Chapter 20: Goodbye…PART 1

Disclaiming: I don't own One Piece.

Ace was sweating...he was surrounded by 3 pissed off and worried people. A mother hen, his father and his crazy grandpa. This day couldn't get better now can it?

"So Ace, where were you?" Asked Marco as he tapped his foot with a raised eyebrow and his arms crossed. In one word he was in his mother hen mode. Oh how Ace hated that mode…

"I was out in the forest looking for something to hunt." Ace said. Well that isn't a lie, he did originally go there to hunt for some food.

"Oh really? Than why did you return without any food with you?" Asked Garp not really believing Ace. He knew from all the stories the boys told them that these three would always catch something.

"..." Ace was in trouble now...He couldn't say that the animals were too strong for him to defeat and he can't say that he wasn't able to find any or that another animal took his hunt...all of that would hurt his pride."I...I don't want to say." He flinched when he saw the hurt looks his family gave him, especially his father.

"Ace, son." Roger said in a gentle voice as he crouching down to Ace's eye level."Please, tell us what's wrong? We were just very worried about you."

Ace looked down at his clenched fist that had the two flames.

Flashback…

"Just throw one of them into the water if you want to go to the A) Good timeline is the brighter flame B) Bad timeline is the darker flame. Ok Ace?You can tell the other about me if you doubt your own decision." She ruffled his hair." See ya, Ace!"

End of Flashback…

He wanted to...but ...should he really tell them?

"Ace." Luffy said breaking the silence."Are you okay? You seem confused and worried about something? Are you sick? Do you need some meat?!" Luffy asked now concerned over his brother.

Ace just stared at Luffy. How does his brother always know what others are feeling? It's like he can read him like an open book. Luffy is a strange kid...but Ace wouldn't change him for the world. He ruffled Luffy's hair gently before looking at his dad.

"I…" He glanced at his brothers."We...have to leave soon." The expression everybody had made Ace's heart drop. Some had shocked faces, some had heartbroken ones and some even had tears. His father and mother had the most broken expressions he had ever seen, it looked as if their hearts had been pulled out of them.

"W-Why do you say so Ace?" Rouge's voice was shaky as her eyes filled with tears."W-We haven't seen any light beams anywhere yet."

Everybody quickly agreed with Rouge, all of them were in denial. They loved having the ASL kids here with them. They couldn't even imagine days without Sabo asking them about their dreams, the different place's they seen or Luffy getting into all sorts of trouble or Ace the fight ask questions later kid.

"Ace, did you see the beam? I didn't hear any earthquakes." Sabo asked Ace, he was certain that he couldn't have slept through something like that! Luffy might have, but not him.

"Ace?" Luffy asked confused. How come Ace thinks they are going to leave soon? Did something happen to him in the forest?

"I...I met Mister Li-" Ace felt his hand become warmer from the flames." I mean I met the person who made the light beams...Her names Blaze." With that Ace started to explain the talk he had with Blaze, all the things she told him and the decision he had to do. It was pretty quiet and only one person decided to break the silence.

"But Ace would never hurt me badly? Would you Ace?" Luffy asked not really getting the fact that he had somehow changed, because of something that Ace did.

"Of course I wouldn't Lu!" Ace said bonking Luffy on the head gently."Like hell would I hurt my baby brother!"

"Aww, What about me?" Sabo asked jokingly, so he could lighten up the situation." No love for your other brother? So mean Acey!"

Ace blushed from embarrassment at the joke his brother said."You can go to hell!" He yelled out not really meaning it and Sabo knew it.

"See! No love for the second oldest brother!" Sabo said pretending to be hurt.

"Ace! Don't be mean to Sabo!" Luffy pouted making Sabo laugh lightly and Ace's eye twitch slightly.

The tension had gone down which everybody was thankful for, but still they had to help Ace decide.

"I think we should go to the bad timeline." Ace said surprising some of them."I want to find out what would have happened if I went after Teach." Saying the name made Sabo hiss quietly and Luffy hold onto Sabo's hand.

Whitebeard was quiet, he didn't want to believe that one of his sons had killed another son and betrayed him. Lucky for them Teach from this timeline was on a mission with some of Whitebeard's other sons. He hoped that when that day of his betrayal comes he would be able to change his son's mind.

"Ace, are you sure?" Asked Rouge putting a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"Yeah, I'm sure… I want to see what we can do to help future Luffy." Said Ace.

"Ace." Roger crouched down to Ace's eye level and said."All of us are very proud of you three and we know you all would be able to achieve your dreams. But do you have to leave now? Can't you say longer?"

Ace shook his head sadly."No, we only have today left."

Roger looked determined at the moment. "THAN TODAY WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU THREE WOULD HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER!" He yelled out earning cheers from everybody.

Ace smiled widely with Sabo, while Luffy cheered happily.

This was their family and the ASL brothers wouldn't trade it for the world.

Blaze: Yo! So the bad timeline won and you may notice the chapter is short as heck, we'll Actually I'm sick and I don't have the energy to write. Next week there won't be a chapter since I'll be away, I might be able to type the ending of GOLDEN arc if I feel better.

Thank you for a favs, follows and reviews!

See ya!

Blaze Out!