Since the last chapter directly affected the plot, this chapter will mostly be filler (but there are some important aspects to it too, of course).

-Jeis

Chapter 6: Front Foot Forward

Laugh all you can today

Because fools like you won't see a tomorrow.

Falco's heart beat erratically against her ribcage. She half-hoped that Amare was feeling better and half-hoped that she was still in bed so she wouldn't know that they were ever gone.

Ace squinted his eyes as he looked over the horizon. "Over there! I see the ship!"

The girl gritted her teeth. I see it too. The question is, are we too late?

As the two got closer and closer to the ship, Falco realized that there were many men on the deck, including Marco. Several rafts surrounded the Moby Dick.

"We're back!" Ace cried, jumping down even before she began her descent. He landed gracefully on deck, startling his fellow crewmates.

"Ace!" Thatch exclaimed first. "You're alright! Thank goodness!"

The man scratched his head sheepishly as Falco descended next to him. "Sorry, the storm was really bad so we stayed on the island for a few days."

"We were worried that you had fallen into the sea while going there," Marco explained. "I wanted to start searching for you guys right away but Oyaji told us to wait until the storm subsided. Glad you're back safe though. Did you get the medicine?"

"Yep," Ace said, holding out the box that Diego had given them. "How's Amare?"

As if on cue, the door leading below decks slammed open as Amare's little body launched itself into Falco and Ace's arms.

"Amare!" Ace cried, startled. "Are you feeling better?"

"I-I thought you guys had died!" the young girl sobbed in their arms. "I thought that it was my fault!"

Ace gently put a hand on her head. "Silly Amare. Die and leave you behind, all alone? Never."

The girl looked up from Falco's arms. "Really?" she asked. "You mean it?"

"Sure," Ace shrugged. "We'll protect you and you protect us."

Amare shook her head. "That's not good enough. You have to promise me. Promise me that you'll always be here."

Falco gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry we left without letting you know. We just wanted to get medicine for you, that's all."

She smiled gently at Amare, sweeping the little girl's bangs from her emerald eyes. "I may not pledge loyalty to Whitebeard himself—I may not bear the tattoo that everyone else does. But between you, me, and everyone we've met so far… we're all family and I will never, ever forget you. Even when I leave."

Amare's eyes sparkled with happiness as she buried herself into Falco's shoulder. Her warm tears soaked her blue shirt, but Falco didn't mind at all.

"You know," she whispered so quietly that only Falco could hear. "We've all spent a long time without a family. You… me… and Ace."

She stroked Amare's back slowly. "I know. You've suffered too, haven't you?"

"No matter the distance, I'll always be with you," Amare spoke softly. "Even when I'm not here, I'll be with you."

Falco didn't quite understand what Amare was saying, but agreed nonetheless.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Me too."

Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

VI: Front Foot Forward

According to Marco, Amare had gotten better the evening that Falco and Ace had left for the island. Falco soon learned that Amare was prone to getting sick often, but immediately got better once she had medicine. Florence and Ace had only panicked due to her irrational actions and the fact that she looked much weaker than usual.

"Go fish!" Amare cried, playing cards with some of the other members on deck. Falco smiled at the view.

"Yo!" said Thatch, walking up to her. "She seems energetic, doesn't she? And how are you holding up?"

Florence had stitched her wounds up immediately after Ace finally peeled Amare off of her. Though Diego had cleaned the wound well, it would take further treatment to fully heal.

Falco gave him an uncomfortable smile, not wanting to relive her dreadful moment with Mihawk. "I-I'm fine."

The Fourth Division's commander raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why, what's wrong? You seem even more quieter than usual."

Falco suspected that Ace had told Thatch and Marco about her encounter with Dracule Mihawk, but she didn't feel like explaining the situation herself. She tried her best to ignore his question and shook her head once more.

"Where are we headed to?" She asked nervously, wanting to change the topic. Thatch raised an eyebrow at her demeanour but looked upwards, trying to recall.

"Hmm, let me think," he said. "We're low on some supplies so we'll be heading to an island soon. Heard Oyaji chose it because they're having their annual sports festival."

"Sports… festival?" Falco echoed. "Are we going to take part in it?"

"Most definitely," Thatch winked. "It's a huge island with lots of players and spectators, but it's a non-professional, casual setting. You should join as well!"

Falco fell quiet again, thinking of her devastating loss against her father. Her golden eyes turned cloudy and muddled by her thoughts, making Thatch worried.

"Hey, are you okay?" Thatch asked. "Seriously, you should let me know if there's something wrong."

How could she tell him? She didn't want to appear weak before her friend.

