The whole idea for this story came after reading Inumaru12's story 'Sunshine' before I knew it an entire story was written in my head and I had to get it down before it exploded

The whole idea for this story came after reading Inumaru12's story 'Sunshine' before I knew it an entire story was written in my head and I had to get it down before it exploded. I have already asked Inumaru12 if I had her permission to use her story as a foundation for mine so I highly suggest you read her story first as it will help you understand this one better than it would otherwise.

Inumaru12/Inu-chan you ROCK!

WARNING: For those of you with weak stomachs or if you are sensitive in any way you probably shouldn't read this. This is a death fic. so someone WILL die. There will be disturbing scenes so please don't read this unless you know you can handle it.

Although I wish I did own One Piece, I do not.

Goodbye my Sunshine

One Shot

/Goodbye my sunshine, my only sunshine/

A lone figure stands atop a cliff that slopes deeply into the sea. A grave stands behind him as ff he could no longer bare the site of the grave. Fresh flowers have been placed on the grave in eight separate bundles. The most beautiful being a set of white carnations with a single red rose in the center that lay atop the rest. The man stands at the edge of the cliff staring down at the rough waves that lapped violently at the cliff and the sharp rocks that lay below him. He spreads his arms out with his palms facing the sea at lets himself go. It appears as if he is going to free fall down the cliff and to his death. But to the man's surprise a strong wind comes up and suspends him in mid fall. The wind is familiar and it feels to the man as if he is being embraced by two familiar arms. He closes his eyes and allows the wind to stop him from falling. His three golden earrings jangled violently next to his ear, and his surprisingly green hair blowing freely behind him.

The man has a stern face with lightly tan skin. And although he can be no older than twenty-five he has the dark eyes of an aged warrior who has seen much more than he should have. His nose is a normal sized one slightly upturned. And he has three gold dangling earrings hanging from his left ear. One for each sword he posses as well as one for each life-promise he has made. Fresh scars where sprayed across his handsome face, and they where also on his forearms. His hands where, by far, burned the most though; with thick white gauze was wrapped tightly around them and a slight stench of rotting flesh emanating through the wrappings. The burns that littered his skin where all still gleaming white and appeared to be only a day or two old.

Finally, he has a mouth that has a much easier time frowning than it does smiling. In fact, it seemed to be some sort of holy law that Kami himself had decreed, that Zoro never smiles.

That was, of course, until he met him.

Looking back on it, Zoro would sometimes chuckle under his breath on how a series of totally random but well placed series of events managed to both save Zoro's life and introduce him to the man he would follow to the ends of the world and then some. For if this man had left his home just one day sooner or later than he did, if he hadn't gotten sucked into that giant whirlpool, if he had never met that Marine-wannabe pink-haired boy with the too-big glasses, if that boy had navigated them both to a different island, a series of random and unrelated events that had just one aspect of any been different, Zoro would never have found his true happiness.

And he would never have fulfilled his first life-promise; his promise to Kuina, to be the best swordsman in the world.

/You made all the clouds blow away/

It was strange meeting someone who could bring out his true self so quickly. Minutes after meeting the man he lost his composure. The man seemed to have a knack at accomplishing the seemingly impossible.

The first time Zoro laughed in that man's presence a strange experience, he could barely remember the last time he had laughed and now he was laughing with a man he had just met. Normally it took at least two barrels of grog to get him to laugh in another's presence and even than it was a difficult thing to accomplish. Yet here he was completely sober (well…mostly) and laughing in the presence of another. It was a strange experience but not an unwelcome one.

Soon they left the town behind, now pirates but seen to the town as heroes. Their first allies were a small town and an entire military base, how strange. They moved on forward and gathered more crew members: A thief for a navigator and a coward for a sharpshooter. Along witch they obtained a real boat, not a galleon by any sense but it was better than the dinghy they were using.

And than Zoro met Mihawk for the first time.

He got himself sliced open for his efforts, but where the attempt to fulfill one promise failed another promise was made: to never lose again. This time the promise was made to the man who saved his life and he respected more than any other.

Unfortunately during that time they also obtained the ero-cook, bastard. But they pushed forward after rescuing their navigator. They gathered more and more crewmembers until they had gathered nine crewmembers. The final line up ended up being this: Nami-thief/navigator, Usopp-coward/sharpshooter, Sanji-pervert/cook, Chopper-reindeer/doctor, Robin-mother figure/archeologist, Franky-Cyborg/shipwright, Brook-Musician/bigger pervert, Zoro-First Mate/swordsman.

And finally Luffy. He was person who couldn't be put into any one or two categories. He was too complex a person but at the same time frighteningly simple. He was the one who had the most common sense when it came to people. He knew who could be truly trusted and witch ones couldn't be. He saw traitors and deceivers where the rest of the crew saw potential friends, and he saw friends where the crew saw untrustworthy people.

