AN: ive been enjoying everyone's theories as to what Not-Sabo is and what his goal is! no one has been 100% right yet, but some of you (across here, ffn, and personal texts) have gotten pretty close! and of course i wont share who ;)
thank you for all your reviews and comments! we're in the last stretch here! time to get answers!
aaand... cw for... lots of memory altering / unrealtiy? sort of? as well as a but of eye themed horror
"Ace, I…"
Sabo has been home for a little under a month. It's been so much fun to have the three of them back together again, even if he and Ace had a rocky start. Ace was so mad he didn't even write, but his whereabouts were super top secret, so where would they even send the letter?
Ace gets along well with Sabo, just like how they used to. They never used to bicker as kids, so it finally feels right to be having fun and getting along with his brother again. He can't even really remember why he was so mad…
"I want to get stronger!"
Sabo set off when they were ten, after his parents caught them. A pirate at ten! He's been telling Ace and Luffy all about his adventures.
"I came home for Luffy," says Sabo, "I want to help him get stronger, and then when he's old enough we can set out together. I'll take watching over him off your hands, Ace."
It'll be sad to see them go, but Ace knows Luffy is in good hands. There's no one he trusts more than his brothers. And Sabo has always been the nicer brother.
"I wanna be lots, lots, lots, lots, lots, lots…"
Ace's head has been killing him lately. Did he always get headaches this bad? He can't really remember…
"...Lots, lots, lots, lots…"
They sit up late at night, lying in the treehouse, talking about their childhoods. Sabo seems almost like he's trying to rehash everything, but Ace doesn't blame him. They haven't seen each other in seven years! Ace, Luffy, and Sabo seem to remember everything the exact same, down to Sabo being able to finish his brothers' exact sentences. It's like Sabo is reading their minds! It's so nice how close they are.
Talking to Sabo about the past, Ace is able to remember things he didn't even realize he remembered. Things he must've forgotten. How could he forget time spent with his favorite people in the world? He's glad having Sabo here is helping him remember so much. Sabo has a really good memory. He mentions some detail Luffy and Ace forgot, and they can't even recall how they got it wrong. They all remember things the same.
"...Lots, lots…"
During the day they fight the forest and river's beasts, spar, dine-and-dash in High Town… It's like being ten again. It's so wonderful to have Sabo back, to have their whole family complete. They still haven't visited Dadan, they're having so much fun it just keeps getting away from them. She and everyone else'll be thrilled to see Sabo is home. Ace can bring it up tomorrow.
"..Lots stronger!"
Why does his head hurt so much these days? Sometimes he sleeps and he dreams of such weird things. There's a fire, or something, or maybe there's water. He goes home and his whole body is bandaged, but his arm… Something about his arm. He doesn't…
And then, in the dream, Luffy is crying, and he's saying something, but Ace can never really make it out. Why is he crying? They were always so happy…
Ace's head has really been bothering him.
"So there won't be anything I can't protect!"
Everything has been so nice since Sabo came home. Ace knows this is how things should be. When he watches his brothers interact, he knows this is how things should always have been. Sabo's always been such a wonderful brother. If Ace is honest, he's probably the better brother. It's so nice he's been home.
"And nobody'll ever have to go away again!"
Ace and Sabo decided they'd go out and find lunch on their own today. Sabo wanted to surprise Luffy with a big meal.
Sabo's walking alongside Ace, and though his face is pointing forwards, Ace can tell Sabo is looking at him. Even when they were kids, Ace could always tell when Sabo was looking at him, even without Sabo's eyes to show him. It's just a sign they're so close.
Sabo stops walking, abrupt.
"So please…"
"Ace, I need to talk to you."
"What's up?" Ace stops beside him.
"If something were to happen to me…" Sabo starts, "Would you help me?"
"Of course." Ace says "You're my brother."
"Would you do everything in your power to save me?" Sabo continues.
