Izo stood silent and watchful at his brother's side. He gave Ace that needed moment to get his emotions back under control and allowed him to breathe. Izo knew it must be difficult for Ace to have his parentage so publicly displayed and for that to be the reason for this war. To almost lose his life and the life of someone so very close to him only moments before. Izo didn't judge his brother for taking a second, if it had been… well, Izo understood. He also hadn't missed the state Ace's body was in, his brother was not at his best, not by a long shot. Ace was covered in brutal wounds. He was bleeding sluggishly from old reopened wounds, and heavily from new ones. Ace was also thinner than the last time Izo had seen him, he'd been starved by the marines most likely. And the girl… Izo's gaze lingered at her leg. He recognized Marco's work even if many of the stitches had been ripped open in her desperate attempt to protect Ace.
They were both on their last leg, almost literally. Worse yet, Izo couldn't see an end to the war yet, not with how determined the Marines were to kill every last one of them.
Izo scanned the battlefield again as his nearby siblings picked themselves off the ground. They, just like Ace, Holly, and Izo, were covered in brutal burns. Izo's was on the back of his hands but were thankfully not as severe as what plagued Ace's arm. Izo's crew panted for breath, they fought to the death against the enraged Marines even with their bodies giving out. The Marines seemed almost in a trace of aggression. They were trying to reclaim Akainu's body and finish the job the man had started. Izo, close to the corpse, was highly tempted to kick the bastard into the ocean. The man didn't deserve the seas embrace as a final resting place… then again, in the sea, the man couldn't be turned into a martyr for the World government to mourn.
No. The magma bastard definitely didn't deserve that, so Izo took a step forward.
Before the eyes of the Marines nearby, Izo put his heel against Akainu's spine and kicked. The body skidded across the ice. Several people screamed out- and then Akainu vanished over the edge. Izo shot the Marines a taunting look before he turned back to his brother and newest sister. "We have to go." Izo said. Especially after pissing off the nearby Marines.
Ace exhaled as Izo said it. He felt the ground quake under their feet, their father was acting again, and none of them knew what was happening. Due to the smoke, they couldn't make out the other side of the bay at all. Nodding, Ace pulled from Holly's body feeling far more settled. He'd taken his moment; now, he needed to push everything aside and escape this damned place.
"Alright Holly?" he asked as he struggled to his feet. His body wasn't in great shape, but it was functional. His arm was a mess, it was hanging useless at his side, and Holly's leg was no better from its looks.
Chuckling at the situation, it was so bad it was funny, Ace offered Holly his uninjured arm and said: "Between the two of us we have six working limbs."
Holly clucked her tongue as she subtly swiped a hand across her cheeks. She allowed him to pull her gently to her feet, Ace's fingers were firm in her own, whole without haki coating them and Holly dearly wished she could enjoy that. It would have to be another time. On her feet, Holly carefully balanced on her uninjured side. She hopped a bit unwilling to put any pressure down and gripped Ace's arm tight to keep her balance. He didn't pull away to her relief, nor did he really drag any attention to the injury beyond a brief concerned look. Holly appreciated that even as she said: "I really should have learned more healing spells when I had the chance. Hermione tried to teach Ron and me… but I was more focused on defence against the dark arts." In her defence, she hadn't exactly expected a pirate soulmate to drop in her lap and do the fighting for her. Everything she'd ever been taught implied she'd have to defeat Voldemort personally in combat.
"Something to do in the future." Ace shrugged and scanned the area. Beside them, Izo hovered slightly, his eyes darting toward Holly's leg and Ace's arm, then around them and back. He was ready to support them in a moment's notice, especially with Holly balanced on one leg. Sure he didn't know her well, but the girl had saved Ace's life twice already, and he clearly cared quite profoundly for her, so Izo was willing to protect her as well.
"Yeah but," Holly's nose scrunched up, adorably Ace would like to say, "I'll have to figure it out from scratch, I didn't bring any books here."
"We'll figure it out," Ace watched Izo lift his gun and shoot a Marine off to the side who was getting dangerously close to them. The man dropped in a bloodied heap. Ace watched him fall passively while observing Holly in the corner of his eye. Her eyes were narrowed slightly, but she didn't give away what she was thinking. He didn't know what was going through her mind about this war. Holly wasn't a stranger to death, but… well, killing a death eater actively trying to kill her was different than killing a Marines. Or was it? Both had been trying to kill them.
Ace turned away as another dropped nearby from Izo's pinpoint aim. "Izo, can you see anything?"
"Nothing," he answered, "the Bay is completely obscured by the smoke. Our best bet is to likely reach the ally ships for our retreat and hope Pops meets us there."
Ace would normally accept that as a plan, it was sound enough for the options Izo knew they had. After all, Ace's flames couldn't break the smoke, and Izo's guns certainly couldn't. As a result, all Izo knew was continuing the retreat. But he didn't know what Holly could do. Ace gave her a sidelong glance, he raised his brows in question, and she tilted her head in thought. The two of them had a silent conversation causing Izo to scowl.
Holly's fingers flexed at her sides, fingertips dancing along her wand, and she said: "I may be able to blow the smoke aside to give us a look over there." Holly felt at her magic, it had replenished drastically from before, and she could theorize a reason. Ace's brother, who'd stitched her up, she'd caught his nickname from a nearby Marine. He was called Marco the phoenix; he wasn't the same colour as Fawkes by any means but, phoenix's had magic, and he'd used his healing flames to help her.
Somehow, Marco had managed to replenish her magic on top of healing her wound, and she suspected he had no idea that he'd done that. But it was the benefit of the Whitebeard's now.
"Do it." Ace told her gaze already on the thick black smoke.
Izo's brow lifted, then it shot up to his hairline before he glanced at the smoke as well. Could she really do that? What sort of devil-fruit did this girl actually have? He'd seen the light show she'd put off, witnessed one of those lights grab Ace and yank him toward her, and the teleporting? Going off all that, Izo suspected her devil-fruit actually involved space. It was likely she could teleport by folding space, dragging Ace with the same skill, and the lights… was she stealing other people's attacks? Or maybe it was a bizarre application of haki?
Holly exhaled and lifted her wand. She staggered slightly as she tried to take on a dueler stance- she'd put too much pressure on her leg- "Bugger-" Holly gasped as Ace and Izo reached forward. Ace and Izo caught her arms, braced her before she could fall after the mistake. Holly got them a thankful look even as she blushed in slight embarrassment.
"Do be careful little sister," Izo cautioned as Ace helped her back into a standing position. His words caused her and Ace to both redden, and Izo to smirk. Ah, so the relationship was new instead of a secret then, excellent. That meant he could officially start teasing them both, and they'd adequately react.
"I-I-I-" Holly sputtered.
"Izo- you-" Ace copied her, and Izo internally cackled. "Shut up!" Ace finally settled on, "go ahead Holly, just watch your leg."
"Y-yeah." She was still beat red and suddenly quite grateful that the twins never met Ace- ah, and they wouldn't would they. That was a sobering thought.
