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[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Hm, such a great prompt, and there's only one entry yet? Odd. I hope there'll be plenty more! Here's my contribution. A rather modest one, as it really says nothing more than what's already in canon.

Title: Turning Point
Rating: G
Media: Fiction
Characters: Iceburg, Nami
Word Count: 300
Prompt: Hope
Spoilers/setting: Taken directly from canon, chapter 359


It turns out he’s not dead. The reindeer pirate carried him and Paulie out of the burning HQ, then collapsed. Iceburg is weak from smoke and gunshot and full-body clutches; but alive.

To what end, though? The World Government has Nico Robin. Soon, it will have the secret blueprints: their agents are stronger than Franky, who has no idea they’re looking for him. And Aqua Laguna is coming.

He sits up laboriously, breath ragged in his burned chest. He feels dizzy. Over there on the grass, the Strawhat girl with orange hair is stirring. The wind is coming in hard, now.

There’s little reason for hope, if any. He knows that. But he still owes them the truth.

So then he tells her – in private – what the woman known as a cold, heartless demon told him, believing he would die soon. She would never have revealed her reasons otherwise: that much, he understands.

He flinches as she slumps forward – is it shock, guilt? Did he just make things worse? - But her whispers are of relief only. And the next moment, she’s on her feet, ready to run away. She only stops and turns when he calls out to her.

Iceburg blinks. There’s much, much more than a glimmer of hope in those eyes: her whole face seems aflame with new-found strength and conviction, as much as her words show.

He’d thought his truth would do little good but save the honour of a woman going off to her death for her friends. But now…

Paulie wakes up, and orders the nearby Galley-La men to help her and the reindeer. Iceburg quietly gets up on his feet, remembering an old secret. Maybe the Strawhats will reach that train in time after all. But if not, maybe there’s still another way.

Comments

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Thank you.
I really do think this is the point in the arc where hope starts returning.

[naye]

Oh. I still remember the wonderful, punch-to-the-gut kind of feeling I got from the look of relief in Nami's eyes at that moment.

Beautifully retold - great Iceburg point of view. And so true to the prompt! ♥

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was so great to see. Nami. I was thinking of making it from Nami's POV at first but I think it would have wound up too long and overused the prompt word. Plus I've never written really written Iceburg before.

Very glad you liked it! :D (Actually I think I missed out on something, though - the fact that Nami gets such hope from hearing the truth about someone who's given up all hope.)

[fantsywever.livejournal.com]

It's interesting how much easier it can be to write from an outsider's pov

[elvenarchress.livejournal.com]

This is wonderful!