"Oi!" Amare suddenly cried from the other side of the deck. She had taken Ace's tattered cowboy hat and put it on, closing her eyes and snorting loudly. "Look at me, I'm Ace!"

"Why you—" the vice-commander mumbled, chasing after the young girl who squealed with delight.

Falco glanced at Amare with a small smile. "I'll watch her."

The commander sighed, knowing that Falco would never truthfully answer. He also turned to look at the girl. "She's a sweet one, isn't she? Most kids her age tend to be brats but she's different. She has the heart of a child but thinks like an adult—you can tell whatever her past life was, it wasn't easy. We found her alone on an island, very sick and weak—but she never stopped fighting. She won't tell us what happened, but it doesn't matter."

Falco looked sadly at Amare and Ace who were running around several crewmates that were drinking on deck. "Why do people hurt each other?"

Thatch glanced at his junior and leaned back against the rails. "Well, that's a hard question to answer. There's a lot of different reasons. But whatever it is, all of us carry a weight from the past. But as a family, we can carry those weights together."

He turned to face her. "You know, all of us have a reason to be sailing on the seas. You want to defeat your father and your grandfather. Ace wants to make Oyaji the king of the seas. And I have my own dreams too. But Amare… Amare's reason for sailing actually coincides with Oyaji's."

Falco looked at him curiously.

Thatch gave her the softest of smiles as his eyes crinkled into crescents. And at that moment, the sunlight felt a bit more gentle, the breeze felt a bit more warmer, and the seas seemed slightly calmer. It felt like time had suddenly slowed into an everlasting spring.

In the corner of her eyes, she could see Ace stuffing his face with food that Mir had brought him. Florence was attending to Oyaji's health with several other nurses while Marco carefully studied a map. Reagan was talking to several crew members and Talis was beginning a duel with another vice-commander.

It felt so warm. She wanted to bask in this feeling forever. She wanted to remember this forever.

"A family."

Amare's eyes suddenly met with her own and Falco could immediately realize why she had felt so nostalgic. She had long forgotten why she hated Mihawk and Akainu but vowed to keep training, even with an unclear motive. But perhaps deep down inside, her true wish was to have one thing—a family. With her mother gone and her remaining family members out to kill her, Falco had used the loneliness as a catalyst to train even more.

Amare was like a daughter to her. She gave Falco the familial love she was so unfamiliar with, but it was also the thing that she had longed for the most.

The young girl bounded up to Falco, Ace's hat sliding off as she leaped into her arms. Ace noticed and ran towards the two, grinning widely like a happy child.

With Amare in her arms and Ace's bright smile, a tiny, tiny portion of the weights she had carried all throughout her life suddenly felt lighter.

"They seem like a family, don't they?" Marco asked Thatch, watching the three talk and bicker. "Reminds me of Maria."

"You're too sentimental," the fourth division's commander scoffed. "She's gone and Falco's a person of her own. Don't get the two mixed up."

Marco gazed at them silently for a few moments. "I can't forget her, Thatch."

"No one told you to forget," the commander smiled. "I'm just saying that they're fundamentally different people."

Ace caught the two staring and skipped over to them, looking suspicious. "And what are you two gossiping about on this glorious afternoon? Do share, do share."

"Nothing, just felt bad for Falco because now she has to take care of Amare and you. Poor thing, attending to two kids."

"Attending—kid?!" Ace screeched, letting his fists fly at Thatch's face. "I'm older than her and I'm not a kid!"

The crew members laughed at Thatch's incessant teasing while Ace vehemently disagreed with the statement. Amare walked up to the First Division's commander, holding Falco's hand.

"Yo," she said. "Where are we going next?"

"A local island nearby called Lambon," he smiled. "We're running dangerously low on supplies right now so we need to stock up, but we also need to go for two other reasons."

"I heard Thatch saying we'll attend an annual sports festival!" Amare said happily. "What's the other reason?"

"Do you remember the vice-commander who got captured?" He questioned. "Carlos? We're en route to go bring him back. Jozu's been tracking the ship that's been transporting him for the past few weeks. Communication hasn't been efficient but we move where he tells us to, and I guess that Marine fleet visited Lambon at one point. They're most likely gone now but since it's close, we're going to dock to get some supplies."

"Why would a Marine ship take several weeks to transport a vice-commander? Shouldn't he be sent to a Marine base as soon as possible?" Amare asked.

The commander shrugged. "You're absolutely correct, but I have several theories. The biggest underwater prison is Impel Down, but that's very far away from here. My guess is, they've been transported from one large base to another, hence the multiple stops. We're trying to catch them before they reach the prison, where there's a lot more backup."

"How come they haven't killed him right away?" Falco asked quietly.

