just1randomhooman: Thank you! I'm glad you like it.
Wishfull-star: Thanks! I'm so happy you like it.
Lot's of stuff happens in this chapter. Enjoy~
Ace was laying in the big, comfortable bed in the palace, across from Marco's room, wide awake and staring out of the wide windows. It was nice here. He would admit that. The bath was wonderful, even if, halfway through it Spade walked in, too big, and caused water to overflow. Marco helped him out with laying towels out, not seeming irritated with Spade at all.
The teen had a feeling Marco appreciated the dragon's company. He'd told Ace so many times that he deserved all of the love in the world, and Spade showed that he loved Ace. During the night, he'd left out of the open window after Ace reminded him not to leave the castle grounds. He had come back later with a flower, though it was destroyed. He took the flower happily and laid it on the dresser next to the bed.
So, he had Spade sleeping in the bed with him, but really wanted somebody else. He wanted Marco to cuddle with him, now that there was a bed big enough for both of them. They could never snuggle at Ace's place since one of the step assholes was always there. They rarely all left the house.
He and Marco had snuggled in the meadow, mostly in bird forms while he had a wing over Ace's much smaller body. But he wanted Marco to come visit him, even though he knew he couldn't. They couldn't go on flights together, go to the meadow or anywhere else because they were stuck at the palace for safety reasons.
They didn't know Ace was a phoenix like the prince was, but they expected him to stay on the grounds since Blackbeard might target him to get to Spade. If Ace was in danger, he knew Spade would come in a second. But he didn't want his dragon friend to get hurt or killed. It would break his heart. That this innocent but powerful creature chose him to be with. Losing him would be awful.
He knew the dragon might someday leave him, and though he'd miss him, he'd be happy that he got to live life as a free dragon. Ace wouldn't shackle him to himself. But he felt Spade had done that to him, with the bite that formed the mark. He didn't know what it was for, but he did feel it had somehow at least made Spade feel closer to Ace.
The red phoenix did wonder whether Spade chose him because of what he was. Or maybe he was just the first human he'd ever seen, so he got attached. He probably would never know. He was just about to fall asleep when he heard, Can I come in?
Yeah. Was Marco there to snuggle? He didn't want to get his hopes up. He probably wouldn't risk that. When he entered the room, he locked the door behind him. He was wearing loose clothes, sleep clothes. He walked to the bed and laid on the side Spade wasn't napping on. Ace asked if this was a good idea.
"If Vivi and Nami are brave enough to sleep together, I should, too," he said and kissed Ace's forehead. He smiled softly and put his back to Marco, who automatically got in a spooning position. They both sighed in happiness. Maybe this would be the best part of staying in the palace. He wasn't sure, but he'd take advantage of this situation in this way.
When they woke up, Marco hugged Ace to his chest, burying his face in Ace's hair. "That was really nice," Ace said softly. Marco nodded against Ace's neck. He said he loved sleeping with him.
"You're so warm," Marco sighed. Ace smiled and then rolled over. He asked if Marco should go back to his room. He looked at the clock on the wall and nodded. Nami should have left already, since she left before Marco woke up most mornings. He kissed Ace's cheeks softly and then went to the door, closing his eyes and making sure nobody was around before he left the room, closing the large door with a "click".
Spade had gotten out of the bed sometime during the night and was laying spread out on the carpeted floor of the guest bedroom. Ace was much happier that morning than the night before. Eating at the dinner table had been uncomfortable. Whitebeard was talking to him a lot, and Ace didn't really have much more to say. He answered most of the questions, but besides that, didn't contribute much to the table. Vivi smiled at him a lot, though. Ace was grateful for her, that she was okay with Marco being with Ace.
And he thought that she was a wonderful person based on how he'd heard she treated Nami. Marco said that Vivi treated Nami like more of a princess than the other did. It was sweet, and Ace hoped they'd be able to stay together, even if it was to run away. But he wouldn't make Marco abandon his family. He loved them very much.
At breakfast, he started to feel really cold. So cold that his breath was coming out as fog. Nobody noticed but him. He looked to his shoulder and saw mist was coming out of Spade's mouth, too. He hurried, excused himself from the table and ran out of the room. Marco called after him, but Ace ignored it. He had a feeling of the consequences of Spade biting him, whatever the reason was for.
