So this is probably the shortest chapter in the story (only by like 300 words though) but in my defense you just had 3 extra long chapters so don't complain :P Not to mention the bonus chapter is over 10,000 worse and ONLY HALF WAY THROUGH. Plus, as many of you know, I hurt my hand and it slows my typing a lot. So please don't get upset that it's like 300-500 words less than usual, alright? I'm working even injured T^T (See profile for details) Plus this one has something important happen so it's not like it's a filler chapter or anything.
Also I welcome you to check out my latest stories To Be a Boy and Imagined Life. Many of you already know about these stories so hopefully you'll take a peek at them and see if they're to your liking. Warning: Sabo is less of an asshole in both compared to Divide!Sabo. Still pretty cocky, though. (You'll see what I mean later on...)
PS: You guys have yet to correctly guess the identity of the 4th Yonko :P
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece - too poor to buy the rights, just like I'm too poor to afford proper PT T^T And a swivel chair... (If you don't get the joke, it's mocking stereotypical old-fashion villans in Western culture... And if you're wondering why I'm making that reference to myself... You'll probably figure it out after reading the last sentence of this chapter. Maybe.)
Ace blinked awake. When did he fall asleep? Giving a yawn he buried his face into the pillow beneath him, trying to get more comfortable. Wait…pillow? Wasn't he on a chair? Curious, he attempted to rise but something was holding him flush with the bed. He looked down at his waist and saw an arm wrapped around him, fastening him to the bed. And then he heard it—that all too familiar snoring. His eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"Damn it, Luffy!" Ace didn't know when he'd been pulled onto the Pirate King's bed but he wasn't pleased. He clawed at the arm in a desperate attempt to free himself but Luffy's iron grip wouldn't loosen. How the hell can he have so much strength when he's asleep?
Heaving a sigh, he twisted himself around so that he was facing the man. As he stared into the peaceful features of the raven-haired adult, he couldn't help but think back to the words uttered during the previous night's events.
"I'm glad you're here, even if you don't remember me."
"Thank you for returning, Ace."
Those two sentences filled his thoughts all during the night. He wracked his brain trying to figure out what they meant and somehow fell asleep amongst his worries. Maybe he already knew. Maybe he was already certain of their meanings—the messages laced within each syllable. But he was scared. He was scared and confused and unable to reach the suppressed knowledge buried deep within his temporal lobe. Surely he knew, but his brain was working against him, whispering bitter lies in his ear. You don't know. You don't need to know. You don't want to know. Those words were just an illusion.
He didn't believe it.
Ace shot the slumbering pirate a quick glare before pinching his nose and waited as he stirred. In moments he opened his eyes, immediately followed by a groan. Instinctively his hands moved to his head and he curled into himself as the effects of the hangover washed over him.
"My head…"
"That's what you get for being a dumbass," Ace stated, sitting upright after being freed.
"…Ace? What are you doing in my bed?" He picked himself up also, trying to see through his bleary vision. Next to him lay a small, fragile-looking boy—one he was coming to know so well; his brother, his companion, his responsibility. "Get lonely?"
"You trapped me here, stupid!"
Luffy clutched his head, shying away from the sudden outburst. He ground his teeth in a feeble response to the pounding in his skull, only making the pain worse. "Ah…quiet. I have a headache…"
"No, you're hung-over."
He blinked at the boy, giving him a blank stare. "…How do you even know what that means?"
Ace rolled his eyes. "I'm not as dense as you are, Lu."
After a silent stare-down Luffy plopped back down on the mattress and hugged the pillow. Ace groaned. It was amazing how carefree than man was. He was lucky to have as competent a crew as he did, else he would have died a few times over.
Ace hopped off Luffy's bed and headed out into the hall. So many things had been swirling through his head since Luffy said those strange things to him and he'd formed a theory or two. But before he got back to pondering those words there was something he had to do.
The kitchen door swung open and the blonde with the curly eyebrow was there as usual, looking into the oven to check on something. He closed the appliance and rose to his feet, taking a look at his sudden visitor. Before he could say anything, Ace was at his side staring up at him with fierce determination.