Marco shrugged. "My guess is that they don't know the true value of Carlos—he became a vice-commander recently. He's incredibly strong but hides himself well which is why he's one of the only people here who doesn't have a bounty. And because none of us have declared war on the Marines or even asked for them back, they're probably thinking that his platform's not very harmful or he's just an imposter of our crew."

"Vice-Commander Carlos isn't as strong as fukubuchou," Amare pointed out. "But he's still pretty powerful and really smart—he's a popular choice for the commander position."

"And because he doesn't have a bounty, he's a good pick for difficult infiltration missions," Marco nodded. "We've kept low because we don't want to cause a scene that could end up getting the entire platform executed, but he's an integral part of our family so we want him back as soon as we can."

Before Falco could take in all of the new information, Ace walked up to her, looking annoyed.

"Hey," he said seriously. "Do I look like a kid?"

Falco deadpanned. "Yes."

Amare and Thatch laughed in the background while Ace grabbed his hair and squatted, looking miserable. "What do I have to do to prove that I'm a man?!"

"Well," Thatch said, putting Ace in a headlock. "You could try winning the basketball competition this year."

"Too easy!" Ace scoffed, misery evaporating immediately. "No one beats me in basketball."

Everyone in the vicinity laughed at the easygoing conversation.

"Ah, that reminds me," Marco said. "We should probably get you a checkup with a local doctor."

Falco looked confused. "M-me? I'm not sick."

"Not for a physical—Florence can do that. I'm talking about your amnesia."

The girl blinked. "I… don't think a doctor will be of much help."

"You never know," the commander said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll go and get you checked, anyways."

Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

VI: Front Foot Forward

"So I've done all the tests I can," the doctor said. "I don't believe there's anything inherently wrong with her brain—most amnesiacs are like that. The brain is a mysterious thing and a Devil Fruit on top of that —well, it certainly is perplexing. Scientifically speaking, it's hard to understand how a Devil Fruit would affect the brain since both things are not yet well understood."

Falco sighed softly. I knew it.

Marco furrowed his eyebrows, looking upset. "So she'll just have to live with it?"

"Most likely," the doctor nodded. "But I do want to ask one thing, if you don't mind. Miss Falco, did you have a traumatic past, by any chance?"

Flashes of yesterday's match replayed in her mind. She forced herself to forget and shook her head quickly.

The doctor tried again. "I'll reiterate. I don't mean a bad past as in something that simply makes you mad or upset. I mean something like shock. Anger and hatred can be calculated but shock can add lots to trauma. My guess is—whether this trauma is related to your familial ties or not—maybe you've had a traumatic event and your brain is trying its best to make you forget."

Falco furrowed her eyebrows. "You're saying… I'm forcing myself to forget?"

"The point is, it's a little odd how you have absolutely no memory of your past. Some amnesiacs, though not all, can remember little bits. In your case, however, you remember nothing. That could be related to your Devil Fruit, sure, but it can also be something greater."

That wasn't completely true though—she heard voices when she ate the steak that Ace had cooked for her. Perhaps the doctor was onto something—maybe her body remembered everything deep inside, but she made no efforts to remember again because her past was nothing but trauma and pain.

"So it's either she looks for that memory and remembers the traumatic events or she just continues to live, not knowing who she really is for the rest of her life?" Marco asked with disbelief.

He nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Falco wasn't sure which one was worse. Not a lot of things bothered her in general, so if this event was traumatic enough to scare her into forgetting everything, she wasn't sure if it was worth looking back on. Most of her past seemed pretty sad, anyways.

Ace, who was also waiting in the room with the other members, finally spoke up. "What are the chances that she'll recover her memories?"

"Well," the doctor sighed. "Amnesia is actually not that common so it's quite hard to understand. But after hearing about that Devil Fruit ability, it's even more confusing. What are the chances? It can be very high or it can be very low. Most people who try to remember or face circumstances similar to their past end up remembering fragments—not sure what it will be like in Falco's case though."

"I think we've heard enough," Thatch said, cautiously observing Falco's darkening face. "Thank you for your time."

The doctor nodded. "Sorry I can't be of much help. Miss Florence is a great nurse though so she'll take good care of you."

"You can count on me!" she grinned, giving Falco a thumbs-up. The girl smiled back worriedly, knowing fully well that there was no one who could truly help her—not even Florence.

Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

VI: Front Foot Forward

The scenery outside was busy, to say the least. It was a good thing that Falco, Ace, Florence, Thatch, Amare, and Marco had decided to visit the clinic first thing in the morning because by the time they were leaving, people had already lined up due to injuries from the sports festival.

