Chapter 24: Beginnings End

The journey was long, especially when she wanted to be with Ace right now, this moment. She could not stand the thought of him rotting away in Impel Down, that stupid under water prison that was build for hardened criminals. The rumors were that Ace was going to be put on the chopping block, that they were going to kill him. Blaise felt a panic rise in her like no other, if the Marines killed Ace, White Beard would tear them apart, Luffy would tear them apart. Blaise's hand fisted at her side; she would tear the Marine ford down brick by brick if they hurt Ace. They would know what true divine selection was, not some "dragon" class fools living off the suffering of others, but an honest to the Gods chosen vessel.

Many ships were moving to where the last moments of Fire Fist Ace will be, she simply followed her gut. Unlike the feeling she had when facing Black Beard, she could feel this was right, that she was doing the right thing. She would save him; she would protect him from this and they would live together. She loved Ace, she had thrown away the chains of her family life and decided on a life of adventure and happiness. Because Ace had told her she had the choice, Ace had opened her eyes to the wrongness of her life. Blaise smiled into the sky, she wanted to be with him, she wanted to not because he cajoled her or even because they had one night of passion. Ace had not said he loved her but she would convince him that he would not be making a mistake if he did.

"I'd turn back if I were you little Missy, its going to be a bloody battle this way." A pirate leered at her from over the rail of a massive ship.

"Do you go to cause that blood shed?" She asked him, her eyes forward.

"It's going to be one hell of a fight; don't you know who they are trying to execute? White Beard's own second division captain. We won't be letting the Marines think they can kill one of our own." The man declared.

"You are White Beard's crew?" Her head snapped up and she was giving this man her full attention now.

"That's right, the Captain is ahead with his main ship there." The man pointed proudly.

"Thank you!" She called out and without explaining she pulled a few ropes. "Winds, guide my boat, haste is needed."

Wind filled her sails at her entreaty and she thanks the gods she could still call upon them now, when she had forsaken her calling. She managed to catch the ship and flag it down, she would go with White Beard and help them save Ace, she hoped to make it in time. They allowed her to board and took her right to White Beard, she had expected to see a man strong and ready for battle. Instead she saw a man ready to die. She gasped and stepped back.

"Don't be afraid of me girl, I don't kill women if I can help it." White Beard chuckled.

"You are the fierce captain White Beard? The sudo father of Portgas D. Ace?" She asked confused, this man was dying.

"I am. However, sudo father? That boy is my son don't get it mixed up. But you must know him, enough that he would confide in you that I am a father to him." White Beard eyed her up and down. "You look like you can fight, and plan to."

"I can fight, and I do plan to. Captain White Beard, now may not be the time but I would like to inform you that once we save Ace, I plan to join this crew. Not as a pirate, mind you, I will only serve under Ace." She told him.

Everyone watching stood quietly, White Beard laughed at her declaration. "And in what capacity, my dear lady, do you plan to serve my boy?"

Blaise felt her face heat up at the cat calls this entreated, she had never been so enraged or embarrassed. He all but called her a slut, and not a nice one. She squared her shoulders and threw her head back haughtily, this confidence had to come in at some point.

"I will have you know Captain White Beard that I am in love with Ace and I plan to be his wife!"

The cat calls stopped.

"And what does Ace say to your claim?" The man stood then, and Blaise realized this dying husk of a man still had life in him, a strong one that was not easily beaten down. No wonder Ace admired him so.

Blaise swallowed and looked up at the massive man. She didn't want to fight this man, she wanted him to accept her, so she could stay with Ace.

"I hardly think I need his approval to seduce him into it."

White Beard laughed, he laughed long and hard and loud. Blaise stood still but she wished she could sink to the bottom of the ocean. Seduce him indeed.

"I like you girl; you may join us. I think Ace will be pleased to see his lady love again when he is freed."

Blaise let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Captain. I won't disappoint, I want to help save him." She told the man as he settled back down.

"Good to hear, show this brave lass to the open room we have, and open a few casks. I think we should celebrate Aces up coming nuptials. I think a wedding a fitting escape from death don't you all?"