"What is it, you shitty brat?"
Ace ignored the comment. "Could you start hiding the rum?"
Sanji blinked in silence. There were a few things wrong with their conversation; Ace usually didn't try to start a conversation with him out of his fear of people and he also shouldn't give a damn about the booze. "…Why?"
"Luffy's a moron."
And suddenly it all made sense. "He get drunk?"
"Wasted. Didn't even know where he was."
"He gets like that sometimes."
"Yeah, well, just lock it up with the meat or something. I don't…" Ace paused and thought back to the Pirate King's crying face. "…I don't want to see him like that again."
Sanji's eyes narrowed. Now he knew why the kid was acting so strange—he was talking to 'big brother' again, wasn't he? That's what the crew deemed his personality shifts. He was acting like he would have if he didn't die.
"Sure, no problem." He was being nice for once—a rarity of his—but he wasn't about to make a snide comment when the boy looked so sincere.
Ace started fidgeting and broke eye-contact, taking to the floor instead. "T-thanks…"
Marco watched as the last of his crewmembers filed onto the ship, carrying with then the last of their supplies. They would be leaving in an hour, give or take, and all he could think about what the strange circumstances with which they would depart. He had to smirk at the irony of it all—they came to pay their respects to their deceased brother and father only to find that one of them somehow managed to come back. He didn't care how Fire Fist managed to do it; he was just glad to see him again, even if they would soon part once more. At least he was alive.
The blonde thought for a moment about the boy's condition—afraid of people, wary of human contact… That, combined with what he was told by the Straw Hat doctor and Ace himself, set a pretty clear image of what happened in his past: he was left alone on an island to fend for himself and somehow managed but was left unable to communicate and fearful of other humans. What he wanted to know was how and why he was left there. Even being as calm a person as he was he felt like mangling whoever did it.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw something approaching—a small, shaking child. He turned to face the boy and knelt, softening his previous bloodlust into the usual affection he showed is family. The child stopped at his feet and looked between him and the ship, watching as the men carried boxes and barrels aboard.
"You're leaving?" Ace asked in a quiet, soft voice.
The blonde's lips curved into a slight smile and he ruffled the boy's black waves. "Soon."
Ace pondered that for a moment, staring at the footprints dotting the white sand. There were so many things he wanted to ask the Yonko, so many and yet he wouldn't have the time. It was strange; he only knew Marco for the better half of two days and yet he felt he could trust him as much as he could the Pirate King. That made him think: did he know something about Luffy's words? While the Straw Hat pirates treated him with neutrality, something seemed to disturb the blonde's thoughts. It was the same with Luffy—he noticed it weeks ago—and yet he couldn't place it. Or maybe he could…
"Can I ask you something?"
Marco raised an eyebrow. There was something in the boy's voice that made him sound more mature than he previously did. It was the same thing that appeared whenever those shifts and personality occurred. While the boy gave off a childish air much of the time like when fighting with Luffy or refusing to rest, there were those instances where it felt like he was still the twenty-year-old pirate from his memories. "Sure yoi."
Ace clenched his fists and continued staring into the curves and dips in the sand. He felt so anxious, waiting there as he formed the right question. Like before when he spotted the Pirate King drunk he felt that he was doing something he wasn't supposed to. His brain was telling him to shut up and walk away—go back to the ship and ignore the thoughts circling around his skull. "…You know, right?"
"Hm?"
"About my connection to Luffy… You know, don't you?"
The phoenix's half-lidded eyes opened fully as they so rarely did, taking in that implication. He knew. Maybe not everything, but he knew something. And Marco knew that was bad. Luffy wanted to keep everything quiet—let him find out everything on his own, if at all—but if Marco told the truth the kid would undoubtedly press him for answers. He shifted from where he was kneeling so that he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, making Ace's eye level rise above his head. "I don't…"
Ace let out a small 'cheh' and plopped down similarly across from the blonde. Finally he made eye contact, glaring deep into those blue eyes. He had a look of complete determination on his face. "Don't give me that. You know."
