OK, so since the school's internet sucks and I'm a giant idiot for forgetting to mention this, lemme actually remember and mention it now. In the last chapter, I mentioned a weapon called a naginata. It's basically a sword on a pole. Sorry for not mentioning that… XD

Anywho, this is the final chapter of Coming Closer! But not to worry! I've started writing a sequel to this frikkin' long story, and will be posting the first chapter soon. I've also got another story that will be my main focus, but I'll get into that later. Updates will probably be few and far between, but that's because college sucks and I'm getting loaded with tons of work.

Also, I'm sorry that this chapter, and the story for that matter, jump around so much. This is the first long story that I've written, so I've had some challenges keeping it going. But now it's done!

I've had so much fun with this story. I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me to the end. I love all of you! Seriously!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

I do own Hikari.

Craning her neck, she looked behind her. The two guards stood on either side of her, their naginatas holding the guillotine blade mere inches from her neck. While Hikari watched, the taller, sleepy guard reached up with one hand and pulled his helmet off. She gaped as Zoro grinned down at her.

"How's it going, idiot? Guess what? We came to rescue you."

Hikari stared. She couldn't help it. She had lost all hope, had given up completely. But the crew had saved her, brought her back from the edge with their shining ray of hope. She felt herself grinning stupidly up at Zoro as relief washed over her.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you guys," she laughed shakily.

"Ok, this is fantastic and touching and all, but can we please get out of here?" the other guard pleaded. Ripping his helmet off, Sanji glared daggers at Zoro before grinning at Hikari too. "Surpised?" he swooned. "I came to rescue you, my dear!"

"You?" Zoro snarled, scowling at the cook. "You had nothing to do with it, shit-cook! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have even gotten this far!"

"Oh, really?"

"Guys!" Hikari shouted, attracting both men's attention as she eyed several guards who had snapped out of their daze and were rushing to the platform. "It's great that you both came, but can we please get on with the rescuing part?"

Zoro seemed to notice the guards as well, and Hikari could tell by the tone of his voice that he was serious now. "Right, on the count of three, we force the blade back up and pull her back. Got it?" he snapped in Sanji's direction.

"Wait, what?" Hikari yelped.

"One…"

"Hang on guys… Let's rethink this!"

"Two…"

"I swear to God, if I get out of this alive, I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Three!"

Hikari screamed as she felt two strong hands grab her from behind and dragged her out of the way of the falling blade. She stared at the place where she had just been, gasping for air as she realized how close she had just come to death.

She heard a click as Sanji raced to unlock her cuffs. Pushing off the ground, she was yanked to her feet by Zoro. Gunfire rang out, and the silent crowd erupted into chaos. Guards sprinted toward the trio, brandishing guns and swords. Sanji snarled as a bullet whizzed by and sprinted toward the nearest guard.

"Time to go," Zoro commented, grabbing Hikari and throwing her over his shoulder before sprinting down the stairs. Hikari yelped, pounding her fist against his broad shoulder. "Put me down, asshole!" she growled. "I can walk on my own!"

"Deal with it," Zoro grumbled, ignoring her demands to be put down. After a while, Hikari finally calmed down, settling for grumbling under her breath. She finally relaxed, splaying her hand over his shoulder blade and watching the shivers her actions sent down his spine.

"You came back," she finally commented, drawing patterns with her fingertips on his wide shoulder blades. Zoro grunted, concentrating on maneuvering down the winding staircase. Hikari stared off into space, the past few hours running through her head in a blur. As Zoro reached the bottom of the stairs, one realization suddenly became clear. Shoving off Zoro's shoulder, she stared at him with a mixture of horror and apprehension.

"If Sanji was the other guard, he knows everything," she realized.

Zoro stopped, giving her a look that clearly said, well obviously, dumbass. "Yeah, I know," he replied, a frown creasing his brow.

"And you're okay with that?" Hikari asked incredulously. Zoro shrugged in response. Staring into his eyes, she realized that he seemed hesitant and distant. She suddenly realized that he too had heard quite a bit. She shifted uncomfortably against his grip, wishing she had some distance between them. But despite that, she couldn't break eye contact with him. Her mouth had gone dry, and she parted her lips slightly to run her tongue over them, a thrill running down her spine as Zoro's breath hitched at the simple action.

"And you're okay with what you heard?" she murmured, instinctively leaning in closer to Zoro's warmth. She felt the swordsman's grip around her waist tighten. "I suppose," he responded slowly, his eyes flickering across her face. "You'll have to remind me of some of the details, though. I fell asleep right around the part where you were confessing how you felt about me."

Hikari couldn't help but grin. Even with all the shit that was going on, Zoro was still Zoro. Wrapping her arms around Zoro's neck, she brought herself closer to his level, her face a few tantalizing inches away. "I can't seem to remember," she breathed. "Could you help remind me?"

Zoro tilted his head slightly, his grin matching her own. "Maybe," he replied cryptically, his emerald eyes flashing with amusement. Hikari felt herself become lost in those eyes. They were beautiful, and they showed the emotions that Zoro himself refused to show. She supposed in this case, they really were a window to his soul.

A gunshot rang out, and Hikari flinched back as a bullet whizzed by, dangerously close to her face. Zoro cursed, sprinting down the hallway without a glance back.

"Put me down!" she shouted. "I can run on my own! Right now I'm only slowing you down!"

Zoro looked torn for a moment, but he finally conceded, stopping momentarily to set her down on her feet. Another gunshot rang out, and both took off down the hallway.

