Chapter Text
Ace couldn't stop his sprint now even if he wanted to.
The thought of everyone else slowly started to flood his head, no matter how much he tried to think against it. It hadn't even been activated by spotting a particular object this time, but Ace knew that. He didn't know why it was now of all times, but he had a very strong feeling that he'd finally cracked the code after so long. Step after step, breath after breath, Ace kept his gaze straight ahead as he ran down the sidewalk, and towards the paths he'd crossed only minutes prior.
As if the stars had aligned to cause a miracle, all the streets he'd previously gone through were empty, and any traffic lights he encountered were green in the direction he was headed. Ace didn't stop a single time to question why or how, instead continuing his sprint to the beach. Despite the fact that there truly was no time limit of any kind, Ace would not slow down his pace whatsoever. Even if a car happened to cross his path, he was fully willing to fly over it with magic and keep running. There was an energy in his body that would not be calmed until he reached the beach that he'd been relaxing in for so long.
A part of him told him that this was all a mistake. That he was wasting his time and acting on impulse, that the answer he'd found was wrong. But Ace didn't listen, and wasn't going to until he reached a stop at where he wanted to end up. As he rushed through the last green traffic light, Ace only continued to run faster as he turned the corner to make a beeline for the beach.
Ace was now approaching the entrance to the place, the area of land where the rocks shrunk in size until they no longer bothered you when you stepped on them. He could see the sand dunes in the distance, and despite everything, he still fought back the urge to simply teleport or fly to his goal. The concrete and asphalt ground soon turned into sand, sand that had been chilled by the night. As Ace dashed up the sandy hills, he soon found himself overlooking a beautifully illuminated beach, the dark waves crashing closer to the shore than they had been before.
Ace looked up to see the moon, bright and full against an inky black sky dusted with stars. The sounds of the town behind him were drowned out, now replaced by only the sounds of the waves and an occasional sea bird cry. For a moment, he didn't dare to take a step further, basking in the beauty of the scene that sat before him. What were the chances that things ended up the way that they had, and how often would he get a chance to be in this position? Ace took a single deep breath in as he remembered why he was here again...
And then continued his dash towards the shore.
I'm glad you came...
Ever since he first arrived at the beach, Ace had been excited to get away from Gold Ingot for good.
He could leave that stupid competition show for as long as he wanted and come back if there was a rejoin. There wasn't supposed to be anything wrong with what he was doing, but he just kept feeling so hurt by it. He'd thought that he'd just been adjusting to the change, or that the feeling would eventually go away...but it never seemed to. Even if there just so happened to be a day of peace, the feeling of emptiness would come back to haunt him eventually.
Ace had denied the idea (and any thoughts related to it) that he truly missed the competition. After all, he'd finally broken free from those stupid rules restricting what he could and couldn't do. What better way to live life than to live it in a way that would spite others?
So glad you came...
But no matter what he did, everything at the beach just kept reminding him of the show. Of everything that he'd done back then, both good and bad. The people he'd met, the things that were said. Each and every moment that was spent thinking about what the next day would bring.
The entire time, the thing he'd been missing the most...
I'm glad you came...
Was everyone else.
Everyone, and the time he'd spent with them throughout the months, if not years. The games he'd played, the conversations they had, the advice and tips they shared. Sure Ace had suffered in a competition show, but he did it with them. Sure he had his alone time, but at the end of the day, he was still with them. Ace had already started to accept what he somehow hadn't considered before...
He missed their presence.
He missed the activities they did with him.
He missed having someone to talk to.
He missed...
...
He missed them.
I'm glad you came...
The sand around him caved as each footstep kicked up more and more, Ace's breath quickening with each passing second. No shell or stick was going to stop him now, not with the way he was feeling. Ace did not stop until he reached the water, where he looked up at the sky and out across the horizon. The sun was now barely visible, the night sky overtaking the land.
All was quiet, except for the waves crashing against the shoreline.
Ace took a deep breath in, letting himself relax knowing that he was the only one out here at this time...
...
...And began to sing.
"Those gray-black hues, with greens and blues..."
Quietly.
"The yellow few, and orange too..."
Gently.
"That silver gleam, with red as bright as flame..."
And all to himself.
"I'm glad you came..."
Ace smiled as he looked back up at the night sky, speckled with billions and billions of stars.
"I'm glad you came..."