No, she didn't have time for that kind of thinking. Not yet. Shaking off the melancholy, Holly flicked her wand. Ace was supporting her weight with his free hand, so she didn't bother with a duelers stance. Instead, she cut a path with her wand, and a spell shot forth. It was a literal burst of air and a rather simple charm to learn. The spell was actually used as a lesson for first years due to how easy it was to cast. It was just affectively a puff of air… which Holly greatly overpowered to cut through the thick black smoke.
The spell hit the cloud and parted it in a rush. As it did, Izo and Ace leaned forward gaze intent on the opposite of the bay. There they could make out several of their siblings; Jozu's glittering body, Marco in full avian form circling overhead while in battle with Kizaru, Luffy's stretching fists clashing with a group of Marines, and their father. Edward Newgate turned their way as Holly's spell gave both sides a chance to view the other. His eyes landed on Holly, Ace, and Izo standing together, and the relief there couldn't be disguised. But where Whitebeard was relieved, Ace and Izo quickly grew horrified. Their father was covered in brutal bloodied wounds, giant gaping holes, massive cuts, countless bruises... he was… he was dying.
"Pops!" Ace exhaled, unable to believe how bad his father's injuries had gotten in such a short time.
Whitebeard suddenly turned away, determination in his posture. It mirrored James, invisible to all but Ace as he stood behind his daughter and the kid he already saw as a son. James hissed out a breath as he spotted the figure behind Whitebeard; it hovered over the man's shoulder as he fought for his children. It's form invisible to all but the dead. It's touching edging closer and closer to Whitebeard's flagging body.
"Bugger," James muttered as Whitebeard stood firm and yelled to the battlefield. His voice reached every side of Marineford, from the allies to Ace, Holly, and Izo watching as the smoke started to cover their line of sight again.
"What I'm about to tell you is my final captain's order! Listen carefully Whitebeard pirates!"
"No no, no, no!" Ace took a staggering step forward as the smoke covered his father again. "No!" he darted forward blindly. This couldn't be- his father couldn't- this was all his fault-
"Shit-" Izo stashed his guns instantly and twisted on the spot. He gave Holly no warning as he put his arms at Holly's back and under her knees. Izo scooped her right off the ground and rushed after Ace already hurtling himself along the ice toward their father. Holly gave a sharp yelp of surprise before she grabbed Izo's neck and clung fast, trying to adjust to the sudden change.
"Izo?" she questioned tentatively. He sprinted after Ace, launched across the few remaining blocks of ice until they'd returned to the cobblestone of the bay. Ace flew past Marines and pirates alike. He cut down the enemies in his path and revealed just why he was the second division commander. Not even a vice-admiral could slow him. Izo carried Holly through the aftermath of it while dodging the few Marines Ace had left behind.
"Cover me," Izo told her, "watch for enemies-" He gasped when Holly twisted suddenly. She leaned up so she was almost chest to chest with him and suddenly rolled the 'stick' in her palms. Holly yelled something, an alien word to him, and a Marine dangerously close to his back dropped to the ground in a heap.
"Got it." She promised.
"Good."
"THIS IS WHERE YOU AND I SPLIT UP!" Whitebeard's voice echoed across the battlefield. Hearing it, Izo and Ace both put on a burst of speed, they were joined by other division commanders trapped on the opposite side of the bay with them. All of them were rushing for their father, and they were brutally cut down the Marines in their way. Holly, calmer than most, beyond the second-hand pain she was feeling for Ace, stunned anyone the commanders missed. She could do nothing else, nothing perhaps apparate. Still, she'd only do that with Ace, and he was too panicked, too devastated to remember she could now that she'd seen where Whitebeard was. "EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, STAY ALIVE AT ALL COSTS. RETURN TO THE NEW WORLD IN ONE PIECE!"
Holly gasped as Whitebeard's yells reverberated in her chest. She felt it touch at her heart and felt her emotions surge. There was such raw emotion in his scream, such determination and love for his crew. It was no wonder Ace called this man his father, Holly honestly wouldn't have minded doing the same. After all, she already had two dead fathers what was one more- she winced at the turn of her thought. It seemed she was a bit too used to potential parent figures dying off on her.
Izo gave off a bit off swear as the world shook violently. He staggered, collapsed to a knee and pulled her close as an almighty crashing sound echoed around them. He curled up his body and dragged her form close, Izo protected her as Marineford itself shattered. The enormous Marine building shook as one of Whitebeard's punches rocked the island. Cracks formed all across the building, rubble was sent flying in every direction. Even at the opposite side of the bay, she, Ace, and Izo were hardly safe from them. Some were headed their way- Ace appeared from the left and snatched hold of Izo's clothing, he dragged them all in a roll just before an enormous rock struck where they'd just knelt.
They weren't given a moment to rest either, not as more rubble fell toward them. As it neared, Izo grabbed for his gun, and Ace lifted his hand. To shoot and blast them out of the way? Holly wasn't sure what their plan was, but her magic worked far better at protecting everyone around them than a gun did. "Izo, Ace, move- arresto momentum!" Her spell slowed the rocks in thin air, but it didn't stop their fall completely. Thankfully Ace was a quick thinker, he rushed to his feet and grabbed Izo and Holly both dragging them out of the rubbles path. Izo and Ace rolled to their feet as the spell cut off, and the rubble crashed back to the ground.
"Alright, Ace, Holly-san?" Izo asked them even as distant cries began to slip into their ears. Denials and pained pleading. The Whitebeard crew was urging their father not to go through with his plan, begging the man to return with them to the sea. As the three of them hear this, they also realized what Whitebeard had done with his latest attack. Edward Newgate had ripped Marineford in two. He'd separated the marines and the pirates' sides in one brutal blow, created a chasm farther than any could jump, and he'd left himself on the enemy side.
"Pops," Ace was balanced on one foot staring in horror. His father was sacrificing himself for them. But that distance- Ace could make it, so could Marco- but that order-
"He's going to sink Marineford. He's making them focus on him to protect-" Izo cut off realizing the end of that sentence would only make Ace hate himself. Because that was how Ace was. If he realized Whitebeard was doing this so the Marines stopped chasing Ace, then he'd never forgive himself.
"Did you not hear my order?" Whitebeard demanded of them, "Go now, idiots!" His desperate order was nearly ruined by the Marines taking advantage. It was almost ruined by the dozens of guns and cannon shots going off pointed at Whitebeard. Nearly ruined as Whitebeard didn't bother to dodge a single one. More and more wounds opened on his body- and an enormous plume of fire halted the attacks. Ace, in one move, dragged the attention of every single person on the battlefield. But for Ace and Whitebeard, there was only each other.
Ace lifted his chin, breathed deep, and dropped. He planted his palms flat on the ground, dropped his forehead to the floor and bowed before the man he called father.
"Ace," Holly exhaled, her heart was settled in her throat. Whitebeard was dying- he was dying- those wounds, she knew even with healing spells it was likely too late. Holly wanted to stop it desperately, wanted to prevent Ace from feeling that pain, that same pain she'd felt as Sirius fell backward through the veil after saving her.
Gods, they were much too similar.
"No need to speak," Whitebeard told Ace, "just answer me one question… am I a good father?"