The cheer went up and Blaise smiled, that sounded like White Beard was going to marry them as soon as this was over, by force if needed. She must have made a really good impression then. The room she was shown to was not what she was expecting.

"Whose room is this usually?" She asked.

"Ace's miss. When he stays aboard this is his honored place. He usually sleeps with the men though, says the room is a bit stuffy." The man told her.

"I can see why; this room needs a window." She nodded looking about.

XxX

Blaise glared at White Beard now, her anger causing flames to leap off her arms and drop from her fingers.

"I am going!" She shouted.

"You will stay on board the ship in Ace's room where it is safe." He told her.

"You do not get to tell me what to do! I refuse to stay behind while the men go in to fight! How dare you try to stop me!" She shouted at him.

"I don't care that you are a woman, being a woman has nothing to do with my decision. Ace will not be happy if I let you waltz onto the battle field full of malicious pirates and self-important Marine lunk heads who won't pull punches on anyone not one of them." White Beard told her annoyed.

"Damn you White Beard! I want to help save Ace! I won't stay in my room like a meek little lamb! I can fight, I can use fire. I will save him!" She stomped her foot; it burned a small impression into the wood.

"Blaise, I won't argue with you over this. Stay back and stay alive, we will rescue Ace, all you have to do is be ready to sooth his ego when he gets back."

"Like some housewife!?" She nearly screamed.

"Fine then, don't soothe him, kick him in the pants for all I care, just stay put and don't get in the way." He told her with a wave of his hand.

"Stupid over bearing egotistical mule headed—" She trailed off angrily mumbling to herself as she marched angrily back to the room that belonged to Ace. She was not going to be left out.

"Curses pretty good, no wonder Ace likes her." One man whistled in appreciation.

"Captain, why not let her fight? She clearly has the ability." A man asked.

"That girl, the way she carries herself, the way she stands watching the sea. I can see the fragile hold she has on this world; she has cast aside everything for this chance. If she is to watch Ace die, she will die too."

"How can you tell?"

"I'm a dying man, maybe that's why I can see it." He grunted.

Truth was, she had to look of someone teetering on the edge, Ace had picked an interesting woman to hang around. If there was a chance that Ace died today, then that young woman would not be long for this world. He had seen people who lost loved ones, they would cry and rage, some would overcome their loss and grow stronger. But White Beard could tell, this was not that case, Blaise had the look of one who would cry and then become empty, dead eyed and broken hearted. She would be a wraith, the fires of her passion gone. He could not allow that to happen to one like her, she was the one that Ace was in love with according to her story.

"Sir, we are getting close."

"How long?"

"One more day."

He nodded and stood; it was time to put the Marines in their place.

xXx

They had arrived, battle had already broken out and Blaise looked out the tiny porthole in the room to see that many people were engaged in the fight. Some came from the land and not the sea. So, White Beard was not the only one who sought to save Ace. Blaise snuck out of the room, she was not going to stand back and let everyone else fight but her. She managed to slip to the top deck and avoided White Beard who engaged in battle now to save Ace. She slipped off the ship, letting her feet hit the water and carry her across quickly.

Who were these people? Some of them came from another side of the Island. She saw him then, Luffy was fighting through the men and running to his brother's side. Blaise knew then that Luffy had come for his brother, she knew he would. Did that mean he had that woman with him? Blaise couldn't see anyone like that around and wondered if she was somewhere else. She rushed forward ready to help, drawing flames to her.

They surrounded her, not Marines, pirates. She stopped short confused, what was going on?

"Damn you White Beard I will fight!" She shouted angrily.

"Don't we run in exalted circles now, first Fire Fist Ace and now White Beard one of the seven Pirate Warlords?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Booth, I see you survived." She commented lightly.

"No thanks to you princess, now, you will stay here. You will go no further and you will watch him die." Booth held up the hand she severed, a crude looking hook was now attached to the stump.

"The hell I will!" She screamed.