They sprinted out, and Ace jumped onto Spade's back, who flew away as fast as he could. Ace was shivering intensely. He didn't feel safe around anybody else at the moment. He tried to warm himself by rubbing his arms, but nothing helped. Spade started to shiver, too, and crashed into the nearest mountain, far from any town.
Ace hit the rocks hard, slamming his face into it, but it healed over. He saw Spade's arm was snapped in half, but it healed in a blaze of red flames. Ace was scared. The mountain beneath his hands started to freeze over, the same for his dragon. Spade had claimed him and now they shared abilities. He was Ace's dragon and Ace was his human.
He heard Marco asking what was wrong frantically in his head. I-I'm so cold. I'm scared!
I'm coming! Marco shouted. Ace didn't have the energy to tell him to not come. He did want Marco, but he was afraid he'd get injured. He didn't know the extent of the ice's reach. The nearby trees started to freeze over. Ace had tears down his face that turned to ice the moment they hit the ground.
Marco was there, then, holding him from behind. "It's okay. You're okay," he said, rocking Ace back and forth as he got even colder. He saw his fingers turning red and then a nasty blue. Frostbite. He was afraid his fingers would fall off. That they'd be ruined. Marco was shivering now, too. Ace couldn't bring himself to tell him to leave. He was selfish.
Spade whimpered, and had wide eyes as he looked at Ace. It was a look of guilt and shame. Ace reached a shaking hand to his dragon, not blaming him. He didn't know this would happen. If he did, Ace knew he wouldn't have made him go through it as well.
Ace's body started to get covered in frost before the mark on his arm emitted bright light, blinding Ace. It burnt away his sleeve, and Ace could see the tips of Spade's wings and tail emitting the same light.
He was still freezing cold, but saw his fingers that were gripping Marco's arm turn back to his normal color. The frostbite was disappearing, but he was still so cold. Shivering. Marco had taken off his long sleeved shirt and put in on Ace.
The teen was feeling a little better, no longer in pain, but the cold wasn't going away. He was still shivering, his teeth chattering. Marco continued to hold him, and Ace could hear him shushing him, the ringing in his ears fading. Spade was panting next to them. The teen pulled his hands up, and looked at them, still shivering.
He had light blue marks on the tips of his fingers and thumbs. He didn't know what was going on and what would happen next. His arm continued to shine brightly, and after a couple full minutes of fear and shivering, he started to feel warmer. Marco looked like he was freezing, holding Ace to his chest.
Ace grabbed his arms, but could see ice spread from his fingertips. He pulled them away, terrified. His fingers had started to freeze Marco. Would he ever be able to hold his hands again? "Shhh, we're okay, you're okay," Marco said softly, and put his hand behind Ace's head gently. Spade had stopped panting, but his tail was whipping around in agitation and anxiety. He was scared and confused, too.
Marco took his gloves off and gave them to Ace, slipping them over his cold hands. The ice didn't freeze through the leather. He kissed Ace's forehead. "See, you're okay, and I'm okay," Marco said, giving Ace a loving look even though he was still shivering. The glowing from his arm had still not subsided, hadn't dulled at all. It was still bright. Ace's eyes got used to it, and Marco's had, too.
He took his belt off and wrapped it around Ace's arm, hiding the shine beneath the thick leather. Spade still glowed, uncovered. "I'm sorry," Ace murmured. Marco asked why he was sorry, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes. "For causing you trouble and worry."
"You don't need to apologize, baby," Marco said. "It's not your fault, and it's not Spade's. You both are so freaked out. Besides, I'm not cold anymore, and nothing bad happened. We'll be okay," he assured, kissing Ace's cheeks. The teen sniffled and wiped his eyes.
"Wh-What if I'm d-dangerous?" he asked through the tears. "I got ice from my fingers!" Marco pointed out that the gloves were keeping the ice away. Ace looked at the gloves in devastation. "What if I can't ever feel you again?" he asked in a broken voice. He loved holding Marco's hands, running his hands through his hair. What if he could never do that again?
This was what got Marco, biting his lip harshly as he clearly tried to compose himself. "Well, once you can control it, we can touch all we want." The prince ran his hands up Ace's arms. "Nowhere else is freezing." He leaned forward and kissed Ace on the lips, a soft peck. "And I can still kiss you. For now, covering your hands is not something to be devastated about." He touched Ace's face and said that he could still feel him, even if it wasn't on his hands.