"You are!" Ace screamed before slowly regaining and lifting his head. He forced himself to his feet with an expression Holly recognized from her past, the one she'd caught in the mirror after Sirius. Holly made a distressed noise in the back of her throat. She couldn't save Ace from this pain. She couldn't save Whitebeard any more then she'd saved Sirius.
And Ace forced himself to his feet. He forced himself to follow his father's last order to leave and survive. Ace turned his back on his father and rushed back toward Izo and Holly, toward his crew and family and- a ghostly hand reached for his shoulder. Ace flinched away, preparing for the freezing temperature of Lily's touch and instead came to eye to eye with a kind hazel gaze. "James," he breathed, stopping in his tracks.
"Ace," James moved for his shoulder again, this time Ace let him, he wasn't afraid of James' grip. Somehow, despite the man being unable to affect the world as Lily could, James seemed almost more alive. Perhaps that was because he was in more control than Lily was. His fingers ghosted near Ace's skin, it didn't connect, couldn't, but the intent was enough. James left his hand hovering there and struggled for a moment, his eyes seemed to water, but he was unable to honestly cry, not as a dead man.
Finally, he seemed to decide what words he wanted so badly to say. "It's alright, son… we have him."
Ace sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes immediately burned as he looked at Holly's father.
James Potter was dead, he'd been dead since Holly's birth. He'd been entirely out of this world for more than a decade, and he was still- James Potter was still protecting his daughter. James fought tooth and nail even in the afterlife to protect his little girl. He was part of the reason Holly and Ace were alive; he was one of the people who'd brought Ace and Holly together. And he was the reason Ace even had hope for the future.
James' words struck Ace differently. They echoed along with Marco's from that long ago.
"-because he calls us his sons."
"Thank you," Ace choked the words out as tears blurred his vision. That dark feeling in his chest was soothed in the knowledge that the dead would help his father. Ace may never see Whitebeard again, but… James had him. Edward Newgate would be fine and… and maybe it wouldn't be the end. Not with the ring…
James nodded, solemn and determined, "Now go, follow your captain's orders. Get yourself and Holly out of here."
Ace forced himself to move on, to pull away from the ghostly fingers at his shoulder and his father's warring form. Forced every step until he was back at Izo and Holly's side, and then together, they started to flee. The paddle ship was nearby, and thanks to their frantic sprint, so were most of the Whitebeard pirates. Ace's siblings weren't in the best shape, Jozu was half frozen and unresponsive. Marco was fixed in place, aware he could fly to his father's side but mentally warring against that thought because of the order he'd been given. Haruta had a large hole in his shoulder, and blood was running freely down his arm. At his side Blamenco was beating back the few Marines left on their side. Luffy, Ace was relieved to see, was with Jimbe's, and though flagging physically, was still standing.
It seemed even though Whitebeard had separated the Pirates and Marines, the Marines were still far from giving up. Kizaru and Aokiji continued to be a threat that few of them could physically handle right then. Sengoku meanwhile was already trying to salvage their losses by trying to end Whitebeard, who was just buying time by then. Then the other vice-admirals, including Ace's grandfather, were pushing back as far as they could even with the gaping hole between the two warring sides.
"Ace?" Izo called.
"Lets go," he demanded of his siblings, "follow our captain's orders."
Every step was like slogging through mud, like the weight of the world was pulling against him. It felt like Fate herself was tugging him down, trying to pull him to a stop. Ace clenched his uninjured fist as Izo backed off as well. He hated it- he hated it- he hated it-
Holly climbed to her feet and bit her lip as she stared at Whitebeard's form. He was fighting tooth and nail despite his children being unable to look away, despite his body giving in. He was growing slower and slower with each second, even as he wielded gravity in his very hands to expand the hole between his crew and the enemy. The tremors of the earth made it impossible for the Marines to keep their feet with any sort of ease, a problem not held on the pirate side.
"Straw-hat!"
Ace and Holly's head snapped around at the same moment. They caught sight of Kizaru's glittering form appearing over Luffy's downed body. Holly had no idea how Luffy had gotten in that position, no idea why Kizaru seemed so determined to end Luffy's life. But it didn't matter, not as Ace's leapt into motion to rush for his brother's side. At the distance though- he wouldn't make it. They were all too far from Luffy to do anything-
"Protego!" Holly gasped, she barely managed to speak the word in her rush. Her shield was more intent that a true cast, and she could only hope it was good enough. Magic was intent, and Holly's was blatant. She wanted Luffy safe, so safe that her spell was overpowered, and it glittered physically in the sun. While Holly's aborted step forward caused her to put too much pressure on her leg. She didn't make a single noise of pain, she would not allow her shield to drop and leave Luffy unprotected.
Kizaru, standing over Luffy, paused as he took in the shield. He glanced at Holly as Ace barreled toward him, as Jimbe tried to struggle back to his feet. Then- black spread down his leg. Holly grabbed her wand with both her hands as the haki coated limb pressed against her spell. It was like she was physically being struck, and oh- she'd so hoped no one would realize her weakness. Ace had already gotten through many shields with haki, but this was the first Marine to do the same.
"Luffy!"
Kizaru smiled, and a flash of light blinded them off. A second later, Ace crashed into Kizaru's side, sending the man skidding away from Luffy, but he was too late. Luffy's scream of agony crossed the battlefield and sent shivers down Holly's spine. It was still echoing when Holly hurled all caution to the wind and twisted on her burnt leg. She vanished from Izo's side with a crack. Then appeared beside Luffy and instantly reached down, pressing her palms to his chest where a brutal burn mark had cut across his skin. Blood pumped thick in-between her fingers and prevented her from seeing how deep the wound was. But Holly knew it wasn't good.
A crash sounded dangerously close to Holly's ear. She didn't have to look to know it was Ace blocking a blow from Kizaru, that it was Ace preventing her and Luffy from being hurt- "Holly! Get Luffy away from here!" She glanced to the side and caught Ace's gaze. His injured hand was still limp at his waist, but the other was coated in thick strands of haki. Beside him, Jimbe was also defending her and Luffy. But they couldn't do much with Luffy's injured body so close. They couldn't properly fight; she had to get him away- but in Circe's name, she didn't want to. Holly was terrified of losing Ace; he'd had far too many close calls- but… at the same time…
He'd trusted her to leave his side, to handle the Horcrux while he stalled Voldemort. He believed she'd save his brother.
"Don't you bloody die Ace!" she demanded. Holly lifted her head and scanned the farthest point she could- there, in the distance, she could get Luffy far from the Marines and hopefully do something about the wound. Holly gritted her teeth, ensured she had a proper grip on Luffy, and while kneeling in place- apparated.
It wasn't clean. It was a challenging thing to apparate in the first place, but it was incredibly tricky from a knelt position. It was a show of skill to do so, more so to apparate in mid-air like the Order had done. Holly was skilled, but she was also in great pain, exhausted, and carrying a severely wounded passenger. Her apparition wasn't clean, but she hadn't splinched herself or Luffy, so she took it as a win.
