CHAPTER 1.
They were walking through a small and very friendly village. A wolf-like creature with a tail, that at the middle seperated into two ones with a peacock-like feather on either end. The left one was sapphire-blue, while the right one was sapphire-green. The body of the creaute with angel-like wings was partially covered by feathers. The rest of the weird creature's body was slim, but at the same time big and muscular. Its fur and feathes were mostly a mixture of green and blue. The creature's paws resembled those of reptils and had log, sharp claws at the ends. The long tails moved elegantly along the movement of the creature's long and strong legs. On its bag was a basket fastened, in which a small baby laid. It played with a small flame like it were a toy in its hands while laughing and squealing excitedly. The girl, whose dark red hair turned yellow at the tips, had dark blue eyes, which radiated joy and innocence.
„Daddy!", shouted the small girl and by doing so, drew the attention of the black-haired man, who walked with his head hung down and shadowed eyes at the side of he wolf-like creature, to herself.
„Yes?", he asked and turned his gaze to the baby, that enthusiastically put its small hands on which small flames were dancing in the air.
His beforehand serious expression apruptly turned to a soft and lovingly one as he stopped. As on cue, the wolf-like creature also stopped and sniffed curiously in the air. Ace kneeled down and took the baby, which cautiosly run her fingers over the tattoo on his arm, into his arms. The tattoo was his name Ace, and there was also a S, that was crossed out, because it didn't belong on the tattoo. The blackhaired man laughed quietly and took the baby's small hands softly into his own. Tears started to form in her eyes as she noticed that the flames have gone out.
„No, no! My little angel ...", said the blackhaired man and created a small flame on his fingertips with a snipping of his fingers. He handed it to the baby and saw with warm eyes how she played with his flame and giggled joyly while doing so.
„She reallyresembles you, daring", thought the blackhaired man with a sad smile. A hardly visible tear rolled down his cheek and landed on the baby, which looked at him questioningly. He answered her puzzled look with a small smile, but the baby felt, that sometihng wasn't right so she straightened up slightly so she could look him right in the face.
„Daddy ... what is it?", she asked in a sweet babyish voice and put her small hand on his freckled cheek and looked at him concerned.
„Nothing, little one ...", whispered the young father, who was probably 20-21 years old.
The baby started smiling again and cuddled closer to her father, whose grip around the baby tighthened.
„Love you, daddy ...", mumbled the readhead baby quietly and rubbed her face softly against his. She took the cord of the cowboy hat with two smiley on it - a sad and a laughing one -, which he wore on his head.
„Hey, Ace!" He heard the familiar voice and turned around. A also blackhaired boy came running towards him. He also wore a hat, a straw hat.
The blackhaired called Ace grinned widely and shouted: „Hey, Ruffy!"
The boy wearing a straw hat, whose name was obviously Ruffy, stopped grinning in front of his big brother and asked: „Hey, Ace, nice to see you again."
The other male also grinned widely and said: „Hello, Ruffy ..."
„Daddy ...", the sad voice of his daughter, who only looked at him pleadingly and questioningly, interrupted.
„W ... where's mum?" Ace' firstly bright look abruptly changed to a sad and broken one, as he lowered his head and held the baby close.
„Mommy ... is gone for a while, Blaze ...", Ace whispered and attempted to hold back a sob. Two tears ran down his cheek and dropped on the floor.
Ruffy of course noticed this and asked in a worried tone: „Ace ... is everything alright?"
The blackhaired man only nodded lightly and rubbed Blaze's back soflty. In the meantime the small girl was already sleeping peacefully cuddled to his chest.
„Eh ... who's Blaze's mother actually?", Ruffy asked carefully, because when Nami's asked Ace about the mother's name, he flipped out, why this might be very critical issue for him.
Ace' eyes widened in anger and he pressed his teeth hard together, as he hissed dangerously: „That's none of your business!" Small flames started creating on his body.
„Y ... yes", Ruffy stuttered scared and asked then: „Would you like to come along? My ship's nearby."
Ace simply nodded and followed his mall brother. The wolf-like creature followed them and talked to Ace in his thoughts: „You know that he'll find out someday."
Ace was silent for a moment and said then: „I know, Sapphire, but I want Ruffy never to find it out."
Sapphire asked: „And why not?"
The only response she got was silence.
Sapphire just sighed quietly and walked calmly at Ace' side, who put Blaze softly into her basket and covered her cautiously.
„Sleep well, my little angel ...", whispered Ace and shortly stroke her hair. Then he straighened himself up and continued walking with a hung down head.
On the Flying Lamb ...
„Aww ... Blaze is so cute!", said Nami and looked rapturously at the sleeping Blaze. Ace simply nodded and took his small daughter into his arms and sat on a barrel with her.
Robin also looked rapturously at the sleeping baby and asked: „How old's the litte one?"
Ace didn't look at him, but instead rubbed Blaze's stomach softly.
„She's only two years old", answered Ace after a moment and started smiling softly as Blaze whispered „Daddy ..." in her sleep and cuddled closer to him.
Blaze opened her eyes and whispered quietly: „Hunger ..."
Ace just laughed quietly and took a bottle with warm milk out of his backpack.
„Here, Blaze ... your favorite milk", Ace said lovingly.
Blaze immediately started sucking on the bottle with closed eyes.
When she finished, Ace put the bottle back in the backpack and looked to the straw-hat wearers, who just looked at him bewildered.
„What?", Ace asked confused.
„Oh .. it's nothing ...", they answered and shook their heads.
Ace just shrugged and played with Blaze, who constantly had to giggle.
Later at night ...
It was already night, but Ace, Blaze and Sapphire were nevertheless on the deck. Blaze cuddled tk the soft feathers of Sapphire's wings and quietly breathed in and out.
Ace glared with empty eyes at the star-covered nightsky and gazed at his hand, where a name was tattooed.
„I miss you ...", Ace thought as tears, which he brushed away, rolled down his cheek and he let his gaze drift to Blaze.
„I miss her too, Ace ...", he heard Sapphire's voice, who simply looked at him sad.
„We'll always miss her", Sapphire breathed quietly and let one of her tails softly stroke over Blaze.
„But we've promised her something ... namely that we'll take care of Blaze and protect her ..."
Ace simply nodded and fondled Sapphire softly behind her ear.
„I know ... And Blaze'll someday be a strong and courageous woman ... I konw that ...", Ace said in a soft tone and lovingly looked at Blaze, who sighed quietly and kept sleeping.
„Yes ... she will ..." Sapphire smiled and closed her eyes. Ace leaned agains Sapphirs side, took Blaze into his arms and closed his eyes too.
„I love you ...", thought Ace as the image of the most beautiful woman in the whole universe flashed up before his eyes. But this image vanished and was substituted by the one of her dead body.
Ace' eyes widened and he breathed strongly in and out.
„When will this terrible image vanish finally from my memories?", Ace sobbed and forcefully tried to suppress hist tears, but he didn't succeed ...
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