ace wants answers and luffy's happy that his brother is talking to him.

ace was here. that was the first thing luffy noticed when he woke up. the second was that the fire was going out. he pushed himself up and placed a few pieces of wood into the embers, the fire grew and heat enveloped him once more.

the night sky was littered in bright stars. he remembered robin teaching him about the stars. all the stories behind them, where they would lead him. he remembered how soft spoken she was, the smile that crossed her face when he asked questions. that was a good time.

'thats an interesting fish you got there,' ace said, pipe propped on his shoulder.

luffy grinned and nodded.

'his name. its kinto, right?'

luffy nodded again.

'you don't talk much, do you?'

luffy shook his head.

'you should. it feels like you should be driving me up a wall with chatter but.. i dont know why.'

'i know you in here,' ace tapped his chest, 'but not in here,' he tapped his head this time.

'why?'

luffy scooted foward, holding out his hand.

ace eyed it but put his own in luffy's. and he heard a soft melody. not unlike the music he heard from high town.

"because we're brothers," were the words that stood out among the noise. a voice that grated at his brain like cheese, but it was a voice he loved. deep down.

'how are you..?'

"something happened but i can still talk, not as loud as i used to which sucks. shishishi.'

the laugh echoed through his entire body, it calmed him. a laugh that brought him sunny days and sleepless nights. it was his laugh, the one thing he swore to protect all those years ago but then he..

pain. scorching pain. after the pain, he felt hollow. as he clung to luffy, his baby brother, he whispered words. poured his love into them. held his brother one last time. put the last of his strength into that final farewell.

nothing. that was what greeted him. he stood in vast emptiness. he could hear his baby, his brother screaming himself hoarse. but he couldn't reach him. so he cried. and he clawed at the darkness, looking for a way out when it got quiet, when his brother's anguished voice cut off.

ace flinched and saw luffy, really saw him. it had been so long.

he laughed weakly, tears trailing his cheeks and snot leaking from his nose.

'you're okay,' ace croaked, gripping the small hand in his own. and oh, they were both small, like when they were children. well he supposed they were children again.

"sabo."

ace snapped his head up at the name. he hadn't seen sabo in that void and the last time he did, it was before...

"sabo's alive. he's here ace."

sabo was.. confused. ace was acting different, he looked.. happy. something he had never seen on his friend's face, not once in the 3 years he had known him.

ace laughed and smiled at times, but never like this. and certainly not with new people. that was the weirdest part, ace was sitting and being jolly with the people he had been angry with. a complete turn around.

even worse was, ace kept getting this weird look in his when he looked at him. a sad longing filled them. it was creeping him out.

but it.. well it wasn't bad that ace was happy, it just didn't make sense to sabo.

what changed?