Holly touched down across the battlefield at the farthest point she could. She was at the edge of the crescent designed marina, the only sturdy bit of land left for the ice had fully melted by that point. She was also practically alone there. No marines and no pirates in sight; it was just Holly and Luffy who wasn't even conscious anymore. He'd bled too much-
"Why didn't I learn healing spells." Holly moaned as she looked around for something to help Luffy. She wracked her brain for anything to cast, but all she could remember was that vague spell Snape had cast on Draco. It had been a chant, but she couldn't remember the words. Now her inability to do so was going to get Luffy killed- no, no! She had to figure it out. Ace was counting on her to do this. What was it- what was it- a shadow fell over Holly, and she turned, eyes going wide.
A figure had appeared behind Marineford, behind the enormous building that Whitebeard had cracked. It was tall. Taller than any giant Holly had ever seen, taller than even Hogwarts' tallest tower. A roundish man peered down at the battlefield, his hands clutching the building, and he was laughing. He was the biggest thing Holly had ever seen, beyond the castle, beyond the giants and dragons she'd faced. Beyond the tallest of skyscrapers and it was a man.
This truly was a sea of monsters.
A laugh that made her skin positively crawl echoed across the battlefield while Holly put pressure down on Luffy's wounds. Something about it made her want to run and hide. It felt like the veil had, it felt like death. Holly hunched her shoulders and tried to pull her mind from it. No, it was worse than death. She'd greeted death already, had met it like an old friend, had met its face in Roger, Rouge, Lily, James, and Sirius. This- it was worse. It was alive and cruel.
Wait- her parents- did they know a healing spell? Holly lifted her head and scanned the battlefield, but she couldn't see them. She couldn't- she shot a look down at her finger, and her expression pinched. Her ring was gone. The deathly hallow was gone; she had the wand, but the ring- "Dammit!"
What was she going to do?
Ace kicked Kizaru away with his heels. Kizaru hit a pile of rubble and vanished beneath the rocks seemingly out of the fight, or so Ace could hope. His blackened haki coated feet sent the man careening backward in a way that Ace could never manage with his flames. It gave Ace a vindicated feeling, to beat the admiral down with one arm and without his devil fruit active. This was what he'd learned from Holly's world. To fight without his flames. Now, he would have to perfect fighting with both.
"Zehahahaha-"
No.
Ace spun on the spot as that laugh echoed in his head. He looked frantically around, hoping he'd just imagined it, but- no, there he was. That bastard figure was at the top of the scaffolding. The man stood on the spot that had almost been his grave. Ace snarled. He sounded more animal than man as he took in that figure looking down on them all.
"Teach," the word was spat with more hate then Ace could imagine was within him. Never had Ace hated someone more then he hated Marshall D. Teach. Never had Ace more wanted to launch himself at his enemy- and a firm hand gripped his arm.
"Captains orders are clear," Marco reminded him even in his eyes were filled with the same level of pure hatred that Ace's were. Even if Marco was only restraining himself because he had to keep Ace from doing what they were both so desperate to do.
"That son of a bitch-" Ace bit out. Marco's hand was the only thing keeping Ace still, the only thing keeping him from throwing himself across the gorge to punch out more of the bastard's teeth. Marco kept him from blatantly disobeying his father's last order and… as much as Ace hated to admit it, risking his life. Because Teach had defeated Ace when he hadn't been injured, starved, and exhausted. Teach had beaten Ace alone without the backup Teach now had by taking away Ace's devil-fruit. If Ace were to engage now… he'd lose.
"Those people," Marco said once Ace calmed slightly, "they're all prisoners of Impel Down."
"The worst of the worst," Ace agreed noting each one of Teach's new 'crewmates,' "he must have used Luffy and Holly's escape to break into the prison himself." It was clever as much as Ace hated to admit it, made Teach far more dangerous than he ever had been before.
Suddenly the scaffolding Teach was standing on exploded. Their father had acted, and his revenge was swift and brutal. Ace and his crew tensed as Whitebeard engaged with a roar, as Teach rushed to defend himself.
Then Ace felt himself smirk, because as strong as Teach was the man was no match at all to Edward Newgate. Even at full strength, Teach could barely handle Whitebeard's at his weakest.
But just when Whitebeard seemed to have things in hand. Just when Edward Newgate had Teach pinned the ground, Teach took the cowardly way out.
"You'd kill your own son?!"
And made Whitebeard hesitate. Not out of guilt, however, but out of pure unadulterated rage. Rage that Teach would try to name himself Whitebeard's son after he'd killed Thatch, after his actions resulted in Ace's capture. "How dare-" Whitebeard started to say, "you monster, you should have already been dead!"
"SHOOT HIM!" Teach panicked, he clawed at the ground away from Whitebeard. The man had miscalculated how close to death Whitebeard actually was, and he was paying for it.
And then the bullets went off.
Ace felt himself scream, his voice mixed with his siblings. He almost felt every bullet like a physical blow, as countless pieces of metal sank into his father's flesh. As Whitebeard's end became all but assured. And all Ace could do was scream.
"You're not one of them," Whitebeard spoke aware of death wrapping its fingers around his heart. He felt its chill sinking into his body, and stopped feeling the pain of the countless wounds across his body. His time had come. "Those who carry Roger's will, you're not one of them."
Whitebeard couldn't see what Ace could, he didn't notice James Potter landing gently at his side and casting a look back at Ace with a promise printed across his face. He couldn't see the other end of the Bay as Sirius finally caught up to Holly, who couldn't see him. Couldn't see her desperately trying to cast healing magic without words entirely. Couldn't see Sirius blinking in surprise at a line coming from Luffy's chest, which only the dead could see, grew in intensity. Sirius lifted his gaze and looked to the ocean where the line was pulling too.
"Not that I care," Whitebeard said as Ace watched a figure with light pink hair float close to his father's form. He frowned at her as she gripped tight to a den-den mushi and ensured the world watched this moment. "But whenever someone finds that treasure… the world will return to sunrise. Send someone to find it, the day will surely come…" Edward Newgate smiled, he promised to change the world once more as he yelled out the words. "ONE PIECE. IT EXISTS!"
"No!" Sengoku cried in denial as the den-den mushi recorded Whitebeard's entire speech.
Ace's brothers burst into tears; they cried out their anguish as their father's life ended. But they didn't see it. Didn't see as Whitebeard's soul slipped backward out of his body. Ace alone watched on wide eyes as a creature of black reached for Edward Newgate. As James Potter shifted forward, he placed a hand to Whitebeard's ear and spoke. He said something Ace couldn't even begin to make out with the distance between them. And the creature pulled its hands back as Whitebeard turned his attention to James, then back toward them.
Edward Newgate stared across the battlefield at his children. His searching gaze settled upon Ace. Edward Newgate nodded one firmly, he didn't need to say anything, Ace already knew because Whitebeard had already given his order. Now Ace had to ensure it was followed.
Get their family out of there.
Ace spun on the spot and yelled out: "Move!" He snatching hold of Marco's wrist and hauled his brother backward, away from the chasm, his father's body, from the Marines and the danger. "Didn't you hear me? I said, MOVE!" Ace kicked, he prodded, he all but beat his siblings onto their feet and back. He dragged Marco, the first of Whitebeard's sons, who was utterly unresponsive. As Marco stared back at the body of their father while Teach and his crew rushed it- Marco struggled against Ace's hand- he couldn't let Teach defile-
"Marco! COME ON!"
