Marco was not ready when Coby and Helmeppo woke him up in the morning. In fact, he didn't feel inclined to move from the nest of pillows and blankets he made on the bed. He knew that his instincts to nest were becoming stronger because of the incubation growing nearer. He was truthfully surprised that it took this long, but then again he didn't have anything but Thatch's foggy memories to compare to. Those instincts and the fact that he was still tired from healing the two children last night made him very predisposed to not getting out of bed, instead he curled deeper into the covers and sighed.
"Lord Marco," Coby spoke through the door, "we've come to get you for this morning's council meeting."
Marco huffs and groans but makes no move to get up. It gnaws on him. He knows he needs to get up. He knows he has to go to the meeting and do what needs to be done to be able to go home. Yet, his body ached and every fiber of his being told him that he needed to stay in his nest. He moves only slightly so that he can peer out of the covers.
"Marco?" Coby asks starting to worry and knocking a few more times. "Lord Marco are you in there?"
"He better be in there," Helmeppo said, "if he's not we're doomed. They don't really want him wandering around and figuring out all of our secrets!"
"Lord Marco, if you're in there, please respond," Coby urged pounding on the door with his fist.
"Do you think he's dead?" Helmeppo asked with chattering teeth. "I heard he healed an extra person last night, maybe that killed him. Oh god, if he's dead, we are so going to die."
"Would you stop saying that," Coby snapped. "Lord Marco, if you don't open this door, then we'll come in."
Marco only narrows his eyes at the door. They will come in but not for any concern for him. He wondered if they knew how loud they were talking and how thin the door was. He doubted they did. He made the mental note that if he did take them into his confidence he would need to teach them a thing or two of keeping their thoughts to themselves and espionage in general.
Apparently, the two outside had their fill of waiting on him to come out and entered the room to find him glaring at them from within his self-made nest. Both men instantly freeze at the narrowed eyes glaring at them intensely. Coby gulps nervously before speaking again.
"If you wish to delay the meeting, we can ask the council if you would like," Coby offers very slowly as if thinking through his words while saying them.
"And do you think that will go well for you and I, yoi?" Marco asked with a sigh. "Do you think Akainu and the council will be pleased to have been made to wait?"
"No, but you don't seem very pleased to go either. I thought maybe you just needed time." Coby stated.
"I need more time than you have to give, yoi." Marco said slowly starting to move, but only because the consequences for not doing so would only draw closer and more deadly the longer he delayed.
Still, pulling himself away from his nest was difficult. Sticking one foot out of the covers and then slowly removing the rest of himself from them alone made him want to dive back into them. Once his feet were on the floor, the feeling was even more so since the floor was cold and Marco knew that his nest was warm. He sighed before finally rising to grab and put on his shirt. He was sure that he didn't want to go to the council meeting shirtless. He also grabbed Ace's hat which he'd set on the nightstand beside his bed before falling asleep last night. After that he quickly dodged into the bathroom to make himself somewhat presentable before nodding to the two awkwardly silent guards.
Coby and Helmeppo seemed to be in a bit of a rush to get him to the council meeting, and Marco didn't have to guess why. He'd probably made them take quite some time in retrieving him since he hadn't wanted at all to leave his nest. Still, they seemed to be moving twice as fast as they had the day before and Marco sighed while walking at a brisk pace behind them knowing that to any passerby they probably looked ridiculous trying to all but run to the council meeting.
"Walking so fast makes us seem suspicious, yoi." Marco mumbled light-heartedly.
"Showing up late to a council meeting makes us seem even more suspicious," Helmeppo snapped. "But there's nothing that we can do about that now, can we?"
"I see I've caused you trouble, yoi." Marco taunted grinning. He couldn't really help himself. "However, your rage doesn't fit the situation, not proportionally anyway."
"What do you mean by that?" Helmeppo growled the question.
"You're covering it up, or trying to anyway." Marco began, making both of the guards look back at him with apprehension. "You're not really angry, you're scared but you cover it up by acting so angry. Being late to a meeting is a petty thing, but you could die for a petty thing, and furthermore the petty thing wouldn't even be your fault. So you displace your false anger on to me because you're afraid of the person whom you should place it on. You're weak, yoi."
"And you're so strong," Helmeppo said in a mocking tone. "You came here because you had to make a deal with Akainu, but you claim not to fear him."
"I never said that I didn't fear him, yoi." Marco replied somberly. "I'm not strong because I don't fear him. I'd be stupid not to fear him, he's the evil that's been after me my whole life. I'm strong because I'm willing to fight him regardless, yoi. The reason I'm negotiating is for the health of my child, but I know that one day not far away Akainu and I will fight and one of us will die. In the meantime, I do have to do something to at least postpone it for my child's sake."
