He'd told him once, that he'd dreamt he'd die in a death of flames. That the vision changed him, because he said it felt like he lived the future himself, consumed him in the feeling of its loss and hurt. Ace hadn't thought anything of it. To him it was just an interesting occurrence of a myth at his window, visiting him in the nights.
He'd never expected though after listening to the old bird's tales, hearing about its travels around what felt like different worlds as time went by and the roads grew longer, that it hadn't just been fate teasing him. That really it had sent him someone to save him, the person he too had been waiting for his whole life.
Marco had told him once that he'd been a man in his youth, though the form escaped him with age. Ace had spent forever trying to imagine just what that could have looked like, though it was all for naught. No matter how many times he begged for his avian companion to show him, he got the same reply, that it gave too much away. He didn't understand it then, brushing it off as an old bird's secret.
But as Ace gazed up above him with broken eyes and swollen cheeks, the faint outlines of burning ashes raining around him, he'd understood. He jerked his hands at the cuffed restraints holding him there on the ground, his heart stopping in his chest. In that instant it felt like ice was spreading through his veins, keeping him frozen as millions of memories fled back to him just from seeing Marco's face.
It was just as he'd remembered it, even seeing it now in the dark, while red flames dances along his, mixing with the oceans of blues and heaven blessed gold's of his body. He lightly shook, daring his eyes to travel downward, his throat closing up as he saw it. Through the tattoo he knew almost to fondly, around a steel rod through his body, heated by the flames of the building crumbling into him.
He stumbled forward with a low wail, his blue light extinguishing and revealing more of his true form before Ace's eyes. The fire fist couldn't help but a whimper, thrashing his body in an attempt to get closer to him, but it was no use. The culprits had him chained to the wall, adamant about his demise, just like a memory worlds away.
"Marco!" He shouted over the roar of the flames that brought him no comfort here. "Regenerate! Marco!"
His voice burned coming out of his throat. Everything made sense now finally, he was alive again and Marco had come to find him. Things were different, but here he was the same. He couldn't show him his face before because it would bring everything back – the battle, his death, their memories – from that place. And this time he refused to let Ace be the one dying.
Big tears gathered at his lashes from just the sight of it, prompting him to scream against his vocal chords again and plead with the older man, his former flame. He felt so helpless, watching as Marco's body burned from the wound in his chest. It wouldn't be long now. Why, why couldn't he just regenerate, so that both of them could escape now? Why had he traveled for so long, letting the years latch onto him and drain his ability to heal?
But Marco, he smiled at him in a reassuring way that had Ace whimpering at the sight, knowing far too long already it was no use, whatever he said. He watched his lips, imagining or maybe actually hearing his voice as he spoke them.
"I finally found you."
It was his acknowledgement that he understood in that moment, after Ace had seen his face, that all had come back to reality. But there was something else to it that Ace's mind couldn't help but feel, something else being said. He'd finally saved him. How many times did he replay Ace's death in his mind after all of these years? That had to be excruciating.
There was so much more he wanted to say to Marco, things he didn't get to before that time. Or hell, during this time they'd been together and he couldn't remember who he was. But the words failed him and the fire fist only found himself painfully pulling at his restraints and pleading to his former flame to live.
But he didn't last. More things were falling from the buildings frame and striking him down until he was leaning up against Ace for support, his warmth for the last time meeting with Ace's. He barely even noted the faint noise of ambulances and fire trucks in the distance, coming towards them, to save them. Or at least, him.
Clenching his teeth painfully tight, he nuzzled his face into the curve of Marco's neck. It was killing him not to wrap his arms around him. He whispered to him his apologies and words of his love in between more pleas and silenced when it was Marco's turn to speak. All he managed was his name and the way the words curved out from his lips he knew he greeted his death with a smile.
It crushed him and Ace's eyes widened even more, watching as the man he'd admired so much for his strength chipped away as nothing more than ashes, the metal rod and everything else that had struck him falling onto the floor in front of him. Just like in the instance that he remembered who he was, his reminder of a past life vanished before his eyes.
Then there was nothing but the roar of the fire and the cracking of the structure. The sirens were close now and Ace was completely numb. Why, why on earth would he wait and travel so far to see him again, only to make him remember and watch him die before his eyes? Had Marco really grown so cold?