"Pops- they're- Pops!" he screamed back, struggled, clawed at the air as Ace pulled him backward.
Ace refused to look back, his father had given him an order from beyond the damned grave, and Ace was following it. He'd follow it even if he had to knock Marco out to do so.
As a result, Ace missed it as Rouge finally dropped the den-den mushi. It wasn't needed now. The truth was out there, and it wasn't going to get much better than Whitebeard's last words and what words to go out on. She was impressed despite herself. The den-den mushi fell onto an unfortunately placed Marine's head. As it struck, Rouge flew toward James and the spirit of Edward Newgate. James was rushing through an explanation of the afterlife and Newgate's choices. He talked quickly, somehow James managed to convey what they were, what they could do and why it was necessary in seconds. Crucial seconds before the reaper than had been stalking Whitebeard the entire battle got its hands into Whitebeard's soul.
It unnerved Rouge that the reaper had done that. It hadn't given a second look to the countless spirits piling up through the war, it had stuck to Whitebeard's side and only Whitebeard's. As if Death or Fate herself had ordered it. As if it knew that no matter what happened, Edward Newgate would die that day. The idea made Rouge's skin crawl because… because a similar thing had followed Holly during that last battle with Voldemort. Because it had grabbed hold of Holly the instant she passed. Had dragged away her soul before she could even realize she was dead. Because, while it vanished when Holly returned… it then started to follow Ace. Rouge had seen it in the corner of her eye, seen it stalking Ace up until the moment Lily plunged her hands into Akainu's chest.
Until that moment, Rouge had known deep down that there was still a chance Ace could die. Up until it left her son, she knew his fate was still unknown.
Little did Rouge know that was precisely why Roger warned Holly of Akainu. Because Fate had decided Akainu would kill Ace, and that was a possibility… until it wasn't.
James and Whitebeard jerked back as Teach and his crew darted forward, throwing a large sheet over Whitebeard's body. They were confused by this, the two paused in their conversation to give it Teach perplexed look. But Rouge wasn't.
"Oh no you don't!" She rushed for the cloak.
Rouge was the former Pirate queen. She had been hidden within Roger's crew for the entire journey. Disguised, she'd sailed at his side until he'd disbanded the crew to protect her and Ace both. Rouge had been there when Roger discovered the world's truth and had been at that final island. She knew what Teach was planning, and he was not succeeding… but how did he know? He shouldn't be able to.
Rouge stopped under the cloth as Whitebeard's devil-fruit power fled his body. As it surged into the apple Teach had prepared. She watched the swirls of the fruit begin to form- and then her haki coated hand snatched the damned thing from Teach's hand. "Mine!" she proclaimed with a greedy tinkling laugh.
Teach swore and snatched for it, watched the fruit he'd be gunning for yanked out of his grip by an invisible force. Teach couldn't see Rouge, and she rather preferred it that way as she ducked under the cloth and carried the fruit free. Teach was quick to pursue her and grabbed the fruit helplessly- but oh, the man was slow. He was a snail compared to Roger, and slower still due to the injuries Newgate had invoked upon his body. Rouge flew for the gorge and cackled when the man stopped dead before falling into it.
This was the afterlife. This was what she'd enjoyed as Ace grew up, but it was so much better. The play, the pranks, Rouge was a pirate at her soul, a D just like Roger and Ace, and now she was free to… mess about. But oh, it was even better now. Now she could go beyond just watching. Rouge could touch things now, she could use her haki and affect the world even beyond the grave. "Catch it if you can, Teachy," Rouge taunted.
"Rouge-" Newgate said as he realized what she was doing just before the reaper sank his hands into Newgate's soul. Whitebeard vanished, dragged to the in-between to be given his choice: a choice between onward, a ghost, or a spirit. Rouge left him to it, it was his choice after all, though she personally suspected he'd return as a spirit. She doubted he wanted to miss his children's lives, especially considering how many he had, especially considering that Newgate now knew he could affect those lives from the afterlife.
Rouge finished her trip over the gorge, kept the fruit just out of Teach's grip and chased down her son and his crew. Her energy was flagging after all the time she'd been holding the den-den mushi, she only had perhaps seconds left, so Rouge rushed for Ace. Her son was the one focused, the one acting. It surprised her slightly, she had thought Ace would be broken by his adoptive father's death, but instead, he seemed more determined than ever. It was lovely to see… Ace reminded her so much of Roger as he kicked his crew into gear.
Smiling and still laughing in joy, Rouge dropped the fruit; she sent it falling toward Ace and- he caught it. Rouge paused with a hum in surprise, then her son glanced away from the battlefield to look up at her- and their eyes locked.
No.
Her eyes widened as his did, as they looked upon each other and… he could see her- her son could see- a furious cry dragged Ace's attention away.
She and Ace both looked and realized that once again, the sea had been frozen once more. Aokiji, the admiral, was preventing their escape again. The bastard Marines weren't letting anyone escape without a fight and- "oh no!" Rouge gasped as she caught sight of the scene in the distance. Several Whitebeard allies had rushed to Holly and Luffy's aid, but they and their ships had been frozen, and now… Aokiji was advancing toward them. And no one was even remotely close to being able to help.
"Holly! Luffy!"
Holly lifted her head slowly and turned toward the steadily advancing figure. The man was tall with curled hair and that uniform on, the same as Akainu but in blue instead of red. He seemed uncaring of the Whitebeard allies trying to help her, he pulled them from play with a single dismissive wave of his hand. The man froze them solid as his attention remained exclusively on Holly.
She took a focusing breath as ice crept across the stone she was knelt on, he moved away from in like a spider web, like a spell. His body was the source of it, the reason the bay had been frozen, the reason the wave threat trapped them had existed in such a state. He was ice in the same way that Ace was fire.
On the positive, that meant this man's weaknesses were like Ace's. Heat, fire… and water.
Holly slowly pulled her hands from Luffy's chest, thankful she'd thought to tie the remains of her shirt across the injury to stem the bleeding. It left her in nothing but a bra and jeans, but she was beyond caring. Holly shifted her weight, she ensured her thigh was pressed to Luffy's body. Holly kept physical contact with him in preparation to apparate. Then, firming her grip on the elder wand, Holly brandished the wood and all but dared this man to take Luffy from her.
"Step aside," Aokiji warned, "and give me Monkey D. Luffy."
"Over my dead body," Holly said, wishing it was more of a threat; it wasn't really, she'd already been dead once in the past forty-eight hours.
Luffy gave a pained gasp; he struggled to breathe after what the other admiral had done to him. He was in pain despite his unconscious state, and he was helpless. All that stood between him and death was Holly. And damn if she wasn't going to throw everything she could to keep it from snatching hold of him. She'd lead this guy on a merry chase across the battle. She'd force him to pursue her, to acknowledge her as a threat. To deal with her before he dealt with Luffy.
"That can be arranged,"
"Don't be cliche!" Holly snapped back in her best attempt at a taunt. She tilted her chin up, shifted in preparation and ignored the throbbing, angry pain at her ankle. Walking would impossible, but she was a bloody witch; she didn't need to walk.