Ace sniffled and nodded. He turned to Spade, and asked if he was able to control the ice. He nodded. It made sense. He was a dragon, of course he got used to it. Was there ever anybody like Ace? Bonded with a dragon and sharing abilities? He had nothing to go off of, no guide. He was scared, and silent, lost in his thoughts. Marco was still holding him, patiently letting him gather his thoughts.
"Do you think there's anybody else like me?" he asked, finally. Marco said he really didn't know.
"We can ask one of the kingdoms that has many dragons in it. Goa is pretty far from here, so getting any information would take awhile, but they're pretty much infested with dragons. Maybe they have someone in your situation. After all, Spade knew to do that with you. Maybe dragons inherently can do that." Ace thought it was helpful to ask other kingdoms. But he didn't want to wait weeks or months for an answer.
Marco said they should get back. It wasn't safe to be out in the open like this, all three of them easily visible from much of the forest. Ace stood up shakily and nodded. He wanted to fly, so he flew between Marco and Spade, both of them much, much larger than he was in his phoenix form.
Once the palace grounds were in sight, Ace shifted and rode on his dragon's back. He wasn't cold anymore. Ace hoped he'd get control soon, too. Man, his step family would be even more terrified! Now, not only is a dragon with Ace, but both have ice abilities? They had to make sure Spade never got injured in front of the others or they'd know something was up, with phoenix flames healing the dragon.
Izo would probably be the one to figure it out first, like he had about their relationship. And so far he'd kept his word, not exposing them to anybody, even the king. When they got back to the palace, Ace made sure the gloves were on and the belt was over his arm. The light was just too bright for comfort. He could see the slight light coming from a sliver of skin that didn't fit under the belt.
"We'll get you something proper to put over that. A belt like that is useless," Marco commented. Ace wanted to hold his hand, but knew he couldn't. But it wasn't like he'd feel his skin with these gloves on. He stopped outside of the open, glass door, and took off his left glove. Marco's left glove. The blue dots on his fingertips were still there.
He touched a bush, and the leaves froze and cracked. He hurriedly put the glove back on, gripping it tightly, the corners of his lips turned down deeply. "Spade, make sure to be careful and not use the ice around other humans, okay?" The dragon nodded. He looked so ashamed. "I forgive you. You don't have to feel bad, okay?" He still looked sad, but nodded again.
Marco put his hand on Ace's shoulder, the most he could touch him with guards around. "You'll be okay," the prince said sincerely. Ace didn't nod, and heard Thatch and Izo running out. They called out if everything was okay. Can we tell them? Marco asked. Ace replied that it would be pointless to hide it, they'd know something was up and would watch him even more closely, which he didn't want.
"What happened?!" Thatch asked, eyes wide in bewilderment with both of them just ditching suddenly.
Ace told them to be prepared for a bright light and took the belt off, showing the glowing tattoo, no longer a pitch black color. It was pretty, in Ace's honest opinion. But it was too bright and Thatch and Izo had their eyes shut at the brightness. Ace tightened the belt around it again. Izo asked what it was. Thatch nodded along.
"Spade bit me and this just showed up. It wasn't glowing until now," Ace said, and gestured to Spade's light, though it was thankfully dimmer and not terribly bright. Ace knew they could cover his tail, but his wings would be troublesome. So, hopefully it stayed relatively dim. Thatch asked why he ran away, though.
Ace looked down, wondering how to answer. "Spade developed his ability. I did, too…" Ace said simply, softly. He looked down at the gloves. Izo looked shocked and asked what it was. "I was right. It was ice. I lost control, so I fled. The gloves seem to be working." Thatch asked if he could see it. Ace sighed, contemplating. Well, maybe he would not pester Ace if he showed him. He took off the left glove and showed the pale blue spots on the tips of his fingers.
"That's weird," Thatch said. Izo smacked his head, telling him not to be insensitive. Ace was blushing at that. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it to be disrespectful! I've just never seen anything like this," the chef/prince insisted. Ace nodded, accepting his apology. He looked back down at his gloves. "We can make you some nice gloves and a cover for your arm," the pompadoured prince said.
"Thanks. I'm sorry to cause you trouble," Ace replied sincerely. Spade rubbed his face against Ace's, in full form still since flying Ace back to the palace. Thatch and Izo looked slightly uneasy with his bigger size, but didn't say or do anything about it. The king came out of the palace then, walking to the group of young men. He stood in front of Ace and next to Izo, and asked what had happened, why he'd fled the palace. Ace looked away and explained what had happened, leaving out Marco's comforting actions.
