Author's Note: No one ask me how this happened. I have no answer. One day, I thought to myself, I'm going to rewatch early One Piece and I just got some weird Vivi feels. She wasn't my favorite character but I still miss her some days. How that developed into this, the world may never know.
Yes, the title of this story is from that Frozen II song. It came up on spotify while I was plotting this story and it just broke my heart, because it fit what was happening so well. Also, if you don't hear the lyrics "How to rise from the floor, when it's not you I'm rising for" and don't see Zoro mourning Luffy we are listening to two very different songs.
I want to give everyone an early warning that there are probably going to be some pretty rough scenes going forward. As you can see from the summary, there is going to be death. We will be fixing it. But, as always, I have to make someone suffer. And, per usual, it will be Zoro. So, here is your early warning that future chapters of this fic will include self-harm, panic attacks, PTSD, self-loathing and bucket loads of other dark things. Always check the notes so you know what to look for that chapter!
Chapter Zero (the prologue) will have death but nothing to indepth. Please read responsively!
Chapter Zero:
Fire engulfs the island. Vivi's heart sits low in her throat, stomach churning madly. An unfamiliar ship flies the Strawhat flag, flames creeping up it's boards. She doesn't know if she even wants to step foot on the island. From this distance, she can't see any sign of Luffy or the others. The only thing she can see is fire and destruction.
Maybe Koza has been right. Maybe she should have stayed in Alabasta. What help would she be? She hasn't sailed with the Strawhat crew in nearly three years. Part of her wonders if they'll even recognize her when she arrives.
But her heart screams that she needs to be here. These are her nakama. And when the first whispers of an epic plot against the Strawhats began months ago, she knew she had to find them. The journey had been hard. Terrifying. The New World is nothing to scoff at and without Luffy by her side, Vivi had felt her confidence waver more often than she'd like to admit.
"Princess," Pell says softly.
"Everyone else has to stay on the ship," Vivi tells him. "If anyone comes to attack you, leave."
"Princess!" Protests rise up around her.
Vivi holds up her hand. "Luffy-san won't let anything happen to me. I'll be safe on the island. If anyone comes, you leave."
Without giving them a chance to protest further, she boards her small boat and paddles for the island. Terror continues to build in her chest. Small dots on the island morph from lumps of darkness to bodies.
Vivi swallows hard and forces herself on. Sandy shores press into the front of her boat and she swings herself out, water sloshing against her boots. Each step brings her closer to the still forms littering the sand. White uniforms of Marines. Blood stained bodies of pirates. So many of the surrounding ships on fire.
Clenching her hands into fists, Vivi follows the carnage. Bodies lead her, like some sick path to a hidden prize. None of them look familiar. Blank faces of the dead. She bites her lip, searching for any signs of her nakama. Part of her prays she won't find any. That Luffy has already left this place to find One Piece.
The dream dies when she finds Usopp. Vivi's legs and stomach give out on her as she drops to the ground. A mix between a scream and a sob fights itself loose from her chest. There's a skeleton beside him, Vivi thinks she recognizes him from the wanted posters. Luffy's musician who joined the crew long after Vivi had left.
It takes what feels like hours to force herself to stop sobbing and move on. The others could still be alive, she tells herself. Because she has to. Even if the lie burns her mind. They would never leave Usopp behind.
Some of the others, she recognizes from wanted posters. Some of the worst generation. Jinbei, a former Warlord of the sea that had joined Luffy's crew. Franky, the Iron Pirate. Nico Robin.
Finding Chopper and Nami is hard but not all that unexpected. Somehow, that makes it a little easier. More sobs take her, but she manages to stay on her feet. By the time she finds Sanji, Vivi is able to keep moving with only a few tears.
Luffy and Zoro. If any of her nakama can make it through this, it's Luffy and Zoro. The two are monsters, in ways Vivi can't hope to understand. She clings to that. She will find her two nakama. She will.
Clutching her jacket close, Vivi continues up the path. The bodies thin as she moves. Less and less dead line the path. The trees thicken around her, hiding almost everything from view. Vivi keeps her eyes peeled, searching for any signs that could lead her to Luffy and Zoro.
Perhaps they are no longer here. They moved on already and plan on coming back for the others when they can.
The dread in Vivi's stomach tells her that's unlikely. A harsh wind whips through the trees, throwing leaves and dirt at Vivi. All harmless debri to bat away until rough straw hits her face. Her fingers trap the straw and what's left of the brim on a hat. She recognizes the red ribbon instantly.