Flames erupted around her, causing everyone to falter except Booth and his pirates. She threw herself forward and tried to rush around him. He swung his hook at her but she slipped under and kicked off to boost forward. His men filled her space and dragged her down with grasping hands, swords bit into her arms and legs, one sliced through her side but mostly they held her down. She blew them off her with a burst of fire, they drew back and regrouped in a tight circle around her and Booth. Blaise rose up, her heart racing and fear making her panic. She needed to get to Ace and Luffy. Her hands drew the swords on her back, she would need to kill these people, kill anyone she needed to.

"Get out of my way! You have already lost; I gave the artifacts to the shrine. You will never summon the Gods." She could see him; in the distance she could see Luffy and Ace fighting to escape.

"I am about to win; I knew you would be here girl and I knew you would try to save him. So, I plan to let you watch him die. You will get no closer." He faced against her; he was ready to fight.

"Leave me alone! Haven't you done enough to me?! Haven't you made me suffer enough with your stupid obsession with power? Get out of my way!" She screamed and flung flames in his direction, when would he stop trying to take what little she had? When would it end?

He jumped aside to avoid them and she rushed forward to be stopped again by his crew, men grinning at her and ready to stop her. What was this? Why were they doing this?

"Stop it!" She flung flames at them with a powerful swipe of her dragon tooth swords.

They threw themselves aside but every inch she moved more took their place and she was getting desperate.

"DAMN YOU!" Her heart raged. "LET ME THROUGH!"

They dodged her fires left and right, rushing to block her path every step and she watched as Luffy stood against Akainu, one of the most powerful of the Marines.

"LUFFY!" She screamed and flung herself forward with all of her might, flames physically pushed the men away from her as she moved, a wall of flames surrounded her.

She couldn't let Luffy die! Ace would be devastated. Terror gripped her chest and propelled her forward despite all around her, desperate to save them.

"Not so fast! You will watch as what you love is taken!" The Captain grappled her from behind and took her down. She screamed in frustration; flames roared from her body burning him. "That won't stop me girl!" He yelled.

Her eyes sought out Luffy again, willing the flames to go to the younger brother of the man she loved. However, Ace was there; her eyes she could not fathom what she saw. Her fire died, heart dropping out of her chest dead.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!" She screamed; two voices mingled over the din of battle crying out his name.

She didn't know what happened after she watched him fall forward, after his life left him, flames erupted around her and tore the man off of her. She rose to her knees and cried out her pain. All of her power poured out of her setting fires to all around, her screams echoed across the sea until the fires burned out of her and she collapsed to the ground again. The captain stood, limping over to her and raising his sword to kill her, her eyes glared up at him with such hatred. He swung down to behead her when the force of a million fists slammed into him, sending him nearly flying, unable to see what happened until the last moment. A figure stood over the young woman, someone who wore the clothing of an old age and the expression of distaste until it landed on the girl, it turned to almost love then. The captain cracked against the side of a pirate ship; his spine snapped loudly in his own ears. No one heard the gurgle of death as he slipped into the sea.

Blaise looked up at the man over her, he was familiar, so this was the God she was supposed to summon? He was familiar in a way she could not understand. She shook her head and tried to crawl to Ace, Luffy was being taken away now and she could tell the young man was broken from his loss.

"Ace…Ace…" She sobbed, her arms struggled to lift her and when that failed, she tried to crawl to the man she loved.

"Sleep child." The voice spoke through her rather than aloud.

"No, Ace…I can save him."

"That man is gone." He informed her and knelt down to place his hand on her shoulder.

"No." She cried. You can't leave me alone.

"Sleep daughter. All will be changed when you wake."

Her eyes stung with tears, her heart ached in her chest, hand still reaching out to Ace as she fell into a deep sleep. A new group walked towards them, a man with red hair and a missing arm. The man in old armour met his eye and indicated the young woman who lay there asleep.

"Take her sea warrior, she belongs with the man who has fallen." He indicated the body of Ace, as a man walked by Shanks witnessed the disappearance of a man who gave even him pause.

"Gather the girl." He told one of his men, it was time for all of this to be over.

xXx

She stood before the monument to Ace, looking up with nothing left in her to cry. She turned and walked away, her head down now.