The streets were overwhelmingly busy and Falco doubted that there was anyone indoors on the massive island. It reminded her slightly of her past home—Root Island—with its baked, brown tiled houses and its large, inhabitable forest which covered the majority of the inner island. Every day on that summer isle had been like a festival.

Most of the sports, like what Marco had explained, seemed unofficial. A basketball court had two referees with several players while the tennis court next to it also featured some kind of round-robin match.

"Hey," said Amare, walking up to Ace. "Are you going to play a sport?"

The vice-commander grinned. "Sure am. I'll play basketball first and if I'm up for it, maybe a round of baseball. Thatch and Marco are pretty good players too."

"I'll be rooting for you in the seats," said Florence, smiling as she placed her hands on Marco and Thatch's shoulders. "C'mon gents, let's watch Ace lose."

"That's—wait, what?" questioned Ace. "I am not going to lose!"

Everyone laughed heartily while Falco turned her attention to Amare. "Do you play a sport?"

The young girl gave her a dangerous look and smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "I am absolutely 'lit' at hopscotch."

Falco sweatdropped. "I-I see."

"What about you?" asked Ace. "You play something?"

Thatch answered before she could. "I put her in the swordfighting competition."

Her eyes widened at disbelief. He WHAT?

Before she had a chance to ask Thatch to withdraw her application, Ace began to back away, waving at the group. "I'll see you guys later! Need to get changed!"

Marco, Thatch, Florence, and Amare all yelled out cries of encouragement as Falco stared with disbelief. She didn't want to ruin their moods by arguing—she would just have to forfeit later. Her battle against Mihawk was still too fresh for her to confidently fight again.

By the time the five of them found a space on the bleachers, Ace was already beginning to warm up on the courts, wearing a red and white uniform with a black knee guard. It suited him well, Falco thought. Warm colours had always looked great on the vice-commander. The other team wore a blue uniform, outlined by grey hems.

The referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball up. Though the opponent was taller than Ace, the young vice-commander tipped the ball over to his side first, shouting something as his teammates dispersed onto the court.

For some reason, Ace yelling and pointing his fingers to lead his team made Falco smile. The man never showed his serious side very often but when he did, she knew he meant business. It was… cute, she supposed. She liked how he was always bubbly and made her feel at ease while they were together but turned completely serious when it was something important.

Falco didn't know what Ace was truly like as a vice-commander but it was probably close to how he acted on the court. Without being pushy or overbearing, he deemed respect and cooperation from everyone on his team, even though the majority of the players seemed older than him. And Falco understood that it probably wasn't easy to get strangers to listen to you.

"Whoo!" Amare cried next to her, waving a foamy finger around. "Go fukubuchou!"

"You got this, Ace!" Thatch cried, pumping his fist in the air. "Run faster!"

Despite all their teasing earlier, everyone seemed to be cheering for his win. And indeed, Ace seemed like a reliable player—his feet moved quickly, his jumps were powerful, and he scored every basket that he had attempted so far. It was like everyone knew Ace would carry the game to victory. He truly was a leader on the court.

Ace panted heavily as the teams gathered for a meeting. After saying a few quick words, they dispersed again, but not before looking into the crowd. He caught Falco's eyes and grinned, waving enthusiastically.

Falco returned a small smile of her own and gave him a little wave back before two girls in front of her stood up, screaming.

"That's him, right?" one blonde girl shrieked. "Oh my god, he's so hot!"

"Young too," a brunette next to her sighed. "Maybe I'll join the Whitebeard Pirates."

"He waved at me," the blonde one said. "He totally waved at me."

"No, it was me."

"I don't think so. My shirt is more flashier."

Falco listened to their conversation quietly and felt herself feeling surprised. She had felt it before with Mir and Talis but now she was sure that Ace's popularity was very much real, both inside and outside of the crew. In a way, it made her feel honoured that he didn't mind being acquaintances with her but at the same time, it made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Kid's popular, as always," chuckled Thatch, watching the rows of girls cheering for Ace. "His wanted poster attracted a bit more than bounty hunters, it seems."

"Wonder if he'll ever get a girlfriend," mumbled Florence, looking absentminded. "Thought he'd date Mir for sure."

"Nah, Ace wasn't really interested in her," Marco shrugged. When Florence gave him a skeptical look, he said: "I mean, sure they may have had something, but Mir always complained that Ace always kept his distance from her. He was always friendly, but she could never get him to talk about himself."

"Do you want to get married?" Amare asked the nurse. The blonde woman sighed happily. "Definitely. I don't care if he's a civilian or a pirate—I just want someone who can pamper me."

"What about you, young lady?" Thatch asked Falco.