"Luffy-san." His name leaves her lips in a heart broken whisper and all the strength in Vivi's body leaves her.
She drops to her knees, clutching the remnants of the hat close to her chest and trying to gather the strength to cry. Luffy would never let anything happen to his treasure. And Zoro would never let anything happen to his captain.
She's too late. Her nakama are gone.
"Luffy-san," Vivi sobs.
"Oi, Zoro, get up!" An unfamiliar voice splits the air and Vivi's head snaps up again.
Zoro.
Zoro.
Metal clashes from somewhere in the distance.
"Fire Fist! Oi, Zoro, you have to get up!"
Vivi shoves herself to her feet and runs toward the noise, the ribbon of Luffy's hat still clutched in her hand. The trees give way to a clearing. A blonde man darts around the area, throwing fire at one of the Marine Admirals. Occasionally, he moves to hold up a pipe, blocking the swing of a sword from another Marine.
On his knees, in the middle of the clearing, covered in blood, sits Zoro. He looks so different and yet still the same. His green hair stained red and a scar has taken his left eye. His gaze is distant, as though he isn't seeing anything, and locked on the still body beside him.
Luffy.
"Zoro!" The blonde man throws the sword wielding Marine aside. "Luffy would never forgive me if I let you die. Get up."
Zoro doesn't move, gaze still locked on Luffy. The blonde clashes with the Admiral again, cursing. Behind them, the other Marine stumbles to his feet, sword posed to strike. Zoro either doesn't notice him or doesn't care. Vivi's heart stutters to a stop. The blonde is too far away to help. And Zoro is too out of it.
Her feet carry her forward. Zoro's white katana sits on the dirt and she snatches it up without hesitation. The Marine never sees her coming. She blocks his blow, slamming her foot into his knee, and drives the sword into his stomach before she realizes what she's done. The Marine drops to the ground and Zoro's most prized possession slips from her grasp.
Warm blood leaks through her fingertips and she forces herself to look away, vomit bubbling in her stomach.
Zoro doesn't acknowledge her. Vivi drops to her knees in front of him, trying desperately not to look at the still form below her.
"Zoro," Vivi whispers his name, hand moving to cup his cheek. "Zoro, please look at me."
He doesn't. Chest heaving, Vivi glances behind her, watching the blonde and Admiral continue to fight. Neither of them seem to notice her yet. Which means that, if she can get Zoro up, she can get them away undetected.
"Mr. Bushido," the nickname slips loose in a desperate plea.
Zoro blinks and looks up. His gaze is still distant, but some recognition settles in his eyes. "Vivi?"
A sob of relief leaves her. "Zoro, we have to get up."
"Luffy."
Vivi squeezes her eyes shut to fight back tears. Letting out a determined breath, she looks up at Zoro again. "Get up."
She grabs his arm, using all her weight to shift him. He allows it. Blood soaks his green kimono, staining his hair and cheeks. Zoro stumbles against her as she steers him back toward the forest.
"Luffy," Zoro whispers their captain's name again, voice barely audible from shock.
"Keep moving, Zoro." Vivi refuses to think of him. She can't.
If she thinks of Luffy, she'll think of all of her nakama. Guilt and grief will melt all of her willpower and send her tumbling to the ground.
Zoro stumbles but keeps his footing. The sounds of battle behind them begin to fade. The trees around them begin to thicken again, hiding them from view. Vivi steers Zoro off the path, hoping to hide them from anyone that might come looking for them.
She'd never be able to fight an Admiral. And Zoro was in no shape to even attempt it. They make it a few miles before the last of Vivi's strength gives out. She allows them to fall to the ground, Zoro returning to his shell shocked state of staring at the dirt below him. Vivi collapses to tears beside him, resting her head against the ground as she clutches Luffy's ribbon to her chest and sobs.
Every thought brings her back to her fallen nakama. Gone without the chance to fulfill their dreams. And she hadn't been here to help them. She'd stayed in Alabasta, hidden behind castle walls and royal guards.
Could she have helped? Changed things? Saved her nakama?
"Oh, Zoro." Vivi forced herself up, tears blurring her vision. She reaches out for the swordsman, hand clamping around his sleeve as she leans against his shoulder to continue her tears. "Zoro."
