Mythos

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

The Myth. The Lie. The Truth.

Bowing to my true calling, I invite you to share the darkness with me. Because I sure as hell can't write fluff.

Title: Mythos
Word Count: 287
Topic: Myths
Rating: PG
Pairing: Uso/San
Disclaimer: One Piece (c) Eiichiro Oda



It was just a myth.

Five words, and Zeff knows his protégé will not be coming home. Sanji’s never written to him before, and after this message there’s no more reason to. He folds the letter and sticks it in his hat, so that later he can look at those five words again and try to puzzle out what finally broke his brat’s spirit.

He doesn’t know that, oceans away, Sanji is watching the sun set on the very sea he just denounced as a myth. He doesn’t know that the young chef has not, in fact, looked away from the water since Luffy beat a disgustingly oleaginous pirate. He doesn’t know that the captain to whom he entrusted his baby eggplant shattered the hull of an enemy ship and accidentally spilled a great tanker of oil into the sea. He doesn’t know the toxic liquid is still spreading with every wave, choking the life out of the water and tainting their shared dream with a macabre black rainbow. He doesn’t know that Sanji, too, is being suffocated by that dark tide.

Usopp knows, though. He hears the pieces of Sanji’s broken heart grind together with everything he can’t say, “What am I going to tell the shitty old man? It was here, I saw it, I almost touched it, it was beautiful, and now it’s gone. Ruined. How can I tell him?” He sees the tears in Sanji’s eyes that just won’t fall. He feels it in the tremor in Sanji’s once-strong form as he holds him close.

He sent the letter, painstakingly forging Sanji’s handwriting, because what they need now is a lie.

It was just a myth.

A myth is better than the truth.

Comments

[monotrouble.livejournal.com]

I love, love the Usopp that acts on his own to try and protect his friends. This broke my heart, wonderfully.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much.

[orangekist.livejournal.com]

Oh. Dear. God. That was fantastic.

I got to the part with the oil spill and just went cold. The imagery is the perfect length-- there, without getting in the way-- and it hurts in all the right places. And the concept. Oooh! Like being kicked out of paradise before you stepped foot inside. Love it!

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly. This idea has been kicking around in my head almost since I got into the fandom -- it just took this long and this topic to turn it into something post-worthy. I'm glad you enjoyed.

[helendragon.livejournal.com]

ahhh.........were has the sun gone will it ever be morning again......honestly I'm not sure.........with all this angst ........but I love it...

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Into the west, I suppose. Other people handle the fluff and light in this fandom. I'm not any good at it. ^^; Thanks for reading.

[helendragon.livejournal.com]

....talk about angst though....my poor first fic has so many grammer issues....(no wonder it didn't generate much interest.....)

[orange-smaug.livejournal.com]

Oh god yes, that would be worse than it never existing in the first place. Just the thought of an oil spill in a place like that ;_;...

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

And they don't have the technology to clean it up, either, so it'd just sit there and spread. I know. I'm horrible.

[yuki-kokoro.livejournal.com]

*whimpers* I can't believe you did this. Had them find All Blue and then destroy it. By accident. ...;_;

I'm probably going to have to block this from my memory. Although don't think I didn't like it, because I did, it's just a painful concept.

On the plus side, I learned a new word. Though I feel I probably won't be using oleaginous very often.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

I'm a terrible, terrible person, and I've come to terms with it.

Learning new words is good, even if you don't get to use it. It'll be fun to randomly toss into Scrabble for half a bazillion points, when you're stuck with every vowel in the bag.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly!

[alita-b-angel.livejournal.com]

OH YOU DID NOOOOT JUST HAVE LUFFY BECOME THE ENEMY OF NATURE. If One Piece was a different anime this could easily make an enemy out of Sanji. There would totally be an arc where Sanji walks away, bitter and full of regret, cursing the man who had killed his dream and Luffy needs to persuade him back, but of course Sanji is too far gone down his road of broken hearted misery and there would BE NO RESCUE unless it ends with Sanji dying and repenting at the last minute.

But All Blue... *sniff*

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, sorta... ^^; and that would be a lovely dark fic. ::has mental images of bloody Sanji reaching for their backs right before he falls, and they turn just too late to meet gazes...:: ooooo.....

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Aheh... ^^; Thanks very much for reading.

[kotszok.livejournal.com]

It's terrifying to realize that one the crew could unwittingly destroy a nakama's dream.

I'm covered in gooseflesh. This is brilliant.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

I'm a little more frightened of the "What happens after" for them, should such an event occur. 'Twouldn't be pretty, that's for sure.

Thank you muchly.

[hypnosprostatis.livejournal.com]

::wibbles lip:: Why!? Why would you do that to m-.. Sanji!? To have the All Blue and then kill it! ::sobs::

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Because it hurts so, so good? *patpatpat*

[the-shy-wolf.livejournal.com]

Someone just shot the sun out of my sky. ;_;

.:Goes off into a corner to morn All Blue:.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Snaps! ::hauls out a natural daylight balanced lamp:: Thanks for reading!

[hi-nemi.livejournal.com]

Oh shit...that was...probably the most heart breaking thing I've ever read. You wrote it all so beautifully too. ;___; I can't help but read it over and over.
Ugh I have this tight feeling in my chest too, your writing is really amazing. TT_______________TT *cries*

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you very much. I try very hard and spend a lot of time fighting over word choices. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[vampire-otaku.livejournal.com]

Wow... talk about the real world hitting One Piece. We go there to escape and Metta still brings it to us. <3

I like how you captured Usopp in this one, as the one trying to ease the pain however he must. How he sent a note to Zeff when Sanji wouldn't, couldn't.

It's sad how often the last line is true. But it's beautiful all the same.

[mettathron.livejournal.com]

^^; I'm cruel to you all, aren't I? Dumping harsh realities into the fictional world. Thanks muchly for reading. I'm so very glad you enjoyed.

[cosmiko.livejournal.com]

It hurts. T__T It's worse than All Blue never having existed to begin with. Even worse that Luffy did it. Accidental or not, he had destroyed his nakama's dream. If a dream is a passport to the Merry, is what keeps them going in the face of the many dangers of the Grand Line, where will Sanji be now? Where will Luffy be? Actually, I can't imagine how the story would continue if something like this took place in canon... (thinks too much :P)

Speaking from a more detached position, it's a very interesting idea. I've considered or encountered possibilities of All Blue existing, not existing, existing but unknown etc. First time I'm seeing this idea of encountering All Blue only to lose it after which though. Nice idea, and nicely written too.