A/N: I hope this chapter eases your hearts a bunch.
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-Ace-
I sat up and instantly did a body check.
What the hell?!
I was in one piece. I wasn't in pain; there were no gaping holes in my body. I stared down at my chest in wonder then looked around. What was going on?!
I had died. I had stopped living, my heart had stopped beating, I had felt my body shutting down as I spoke to Luffy and thanked everyone for having loved me. I remember it all so very clearly, so how the hell was it that I was sitting up in this . . . I looked around trying to get a sense of exactly where it was that I was . . . well I guess I was now in this place of nothingness. The word blank was the only word to describe the space around me. It blank, like one of the pages of Willow's sketchpad, and it stretched on and on, as far as the eye could see all around, every direction, even down and up.
"Hello there dead one." A voice said from above me. And when I looked I saw a person wearing tattered black robes with a hood that was draw up, they were lounging in the air above me.
So I was dead, for sure? Was that good or bad?
"Who the hell are you?" I asked trying to get a glimpse under that hood. I wanted to know if that was a skeleton under there or not. I couldn't tell if the being was a threat or not.
"I'm not a grim reaper no worries. I guide souls to who have died in battle or on the battlefield into the afterlife. At this point this is where you can either reject the concept that you're dead and become a wandering spirit or accept it and enter the afterlife like you're going to do in the end anyway." The figure shrugged as dark skinned hands reached up and pulled back the hood. I was oddly disappointed to see a male with green hair and pink eyes and not a bag of bones. "So are you from the Paramount War?"
"The what?" I asked.
"The war betw- OH! You're Fire Fist Ace! Sick!" It exclaimed and circled around me examining me from every angle.
"Yeah I'm him." I verified turning as not to let the person be at my back.
"That's cool. Try your fiery-ness." He said. Then stuck his hand into my face and said, "I'm Sen by the way, like I said a spirit guide."
I shook his hand and introduced myself, even though he sortta already knew that I was Ace. But I listened to him and was pleasantly surprised to see that my hand turned into fire. I looked at the now standing upright spirit guide named Sen with a large grin as I flexed my fiery fingers. "How-"
"It's real simple, you're a spirit and well your fire was a part of you, who knows maybe you'll meet someone who ate the mera mera fruit like you did." He shrugged. "So if you stay in this state of in between much longer you'll become a wandering spirit anyways. So yeah, through the gates you go."
"Gates?" I asked looking around. I had heard that both the entrances of heaven and hell had gates. Did he want me to go through the gates of Hell? I mean I knew that I had the blood of a demon coursing through my body, but did that mean that I was going to Hell? I hoped not.
"Yeah, into the afterlife." He flew into my line of sight, his face closer to mine then it needed to be. "Don't fret heaven and hell is just a bunch of bull. So go on, through the gates." He somehow ended up behind me and gave me a shove hard enough to make me stumbled a few steps forwards.
I looked around but there were no gates to go through.
"Are you blind? They're right there." Soft, rather girly hands grabbed either side of my face and tilted my head up to direct my vision to a set of black iron gates.
"How do I-"
"So before we part ways I'll tell you this, the afterlife is what you make it. If you want to sale the Grand Line, well the Grand Line's there for you to sale. Or maybe you want to . . . oh I don't know see your folks or something like that, as long as they've died then you can see them."
"Willow!" I exclaimed suddenly remembering her. It wasn't as though I had forgotten her but she had momentarily slipped my mind when I had woken up when I was supposed to be dead. Dead people are supposed to stay dead; they aren't supposed to wake up.
"Yeah well get going." And with that I pulled out of Sen's grasp and made it up to the hanging open gate. I don't really know how I made it up there but somehow I did and when I stepped through I looked back to see nothing, there was no sign of the gates, and somehow I was standing upright, as though they hadn't been in the sky, hanging open.
I hadn't been standing there, looking around for more than two seconds when a strong voice shouted, "YOU!"
I didn't have to look around to know that I was the only 'you' in this place. But have to or not that's what I did. But when I finally looked towards the voice I saw a blue haired woman standing with a hand on her hip, her legs shoulders width apart and a finger pointing at me accusingly.
