Diclamier: One Piece and its respective character's do not belong to me. However the OC mini dragon Hermes is mine. He is not to be used in any way, shape, or form without my permission.

Letters from Ace

The Code of Dragons

Dragons are simple creatures. They eat, drink, and sleep. That is about it in the world of dragons. They observe the passing of time with little notice or care. Rarely though, they surface and become a part of a mortals life because there is something different about that mortal. They notice that mortal has something worth noticing to become alert, and to find a will to fight and remember for them. A rare occasion rest assured, but it does happen. And this was an occasion which leads to this dragon's story.

He had been basking in the sun, lazy, small. He hadn't been able to find any of his kind for a while and he was losing hope. He hated that he didn't want to do anything but lay in the sun. Wishing the burning rays would magically transport him way, to make his existence nonexistent. He sighed and rolled over not paying any attention the rolling thunder in the back ground or the way the earth vibrated beneath him. If he had been paying attention he would have noticed that there was something different happening around him. Something along the lines of having his freedom ripped away from him.

He didn't put up a fight as a pair of strong arms grasped him and shoved him into a dark container. He didn't puff up his body or try to look intimidating. He was accepting his fate, whatever it may be, simply because he had no will to go on anyways at least no will to fight. He found that he still wanted to live, that he clung to life with a small desperate attempt. He ate food offered to him, and drank deeply when water was offered as well. His upkeep was rather poorly attended however and it grew worse daily.

He couldn't tell you how long he spent locked away in a cool damp room. He felt his energy leaving him slowly but surely. He felt his will to live disappear altogether, flickering out like a candle being blown out. He didn't pay attention to his surroundings because he knew they were miserable. Who wanted to die miserably? No living creature did. He knew he was surrounded by animals. A voice of sorrow constantly filled the air of the weak and pitiful creatures. Often times one too weak would pass away and become nourishment for the rest of them.

Then one day he became aware of his surroundings. It was the same day that fate bonded him to a human being, a mortal.

He listened enraptured with the mortal's words, trying to learn a language of the mortals to understand them at the least. The tone was predictable. This man was upset for the condition of his surroundings. He saw the ghost* of a man who refused to care for the animals. He said firm words. He couldn't help but look at those captivating eyes that glanced over him and circled a few other cages. He had eyes with fire resting in them, eyes that held a dragon's understanding. Eyes that were burning black, like the remains of a true fire. Fire Eyes, his new mortal.*

Short words were exchanged and he became extremely aware that this man was leaving. He noticed the ghost was hurriedly pulling out boxes and slowly putting animals into them. He panicked. He fluttered nosily in his cage hoping to draw the Fire Eyes attention but the man was looking at the other animals with a mixture of distraught and anguish on his face and paid him no mind. Animals squawked around him restlessly feeling his unease. He felt the weariness in his bones, as he hopped desperately to the front of his cage. He caught the ghost's shirt in between his teeth as he passed. Pulling angrily and violently at his captured shirt, the man shook and paled even more. The ghost opened his cage and quickly scooped him inside a box, afraid that he might resist or lash out. He didn't offer a fight though. He was just glad he had forced his own luck. He rested as he felt the box he was in being carried out of the store.

He felt weak but he was relieved. He was with Fire Eyes now, he would be safe. He could taste the fresh air inside his box and hummed contently. Fire Eyes looked down at him and he blinked rapidly at seeing the shining light over his head. He curled his head under his wing as he felt himself being lifted from the box and inspected. He sighed trying to show his discontent at being interrupted from his 'freedom nap'. Why should he not get to sleep whenever he wanted to? He was a dragon after all. Who said he had to play by this mortal's rules? He couldn't stay irritated as he felt himself being lowered back into his box. He sighed and shifted trying to rest his eyes even if his curiosity was starting to get the best of him.

"… me and you*," he heard Fire Eyes whisper and for some reason that evoked his hunger. He was actually really hungry. An appetite that had left him now returned full force and was fiercely ripping at his belly. His stomach gurgled quietly and he licked his lips. He lazily let one eye open to observe Fire Eyes.

This mortal language would take some getting used to but he felt his mind quickly adapting to it. As long as he could understand the language he could find his own way of communicating.

"…feed… water… deliver," was all he caught as Fire Eyes suddenly looked excited and was talking faster even if his voice remained calm. Fire Eyes made an odd chirping sound of amusement and pulled him out of the box. He grabbed his leg and tied something to it while hurriedly talking.

