Summary: Welcome to Death's Crossing, where the alcohol flows free, the bartender is always willing to lend an ear, and the dead visit when they can't move on.
A/N: Written in two hours, with a single read-through, so I apologize for mistakes you might find. Taken from writing-prompt-s on Tumblr. Apologies for any canon-breaks are at the A/N. Crossover with One Piece and Naruto (one character from each, but I don't want to spoil the story so I won't reveal any names). Please enjoy!
XxX
"I don't know how I can live with this anymore!" the man wailed, tears streaming down his face and snot dripping out his nose. He chugged his drink and slammed it on the counter. "Another one!"
"You're not even alive, you literally don't have to live with it anymore," Harry intoned, obediently making another whisky sour for the customer.
"He doesn't deserve her," the man insisted, immediately grabbing his new glass. Harry eyed him. "He won't take proper care of her!"
"You're worried for her," Harry observed as he went back to wiping at his glasses. They were always sparkling clean, but it usually set customers at ease to see a bartender doing something instead of standing around uselessly listening to different drunkards pile their worries on him. "But this guy, I'm sure he'll take care of her. He was close to her before you died, right? I'm sure he cares for her plenty. You don't have to be worried, mate."
"B-but…"
"No buts. They'll take care of each other, I'm sure of it."
"You promise?" The man peered blearily over the rim of his glass and hiccupped. "She'll be okay?"
"I swear," Harry promised. He gently tugged the glass out of the man's hand. "I think you've had enough. It's time to move on."
The man sniffled. "I'm scared. What if he abandons her? What if he leaves her out in the rain?"
"There's nothing you can do about it, even if he did," Harry said bluntly but patiently. "But from what you've said about both of them, I'm sure they'll grow old together and die together and love each other very much."
The man sighed. "I-I guess." He quirked a grin at the bartender. "Thanks man. I guess I just needed reassurance before I move on."
"You've very welcome." Harry smiled as gently as he could and pointedly nodded at the door. "Don't be scared for her, and don't be scared to move on. Someone very close to me once said that death is the next great adventure. You just have to find the courage to move on."
The man wobbled on his stool before standing shakily. He gathered his coat into one arm and patted his pockets sheepishly. "I just wish I had something to pay you with."
"No need. It's my job to help troubled souls pass on, and the fact that you've found peace is payment enough." Harry bowed slightly. "Thank you for visiting. Good luck."
The man waved his goodbye, and after several fumbled attempts at the doorway, managed to leave the bar and enter the pitch blackness of the Beyond.
Harry shook his head. Honestly, he understood that some people could get really attached to their pets, but the fact that the guy had worried so much about his dog that he couldn't pass on before he was reassured she was safe was kind of weird, if not a bit heartwarming. He began rinsing the man's glass when there was a small tinkling sound, signaling the arrival of another troubled soul. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at the customer.
The man had long, black hair tied back and red eyes. His face was lined with exhaustion and the same weariness that all departed souls who still had something chaining them to their previous lives had.
"Where is this?" the man asked, and Harry nodded in welcome.
"Welcome to Death's Crossing. Sit down, have a drink." Harry watched the man cautiously approach the bar and unwrapped his black cloak from around himself. "How can I help you today?"
The man swept his eyes around the bar, and Harry could see him categorizing everything, pinpointing escape routes and assessing the danger everything posed. A warrior or soldier, then, and one who had lived through troubled times. These were often the ones that needed Harry's full attention, for him to be as patient as possible to help them move on.
"…do you have any rice wine?" the man asked once he'd deemed himself safe.
Harry waved his hand to produce a bottle of one of the best rice wines he had. He gently poured it into a small, ceramic cup and slid it to the man. The black haired man sniffed it (Harry couldn't tell if it was to look for poisons or to fully enjoy the liquor) before sipping.
"This is good," the man said, surprise coloring his words
"I have every kind of drink available in the world," Harry said. He busied himself with rearranging the bottles behind him, patiently waiting for the man to start speaking. Soldiers often needed space and patience.