"I doubt that will help you much, after all Akainu already said that he'll still try to kill your child during the war and if you lose then the child will die regardless." Helmeppo argued.
"I take it that you don't think that I stand a chance against him, yoi." Marco assumed.
"Your ancestors didn't seem to," Coby interjected with a sigh.
"As I remember, my ancestors didn't fight, yoi." Marco replied with gruff voice. "My family were pacifists, yet, even knowing that they wouldn't fight him, Akainu slaughtered them anyway. You say that I don't stand a chance even though no blue phoenix has ever fought, I'd be the first to fight in millennia of my species. I'd think that I'd stand a sizable chance, yoi."
"No one knows why the blue phoenixes didn't fight back or why they were pacifists." Helmeppo says.
"Nor, what would have happened if one had." Coby added.
"Aren't you interested to find out, yoi?" Marco asked.
Both guards sigh, but Marco's thoughts go on. He remembered being kept in the cells underneath the red phoenixes estate, but he could only remember snippets of what some of Thatch's family had said to him. They had been jealous and angry, but why exactly? Because the public had loved the blue phoenixes? Or because they didn't fight. For some reason it didn't really make sense to Marco. Why be jealous and angry at the dead? Or was there something that Marco didn't know of his own lineage.
He hadn't had a blue phoenix to watch over him so his awakening was tumultuous at best. Thatch had only just begun his awakening before he lost his powers, so he tried to help where he could but he had little experience to draw from and no powers of his own to show or instruct Marco with. Thus, Marco had gone through a fairly lengthy period of trial and error. Knowing that he couldn't fight well if he was completely a bird, he tried to get the hang of partial transformations, however on more than one occasion this had caused problems. He couldn't count on one hand the number of times he ended up stuck with his face or just mouth in his phoenix forms and had to endure the others laughing at him until he could change back. The same was true of when only one of his feet would change to talons; leaving his gait uneven. Still, after he'd finally mastered it these times of great annoyance and embarrassment turned to fond memories; like every time he used his new powers to move up in rank and finally achieve the rank of first division commander.
Still, what exactly could he do about the fact that he didn't know much about his own breed? It's not as though there was anyone he could ask. Anyone in the Fire Nation that could tell him anything was most likely those who wouldn't help him, although maybe not. Still, if he asked the wrong person it could cause problems, so better safe than sorry. However, there was another way that he could possibly gain some information on his own heritage. Perhaps his family had left some knowledge behind in books as some families did. It was a slim chance, but Marco decided that he'd have to investigate his family's old manor once the council meeting was over. Now though he had no more time to think as they had arrived at the council room and Coby and Helmeppo were opening the doors. Marco combed his fingers through his hair and entered the room with a sigh.
"You've a lot of gall to make us wait so long." Akainu ground through his teeth.
"Yes, well, sometimes a phoenix that's nesting will find it difficult to leave their nest, yoi." Marco replied taking in the same faces as he did the day before, with Teach still absent. "Still, it's entirely my fault and I apologize." He said humbly, not wanting to anger the magma dragon so soon after waking. "Shall we get to business though?"
"Fine," Akainu grumbled, "Has your family found anything on whomever may have helped start this curse?"
"Two of my brothers and my mate visited an associate of ours yesterday whom happened to be a Norn, yoi." Marco explained. "She owed us a favor so we asked her to guarantee that my brother would find the demon and tell us about what type of demon we're looking for, yoi. She said, 'The one you seek is not so different than the one you must defeat, though hate separates them, they are not as different as you'd like to think.' If you have any input, it may help the process go a little bit faster, yoi."
"What Water Nation Demon doesn't despise us?" Fujitora mutters. "Them being like us is the more useful part. Although, everyone here would argue that there's no similarity between us and any water nation demon."
"Trying to disprove the prediction won't help the cause any." Tsuru chided. "I'm sure that our powers aren't what would make us similar, so maybe a different aspect could be similar between us and them."
"Hina is confused, what else could the Norn mean besides powers?" Hina questioned.
"Why must every demon that predicts the future speak in damn riddles?" Akainu complained.
"We aren't just our powers," Tsuru said. "It may be a demon that has a similar lineage or a similar history."
"Or be royalty," Marco added. "Is there any particular family of Water Nation royalty that you have a feud with?"
