A Kid Again

Chapter 10 Enter the Castle of Maria

"It's huge."

"I thought this was a house…"

"Kinda creepy if you ask me."

"COOOL~!"

The small group stared up at the large castle like structure that was in front of them in what could be called nothing but amazement. The gothic Victorian style building fit perfectly into a horror movie with its curves and pointed roof. The aura of the place gave some of them the creeps while thoroughly impressing Luffy who ran up to the large gate, much to Ace's dislike.

"Luffy don't just run up to it." Ace said preventing his brother from opening the rusting Iron Gate.

"But why?" the boy asked his brother confused. "Aren't we supposed to go in here?"

"Yes but you can't just rush in on your own." Ace said and Luffy booed.

"I suggest that we break into groups." Vista said and they nodded.

"I demand being with my Luffy." Hancock said and they sighed knowing that they should just let her get her way though Luffy didn't like it.

"I will go with them too." Garp said and Ace flinched.

"I wanna go with Ace and Marco." The boy said quickly gripping the two of them and with Hancock already being in his group that meant that Garp couldn't join.

"Can't be helped." Izou said and Garp became irritated.

"Fine." He finally agreed and they entered the grounds of the castle, not sure what they were going to find inside.

"Second Verse: The Islands in the south are so Warm~! Puripuripuri their heads get all warm. And they're all idiots~!"

"Luffy quite that annoying singing." Ace snapped and the boy shut up though there were still two more verses.

Hancock looked at the boy and even though she knew that the song was indeed annoying, she hadn't wanted to tell the boy. However it didn't take long for Luffy's smile to come back and the boy rushed ahead. He had apparently seen something which caused all of them to rush after the kid in hopes of preventing him from getting lost.

"This place is big." Vista said and the other two pirates agreed with him as the followed Garp through the place.

"It's weird how there aren't any servants in this place at all though yet you can tell someone lives here." Haruta said as she looked at the undusted vases and pictures.

"There are only two people who are truly living in this place." Garp said and the three commanders looked at the vice admiral. "But that's enough to let us know that this place is dangerous."

"Well, we have four hours to find who's in charge and stop them." Izou said and Garp nodded before they continued to walk down a hallway.

"I think we're lost." Marco said as they came to another dead end. "There must be some trick to this castle."

"A hidden door maybe?" Ace asked and he nodded. "Luffy, find the door."

"Why should Luffy have to find it?" Hancock asked and Ace glanced at her with a half assed look.

"Because he's the one with the instincts to find whatever he is looking for." Ace said and Hancock frowned and was about to retort when they heard the click of something opening.

The three of them turned to Luffy who was pushed a random button on the wall that was well hidden by a plant and an open door in the wall. The three sweat dropped at the fact that it had taken Luffy less than ten minutes to find such a cliché trap. The boy smiled and bounded into the opening with the other three right behind him knowing that once again the boy was going to get into trouble.

"Maria-sama, it seems that one of the passages was found." Hanz said and the figure that was sitting in the chair looked at him.

"Which one and who?" the girl asked and Hanz bowed before answering.

"The one leading to the room below this one and the three pirates who were changed back in time along with the Pirate Empress." Hanz said and a smile crept on the girl's face.

"Let's see how strong the feared greatest pirates are when up against Kitty shall we?" the girl asked and Hanz nodded before speaking once more.

"I have already released him." the man said and the girl smiled at her servant happily.

"That's my Hanz." The girl said happily and he sighed.

"My name is not Hanz but there is a slight problem." The man said and Maria looked at him with a frown.

"What is it?" Maria asked and Hanz became slightly nervous.

"Kitty was knocked out by a second group who found the passage to his room." The man said and Maria stood up and went to her mirror.

"Mirror show me where both groups are." The girl said running her hand over the mirror and looking at the picture in front of her. "So, they are in the animal rooms and the ones who were 'sent' are on their way here."

"It appears so, Maria-sama what shall we do?" Hanz asked but the girl simply laughed.

"Bring the 'sent' ones here along with that woman who is with them." The girl said walking away from the mirror and sitting back in her chair.

"As you wish Maria-sama." Hanz said bowing and walking towards a certain section of the room.

"Let the party begin." Maria said, her blue eyes glistening with excitement.

"I see a light." Marco said after what felt like hours of walking through an almost pitch black tunnel.

"Don't go towards the light~!" Luffy said laughing slightly though Ace hit him on the head.

"Don't say such stupid things!" the boy said and Luffy complained and held the bump on his head. "Do you think that's the exit?"

"It had better be." Hancock said as she stared at the light. "I am sick of this darkness."

"Only one way to find out." Marco said as he began to walk towards the light.

"Race ya~!" Luffy shouted as he bolted passed all of them and towards the light.

"HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU NOT TO RUN OFF!" Ace asked dashing after his brother with Marco following him and then Hancock who had realized that Luffy had left.

"Did you hear yelling?" Haruta asked and her stopped and looked at the brunette.

"Probably Ace's brother doing something stupid and Ace lecturing him." Vista said and Izou chuckled, agreeing completely with the man.

"Those two are always at each others' throats." Izou said and the other two agreed.

"It's almost surprising how well they work together." Vista said smiling and Garp looked at them.

"That comes from the fact that they group up with pretty much just each other." Garp said and the three pirates looked at him. "The fact that they make a perfect team is because they grew up in a place where they could only rely on each other and no one else."

"That's pretty harsh for a couple of kids." Haruta said but Garp scoffed it off.

"Those two have been monsters when it comes to strength since they were little." The old man said and the woman sighed.

"When it comes to it, he sucks at taking care of kids." She said and the other two agreed one hundred percent completely.

"This is a big room too." Luffy said as he looked around the place that he had led the four of them to. "I wonder if there's any food."

"Why would there be food?" Marco asked sweat dropping while Ace suspiciously looked around the room.

"This places is weird, and not in a good way." The freckled faced kid said and Luffy looked at his brother but nothing seemed out of ordinary to him.

"You don't have to be so suspicious about this place."

The four of them turned towards the voice, shocked that they had sensed the other person in the room. The chair that was in the corner turned towards them and all of them went wide eyed at the figure in front of them. The girl smiled at them and a light giggle escaped her lips.

"Welcome to my room in the Castle of Maria."

I found out that it is really hard to write something that has a person who you are trying not to reveal too much about and still get them on the paper. But I think I did okay with Maria here. I hope you like this chapter and sorry for the wait.