Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well and are safe :) As for me, the region I'm in is stuck in the middle of an unprecedented snow storm, which is kind of cool and terrible at the same time because we don't know how to handle snow and cold weather XD It's to the point where we have no electricity like every hour or so. Anyway, I'm trying to get this posted while we still have power lol and I hope ya'll enjoy it!

To BlueHeartNina: I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

To KanaeAnne: Luffy was definitely epic and he deserves all the rest and love in the world :) Robin is the best lol. I'm so happy you liked the fight and the chapter! Thank you so much for the sweet review and don't worry about the Ch. 23 vs. Ch. 24 thing, it's no big deal ;)

To All the names are taken T-T: It was super fun to write so I'm glad you liked it! Luffy cares about his brother very much, which is soooo adorable XD And yes, good riddance, Enel, no one liked you.

To kittyface27: I'm so glad!

To nagareboshi1249: Aw, you're so sweet *blushes* I'm so glad you're enjoying my story so far!

To 94Insane: Thank you! I love writing AU's, they're my favorite thing because I get to be so creative :) You shall have to wait and see what happens to our favorite brothers...

WARNINGS:

- Seals/restraints

- Blood

- Ace is done

Ace woke slowly, his body heavy and aching.

He blinked the blurriness from his vision only to close them again at the brightness. His head pounded as he tried again, this time recognizing the room he was in.

Why was he in Marco's room?

What…what happened?

Ace attempted to sit up, only to find heavy chains wrapped around his body, keeping him immobile. Upon further inspection, the metal also secured his legs together, completely immobilizing him.

"You're awake…thank goodness, yoi."

"M-Marco?" He managed, voice rough and throat dry, "Why am I…"

His sire sighed and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Ace was struck by how tired Marco looked, the bags under his eyes prominent. He was also bandaged, which was crazy. Had they been attacked or something? But there weren't many who could injure Marco…

"What do you remember?" The older vampire prompted in a calm voice, not making any move to remove the shackles.

"I…I remember going to the meeting." Ace started, frowning in an attempt to recall the events of the gathering, "Enel was being a jerk and then…nothing. Did he attack?"

"In a way, yoi." Marco muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair, "Ace, I'm going to explain what happened and I need you to stay very calm, okay?"

That didn't sound good.

When Luffy opened his eyes, he was back in his 'room'.

He took a deep breath and lifted his hands to rub his eyes, only to find that they were handcuffed together. Still, at the moment, Luffy didn't care. He brought them to his face to examine the metal one more closely.

"You're finally up." A deep voice put in, drawing Luffy's attention. The boy let his arms fall back onto his stomach and turned his head towards the sound. When he saw who was sitting in the chair next to his bed, his eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You're…"

"It has been a long time, little one." Katakuri said, scarlet eyes looking him over as he spoke.

Luffy swallowed to wet his throat, unsure what to say. It'd been years since he'd last seen the massive vampire. Why was he here now?

"You must eat, boy." The new vampire ordered, placing a plate of food before Luffy. The young boy swallowed instinctively but wasn't sure he was allowed to have such a nice looking meal. He shuffled as far away from his captor as possible, almost falling off the soft pillow and onto the floor in the process. "It's all right…it's for you."

When Luffy continued to avoid the food, the vampire sighed and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into his glowing eyes.

"Eat, boy."

This time, it wasn't a request, it was an order.

Luffy whined as his body crawled back towards the food against his will and began to take small bites of the bread. While he ate under the watchful eye of the tall vampire, another one entered the 'trailer', causing him to tremble in fear.

"You still having to force it to eat? I'm not sure it's worth the effort, Brother."

"Oh hush, Oven." The scarf-wearing one chided before carding a clawed hand through Luffy's matted locks, "We don't know what happened to him in that hole. It's only natural for him to be nervous."

Luffy eyed the newcomer warily as he moved on to the sweet round things the vampire called 'grapes'. Why had they taken him? Were they going to beat and drink from him just like the monster?

"I suppose you're right, though personally, I don't think you should keep him. Why don't we just find a human watering hole and drop him off? If anything, humans seem to care for each other and their young."