"The Frost Dragons hate us since Lord Akainu took Lord Aokiji's arm." Lady Hina began. "The Cathulu family and the Kraken's destroy our ship if our ships are even unintentionally in their waters. King Neptune has a grudge against us because his people are banded from our territory. And, The Ryuu's have hated us since the beginning of time. There is no royal Water Family that doesn't hate us."
"Still, we have one other factor to go off of, yoi." Marco responded. "We know that they had to have powers to grant wishes. Although there are many wish granting demons of every Nation, we had thought that the demon had to have some Dark Nation blood in them since there are more Dark demons that can grant wishes than any other Nation. I'm not sure that would matter though, if the demon we're looking for is of Royalty."
"Royal Blood preserves the species that's for sure but that doesn't mean that they can't effect the child's powers at all." Tashigi contributed. "There have been very rare cases of Royal children getting some sort of power from their non-Royal parent. Usually though it's a one in a million chance, so it would probably be best if we stuck to the Royal families that already have wish granting powers. Although, should one of those families have intermarried with a Dark Nation family that would still be our most likely candidate."
"There isn't much we can do about it since we're here." Fujitora stated. "Your family will have to do most of the work to find them."
Marco saw an opportunity. He had promised Ace that he would try to get an ally here to put Ace's worries at ease. He couldn't ask for a family member to come here, but perhaps a Water Nation ally could join him here. Jimbe would be the most trustworthy as well as the strongest person that he could think to bring here. He had the correct abilities to help him escape if something went awry. Also, he was strong enough that normal Fire demons wouldn't stand a chance and the council wouldn't be able to make a move personally without risking their seat. There was also the fact that Jimbe had a couple times co-operated with the Fire Nation as a middle-man between the two nations when disputes occurred. There was at least a slim chance that the Fire Council would agree, but he'd have to play it carefully.
"It may be wise to call in a Water Nation demon to assist, yoi. As you said, we can't really do a lot from here as neither of us know the histories of the Water Nation Royalty." Marco stated. "After all, a Water Nation demon would know much more than we do about the subject."
"So that they can kill us in our beds?" Akainu asked gruffly.
"They, of course would swear the same thing that I've asked the Dark Nation to swear before Teach joins us, yoi." Marco argued calmly. "After all, the sooner we figure out who is responsible the sooner I can leave, as well as any consultant that we would bring in. Also the faster we cure the curse the less Fire Nation demons lives it claims; which I would think would be beneficial to you, yoi."
"Even so, I highly doubt any Water Nation demon would be willing to come to the Fire Nation even under those pretenses. Our Nations are constantly in dispute, I'm sure they'd rather wait as long as they can to cure the curse." Fujitora interjected.
"There is one person that wouldn't be intimidated and he's worked with you multiple points in the past, yoi." Marco continued. "Jimbe has often worked as a liaison between this nation and the Water Nation, which makes him the most neutral person that's currently available."
"Fine," Akainu agreed tersely, "call in Jimbe to consult, however, when he gets here I want him and you followed by guards twenty four seven. Just because we're willing to allow this for the good of our nation doesn't mean we're willing to let you conspire against us within our own halls."
"That would be an understandable safety measure, I'm sure Jimbe would agree, yoi." Marco agreed. "For the time being I'll need to let my family know where to focus until we can get Jimbe to offer us his assistance."
"We do have another matter of business to attend to before we dismiss for the day." Lady Tsuru spoke up. "As you suggested we thought it would be best to have you heal a member of the community yesterday which is why we sent the family to you. Today, we want you to make a public truce with us in a similar form."
"Alright, what do you have planned, yoi?" Marco asked curiously, but somewhat already knowing where this was going.
"We plan to have you publicly heal Lord Akainu today during a public ceremony." Lady Tsuru explained. "We think it would do well to show the public that we have made this truce with you and that we are working hard to cure everyone. You said yesterday that you would rather not have the public rise in rebellion while you are here, and we agree. The family you helped yesterday will also be there to tell their story, but you healing Akainu will go a long way in placating the general populace."
Marco wasn't too fond of healing the person who has wanted to kill him his whole life; however he knew it was necessary for the truce to last. There was no reason for him to refuse anyway, he would defeat Akainu and he had more than enough confidence to think he could even if the man was healed first.
"That's fine with me, yoi." Marco calmly replied showing no hesitance. "At what time will this ceremony be held? I will need to let my mate and family know what's happening; healing can be a draining process."
"We want it to be held late in the afternoon." Lady Tsuru said. "It would give both us and you more than enough time to prepare whatever needs to be. It should take place around six, and we don't believe it should take very long."
"Are we done today then," Tashigi asked.
"It would seem so," Lady Tsuru replied.
"We will reconvene at half till six to get ready for the ceremony." Akainu announced.