The girl thought she'd misheard. "M-me?"

He nodded.

"N-not sure." Truth be told, she'd never really thought about getting into a relationship at all. It was difficult to make friends, let alone getting a boyfriend. It wasn't that she had never considered it—a relationship could be nice but it just wasn't a priority.

The match soon wrapped up with Ace's team ultimately winning first place—it was no surprise as he had scored the majority of the goals. Both teams shook hands after accepting their medals, and the crowd took that chance to surround Ace.

"Ace!" someone squealed. "Do you want to grab a drink after?"

"C'mon, hang out with us! You'll be sick of seeing everyone on board anyways."

"Wanna join our team for baseball later?"

Falco knew she would've panicked if there was such a large crowd around her, but Ace simply declined every offer with an apologetic smile on his face. He wasn't like the stereotypical pirate—she knew that he was cultured and well-mannered, even more so than Thatch and Marco because he took extra caution. She suddenly remembered what Thatch had just asked her and blushed.

Ace caught Falco's golden eyes and waved frantically. "Hey! Falco! We'll be late for your match!"

As if on cue, everyone's eyes turned to her and Falco could instantly feel herself freezing up. She was barely used to the 1600 eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates—but the angry and jealous stares of these strangers made her even more nervous.

Ace quickly realized his mistake and weaved through the crowd, instantly going up to her side.

"C'mon," he whispered, giving her a soft smile. He gently clasped a hand around her eyes to prevent her from seeing anything and led her away. Though Falco appreciated the kind gesture, Ace couldn't stop her from hearing the crowd.

"Who's that bitch?"

"Is she part of the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"…Strange coloured eyes."

"Sorry," she heard Ace say once they were away from the crowd. "I should've been more careful."

Falco gently lowered his hand and shook her head, giving him a sheepish grin. "I'm fine, Ace. Congratulations on your win."

"Thanks," he grinned. "Say, where are the others?"

Falco looked around the crowded gym and realized that her group had left the bleachers.

"Don't know," she said slowly. "Maybe… they're at the swordfighting arena."

Ace nodded. "Your match starts soon anyways, so let's go over and regroup."

Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

VI: Front Foot Forward

Sure enough, Florence, Thatch, Marco, and Amare had already been seated in the bleachers. Falco recognized a few more crew members like Reagan, Izou, Mir, and Talis who all sat some rows away from the main group.

"Well," said Ace, giving her a thumbs up. "I'll be in the bleachers. Good luck!"

Falco nodded worriedly, quietly staring at the floor.

Suddenly, Ace ran back to her and placed a hand on her head.

"Hey," he whispered. "You're gonna be all right. Just try your best. I know it might be hard after facing Mihawk but this is just another obstacle that can help you get stronger. And if it gets too dangerous, I'll jump in and help you, okay?"

Falco felt herself being slightly pressured—she couldn't forfeit after his kind words. Giving him a little smile, she asked: "How do you always manage to say the right things?"

"Well," Ace thought, looking upwards. "Maybe it's because we're alike, you and I."

Before she had a chance to ask what he was talking about, Ace had already retreated to the bleachers. She shook her head and sighed, stretching her fingers now that she couldn't get out of fighting.

Should be a piece of cake. She thought, eyeing her competitors. No one here should be able to match me.

She wanted validation. She wanted to show Ace that she had lost her fight against her father because she wasn't feeling well after the dangerous flight. It wasn't her, it was the circumstances around her. Falco didn't want to think that her ten years had gone to waste—the next time she battled Mihawk, she would emerge victorious.

And as she predicted, she had won every battle with ease. Most of the time she resorted to using her dull blade, not wanting to injure anyone too badly. It was more of an evade-then-attack sort of game, rather than a full-out battle.

By her sixth win, she knew that she was close to the finals, if not already. And sure enough, when the arena had called out her name, a loud chant echoed her name repeatedly.

"Go, Falco!" Amare cried, pumping her fist into the air. "You got this!"

"Next up, challenging this gorgeous swordsman for the number one title, Vista!" The referee cried.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Thatch and Amare spit out their drinks.

"Wait, how did we miss Vista?" Ace asked.

Amare looked at her seniors curiously. "Vista's on the island? I thought he was gone on a mission."

"He was fighting in the arena behind us," Florence explained.

Falco tried her best to remember who Vista was—she did not recall seeing anyone with that name from their last general meeting, but she wouldn't have remembered his name, had he been a vice-commander.

Kaken no Vista. She suddenly recalled. She had never seen him fight before in person but she had seen photos of him in the newspaper—graceful and gorgeous swordsmanship that danced with the flower petals—he had to be a great swordsman.

