Author's Note: Hey! DeathlyFlames here with another procrastination fic! It was a random plotbunny at 11 at night and I had to write it! So, it's my first OP fanfiction, but let's be honest. OP. Freaking. Kicks. Ass. Especially Luffy and Zoro. I'm a big ZoLuZo fangirl! *waves a ZoLu flag* So this is it. A really, really short oneshot about Luffy and Zoro. The pairing is only slightly hinted and Le Gasp! there are NO OC'S! *shocked crowd* Yeah. I looked back at all the fanfictions and realized that the only one without OC's in it was Dark Waltz and that was a present for Meggi! So this one is just Luffy and Zoro and blah. And they MIGHT be OOC and I'm sorry but I would totally love to witness them having this conversation sooooooooooo enough with my ramblings! While preparing for any flames (and loves and fanarts hint hint wink wink) I give you...
EDIT: I changed the misspellings (but I kept the original A/N. :P) and I wanted to point something out. Luffy is not planning to die, as one reviewer said. He is merely accepting that one day he will die, like everyone does. And since he wants to be the Pirate King, he may die sooner.
Luffy's Sunset
The sun was setting on the horizon and the wind was chilly, but Zoro, relieved of his lookout duties, didn't mind as he dozed by the ship's rail. To him it was the perfect setting for his pre-bedtime naps. He loved the smell of the sea and whatever Sanji had in store for dinner that night. He loved hearing the waves beating gently against the Thousand Sunny. He loved the feel of the rainbow sun on his eyelids as he inhaled the evening air. But mostly Zoro loved these times of day because he could nap here and listen to Luffy. Sometimes Luffy would ask Zoro random questions, like "What's your favorite color?" or "Why do you practice Santuryuu?" Sometimes they would reminisce about the amazing things they had been through, laughing about the happy times, mourning the sad. Usually, though, Zoro would just sit and listen to the steady sound of Luffy's breathing as he contemplated something while staring into the horizon. And every once in a while, that one part of Luffy that never surprised anyone anymore came out and would ask profound and deep questions. Things that sometimes Zoro couldn't answer.
This night happened to be one of those.
"Hey. Zoro." Zoro opened one eye a crack and, upon seeing Luffy pointing away from him on the figure head, closed it again.
"Yeah."
"What do you think it's like to die?"
"Well, I dunno. I never really thought about it I guess. I mean, I vowed to never die until I finally beat Mihawk."
Luffy paused for a moment and said nothing. The silence was almost eerie.
"What brought this on, Luffy?"
It took another couple seconds for the answer.
"The sunset."
"Really? Why is that?"
"Well, sitting here, looking at it, it made me realize that the sun comes up each morning and struggles its way across the sky to help everything; the plants, the animals, the sea, the earth, everything.
Then each night the sun bursts into all these different colors, likes it's last words, before it falls into the horizon and dies, waiting for the next morning.
And I was thinking that I felt sorry for the sun. It works so hard to make everything happy here and no one thanks it. No one can remember it's spectacular last words exactly. And then a new sun is born and there's a new sunset to admire. And the poor old sun from yesterday is forgotten."
Zoro opened his eyes and was staring up into the sky. He could just see the first few baby stars appearing above him. He heard Luffy hop down from the figurehead and walk slowly over to Zoro before laying down perpendicular to him with his head on the swordsman's chest.
"You're wrong, Luffy. Even if the sun disappears each night only to be replaced in the morning, it never actually dies. That one sun, having spent it's whole life trying to make everyone happy has probably done all it ever wanted to do and, when it's time for it's dying breath, the sun uses the last of it's strength to create beauty for all the world to enjoy. It's last gift. Everyone can remember the beauty of wonderful sunsets, and some people paint them so they'll never be forgotten.
And finally, when the sun has moved on, it has to make room for the new sun to have a chance for the same love of everything he sees. The same drive to pursue his dreams and make his impact. And everyone on the ground will smile up at the sun and thank him. For all he's done." Zoro put his arm on Luffy and the captain grabbed his hand and played with his fingers.
"Hey, Zoro?"
"Hmmm?"
Luffy smiled.
"Be sure not to die before me, okay? I want to make sure that when I finally become the Pirate King and die, and I'm kneeling on the podium at Loguetown, I want someone who watched my ascent to be there to experience my last sunset before the horizon takes me." Zoro closed his eyes again and smiled.
A/N: Ok. If you're reading this you must have liked it enough to actually go through the whole thing. I'm HOPING you all understood the reference between the sun and the Pirate King. Yeah. It was very hinted. But, that's what we get from plotbunny's, eh? - DeathlyFlames