…
Ace couldn't stay awake to save his life at the moment and the fact that they were looking up water demon histories in gigantic books in the ship library, wasn't really helping. He could get about three sentences into a description of a demon before he wanted to lay his head down on the table and take a nap. He would blink rapidly to try to stay awake and yet nothing worked. Every so often he found himself falling asleep and face-planting onto the book he was reading. Thatch and Izou were getting annoyed with him, but he could tell they were trying not to be.
"Ace, you know that we're trying to figure out what kind of demon we're dealing with so that we can get Marco back here sooner right?" Thatch finally asked pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, I just can't stay awake." Ace said with a yawn. "I know what I need to be doing, my body just doesn't seem to want to let me stay awake to do it."
"Maybe it's just the pregnancy finally taking its toll." Izou sighed. "You were exhausted yesterday after setting a small fire to a tree. We might need to get some of the others involved. If it's just the three of us I feel like we never going to make any progress."
"Sorry," Ace mumbled feeling somewhat useless.
"Don't worry about it, it's not like you can help it." Thatch huffed. "Maybe Haruta and Jozu could help, I don't think they're doing anything today."
"Yeah," Izou said, "Ace, why don't you try to go find them since you aren't having any luck with books today."
"Better than being completely useless, I guess." Ace mumbled.
He was very tired, as if he hadn't slept in a week. He hadn't expected to feel this run down, even when he'd been warned multiple times that the pregnancy would take its toll. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. Still, he was thankful that he would get away from the books that listed all of the demonic species, which seemed to be just as good as a lullaby. As long as he was on his feet he felt more awake so he left the room to search out Haruta and Jozu.
Izou let out a huge sigh as the door closed behind Ace. As much as sending Ace to get the others was a great idea, it also meant that Izou and Thatch were now alone in a room together. They had reconciled, enough to function normally when others were around, but when it was just the two of them things would become anxious and tense, or perhaps it was only that way for him. After all Thatch seemed fine whenever they were alone together; it seemed to only be him that was super tense.
Sexual tension, Izou couldn't help but think, but that didn't quite fit either. After all, for him their deal hadn't ever been just about sex for him, even if it had been set up that way. His chest hurt, it still stung even though he tried not to think about it. He sighed again, just focus on the page, he told himself, soon it'll just be normal again and it won't hurt at all.
Just focus on the page, Thatch told himself, this isn't awkward at all. They had agree to just being friends, just being brothers but, so far, it wasn't really working out as well as Thatch hoped it would. The thing with Izou had been just sex, hadn't it? But now, Thatch was starting to doubt that. After they had decided on just being friends again, Izou had said that he wasn't allowed to touch him in anyway, because it would make it harder to forget, and Thatch had agreed to this measure. Now though, Thatch had come to realized how much physical contact he usually had with the other, and how he somewhat craved it. This matter wasn't made any easier by Izou's behavior. Whenever he walked too close, or sighed, or smiled, it made Thatch want to reach out and touch him even more, but he wasn't allowed to.
If he touched Izou that might be enough to break the tenuous agreement they had and would start everything on a downward spiral again, and this time Marco wouldn't be around to patch things back together. Still, that didn't change the fact that every time Izou moved Thatch's whole body seemed to itch for the desire to reach out and touch him. He couldn't do that, it wouldn't be fair, Thatch told himself. Izou was trying hard to forgive him and forget everything between them, so it wouldn't be wise to bring it all to the surface again, especially if all he wanted out of their relationship was sex and Izou wanted something more, which he obviously did.
Did he just want sex, Thatch had to ask himself. By this time, he taken to casually scanning pages without actually reading them and was too focused on his own thoughts to be any use to what they were trying to do. Did he really only want to be with Izou for sex? Thatch had to admit he did miss the sex, but it wasn't the only thing. He missed the light air that always was around them when they talked. He missed the inside jokes that they had shared, that neither of them had the heart to say any longer. He missed being the only one the other would let see him without makeup on. He missed them sitting together in silence and it not being awkward, but instead being calming.
Thatch froze and his mind wandered even further down that line of thought. He thought about how happy Marco and Ace looked together. He wondered, was that how he and Izou looked when they were together? If he hadn't become so fixated with Marco, if he had just let Marco go, would it be possible for him and Izou to have become like that, to be that joyful? Is that what they could have been, is that what he wanted?