The commander walked up to her first and extended a hand. "Pleased to meet you," he whispered quietly so that no one else could hear. "Daughter of Dracule Mihawk and Star D. Maria."

"Likewise," said Falco. "Flower Sword Vista."

"I'm surprised you know who I am. I have been away on a mission and returned here to group up," he smiled. "But you are correct. I am the Fifth Division's Commander, Vista. It is my honour to be able to fight you."

Falco couldn't find her voice at that moment. She didn't know the specifics but this man was powerful. There was a strange aura radiating off of him, one that made her shiver with fear.

Noticing her discomfort, Vista raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied curtly. Damn. He knows I'm nervous.

"Steady," the referee said, once they stood on opposite sides of the arena. Falco pulled out her katana, knowing that a dull blade would get her killed. "GO!"

Falco sped forwards, aiming to use her speed and mobility to overpower Vista and finish the match quickly.

The commander put his sabre before him and deflected her first shot, but Falco took that power to quickly spin and grab her second katana in reverse grip, aiming to get another strike. When Vista deflected that one, she simply kicked herself away and landed back into her original position.

"Not bad," smiled Vista. "But I know you can do more."

Damn right I can, thought Falco, throwing herself forwards again. "Senmai!"

Amare's eyes widened as she watched the older woman attack Vista. "A Thousand Blades," she whispered. "Holy—look how fast she is!"

Falco propelled herself quickly and struck as hard as she could with the first attack. When Vista easily deflected it, she stepped on the ground and immediately jumped again. Her strikes were so quick that she struck multiple times within one jump, and even when she hit the ground, she didn't take a second to rest and immediately launched herself forward again.

After her final strike and realizing that she was only wasting energy, Falco did a backflip to give them distance.

"Ah. You have an odd way of holding your swords," Vista noted.

"I get that a lot," she said, gritting her teeth. "Fight seriously."

Vista was quiet for a moment, eyeing her cautiously.

Come on, she repeated in her head. Attack me. I can't lose like yesterday. I have to win. I have to beat Vista in order to—

Her train of thought was shattered when Vista sped forwards with a speed that almost matched hers with her nimble body. But Vista was much larger than Falco and he used it to his full advantage. Using his entire body weight, he struck forwards with such a tremendous force that she knew she would've died if it wasn't for her quick reaction time.

Vista's eyes had a dangerous glint, staring down terrifyingly at her. His weight was absolutely crushing—one hand was on the handle of her katana and the other was near the tip to help her push back his weight.

"Whoa!" Marco cried, standing up abruptly. "That was way too close and way too dangerous, even for Vista's standards."

"Yeah," said Ace. "Vista isn't a merciless person."

"He's playing aggressively," whispered Amare. "Because Falco's not fighting like herself. He's trying to draw it out."

Falco's bare hand began to bleed, causing gasps to come out of the audience.

"She's bleeding!" Ace cried. "I'll go stop the match!"

"Wait," intervened Thatch, watching the two solemnly. "It's about to get interesting."

Falco's head was pounding. Her entire body ached for some reason. Her hand hurt—one was bleeding, the other was cramped, and the injury that Mihawk had given her yesterday felt like it was reopening.

But Vista's eyes showed no mercy even when she felt so weak. Her eyes had betrayed her emotions—she could feel it.

Why are you so afraid? She asked herself. You love swordfighting. You're a good swordsman. What is it that you fear?

She knew. She knew it deep inside.

I can be second best to Mihawk, she told herself. But if I lose to somebody else other than him, then what will my life have been for? What will the years of training and isolation have been for?

And suddenly, it was like time had slowed down. She felt herself quickly sidestepping, rotating her katana so Vista almost slid off her blade. She knew Vista had left himself vulnerable—it was either he exposed himself completely and struck downwards using all of his body weight, or he could try a weaker attack and not leave himself as vulnerable.

As Vista fell, Falco quickly grabbed her odachi and placed it next to his neck. Time flew freely again, and the next thing she noticed was Vista falling to the ground and her blade at his throat.

Ace's eyes widened. "What just happened? How did she move so fast?"

"That… that was haki," said Thatch. "But what could that have been? Conqueror's Haki? Felt too weak to be one—even the townspeople are still awake."

"It's probably is," Marco said, crossing his arms. "Looks like her years of training didn't go to naught, though the colour is very weak."

A Conqueror's Haki that can't even defeat the willpower of ordinary townspeople. Thought Ace. But it looks like you overcame your own will, Falco.

Falco panted heavily, glad that the match was over. "Thank go—"

Vista suddenly whipped his leg out, kicking her to the edge of the arena. She crashed into its walls and gasped out in pain, dropping her swords.

