AN: And here we are guys, the first chapter of the long awaited Deconstruct, my major fantasy Ace/Luffy story~ Truthfully, I have no idea where I'm going with it – I only have the vague
outlines of a plot in mind, but a dozen or so origin stories planned out.
I'm also gonna mention this now – there's gonna be some Law/Kid and Crocodile/Doflamingo in the future as well!
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! Any feedback would be wonderful~
ALSO! Big thank you to The Red Harlequin On The Luna for betaing!
-one-
-The Intruders-
The sky was split open by a sword of blinding yellow light, and Ace was left standing in fear and awe.
They'd been found. The war had finally reached them.
Humans and half-bloods alike were running and screaming, some trying to maintain order, but the majority trying to find an escape from the city they'd made their home for decades. The scent of blood was nearly overpowering - even from so far away it reached Ace, and he had to reign in his inner fire before he gave himself away.
Though in this chaos... he doubted he would be noticed.
He tightened his grip on the tiny hand in his own. The little boy beside him was putting on a brave front, but his body racked with shivers and tears leaked a steady trail down his cheeks. Ace bit his lip, wishing he had some way to comfort the boy, but there wasn't anything he could do.
Words were meaningless. They'd known this day would come.
The scent of magic suddenly swept away the blood, a heavy layer of ozone settled - it made every hair on Ace's body stand to attention. The sounds of the panicked people died down, and everyone froze in their tracks, caught in the haze. He felt a fog cover his mind and his lids grew heavy, and when he realized what was happening he forced his eyes open wide, a sense of dread curling in his stomach.
He barely had time to pull the boy into his arms and press him against the wall, protecting him with his body as well as he could when the explosion rent the air.
It was fire and heat and light.
He felt his skin burning, the scent of cooked flesh pungent, causing him to gag. He held the little boy in his arms as tightly as he could, even as they shook with pain, because if he didn't then the boy would die, and Ace would be left with nothing.
Again.
He coughed as the air cleared and fell to his knees, taking the small body with him. It was eerily silent, and Ace started to panic as he pushed the boy away so he could see him properly.
"Luffy?" He whispered. "Come on Luffy, don't do this to me, come on..."
The little boy - Luffy - stared at Ace with shocked eyes. There was a large cut on his face, just under his left eye, from where a piece of shrapnel had him hit him; but other than that there were only a few minor burns and bruises.
Tentatively, Luffy reached out a hand and placed it on the elder boy's shoulder. "A-Ace, you're back..."
"It's fine," he said dismissively. "Come on, we need to get out of here."
Without giving Luffy a chance to protest, Ace picked him up once again, and turned to face the decimated street. Burnt corpses littered the ground, from those who were unfortunate enough not to have gotten away. Many of the buildings were completely destroyed, with only the barest foundations left standing, and Ace realized just how lucky he was that they had been a... relatively safe distance away from the source of the explosion.
There was the distant sound of shouting, harsh and in a language Ace didn't know, and it sent terror striking through his heart.
The pain was the last thing on his mind. He had to get them away from here before Mariejois' forces found them. He'd already seen enough death in his young life - he wouldn't be able to bear it if they were caught and Luffy was taken from him.
Grey eyes shifted as the sounds of the forest filled his ears - the rustling of leaves as the wind blew through the branches, the foraging of the lesser creatures, and the songs of the many birds that made the forest their home.
It was peaceful. Ace could admit that much.
But damn he was bored.
He kneaded his claws into the soft undergrowth and rustled his wings, causing drops of dew to splatter the damp grass beneath him. Although it was spring, the mornings still held Winter's last, lingering cold. Ace didn't mind that - it took a lot to make him feel even the slightest chill, his inner fire enough to chase away all but the most frigid temperatures.
He yawned loudly and cracked his jaw, running his tongue over sharp teeth. He was hungry, and wondered if it was actually worth moving to hunt down some poor creature, or wait until one was stupid enough to wander past.
The sound of beating wings decided for him.
Giving a serpentine grin, Ace stood on all fours and backed further into the shade of the giant oak tree he had chosen to rest under the night before. His tail whipped behind him, accidentally scraping off some of the bark and he unfurled his wings slightly.
By the sounds of it, it was a large bird, or maybe one of those irritating - but very tasty - winged monkeys that had set up their territory somewhere nearby. Either way, Ace wasn't complaining. Food was food after all.
But when he finally caught sight of the approaching creature, all hopes of an easy meal died.