The two men sank into easy silence. The customer occasionally sipped from his cup, and Harry resumed cleaning his glasses.
The door rang again, this time much more enthusiastically than his first customer's.
"Helloooo? Anyone here?" the customer practically yelled, and Harry sighed. He didn't often get customers at the same time, often because it was harder entertaining two than one.
"Welcome to Death's Crossing," Harry called back. The newcomer was also black haired, although his was cropped short into an unruly mess, not too unlike Harry's own. He sported freckles across his cheeks and a carefree smile. There were dark tattoos painted across tan skin (and Harry could tell it was tan, because the man wasn't even wearing a shirt, and there was a lot of skin).
"Hey there! I saw this door and figured I should drop in a bit. I found myself out there in the pitch dark and didn't want to hang out by myself anymore," the man explained as he plopped himself beside the first man. He held out a hand to Harry. "My name is Ace."
"Harry," the barkeeper nodded.
Ace tilted his head expectantly at the other customer.
"…Itachi," the man said as he drained his sake. Harry dutifully refilled it.
"How can I help you today?" Harry asked.
"Gimme some of the strongest stuff you have! Oh, and you got any food?"
Harry tilted his head. "I have everything in the world. What do you want?"
Ace proceeded to list a staggeringly large amount of food as Harry proved that he could, indeed, whisk up anything in the world. By the time Ace finished, there was a whole baked turkey, several servings of different kinds of casseroles, and a myriad of seafood spread across the bar. Itachi looked mildly disturbed but helped himself to a small serving of rice and fish.
"So where are we?" Ace asked through a mouth full of food.
Harry mildly chided, "Please mind your manners." Itachi gave his fellow customer a wide-eyed look when Ace proceeded to stuff his face, at one point shoving a whole turkey leg in his mouth and popping out the bone clean. "You're at the crossing between life and death and have found yourself here because you still have something tying you to the living world, whether it be regret, love, or hatred. I'm here to help you through it so that you can pass on."
"We're dead?" Itachi asked cuttingly, narrowing his red eyes. Harry noted that the pupils had begun spinning. Cool.
"Dead as a doorknob," Harry replied cheerfully. Ace slowed down his eating, and Harry was glad he didn't have to find out whether an already dead man could die again from choking.
"That's why I remember…" Ace trailed off, setting down a plate of mashed potatoes he was about to pour down his throat. He cleared his throat and swallowed. "I remember my last moments."
Harry nodded. "Many don't. The fact that you do means that you don't have many regrets, nor are you particularly opposed to moving on. You just need something small, a nudge to move on again."
"You expect me to believe that I'm dead?" Itachi asked lowly, and Harry shifted his attention to the long-haired man. He stood up, expressionless. "I do not know what trick you are playing on me, nor do I care. I am leaving."
"You're allowed to leave, but you won't find anything out there until you're at peace with yourself," Harry gestured at the door.
Itachi paused as he stood. "How much do I owe?"
"Nothing."
Itachi only narrowed his eyes before sweeping out of the bar.
Ace thoughtfully took a bite out of an orange without even peeling it. Harry wrinkled his nose. "What was that about?"
"He probably doesn't remember dying." Harry cleared out the dishes and wiped the bar down. The rice wine went onto the shelf behind him. Itachi would return, so it would be better for Harry to keep it close instead of disappearing it. "Many souls who are conflicted with their death don't remember it."
"But I remember."
"You remember because you've already accepted your death, and you don't regret it. It's not death you have a problem with, it's something else."
Ace dragged his spoon around in his mashed potatoes, his seemingly black hole of a stomach satisfied for now. He admitted, "I'm worried."
"Worried for whom?"
"My little brother. My crew. My friends and family," Ace said. He peered up at Harry, and even if he was a grown man, Ace seemed like a child seeking reassurance. "I died in the middle of a big battle, protecting someone. And…"
"You're worried for everyone you've left behind," Harry said quietly. He produced a glass of whiskey and slid it over to the man.