Vivi was watching from the doorway that the others had walked out from. Whitebeard looked very surprised. "I will ask for help from Goa kingdom. They have many dragons there, somebody might be similar to your situation," he offered. Ace nodded and thanked him with a bow.
Ace was immediately made gloves and an arm band, since the mark was still glowing. Spade was downcast, and no matter what Ace said, he still was upset, so the teen eventually stopped saying anything and only gave physical comfort with pets and pats. He really didn't blame him. Yeah, this was inconvenient and scary, but he clearly didn't know this would happen.
The gloves were black, matching Spade's skin and his own hair, and the armband was red. He liked it. Both were comfortable and breathable. And they did their job. Ace's hands were chilly, but didn't seem dangerous.
He was walking to the bathhouse to see if he froze water when he was called by Vivi. He hadn't spoken to her directly yet, mostly her looking at him and most of the time smiling. He entered the nearest room with her, feeling nervous. Spade was on his shoulder despite being upset and feeling guilty.
"Ace, I've heard a lot about you. And I'd like to thank you for being with Marco. I know it was his decision, too, but that decision is letting me be with the person I love. So, thank you for letting Marco be okay with this situation," she said, and then surprised Ace with a bow.
He replied immediately. "I have to thank you for doing this for Marco. He doesn't feel trapped. And… I get to be with him, and I'm really happy about that."
Vivi said, "If we get found out, I have no doubt he'd fight valiantly to keep you. I think you have little to worry about." Ace smiled and thanked her. It made him feel a bit better, even if he was still nervous to be found out by the king. He didn't know how he'd react, and Vivi and Nami would run away. Would it be Ace's fault that Marco would have to choose another princess? Who most likely would not be okay with this situation. That was a worst case scenario.
There was a knock on the door, and he heard Marco ask for Ace. He had a neutral tone, which Ace didn't like but knew was necessary. But then he spoke in Ace's head, which made him feel better. I have a room to show you, he said in an excited voice. A stark difference between his previous voice out loud.
Ace walked to the door and opened it to find Marco there, smiling at him, though not in a way of love. He led Ace to the room he was excited to show him, and they came into a library, with probably thousands of books. Ace looked around in awe, and Marco smiled about it. "We have all genres of books. I wanted to show you in case you get bored being stuck on the palace grounds."
Ace thanked him and asked if there were any fantasy books. He hadn't read one in years. Alvida didn't think books were important, and since he had decided he would no longer be walked on, he hadn't really thought about reading. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. It was only almost a month and a half of being with Marco. But it felt so much longer.
He showed him a large collection of books, and read plenty of obviously fiction books. Marco went to one row and said that those were his favorites. He read them as a teenager, younger than Ace but more advanced than the age he was. Ace picked out one of them, and looked around to see there were couches. They looked fluffy. He sat on one of them. It was so comfortable.
"This is so comfortable," he sighed. Marco smiled and asked if he wanted company, or some peace and quiet. Spade jumped off of his shoulder to rest next to him on the couch. "Some peace and quiet would be nice." Marco nodded, and said he'd come get him when lunch was ready. Ace nodded, and got to reading.
His gloves were annoying, but they were skin tight, so not baggy. Just annoying. He didn't dare touching Marco's favorite book and freezing it by accident. It was important to him and there was no way he'd risk ruining it.
He sneezed and a puff of cold air came from his mouth. He chuckled at it. It was so stupid. He wasn't cold, but took off the arm band to see the mark was still shining, though not as bright as before. He wondered if it'd ever go out, or would shine forever, glowing a bright yellow light, like a lamp would, but brighter.
Curiously enough, Spade's was slowly dimming. Maybe it was because his body was used to the powers, being a dragon and all. What if Ace's body wasn't, and the lit up mark was keeping him safe? Well, he wouldn't know unless there was another like him in Goa kingdom. He'd heard of it in passing, but never that it had many dragons.
The teen had always been more interested in phoenixes than dragons, which made sense, since he was a phoenix. He read for a good two hours, lost in the book. Marco did come get him for lunch, seeing Spade had moved to Ace's lap and was curled up. When he touched Ace to get his attention, as the couch had the back facing the door, Marco shivered.