Aokiji's weaknesses were Ace's weaknesses. Holly repeated the thought in her head- and ice surged. It formed at his feet like a wave; it thrust at her like a weapon. Instead of trying to block that, Holly pointed her wand at the ocean. She twisted her wrist, stabbed at the water, and pulled. Lifted the wood like it weighed a ton. A bright blue spell connected with the ocean, and then a wave broke free. It wasn't like Whitebeard, it was just moving water… salt water anyway.
Aokiji twisted, his attack stopping its advance toward her to block the water she'd sent at him. He was honestly concerned by it, and it relieved her. Water was key. She just needed to get him wet.
Holly reached down and sank her fingers into Luffy's wrist as ice spread quickly across the ocean. The crescent part of the bay was no longer the farthest point from Marineford, and Holly took quick advantage. Aokiji would freeze more of the water to ensure she couldn't use it, so she'd make sure she was close to the sea despite him. Holly apparated once more and landed on the ice a distance away. Instantly she looked for Aokiji who was already sprinting across the ice toward her-
He was fast.
Something clawed at her leg, and she looked down- ice, her leg was freezing… she'd made a mistake. She'd gone to his element. He could control it even this far away- "Bugger!" she apparated again, shattering the ice that had been trying to claw up her and Luffy's bodies. She landed to the left, and Aokiji instantly changed direction- this time, his attack was faster still. The ice crawled up her body like flames licking at her- how was he tracking her so quickly-
The crack of apparition.
Damn!
Holly glanced around frantically. But everything around her was nearby and… she couldn't even return to the bay itself. Aokiji had already frozen it solid, and the other admiral, the one Ace had been fighting, was rushing toward her. She was surrounded. There was nowhere for Holly to go, nowhere but to the central part of Marineford with an unconscious and brutally wounded Luffy. Could she apparate to the top of the castle itself? Not, not with that giant there. He'd probably destroy the castle with her on it.
Ice crept faster, and Holly frantically apparated again and instantly, the ice she was knelt on surged. It froze her uninjured leg and half of Luffy's body solid. She couldn't walk now, couldn't in the first place but now- both her legs-
"Die!"
"Protego!" Aokiji's fist struck her shield a breath away from her face. He pulled back slightly, unfazed… and his arm blackened- and the sound of something breaching through water echoed behind her. Holly looked slowly behind her- looked at the edge of the frozen ocean- there was a bright yellow ship there and a man on its deck looking her way.
"Bring Straw-hat-ya over here!" The man stared at Holly, who had already decided to do precisely that. A ship was better than the damned ice rushing up her and Luffy's body- "I'm going to make sure he escapes, entrust him to me! I'm a doctor!" Personally, Holly didn't think he needed to say all that, he wasn't a Marine, and she would take that as better than her current options. She grabbed Luffy firmly with her free hand as ice surged up her body- she couldn't feel her arm anymore, couldn't feel her wand-
"Room!"
"HOLLY!"
She couldn't move her body- but it still existed. Holly knew her hand was on Luffy, and she pulled at her magic. No one ever said she needed a wand to apparate. So, thinking on her three A's of apparition, Holly felt the world twist- and stop. Nothing seemed to change, she couldn't feel the ground below her anymore, so Holly wasn't sure if she succeeded. Or she wouldn't have been, if the newcomers' ship hadn't been stupidly bright yellow.
She'd made it.
"Get… them-… apart!…" Everything was so far away.
Merlin, she was so tired. Holly had been fighting for so long, struggling for what seemed like her whole life. She just wanted to rest- cracking sounds echoed from her right, and a figure in the corner of her eye carried Luffy away… was that a polar bear?
Ace's world was so weird.
The man who'd saved her knelt at her side with an eerie light in his eyes. Holly nearly sighed at it, another doctor type, this guy was probably like Pomfrey then. Scary about his patients, which Holly had unwittingly placed herself as. He reached forward, his fingers prodding - light or otherwise, Holly couldn't feel it - at her frozen body. A sadistic expression expanded, and she really did sigh then- only for light to grow from nearby, familiar, it was the other admiral, the yellow one. Holly lifted her head feeling her body crack and creek. He was aiming at them again, trying to kill Luffy again.
"Straw hat Luffy. Surgeon of Death Law. Teleporter Holly…" the man seemed to sing the words at them, and Holly's neck snapped in several spots as she lifted it. She probably shouldn't move, but- she was so bloody tired of this nonsense. These people were so determined to kill a teenager, to kill Luffy even though all he'd done was try to save his brother. It was despicable.
Holly lifted her working arm, she didn't even have her wand in it. Her wand was still frozen to her body, she had no access to it. Despite that, Holly lifted her hand toward the yellow bastard and allowed her expression to twist.
"Can you fuck off?!" she screeched and sent a full barrage of spells at him. She wasn't even sure what she'd cast if Holly were honest; she was acting purely on instinct now… unfortunately, Kizaru dodged just as Akainu had. Still, she was so… she was so… angry. She just wanted to leave this cursed place with Ace, she just wanted to be safe and finally rest. If only these Marines would just stop!
Holly's spells cut off. Beside her, the doctor straightened and lifted his hand… he was frightened Holly realized. Was the admiral really that scary? Holly had faced three throughout the battle, and they weren't honestly that bad. Then again, she might just be out of it now. She should probably be scared, Kizaru had dodged every one of her attacks after all. Holly turned her face upward.
Ah, she knew why she wasn't frightened.
Ace's foot smashed into Kizaru's neck, sending him careening toward the ocean before. Body twisted in thin air, and Ace yelled as he landed on the deck with her: "What she said!"
It had been Ace that yelled her name before she apparated. He'd already been sprinting across the bay by the time the ship revealed itself.
Ensuring Kizaru wasn't going to quickly recover from that blow, Ace offered a mocking bow toward the Marines. He flicked an imaginary hat toward the Marines with his middle finger. "Oh, and thanks for the platform Aokiji, I found it quite useful." As he spoke, Ace thrust out his hand and sent an enormous fireball at the ice creeping toward them. And now that he'd brought her attention to it, Holly realized Aojiki had been pursuing her with his ice even as she landed on the yellow ship. Kizaru was just faster and had reached her first. Aokiji was stalled by Ace's flames, the man's lazy expression looking more and more cross. Maybe he'd found out Lily's had killed Akainu?
"We're diving!" The yellow ship's captain, Law? Yelled. "You two, hospital bed, now!" he added toward Holly, half-frozen and half-burnt like some tragic microwave dinner.
Holly glanced at the man, and Ace followed her gaze. They were a mess; they both knew it. The war had not been kind to their bodies, Ace and Holly were a painting of injury. Both of them were in desperate need of a doctor. Conveniently, one had arrived just when he was needed. But- Ace looked back to the battlefield as it continued to violently rage. His crew… the division commanders, were still fighting to escape. The last remaining paddle ship had been frozen solid. And despite the gorge, brutal battles were raging everywhere he could see.
He… he couldn't just leave.
"Ace go!" Marco's voice yelled out. Marco had taken to the air, he was above them all and watching Ace's hesitation. He'd transformed to catch up to Luffy and Holly before they were killed only to be knocked down by Garp. Ace though, Ace had made it. "We'll catch up! Go!"