"Falco, watch out!" Amare cried. But it was too late.

By the time she had looked up, Vista already had a sabre in front of her nose.

"My win."

Two can play this game, she thought, gritting her teeth. She quickly lunged for her katana and struck again. This time, it wasn't calculated—this was her true style. She wasn't like other swordsmen who always used creative moves. To her, everything boiled down into the basics. Her fighting style focused largely on attacks with fast, deep strikes that didn't need a fancy name.

"Oh?" said Vista. "Looks like you're not as nervous anymore."

She bit her tongue hard. Vista was too good—he read her way too quickly while all she could see from his eyes were amusement.

He's playing me… the girl thought. "Take this!"

Instead of striking separately, she struck down both her swords at the same time but quickly realized how futile her attacks were. This sort of move worked well for single-sworded fighters who would have trouble deflecting both blades if they moved at the same time, but Vista was a great nittoryu swordsman himself—and before she knew it, he had completely backed her into a wall.

Damn, Falco thought to herself. He got me.

This time, Vista went for a quick strike of his own.

"The moment you think you've lost," he said between each strikes. "That's when it's over!"

He struck her blades away from her hands as she walked backwards. Her back hit the wall but Vista would not even let her fall onto the ground. He pinned a sabre under her arm, effectively keeping her up.

"Match goes to," referee said. "Vista!"

The crowd all stood up and cheered, talking excitedly amongst each other.

"That was such a fun battle to watch!"

"Whitebeard's crew is incredible, as always!"

"I'm a fan of both of them!"

All of their voices sounded muffled in Falco's ear. She couldn't hear anything except for the echoing voice inside of her head that told her repeatedly of yet another failure.

Weakling.

"Falco!" Ace cried, running towards her side. "Hey, are you okay?"

Tears welled in her eyes—she suddenly felt angry. "Why didn't you stop the match?"

The vice-commander looked taken aback. He tried to raise his arm to help her up, but Falco smacked it away.

"You said you'd stop the match before if it got bad," she cried, tears dripping down her face. "Why didn't you stop it?"

By now, Florence, Thatch, Amare, and Marco had joined Ace's side, looking at Falco in surprise and worry.

"I bled," she said. "I got hurt. You lied to me."

Ace blinked several times, looking shocked and confused. "I-I'm sorry—"

"Just leave me alone."

She picked her swords up and walked away abruptly, purposely avoiding Vista's gaze as she sped by him at the exit.

Weakling.

Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

VI: Front Foot Forward

Getting mad at Ace was completely unacceptable. She knew it. He was there at the perfect time to vent her anger at.

So now she was a weakling, friendless, and a sore loser. Wonderful.

She hugged her legs tightly to her body, letting out a choked cry. How stupid. She could've beaten Vista. It wouldn't have been easy, but it shouldn't have been too big of a challenge either. Yet he had read her, beginning to end.

Once again, her father had taken another thing away from her.

But this isn't Mihawk's fault. A voice inside her said. You lost to Vista, fair and square.

Shut up.

It's true, isn't it? You lashed your anger out to Ace in front of everyone and you ran away. Yet you still continue to blame Mihawk.

Shut up.

You blame Mihawk because he ruined your family, but he didn't ruin your friendships—that was all you.

SHUT UP!

Falco knew deep inside that she resented herself the most—there was no excuse for it. It was her choice to remain on Root Island for so many years, it was her choice to keep running away from her problems rather than fighting them head-on, and it was her choice to believe that she was strong when she was not.

When she heard footsteps echo down the hallway, she was ready to lash out and make them leave.

"Hey," a quiet voice said.

Falco looked up cautiously, only to find Amare looking at her worriedly. "Oh… it's you. Sorry, Amare, I'm not really in the mood right now."

The child crouched down and peered closely at Falco's golden eyes, emerald orbs looking at her in concern.

"You okay?" she asked quietly. "Please don't cry."

Falco let out a sniffle before quickly wiping her tears away. "I'm sorry. I don't deserve you or Ace—I was so mean to him."

"He tried to go," she frowned, patting her shoulder gently. "Thatch was the one who stopped him."

Great, I even got mad at the wrong person. She thought, rolling her eyes despite her tears. "He hates me."

Amare blinked. "That's a pretty weird conclusion. I doubt Ace hates you—he understands why you were upset. And if Ace is the guy I know he is, I think he'll forgive you."

Falco hiccuped, looking at her worriedly. "H-how?"

"Well," the young girl shrugged. "It all starts with an apology."