He felt conflicted, and confused. After all, he couldn't really divulge any of this to Izou for fear of completely crumbling their already strenuous relationship, especially since he didn't have anyone to lean on should things go awry. Then again, even though Marco wasn't here to clean things up, that didn't mean that he couldn't ask him for advice. Marco was called the mother hen of the crew for a reason, he was always in tune with how everyone felt and exactly how to get them to do what was needed, well that, and his doting nature. Thatch looked up from the books towards the clock on the wall and saw that it was around the time that Marco had told them he would call again. Thatch sighed and knew it was probably too late to chase down Ace and try to get in on the call with Marco today. He would have to do it later tonight and hope to get in on tomorrows call.
"Shit," Izou exclaimed suddenly making Thatch jump a little with surprise. "We fucked up."
"What do you mean?" Thatch questioned, not understanding why Izou made the sudden outburst.
"We sent Ace after Haruta and Jozu," Izou said. "They said last night that they were trying to get Ace and Marco's present ready today!"
"Shit, I completely forgot!" Thatch shouted.
"Exactly that's why we have to so stop him." Izou agreed.
…
Marco strode up the steps of the ancient looking estate with a slight hesitance. The white marble stones of the stairs and the entrance way had cracked and were covered with ash and soot. He supposed that at some point in the past, the estate had stood proud and elegant, now though it was crumbling still covered in evidence of a slaughter long since passed. This would have been his home, his estate, once upon a time, now it was like everything else in the capital was to him; nothing.
Yet, he came to pay respects to the people whom had loved him, had born him into the world, whom he'd never gotten to know. He came to pay respects to his parents, whose faces he couldn't remember. They had loved him just as much as he would love his child, yet Marco struggled to remember their names. He had barely known them for a few years before he was sent away for his own safety. He wanted to hold it against them, some small part of him anyway. Why would they not fight back, just for being pacifists or was there a reason? What reason could anyone have for not fighting when someone came calling for their death? Why would you not fight?
He hadn't brought flowers, he hoped he could eventually learn of where they were buried and take them some, but he doubted that would happen. He wondered if the council knew he was here. He had told them that he was going to retire to his room and he had waited for the guards to leave him. He snuck out and hadn't encountered a single person on his way. He suspected not many people headed this way, fear of looking like a traitor maybe.
Stepping inside the smell hit him, the smell of an abandoned building; of mildew and age. He could spot holes in the ceiling and in the walls where even the stones were burned away and had been melted. Ash still covered everything and any furniture and decorations stood decaying and damaged, rotting away. The marbled floors were covered with soot and dust, Marco's steps left prints in the film of dirt.
"You shouldn't be here, phoenix." A low voice rumbled.
Marco turned and saw a man smoking a couple large cigars standing in the doorway his jacket was open and behind him was the familiar figure of Tashigi. Marco surmised whom the man was, the missing final council member; Smoker. Marco faced the man and shrugged.
"Should you be here then, yoi?" Marco asked. "I doubt Akainu and the others would be kind to anyone who would venture here, yoi."
"They know where my loyalty is, phoenix, and they know where yours is as well." Smoker grumbled. "You may be allowed to stay in the capital but that doesn't mean that you have free reign to do whatever you please."
"Are you afraid of something, yoi?" Marco asked confidently. "Are you afraid I might find out whatever secret my family was hiding?"
"I'm afraid you're going to get yourself murdered before this stupid curse is lifted; that's what I'm afraid of. I'd rather not die by being burnt from the inside out." Smoker replied. "If your family was hiding anything you wouldn't find it here."
"Maybe, but wouldn't you say that even if I could find it here, yoi?" Marco asked with a grin.
"Che," Smoker huffed. "You're worse than I thought, given what Tashigi told me. Feel free to waste your time however you'd like, but this place doesn't hold the answers you're looking for."
"You see, when you say that, it makes me think that you know where the answers are, yoi." Marco replied. "So, tell me, Lord Smoker, where are the answers I'm looking for, and why haven't you attacked me yet for being here. I'd think that if you were completely loyal to Akainu, you would've attacked me already or at least have reported my activities to him instead of talking to me, yoi."
"You can think whatever you want." Smoker growled, and Marco knew he'd hit close to his mark. "I'm not your ally and that's all you need to know."
"And, you're also not my enemy which is the interesting thing, yoi." Marco replied. "After all, you're not going report this to Akainu."
"That's because I'd have to tell him that I was here."
"Why are you here, yoi?" Marco asks with his eyes narrowed, and he notices how suddenly Smoker stops his grumble-like talking. "Are you watching me in particular or are you not as loyal to your country as you'd like everyone to think you are?"
"Che, I don't owe you any explanation." Smoker finally responds and turns to leave and Tashigi follows silently.