"Yes, I would." Ace says, "Where is this even coming from?"
"Would you even give your life for me?" Sabo asks. Something about his tone, it's… Has Sabo ever seemed so cold before?
"Sabo, is something wrong? Are you in danger?" Ace asks.
"Yes." Sabo says. He plants the pole in the ground. "I need you to help me, Ace."
"I'll help you. I'll always help you." Ace says. "What do you need?"
"Your eyes." Sabo says. He's got a closed-mouth smile unlike anything Ace has ever seen on his face. Why does he seem so sinister? Has Ace's head always hurt this badly?
"My eyes?" Ace asks, incredulous. Sabo nods.
"I need your eyes, Ace. I can't stay here much longer without them." Sabo says "The windows to the soul."
"...Sabo, this is insane." Ace's voice wavers.
"Insane? What's insane is the idea you'd let your brother die because you were too scared of some simple request." Sabo insists. "I don't have forever here, Ace."
"What do you mean?" Ace asks. Sabo steps forward, and for a half a second, Ace considers stepping back.
"I need them. I need to complete the wish." Sabo says. "You said you'd give your life for me. I'm asking for it. Let me take your eyes, so I can take your place. Just like you wished."
"Just like I wished…?" Ace mutters.
"I will take your place, just like you've wanted since he died. You always suspected Sabo was the better brother, and now that he's back, you know that you were right. Give me your eyes, Ace, and Luffy and I will remember you died seven years ago, like you always knew you were meant to. Luffy will get seven years with the better brother. You'll drown saving him." Sabo says.
Ace's head hurts. He remembers pain. He remembers desperation. He remembers the water. He remembers the fire. He remembers his brother. He remembers regret. He remembers pain. His head, his chest, his lungs, his eyes- His eyes-
"Everything will be right, Ace. Just like you wanted." Sabo says. "Luffy and I will set out to sea together. I'll take good care of him for the last seven years, and I'll take great care of him in the future. And all it will take to give your brothers the lives they deserve is just two little eyes."
"I…" Ace starts. He stumbles, just a step back. Once, he'd never run from anyth-
"Ace!" Sabo says, holding out his hand. "Give me your eyes! Now! Don't you care about your brothers at all?!"
"Of course I care! I love them!" Ace says, and Sabo smiles again.
"This is the second chance you've been waiting for, Ace! So what are you hesitating for? Save your family!"
Ace meets Sabo's gaze. Sabo stretches out a hand. Fingers splayed apart, he reaches for Ace's face.
"Don't die, Ace!" Luffy yells, yanking his hat down over his face. His fingers are white-knuckle on the brim. He's crying. Why is he crying? Why would he even ask something like that? Luffy hates being alone. Ace isn't going to leave him alone. He'll always look out for his little brother.
A pipe connects with Sabo's hand. Ace's body falls to the ground with more speed and force than a simple collapse, as if yanked down by Sabo's falling arm.
"Get your hand off my brother, you body snatching bastard!"
The voice is familiar. Not Luffy's, not Sabo's… Why does Ace know that voice? Ace's head is so fuzzy… He barely can find the strength to turn his head and look. What did he even want to look at again?
"You're dead! What are you doing here?!" Sabo yells.
"Get away from him!" The newcomer, that's what Ace wanted to know about… Everything is still so fuzzy. There's a pair of black boots in Ace's vision.
Sabo backs off, so the newcomer turns around. Ace sees light blue pants kneeling in front of him, and then there's a hand on his face. Brown gloves…
"Ace?" the newcomer asks, turning Ace's head. Wavy blond hair, a big scar, two wide, worried eyes…
"Whether you're here or not doesn't matter." Sabo says, "You see, don't you?"
Though Ace can't see it, the newcomer can: He's too late. Ace's left eye is gone.
AN: i made some quick little edits of Not-Sabo in the ASL flashback. if you want to see them, check the "fake sabo au" tag on my tumblr, asexualzoro !