"… Alabasta Kingdom… Princess… Princess…" he then offered him a small piece of meat from his pocket. A surge of energy came forward and he greedily ate the offered food, studying Fire Eye's hand as if willing more food to appear. More food did appear after another amused chirp from the Fire Eyes. Laughter, he realized. A sound mortals use to express happiness. Such an odd sound.

"… wait …reply… return… me," Fire Eyes said firmly leading him to a fountain of water. He then realized how god awfully thirst he had been. Dipping his head and forgetting his dignity he splashed into the water with abandon, greedily gulping down the clear liquid. It had been so long. It tasted so fresh and pure.

He stopped when he felt his body grow lethargic under the amount he drank. He felt satisfied, something he hadn't felt in a while.

Then he realized what Fire Eyes wanted him to do. He wanted him to find this Princess and deliver what was attached to his leg. He could do that easily. That was too simple of a task for a dragon. Alabasta Kingdom… that had to be a place. Where was that exactly? He shook his body, spraying water in random disarray and shot a look at Fire Eyes. I will return, he thought. He wouldn't fail this. He would find this Princess and it would be easy. He had to return though? That couldn't really be helped either way. He was bond to this mortal now. Weather he realized it or not.

()()()()()()()

The sky was blue, the ocean glistened beneath him. The sun warmed his back as he let his wings glide in the cool ocean air. The air tasted alive here, like some major life changing event had just occurred. He could see the edges of a brown land, and could see the warm air shifting beneath him. He felt his blood grow excited at the prospect of being sent to a desert. He loved the warmth. Feeling the sun, along with warm sand beneath him, it was pure magic. Warming his blood and fueling him with life. He couldn't remember a time when he had last freely visited a desert.

He strained his eyes listening for a familiar word. Alabasta, was said often as he circled over a small town. The streets were busy and full of life; no one ever spared him a second look because of his size, as he circled above, his shadow ghosting over the town. That never bothered him. That was probably the main reason why mini dragons could exist outside of herds was because they never had any danger as long as no one paid any close attention to them.

Cries of people standing under shaded booths were calling out to people who were walking in the streets. How odd these mortals were. He let his altitude drop more trying to decipher some more words.

"Look here… golden apples… free camel rides… she did what?... no more… Alabasta is free… rain… sand… hopes… Princess…Pell… Protector," words greeted him as he tried to put things straight. So many voices. How did one cope with such things?

Snap.

He felt panic as his wings were pinned down and a large bird was looking down at him.

"What are you little one?" a deep voice asked. It came from the bird but it sounded human. It was easy to understand though. It was as if a transition between his world and the mortal world was opened from this creature. It wouldn't hurt him would it?

"No I will not hurt you," it said calmly. It was obviously male. He needed to find the Princess and deliver that thing from Fire Eyes.

A deathly calm silence met him. Was he not allowed to see the Princess? Why not? He was a dragon after all.

"Pardons, you will be allowed access to the Princess," the creature said and then it released him. It had flown a ways away from the city in a span of seconds and was now gliding towards a grand structure that had recently received some shock.

"Pardon me Dragon. Your perception is quiet… uncanny for it is correct," the bird man said as it flew closer to the sun. He had to beat his wings furiously to keep up and out of range of the things claws.

"I won't try capturing you again," he assured and flew even higher towards the sun. Not to be out done, he pumped his wings furiously towards the sky as well. A feeling of rivalry bubbling in his chest, he couldn't break his code of dragon and be caught out of the sky like that. He couldn't let this thing beat him in the sky. He was a dragon, albeit a small and miniature dragon but a dragon none the less.

The bird man laughed joyously as he sped towards the broken looking structure.

"It's a palace," the bird man said as the neared it. Both refusing to let their speed drop as the walls of the impending palace was fast approaching them.

"PELL!" a feminine voice rang out from below them and the bird man expanded his wings and fell to the earth with a soft grace. Before his eyes he became a man, although his features remained bird like. Not knowing what to do, he swooped down and landed on the bird man's shoulder. Keep your pack close, but your prey closer.

The bird man laughed as he eyed him wearily. He shook his head and dropped to his knee.

"You called Princess?" he said.

"Yes well I saw you flying and you looked like you were racing…" a girl said, now being noticed by him for the first time.