Marco stared back at the boy and for a moment his mind flashed to Fire Fist sitting in the exact same way, glaring at him with that same look. He knew then what it was that happened during those shifts; he wasn't remembering anything, nor was he mimicking his past self, but instead was retaining his former resolve. That one, small thing was what changed him from the fearful child he was into the mature, thought-provoking individual he became.
"And, supposing that were true yoi, what would you do?"
"I…" He wanted to say that he would bombard him with questions and get every detail out of him but was having trouble doing so. He clenched the fabric of his pants. "I just want the truth."
The blonde sighed but did not interject.
"He's… Am I his brother, Marco?"
It appeared Ace knew even more than he thought. What was he supposed to say? Marco would never lie to one of his brothers. Still, he didn't want to intervene with whatever Luffy was doing. "What makes you ask that?"
A hint of worry glinted in Ace's eyes. Did he get it wrong? Were the ramblings of the drunken pirate simply that and nothing more? He was so excited about it…
He slouched a bit and curled his knees into his chest, wrapping his arms around them securely. S sad, broken look crossed his face as he looked away. "…He called me 'Nii-san' and I… I just…"
"Ace…"
"It's stupid. He was drunk… But I just thought that maybe… I wasn't alone."
Marco wasn't good at comforting children, especially when dealing with complex situations. He didn't know what to do. He could try to comfort him the way he would an adult but… that probably wasn't the best idea. That stupid idiot just had to get drunk and reveal things, didn't he.
"What else did he say?"
"He said… that I don't remember him."
The Yonko's eyes narrowed. The damned Pirate King said that of all things. He was the one who wanted to keep it a secret! If it wasn't for that Marco would have told Ace right away of his past. Or… maybe he wouldn't have. He didn't know. Seeing how confused the boy was, maybe it wasn't such a good idea.
Placing a firm hold on the child's shoulder, he looked into his eyes. "You're not alone yoi. You'll never be alone. Alright?"
Ace gave a slight nod but the worry never left.
"You want to know the truth about Luffy yoi?"
Again the boy gave a nod, this time more firmly and with expectant eyes.
"He's an idiot."
Ace smiled a bit. "I know that."
Marco swallowed. He was probably going to regret it—what he was about to say—but knew it had to be said. He figured it out so why bother trying to hide it further? And he seemed to be hopeful of his discovery. The boy wanted it to be true; it was written on his face. How could you deny someone like that? "And no matter how stupid he is, yoi have to protect him, okay? That's what older brothers do."
A/N: And there you have it - the shortest chapter. Remember that updates are going to be slow with my hand the way it is so don't pressure me to write fast alright? Please review and tell me what you think, it really brightens my day and with the pain I get when I use my hand I could really use the motivation. Plus I wrote this injured, so... *judgemental glare* Just kidding! Don't bother if you really don't want to :P Though to the ones who do, I love you lots!
To my lovelies~
samettikettu: You cried? I seem to make people do that a little too often... You should try it! Try out To Be a Boy now that it's up! I can try to turn you through it hehe. Lol I love the AceLu couple too but having variety is much more fun :) That's why I write both! If you don't mind M fics then there's Forbidden Fruit, Nightmare of Love, Bleeding Out... I'm too lazy to list more, but you have find some in my favs/follows. and there's always mine hehehe. (Kitty, get the swivel chair!) *reass end of your comment* o.o I find it funny that I was talking to my cat and then... Well, hope you enjoy the kitty :D I like dogs more but I have both a dog and a cat. They're so fun~ Except they hate eac hother *deadpan*
Terrie1234: I'll survive so long as my hand heals T^T I don't think he's ever gotten drunk in canon honestly. I just added it as a plot device and because I wanted to show his change over the past 11 years.
Gundam-grrl: Welcome :)
Starry Roses: Not Alvida :P Yep, he did. There are going to be flashbacks later that are going to delve into what happened to Luffy over the years and, well, not all of them are going to be happy.
LinaFair: Define 'too much'... Well, you'll see in two chapters or so :) He goes to Marco because Marco is just awesome :D My hand is not alright, sadly. But I'll survive.
