Warnings: Same as last time.

Chapter 2

Looking closer, its not just his eyes that are hers.

Ace realizes that is her smile on the teens face and he feels as if he has finally been awakened from a long slumber.

Emotion wells within him and before he knows it, his eyes start stinging.

It had been so, so long. Well over 600 years, edging on 700.

It was so surreal and Ace almost thought it was a dream. But he knows that he couldn't dream this. Still, Ace can not get over the pure shock and ends up loosing his hold on the tree, hitting the ground with a crash.

The other comes towards Ace quickly once Ace's freckled face connects with the grassy ground.

"Tree guy are you okay?" He stands next to Ace and peers down in curious wonder, but Ace can hear what seems to be concern at the edge of his voice.

Ace can't stop the unexplainable emotion bubbling inside of him and when he speaks, his voice involuntarily breaks. "I-I'm fine. I slipped, thats all... And my name isn't tree guy."

"Shishishi, you're funny." The laughter causes his heart beat to accelerate and all thoughts to pause. Was her laughter always that beautiful and full of happiness all those years ago? He wish he could remember, but he doesn't doubt it was. He wonders how he could truly forget something so beautiful. The pleasant laughter echoes through his head, already branding itself so it will never be forgotten again. "Then what's your name tree guy? I'm Luffy, nice to meet you!"

Luffy. It's a different name than before, than the name he was used too. But it clearly wasn't the only different thing.

After all, Luffy is a male now when he been female in all of Ace's memories.

But Ace couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. It is still her, regardless. He has no doubts. He can feel it in the pit of his stomach. His instinct screams at him; that it really is her soul in a different body. He's positive that this is her after nearly seven hundred years. After everything he had done, he's seeing that bright smile again.

And then he freezes, recalling Luffy's words, asking who he was. Ace looks up at Luffy quickly, almost catching the teenager off guard.

Recognition does not spark in his eyes, only open curiosity.

So, Luffy doesn't remember him? It was clear that he didn't recognize Ace and the spirit knew that his appearance is the same as it was the last time those eyes had met his own in a past life.

(Sad, but accepting pools of blue, that never once looked at him in anger or hate, not caring who he was or the sin of his very existence. She had only looked at him with love, understanding, and forgiveness. He didn't deserve a single one of those looks.)

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Ace slowly sits up, despite him wishing that he could slowly sink into the ground.

It was hard to believe that she - no, he - doesn't remember Ace.

Anger stirs in his stomach. It's not directed at Luffy, but at the gods. It explained the pitying looks that had been directed his way.

And he understands.

This was his punishment.

He doesn't even feel angry for his own sake. He's feels angry for Luffy.

Ace swallows once more and gives himself to calm down, that getting angry at the gods won't help him. That he should speak to the person he hadn't seen in so, so long before he can't.

"Luffy..." The name rolls off of his tongue sweetly and it fits. "I'm Ace, the... The pleasures all mine."

And Ace is sure that in his almost seven hundred years of life, he has never said anything with more honesty.

With her back then, it was so easy to be honest and himself. With her, he wasn't the monster that everyone was expecting. He could never lie to her then, the only exceptions being their first few meetings and their very last, and he was willing to bet that he isn't going be able to in her new life.

Luffy laughs again and extends a hand to Ace to help him up off of the ground.

The spirit hesitates. Technically, he shouldn't be able to touch humans, only things or nature and the shrine itself.

But, he muses, Luffy can see me.

In all of time he has been at the shrine, a live human has never noticed him. Animals were the only things able to see him, but whenever the friendlier animals ran to him in order to get some form of contact, they would only pass through his form. What if his hand passed through Luffy's? What if the teen was spooked and Ace would never be able to see him again, would never be able to apologize?

Luffy seems to notice his inner turmoil and drops his hand. Ace feels horrible, wishing that there was nothing to risk. That he could take that hand in his own and see if it was still warm and soft. But Luffy still smiles at him, not at all swayed or insulted.

That smile sends Ace's heart racing. He takes in a deep breath and can feel the words on the tip of his tongue, but Luffy interupts.

Grinning suddenly, Luffy makes a sudden decision and he sits next to Ace on the ground, almost getting tangled in his yukata with how fast he sits.

"So, why are you up here, Ace? Aren't you going to the festival?" Luffy asks, looking up at Ace. The freckled spirit can't help but think that he looks like one of the cute tiny puppies that wander up to the shrine every now and then.

"Nah, I'm not going down. I'm just gonna stay here." Not that he could leave.

"Oh... That's weird. Don't you like festivals? I love them! They're a lot of fun! I'm here with my friends, but I got lost, shishishi!" Luffy laughs, swaying a little bit as if unable to stay still.

Ace can't help but grin back. Time had not changed the childish, energetic nature that Ace was familiar with.

"I like festivals a lot, but I can't go down."

"Oh? Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, you can definitely say that." More like, finally finding someone.

Luffy opens his mouth to say something, but two voices cut through the comfortable air.

"Luffy! Luffy you idiot where are you?" A woman calls, sounding irritated.

"He'll come back whenever he wants to, witch." A deeper, tired voice says.

"Be quiet! If you haven't been sleeping he wouldn't have wandered off! I knew I should have asked Robin to watch over him!'

Luffy blinks and looks slightly nervous. And Ace couldn't blame him at the obvious anger in the woman's tone.

"That's Nami and Zoro... She's gonna kill me for getting lost. If she comes up here, you might get in trouble too! I should go!" Luffy stands up as he speaks, brushing the dirt off of his yukata.

"Ah, wait!" Ace says quickly as Luffy starts to walk away, not wanting Luffy to go. It had been so long since he had seen her- no him. He didn't want Luffy to leave so soon. Who knew when Ace would be able see him again. Ace really doesn't want another seven hundred years without seeing him... Her? Luffy blinks and looks at him with curious eyes. "I uh..."

"I liked talking to you." Luffy interupts when Ace searches for words. "We'll meet each other again soon! I'll see you later!"

Before Ace can stop him again, Luffy runs off toward the fading voices.

He lies on the ground, arms spread and eyes tightly shut.

Luffy left before Ace got the chance to apologize for everything.

"Shit."

Note: Okay, chapter 2. Wasn't expecting to get this chapter out tonight, but hey its not like I have an essay to write or anything.

Thanks so much for the positive response for the first chapter and I hope this chapter can get positive feedback too *winks*! Also, feel free to give me tell me if I'm using tenses out of place (they're my worst enemy OTL) or anything else like that.

Also, I changed the summary a bit :')