"Yeah. How do I know if they're okay? How do I know my family aren't hurt? I know that I can't go back, and I know I can't do anything about it, but…" Ace threw back the alcohol, and Harry mourned the loss of quality whiskey. Who just drank the whole thing without even pausing to savor it? "…but I still worry."
"That's natural," Harry said as he tried to think of a drink Ace probably wouldn't just drain like it was water. "It's natural to worry about everyone you've left behind. Your family, your friends, your lover…their memories make it hard to move on. The worry eats you alive. But you know what?
"The world keeps turning without you on it. It will always keep turning, until the last man dies. All we can do is keep faith and trust in those who live. Trust in those you know, that they will overcome your death and honor your memory. Believe that they are strong enough to carry on, and believe in them as people.
"You're dead now, and there's nothing you can do about it. Maybe your family will die tomorrow, maybe they will die in fifty years. Maybe they'll emerge victorious in battle or fall on the blades of your enemies. You cannot influence the living world anymore, and all you can do is wait. So rest. Rest peacefully, and put your faith in the fact that one day, you will see them again in the Beyond."
Harry looked up to see Ace face-first in his food, small snores emanating from his drooling mouth. He huffed. Honestly, it took him ages to perfect that speech, and this guy just goes and falls asleep in the middle of it?
Harry put down his glass, vanished all the food and cleaned the bar top. When Ace's face was free of leftovers, Harry laid a hand on his head and smiled gently.
"It's okay to rest now."
XxX
"…and then boom! Pow! The whole ship went up in flames! And here I am, in the middle of a sinking Marine ship, with only a small boat to escape with, surrounded by Sea Kings and seawater!"
"So how did you escape the situation?" Harry asked, amused. Ace was one of Harry's easier clients. He accepted his death easily, gracefully, and needed only reassurance. He just refused to leave, perhaps out of boredom, perhaps for someone to talk to. Maybe he just liked Harry's company.
"Well, see, I'm made out of fire, right? So I can't even light myself on fire, or else the boat would go out with me on it! So I had to be real careful when fighting them, and with a whabam! I'd punch them out of the water whenever I saw one! Luckily, there was this small island nearby, so I managed to make my way there before the small boat fell apart, and-"
The door rang, and Harry looked up to see Itachi. The man looked wearier than when he left. Exhaustion hung from his shoulders, dragging them down, and pain, sorry, anger, defiance flashed across his face when he saw Harry before it melted into resignation.
"Good for you to join us!" Ace called out merrily.
Itachi collapsed onto a bar stool, and Harry wordlessly poured him a cup of sake.
"I'm dead." Itachi's voice was toneless, resigned.
"You're dead," Harry confirmed. Itachi raised his eyes.
"Take me back."
"I can't do that," Harry intoned.
Itachi snarled and then deflated just as quickly as his bout of anger came and went, like a flash fire.
"I don't deserve it anyways."
Harry straightened. "Everyone deserves to live. Everyone deserves a chance at life."
"Perhaps. But I do not deserve to return to life."
Harry kept his mouth shut. He had no right to make such a judgement. He never knew anything about anyone's background when they came in, only knew of them by the words they said and the actions they took in the bar. But…from the sorrow, from the grief in Itachi's words, Harry believed that he deserved at least enclosure, peace before he passed on.
"Is that what you think?" Harry prompted.
Itachi only stared morosely at his sake.
"Well, why?"
These words weren't Harry's, surprisingly enough. They were Ace's.
"Why?" Itachi echoed.
"Why don't you deserve a second chance?"
"I killed my entire family."
Ace's breath whooshed out of him. His face darkened. "Why?"
Itachi closed his eyes. "Because I am a cruel, heartless murderer."
"I asked you why."
Itachi's eyes flashed in anger and irritation. "I just gave you my reasoning."
"That's bullshit, and you know it! If you're as sad as you seem to be, then you're not heartless. So what's the real reason you killed your family?"
