ONE PIECE

Two Worlds, One Family

A young woman struggling to find her place in the world wakes up to find a bunch of cats in her room...cats that turn out to be the characters from her favourite TV show, One Piece! Bound to each other, whether they like it or not, and trying to figure out a way to find a certain somebody's lost Nakama and get everyone back to their home, what follows is bound to be chaos, friendship, tears, romance - and, adventure! (Kind of a re-write of Straw Cat Pirates).

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Reset

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

- Roy Trenneman

Nothingness.

It was absolute.

Infinite, almost, but that seemed somewhat cruelly ironic, to put it that way, so absolute seemed the best way to go.

There was no thought. There was no emotion. There was no sight or sound or sense of anything, really.

There was no space or time. Not a single thing changed.

It didn't begin and it didn't end.

It was not a single thing.

It wasn't.

It was just that - Nothingness.

But … even Nothingness had a name, didn't it?

Therefore … Nothingness did in fact exist.

Nothingness was.

And, as this realisation made its way into Emma's mind, the one known as Nothingness acknowledged her.

Emma knew that what she saw and heard next only took on this form for her benefit. As a half-mortal, she would have had a hard time comprehending Nothingness. It would have appeared to her as terrifying as Chaos's true form, and she would not have been able to grasp the concept of it entirely.

"Actually," Nothingness said to her. "This is rather new territory for me as well, seeing as how this has never happened before."

"Nobody has ever met you before?" Emma tried not to think about how strange that sounded.

The figure, that even in the black expanse that surrounded them burned with a light that made Emma think of black holes - where not even light could escape from, which is why the light burned only upon Nothingness and obscured every feature except for the humanoid shape - nodded. "Well, except for Infinite Chaos. That was longer ago than can be comprehended."

Emma closed her eyes as Nothingness said this, and could suddenly easily picture a monstrous form that was even more terrifying than Chaos's true form, in an infinite stretch of blackness. She then saw it confronted by the single entity that she knew was still before her.

"I split them into two and they became Infinity and Chaos." Nothingness told her. "And, I became Nothingness because Order and Time also came to be."

In her mind, Emma saw those four standing there, although she wasn't entirely sure if the Mortal forms of Undine and Ino were accurate depictions of Infinity and Chaos from back then.

She opened her eyes.

Nothingness was still looking at her - she could tell that, despite the light.

"So, after my Mother, Chaos, Boss, and Father Time came to be . . . " Emma trailed off. "Why did you split Infinite Chaos, though?"

"Because."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay. Then, how and why am I seeing you?" She wanted to know.

"There's a reason for that." Nothingness responded simply. "And, it has to do with the miracle that everybody kept on wishing for."

"To not be Erased . . . " Emma said softly, the realisation setting in. This feeling of devastation that's slowly welling up inside of me … because I failed … how could I have let this happen?

The glowing figure that was Nothingness blurred before her, as tears stung her eyes.

Nothingness was still talking. "And, why Infinity and Chaos have not become Infinite Chaos again."

"But … how . . . ?" Emma's heart was suddenly hammering in her chest. "She's safe? My … my Mother is okay, now … or . . . ?"

"She will be." Nothingness replied.

"What about everybody else?!" Emma's voice echoed in the vast expanse of space that was around them. "My friends and family and — ?!"

"First thing's first," Nothingness said calmly, as if Emma wasn't on the verge of a sudden breakdown. "Is that your being here means that you have every right to make things going forwards the way that youwant it all to be."

That stopped Emma for a second.

"All of it?"

"Even me."

Reshape existence? Including Nothingness?

That sounded scary. That sounded like a lot of responsibility.

That sounded like a lot of things could go wrong.

Unless . . .

"Can't we … just put it back the way that it was?" Emma suggested. Nothingness didn't say anything. Emma struggled to find a way to explain what she meant. "I mean, there wasn't anything really wrong with how it was. Okay, that's not entirely true, there was a lot wrong like slavery and such, and I hate wars in the world that I grew up in, but it's too unpredictable and easily upset if I start trying to change things now … the reason that the worlds have continued for so long is because everything is as it should be. I can't change all of that … now is not the time and place for that kind of thing." As she said this, she thought that she could sense the familiar auras of two of the other Gods. Is that . . . ? "People and such have to change it on their own - that's what life is all about … and, beyond that too, I guess . . . " She sensed two more Gods, as soon as she'd said that.

