Hope

[eiliem.livejournal.com]

Title: Ambition
Rating: G
Media: Fic
Characters: Kuina, Zoro
Pairing: Kuina/sword
Word Count: 265
Prompt: Hope

Sneaking in late ^^;

Ambition

At first, there is only the sword.

The sword, her father, and his students, and Kuina loves to watch them. Loves their grace; their rhythm.

Loves the weight of her sword when she is allowed to hold one. Loves the sweat and burning muscles, and the perfection achieved through repetition.

Loves the stillness and harmony she finds in her sword.

Then, there are challengers.

They are thrilling, they are fun, and then they are easy.

The knowledge of her talent blooms in her chest like a tiny sun. The proof of her skill fills her with pride.

With her knowledge and her practice and her skill one day she will reach for the stars.

Then, there is her destiny.

She is a girl, which means she will be a woman, and if she can stay ahead of the boys now, she will lose to the men they will become.

It is so unfair. She is so much better than all the boys, so much stronger than the strongest, so much faster than the fastest – more skilled, more practiced, better.

Two tiny swellings on her chest and now she will never be the best.

That’s unfair! To become like you is my ambition!

Another challenge.

But not to her sword – to her. To destiny.

To her fears and her grief and everything she has begun to believe.

An old goal, a new promise.

She, and her skill, and her sword and their harmony – she will take them to the top.


There was always only the sword.