Her arm was caught, her eyes went to the one holding it. "Where will you go?" Shanks asked her.

"I'll be okay, is that what you want me to say?" She asked him tonelessly.

"You do not need to be alone, come with us." He saw a woman who had nothing and no one, and he knew she would be gone for good if he let her go now.

Her eyes caused him to let her go, step back from her. "Without him, the only thing left is to die."

Shanks watched her go and didn't stop her, unable to console the woman who had loved Ace with her whole heart. Unable to convince her that life goes on, how could he when her life had ended with Ace? She walked through the crowd of people who came to say goodbye to Ace and White Beard. Each face blurred before her into nothing, she had nothing left. She had prepared for a life with Ace. And he was gone now, the man she loved was gone and she would never…ever convince him to love her in return.

Her flames had disappeared after that day, as if she had caste out every part of them from her body and banished any warmth from her soul. She didn't care, she hated what her life had done to her, everyone had only ever lied to her in her family. She hated the very thing that made her special to the Goddess and was glad it was gone. She wished she could rip the blood from her veins, maybe then she could have saved Ace from his death. If she had been anyone but the constrained shrine girl who needed to follow orders, she could have saved Ace.

She was cold, empty without him. Her throat felt tight, her chest as hollow as a box. Blaise walked down the cobbles, people passed her by until she stood at the side of a fountain, looking down into the water. She had nowhere to go now, she had no reason to go on.

"Ace…" She whispered his name, it etched across her mind, echoed through her heart.

"Blaise!" A voice called to her and she turned responding automatically.

She saw Akane standing before her, her clothing dirty and her hair a mess. She looked terrible.

"Akane? What are you doing here?" Blaise asked, she was surprised but could not show any concern, she was no longer her family.

"Everything was ruined because of you! Everything is your fault you monster! Father caste mother and me out! Hanabe got the shrine and I get nothing! My own fiancé won't take me in! It's all your fault!"

Mother and Akane confessed every wrong doing, every lie and every terrible thing they had ever done to Blaise and to this shrine. Father had shaken with fury and caste them out, giving the shrine to Hanabe who would not listen to their pleas. All because of Blaise, this monster.

Blaise could not bring herself to care. Because of Akane she had been caste out and fell in love with Ace, and now she was hollow. No home, no place to belong.

"You caused your own misfortune, perhaps you will repent in time." Blaise turned away from her cousin, her eyes back to the fountain.

"Don't turn away from me!" Akane yelled.

Blaise turned back to her and searing pain flared up her body like hot flames, Blaise's eyes widened in realization. Akane looked into her eyes with hatred and pain.

"You deserve to die! You monster! You freak! Die!"

Akane stepped back, blood on her hand, eyes crazed. Cold ice filled Blaise, her eyes traveled down to see the knife dug deeply into her chest, her heart thumping around the cold metal. She started laughing like a crazy woman, and Blaise looked back to her sister, the blood draining from her face and her vision turning black. She smiled.

"Thank you." Blaise whispered falling back into the fountain.

Akane stopped laughing, a woman screamed and she watched people rush to Blaise's aide.

"Thank you? Thank you?! NO! WHY!? Why do you always win!? Why!" Akane screamed, she would never be answered.

Jem appeared slowly and looked at Blaise lying in the fountain stained with her blood. Akane mumbling to herself and yanking on her hair. He stood over the young woman and kept his face passive witnessing her last look. The smile had stayed on her face, eyes closed in peace.

"So, this was your fate? Blaise, did you choose the path of happiness or tragedy? Only you know." He bowed to the girl chosen by the divine, to live or to love.

xxXxx

She looked around under the shade of her hood and ran smack into a fairly nude chest barely covered by a coat and scarf. Her hand was snatched and brought to press against the muscles.

"Sorry little lady, but it seems you really like my chest." His voice echoed around them.

Her eyes went up and a smile crawled across her face.

"Always with your chest in my face." Her hand rose up to touch his cheek.

"I love you."

Death may indeed be final, but our love will be eternal, and that will always remain true.