Itachi snarled. "That's none of your business."
"It's my business when I have to be stuck here with a sulky child with the biggest stick up his ass ever!"
Well, technically, Harry wanted to point out, Ace was still at the bar out of his own volition so he wasn't actually stuck here, but he didn't say anything. Perhaps what Itachi needed wasn't Harry's listening ear but someone else to fight and argue with. Often, passing souls helped each other more than Harry did.
"You test me," Itachi hissed. He stood, eyes spinning madly.
"Come at me," Ace grinned, mirroring Itachi's movements and getting into a fighting stance. "I bet you can't even hurt me."
Fire clashed against fire. Harry resigned himself to having to repair the bar as he watched Ace turn into a literal fireball (he wasn't joking about being made out of fire, Harry realized) and tackled Itachi. Perhaps feeding the pirate alcohol hadn't been the brightest decision.
Itachi's anger was bright as a sun and hot as a firestorm. He snarled he threw sharp black knives and breathed fire out of his mouth. Ace, on the other hand, wasn't angry, but determined. He defended against fire and knives, ducked around kicks and punches, and lashed out just as ferociously as Itachi did.
The fighting died down slowly between snarls and sneers, Itachi's last flares of temper and anger dissipating like smoke in the wind. He panted, sweat beading his brow.
"Is that all you got?" Ace taunted, although he was also showing signs of fatigue. "You ready to talk, or you wanna throw another tantrum?"
Itachi huffed. "I was not throwing a tantrum."
"You totally were, man," Ace grinned. He fell back on his (miraculously unscathed) stool. Harry made an executive decision and gave both of them water instead of alcohol. Last time he checked, alcohol and fire didn't mix well. "Does this mean I won?"
"I am not at full strength," Itachi replied, some amusement curled around his words, "although I admit, you are a worthy opponent." He plopped himself back on his stool too, glancing around. "I apologize for your bar," Itachi said sheepishly.
"No harm done," Harry replied as he waved his hand. It repaired itself.
"Like magic!" Ace breathed, eyes wide.
If a human turning into fire wasn't magic, Harry wasn't sure what was. "Like magic," he agreed.
The silence, this time, was comfortable. Itachi brooded, sorted through his thoughts as he drew figures in the condensation of his glass. The fight had taken the most of his quick temper out of him, leaving only contemplation. Ace prattled on about his adventures on the sea to fill the silence, telling tall tales and waiting patiently between each one to give Itachi a chance to interject if he needed to. Harry nodded and listened, occasionally chuckling and humoring Ace with a question.
In the middle of Ace's story about a floating island, Itachi opened his mouth and began talking.
"I killed my family on my village's orders." Itachi turned his glass, a sign of nervousness. "My family had been threatening to overthrow our government, so the village decided to wipe it out, and they chose me as their weapon. A method to keep it under wraps, our elders reasoned, to preserve our family name among the village. An inside job, with the least collateral damage. Better one bad apple in a good family, than a whole bad family in a village.
"So I slaughtered my family. I cut my own father down, murdered my own mother. I put my sword through the aunt who baked me a cake for my birthday and silenced the cries of my newborn nephew. I only left my brother alive, so that he would come after me to kill me. His life was the only one the village would allow me to save.
"I fled from my village. I am not a good man, will never be a good man. I burned alive my enemies and joined an organization that erased entire towns from a map. Cheaters, murderers, kidnappers, I was part of the very filth that crawls at the bottom of society, and I spied, I gathered their trust and threw it away for my village. Everything for my village."
Harry drew in a breath. Expectations too heavy to bear placed upon a man too young, too loyal to his society. Harry had been there, once, burdened with a task that sucked everything out of him and left him only striving to survive afterwards.
"But that's not why you're here." Ace gestured towards the bar. "That's not why you can't move on."
Itachi shook his head. "I do not regret those actions, no. I regret what I did to my brother.