He saved so many people and he felt so many emotions. Where as Zoro killed so many people and hardly felt any at all. Luffy was Zoro's better half, his sunshine, his love, his life.

/I wish I could tell you how much I love you/

When Zoro closed his eyes he would recall a scene in his mind. They were on this very boat and they had already told the other what they felt. Meeting Luffy had brightened up his entire life and he tried to show Luffy that.

Flashback

Everyone was fooling around, and all in all every one was in a good mood. They had two new members of the group, Frankie and Brooke. The ship builder and the musician were entertaining the others and having fun with them. Zoro smiled lightly and looked at his Captain who was sleeping next to him.

Zoro wrapped his arms around Luffy's waist and brought him closer and sang softly. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." He sang.

To his surprise he felt Luffy chuckle a bit.

"Zoro has a pretty voice." He said, looking up at his first mate with his cheeks red with pleasure and a smile on his face.

Zoro also blushed at the "pretty" comment but lowered his head and captured his Captain's lips. "But if you tell anyone I'll deny it all." He said, grinning.

Luffy laughed.

End of Flashback

It was probably the brightest moment of Zoro blood filled life. But all things come to an end at some point or another. But the two of them were so entranced in their new found love that they began to live under the false impression that it would never end. And fate has a thing for biting you in the ass if you get to complacent.

And that's what brought Zoro to the cliff today.

The dirt was still soft from where he had been buried. The brown dirt would compress from stepping on it making it feel a bit like a sponge. The grave itself was a simple stone that overlooked the sea. Usopp had chiseled out the words that needed to be on there, not the Zoro read them, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Zoro closed his eyes again to the wind his mind reeling through the recent memories like a movie as he remembered the third life promise he had made to his captain, the final words that had come from his bleeding, poisoned, dying captain.

Flashback

It's a beautiful sunny day. There is not a cloud in the sky. Birds are chirping excitingly to one another. It was a wondrous clearing full of little creatures and tall grass. In fact, if it weren't for the bubbling blood and the smell of gun powder, you would never have guessed that a battle had taken place here. Amongst the piles of the dead and dying are two people. One holding the other.

"Promise me Zoro…please promise me!" The figure being held said desperately, clutching a wound that was turning a sickly purple color and the smell of rotting flesh emanating from it.

"Stop talking Luffy! Just stop!" The other figure now known as Zoro cried desperately.

"You…have too…promise me…first" The first one wheezed out difficultly.

"There's no need to promises anything! You're going to be fine Luffy!" Zoro yelled again while glancing across the field hoping that one of their crewmates would walk by and see what had happened. He continued to put pressure on Luffy's wound to help stem the bleeding.

"Promise that…no matter what happens…that you'll take care…of the others…and yourself too…" Luffy wheezed pleadingly. His entire body was beginning to shudder in spasms of pain. It felt as if his insides were rotting in the most painful way possible. The poison was spreading and the skin around the wound was quickly turning purple just as the wound had done. Zoro cursed loudly before putting more pressure on the wound hoping to slow the poison down.

"That's YOUR job, remember!? So you can't die dam it! You have to keep us together! You have to keep me together!" He yelled at Luffy again, panicked at the way his captain was talking. Zoro put more pressure on the wound with one hand and used the other one too reach into his pocket. They all had flare guns with them in case something like this ever happened. Aiming the gun strait up a bang was heard as it was shot; the flare flew into the air before exploding even more loudly in the air creating a large dark grey cloud of smoke. Chopper would be there soon with his medical supplies. He would fix Luffy up soon and then the others, after getting over their initial relief, would scold the two of them for being so stupid.

Luffy's breathing was getting worse. He was taking in great wheezing gasps of air and his entire left shoulder and arm were that sickly purple color now. Zoro didn't know how to stop the poison from spreading; all he knew was that if he tried to move Luffy it would spread faster. He watched in morbid fascination as the purple color seemingly crawled up and across Luffy's chest a neck. It was strange how it happened. Lines of dark purple would speed ahead of the rest of the poison, crisscrossing and making different shapes in no real pattern like a spider's web. Then after a space had been closed off the area would quickly fade into the same shad of purple as the initial wound. It was a disgusting sight to behold but Zoro couldn't tear his eyes from it. Even when the smell of rotting flesh stung his eyes and nose. Even when he felt the bile begin to rise and bubble in the back of his throat. Even when Luffy withered in pain. Zoro continued to stare at the pattern the poison created on Luffy's skin. In his mind it was someone else's skin he was watching change color. It was someone else that he was holding. It was someone else that was dying. His mind was going into shock; telling him that none of this was real, that all of it was just some horrible dream. But as Luffy suddenly stiffened and hacked violently, purple blood spewed out of his mouth and onto Zoro's face. Luffy's very blood was rotting him from the inside out. The blood spatter snapped Zoro out of his gaze as searing pain began to burn where the blood had touched. Zoro's hands flew to his face as he rapidly rubbed his arm across his face in hopes of relieving the horrible pain from his face. The blood was removed successfully but now there were was a dull burning on his arm, not nearly as bad as it was on his face but it still hurt. Glancing down on his arm he saw that his arm was emitting the same rotting smell as Luffy's wounds as steam was rising from his arm just as it did from Luffy.