Amare stood up first and extended a hand to the older girl. "C'mon, let's go talk to him. Despite all of my teasing, I still respect Ace as a fukubuchou because he's kind, but most of all, he believes in second chances. There's no ways he's mad—I think he's worried, if anything."

Falco wiped her tears away roughly before taking Amare's hand and standing up. "You're right. I'll go apologize to him."

She sniffled softly, walking down the hall where Marco, Thatch, Florence, Ace, and Vista were. The group stood in a circle, talking worriedly.

"Hiya, fukubuchou!" Amare smiled. "'Lo, Vista!"

"Hello, little one," the commander smiled affectionately. "You've grown taller since the last time I saw you!"

"Golly, you're just saying that to flatter me," she giggled, then turned to Ace. "Falco wants to say something to you."

The man looked at Falco and when he did, she felt even more guilty. Ace's eyes showed no signs of anger or annoyance, just worry and concern.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I lashed out at you for no good—"

Before she could even finish her words, Ace quickly stepped forwards and pulled her into a tight embrace, causing Florence and Amare to let out a squeal.

"I'm sorry too," he whispered, burrowing his face into her hair. "You got hurt."

It wasn't his fault—he didn't need to apologize—but no words would come out of her mouth so she stood still in his arms, crying once again.

"I'm sorry."

Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

VI: Front Foot Forward

Amare hadn't been kidding when she said she played hopscotch competitively. Falco didn't even know that hopscotch was competitive, until she saw the little girl flip and twirl expertly on the concrete floors. Actually, it was strange that the sport was even part of the main events for children—didn't young kids like to play tag and hide-and-seek these days?

Amare would do backflips or jump over a lengthy space in one go, causing the crowd to gape in awe. When she had won first place (and rightfully so), she ran back to Falco who picked her up and spun her in the air. She and Ace held out their gold medals while Falco held out her silver one.

Vista smiled, looking at the three with a soft expression.

"How was your mission?" Thatch asked, walking next to the commander. "Did you find any information?"

"You were correct," the swordsman said, turning to Marco. "I don't think they realize that Carlos is part of our crew. They were going to interrogate him when they get to Impel Down."

"Any news from Jozu?" Marco asked, watching Ace, Falco, and Amare racing towards the ship.

"He's found them—they're being kept secretly at a small base right now. Coordinates are taking a while because they've been jumping on different bases frequently, in order to shake off any followers."

Thatch nodded. "We'll move as soon as we get their location."

Amare had climbed out of Falco's shoulders and sprinted next to Ace, tripping the vice-commander by sticking out one foot. Ace landed head-first into the sand, causing Falco to burst out into laughter.

Vista looked at them wistfully. "The girl… she reminds me very much of Maria."

"Oh, not you too," said Florence, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "But she's different in her own right. No one will ever be exactly like Maria."

"Falco is her own person," said Thatch. "I think she fits right in with us."

"Her and Ace," started Vista. "Do they have something going on?"

"I don't think so, not with Amare always next to them," Marco shrugged. Choosing his next words carefully, he said: "But… I think there's a part of Ace that sees his past self in Falco. It's a side that makes him a little nostalgic, a little painful. He takes really good care of her, you know. They have pretty similar backgrounds, too."

"He's a good person," the swordsman nodded. "I'm glad he's helping her. And who knows? Maybe she can help him too."

Author's Notes:

Cliche writing is honestly not my style (though I do use it often since I'm lazy). There were a lot of cliche moments here and there, but I tried my best to not let it interfere with the flow of the story.

I hope some of you have perhaps noticed that right now, Falco's identity has been completely contested. One of the reasons why she uses swordfighting as a crutch so much is because that's the only thing she really knows about herself. To the Whitebeard Pirates, she is Maria. To the rest of the world, she is Dracule Mihawk's daughter or Akainu's granddaughter. She can't fight for herself because she doesn't know who she truly is—so she accepts the identities thrown at her because she'd rather have something to hold on to than nothing.

This is also where Ace and Amare come in. Amare's past won't be revealed, but we all know Ace's lineage. He accepts her for who she is—an amnesiac who is often shy and a little brash—because he wouldn't want others judging him and labelling him with an identity he rejects.

I'm not a fan of the damsel in distress trope, so I hope that this interpretation of Falco is okay. She doesn't ask Ace to rescue her—she's determined to achieve her own dreams without the help of others, but his friendship and his presence is something that is unique and special to her.

Please leave a review!

-Jeis

February 2019 Update:

Not too much plot-wise, and a couple of tweaks here and there. I've also been revamping the Author's Notes to hopefully explain the story a bit more, rather than me just rambling about how much I hate myself for writing such long chapters...

Special thanks to:
GushaxZero