She also wasn't sure if she was making much sense but, to her surprise, Nothingness nodded calmly.

"That's fine. I mean, it's up to you. The very fact that we are having this conversation means that it's already started."

"What's … already started?" Emma asked, although she also had a feeling that she already knew . . .

"The Restoration." Nothingness replied. "After all, as you have already realised existence was Erased," Emma closed her eyes, and the tears spilled over. "But, now it's all come back. Don't worry … you didn't fail. This is fine." Emma opened her eyes. "I promise you." Nothingness told her. "It was all in the blink of an eye, and now everything is waking up again, just like going to sleep and waking up again, or . . . "

"Or … like when you restart the computer or something like that?" Emma said.

" . . . What would you have done if I hadn't known what you were talking about?"

Emma just shrugged. "I dunno. I don't suppose that it's supposed to make much sense, though, is it?"

"It will." Nothingness reassured her. "Infinity will be able to explain things much better to you."

"She really is my Mother, isn't she?" Emma asked softly. Now that she had started to calm down again, realising that the surge in her emotions had come because of the return of some of the other Gods, the memory of what had just been happening was now quietening her, as a strange feeling began to well up inside of her … one of anticipation and energy … but, there was also something else. "Why … why would the other Gods have made it seem like I had destroy my own Mother?" Emma wanted to know.

"For a little while, it seemed that what could have been was that you would take her place as the Goddess Of Eternity … I said could have been," Nothingness said, correctly interpreting the look that crossed Emma's face just then. "But, that wouldn't have worked so well - and, now they all know that."

"But … they knew back then even that she is my Mother," Emma stressed. "I just … what about those legends? The ones that Twister said that he wrote … did he write that song, too?"

Nothingness nodded. "He did. However, Infinity will explain it all better to you."

"She hates to be called that." Emma said. "Will she explain the reason for that to me as well, though?" She asked, suddenly realising just how much she couldn't wait to speak with this woman … and, she could sense that the feeling was a hundred percent mutual.

"She will." Nothingness replied. "She'll also tell you more about what you need to do in order to fix the problems regarding your late husband, The Well Of Chaos, and of course Chaos herself."

Emma had really only heard the first one of those problems, however, and now she closed her eyes and pressed the tips of her fingers against her eyelids, to try and stop the tears. "It's too late for Ace-Chan," she whispered. "Death tried to warn us about what would happen … and, even then, I left Ace-Chan's spirit alone with the Chaos me and . . . "

A pair of surprisingly strong hands took her by the wrists, pulling her hands back from her eyes which she found herself opening.

Nothingness was all blurry again, now, but still sounded calm all the same. "All that I am going to tell you is that, with the number of True Vows the two of you made, not even Chaos could tear you apart. Please, don't underestimate Love's powers, okay?"

"Do you mean Cupid?" Emma blinked, as Nothingness nodded, calmly. "Love's really that powerful?"

"One of the most powerful, wonderful, and above all dangerous of them all." Nothingness replied. "Are you surprised to hear that about him?"

"Yeah … no, I mean … I get it." Emma sighed. "I just don't know … what I'm supposed to do right now . . . " She realised.

"It's fine." Nothingness told her. "But, I do have one last question for you."

"I also have one more thing to ask you, Nothingness." Emma said, and something in her tone of voice seemed to make Nothingness pause. "Are you going to be okay? I mean … being here, all by yourself . . . ?"

And, to her surprise, Nothingness chuckled quietly. "Thank you … for your concern. I can see what they were saying about you. But, I am everywhere and I am nowhere. And so, as a result, I am never ever lonely. Infinity and I balance each other out."

"Balance, huh?" Emma murmured. "The existence of everything and nothing creates harmony, not chaos?"

Nothingness nodded. "Mmhmm, something like that. And now, my question for you, Goddess who was able to wield both Light and Darkness so effectively - do you know who you are?"

And, Emma knew what answer was expected of her. But, she also knew that she didn't have to say it - because, they both already knew.

And, so, she just smiled, as she responded with: "I'm just me."

END OF ACT III - GODS OF EVERYTHING