It was a large bird alright, but one that he couldn't eat. Not that he hadn't tried in the past, but Marco could be very nasty if provoked - Ace learned the hard way that phoenix fire could consume his own easily, even if it didn't burn flesh and scale unless Marco himself wanted it to.
The blue fire was a beautiful sight though.
With an irritated grumble, Ace slunk out of the shadows and Marco zeroed in on him. With several beats of fiery blue wings, the giant bird landed on a branch just above his head. Ace sat back on his haunches and stretched out his neck, coming face to face with the large phoenix.
Lazy blue eyes stared back at him, and Marco's beak clacked. "We have intruders crossing the border."
Now that interested Ace. The dragon bared his teeth in a grin and he stretched out his wings, getting the blood flowing. "I take it Pops wants me to take care of them?"
Boredom had been clinging to him a lot lately - if he was to take care of these intruders, then maybe he'd get a good meal as well as some entertainment out of the deal. It wasn't often they got intruders - these days, the other territories had learned that the Mountain King's borders were not to be crossed, because if they were and it was done with ill intent... Well, the 'intruders' would become the meal of whatever creature they happened across first.
But Marco shook his head. "No - Pops said they're important, and he wants you to escort them to the Hall. They're to the east of here, on one of the old trails. You should be able to easily capture their scents."
Ace wilted in disappointment but nodded obediently. Marco leapt off the branch and into the air once again, making sure the long gold and blue feathers of his tail brushed Ace as he passed. Huffing, the dragon fell back onto all fours and started stalking through the trees until he reached a clearing.
Golden sunlight reflected off his black and red scales and Ace allowed himself to bask in it -just for a moment. Maybe when all was said and done, the intruders dealt with and his stomach full, he'd find a nice, flat rock and relax in the heat. There were enough of them around for that at least.
He flared his nostrils, and breathed in heavily, catching the faint sent of
something... new.
Yet familiar.
He shook his head and stretched his wings, and, with a great leap, he was in the air.
The blue sky spread vast before him, the sun close to reaching its peak and nary a cloud in sight. It was a pity he wouldn't be able to start lazing around straight away - it was a beautiful day - but when Pops said you had to do something, you did it.
He withheld the growl in his throat, knowing that if he released it then there was a chance the echo may spread throughout the valley, and he didn't want to alert the 'guests' to his presence just yet.
He remained close to the treetops, moving swiftly. The wind was on his side, and soon nothing but rock and uneven slopes fell before him. It took but a second for him to locate which of the old trails to follow, the intruder's scent getting particularly strong with the more ground he gained.
It seemed they were still relatively close to the border. Far enough inland that Ace wasn't forced to land, and he had to be thankful for that because this offered the perfect chance to intimidate them. The closer he got to the border and away from the forest, the more risky flying became; there were spies everywhere after all, and the Old Man had been adamant about Ace keeping himself hidden. Or to at least disguise himself in his human form - there were few that were able to distinguish the difference between Shifters and humans.
He kept to the air for a few more minutes, before he crested over another hill and caught sight of them.
There were two - from this distance, his sharp eyes could make out they were human in appearance, but that didn't really amount for much. They could be Shifters or magic weavers for all he knew, able to disguise their true form, just like he could.
One was male, and the other was female. Both with dark hair and tanned skin, showing that they were certainly used to moving about in the sunlight, despite what their finely made, brightly coloured clothing told him. The woman was beautiful, dressed in dark leggings and a tightly fitting tunic, adorned with swirling patterns that Ace's keen eyes were able to trace easily.
The man was dressed much more simply, but with the same high quality fabrics. Yet strangely, he had a straw hat on his head - such wear is typically used by common folk - which these two were clearly not. He was younger though - probably not yet out of his teens, with a long healed scar underneath one of his large eyes. The red, long sleeved shirt he wore left his chest bare, framing a large scar that marred his skin.
It ignited Ace's curiosity. No human - or creature - could survive such a devastating wound.
When they noticed him, the man let out a loud yell and waved his fists in the air, obviously trying to catch Ace's attention.
How... interesting.
They seemed to believe that Ace wouldn't tear them limb from limb. It irritated him that he wasn't able to do just that.
Ace took in a deep lungful of air, making sure not to call upon his inner fire, and let out a mighty roar. The sound echoed loudly, reverberating around the rocks, and the intruders covered their ears. Dust and rocks scattered in the wind as he circled above their heads, and with a growl he settled down in front of them.
His claws dug into the gravel, dirtying his scales, but he paid it no mind.