SioQu: Nope! None of those! And Sabo's dead in this fic. Remember the bonus His Origins? He agreed to keep an eye on Ace.
StrawberryGirlKairi: Sorry for the tears :( I miss him too! *cries with you*
trisha23flow: Sorry :( Awe! I love you, too, Trisha~ .
shimaxkutau: Sorry for making you cry... You're saying 5,000 words is too short? If it bothers you then I'm afraid it's not going to get better. My chapters are average length, which is how I keep up with 4 - now 6 - stories. Sorry :/ Besides I don't like drawn-out chapters. Other than Kill the Rabbit and The Devil's Fruit I don't go for fics with long chapters. I'm glad you recommend me, that's sweet~ Wow your teacher? This'll probably end up 40-50 chapters. We're at the halfway point right now. Well Law is the known Yonko :P
lonelydream17: I'll update when I can. Please don't rush me since I'm a university student writing now 6 fics alone with oneshots and bonuses all-the-while my dominent hand is hurt... Please try to understand. Thank you~
Diclonious57: *hugs back*
azab: Yep, and I didn't know about it until the end of the day. Wouldn't call me a genius, there a millions of writers out there better than I am. I'm immune to his death anniversary. To me the day he died was the day I watched that episode. Sure, you can recommend more! You can see how I injured it on my profile.
Natylol: Not kidd :P
heavenlymoonfangedwolf: Please don't ask for fast updates. I'm happy you like it but I'm a university student. And I'm working on 5 other stories. And I have a hurt hand. It's difficult to write and keep the quality under these circumstances. Sorry but there's nothing I can do about update speed :(
OnePieceLover101: Hehe glad you enjoyed~ But updates will be slow u_u
MysterousEyez: Hehe yep. Sadly my fingers died again along with my palm, wrist and forarm...
xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Nope to both of those :P
Cyborgnetics: Well technically he hasn't had a single memory of his past life, just feelings :) You didn't vote for it and yet now you're reading it. Tsk tsk :P
Bluebird42: Hehe you're too sweet XD Nope and nope.
99 luffy: Glad you did.
Neko-VongolaPrimo: Twice? XD That's a new record for me! Yes I love those moments as well XD Long reviews are awesome! Shows that the fans are engaged T^T You'll see~ I stand corrected: there are like 3 with over 1,000 reviews. Can't remember the titles, you can just search it.
spoons-are-evil: I would LOVE to see that! Nope and nope. But interesting tries! Hand got worse hehe... u_u No omake this chapter either... It's like life doesn't want this story to have omakes. I stay up til 6am on a regular basis :P It's 5:13 right now.
Son Goshen: Hehehe EVERYTHING in this story is a plot device. I loved your reaction to Luffy telling Ace all that. Seriously, LOVED it XD Funny thing is that there's a clue I put in Marco and Luffy's convo that no one caught (at least in their reviews) and it'll be relevent in a chapter or two :P Well I will not comment on whether it's Blackbeard or not, but just know that I subtly told you over the course of the story so far. Nope, I enjoyed it! ^^ Welcome~
XxSaorixX: I don't mean to make you cry D: It just happens. Glad you did :)
Sealing Mistress: Yep, and I shall help beta read it muahaha! I'm glad I was able to help you out ^^ Can't wait to read your fic~
Stelra Etnae: Hehe yes it is. About his personality... You'll see :P Something important will happen to in in 2-3 chapters, but I won't say what.
RexLink: Lol you could have voted both :P But they're both up now so it doesn't matter. Ok I'll read that over and put it into the next AN if I find it's good :) Hand's not looking so good...
Trich: Thank you! I will!
Kitsune Foxfire: Well now you know some of it! Let's just say something big is gonna happen in a few chapters... You're welcome! And yes, they're both so awesome *O*
ASLfangirl: True XD Yes! Finally someone caught that bit about his past! I tip my hat to you. *goes to find hat*
deadlycute17: Glad you do~
(*wipes forehead* Finally done. This took FOREVER to respond to with my hand hurt. I started at 4am and it is now 5:26... Well, now to work on something else quickly before bed! I'm gonna be up until 6:30, I just know it... Adieu~)