Luffy glared at the man standing before him. A strong wind ruffled his hair as he stared down the man that had singlehandedly ruined his friend's life.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you've done," he hissed, clenching his hands into fists and crouching slightly.

The red-haired man threw back his head and laughed. "You?" he sneered, glaring at the young captain. "What could a runt like you possibly do to me?"

Luffy ignored the man, clenching his jaw as he uttered two simple words: "Gear Second."

Hikari delivered a flying kick to the guard in front of her, landing lightly on her feet. Glancing behind her, she saw that Zoro was managing to hold his own even without his swords. She smiled slightly, a sense of relief washing over her. She was glad that he had come to rescue her.

Another guard charged at her, and she turned her attention back to the fight.

The red-haired man coughed up blood, clutching his stomach, glaring up at the young captain from the ground. "How…?" he gurgled, unable to finish his sentence.

"You hurt my nakama," Luffy answered, deadly serious. "And for that, I'm going to make you pay."

The man stared up into the pirate's eyes, a crazy grin slowly spreading across his face.

"Do it."

Hikari froze as she felt a huge wave of power wash over her, before it faded away completely. She stood completely still, hardly able to comprehend the situation.

It was over.

She was finally free.

Her sight suddenly blurred, and she swayed, staggering towards the wall for support. She heard Zoro call out to her as the world spun, and she passed out from exhaustion.

"So you're back."

Hikari opened her eyes once again to the blinding light. She recognized that voice. Turning her head towards the source, she saw the black-haired girl from before.

"It's you again," she commented.

The girl smiled softly at her. "Yes," she replied. "It's me again."

Hikari tilted her head as she regarded the girl. "Why do you always show up here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Hikari."

Hikari frowned at the girl. She hadn't expected the question to be deflected back at her, and she honestly had no response. "I'm dreaming, right? So I should be here if this is my dream."

The girl shrugged, not confirming or denying her response. Hikari noticed that there was something different about her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"How do you know my name?"

"A friend told me. Someone close to you."

"Who?"

The girl only smiled in response.

A few moments of silence passed as the two sat contemplating each other. Finally, Hikari realized what was different about the girl. She had become slightly transparent, as if she was fading away.

"Hey, you're –"

"Fading from this plane of existence, yes," the girl cut her off before she could finish. "That's why you can see through me."

Hikari felt a gut-wrenching sadness rip through her. "But why are you fading?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

The girl smiled sadly up into the white abyss, as if she was looking at someone. "I was only here to look after a certain person, and to make sure that this person was happy." She turned her gaze back to Hikari, a lingering sadness dwelling in her onyx eyes. "Your presence has filled the hole that I left in that person's heart. So now I am no longer needed in this world…"

Hikari sat silent, unable to speak. The girl drifted closer to her. "Have you finally understood it, Hikari?" she asked, her eyes scanning the older woman's face. "Have you accepted your true feelings?"

Hikari swallowed at the girl's words and nodded numbly. A smile flickered across the girl's face, and she began to grow more and more transparent. "Good. Now wake up. Your friends are waiting for you."

"Wait!" Hikari called, reaching out a hand to grab the girl. "I don't even know your name!"

The small girl smiled up at her, a shimmer of tears in her eyes. "Kuina," she responded, her voice sounding fainter than before. "My name is Kuina. Tell Zoro… that I'm happy for him…"

With that, the girl vanished, leaving Hikari alone in the white abyss.

Hikari slowly opened her eyes, the dream still fresh in her mind. She could tell that it was late by the darkness of the room, and by the tiny reindeer passed out next to her on the clinic cot. Gently picking him up, she carried Chopper back to his room, tucking him gently into his bed before creeping back out onto the deck. Leaning against the railing, she gazed off into the distance, a cool sea breeze streaming through her hair. A smile tugged at her lips as she took everything in. This was where she belonged.

She felt a familiar presence approach. Glancing to her right, she saw Zoro watching her quietly, a mildly worried look creasing his brow. Suppressing a grin, she returned her gaze to the sapphire waves, quietly watching the endless stretch of blue. After some time, she felt the swordsman's gaze leave her as he too stared silently across the ocean.

"I met Kuina," she said suddenly, startling the swordsman from his reverie. His eyes widened at her words, but, thankfully, he didn't ask any questions. "She says that she's happy for you." He swallowed, nodding before he turned his gaze back to the sea. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two, but it wasn't unbearable. Hikari could practically feel the sorrow emanating from Zoro, so she remained silent, allowing him the time to mourn his friend anew.

"Can we start over?" Hikari finally asked quietly, turning back to the swordsman. "I've fucked this relationship up royally. I just… I want to start over, to start on a clean slate." A small smile flickered across the swordsman's face at her words.

"I suppose," he chuckled, the low baritone of his voice comforting to her ears. Turning to face her, he extended his hand, a sly grin on his face. "I'm Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter."

Hikari couldn't help but laugh. "I'm Hikari Oshiro, just a petty thief," she grinned, grasping his hand in a firm handshake. "Nice to meet you."

Zoro laughed, the first genuine laugh she had ever heard from the swordsman. Grinning down at her, he asked, "Well, since all the formalities are past us, wanna grab a drink?"

That sounded absolutely fantastic. Hikari nodded, and the two walked off together to the galley. She smiled to herself, feeling truly at home for the first time in her life.

FIN

Thanks for reading!