Marco stays silent and watches them leave, but a crooked smirk unfolds on his face. This, he could use almost as much as information about his lineage. Smoker wasn't loyal to Akainu, or at the very least not as loyal as he appeared. He could use that information, he just needed to find out Smokers goal, or possibly who he was loyal to. No dragon could match Akainu in strength, so Smoker obviously couldn't openly rebel against Akainu, which explains why he was still feigning loyalty, but he wasn't completely loyal obviously. Was he working for someone? If he was it would be extremely beneficial to find out who.
It was something to think about, but he had other things to do. For now, he'd postpone this particular search plan and return to his room, where he was supposed to be. He still needed to talk to Oyaji and Ace to update them on what the council discussed as well as telling them to send Jimbe his way. He could always do more once Jimbe was here, even with a guard it wouldn't be impossible for them to do research. He also wanted to make sure that Ace knew he was safe with at least one ally with him.
…
Ace was surprised when he didn't find Haruta and Jozu in the mess-hall where they usually could be found around this time of day. This caused him to wander the halls of the Moby trying to figure out where they were hiding. It was after twenty minutes of check the common areas of the ships that Ace started to think maybe they were back in their rooms. It wasn't like them to keep so much to themselves, but then again, he'd spent most of his time with Marco, so he didn't know them as well as he felt he should.
He started to find his way back towards the rooms of the commanders, and then he heard loud footfalls behind him. He turned to see Thatch and Izou running up to him, he frowned and tilted his head wondering why they had come after him, especially since they seemed like they were in quite the rush. They breathed heavily finally stopped in front of him.
"Are you guys alright?" Ace asked messing with the fabric of Marco's belt that he still wore. "Why were you guys in such a hurry?"
Izou and Thatch paused and realized that they couldn't really tell Ace the actual reason they had come after him. Izou froze completely and looked at Thatch silently urging him to come up with an excuse. Thatch took a second as if he was catching his breath to think of a good reason.
"Have you taken your daily dose of Marco's blood today?" Thatch asked, "Because having you walk around alone before you take it could be dangerous since most of your energy is going to the baby."
"I'm fine," Ace huffed in an annoyed manner. "You guys don't need to babysit be twenty four seven."
"Yeah, but did you take it, you were supposed to take it with breakfast but I didn't see you go to the nurses afterward?" Thatch continued to question.
"I forgot," Ace admitted under his breath while looking away from the two that were in front of him.
"This is exactly why Marco told us to keep an eye on you." Izou interjected with a sigh.
"Would you stop it, I'm not a kid, I'm just not use to having to go to the nurses all the time." Ace complained.
"Yeah, yeah, come on I'll take you to the nurses, Izou you can go find Haruta and Jozu instead." Thatch insisted.
"I know where the damn nurses are!" Ace shouted. "I don't need to be led there!"
"You guys are making a real commotion, you know." Haruta stated seeming to appear out of nowhere. "You guys really shouldn't get Ace all riled up like that, who knows what Marco will do to you when he comes back."
"Haruta we were looking for you," Ace said ignoring the previous comment even though it annoyed him.
"Why," Haruta asked.
"We need some help looking through demonic histories for clues to what demon we're looking for." Ace explains, "It's so boring it keeps putting me to sleep."
"A lot of things put you to sleep, Ace." Haruta teases, but then continues seriously. "I was looking for you too. Marco's on the den-den mushi, so if you go to the throne room you can talk to him. He says he won't be able to call later because of some big event that's going on in the Fire Nation later."
"Okay," Ace chirped happily taking of in a run towards the throne room leaving the other to shout after him.
"Don't run idiot, you could pass out again." Thatch shouts after him, but sighs when he realizes that he's been ignored in Ace's rush to talk to Marco.
"You forgot, didn't you," Haruta accused with narrowed eyes. "You were supposed to keep Ace distracted for us."
"Yeah, sorry about that, but it is fine isn't it? He didn't find out about it." Izou replied.
"He was close to," Haruta answered. "It would really suck if he found out what we were doing and ruined the surprise, don't you think."
"We'll be more careful." Thatch promised. "We do need help with the research though, the two of us and sleepy head aren't really making any progress."
"Fine, I'll see if a couple of the other commanders can help but Jozu, Vista, and I are too busy right now." Haruta granted. "And don't let Ace over this way during the day again. We're making too much noise and have too many things going in and out to be secretive if he's over here."
"We got it," Thatch replied. "Still we're lucky that Marco called when he did."
…
"Do you have to cure him?" Ace asked with concern.