Before I could think, before I could consciously make a decision as to what to do a smile spread across my face and I began walking towards her.
"Don't grin at me like that boy!" The woman exclaimed with a frown and a furrowing brow.
What was wrong with Willow? I wondered looking her over.
"You're Fire Fist aren't you?" she asked.
I nodded. Wow I sure was famous, even after death. "Yes ma'am." She may know me but I had a feeling that despite those familiar blue locks that reached the small of her back, the woman before me was not Willow. But then if it weren't her then who was she? The resemblance was striking to say the least but even then I was drawing a blank as to who she could be. She even wore crescent blades at her waist just like Willow did.
"Don't ma'am me!" She snapped the frown on her face deepening.
"You're here!" an excited voice screeched. And before I could locate where the sound had come from and calculate how to reach a blur of blue was all I saw as something solid collided with my body and their arms wrapped around my middle. The force of the impact and lack of preparation forced me to stumble back and even fall. I landed hard on my back and as I gathered my bearings slightly calloused hands pushed against my chest, the arms unwrapping from around me, as the weight on top of me was pushed off my chest and the form into a sitting position.
My eyes made contact with vivid green eyes and a concerned expression. I blinked somewhat surprised but not surprised at the same time. Before I got the chance to grin at her and tell her that was quite the welcoming she cocked her head to the side and repeated herself, which time with a voice muddied with confusion. "Y-you-what are- dead." She stammered with wide eyes.
I propped myself up on my elbows and scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "Yeah … I sortta got carried away." Maybe I should listen to the crew when I'm mad…though I suppose it was a bit too late for that.
"I-is Luffy… he's ok r-right?" She looked around as if expecting him to, I don't know enter wherever it was we were. The space was still white, and as blank as freshly fallen snow.
"He will be." I sighed heavily. At the moment? No, he wasn't ok and probably wouldn't be for a while. But eventually he'd be able to overcome my loss…or so I hoped.
She nodded and threw her arms around my neck for a quick hug, pulling me into a full sitting position. When she pulled back she grabbed my face between her hands and rested her forehead against mine. "You were supposed to escape." Willow murmured quietly.
"I was provoked." I grumbled none too happily as I remembered the admirals words. Even knowing that I was going to die, I probably still would have reacted the same way.
"You weren't-I wasn't supposed to see you for another twenty, thirty years at the very least."
I pulled back and hung my head. "I'm sorry."
"You know I hate to break up this whatever it is scene but Willow darling you've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do, starting with what happened after out deaths and ending with him." The voice of the woman from before said snappishly, causing Willow to jolt a bit and for both of us to look over at her.
The woman was now lounging on a couch that had not been there before between a brown haired man in Marine attire and Thatch who offered a wave as I noticed his presence. The blue haired woman was pointing at me once again.
I looked between Willow and the woman with bewilderment. The man had green eyes just like hers and the woman had her hair. And if you looked really closely she had the woman's figure and the man's nose and ears.
"Also while we're at it wanna explain what the mark of Whitebeard is doing on your hand?" The man asked with a very displeased tone of voice.
I was about to jump to her defense but Willow beat me to it, stammering like crazy, like she used to. "Uh… well I-I…Pops's…I got…lost a…Cole…Because…Well you-you s-see-"
"She's a daughter of mind Myra." A booming voice that could only belong to one man said from my other side. "Just like you were. Its' great to see you all again." Even though he said all he was talking to Thatch when he said that. Pops nodded at Myra then looked at Thatch. "I see you're doing ok." He gave Willow and I just the slightest of glances and the smallest of smiles before it turned into a grin.
Myra . . . Myra . . . I mentally mused. Was that name supposed to ring any bells? Because it kind of did but not really. I frowned and watched as a thing of Sake suddenly appeared in Pops hand after he sat down on the couch next to Thatch. I swear the couch had gotten large because there was no way that he would have been able to find room to sit if it hadn't.
"You know the only ones missing are Roger and Rogue, wouldn't you say?" The man said before looking at me.