Marco knew that Ace needed medical attention as much as anyone else. The mess that was his arm may not even be repairable, not with how badly it had been burnt. And if Ace hesitated any longer, then someone, one of the admirals probably, would actually succeed at killing him. Marco couldn't allow that to happen, the one thing they had left was Ace. He was their only victory in this battle, and he was the reason they were still struggling to survive.
For Ace, Marco and every Whitebeard pirate present would fight to the death.
Thankfully for them all, that never came to pass.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A single pink-haired Marine screamed out, and the ship known as the Red Force finally revealed itself.
Red-hair Shanks had arrived to end the war.
The ship under his feet was sailing forward, was pulling from the battle before diving. On it's deck, Ace straightened when Shanks glanced their way; he gave Ace a firm look, and Ace exhaled. The yonko would ensure the survival of the rest of Ace's crew, he could leave. Nodding, Ace turned, swooped down grabbing Holly mostly frozen body with his uninjured arm. Ace cradled Holly close, strode past Trafalgar Law, who was watching the aftermath of the war, and carried her below deck and finally out of sight of the war. He followed the direction of the sudden appearance of the Heart pirates. He didn't trust them overly, but Ace admitted that they all needed a doctor that and…
He glanced at Sirius, the man whose name Ace knew from Holly's descriptors and tales. He was the only soul actually present and generally seemed at ease. When Ace glanced his way, while following one of the Heart pirates to a hospital room, the man gave Ace a thumbs up. "It's fine, I don't know his intentions, but he won't hurt Luffy."
Ace wanted to ask how Sirius knew, but he'd sound a bit mad talking to thin air, so he didn't. Instead, he set Holly carefully on the infirmary bed and then hopped up himself, so he was beside her. The cushion under him felt immediately weird. For… he didn't even know how long, he'd been chained up and sat awkwardly on sharp stone. It had been a painfully long time since he'd been on anything soft like this. Apparently, his perching, as a spirit, in Holly's world didn't count either.
Holly cringed as her body cracked and creaked from the ice. They'd need to thaw her before they could take care of her injures just as they'd have to do with Luffy. Holly hoped it didn't take long, the cushioning under her was all but screaming her name. While she thought this, she felt Ace sag at her side, his shoulders dropped, and his head drooped forward. Ace's hair obscured his face, but Holly didn't need to see it to know his eyes had temporarily closed in pure exhaustion.
"Here." Trafalgar Law stopped in the room briefly. They both tensed as Law tossed- what that Luffy's hat?! Toward them. Ace snatched it out of the air in panicked alarm. How had Trafalgar gotten it-
"Luffy!?" He staggered back to his feet. He didn't know how Luffy was, didn't know the extend of his injures-
"You stay here," Law pointed firmly at them, "no family allowed during surgery."
"But-" Ace protested.
"If you try to come in anyway, I may be distracted, and distraction leads to a botched surgery which will be of no fault of my own." The man's smirk made Ace's lips curl, "stay." He repeated and vanished around the corner. It was bold of him, they could have attacked his back, or perhaps he knew they wouldn't. Not when he was the only doctor around that might be able to save Luffy now. Ace- Ace was a step away from launching toward the man, ripping Luffy from his grip, and trying to get them all back to Marco. Because he'd made a mistake in trusting-
"Ace," Holly exhaled as a pair of pirates approached her already discussing what to do about their injuries. "It's the same in my world, family isn't allowed to be near… they react poorly if something goes wrong. We'll only distract him from saving Luffy."
Ace clucked his tongue and turned away hair swinging. "I know… just… not happy about it though."
"Our captain is skilled," the woman gently prodding at Holly's frozen skin said, "if anyone is to save Straw-hat Luffy… it's him."
"Ace, he'll be fine," Sirius agreed from the side, "there's no reaper here… it's not Luffy's time, not yet."
Taking Ace's grudging silence for agreement, the pair of doctors moved on to their wounds and Holly's frozen body.
"Come, we'll need to melt you before we can do anything." The pair of pirates nudged Holly off the bed and toward a small showering area. It was there probably for sanitation reasons, but Holly wasn't going to get there independently. One of her legs was frozen, and the other was a mess of burnt flesh. Thankfully Ace was more than willing the help. Anything to get his mind off his father and Luffy's uncertain fate. He set Holly down with care in the shower, and the doctors turned the water on to 'defrost her.' As they did, Ace was ushered back to the bed so the second doctor could 'gently' chip away at his burnt and charred skin.
Ace hadn't been burnt like this before. The scraping they were doing was agonizing. But it kept his mind away from his father's body left behind in Marineford. He kept his mind from a heartbroken Marco who now had to get their crew to safety while Ace sailed farther and farther from the battle. It kept his mind away from Luffy's surgery as hours passed, and Trafalgar continued to work. But it didn't keep his mind away from Holly, not when they started to scrape away at her injuries like his. She tried her best to hide how much it hurt, but as hours passed, she was unable to hold it in, and she cried out in pain.
Lips pressed together, Ace shifted to the side, he forced his doctor to follow him. Ace moved closer to Holly, he pulled her onto his lap. With care, Ace moved his uninjured arm around Holly's body and hugged her from behind, his hand settled on her stomach, and he reigned in his flames. The last thing either of them needed was for him to add more burns to her body. Finally, Ace dropped his head on top of Holly's and murmured a soft: "alright?"
Holly whimpered, "missing Madam Pomfrey so much, oh my gods-" Holly gasped with tears slipping down her face. She'd been burnt before, she'd faced a dragon after all. But magic and what the Muggles were doing were vastly different things. "Oh god, knock me out, please, please, it hurts-" her whole body flinched as they dug in, as they cut away dead skin. Ace's fingers flexed on her stomach as the same happened to him- his own doctor had started again after getting situated with the new positioning.
"Don't think it would last, otherwise I would." Ace told her honestly. There was also the fact that he didn't want to hurt her as he'd have to in order to knock her out. Not to mention, there was a selfish desire deep within him that begged her not to leave him alone. Not as his father's corpse seemed to appear every time he blinked his eyes. "I can distract you?"
"Kissing is really not going to help right now," Holly managed through gritted teeth as her eyes watered.
Ace chuckled against a particular nasty dig, "who has the dirty brain now, I just meant talking."
"Not… I don't… che!" Holly's mouth worked for a few seconds, "it hasn't really hit yet… everything that happened." So much had since she and Ace had been alone in the tent, so much had changed. "We do… probably need to talk." But she didn't want to, not yet, not now… she was so tired. Molly Weasley had once told her that she should never have meaningful conversations if she was either hungry, lonely, or sleepy. Holly was all three right then.
"Later," Ace agreed sensing the turn of her thoughts. "When your godfather isn't staring me down."
"Damned straight," Sirius called from the side.
Holly's brow arched, and she glanced at Ace's hand, the one pressed into her stomach and noted the ring there. "You took my ring." She said in mock offence.
"You were unconscious… and I'm a pirate." He was wholly unrepentant and added cheekily, "though, technically, I should be giving you a ring."
Holly made an offended noise, "First!" she nudged him with an elbow, "that is absolutely not how you propose. Secondly, you stole my ring. And thirdly… I don't have a thirdly; the first two are good enough!"