"It's not really like I can refuse now, yoi." Marco replied. "Anyway they won't attack me after agreeing to the truce. It being a public affair might also be in our best interest, after all they definitely can't attack me in public after swearing on their seats that they wouldn't. It would cause a major uprising if they did, yoi."
"Yeah but it's Akainu and you can't really trust him." Ace mumbled.
"True, but he won't do something that's against his best interests. This truce will go a long way in placating the public that is already extremely restless. He knows better than to do that, yoi. He's strong but if he has to fight half of his own country, it would only serve to weaken him to the point where we could easily defeat him, yoi." Marco assured. "Also they've agreed to let Jimbe come here, so that way I won't be completely without any allies here. So you won't have to worry as much, yoi. Jimbe is very strong against them since he's from the water Nation."
"Still, it's only the two of you against all of them."
Marco chuckled and said, "The Council Members won't attack us since they're publicly agreeing to the truce tonight, and anyone lower than them won't stand a chance against Jimbe and I, yoi. Although there will be guards accompanying us once Jimbe gets here."
"That will make it harder for you guys to move freely there then." Ace said. "Are you still going to be able to find allies there if you're being watched all the time?"
"If it comes to it Jimbe and I will just have to find a way to lose the guard for a little while, yoi." Marco said with an unseen shrug. "I think there's a good opportunity to make some powerful allies, though. I went to my family's old estate and while I was there I met the last council member, the one who doesn't come to meeting. I think he's planning something against Akainu, yoi. He didn't report me going there to Akainu, and I'm sure he wasn't supposed to be there either."
"Marco, you said you would be careful!" Ace shouted.
"I was, I lost the guards, yoi." Marco claimed.
"But you were followed by a council member." Ace retorted. "What if it had been Akainu?"
"Ace, I'm alright, and Smoker may be a good ally if we can find out who he works for, yoi."
"You have to be more careful," Ace continued to argue. "You said I'm not allowed to do anything but you're taking all of these risks."
"I have to find out what they're hiding from me, yoi." Marco insisted. "My encounter with Smoker today makes me feel like I was right to think that there's something about my species that the Fire Nation and Akainu don't want us to know, yoi. And if we can find out who Smoker works for we could make him help us even if he doesn't want to."
"That makes it sound like you plan to put yourself into even more danger." Ace grumbled.
"I know, I'm sorry, yoi." Marco apologized. "I have to figure out what's going on though."
"Yeah, I know." Ace conceded.
"I won't be able to call again tonight." Marco added. "I don't know how long the ceremony will take and I'll probably just want to sleep afterwards."
"You'll call tomorrow, right." Ace asked
"Absolutely," Marco said. "I have to go, the ceremony is going to start soon and I can't really be late, yoi."
"Alright," Ace sighed. "I love you."
"I love you too, yoi."
…
"I'm so grateful, to the council and sir Marco as well for the survival of our two children." The mother of the two children that Marco healed the night before spoke to a huge crowd just in front of the council building. "I knew that we could only expect one of our children to be saved and we had to make the hardest decision that a parent could ever have to make. Do we save our daughter or our son, but Marco and the council saved them both. I know that this peace is only going to be temporary, and that war will come soon. Yet, if it means that this curse will be gone, then I don't regret anything that the council or our opponents do to make that possible. I know some of you may be opposed to this peace and some of you may be opposed to war, but right now I hope you can all do what's best for this country and support the council in the measures they've taken to guaranteed the health and survival of those who are affected by this terrible curse. Thank you." The woman stopped speaking and with a quick bow to the council left the stage.
The ceremony was about though based on Marco's estimate. The only things left were for the council to publicly swear not to harm Marco or wage war while the truce was in place and for Marco to heal Akainu. Marco had to wonder how much all of the speeches had been influenced by the council's suggestions. The whole family that Marco had helped last night had spoken and each one had claimed that the council had also played a role in getting both children healed, when in reality they were the ones who told the parents they would have to choose between their children. He wondered if the Council had schooled them on what to say to give themselves that credit or if the family just felt intimidated enough to say it on their own. Still, if the council wanted to spread propaganda in their own country there wasn't really anything Marco could do about it.
"Next," Tsuru said, addressing the audience, "My fellow council members and I will swear on our seats that we will not engage in acts of war against the Earth Nation while this truce is in place, until the agreed upon time is reached as long as the curse is cured within the promised time frame."
The council members, including Akainu rose and placed a hand over their hearts. They were about to swear to the pact when they were interrupted.
"I'm so sorry to cut in," Teach's voice said in a way that wasn't far from mocking. "Fire Nation council members and Marco. I would like to apologize for my impotence. I've discussed the matter with my nation's council and the Dark Nation would also like to take part in this truce if you will still allow us."