Luffy swallowed a grape as he listened to the conversation above him. They…were going to let him go? He would be free again?

"P-Please…" He whispered, unable to stop himself from eating another grape. However, the sudden silence indicated he had his captors' attention. "I wanna go home." The little boy jumped in surprise when the red-headed vampire laughed and ruffled his hair.

"See? Even the human wants back into the Wastes, I saw we oblige it."

"Hmmm…very well. If that is what you want, child."

"Are you here to take me with you?" Luffy questioned, watching the tall vampire closely. Katakuri shook his head.

"No, I was asked to come here for a different reason. I must admit, it is rather surreal to meet you again after so long. I'm glad to see you survived the Wastes."

"Mn." He affirmed, taking another deep breath and rolling so he was staring at the ceiling again. The two remained silent for a few minutes, the quiet surprisingly comfortable. Luffy found himself relaxing in Katakuri's familiar presence. This was someone who helped him in the past, despite seeing him as lower than himself.

Eventually, their comfortable silence was broken when the door opened, allowing a tattooed doctor inside.

"Luffy-ya!" Torao exclaimed as he entered the room, wasting no time rushing up to his bed. Luffy glanced to where he'd come from and huffed at the sight of more guards at his door. Had the vampire been talking with them or something? "How do you feel?"

"Tired, I guess…and a bit dizzy." He admitted, shaking his arms to draw their attention to the shackles, "Ne, what're these for?"

"I think you know why." Katakuri stated, raising an eyebrow. Luffy blinked back at him before making a quiet sound of realization.

"Is this because I beat Ace up?"

"Uh…yes." Torao said, shaking his head slightly in disbelief as he helped Luffy sit up. At the change in position, he grimaced, pain lancing up through his shoulder. That's right…Ace had gotten a few good hits (and bites) on him. "Needless to say, after your little display of power, we intend to be more careful."

Luffy drooped at the sight of his ankle chains, obviously replaced after he'd fallen unconscious. He moved his feet around a bit, causing the shackles to brush the floor.

"Is Ace okay?"

"Last I heard, he's still unconscious." Torao explained while tilting his chin up to check a bandage around his neck, "We expect him to wake soon though. Marco-ya is with him." Luffy hummed and smiled softly, happy his big brother wasn't a monster anymore.

"So…why're you here?" He asked, addressing Katakuri. The large vampire un-crossed his arms and gave him a somewhat sorrowful look, that made his stomach drop.

"Marco and the new Lord asked me to come seal you."

Luffy's blood went cold. He knew what that meant…they intended to strip him of his newfound powers. He clenched both his hand and metal fingers, trembling.

"B-But…I-"

"Luffy-ya…I know how you feel." Torao soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I too faced a similar dilemma when Master Whitebeard saved me. Trust me, this is for the best."

'Yeah…for all of you.' Luffy thought, biting down on his lower lip in frustration, 'It'll make me less of a threat, more easily controlled.' Without his powers as a D, he'd just be a human with special blood. The vampires would never let him go!

His hair whipped around him as wind picked up in the room, reacting to his swirling emotions. However, before he could do anything with it, Katakuri placed a firm hand on his shoulder, his claws digging into the skin slightly.

"Easy, little one. There's no need to get worked up."

Luffy stopped struggling when he realized Katakuri wasn't hurting him, simply holding him in place.

"Why shouldn't I? I just got my powers and now you want to take them away!"

"Listen to me, Luffy-ya." Torao said, voice serious, "Before, sealing you was simply a precaution, but now, it's about saving your life."

The boy swallowed hard at that, confusion at the forefront of his mind.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Marco-ya and I did a thorough exam of you after you fell unconscious and we discovered that, though something was keeping your powers from overloading during the fight, it quickly dissolved. If we don't seal your powers soon, your body will destroy itself from the sheer strain of trying to control your abilities."

"I don't believe you!" He shot back, voice breaking. There was no way his powers would kill him…right? "I feel fine!"

"That's because Law has taken a good portion of your blood and given you suppressive drugs." Katakuri put in, still retaining his hold on Luffy, "This is the cost of activating your trigger at such a young age. You are simply not ready for the power and our preventative measures will not last forever. If you wish to survive, you must submit to the seal."