The burning sensation quickly left Zoro completely but now there where little white scars all along Zoro's arms and his face as well. Figuring that the poison had to be in your body to actually kill you Zoro put his arms back on Luffy's wounds. Now that the adrenaline from before was gone, Zoro could fully feel the horrible burning sensation. His hands would probably be scared as well. Zoro ignored the pain though and put even more pressure on the wound, more determined than ever to make sure his captain lived. At that moment his captain wheezed pitifully and shuddered again as more spasms ran through his now nearly completely purple body.

Luffy opened his eyes just enough so that the swordsman would know they were open. He stared strait into his eyes and conveyed his feeling as best as he could through that single moment where their eyes met. He tried to push the pain and the fear from his eyes and tried to show his love of the man holding him and the acceptance that he was going to die.

Zoro squeezed his eyes shut feeling the tears prickling behind them, feeling a few of the slip, and whispered," I promise."

Luffy's entire body was that sickly purple color now, and he was obviously in a hell of a lot of pain, but he smiled and laughed loudly as if relieved, but tears were streaming down from his eyes. On the edge of the clearing seven other pairs of feet came running they ran towards their captain and saw the state he was in, they joined Zoro and made a full circle around their captain, but before they could say anything Luffy spoke again.

"If I see any of you…anytime soon…I'll kick your ass." He smiled at them with a serious look in his eyes. He made eye contact with each of them, lingering on Zoro for a moment more before he turned his gaze toward the beautiful azure sky. He watched silently for a moment as one of the few white, wispy looking clouds glided slowly through the beautiful blue sea that lied above their heads. He grinned suddenly, the pain fading away, he closed his eyes and whispered softly.

"Today seems like a good day to die"

Somewhere in the forest surrounding the blood stained clearing group song birds sang merrily before the one who sang the most beautifully suddenly fell from his perch causing the other song birds to stop singing and stare at their friend not yet understanding what just happened. The bird's friends surrounded the bird chirping and nudging their fallen friend before understanding what had happened.

And as the song birds stopped singing a loud, pain-filled cry echoed throughout the quiet forest.

End of Flashback

The others had left Zoro with Luffy after the burial. He contemplated his promise as he let the wind hold him up. He promised to take care of the others and of himself. Those had been Luffy's words to him. And in turn Luffy promised to kick their asses if he saw them too soon. Final words of sweet nothings left Zoro's lips as if he were talking to Luffy again saying loving things that only Luffy could get out of him. Tears flowed from his closed eyes that were immediately blown dry by the wind.

Eventually, Zoro opened his eyes and for a single instant he thought he saw Luffy in the water with a worried look on his face. Sighing slightly Zoro stepped back from the edge and almost immediately the wind stopped blowing as if it knew Zoro was safe. Turning around from the edge he walked back, stepping over the stone as he did so.

After a few steps he stops and makes a half glance towards the stone once more before turning his gaze to the sky.

Today clouds filled the sky; deep, dark heavy ones that withheld loads of rain. Vaguely Zoro wondered if the clouds would ever go away, if the sun would ever shine as bright as it once did. A group of birds suddenly entered Zoro's line of vision; absentmindedly he counted eight birds that flew in a strange V like pattern with the tip of it missing. Almost as if they were following an invisible leader, one that they would never forget and could never be replaced.

Deciding he had to get back to the others Zoro headed towards the forest. His heart heavy and his mind somewhere else in some distant memory of times long since past.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

/And now the clouds are here to stay/

Owari

The End

How depressing was that? I always seem to be better at tragedy and angst then I am at other things. Honestly as I was writing this I teared up a little but I HAD to write this so I am sorry but I warned you it would be sad! It's not like a labeled this in the humor genre!

Anyway some translations are probably needed so here they are.

Kami-Japanese for god

Ero-pervert

Galleon ship- A really nice and really big ship

Dinghy- A very small boats, like a row boat but some of the bigger dinghies have a single sail.

--

White Carnations-remembrance

Red Rose- Strong Love

I put these too flowers together for their meanings. So together it means 'Remembrance of Strong Love'. I was thinking of making that the title but I thought that Goodbye Sunshine would work better because of the spin-off of the song Sunshine that I made.

Original Version (I didn't make this one):

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Oh please don't take my sunshine away."

My Version (I made this one):

"Goodbye my sunshine, my only sunshine

You made the clouds blow away.

I wish I could tell you, how much I love you.

And now the clouds are here to stay."

If you want to sing this version just sing it to the same way you would the original only slower and at a lower pitch.