He stood on all fours, wings half-folded, and his tail whipping behind him - his stance clearly showed that he was not here for a simple, friendly chat.
Ace huffed, sending a waft of hot breath in their direction, and he bared his teeth in a snarl. The female was staring up at him with awe and a slight twinge of fear, while the male was firm... certainly not afraid, if the large grin on his face was anything to go by.
And that scent... he knew it. It tugged at his mind, trying to draw forth a memory that just would not come. He forced it back, and focused burning silver eyes on them.
"What is your business here, outsiders?" He growled in the common tongue.
His voice was rough and deep. "Speak, now."
It was the woman who spoke first.
"Oh great winged one," she said boldly as she swept into a deep bow. She spoke in the common tongue as well, though she had a strange, cultured accent that Ace couldn't recall having heard before. "Please forgive our transgressions, but we are in dire need. We require an audience with the Mountain King, and we beg that you guide us to him."
She remained in her bowed position, but after a moment she threw a glance to the man - well, boy really, because he looked to be barely of age - and he gave a start before sweeping into a bow that mimicked hers. After a few moments of not moving, Ace let out a surprised snort.
They had manners at least. And he was never one to dismiss a polite greeting or request.
Even if they were intruders.
He folded his wings and relaxed his posture, then dipped his own head in acknowledgment. The woman seemed to take this as a sign that they weren't going to be attacked, and she straightened slowly, keeping her eyes respectfully on the ground. The boy however bounced on the balls of his feet; he looked like he wanted to speak, but he was visibly holding himself back.
He was looking at Ace with large, dark eyes.
There was something about those eyes that pulled at that same memory, just like the scent did. He narrowed his eyes and stretched his neck out to the boy, stopping a scant few inches away, and inhaled deeply.
The familiar scent filled his lungs - one of sunshine and freedom, and the faint traces of... meat.
The dragon drew his head back and snapped his teeth in irritation. It was not good to be distracted from the matter at hand. Once again looking at the woman, he rumbled, "If you seek an audience with the Mountain King then you risk a great deal, coming here by yourselves. Surely you know of the dangers?"
The woman nodded, her face a mask of calm. "We know very well of the dangers that crossing into one of the Emperor's territories without an invitation can bring. However, as I stated before, we are in dire need. Surely you have heard of the current state of the world?"
Ace gave a derisive snort. "I care not about the affairs of the world beyond these mountains, woman. But I will take you to the Old Man, merely because he requested I bring you to him unharmed." He glared down at them. "Consider yourselves honoured."
He turned around and made to stalk away - he'd have to walk them to the Hall, because the thought of flying them there on his own back made him want to cringe in disgust; he was not some obedient, tamed beast - when the boy said something.
"Hey, wait! Ace!"
He froze, muscles tense. The only ones who called him by that name were those amongst the Mountain King's court - his true name had been lost... many years ago, and that name had been given to him by...
He moved faster than a human eye would have been able to see. The boy was pinned beneath his talons, pressed harshly into the ground, and Ace loomed above him, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl and his inner fire stirring. "How do you know that name?!"
The young boy stared at him with large knowing eyes, devoid of any kind of fear. They rubbed Ace the wrong way. With a loud, irritated growl, the dragon pressed the boy down into the ground, not caring about how much pressure he applied.
The woman had cried out the boy's name when Ace struck, having moved into a strange fighting stance that looked more like the beginnings of a dance than actual combat, but the boy barked out for her to stop - to let him deal with it.
But Ace was frozen. The boy's name rung clearly in his mind, bringing with it a torrent of memories that had been buried in the deepest corners of his psyche. He'd done his best never to think about them, because all they brought was pain and hopelessness and loss.
He remembered his failure.
Luffy...
That little boy... his little brother...
It had to be a mistake.
He stretched his head forward and inhaled that familiar scent - he recognized it now, only it was stronger, more potent than it used to be. It hadn't really changed at all... But this close to the source he could now detect the undercurrent of blood and violence, and fire and magic.
Luffy...
He wrenched his head back focused on the boy with his sight, tracing that matured face almost reverently, staring into those eyes, taking in the scar under the left eye.
He smelled like Luffy. He... looked like Luffy.
And then the boy grinned - the smile one of almost child-like happiness, and he said, "Do you remember me now?"
TBC
AN: Soooo what does everyone think? I did a cover for this as well as a bunch of concept art sketches and they can be seen on my tumblr – the link is in my profile~
Reviews would be wonderful~!