She smelled different, like her soul itself had been grazed by some tragic event and she was now resolved. Like she had lost everything in a span of seconds and was struggling to find something to hold on to. He felt the bird man stiffen under his inspection but the bird man didn't comment.

"I was racing this Dragon. He said he had business with you, Princess," he said after a moment.

He could understand now? He felt his ears ringing under the realization but was pleased none the less. This bird man really had lifted that veil of communication for him. He fluttered his wings pleased.

"Oh?" she blinked a few times eyeing him. He suddenly felt very conscious that he might not be that impressive to look at. His skin was loose in areas were firm muscle had once been and his scales could use a bit of sun bathing, even his feathers could use a good priming.

Her brown eyes had a hint of purple to them and they were soft and comforting, he could trust her if nothing else. He felt a deep breath escape him as he fluttered his wings and left the bird man and hoped onto her offered shoulder. He liked how she cooed over him and was immediately offering him a treat.

"What's this?" she asked as he offered his leg to her. She inspected the outside of it for a second before pulling it from his leg and putting it the thin piece of paper into her pocket.

"Princess, I don't think you should be responding to this message. I know you care for the Straw Hats but you already have come close enough to making yourself a criminal. You need to think of your country…" the bird man trailed off as the Princess turned to glare at him.

"I am well aware of my duties," she snapped before her gaze softened, "thank you Pell but this letter is not from any of the Straw Hats," and with that she turned and left with him still on her shoulder.

He sent one last look at the bird man named Pell. Nice to meet him, he should find some way to thank him for whatever he did for him to understand this language. Pell just smiled and shook his head. No thanks needed it seemed.

"Well dragon I assume you have a name?" the Princess said as she rounded a corner with a good amount of speed. She seemed to be in some kind of hurry and her fingers of her right hand kept traveling down to wear she had stowed away that piece of paper. He chirped finding it strange to hear his voice. He knew the girl couldn't understand him but he felt better vocalizing his thought anyway. No he did not have a name.

"How can you not have a name? That's awful," the girl half cried, nearly stopping in her tracks for a moment before she redoubled her speed towards whatever her destination might have been.

He hummed trying to show her it didn't really bother him. He never had a name. No one had ever really addressed him or needed to even when he had lived with his own kind.

"Well that just won't do!" she scoffed as she turned another corner. They were traveling deeper and deeper inside the place and the walls and not being able to see the sky outside were making him nervous. "I'll think of a good name for you," she promised as she pulled open a large stone door. She quickly shut the door tightly behind her.

She strode to the window and pulled him off her shoulder, placing him down gently in the spot that had the most light. He couldn't help but be pleased and let his body bask on the warm stone and feel the warm light against his body.

"I'm Vivi, by the way," she offered as she strode around the room. She pulled out a bowl and poured some water into it, offering it to him by placing it on the counter under the window seal. She opened the window as well before turning back to the door and a soft click was heard.

"I won't make you stay but I would really appreciate it if you rested and waited while I wrote a return letter. It won't take long and I'm sure you'd like the rest," she offered talking mostly to herself but looking at him pleadingly. She wanted him to wait to return to Fire Eyes? That was fine. He hummed in response and let his eyes droop close with a laziness for show but he was still carefully observing everything.

()()()()()()()

"How about Daroo?" she offered a bit of hopelessness in her voice. He felt his gaze settle into a glare. He was not about to become some side kick of that quick running duck. She chuckled and stroked him under his chin, a soft spot that he loved and would purr if she did it right. She had been naming names all day and he seemed to disapprove of all of them.

"Something more fitting for a dragon…" she said trailing off thinking. A quill rested in her right hand and he laid curled under her left. He was on the flat wood surface where she had spent the last few days agonizing over a piece of paper. Often times she would blush and throw it away, before resuming on a fresh piece of paper. What exactly was she doing?

"I got it!" she said excitedly snapping her fingers. "How about Hermes or Herms?' she asked.

He felt his legs jerk in response and his wings flutter in approval. He even managed to get out a chirp. Vivi clapped excitedly and hugged him to her chest. Her soft blue hair tickling his nose and making him sneeze.

"That's absolutely brilliant," she said smiling and stroking his feathers along his back.