Luffy's lip trembled. He hated that word: submit. It was all he'd been doing since Ace brought him here. But the more he thought about it, the more he recalled his Father's warning about the pendant (at least, when he'd been alive). Katakuri released him, prompting Luffy to shakily bring his hands back up to his face.

Upon closer inspection, his skin was slightly discolored and a faint green pulse could be seen twisting around his veins. Luffy pressed his lips together and attempted to call forth more wind, only to collapse forward with a yelp of pain. His whole arm hardened and turned green as it attempted to form a mini-tornado, only to create a stronger gale.

"You have to relax, Luffy-ya." Torao encouraged, putting his hand on Luffy's forearm, "Let it go…that's it." After what felt like forever, his arm returned to normal but left a lingering pain that made him wary.

Maybe…they weren't trying to trick him.

"B-B-But I…I don't want to be weak again." Luffy whispered, recalling the confidence he felt upon releasing his power. It'd been a breath of fresh air and now they wanted to turn him back into the obedient little pet he was before. "I want to be free."

"There is nowhere to go but here." Torao stated with a sigh, "Please, Luffy-ya, let us help you like you helped us."

The boy let his arms fall into his lap, wondering what his Father or Mother would do in this situation. He wanted nothing more than to bust out with his powers, but if that meant he'd die…

"We will rescue you, Luffy, so please don't die before then."

Something inside of him relented at the thought of breaking his promise to Zoro. More than anything, he had to live so that he could see his friends again. Besides, maybe they'd let their guard down once his powers were 'gone'? It was weird, but he felt like something inside him was…hiding in recognition of the danger.

Waiting to be released when the threat was passed.

Was it one of his abilities?

When Luffy lowered his head, Katakuri nodded in approval.

"Good. We shall begin right away then."

Ace's brain was having a hard time processing what Marco was saying. He'd turned into a literal demon and went on a rampage!?

"I-I'm sorry…what!? You can't be serious!"

"I know it's hard to believe, but that's what happened." His sire stated firmly before standing up and walking to the windows. Ace gasped when the curtains were pulled aside, revealing a dire picture of the damage done.

The entire courtyard was in disrepair, with large boulders and scorch marks littering the ground. It was clear a massive battle had taken place. Ace swallowed hard as his eyes moved to the outer wall where an entire section was destroyed.

He'd…done all this?

"How did this happen? I-I…"

"Whatever Enel did, it caused your blood to completely reject mine, yoi." Marco continued with a huff, "Don't worry, I've completed another renewal that should hold for a while. Unfortunately, that is not all we have to worry about."

Ace's stomach dropped as his sire explained the other repercussions of Enel's attack and his rampage. Apparently, he'd killed Upper Yard's Lord (honestly, he wasn't mad about that) prompting the remnants of his citadel to declare war on the Moby Dick. There was no doubt that they'd be back with an army as soon as they had the Council's support.

The good news was that Crocodile had agreed to an alliance, which was reassuring. His forces would be very helpful in the battles to come.

Sadly, Germa had rejected their proposal, saying their Lord was 'too busy' with his own research to get involved in their war. However, the third prince, Sanji, was interested in helping them and had defected.

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah." Marco explained with a slightly small, "He spends most of his time in the kitchens, yoi. I believe he wants nothing more than to see the world restored and to do his part wherever possible."

'Well that's good.' Ace mused, thinking how much work they had ahead of them. He felt terrible that he was the cause of the declaration of war but didn't regret killing Enel. After what he did to Luffy-

Ace's eyes widened and he sat up abruptly, almost falling off the bed due to the restrictive chains.

"Luffy! Is Luffy okay?"

"He's fine, yoi." Marco soothed, reaching out a hand to steady him, "Law and Katakuri are with him now."

"Can I see him?"

"Not yet, yoi. I want you to rest." His sire ordered while fishing around in his pockets for something, "Let me get you out of those chains-"

Suddenly, a bone-chilling scream resonated through the citadel. Ace's blood went cold when he recognized it as his little brother's.

"What the hell…? LUFFY!" He screamed, immediately trying to wriggle free of the chains.