But before I could react, before I could jump up, before I could question anyone or shout how that was NOT a good idea a hand landed on my head and ruffled my hair as a new voice said, "I knew he'd take good care of you son."
"Don't call me that!" I growled reaching up and trying to fix whatever damage he might have done to my hair.
Two people sat on a loveseat, a woman with a hibiscus in her hair, the woman I knew was my mother.
I was going to glare at my father longer then I had the chance to but, the gasped, "A-Ace!" drew my attention away from him and to the girl still on top of me. Her eyes were wide and she was looking between me and Roger as if she couldn't tell which one of us she should look at. "A-Ace." She managed again, her voice but a mere whisper this time.
"What?" I asked. Why did she look so shocked? I didn't see what the big deal was.
"That's your . . . it's…"Willow kept looking over at the man with the black mustache and large grin, as if he was glad to be here. This was just like how she had been when she first met Pops.
"You didn't happen to bring Marco with you guys did you?" The woman asked casually as if Willow wasn't having a moment, as if her and that man's hands weren't clasped together.
Pops shook his head and Roger asked, "So the girls yours Myra?"
Wait that woman knew my dad?! I was still trying to understand what the hell she was doing here in the first place, along with the Marine guy.
"Indeed she is. Now tell your boy to get off my daughter." The woman named Myra snapped at Roger as though he were just another person, which he was but still…, the pride from the first statement vanishing from her expression and her tone. That made so much sense, that woman was Willows mom. Why hadn't I thought of that before? Maybe I was still a bit dazed from everything.
Roger laughed whole heartedly, even though the woman wasn't amused at all. "It's your daughter who is on my son." He pointed out, which was true, she was the one straddling me, not the other way around.
"I think Willow's in a bit of shock. Maybe we should give the two a few minutes." Thatch suggested. They all looked at him as if having forgotten that he was there before all nodding in agreement.
Then Willow's mom pointed at her and said, "When you and lover boy get through with things we expect a long story, from the both of you. And so you know that fellow, what's his name honey?" She looked at the Marine man as if he'd have the answer.
"Masa." He said after a pause.
"Ah yes, just so you know that young man named Masa is facing a mother's wrath." She grinned as though she enjoyed being wrathful.
"He's facing the wrath of two angry parents." The man said, indicating that he too was taking care of the guy named Masa.
"I like the job you did on him." Myra smiled at Willow, who opened her mouth to say something. But before a sound could be uttered this wall or something was put between them and us. It had come out of nowhere, absolutely nowhere! I guess I'd have some fun seeing what I could think up but now was not the time for that.
"Ace…your parents-" Willow began looking at me and not back at anything, anyone, else.
I scratched the back of my head saying, "I guess we never had this conversation." I muttered to Willow. Opps my bad. It had certainly not slipped my mind, I had just been afraid of her reaction. And it wasn't as though she asked, or told me about her parents or anything like that.
She shook her head, confirming that no, we hadn't had this conversation.
Unable to help it I let out a laugh. "So um that gang's all here. Your parents, my parents, Pop's, Thatch-Sabo!" I exclaimed looking around. Where was he?! He had to be here because he was dead, just like Willow and I were, like Pops and Thatch and everyone else we had met today.
"Who?" She asked looking around as well.
"An old friend of mine and Luffy's. You'll love him too." I grinned at Willow then wondered if Sabo had grown up in the afterlife or if he were still small or not. I mean apparently you can change things because Pops looked a lot better without all the medical stuff he was hooked up to. Unfortunately without the oxygen that also meant that there couldn't be any helium oxygen tricks being played on him anymore. I guess I'd look for him, but not now. "I don't think we have long." I said.
"You don't!" That woman's voice snapped.
Jeez she was nothing like Willow! How the heck were they related?! Besides outward appearances I just couldn't see it. And to top that she had charmed a marine as well! What I wanted to know was how she had done it.
"Keep your pants on. Both of you!" She added from somewhere, wherever her and the other people were.
At those words Willows face turned bright red and she weakly managed to say, "M-mom!" as she searched for her mom.
I couldn't help but laugh at her apparent embarrassment, which brought her attention back to me. "Embarrassed?" I lightly teased her with a smile.
