1st person)
Nami and I ran to Kaya's room, the new information making my body run on autopilot. Nami fumbled with the door after the electricity crackled in and out for a few seconds. Once Nami opened the door, she sighed, relieved, "Oh thank god you're still alive."
"Why wouldn't we be alive?" Kaya asked in a confused tone with hints of fear laced into it.
I zoned out, hearing the faint clanging of swords against each other. Oh no. They've started their plan.
"-Poison? What are you talking about?"
"We over heard them in the kitchen. It's been going on for years."
Kaya looked skeptical, asking if Usopp put us up to this façade. Usopp then denied ever knowing about this information, while his show demeanor showed that he felt really guilty about helping feed Kaya the poison.
"Think about it, Kaya. When did you start getting sick? Was it around the time Kuro started working here? Listen to me. If we stay here, we die. We have to leave now," Nami urges.
In the distance, I could hear the call of Kuro coming nearer. "...Kaya. Oh, Miss Kaya."
"Guys, I can here him. We have to go. Now," I order.
"Here, follow me."
We start going through the servants hallways, Usopp leading the way with a lantern.
"Kaya! We're all alone now. Why, parents are gone. You're friends are all gone. Even Usopp is gone. It's just you and me, Kaya."
I know this isn't the best time, but damn. Out of context, those words are very horny. At least that last sentence.
"It's time to wake up!" I hear, probably the others hearing also, the door to Kaya's room slammed open.
Nami stops a little, whispering, "Where are we going?"
"We gotta get out of the house," Usopp responds.
Kaya adds on, "Another crank can open the shutters. It's in my parent's bedroom in the East wing."
I heard footsteps and scratching of metal. I try to stop the others, "Guys, shush! I can hear him."
Unfortunately, Usopp ignores me, "Are you sure? Maybe there is another way."
"This is the only option. We have to go-" Kaya starts coughing. Loudly.
There is a moment before we hear Klahadore, "There you are Miss Kaya." Kuro's blades pierced through the painting, luckily, Nami and Kaya moved out of the way in time. I push Kaya out of the way before Klahadore started talking again.
"It's your birthday. It's time to celebrate!" Kuro exlaimed, stabbing the wall twice more, piercing my arm. Kaya screams from fear as well as seeing my arm get cut. Good thing it wasn't Kaya. She's already frail enough.
Usopp, in his Usopp-ly manner, yelled, "Run!"
And we do exactly that.
- - - - - - - - -
Zoro's POV (3rd person)
Zoro grabs the next stone, trying to keep his balance. He already made it about halfway, but the rock is slippery and wet.
-FLASHBACK-
Kuina practices some forms, with (Y/N) sits in a tree, watching her friend with some thin yarn in hand. (Y/N) heard rustling, and saw Zoro appear, serious and focused. Zoro approaches Kuina and they stare at each other for a small moment.
"Ready to learn your lesson?" Kuina provokes.
"Not in this lifetime. Let's end this," Zoro stands his ground, pulling out his dual katanas, and gets into a ready stance.
Kuina and Zoro start dueling, both with motives unknown to her, but the most (Y/N) could guess was Zoro was doing it for pride. Meanwhile, (Y/N) was making Chinese knots, two for herself, one for Kuina. She had 3 colors of yarn, so she made one black and one red for herself, and one white one for Kunia.
-PRESENT-
Zoro was clinging onto the bricks the best he could with his fingertips, the top of the well seeming so far.
-FLASHBACK-
Kuina blocked Zoro's attempt, trapping his katanas on the ground just long enough for her to hit the back of her katana into Zoro's stomach. She then brought the katana to the other side, and hit Zoro's back.
-PRESENT-
Zoro lost grip on one of his hands, but thankfully he caught himself by grabbing onto another stone. Unfortunately, he now had his back towards the wall, and the possibility of him slipping again was raised.
-FLASHBACK-
Zoro fell face first into the ground, Kuina being the victory of the duel.
"Two swords not enough?" Kuina taunts, "Maybe you should have brought more."
Zoro then gets into another starting stance, initiating another match. Kuina reciprocates, bringing her katana to face her opponent.
-PRESENT-
Zoro reaches forward to grab back onto the stone that he lost grip on, leading his body to fall forward, with feet on one side and hands on the other.
-FLASHBACK-
The two fight gracefully, (Y/N) just watching, enamored by the skills of her friend and not-so-friend. She notices that Zoro is making the same mistake from last time.
"Zoro! Your elbow!" (Y/N) points out, trying to help him.
"Yeah Zoro, you're dropping your elbow again," Kuina teases, half trying to help, half rubbing salt in the wound. Kuina also pushes Zoro back a bit, physically making Zoro slide a little on the leaves.
Zoro shouts, "Shut up and fight!"
Zoro starts being even more aggressive with his offense, but that is his flaw. Kuina finds a weak point and exploits it, causing Zoro to lose once again.
Zoro gets up, and initiates yet another fight. They start passionately dueling, at least on the Green-Head's part.
-PRESENT-
Zoro tries to jump to gain more height and hopefully progress in reaching the top of the well.
-FLASHBACK-
Kuina pushes back with more force than ever, hitting Zoro in the chest with the butt of her katana. She then hits his duo blades upwards with so much force that they fly upwards, falling onto the ground near where Zoro lie.
-PRESENT-
Zoro missed the stones, falling all the way back down to the very bottom of the well.
-FLASHBACK-
(Y/N) jumped out of her tree and started in the direction of the two, hoping that her friend would not kill the other student. Kuina turns her blade to where it faces the ground, and starts charging at the defeated Zoro. She jumps up, stabbing the blade right next to Zoro. (Y/N) breathes a sigh of relief, yet still rushes towards the two with her stuff in her hands.
Zoro, accepting the fact, proclaims with his head shaking, "I can't beat you. Just kill me."
(Y/N) reaches the two, sighing in disappointment at Zoro's ask. Kuina didn't say anything just yet, pulling her katana out of the ground and putting it in its sheath. Kuina then reaches her hand out to help Zoro up. Zoro takes her hand, and Zoro stands dejectedly.
"I don't deserve to wield a sword," Zoro says.
Kuina, shaking her head, denies, "Don't be an idiot. You've always had raw skill. And you'll only get better. You'll surpass me in size, strength, and speed. Eventually, you'll surpass me in everything."
"That's dumb," Zoro responds.
"No, that's nature. I'm small now. And fast. So is (Y/N). But soon, all the boys will get taller and stronger. Their arms will be longer than mine."
"Who cares about that kind of stuff?"
"Don't you get it? Girls can beat boys, but no woman can beat a man," Kuina states, turning to walk away.
Zoro looks at (Y/N), who then looks at him back with an expecting face that just screams 'what are you waiting for? Stop her.' Zoro starts talking, stopping Kuina, "Don't say that. Don't make excuses. You're my goal. If you just give up, what has all our training been for? Let's fight everyday. We'll keep getting better and stronger until one of us becomes the greatest."
"You'd do that for me?"
"I, Roronoa Zoro, vow to fight, train, and kick your butt every single day."
"Then I, Shimotsuki Kuina, vow to fight, train, and kick your butt every single day."
"If we keep that vow, one of us will become the world's greatest swordsman..."
"Or woman."
"...To ever live."
The two then give each other a firm handshake, and smile.
"Great! Now that you two are friends, I'll give you this," (Y/N) excitedly says, giving Kuina a white Chinese knot, and Zoro two black Chinese knots. "Tie this onto your katana's hilt, like so."
(Y/N) then shows the other two how to do it, using the red Chinese knot that she made for herself.
"This is to seal your vow and your friendship."