[drabble][Naruto, Haku, PG] What Could Have Been

[ajremix]

I am totally digging on this challenge.

Title: What Could Have Been
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: PG
Word Count: 263
Characters: Haku
In Response to: naruto100’s My Not So Happy Ending
Summary: AU. A ‘could have been’ from long ago.




Isn’t it strange how people wish things were different? That maybe if they made a different choice everything would be okay?

For example, there was that dark haired boy from Konoha. The one that you killed.

Maybe you didn’t have to kill him but he was a threat to Zabuza-sama. Anyone a potential threat to your beloved master deserved nothing less then death.

But what if you didn’t kill him? Kept him in that floating space between life and death? After all, you didn’t expect that blonde child to suddenly explode with chakra- vile and nerve-crawling, the feel made you sick to your stomach.

And maybe if this strange creature hadn’t attacked you so mercilessly (like an animal, or a creature from the bowels of hell, come to finish what your parents couldn’t) maybe you would’ve been able to pay attention to other things.

Important things.

Like Zabuza-sama.

Maybe if you hadn’t killed the boy, you wouldn’t have brought out this demon. And if you weren’t fighting this demon, you might’ve noticed the danger Zabuza-sama was in. And maybe you could have saved him.

But instead you’re huddled over his body and sobbing into the hole in his chest that’s long since been drained of both blood and warmth and you’re not even caring about the raging, venomous chakra that’s crawling over the back of your skull and gnashing teeth against your back.

Instead, you close your master’s eyes and hold him tightly against you and you think how much more wonderful it would’ve been if you could have died for him instead.

Comments

[idiosyn.livejournal.com]

Really? Most places I'm with consider a drabble anything less then 300 words (which I still have a tendency of sometimes going over anyway).

It's very rare for me to do anything less then 100, honestly ^^;;

[inmyskirt.livejournal.com]

naruto100 <- Do you know why the community's name has 100 in it? Because drabbles are supposed to be 100 words. It's a form of writing, a challenge. For example, a haiku would not be a haiku if it wasn't in its 5-7-5 syllable form.

I do believe a basic reasoning for the 100 words is to make you a better writer, because you have to express everything in a measly 100 words.

I'm not trying to be mean either. This is just me being blunt and honest.

[farli.livejournal.com]

Actually, the official word limit for the community, set waaay back by setodragon not long after naruto100 first opened, is 500 words.

Generally, we don't stand on ceremony here, although most of us are fully aware that a 'true' drabble is 100 words. :)

[inmyskirt.livejournal.com]

Even so I think I've seen a few drabbles over 500 which is definatly overkill. :D

I just hope people actually know what a drabble is, thats all.

[farli.livejournal.com]

Oh, that I'm fully aware of. ^^ And most people usually do -- although I am not exempt from hitting the limit: My first ever fic for Naruto was for the 'unusual pairings' challenge and hit 1k in word length. X3 (Oops?)

[inmyskirt.livejournal.com]

That's definatly and "oops" moment. XD

[idiosyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm not insulted or anything. I know you're just pointing it out. I'm just hard pressed to keep things under 300 words as it is, it's almost impossible for me to do 100. Then again, maybe I'm just longwinded^^;;

[inmyskirt.livejournal.com]

I'm longwinded too, XD But I try to write 100-word drabbles, I would love to see what your drabbles would be like if they became shorter. ^_^