"Ace, relax! Don't get worked up!" Marco insisted, forcing him onto his back. Ace hissed at his sire, furious the older vampire was keeping him from his brother.

"Let me go, Marco! Someone is hurting Luffy!"

Luffy held on tightly to the sheets beneath him, screaming at the searing pain his back was currently enduring.

Even though both Torao and Katakuri had explained exactly how the seal worked and that it would hurt, it was much more painful than he'd expected. It felt like his old savior was holding a heated brand to his back.

"Trafalgar, keep him still!"

"I am! How much longer?"

"A few more seconds…hold on kid."

After what felt like forever, the pain ended and Luffy collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily. His skin burned and sweat dripped down his forehead. He barely reacted to a cold cloth rubbed down his spine, his body shaking from the shock.

"Luffy-ya…can you hear me?" He moaned in response, vision blurry with tears. Someone (either Katakuri or Torao) helped him sit up on the edge of the bed, causing him to become very lightheaded and almost face-plant onto the floor. "It's over…just breathe."

After a few minutes of breathing, Luffy could finally focus his vision. Torao held him upright while Katakuri was at the head of the bed, leaning forward to examine his work.

"You did very well, little one. The seal looks good."

Luffy made a quiet sound of acknowledgement, looking up when Katakuri continued his ministrations, wiping off something slick from his back (probably blood).

"W-What does it look like?"

Katakuri raised an eyebrow at the question but looked around for a mirror, nonetheless. Torao then helped him walk into the bathroom and turned him around so he could look over his shoulder at the new mark. Luffy pressed his lips together at the circular seal.

It almost looked like a deep red magic circle of some kind, with the edges written in runes. The seal was also massive and covered his entire back. Directly in the center was what looked suspiciously like a skull.

"This is Katakuri's personal sigil." Torao explained, ghosting his hands over Luffy's spine, not touching him, "I have Master Whitebeard's, myself. It's part of the sealing process to utilize your blood to enhance it, thereby creating the seal's shape."

"Try to use your powers." The pureblood suggested, prompting Luffy to hold up his left arm. However, when he attempted to create even the smallest breeze, nothing happened.

"It's…it's gone." Luffy whimpered, sniffling to himself. His only chance at escaping…gone. Katakuri and Torao helped him back to the bed, where he shakily sat down.

"Try not to think of this as the end." Katakuri put in while handing him a cup of water, "See this as a new beginning. You will no longer be hunted by the Council and will be able to live a peaceful life here."

"I…I guess." Luffy hiccupped, using his non-metal hand to wipe his eyes. It was hard to go from nothing to something, and then back to nothing in an instant.

"Maybe we should let him rest…" Torao said, standing to his feet and addressing Katakuri, "…let him process things."

"I think that's a good idea."

Katakuri shot him a pity filled glance before following Torao out and leaving Luffy locked in his cell. The boy sniffed and looked up to make sure they were gone before testing his theory. He held up his left arm and, instead of calling for wind, he tried to coat his arm in Haki.

Luffy grinned when the black armor formed without issue, some of his sadness and sense of loss dissipating.

Having two abilities was pretty handy sometimes.

Marco finally let Ace out of his room around lunch time, never letting him out of his sight. Honestly, it made him feel like a baby fledgling again. Still, he understood the vampire's caution, considering how much damage he did to the citadel.

Even so, he was pissed Marco had stopped him from going to Lu.

According to his sire, Luffy screaming was nothing to worry about. Ace wasn't convinced and intended to sneak away the first chance he got to check on his baby brother.

"Oh, Ace! You're awake!"

He looked up at Thatch's voice, barely able to prepare himself for the flying hug.

"Y-Yeah…"

"Welcome back, fledgling!"

Seconds later, Ace was swamped, vampires from across the citadel coming to hug him or ruffle his hair. He couldn't help but smile at the attention. His family could be stifling sometimes, but at least he knew they cared. When Thatch pulled away, Ace's smile fell.

"You're not…mad?"

"Mad? Of course not." Thatch dismissed, his statement prompting many of the other commanders to not in agreement, "It wasn't your fault that Enel turned you into a giant rage monster."