When rescue workers found him, they must've thought of him as weak, the way he's face was stained with tears, but how could they know when all that was left of Marco had blended in with the rest of the ashes. They'd finally been reunited, yet here he was forced to continue on living this second life without him. Not that he felt it was a life to have, his mind now livid with old memories anew was pulling him in several directions. It was hard to accept that he was finally and ultimately gone.
Ace was taken to the hospital for an overnight stay at the most and he played it off. No use alerting any of the people there, those paid to take care of him – as even in this life his father figure was a sham – and be his companions. He just shrugged them off, he wanted to be alone. He wasn't in shock, he was in mourning.
Going back to the place that had become his current home was even worse. Before he'd realized how much of a hold Marco had on him, it's where he could expect to see him, perched outside his window on moonless nights to tell him shitty stories and things he now realized were him. He'd known back then he had to be something special to have visits from such a magnificent creature, or perhaps hit the weed a little too hard, but it all made sense now.
He approached cautiously his easel, right in front of the window. He'd only gotten a little into arts this lifetime, a class here and there, but after seeing something as majestic as Marco he couldn't help but pick up the brush. It was a nice portrait, it caught Marco's likeness pretty well. His eyes were tired here though, and his expression, which was hard enough to tell on his phoenix face, was pained. How must it have been like to be so close to the person you'd been searching for, only to be unknown to them?
Ace turned away from it though, moving over to his desk drawer and opening the first, picking his lighter up from inside. He had no power here, devil fruits were a thing of a past, in a different world. How Marco kept his powers all these years was beyond him – but Ace's fascination with the flame never dulled out. He didn't care for the material things here, this home, this life. It was him, yet it wasn't. He didn't choose it.
So particularly he didn't care what happened to it. He turned back to the paint, approaching it hesitantly and allowing his fingers to glide down its texture. Marco. He was mad at him and he missed him. He loved him, but he left him here alone. Perhaps he just wasn't for this world. Though he could recall it now – more than he'd like – maybe it was a message, that they all needed to move on. Neither of them were right for this world and Marco refused to die without seeing him, saving him or something like that.
Whatever the reason was, Ace wasn't going to think about it anymore. His chest ached and he almost felt as though the hole that had caused his demise once before was evident in his chest once more. He brought the lighter to the corner of the painting and set it a flame, stepping back to watch. For the last time would he see the blues and yellows of his Marco mend with red flames. Was he okay with that? Really?
Not that he had a choice. He couldn't exactly just wait around thousands of years, travel such a distance, for him to be born again. It was all fairytale and the only reason he remembered was because Marco was a living myth. He wouldn't get it to wild, shit he was surprised the fire alarm wasn't already going off, but he just couldn't handle having the portrait there as an eve lasting reminder of loss. Maybe it was a stupid mourning thing, where he was angry and wanted all trace of him gone, he wasn't sure, but it made him feel better to see it burn.
But then reality seemed to snap him back and Ace quickly rushed to grab his sheets, trying to put out the fire as much as he could. What was he doing? Why? If that was the last thing he had of his Marco why would have want to get completely rid of it? Alas it was too late. It was burnt to crisp, hot ashes on the ground.
Not even caring that it'd burn and blister at his flesh, Ace was quick to bend down, his fingers spreading into the ashes to just feel and touch them, but then he paused, letting his pulse quicken as he saw it. There was something in the ashes that wasn't there before. More quickly now he spread them apart, his eyes widening at the sight of blues and gold.
He didn't know what to say or even to think. It was warm, and he clasped his burning hand around it with a lump in his throat. It was an egg, a small one and it was engulfed in a light blue flame that seemingly calmed and numbed his hand. Could this be? He knew phoenixes were reborn in their flames, but he'd always imagined Marco would die like any other devil fruit user, his abilities stopping with that.
He fell back off his feet bewildered. So maybe it wasn't ending after all.
I'm aware there are some other stories out there about these two and reincarnation but I just wanted to give it a go. XD I dont think I'll be continuing it even though alot of people are telling me to go ahead (I kind of want to go and visit other characters in this universe and see where they'd be and how they'd 'remember' too) But yes! Marco and Ace isn't really a pairing I'm that familiar with in comparison to ZoSanZo but I hope I did at least an alright job XD Please enjoy and thanks so so much to Anjelle for betaing this for me ! And huge thanks to MyLadyDay for helping me find a title! xoxo