Chapter 13
Vivi landed on her feet, gasping. Nami was flat on the ground, along with the witch girl, and their three unconscious companions.
"Fuck!" a man cursed from behind them.
Vivi whirled round, only to see a dagger pointing right at her face.
"Don't you fucking move!"
This was not how she was expecting her day to go. This was really not how she expected her day to go. In her normal condition, she would have already broken the man's hand and disarmed him, but everything felt off. Vivi felt slow and sluggish with the damned collar on. She didn't have access to her normal sharp senses. Her demon half was too tightly locked up, and now she was pretty much human.
She shouldn't be this defenceless.
"Vivi!" Nami cried.
"I said don't move! I'll gut her like a pig!"
Vivi cursed, and slowly raised her hands. "We're sorry for startling you-"
"That was powerful witch magic! Which one of you is it? Which one of you is a head witch?" The man licked his lips. "I could sell them for a fortune. Do you know how much the slavers here pay for a head witch? By the Gods, they are worth so much money-"
Nami screeched. "You want to sell a head witch?"
But a blur went by, nearly knocking Vivi off her feet. She took a moment to register what had happened, cursing how off she felt. Before her she saw Marco crushing the man against a wall, eyes bright red, fangs long and sharp.
"What the fuck did you just say yoi?"
The man screamed, fighting Marco's grasp. "VAMPIRE! HELP! THERE'S A VAMPIRE-"
Vivi saw Nami smirk nastily, even as Marco slammed the human against the wall once more, leaving a crack in it.
"I bet the people you've helped enslave were screaming for help too," Marco sneered. "But I guess you don't like it when you're the one getting hurt. It doesn't feel as good, does it yoi? I can show you true pain and terror. We vampires usually make a feeding feel good for our meals, but for you? I'd love to make you suffer, especially because I am so hungry!"
Vivi startled. That was right, Marco hadn't fed on anyone since they had started travelling together. Although, she did recall his eyes lingering on Ace plenty of times. She didn't see the movement from down on the ground, just as Marco reached out to pierce the man's neck.
Ace collided with Marco, tossing him back with a rough hand. The slaver let out a cry of relief, but Ace spun, booting him straight for the wall.
"Enjoy your broken bones, asshole," Ace spat, eyes burning as he turned to Marco. "And you're seriously attacking people in front of me, vampire?"
"That's a fucking slaver, Ace!" Marco snarled. "You're seriously defending him?"
"I'm not about to let a dark creature such as you do whatever you like!"
Vivi winced, reaching out. "Ace, Marco, stop fighting-"
But neither listened. Suddenly Marco disappeared, only to suddenly have Ace shoved up against another wall. It was far more gentle compared to his treatment with the slaver, he had even braced Ace's head. The little girl Nami held gasped, all while Nami scoffed.
"Okay," she huffed. "Enough-"
But a shadow formed before them, not the same one that had just saved them from Basil. No, this looked more feminine. Vivi felt a jolt, a wave of happiness consuming her, before her mind blanked.
.::.
Ace had woken up, weak and dizzy at first. He had heard the slaver and blearily saw him point his knife at Vivi. He had been about to set the guy on fire, but Marco of course had gone all vampire on the thug. The problem was, Ace wouldn't mind seeing a slaver dead, but he was a hunter. He would not let a dark creature murder another in front of his eyes. It was against everything he and Sabo stood for.
Akainu had taught Ace better.
"Fine, you choose yoi!" Marco snarled, staring deep into his eyes. "I drain this fucker of all his blood, the fucker who tried to hurt Vivi, or I drink from you. Because I am this close to snapping and going feral-"
"That's all you vampires do, isn't it? Go feral!" Ace mocked. "Well try it, I'll kick your ass and-"
Ace gasped, a flood of pleasure hitting him when Marco licked a long strip across his neck, softening his skin. Ace's thoughts grew cloudy, and Ace blearily managed to recall that this was a enchantment. Marco was enchanting him. He had stared straight into Marco's eyes like an idiot. Before Ace could refocus, Marco's fangs slipped into his neck, and his body sang in pleasure and warmth.