Everyone, even Ace, chuckled at that, but something bothered him. While his fellow vampires laughed and joked with him, Ace peeked out into the courtyard. According to Marco, they'd been able to bring him down with coordinated teamwork between the commanders and their pureblood guests…but that just didn't sit right with him.

Though he'd been super out of it, Ace hadn't felt like he'd been swarmed by a group of attackers for very long.

No…it had morphed into a duel, he was certain of that.

"So, who did it?" Ace asked, causing the group around him to go silent.

"Did what?"

"Fought me out there." He continued, pointing through the hole in the wall that was currently covered in a tarp, "I don't know how…but I just know someone landed the final blow in the Wastes." The commanders glanced at each other, making Ace raise an eyebrow.

"Guys?"

Blenheim laughed sheepishly and clapped him on the back.

"It was all of us, Ace. Honesty, you were so damn strong, it took everything we had to knock you unconscious!"

"Okay, but who-"

Ace frowned when the subject was suddenly changed to the state of the citadel, Marco jumping in to explain how the humans were doing and the status of building repair. It frustrated him that his brothers, his family, were hiding something from him. No one seemed to be missing, so it wasn't like he'd killed someone and they couldn't bring themselves to tell him.

What was going on?

Sabo sighed, leaning on the railing of his balcony.

A lot had happened in the week since Ace's rampage. The repairs were coming along well, which was good. Kidd was certain the humans could move back into the stables in a few days and that the outer wall would be done by the end of the week.

Which was good considering Upper Yard had declared war.

He supposed it was only natural considering the murder of their Lord but…wasn't Enel the cause of his own demise?

Not that the council would care. According to Marco, they'd been looking for an opportunity to turn on them and there was no way they'd waste it. No, they needed to prepare for war.

'Go be the Second of a citadel…' Sabo thought with a huff, 'It'll be fun, they said!'

"You still moping?"

"I'm not moping…just thinking." Sabo shot back, replying to Kidd's teasing remark. The red-haired vampire was wearing his 'work clothes' and covered in grease, indicating he was hard at work. "Has Law said anything about how Luffy is doing?"

Katakuri had completed the seal not long ago and it had taken everything Sabo had to not run to his side.

"Said it'll take time for him to process it." Kidd responded with a shrug, "Makes sense…it would suck to lose all your powers after just experiencing them. Other than that, Katakuri seemed to think it went well."

Sabo huffed, on one hand pleased that Luffy was doing all right, but also feeling very conflicted. They'd all but crippled the boy who'd put his life on the line to save them. It felt wrong on so many levels. He understood the reasoning behind it: that the seal would ultimately protect him and let him live as a normal human, but…

Did that really justify clipping his wings?

It felt so…selfish.

Sabo was drawn out of his thoughts by a commotion below him. His eyes widened at the sight of Ace, up and walking. So he finally woke up…took him long enough. As much as he hated to admit it, they'd need his strength in the war to come.

Marco had, of course, informed them of the story they were going to go with to keep Ace in the dark, but Sabo wasn't sure how long it would hold, especially if he talked with Luffy.

"Which is why we will keep them separate, yoi. Now is not the time to tell Ace of his heritage."

'So when is the right time?' Sabo mused, unsure how he felt about the deception. Ace was smart, there's no way he wouldn't realize something was up.

"I'm gonna keep working on the wall. You want to come?"

"No thanks." Sabo replied, watching as Ace sent a questioning gaze towards the scorched grass, "There are some things I need to do here."

Ace ran through the citadel, finally able to breathe freely. It took more effort than he thought to ditch Marco and the others, but he'd managed it.

When he reached the stairs that led to Luffy's room, his thoughts turned sour. The more he ruminated on it, the more frustrated he became. In the past, he'd felt like his companions hid things from him, but he'd brushed it off. Now…it was clear they were much too comfortable lying to him.

It made him wonder how much they were keeping from him.

Ace frowned when he peeked around the corner to the entrance of Luffy's cell. There were four guards, more than usual. Not that it would be enough to stop him. Feeling the need to vent his frustration (and frankly, punch somebody), Ace rushed into the hall and swiftly knocked out the guards.

Poor, weak guards that could handle humans but not a trained vampire like him.