"His name is Sasuke. He was always a bright, lively child, and I loved him more than anything in the world. When I burned down my clan, I left him, told him to find me, to kill me. I regret telling him that, because I'm the one who corrupted him, who shoved him into a path that led to betrayal. I deliberately blinded him to the truth, because I didn't think he could handle it. I pushed him to grow strong, to chase me and kill me.
"I put the responsibility of my death in his hands. I told him to kill his own brother, to commit fratricide, so that I could gain my own closure. I was selfish and thought only of myself, how I would leave the world, and forgot that I'd be leaving behind a grieving brother, one that I'd placed an unfair burden on. And I regret that every minute of every day."
Harry said, mildly, "Regret can't change your actions." Itachi flinched, and Harry put down the glass he was polishing. Sometimes, to move on, someone needed cold, hard truth, not flowery reassurances. "You made mistakes, and it impacted people important to you. What are you looking for, forgiveness? Redemption? You won't get it here. You're dead."
Silence.
"I have…had, a brother. Luffy. He wasn't smart, and he was kind of an idiot, and I used to get mad at him all the time. We weren't blood brothers, but we were family. He was a persistent little shit, and I love him for it. I can't imagine my life without him.
"I died for him, you know. Jumped right in front of a killing blow, saved his ass, and I don't regret it. I'd do it time and time again, even if I know that Luffy would mourn my loss afterwards. He might blame himself for killing me, even though it's not his fault, but I know that he'll move on eventually. I know that he'll accept my death, and he'll be strong, because he's always been strong.
"Our situations might not be the same, but I know that my brother will survive, will live on, and will remember me. I know that he'll forgive me, because we may not be blood brothers, but we're family, and we'll always be family, no matter what happens. Your brother's family too, and it might take him a really long time, but he'll come to peace eventually too."
"You truly believe so?" Itachi asked quietly.
"I know so. Because we're family." Ace clapped Itachi on the shoulder. "Have faith in that."
"You'll get another chance to meet him again, to settle your score in the Beyond, once he has passed as well," Harry said. "You'll find each other again."
Itachi sighed, and with it the burden on his shoulders seemed to lift. "I still regret what I did."
"And you will forever regret what you did. But now, you can only look forward, let what happens in the living world happen, and wait. Trust in the fact that, despite everything, you're family, and one day, in the Beyond, you'll meet again, and you can talk then. Can you do that?"
Itachi nodded, and a small smile played around his mouth. He finished his water. "I can. It will take time, and my brother may never accept my apology, but that is his choice. I can try to be the brother he deserves."
Harry smiled. "Good."
Ace grinned, wide and brilliant. "C'mon, we'll go together. It's always nice to go on long journeys with someone else, isn't it?" Ace asked as he stood resolutely. He saluted Harry casually and winked. "Thanks for everything."
"You're welcome." Harry gathered their glasses to rinse.
Itachi stood as well and followed Ace. Ace disappeared into the pitch darkness with a final wave, but Itachi hung back.
"Will you tell my brother…if you see Sasuke, will you tell him that I'm sorry, and that I have always and always will love him?"
Harry chuckled. "Tell him yourself when you see him."
Itachi paused, the smallest worry stalling his departure. "You truly believe that I will meet him again, despite all I've done."
"Itachi, you may not be a good man, but all men are equal in death, and all arrive at the Beyond, where everyone else in the universe goes," Harry replied gently. "You'll find him again eventually, and you can make amends with him again there."
Itachi nodded, last doubts laid to rest. "Thank you."
The door closed with a jingling sound.
A family. It'd been a while since he'd thought about family. Harry went back to organizing the liquor, heart a little lighter.
XxX
A/N: I haven't actually read/watched as far as Itachi's death, so all backstory is from other fanfiction, so I'm sorry for anything that's not actually canon. Same with Ace's death. I might consider making this a series of standalones (no promises, because I always have these ideas and then never get around to writing them). Thank you for reading, and reviews are always welcome.
Sincerely,
haplesshippo