He grew uncomfortable after a moment though and took off to land in his spot by the window. He had grown too really like this perch. He would often times race Pell when he flew by, pretending he was chasing him away, or be able to spot a fish in a nearby pond and swoop down for a quick snack. He liked that he could rest here and listen to the Princess while she talked idly. It seemed that she was fond of this Ace person, and he had a feeling she meant his Fire Eyes. After all Fire Eyes had sent him here to a Princess and her name was really Vivi, he had never really heard Fire Eyes mortal name. It wasn't like he had introduced himself like Vivi had. Not that he really needed too.

A quiet knock came from beyond the stone door and Vivi froze. Her eyes shot to Herms and where he rested on the window before she stood stiffly and rose to answer her door.

"Father," she said lowly and he felt his feathers ruffle on his back. Her tone was clearly upset the past day every time her father came to call. It wasn't like that when he first showed up at the beginning of Herms stay at the palace.

"Have you reached a decision yet?" the man said letting himself into her room. He scanned the room his eyes resting on Herms for a moment before back down to the desk where Vivi had been writing on a piece of paper.

"No…" she said her voice cracking and she sounded close to tears. "I don't see why I have to marry so soon…"

"You were supposed to be married by now. You missed your coming of age party and that would have been the time for others to court you. The time is fast approaching for you to be wedded. We can't do anything to disrupt the peace of this country."

"But I'm not in love with anyone!" she protested her eyes now letting tears freely escape. He felt his jaws snap loudly and he glared at her father. That was a bit unfair. Why force her to pick a mate when she didn't want one?

Her father's eyes softened and he rested his hands on her shoulders gently.

"I know this country has been unfair to you. I know you have felt the need to protect and save it since a young age. I'm sorry that I wasn't enough to keep this country together…" he sighed and looked down at his only heir.

"I'm sorry that I have to ask this of you. I really am so sorry Vivi… but… this country needs as much stabilization as possible. We can't have our princess running off again… even if it is to save this country. We need another heir, someone who will raise that person right so that they will become a good person to lead this country as well. I'm sorry I have to ask this of you Vivi… but I ask this as your king not as your father."

Herms felt his feathers smooth down and tucked his head under his wing. He could hear the remorse in Vivi's heart but he could do nothing to comfort her. Maybe the father could offer some advice…

"Maybe you will get lucky like your mother and I did…" the man said and smiled at his daughter. "And if not you can always learn to love someone. It might not be as passionate as other kinds of love but it can be love. Love exists everywhere. You just have to learn how to look for it."

With that the man left and closed the door softly behind him. Vivi was holding her hand over her heart and clutching her chest as she dropped to her knees with a wild sob. He fluttered over to her. Letting his wings brush over her face and wipe away a few tears. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face into his feathers.

"Oh Ace… what am I going to do?" she sobbed.

()()()()()()()

Fire Eyes had a smell that was uniquely his own. A mixture of fire along with emotions that were always hot, extreme emotions that could be tasted on the air. One merely had to know how to look for it. He had never returned to Fire Eyes before so it was a bit awkward a first, he would catch his scent and go tumbling in that direction but found that the man was always on the move, and that was irritating. He needed to get back to Vivi fast. She was expecting him. She needed him for comfort and he knew that whatever Fire Eyes wrote would be comforting to the Princess. He had to hurry though.

He found him walking on the edge of town looking like he was about to embark on a journey for food. That was fine with him, he would steal some food of his plate while he wasn't looking. Flying that fiercely had been hard on his body, he had been going faster than that stupid bird man Pell back in Alabasta, and had to change directions several times just to find Fire Eyes. He landed on his chest not caring that his mortal was not wearing the clothing to protect his body. Fire Eyes was not a normal human after all and because he was not a normal human he was oblivious to the dragon's obvious distress. He grabbed the letter and made his way into a tavern.

He read the letter as he called for a waiter and placed an order for his food. He seemed to skim over some of it and laughed lightly to himself at a few things. He must not see the pressing urgency under the letter. Herms huffed and coiled up on his arm, enjoying the weird feeling of such a warm body under him. It was like basking on a sun baked rock. He let his eyes close slightly.

"Herms," Fire Eyes whispered softly. He looked up and blinked, yes that was the name the Princess had given him. It would seem that the papers they exchanged were a method of communication. He peered over at the letter suddenly interested in what the Princess had been doing for the past week and a half.

"She's going to get married," Fire Eyes mumbled holding the letter close to his chest. He looked troubled by that. Whatever this marriage talk was, it bothered them both. Although the Princess seemed a bit more upset on the outside he could tell Fire Eyes was boiling on the inside.