Ace looked up, and touched his other arm with the forearm of his left one. He couldn't tell with his hands, after all. He was pretty cold. He looked down sadly and apologized to Marco. Baby, it's not your fault. And being chilly is a small trade to being with you. Ace blushed and nodded. He reached for Marco's hand before pulling it back, remembering they couldn't hold or touch in any intimate way in the palace, besides Ace's bedroom at night, that is.
Spade jumped off of Ace's lap when he said he was going to get lunch. Spade looked out of the high window sadly. "I'm sorry you can't go hunting. You can still fly around the grounds as long as you don't hurt the horses." His head nodded, but Ace had a feeling he wanted to hunt his own food. And it made sense, since he was a wild creature.
He may behave and listen to Ace, but he still knew Spade wasn't a pet, but a partner. His dragon, but not his pet. More like a bonded creature, family of a sorts. It was a bit hard to explain if anybody asked him. He, Marco and Spade went to the kitchen, where the food was already spread along the table. Ace sat in a fancy chair across from Marco, and cautiously served himself until Thatch told him he could eat as much as he wanted. He served a bit more, but not that much. Spade had a plate with bloody deer meat on it, and he seemed all right with that, and it was a lot. Like, the whole deer. He ate in his normal size.
"Thanks for taking Spade's food into account," Ace said earnestly. Izo said he was there for protection, so feeding him as best as they could only made sense. Whitebeard asked how the gloves were working. Ace said they were working just fine, nothing odd had happened. Then he was asked about his arm, if it was still glowing.
Ace just barely lifted it up, and then nodded, even though everyone else had seen the light shine from under the arm band. Thatch said Ace was so cool. He has no idea, Marco's voice said such a loving voice. Ace blushed from Ace, not Thatch, even though that's what everyone else thought.
He wondered how they'd feel about him not only having what seem to be ice powers, but was also a phoenix and could talk to their brother telepathically. What would they think of him then? Maybe that he was a freak, he wasn't sure. He looked at his gloved hands sadly. After breakfast, he tried to bring the dishes to the kitchen, but the palace workers cleaned up before he had a chance. He felt useless, wanted to work somehow.
He went outside after that, and sat on the grassy area, the place where he and Marco had first hung out. He smiled lightly at the memory that was only six weeks ago. It just felt so much longer. That he'd been with Marco for years. He hoped they were able to last that long.
The phoenix had a rock in his hands, and wanted to see the extent of his freezing power. He took his gloves off and held the rock, first with his palms and the heel of his hands, not using his fingers. That seemed fine, but when he put the blue marks on their tips on the stone, it froze over. He was able to crack it in half. It froze the inside of the rock, too, somehow.
He touched the grass, and the ice formed a thick frost on the plants. He put the gloves back on. It looked like he'd be wearing them for a while. Hopefully the effects would dim soon. That would make him happy and relieved. He heard footsteps behind him, and saw a guard. He had two thick cigars in his mouth. He didn't look the friendliest. "The king has requested you don't go this far out from the palace." Ace frowned and looked to Spade. He was more than enough protection. "That order goes to the dragon as well." The mythical creature was not happy with being constrained. It was bad enough being stuck on the palace grounds, but being limited on where to go would be annoying to him.
Ace asked if there were guards all around the perimeter. "Yes, but the king's orders are absolute. Go back nearer to the palace." He sounded really rude, but Ace sighed and got up, making sure the gloves were on snugly. Spade glared angrily at the guard, lifting his lips in rage. "Spade, they just want us to be safe. I'll try to talk to the king about it, okay?"
He huffed, but nodded, and the two went back to the palace. "I wish I could fly, too. You're not alone. I'm sure Marco feels the same as well," Ace said. "All three of us are trapped here. So, you can share your frustration with me, but please don't take it out on anything." The dragon agreed to this, and they entered the palace again.
"I have an idea where we can both feel the wind, even if we're not flying," Ace said. He looked up to the incredibly tall roof. "We can go up there," he said, and pointed to it. Spade looked like he liked this idea. Ace looked behind them at the smoking guard and went out of his sight, around a corner so he couldn't see them.
Not wanting to risk exposing himself, Ace climbed onto Spade's back, and he easily flew to the roof, making sure to change sizes when they landed. There was only a small sliver of flat roof, everything else was slanted. Being three tall stories up with a high roof, they did both feel the wind. It was nice, and Ace closed his eyes at it.
