He struggles his way up. He feels exhausted and his head is heavy. He sits motionless for a moment and enjoys the warmth of the sun. Something's on the porch. Panting, he drags himself upstairs and draws in air. The old woman is lying on the boards and no longer moves. Mobilizing all his strength reserves, he carries the old woman into the hut and lays her on her bed.

The sun sets. There is air in the hut. Zorro gets up and lights a small candle on the table. He kneels down by the bed. “I'm dying.” She coughs. Her face is pale, but she has opened her eyes. "It was too much. I sent you there, but it was beyond my strength. Without threads that was my death sentence." Zorro nods, puts his hand on her forehead. “Everything was already decided, everything planned.” He sighs. “We were only puppets. But that's a good thing.” The old woman smiles. "It's a good thing. Do you want me to tell you the whole story?"" Gladly, tell me about Alysia. "
Her voice becomes clear and her eyes lose some of the veil that has fallen over them. "Many years ago, when I was young, I lived in a large monastery. The sisters were good people, fought for the children on the Grandline who were suffering from wars and pirate attacks. One day the flagship of the Merciful laid down Sisters aboard a dreaded pirate's ship. They brought him a defeat from which his pride never recovered. "She writhes in a fit of coughing. Zorro gently lifts her body. She is slowly catching her breath again. "But he was a very clever man and found other weapons with which he could repay the sisters for everything. He sacrificed his life to cast an all-destructive shadow on the sisters' necks. At that time it was my best friend who found the courage to use black magic as well, she gave not only her life but also her soul.Eternal damnation. You save us all. The sisters refused to allow her to be buried in the ranks of the monastery; they simply buried her under a stone. I felt it was treason. But I also betrayed them. “Her voice is breaking.” She did not get any flowers. No prayer that might have alleviated their agony. Not only were they buried, but their sacrifice and the memory of a wonderful person with it. At first I didn't feel anything, but it didn't take long before I blamed myself seriously. Every night I dreamed of her, heard her scream in agony. In the spring of that terrible winter, I went to her grave and planted a few rose bushes there. I told myself that it would be enough to pay my debt to her. It was okay that I could still live, it was her decision. The dreams stopped. The roses grew and entwined the stone and I was happy. But when the first summer came and they bloomed, the flowers were black.“Zorro strokes the small wounds, from the thorns of the black rose.” I left the monastery that summer and began to study black magic. The only thing I took with me was a flower from her rose bush. “The old woman smiles worldly.” She never faded - Well, I left the monastery, because if the light couldn't help her, “She takes a meaningful pause.” Or wanted to, then maybe the darkness helped her. If she had the courage to sacrifice herself for us, then I could muster the courage to look for a way in the dark. I wanted to redeem Alysia. "Tears run down wrinkled cheeks. Zorro gets up, looks down at the dying woman." She has built a world of colors and light. But sooner or later one would have found her self and destroyed her world. At some point she would have plunged back into damnation and the dragon, innocence, would have died. "The old woman looks up at him. Her eyes plead silently." Alysia doesn't deserve any of this."Zorro nods with tears in his eyes." No, she didn't. Would you pray for her cause I don't know a prayer "The old woman looks at the ceiling. Zorro pulls the black rose, lets the little light from the candle dance on the blade. With a smooth movement he falls on his knees, places the blade on the old woman's chest and puts her hands on the warm one Steel. She closes her eyes and moves her lips in silence. Her face transfigures and a peaceful smile falls on her mouth. She stops breathing. A breath of peace lies on her blistered face.
Zorro watches over the corpse during the night. At the first ray of sun he takes the black rose back and buries the old woman under the acacia tree.

“Zorro, here comes Zorro.” All crew members hectically gather on the flying lamp. Usopp falls from the lookout. Only Luffy is strolling across the deck. "What is the excitement, I knew he was coming again." Zorro enters the lamp with a serious expression on his face.One by one he looks at his friends. Then he steps in front of the captain. "If you can still use me, then I would be happy to be a member of the Straw Hat gang again." Luffy grins. “That was you the whole time. Has never changed.” One after the other, the friends hug the homecomer. “We have to celebrate that.” Zorro lifts his hand tiredly. "No, please chopper, no party. I don't feel like that." He turns away from his friends bitterly. Everyone looks after him, perplexed. Nami calls after him in an uncertain voice. “Do you have a new sword Zorro?” Smiling triumphantly, she watches as the swordsman turns back to them. He silently pulls the black blade out of its sheath. It divides the air like a dance. He wields the blade perfectly. There is absolute silence on deck. Everyone holds their breath and listens to the sound as the sword glides through the air. It sounds like a woman is laughing. He puts the blade back in his pocket. His face is consumed with pain.The silence becomes even more palpable, the faces of the friends are serious and dismayed. Zorro turns around again. Nami rushes to him and embraces him without turning to face her. In a choked voice she whispers: “Your sword is beautiful.” Zorro carefully places a hand on her clasped hands. “Thank you.” He strips off her arms, he won't wipe away the tears. No, he wears them with pride, after all he cries them for the damned.

"My child, calm down. What is the matter?" "Venerable mother, I was at the Rosenstein. I wanted to put a flower there and ask for good weather for next week." The young woman winces under the reproachful look of the nun. "That's what all novices do. They say that if you put a flower on the stone, the flower turns black and all worries fall away from your heart." The venerable mother looks at the girl punishingly. "It is enough. This time you will not get a penalty, but if I ever hear of such nonsense again, then God help you.What about the Rosenstein now? And check your words to see if you are speaking them uselessly. “The girl turns red.” Venerable mother, the black roses that bloom on the stone are no longer black. “The old woman takes in the air.” They bloom in all colors, yellow, red, pink and one even in blue. Mother what does that mean? "She owes the novice the answer. The young sister follows the head of the monastery in silence to the small rock in the forest. The young woman has trouble keeping up with the old woman. The younger sisters know nothing about the woman under the Rock rests. She never got a tombstone, never was a prayer said for her. Even the current mistress of the monastery did not pray for her girlfriend at the time. How many tears she cried that night when the friend died and then the next friend Angry about the betrayal of his fellow sister, left the convent, where they once had to swear an oath never to report about her.Never pray for her. She should have left then, but she stayed and was silent. But she could never forget. Now she stands in front of the stone, behind her the young novice. "Mother, you are crying." "Sometimes you can cry, my child." "But ..." "Quiet now, Telli. Look at these roses. They bloom in colors that are out of this world." "What does that mean ? "The old woman sighs. "I don't know my child, but I hope it promises redemption."

END

Thank you for reading and for all the lovely comments. I just can't help it, I've already started a new FF. This time it will be a long story and very exciting, I hope anyway. It is called "Abducted" and I will soon bring the first Kapi online. Thank you again and write me a couple of Komis so I know if you liked it.