"V-very."
Again I laughed. Sometimes Willow was just too cute to be a pirate, and this was one of those times. "Well don't be."
"W-what? Y-you just heard what my m-mom said."
I nodded. "Yeah she said that we didn't have long." I quoted the woman and wondered exactly how long not long was.
Willow was quiet for a moment, chewing at the inside of her bottom lip as she looked at me deep in thought.
I suppose it was kind of rude to interrupt but as Myra had said she wasn't giving us long. "What are you thinking about?" I asked. Maybe I could be of assistance? Or something like that so that we wouldn't waste much time.
"Not that I'm glad you're dead, but I'm so glad you're here." She smiled almost sheepishly and ran a hand up the back of my neck and raked her fingers through my hair. For some reason she looked really uneasy and unsure. I really wished that I could read her mind so that I could figure out why and how to make it better if I could. But before I could ask what was up another time her hand slipped out of my air and my face was held once again between her hands before she began kissing all over my face. She kissed my cheekbone, several of my freckles (I think), my temple, between my eyes, my forehead, my jaw and my temple.
Her pervious nervousness now made sense. But even then I got a bit impatient and quite fed up with the shy and most likely unintentionally teasing, butterfly kisses. I lifted my hand and grabbed her chin, instantly making Willow still.
-Willow-
It had taken so much somehow mustered up courage for me to kiss Ace and now he stops me! God I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't let his infectious smile get to me, or his laugh. I shouldn't have so extremely happy to see him and his freckled face that I just couldn't resist the urge to kiss it.
When I began trying to pull back, to get off his lap, which I was suddenly very conscious of, he held onto my chin and didn't let go. He didn't let me push away, he didn't let me get up.
"A-ace." I weakly protested. My efforts to get away were just as weak.
He shushed me before leaning in and pressing his lips to mine. My heart not only skipped a few beats but it began hammering in my veins, loudly in my ears. The kiss was soft, it was sweet, and I didn't know what the hell to do.
He pulled away enough so that kisses could be trailed across my jaw. So that shivers danced up my spine and goosebumps blossomed on my arms and raised the hairs at the back of my neck when his lips rested against my ear. "Now what was it you were trying to tell me over the transponder snail?" He asked, making my heart slam to a stop right then and there.
I couldn't help but wonder if he had he known all along? If so why had he always interrupted me?
Even though the answer was in my mind the moment he asked his question I couldn't help but hesitate. But then again what better time than now to tell him since neither of us were going anywhere anytime soon and god only knew how much longer we'd have before mom decided that our time was up. "I…I- well I wanted to tell you that I…I love you." It felt good to have gotten those words out all at the same time; it felt marvelous to have said those words, to have gotten them off my chest. Now the only thing left was rejection. And with that thought I was suddenly scared of his response.
Due to the closeness of his mouth of my ear I could feel the smile, grin, whatever stretch across his face. "I know. I just wanted to hear you say it in person. Sorry. I know I was selfish."
I jerked back to look at Ace, shocked to say the least. So not only he had known but that wasn't the word choice you'd use of you were rejecting someone! I didn't know if that was good or not. I mean all of that time I had thought….heck I don't even know what I had thought. But I would have never imagined that he had purposely been cutting me off all of those times. "R-really?" The question came out sounding breathless.
The grin turned into one of the big smiles that overtook most of his face and made me smile a bit in return, upon seeing it. But then the smile dropped and he looked towards the direction of where our parents, Pops and Thatch had been seated- god only knew what had happened to them all- then back at me with this dead serious expression on his face. "Are you sure you want to love someone like me? Someone with the blood of a demon in his veins, someone so worthless?"
I nodded as fast as I could the moment he was done speaking. I simply couldn't piece together a coherent verbal response fast enough. Even if I had been able to mere words wouldn't begin to express who I felt, even a picture wouldn't be able to depict how I felt with perfect clarity. But then I managed to whisper out the words, "Oh god yes. Ace d-don't say that."
Suddenly his smile returned to his face.
Relieved I leaned forwards and rested my forehead against his.