He doesn't respond. Vivi wonders if he ever will. She's heard stories of men and women who have come home from war without ever really coming home. Their minds trapped away from the reality around them, hiding from what they've seen. If Vivi can get Zoro off this island, she may never truly get him back.
"I'm sorry, Zoro. I'm so, so sorry."
The sun begins to sink in the sky by the time Vivi's finished crying. Beside her, Zoro keeps staring at the ground, ignoring the blood drying against his bare skin. Vivi's eyes move through the thick trees, trying to think of a plan. Where is the blonde now? Who is the blonde? How is she going to get Zoro out of here?
She strains her ears for signs of a battle, but she finds none. Just the crackle of fire and the rustle of leaves. And then, words? Vivi straightens herself, turning her ear toward the noise. The voices sound close, familiar even.
"What brings you all the way out here?" Zoro's voice asks.
Vivi freezes, head snapping up to Zoro. He hasn't moved, gaze still stuck to the ground.
"I could ask you the same question, Mr. Bushido," Vivi replies.
The sound of her own voice stops her heart, her mind spinning. Why do these words fill her with deja vu?
"I'm training, obviously."
"Chopper told you not to take your bandages off."
"Well, I can't train if I have them on."
Alabasta. She and Zoro had had this conversation in Alabasta, just after Crocodile had been defeated. She'd hiked into the countryside, hoping to find some answers, and instead found the swordsman balancing multiple boulders on his wounded body.
Vivi pushed herself up, confusion and curiosity filling her as she followed the voices. Small bricks peeked out from beneath the plants around her. Reminders of what most have once been a village. The further Vivi goes, the more buildings begin to appear. None of them are intact, but it told Vivi one thing. People had lived here once.
Something important either is or was here.
A cracked sign stood beside the path. Vivi paused to brush some of the dirt away, squinting down at the small words. Gate of Kairos, the large words read. Wrong choices are inevitable. So are second chances.
"You didn't answer my question," Zoro said. "What are you doing out here? I thought you'd be down celebrating with the rest of your city."
"I needed to think."
His voice carries Vivi forward. Beyond the gate sits an archway, glistening as though made of water. And, in that water, sits a scene. Vivi sees herself, three years ago, standing on a cliff and staring out at a sunset. Behind her, Zoro sits with his arms outstretched, boulders balanced perfectly.
She remembers this day. This is the day she made her choice.
"You aren't coming with us." Zoro said. His voice held no question.
Vivi sighed, staring out at the horizon. "I don't know. I-I don't know what the right thing to do is."
"We never know what the right choice is. Not until we've already made the wrong one." He sounded strangely wise for Zoro. "But, no matter what you choose, Vivi, you'll always be our nakama. And we will always be here for you."
The words had brought her such relief. Had made her decision so easy. Looking back, she can't help but think that it was the wrong decision. Zoro had been right. At the moment, staying in Alabasta had felt so right. Now, she knows it was wrong.
"Why are you showing me this?" she asks the gate. "What do you want me to do?"
"What if I make the wrong choice?" Vivi turned to look at Zoro, tears in her eyes. "What if I stay here and it turns out to be a mistake?"
"What if you leave and your country needs you? No good comes from what ifs, Vivi."
"I don't want to regret this."
She does. She regrets leaving them. Regrets not being able to die beside her nakama.
"You have to make a choice, Vivi. And, if it's the wrong one, fix it later."
"How can I fix something like this?"
She can't.
Can she?
Wrong choices are inevitable. So are second chances.
Second chances. Is that what this is? A second chance? Is that what these people were living here for?
There's only one way to find out.
Vivi's feet carry her toward the gate. Every muscle in her body screams for her to touch it. To let it pull her back to that moment. To change her mind.
A blood stained hand wraps around her arm, stopping her in her tracks. The scene continues to play out in the archway but Vivi finds her gaze pulled to Zoro. Blood trickles freely down the side of his face and fire finally returns to his eyes. Her heart leaps. Zoro is back. Her lips twitch up as Zoro links their hands together, grip tight and determined.
"Together." The word slurs from his blood stained lips.
Vivi nods, squeezing his hand, and steps forward. Together. They'll fix this. They'll save their nakama.
I hope you all enjoyed this Time Travel AU that quite literally no one asked for. I'm going to aim to update every Sunday, but we'll see how that goes, I suppose. See you all soon!