He wasted no time, dragging their limp bodies into a nearby closet. It wouldn't fool the commanders for long but would hopefully give him some time to check up on Luffy.

"Ace?" Luffy asked when he all but broke down the cell door and closed it behind him. The boy appeared pale but otherwise okay. Though the handcuffs on his wrists were surprising. Ace's eyes widened at the new, metal arm attached to Luffy's residual limb. When had they done that?

"Lu, are you okay? I-I heard you screaming earlier."

The boy blinked and pursed his lips in understanding.

"Oh yeah, that. I'm okay." Ace stood by his bed, content to wait for an additional explanation. Luffy hadn't screamed for no reason…he'd been in agony. "Katakuri had to do a…a thing to my back."

"A thing?"

"Y-Yep…" Luffy muttered, looking away from him. Ace huffed, annoyed his little brother was also attempting to keep things from him. "I-It didn't hurt at all."

"Luffy, please don't lie to me." Ace stated firmly, grabbing the boy by his shoulders. Luffy looked up, obviously startled by his tone and response. "I'm sick and tired of all the secrets from Marco, and Thatch, and…and…"

Luffy gazed at him with those big, expressive eyes of his, evaluating him. Under the human's searching gaze, Ace felt his tough façade drop away. His knees buckled and he collapsed onto the floor, hands moving to pull Luffy's small body into his chest.

"L-Lu…I'm scared. I feel like I don't know anything anymore." He sobbed, resting his chin on Luffy's shoulder, "Marco told me what happened, but things aren't adding up and-"

He stopped when Luffy returned his hug (putting his shackled hands over his head), the little human's body warming his ever cold one.

"What can I do to help?"

"I-I…don't know. I just feel like, if I could just remember…" Ace hissed, releasing Luffy to rub his temples, "It's so frustrating Lu! It's like they don't trust me anymore."

The human hummed and kicked off his covers, swinging his chained ankles over the edge of the bed and patting the mattress beside him. Ace sniffled and plopped next to him, unsure what else to do. It was then that he noticed the extensive bandages across Luffy's body and the oversized shirt he wore. However, before he could ask him about it, the boy spoke up.

"I think I can help you remember."

"Really?" Ace questioned, scooting a bit closer, "How?"

The boy huffed before baring his neck and pointing to the arteries located there.

"Drink my blood."

It took a few seconds for him to register what Luffy was suggesting.

"W-What!? No, I can't do that!"

"Sure you can." Luffy chirped with a smile, turning to face him, "My blood has healing properties so it should bring your memories back, right?"

Ace…hadn't thought of that.

"I suppose…b-but, Lu," He swallowed nervously, eyeing the bandaged neck, "I've never taken blood directly from a human before. I could seriously hurt you."

"No you won't." Luffy determined, smile never dimming, "You're my brother."

The innocence and complete trust in that statement took him aback.

"Are you sure, Lu?" As much as Ace was against the idea, he was desperate to remember something…anything. He was done just sitting back and taking it like a good fledgling. If Marco was going to continue lying to him, he'd go back as far as his brother's blood would take him. Luffy nodded and offered him his only remaining flesh arm.

"Yeah, I think you need this."

Ace swallowed nervously as he took Luffy's arm in his hands (pulling the metal one along with it) and ran his thumbs over the subtle flesh of the elbow joint. He knew from his training that the elbow was the second best place to drink from, after the neck of course. Ace glanced up at Luffy, earning an encouraging nod.

"Go ahead."

Instinctively glancing towards the door for fear that someone would see them, Ace extended his fangs are slowly bit into Luffy's arm. The second he started drinking from him, he detached and retched, almost gagging on the putrid taste. His brother just laughed.

"Damn it, Lu…that's disgusting!"

"Shishishi, I know, but it'll work. You have to keep going."

Ace huffed and tried again, this time determined to not let go and drink as much as he could without causing Luffy any harm. As the blood entered his system, he felt his head start to pound and the mark on his back begin to burn. But, despite the pain, he refused to stop. It was time he knew what was really going on.

After quite a few large gulps, Ace gasped as images began to flow into his head.

Were these…his memories?

His past?