"That's fantastic news because you know the feeling's mutual." Ace said before his lips met mine again, sweeping me away with another kiss. At the contact my cheeks burned, they must have been cherry red at this moment!
I found it kind of funny, ironic funny, that only after death had we been able to reach this point, had we beeen able to confess what the entire Whitebeard crew had probably already known.
Not wanting to but preferring breaking apart to anyone interrupting the two of us I pulled back and got off of Ace looking away for a moment completely embarrassed that I had been straddling him since had had gotten here. "I-it's t-time to…to face our-everyone." I quickly managed in response to Ace's bewildered look on the ground.
He nodded and pushed himself to his feet as well. Once standing next to me he playfully pouted with the huffed out words "Way to ruin the mood." As he crossed his arms across his chest.
"S-sorry. It was either me or my mom." I told him. I was glad he didn't seem upset or anything. I mean after all of this time we had about 5 minutes, that was all. I guess it was a good thing we were dead, it at least meant that one of us couldn't die and the other had to live on…
"I like you better." He laughed slinging an arm around my shoulders and getting close, as if all personal barriers had suddenly been dissolved. But I guess I didn't really mind.
I laughed a bit as well. "Good. It'd be weird if you liked my mom more than me."
"The Marine's your dad right?"
"Yeah."
I nodded. We had never, ever had a conversation about our families, hence my shock that THE Gold Roger was Ace's dad. "Don't worry." Though I doubt he was worried. Dad had only become a vice admiral and Ace had faced a full admiral, among other things, fearlessly.
"I'm more worried about you and Roger; you should have seen your face." Ace then proceeded to mock my wide eyed, open mouthed expression.
I smacked him in the arm laughing. There was no way my face had looked like that when I had made that expression. "Stop it. That was a totally normal reaction."
He shook his head and pulled his hat onto his head before his eyes lit up and he looked at me. "Hey I think I've got the hang of this place!" His arm slid off of my shoulders as he reached up to feel the beads that hadn't been around his neck but now were.
"Really now?" I asked even though he had plainly gotten a hang of this place as he had said.
"Yeah when we're done with this I'll show you the New World and other parts of the Grand Line. Hell I'll show you where I grew up and everything." He grinned widely with his eyes gleaming.
"On our way there you'll tell me those stories you promised right?"
Ace smacked his palm to his face. "I totally forgot about those! Yeah, I'll tell you those after this story, alright?"
I nodded and he held his arm out for me like a gentleman and I slipped my arm through his. "That sounds like a good plan."
"Ready?" He asked.
"Y-yeah." I managed as the wall disappeared, revealing my parents, his parents, Pops, Thatch and a new boy wearing a black top hat with goggles resting a top its brim, a missing tooth and blonde hair.
Ace dragged me over to him and said, "Hey!"
"Hey. I thought you'd recognize me better like this. But you know you can change your age here." And with that he grew to a height about Ace's height, the missing tooth was gone, his body now tall and lean but not scrawny like Luffy. The moment he was done growing and all that him and Ace pulled each other into a bear hug after bumping fists.
When they pulled away the boy, Sabo I guess, looked me over and expectantly asked, "Who is this?"
Ace smiled, pulled me close and introduced me as his girl, despite my mom's protest.
Thatch's voice reached our ears with a smile in its tone. "It's about time you guys. You were killing us."
After their reunion and Thatch's comment we faced everyone and began explaining everything to my mom. I started at Luffy crashing into my house and the ending… well our story, its ending had yet to be written.
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An: So I really hope that this chapter did indeed ease your hearts if only a bit.
I usually do this at the end of all my fics so . . . yeah. I just wanna thank everybody for their support.
I love it and without it I wouldn't have been encouraged to complete this fic.
The list is really long but I wanna say thank you to (in no specific order):
AiSoraix3
Alice.
AmazonianGirl
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akgrownrandi- again thanks a bunch for the wonderful fan art
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And because I have this feeling I missed a lot of people- I wanna thank you as well. (I'm REALLY sorry if you're one of these people)
Feedback. Thoughts. Opinions. Constructive criticism is all welcome and very greatly appreciated.