"She's right," Holly's doctor commented, "that's really not how you propose."
"Butt out," Ace stuck his tongue out at the woman, "hn, I could do big if that's what you want though."
"I never said big! But you at least need a ring that isn't mine! Merlin Ace." She couldn't believe this was what they were talking about. They weren't even technically dating for Merlin's sake. Which Sirius was already reminding Ace of, considering the random way he said, 'leave me be Black!' Holly giggled, picturing what Sirius was saying before she sagged back into Ace's chest.
She was drained, ridiculously so. She'd escaped prison, destroyed a Horcrux, fought in a war, and had nearly died six different times in the last forty-eight hours. Her magic was fine, thanks to Marco, but her body was beyond done. Holly suspected Ace was the same, especially since he'd been starved on top of all that. Though he also hadn't been frozen like she had. He also hadn't died like she had.
"I'm exhausted." She mumbled weakly and felt Ace squeezed her in a one-armed hug in comfort.
"Sleep." He'd guard her while she did, he'd keep vigil-
"You should too Ace," Sirius said, "just keep the ring on. I'll wake you when Luffy's done."
Ace eyed the man as Holly's head dropped back into his chest, and her eyes fluttered close. Her doctor was just about finished with her leg, and his arm was almost done as well. They'd be allowed to rest, and Ace honestly longed to do exactly that… but…
"Luffy will take hours," Sirius added, "Muggle surgery always does-" Or so Lily had told him. "-sleep Ace," he insisted.
Just a few minutes. Black would protect them. Just a few minutes should be fine.
"Wake me if anything happens." He demanded unaware of the two doctors giving him confused and concerned looks.
"I will." Sirius promised and backed off a bit.
Ace sifted as his doctor stepped away, the bandages were set in place, and he had been returned his arm. Ace moved slowly, turned his body with Holly's, so they were laid across the bed. The two doctors slipped out, left them be after turning off the light. Rest was required now, their bodies needed time to heal, and the two weren't going to linger if Ace wasn't going to resist. The door closed behind them, and Ace settled back.
He had Holly moved, so her leg was slightly elevated while it rested on his, she was otherwise curled into his chest. Her hands pinned between them. It left Ace with one arm under her head and the other wrapped around her small form. She was safe there, hidden by his body. But Ace, despite his exhaustion, couldn't fall asleep. His eyes remained open as he scanned the room. It… didn't feel real. Holly was protected in his grip, but he didn't yet feel safe…
"Ace." Sirius squatted in front of him. His head was see-through, and his gaze kind. He managed to pull off the parental looking far better than James and Lily. Ace suspected that was because Sirius had been actually older than him when he'd died, unlike Lily and James. "Rest. I've got you, alright? Trust me, I won't let anything happen to either of you."
Ace stared the man down. The confession was on the tip of his tongue… that he didn't feel safe, that he hadn't in a long time and- Holly burrowed deeper into his chest. Her head pressed under his chin, and she exhaled.
"Listen," Sirius insisted, "I'll count hyppogryff's if I have to, but you need to rest."
"Don't even know what that is." He grumbled.
"Or… I'll recite history of magic, I think I can pull off a Binns-"
"Can you check on Luffy?" Ace asked instead. Sirius blinked several times, then his expression grew utterly fond.
"Sure, I'll check on him. But as a deal, you have to close your eyes first."
With a noise of irritation, Ace did precisely that. His eyes closed, "it's not going to help, not until I know Luffy… is…"
"Safe?" Sirius finished in amusement as Ace drifted off in seconds. Mid-sentence even. What a stubborn kid.
Stepping back, Sirius left the two of them sleeping, they needed it, badly. And thankfully neither them so much as stirred as Sirius phased through the hospital door. As he did, he aimed for the deck, he didn't bother checking on Luffy. Sirius had already done that when the kids were distracted, and Luffy was already out of surgery. If he told Ace that the kid would just rush to his brother's side, so would Holly, in fact, which was why he'd kept his silence.
Sirius floated upward and reached the submarine's deck. The ship had surfaced, thankfully not waking Ace with the motion. Sirius landed lightly as he took in the scene. Boa Hancock had made a return, her ship was docked beside Law's and carried many of Luffy's allies. Iva and the revolutionaries were all present on deck. Jimbe had made himself comfortable on Law's ship, and Law was currently bandaging some rather nasty looking wounds on his body. From what he was listening to Hancock, had apparently sent her snake pet - eww - to follow Law's sub at the bottom of the ocean floor.
Sirius listened carefully, prepared to tell Ace and Holly what had been discussed when they woke. From the sounds of it, they would be moving to Hancock's island as a temporary safety. Once there, Ace could contact the Whitebeard's who were all safe and currently with the Yonko Shanks. After that, he could rejoin his crew if that was what he desired. Luffy meanwhile would be able to recover fully from his injures, and Holly… she could finally figure out what she wanted he supposed. Though he was also sure it would be Ace that she wanted. She just hadn't clicked fully to that yet—a byproduct of the frantic energy plaguing the pair for so long.
"Hear that?"
Sirius glanced to the side as Rouge bounced to a stop beside him. She had a bright smile on her face, she was all but glowing after the day. Sirius wasn't shocked. He was pretty damned pleased himself as well. After all, both their kids survived.
"Hear what?"
"Trafalgar isn't sure why he helped Luffy," Rouge gave a cackling laugh, "Ivankov isn't off the mark there. Trafalgar moved on instinct indeed." Rouge's gaze lingered on the line barely visible to them, the mark attaching Trafalgar Law and Monkey D. Luffy. She certainly hadn't expected that to come from the war, but she was pleased regardless.
"Lets hope Hancock doesn't realize," Sirius commented, "she'll probably try to rip him apart."
"Oh don't be negative! It'll be fine." He arched a brow, where had the pessimistic Rouge gone? This woman was entirely too bubbly now. "Oh! How are the kids? Are they okay?" she glanced around as if the three would just spawn before her.
"Fixed up and resting finally," Sirius reported. "Ace is a stubborn one, I had to trick him to even close his eyes."
"Like his father that one."
"Right," he glanced around and frowned, distantly he was starting to wonder where James and Lily were. Had Lily been able to stop fighting? Was James still at her side, or was he waiting for Newgate? Sirius didn't know, and it worried him. "Aanyway… they're fine, and Luffy will pull through." Trafalgar wasn't convinced, but Sirius was. Luffy was going to be just fine.
Rouge's eyes softened as the living group moved in tandem to set sail for Boa Hancock's island. She felt herself relax more and more as they set sail once more. Relaxed as the breeze ruffled their hair but failed to touch her own. She looked out at sea, and she felt emotions rush up.
"They made it."
Sirius didn't look her way, his eyes were on the ocean as well. He almost couldn't believe it, they'd actually done it. Holly had been saved from the Horcrux and Voldemort. Ace had survived the war where just about every enemy there had been gunning to end his life. They'd… they'd actually survived.
"They made it." He agreed.
He and Rouge exchanged a look, then they both burst into loud cheering. Rouge grabbed his hands and swung him around, they took a moment to just celebrate. To bask in the fact that their kids were resting, that they had a future together. That the war was over.
"They made it!" They both screamed to the skies.