I meant to update a few days ago, but I got sidetracked. Anyways, enjoy and please review!

"Remind me what we're looking for again?" Haruta asked, adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

Thatch shrugged. "Ace never said."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Ace asked, stopping in his tracks to smile at his brothers.

"So you don't know."

"Nope! No clue!"

While Ace had no idea what the cryptic map lead to, his words were not the complete truth. He had found it in the magic archives- not that Thatch or Haruta knew about it- so it must have been something to do with magic, right? He was glad that Thatch and Haruta agreed to come with him in the first place. If he had asked Marco, he was sure that he would have been stopped without a second thought.

"Sleeping outside will be fun!" Ace exclaimed as he continued walking through the forest. According to what Haruta said, the journey would take two or three days at least. Ace hadn't ever traveled outside of the kingdom like this. Even if he had traveled with Pops a couple of times, going off on his own volition on an adventure like this made him feel free. "Yo, Thatch, can I have an apple?"

"I knew I should've packed more," Thatch grumbled. He pulled one out of his bag nonetheless and tossed it in Ace's direction. "I can't believe you're already hungry."

"Well, with his appetite…"

"Can't travel on an empty stomach, now can we?" Ace bit into the apple with a loud crunch, slurping up the juices.

They trekked across the forest until nightfall when they lay down their bedrolls against the hard ground. They lit a fire in the middle for warmth, though they knew it would eventually die out. "So who's on watch first?"

Ace volunteered. He was too excited to sleep.

"Looks like this is the place," Haruta said. He wasn't looking at the map, but just looking at the cave in front of them was enough. The carvings around the entrance couldn't be a coincidence. Someone definitely hid something here.

"Let's go then!" Ace exclaimed, almost charging right into the cave. However, Thatch grabbed the back of his collar, stopping him in his tracks.

"Torch?"

Ace laughed sheepishly. "Oh right."

Even with the light of the fire, they still could not see the end of the cave. Just how far in did this place go?

"Oh god," he heard Thatch whisper. He looked down at the ground, freezing in his place when he saw a charred corpse at his feet. Ace shut his eyes, trying to forget the sight at he took another step forward.

"Ace, just what is this place?" Ace could have sworn Haruta's voice was shaking. "Should we even be here?"

"We can't go back now!" They had taken too much time, and he didn't want to imagine what Marco and Pops would say if they came back without anything after leaving with only a note.

"Guys, look!"

Ace hadn't even realized that the small passageway had opened up into a larger cavern. Their torch was suddenly useless, as there were fires burning along the walls, lighting up the room.

But that's not what Ace was interested in.

The stone pedestal in the center of it all just seemed to pull him in. Before he knew it, he had dropped the torch on the ground, extinguishing it as he began to walk forward.

"Wait! Ace!"

Their words never reached Ace though. He could see the glowing crystal sitting on the pedestal, calling to him. It was as if it was meant for him. He could practically feel its power surging into his veins, and his fingers were almost brushing the top…

"Stop!"

It was too late now. Heat pumped through his veins, yet the crystal suddenly shattered in his grip. "Wha-?"

The room went black, and Ace's world with it.

"He's waking up!"

Ace's body felt stiff, yet strangely warm. He hadn't remembered falling asleep. What happened? Where was he?

"Ace? Stay with me."

"With us you mean."

"Quiet, you two."

Ace recognized that voice, and his heart sunk. Of course Marco would be the one sitting by his bedside right now. Gods, he was so in trouble. He held his breath, keeping his eyes shut for a few moments longer, but he knew that Marco wasn't buying it. He finally sighed, dropping his sleeping facade. Sure enough, Marco was there above him. "Um, hey there."

"What were you thinking?" Marco practically growled. "Don't you know how dangerous leaving is? And just a note?"

"Marco, calm down. It's not-"

"Thatch, Haruta," Marco said. "Please leave."

Ace wanted to plead to them to stay, but they all knew Marco had more authority here than any of them. And so, Ace was left alone to face Marco's wrath. "Marco, I…" Ace trailed off, looking away. He didn't know how to explain it him in a way that would make him less angry.

When he had finally mustered up the courage to look back, he noticed that something was off. "Ace…" Marco's voice was quiet. "Don't you know how much you worried me, yoi?" he asked. "Gods and you scared me even more when Thatch and Haruta came back with you. I thought you had died!"

"I would never leave you like that, Marco!" Ace sat up, ignoring the pain shooting through his body. He reached out for Marco's hand, not noticing how heat rushed to his fingertips until it was too late. "Gah!"

As soon as his hand touched Marco's, bright flames flared around his fingertips. Ace gasped, pulling his hand away quickly. "Marco! I'm so sorry! I- I don't know-"

"It's fine, Ace," Marco said as his own fire licked at his fingers to chase any trace of harm away. "You can't control it yet."

"W-wait! Marco, what's going on?" Ace asked, waving his arms in an attempt to extinguish the flames. "I don't understand what's happening!"

"Whatever you found gave you magic, Ace," Marco explained. Ace didn't quite believe him at first, but he really had to, right. "Fire."

Ace was quiet. Of course he had assumed that the crystal was magic, but to give him magic of his own? "I… how?"

"We can't take it away, yoi. I'm sorry, but you'll have to adjust."

"What are you saying sorry for?" Ace cocked his head. "This is amazing!" He finally felt awake, and it was as if the soreness had vanished as he practically leaped out of his bed to hug Marco. "I have fire! Kinda like you, huh? Maybe you can help me control it!"

Marco started to laugh, and Ace was glad that his sullen mood had turned around. "Slow down, slow down!"

Ace pulled back a bit to beam at Marco. "How about it, Marco?"

Marco's smile back was a wonderful smile, one that warmed Ace up inside even more. "I'm sure we could work something out."

Someone wolf-whistled. Thatch and Haruta had come back into the room.

Ace blushed, realizing that he was sitting in his lap. He quickly moved back to his bed, draping the covers over his legs again. Marco, whose own face was bright red, stood up. "We'll work out the details later, yoi. I'm going to tell Pops that you're awake."

Thatch and Haruta grinned at Ace slyly even when Marco was long gone. "Stop smiling at me like that. It was nothing."

"Sure, Ace," Haruta said, but he didn't listen to Ace.

"Congratulations on the whole magic thing, buddy!" Thatch chimed, taking the seat Marco had previously occupied. "Granted, it was a pain in the butt lugging your ass back home with your fire, but you're safe and sound."

Ace hadn't had the chance to see it before, but now that he could get a good look at Thatch and Haruta, he saw that their arms were covered in bandages; bandages that they did not have before this whole ordeal. Ace bit his lip, staring at the bandages covering his brother's arms. Those burns underneath had been his fault, and there was no forgiving that.

Haruta suddenly poked Ace right between his eyes, pushing Ace out of his thoughts. "Ow! What's the big idea?"

"Stop blaming yourself!" Thatch said.

"Yeah!" Haruta agreed. "There was no way we could leave you behind."

"You're worth so much more than some stupid burns."

"Yeah! It wouldn't be the same without you!"

Ace had a special connection with all of his brothers of course, but he was especially close to Haruta and Thatch. That's why he could play pranks with them, and that's why he asked them to come along with him. He definitely wasn't regretting his decision now, even if they teased him on... certain matters.

"Besides, think of all the cool pranks we could pull once you get that power under control."

At those words, Ace couldn't help but grin slyly as well. "Now you're speaking my language."

Needless to say, a certain roommate was not happy to find charred fabrics later that evening.