Do I own One Piece? Of course not. I also do not dream of a world where everyone owns One Piece. It would become fucked up beyond repair by idiots who do not read or watch One Piece, so thank kami-sama!

Chapter 4

"A-Ace?" The man/fire-bird-thing practically croaked. The blonde man was staring intently at Ace now, as if Ace was suddenly the most interesting thing that had ever happened to him.

Which he very well may be, if he was being honest with himself. It wasn't everyday people risked their lives for suicidal idiots determined to kill themselves.

Ace was confused. Relief filled him for some reason, but he was mostly confused. Why was this stranger acting like he knew him, and how did the guy even know his name?

'A fucking blue bird with wings/am I hallucinating/why do you want to die/were you on fire/why are your flames blue/do you cook yourself with that fire/your hair is weird/also did we meet before?...' A myriad of questions assaulted his brain all at once as everything he'd seen came rushing back to him in an instant, but his tongue fluttered uselessly in his mouth as he tried vainly to organize his thoughts into something resembling coherent speech.

It wasn't working.

He was too flabbergasted to even know where to start. Damnit! He should've just let the man die! This was too confusing for him!

Ace carefully took a moment to compose himself while the other man seemed distracted, by none other than himself it seemed. Ace had been told before in jest that he was distractingly handsome, but this was just fucking ridiculous. He glared determinedly at the man in front of him, now determined to get his answers one way or another.

~]O[~

Marco had thought he'd seen it all. Really, he had. After thousands of years' worth of experiences, not much was capable of even phasing him anymore. Sure, there were some things that still had their effect on Marco. Or rather, certain people, who had never failed to suprise him. But then again, those particular people in question never failed to suprise ANYONE, ever. Why should he be different?

Ace however was a different story.

After Ace had died, Marco had been devastated. He had fallen for the young man during his first lifetime, and he had fallen HARD too. He hadn't had the chance to confess to the younger pirate due to his responsibilities at the time, and Ace had died never knowing Marco's true feelings.

Now, even all these years later, Marco could feel nothing but regret.

After Ace had died during his first lifetime, Marco never saw him again. He eventually gave up looking for him, having assumed that Ace had passed on like most people.

That apparently was NOT the case. His eyes weren't deceiving him. They never did.

Ace was alive, and he was standing right in front of him.

Marco felt like he was going to break down at any moment seeing Ace for so much as another second. This was simply too much for him to deal with right now, as emotions he thought he'd long since buried began to resurface unexpectedly; frankly, it made him uncomfortable.

He had to get the fuck out of here right now.

~]O[~

Ace stared contemplatively at the older man, carefully considering his options on how to "pursuade" the strange bird-man into talking. Meanwhile, a weird range of emotions continued to cross the other man's features as he stared at Ace. Shock. Longing. Regret. And wait. Was that...nolstalgia?

Ace didn't want to think about the implications of what that meant. The guy had just tried to kill himself after all. He might very well be crazy.

Just as he had gained the nerve to ask his first question, the other man suddenly stood up, looking panicked as he did so. This didn't serve to make Ace think he was any less crazy, as Ace unconsciously took a step back away from the man.

The blonde man said nothing when, without warning or even the slightest hint of what he was about to do, transformed into the magnificent creature yet again.

Ace was glad he'd taken that step back. That fire was very beautiful and all, but he really didn't feel like being charred. He much rather liked the way he looked, and he wasn't in the mood for looking like Freddy Krueger on this particular day.

"Now hold on a sec. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk..." Ace said placatingly, trying to start a conversation of all things, and he cursed himself internally for his stupidity.

But it seemed as if the bird man was having none of it. Just as suddenly as the bird-thing/man had transformed, it took off quickly in a flurry of wings and blue fire. As the creature slowly receeded into the distance, all Ace could do was stare.

And stare...

As he realised that he still knew next to nothing, never having gotten a single one of his questions answered.

Goddamnit