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onepiece_300Title: Legends
Rating:G
Media: Fic
Character: Ace
Word Count: 299
Prompt: Shadow
Note: Spoilers for the last couple of chapters.
Ace spent his life dodging his father's shadow.
He remembers the first time he pulled Garp’s sleeve and shyly asked about his dead father – and he remembers the chill he felt when his grandfather frowned and told him alright, he could know, but he mustn't tell anyone, or bad things would happen.
His father was... different. Other kids had fathers who were carpenters, or farmers, or even pirates, but no one else had a father who was a legend.
He remembers wondering what that meant.
As he grew, he realized that his father wasn't dead after all. Legends couldn't die, but became more alive every time a story about them was told. Sometimes it was unbearable, to have a father who was always present, but never there. Once, he asked the adults what was so special about the Pirate King anyway, but the only reply he got was more tall tales.
Eventually he understood that the shadow of his father's legend was much larger than Ace himself could ever be. Large enough to drown in if anyone ever found out. Whether he’d be killed or worshiped, everything that was him, Ace, would be insignificant behind such a humongous shadow. He started to despise his father for it.
So he told no one, and stayed far away from his father’s shade. Eventually, he found a new father, alive and strong and proud of him for who he was, no questions asked about his heritage. It was a good life, and it was his own.
Even now – even when he is beaten and chained and about to be executed – he believes that it has been his own life, and will be his own death. On some level, it makes the pain possible to bear.
And yet, some shadows cannot be outrun.
Rating:G
Media: Fic
Character: Ace
Word Count: 299
Prompt: Shadow
Note: Spoilers for the last couple of chapters.
Ace spent his life dodging his father's shadow.
He remembers the first time he pulled Garp’s sleeve and shyly asked about his dead father – and he remembers the chill he felt when his grandfather frowned and told him alright, he could know, but he mustn't tell anyone, or bad things would happen.
His father was... different. Other kids had fathers who were carpenters, or farmers, or even pirates, but no one else had a father who was a legend.
He remembers wondering what that meant.
As he grew, he realized that his father wasn't dead after all. Legends couldn't die, but became more alive every time a story about them was told. Sometimes it was unbearable, to have a father who was always present, but never there. Once, he asked the adults what was so special about the Pirate King anyway, but the only reply he got was more tall tales.
Eventually he understood that the shadow of his father's legend was much larger than Ace himself could ever be. Large enough to drown in if anyone ever found out. Whether he’d be killed or worshiped, everything that was him, Ace, would be insignificant behind such a humongous shadow. He started to despise his father for it.
So he told no one, and stayed far away from his father’s shade. Eventually, he found a new father, alive and strong and proud of him for who he was, no questions asked about his heritage. It was a good life, and it was his own.
Even now – even when he is beaten and chained and about to be executed – he believes that it has been his own life, and will be his own death. On some level, it makes the pain possible to bear.
And yet, some shadows cannot be outrun.
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YESYESYESYES!!!!!
Date: 2009-07-25 05:30 pm (UTC)ILU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes it was unbearable, to have a father who was always present, but never there.
That was really...owwww
And I love the idea that Tiny!Ace wanted his daddy...before getting bitter about it
Eventually he understood that the shadow of his father's legend was much larger than Ace himself could ever be.
Ah you explained it perfectly.
And yet, some shadows cannot be outrun.
This.
Re: YESYESYESYES!!!!!
Date: 2009-07-25 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-25 07:26 pm (UTC)You've got such a well-wrought style in your ficlets - terse and restrained, every word in its place and not a single superfluous one. At least, that's how it feels to me. It fits the subject perfectly here. *angst twinge* Aaaace.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-26 06:23 am (UTC)For once, I had to use the full 300 words to get to the punchline, but... I'm glad it worked! Oh, Ace. ^^;