Ace shivered in his Marco's arms, his mind blissfully growing empty of any thoughts.
.::.
Marco softened against Ace. Ace was clinging to his shoulders, panting and moaning softly. Marco ignored all the distractions around them, and focused on the warmth of Ace's blood filling his mouth. It was sweet, like biting into chocolate cake. Rich and delicious. He hid Ace away from any onlookers, keeping him trapped against the wall.
Ace was his. Marco claimed him. He was drinking from the lovely elf. No one else.
His thoughts grew foggy, and he drifted away.
.::.
"Why can't you just stay alive for once yoi?"
Marco paced the room, ignoring his father's sigh, and his lovers squirm on the couch. He had the urge to pin him there, keep him in place forever so that for once he didn't run off and get himself killed trying to seal Teach away.
But this was no longer a shadow that sat before him. Long dark hair was tied back into a messy bun. Skin was a soft tan, something as familiar to Marco as the back of his own hand. Freckles dusted cheeks, and lips, soft as ever, were twisted into a light frown. This time the witch was human, no sharp, sensitive ears. And the human version was taller than the elven.
It left Marco aching. But the memory continued, passing by Marco as if he were a mere stranger. And to these people he probably was. Except this Marco had apparently lost their lover to. Their lover had died in this timeline too. The Marco of this timeline passed through him, still pacing, and Marco kept flickering in and out of this Marco's memories. His memories. Things he had forgotten.
How many timelines did he and and his lover have together? And how many moments in history was Marco actually missing from his own lifetime?
"You know what happened all those years ago, Marco. You remember now-"
"If you stopped locking up my memories-"
"I had to, because otherwise you would have done what I would have and charged in recklessly. If you had died you might not have transformed back into a fossil this time. You might have just flickered out, and then I'd never see you again. At least I always reincarnate."
"You're being a hypocrite. You don't want me to protect you, but you will protect me yoi?" Marco scowled. "I love you, Ace. But bloody hell do you drive me crazy."
Ace softened. "I love you too. But until Teach is finished this won't end. The Chosen One will always return, and so will I, in whatever form I happen to take."
"You haven't been a witch in such a long time." Marco reached out, cupping Ace's cheek. "But the first time you were, you were elven yoi."
"Do you prefer me elven?"
Marco snorted. "You look beautiful no matter what form you take."
Ace flushed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks?" he added shyly.
The fact that Ace still grew shy at compliments made Marco soften. He kissed Ace slowly, but Ace yanked himself backwards when their father started laughing. Ace's blood rushed to his cheeks, and Marco had to fight back the urge to lick his neck to soften the skin. To lull Ace into a state of bliss as he drank from him.
Ace was always so delicious.
"That your argument over with already?" Pops teased.
Marco sighed, pressing his forehead against Ace's, "No," he said, staring into Ace's eyes, the grey orbs flickering with magic. "I've still got to convince this little one that he needs to let me retain my memories yoi."
Ace frowned. "I'm not strong enough to fix that spell, Marco. I'm sorry. All I can do is give you the memories back until I die again. It's the same with everyone else around me."
Marco clutched Ace tighter against himself, sighing deeply. "Then we'll simply have to beat Teach together this time."
.::.
A sharp, sudden flare of fire rushed through Marco. He gasped, pulling carefully away from Ace's neck, who looked just as shocked, startled free of the enchantment. Marco's thoughts raced. Ace was his witch, his reincarnation. But there had been others before him, and Marco's memories were still locked away.
He needed more.
The sudden urge to kiss Ace overtook him, so Marco pressed their lips together, locking Ace in a deep kiss. Ace gasped against him, squirming, trying to push him back, but Marco ignored him. Ace was trembling against his touch, clearly just as shaken by the memory as Marco had been.
