fic post: In Our Footsteps
May. 19th, 2013 11:58 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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onepiece_300Title: In Our Footsteps
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 300
Rating: G
Prompt: AU
Character: Ace and [Secret]
Summary: A what-if AU in a canon setting. Someone survived who died in canon - and went on to join the Spade Pirates.
Spoilers/setting: Takes place right after Ace has finally accepted Whitebeard as his captain.
Portgas D. Ace, now a Whitebeard Pirate for real, wandered over to where his former first mate was sitting with a solitary bottle.
"So. What are you going to do?" he asked, sitting down beside her.
Kuina took her time to answer, looking down at her sword.
"Well..." she said slowly, "I can see now that Whitebeard really is a great man. I'm glad you've stopped trying to kill him, but..." She paused. "He's not the captain I chose to follow."
Ace only nodded quietly, the faint breeze messing up his wavy hair. Unusually, he looked at peace.
"I can't decide," she muttered, "and it's bothering me." She fingered part of the scar Mihawk had given her. "Don't tell this to anyone else, Captain, but... I feel like I should have come so much farther by now. That boy I told you about, younger than me... he's coming up after me, he'll get to the Grand Line eventually. I don't want to disappoint him." She sighed heavily. "But I don't really feel like leaving, either."
Ace smiled. "You know, I've wondered much the same thing recently, about what Luffy will think," he said. "But not anymore. Because I'm sure now."
"I guess we both have little brothers of sorts," she said. Then grinned. "...Bet mine's dumber than yours."
He laughed. "Deal, but I'll win that bet."
She drank from a bottle, then handed it to him. "I wouldn't even be a pirate if it wasn't for you," she said quietly.
"I know."
"I hate not being sure," she blurted out.
He laughed. "I know." And didn't press her anymore.
She knew she needed more time to decide. Or to find the excuse that would make not leaving okay.
They finished the bottle together in silence.
[End Notes: I've seen other fics where Zoro died when young and Kuina followed a path similar to his, and in one case at least she joined Ace's crew (though that was an AU Ace, who was younger than the Luffy of that 'verse). But I've never seen any where they both survived. Maybe it's felt that without a childhood trauma to spur them on, neither would get very far - Ace and Luffy both have their own tragic memory, after all - and maybe that's true. This is just one speculation.]
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 300
Rating: G
Prompt: AU
Character: Ace and [Secret]
Summary: A what-if AU in a canon setting. Someone survived who died in canon - and went on to join the Spade Pirates.
Spoilers/setting: Takes place right after Ace has finally accepted Whitebeard as his captain.
Portgas D. Ace, now a Whitebeard Pirate for real, wandered over to where his former first mate was sitting with a solitary bottle.
"So. What are you going to do?" he asked, sitting down beside her.
Kuina took her time to answer, looking down at her sword.
"Well..." she said slowly, "I can see now that Whitebeard really is a great man. I'm glad you've stopped trying to kill him, but..." She paused. "He's not the captain I chose to follow."
Ace only nodded quietly, the faint breeze messing up his wavy hair. Unusually, he looked at peace.
"I can't decide," she muttered, "and it's bothering me." She fingered part of the scar Mihawk had given her. "Don't tell this to anyone else, Captain, but... I feel like I should have come so much farther by now. That boy I told you about, younger than me... he's coming up after me, he'll get to the Grand Line eventually. I don't want to disappoint him." She sighed heavily. "But I don't really feel like leaving, either."
Ace smiled. "You know, I've wondered much the same thing recently, about what Luffy will think," he said. "But not anymore. Because I'm sure now."
"I guess we both have little brothers of sorts," she said. Then grinned. "...Bet mine's dumber than yours."
He laughed. "Deal, but I'll win that bet."
She drank from a bottle, then handed it to him. "I wouldn't even be a pirate if it wasn't for you," she said quietly.
"I know."
"I hate not being sure," she blurted out.
He laughed. "I know." And didn't press her anymore.
She knew she needed more time to decide. Or to find the excuse that would make not leaving okay.
They finished the bottle together in silence.
[End Notes: I've seen other fics where Zoro died when young and Kuina followed a path similar to his, and in one case at least she joined Ace's crew (though that was an AU Ace, who was younger than the Luffy of that 'verse). But I've never seen any where they both survived. Maybe it's felt that without a childhood trauma to spur them on, neither would get very far - Ace and Luffy both have their own tragic memory, after all - and maybe that's true. This is just one speculation.]
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no subject
Date: 2013-05-20 12:50 am (UTC)I love the idea of her being quite aware that Zoro would be on her heels.
no subject
Date: 2013-05-21 08:14 am (UTC)(And now I wonder if she'd insist on following him on his Blackbeard hunt, and if that would vitally change things or not...)
no subject
Date: 2013-05-20 03:36 am (UTC)This is an interesting take, especially with the setting that you chose. We know that many Spade Pirates eventually joined Whitebeard, but I never really thought about the possibility that some might have left.
Say, if you decide to expand on this, send me a link, will ya? XD
"I guess we both have little brothers of sorts," she said. Then grinned. "...Bet mine's dumber than yours."
He laughed. "Deal, but I'll win that bet."
Hahahaha. XD
Great work! I liked it! :)
I've read one fanfiction that involved both Kuina and Zoro surviving, it's really good. The writer made some really interesting decisions that I won't spoil for you if you're interested in reading it. Here, you can check it out.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5077152/1/Though-A-Bird-Can-t-Fly-That-Doesn-t-Mean-It-Never-Will
no subject
Date: 2013-05-21 08:28 am (UTC)It just occurred to me that Kuina would at least be unsure about whether she'd stay or not, in part because Whitebeard wouldn't feel like 'her' captain for a good while at least and in part because she'd be concerned about her own goal maybe getting further away. But if she could be convinced the latter wasn't a problem, I think she'd still stay.
no subject
Date: 2013-05-20 09:15 am (UTC)This is a trap! lol xD
No but really, I was not expecting Kuina at all, but it works well! I especially like the parallelism between her and Ace to Zoro and Luffy like the scar or the whole captain encouraging first mate into piracy thing.
It's a bit of a sad thought that Zoro or Kuina wouldn't take their dreams as seriously though if nothing tragic occurred in their lives. But for Kuina I feel she would still follow it regardless of tragedy, which is why, even though the ending is kind of ambiguous on the answer, I kind of envision that either she found a way to make it work both ways where she could still follow her dream and stay by her former captain or left. But then again the whole thing Nami said about 'Having a dream without nakama is useless' keeps rattling around in my head and it's making me conflicted lol.
Anyways, enough rambling from me. This was interesting and unexpected but kind of melancholy too. It was really fun to read!
no subject
Date: 2013-05-21 09:12 am (UTC)It's not so much that I don't think they wouldn't take it seriously - it's just that canon does seem to imply there's an added weight to Zoro's determination because he's carrying Kuina's unfulfilled dream along with his own. And it's easy to imagine the same would go for Kuina, if Zoro had been the one to die young. But who knows...? Plus, other things could have happened to each of them in the intervening years to strengthen their resolve. Or merely through travelling and fighting alongside their respective crews, of course.
I kind of envision that either she found a way to make it work both ways where she could still follow her dream and stay by her former captain or left.
/nods. I haven't formed a firm answer myself yet, but I think she would be conflicted and would like a way for her to stay without feeling she's holding back on her dream. If she could be convinced that she'll still meet plenty of tough enemies as a Whitebeard Pirate - not just to feel challenged, but also so she'll know she'll be needed - then I'm pretty sure she'd decide to stay.
Thank you very much! ♥