He hissed at a girl that tried mating with Fire Eyes. He was not going to let him fall for such a girl, when another one was so desperately waiting for his comfort. He didn't need to get worked up though as Ace quickly dismissed the girl without much effort. They left shortly afterwards and Fire Eyes made camp outside of town as the sun grew lower in the sky.

He was pacing, clearly at unease. For many reasons it would seem but Herms tried not to take any notice. He silently willed Fire Eyes to respond back to the Princess. He needed to return to her. Those purple hued eyes couldn't dry themselves on their own. He wasn't even thinking of food as Fire Eyes offered him some. He took it anyway and greedily ate it. He had a lot of flying to do ahead of him and he wasn't nearly in perfect condition yet.

Fire Eyes suddenly grabbed the rock he was on and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a method similar to what Vivi often did. He was surprised that Ace didn't even seem to mind him peering over at the lines he was rapidly scrawling across the paper. He grumbled to himself and tore a sheet and tossed it to the flames. A similar reaction Vivi had taken all week. He felt his wings flutter in irritation; he didn't have a week to wait for a response to take back. He needed to get there now. After the third paper disappeared into the flames he decided to take an action. He jumped up on top of Fire Eye's head and let out a small sigh. A signal to relax. Nearly instantly the man responded. After pausing a moment he began to write fluently and without hesitation. When he finished he tied the letter on to his leg like he had the first time but he didn't give him the signal to go.

It was late anyways and the night sky was harder to navigate than the in the day time. He didn't take off as Ace tossed and turned in his sleep several times reaching out to take the letter back. He wasn't having that. This letter needed to get back and comfort the crying Princess, the one who was waiting eagerly for his reply. Something told him that this was important, that he was supposed to play an import role in all of this.

"Ugh, Herms go deliver that letter before I pry your leg off trying to get it," Fire Eyes said and woke him up with a spark of flame. Something that was unusual about his mortal that he liked, that he could control fire with ease. He woke up annoyed but accepted the peace offer of jerky that Ace tossed into the air for him. He ate it knowing that he would need the energy. He cursed Fire Eyes mostly because he could have gotten a few more hours of sleep before leaving before taking off into the air with a powerful slash of his wings. He gave Fire Eyes another dirty look that promised revenge for that wake up before setting off towards his destination.

()()()()()()()

"HERMS!" she shrieked and hugged him to her chest. He felt the air leave his lungs and pushed himself from her embrace offering his leg out to her. Only she had pulled his leg out from under him and was eagerly tearing into the letter before he had a chance too.

She smiled as she scanned the letter petting him with light strokes.

"Yes I want to see him," she blushed, her eyes lighting up. "I feel like Luffy. I want to break some rules. Maybe those pirates were bad influences on me after all," she said but her smile was fixed in place as she hurriedly dashed around her room muttering to herself.

"Herms you are such a wonderful, beautiful, dragon. To make it here and back in only two days," she cooed offering a tray of choice cut meats to the dragon, after she stopped pacing around the room. He greedily snapped them up and then took a long draught from the water bowl offered. Then he promptly fell asleep in her arms. The last thing he felt before he lost all thoughts was a warm kiss being placed on his cheek.

A/N: Hello everyone! I normally don't like repeating what has happened in pervious chapter's but it felt needed to explain this in Hermes's point of view. Sorry to everyone who was expecting Vivi's point of view. I had already writen this chapter but luckily you get hers in the next chapter (that I already wrote) and then the chapter after that is back to Ace. The Astreks below are in correspondance to the ones in the beginning of this chapter just to clairfy a few things. I tried to make things very clear so hopefully you didn't have to scroll down to see what was up with that. Besides that I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.

*Since this chapter is in Hermes's point of view he doesn't really care about names or what a normal mortal looks like. He just knows that this person doesn't really have the will to live either and has no passion and therefore is dead while living and a ghost to him. Ghost was also the boy from the pet shop that gave the animals to Ace.

*Fire Eyes is Ace obviously. It's Hermes's nickname for him since he wasn't formally introduced to him and really doesn't know his name magically. He does think of Ace as 'his'. Herms is my character ;)

*Another thing, I don't like putting numbers next to things in my writing. This was merely to test to see if it helped any. The stars are in order. This number would belong next to when Ace first starts talking. Herm's doesn't quite understand what is going on yet. He can't understand things fully but is a fast learner… he is a dragon after all (even if he is mini). I would say he is about the size of a large dove.