They had both seen it. But would Ace understand any of it?
Marco needed more. Ace's blood was the answer, it had unlocked something inside him. Something that sang, warm and soft.
He turned Ace's head away and sucked on the other side of his neck, sinking his fangs in once more. Marco purred at the sweet blood flooding his mouth, and melted against Ace as another vision took hold.
.::.
Ace scrambled against the wall, gasping and moaning. Pleasure was flooding him again as Marco drank, swallowing down his blood. It left Ace's mind dizzy, and he could feel the enchantment trying to cloud his thoughts once again.
He opened his eyes, looking over Marco's shoulders to yell at the others. Why weren't they stopping this-
They were all frozen, as if locked in time.
Ace shivered, reaching up to grasp Marco's hair, moaning when another wave of pleasure flooded him. It felt good. It had never felt this good before when a vampire drank from him. Ace always retained his head, but this bastard clouded him completely.
He barely saw the shadow flick into view. It stood before the other Chosen, just as Ace's mind clouded over once more.
.::.
The ballroom gleamed in gold and jewels. The sky open above them, glittering with starlight. Fires flickered and crackled around them, floating around them in little sparks of playful energy. Music enchanted the hall, coaxing people from their seats and on to the ballroom floor.
Marco wasn't amused by any of it.
No, his focus remained on the pair dancing at the very centre of the ballroom. Teach had finally gotten his way, and had gotten his first dance with her. Marco glanced up, seeing the Goddess of Gold, Shandora watching the pair with keen eyes. She whispered something to the God of Pain, Xebec, who snorted.
"He's still trying to propose to her. Damned Gods."
Marco glanced over his shoulder, seeing Roger approach, face grim.
"And Xebec's still trying to assassinate you yoi."
Roger waved a dismissive hand. "He's tried for years. Rouge won't let him, nor will I for that matter. I might be a human, but I won't cower before any Gods."
Marco grimaced. "Is she still mad about her plants?"
"The ones you set on fire?" Roger chortled. "Oh yes."
Marco groaned. "It was an accident yoi!"
"You two seem to hit her garden a lot. Our little spitfire is getting along well with fire magic though." Roger grimaced. "Maybe a bit too well considering the poor garden."
Marco snorted. "Maybe." He agreed, but frowned. "What's the plan, Roger?"
"To do what we always do." Roger's eyes darkened, and he stared down at the King of the World, seated upon his throne. The God of Everything. "Kill the Gods for what they did to Joy Boy."
Marco nodded. They'd make all the Gods pay, and free the witch clans from their grasps.
.::.
Zoro had no idea what was going on. He had been trapped in an illusion, Sanji had woken him up, but Sanji had also been startled by something just before he had. The next thing Zoro knew was that he was in an alleyway instead of a forest, and that Marco was about to bite Ace.
Then his mind went blank.
Now he had jerked out of that moment of nothingness only to see Ace slamming Marco's head into a wall. The elf was no longer pinned, and instead stormed away from Marco. Marco who remained against the wall, a confused and lost look upon his face.
Zoro blinked. "What the fuck just happened?"
Vivi shook her head. "I have no idea. I couldn't think or see or do anything. I just blanked. I don't remember a thing."
"And now Ace is leaving us," Nami said.
"Wait for us!" Luffy rushed after Ace.
Law shrugged and stalked after him.
Zoro approached Marco who sat down, eyes wide. They were no longer red, now back to their bright blue, and his fangs had sunk back into his gums. He nudged the vampire with his foot, but Marco still continuedto look lost.
"Marco?" Zoro called out, kneeling down before his old companion. "What's going on?"
"Ace is my soulmate yoi." Marco blinked up at him. "Ace is my witch."
Zoro fought off the urge to curse.
A vampire and a hunter were soulmates. By the Gods, that was fucked up.