"Very well," Akainu growled, "hurry up then."
Teach climbed the stairs to the stage and Marco couldn't help to narrow his eyes at the man. He hadn't expect Teach to agree to the truce. There wasn't a real detriment to Marco from Teach joining, however he still worried. Teach was tricky and his presence in the meetings might make it harder for Marco to make the council see reason. Then there was the fact that Teach would certainly be more concerned about Marco's movements, making it harder to move freely as well, however even that could be avoid.
The council was quick to swear the oath and then the event was quickly moved onto the next portion. This was what Marco himself was most concerned about. Phoenixes endured great pain during healing, but he knew that he couldn't show any weakness or pain, he didn't want to give Akainu or anyone else something to exploit. He sealed himself mentally to endure the pain and not let anyone know what he was experiencing either.
"Finally, as a sign a good faith," Tsuru continued, "Sir Marco has agreed to cure Lord Akainu of the curse as well. Please allow this to calm you, and know that we will do everything and everything to make sure as few lives are lost to this curse as possible."
Tsuru nodded and both Akainu and Marco rose from their seats and stepped forward closer to the audience. Akainu gave Marco a smug and challenging look, Marco didn't let it bother him. Yes, he had to cure his enemy right now but soon he let himself think, soon he would also destroy this man.
"Hand, yoi." Marco said.
Akainu lifted his hand and Marco grabbed it by the wrist with both hands. He calmed his mind and called on his healing flames. They erupted of him and Akainu and the crowd gasped in surprise and wonder. The pain start immediately, but Marco didn't let himself flinch. He had to do this, he had to be strong, for his family and for Ace and their child. He wanted to collapse and scream but he didn't, he wouldn't, instead he glared fiercely at the man he was healing. To anyone looking on it would seem as if Marco wasn't in pain at all but rather he was silently saying, this is my strength this is what you should fear; me.
Still, he was in pain as if he want to give out, as if he was dying. Yet, he thought of Ace, and his smile, and the time they had already spent together, and all the time he would spend with him after this was over. A woosh sound suddenly filled his ears and Marco's eyes widened as he watched the flames on his own body change colors. The flames on Akainu stayed the same blue color but those covering Marco had turned a vibrant oranges and reds; they were Ace's flames and even Marco could feel their heat even though he wasn't hurt by them, instead he felt nothing; no pain.
How, Marco wondered as his flames were still obviously healing Akainu, yet he no longer felt any pain from the experience. The flames weren't his but as he continued to heal Akainu, he reached out in his mind to them and they answered. He could feel them becoming part of him red flaming feathers growing where blue ones would normally. They were his, but they were Ace's. How, he asked himself. He had never heard about any of this happening before. The blue flames on Akainu died as he was completely healed and Akainu stepped away not seeming to understand how a blue phoenix had gained red flames, and Marco didn't either, but now he glare into Akainu's eyes again with a sly smile and then let it die with the flame.
Still his smirk was one of confidence and superiority. He looked around and saw he had left scorch marks on the wood of the stage. It was real it had actually happened. What did it mean? There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but for the first time after healing he didn't feel tired, he felt energized. He tested the flames again. He called the blue to one had and the orange to the other and stood in wonder as both answered. Marco smiled genuinely. Now more than ever he felt as if he could protect everyone that he needed to. He turned towards the audience and spoke much to Akainu's anger.
"People of the Fire Nation," Marco said. "It was long ago that you saw phoenixes flying here, that you knew that my family wanted to help you. But the phoenixes aren't dead and I haven't forgotten you. I'm not a member of your council or your nation. But, my family, Whitebeard's army, and I will cure this curse. It's time to decide again, will you accept our help even with everything that's happened until now?" Marco paused and added, "You don't need to forgive us, but let us help you, let us show you war isn't the only answer, yoi."
The crowd rose in cheers and Marco let loose the flames on his hands crafting them into two phoenixes a red and a blue. The fire flew over the crowds who were jubilant until they faded away. With the fire on his hands dismissed he turned to a seething Akainu. Their eyes met and Marco knew that this was the man he had to destroy, and now he was more certain than ever that he could.
…
It's done finally, oh my goodness that took so long to write because it wasn't really as fun as some of the other chapters were. Anyway, sorry for the wait, I would give you all my reasons for taking so long but it would just take too long to write, so, I'll just apologize for the wait instead. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I should be able to write more frequently now that things have calmed down around here. I'm so excited now! I'll hopefully hear from ya'll soon and hopefully the next chapter won't take near as long.
-LPC