"This can be our hiding place where nobody but Marco can find us." Marco, I just want to let you know that Spade and I are sitting on the roof of the palace.
Alright, be careful and don't be seen.
Okay, I will. It was nice that Marco was fine with this, and didn't freak out about it. Part of that reason could definitely be that they hung out on the roof of his home all the time. He wondered what was happening to it while he was gone. Were they remodeling it? Messing everything up? If they were, he'd kick them out. He held that threat over their heads at all times. It was a dick move, but they deserved it big time.
The two of them stayed on the roof for a while, eventually Ace laying down with his head resting on his dragon's stomach. Eventually, Marco appeared and sat next to Ace. He hadn't been seen. "Maybe this is where we can have time for each other," Marco said. Ace moved so he wasn't resting on Spade anymore, who stayed asleep, and leaned against Marco instead. "How are you?" he asked, kissing Ace's forehead.
The roof was tall and nobody would be able to see them easily. Ace felt safe up there. "Okay. I tried taking the gloves off, but they froze through a rock and I was able to crack it in half. I'm worried about touching somebody and burning them."
Ace was surprised when Marco took his glove off, and touched their fingers together. Marco's turned red, but the blue flames erased the injury. He kissed his pointer finger, and the same happened to his lips. "It's very cold, but worth it," Marco said. Ace blushed and put the glove back on.
He just didn't feel good freezing Marco's skin like that. Then Ace changed the subject and told him about the smoking guard who told him to go closer to the palace, and that Spade wasn't happy about it. He continued to sleep. "It's for his protection, but I understand how he feels. How you must feel, too."
Ace nodded, knowing that was true. Marco then apologized for them not being able to go out on dates or exploring. Unable to be phoenixes together, unable to go to the meadow for some alone time, even if it was only eating good food. "It's not your fault some creep is trying to kill off mythical creatures. This is safer than me being at home, even if it sort of feels like a jail." Marco winced at that, and Ace apologized.
"Never apologize for expressing how you feel," he said in a serious voice. "You can always tell the truth to me, and you know I won't judge." It was true. Marco never thought badly of him when he bad mouthed or annoyed his step family. Even though he was a prince and was close to his own. He'd never been abused like Ace had, but he never made him feel bad about it. Not a single time had he told Ace he shouldn't piss them off, take revenge. He knew Ace wasn't a bad person, even if he could be a real jerk.
He never showed that side to Marco, never feeling the need or want to do it. He only reserved that attitude for his step family. Even with people in town, he wasn't a jerk or selfish. He was friendly to everyone, as best as he could be. He wanted to tell others how he wanted to be treated, even if it had rarely worked.
He had no friends. No family. All he had was Marco and now Spade, too. It was enough, but he did wish more people cared about him. More people went out of their way to talk to him, hang out with him, invite him to parties or gatherings. "Stop thinking about it," Marco said softly. Ace looked up at him in confusion. "I'm sure you'll make good friends and more loved ones once you leave that wretched 'family'."
"That's not fair. You're not allowed to read my mind. I mean emotional wise," he added when Marco raised his brows. But he could only read Ace's thoughts if he wanted him to, and vice versa. "Is it weird that I feel like it's been longer than six weeks?" Ace asked shyly.
Marco shook his head and said he felt the same. Ace smiled lightly. Then he asked, "What would you do… if we got caught?" Marco immediately replied he'd refuse anyone telling him they couldn't be together." Ace asked about when he and Vivi got married. "We'll probably continue how things are now. She loves Nami too much to give up their relationship. Same for me. I know if she was told she had to leave Nami, she'd be gone just like that."
Ace looked down and said he hoped they could be together as long, or ideally longer, as Vivi and Nami. "Me, too." Ace started to shiver, feeling cold, but not freezing. Marco put his arm around his shoulders and rubbed his opposite arm. "Do you want me to get you a blanket?" he asked kindly.
"It wouldn't make much difference. The cold is coming from inside, not outside," the teen replied. "I think I'll just have to get used to it," he sighed. Marco said he'd be there to help. Then they both heard Thatch calling Marco's name. It was easy to hear over the wind on the tall roof. He kissed Ace's cheek and said he should get to Thatch before he started frantically searching the grounds. Ace nodded, and Marco flew down. The red phoenix stayed up on the roof.