Marco isn't one to shock easily. He's been through a lot of things and survived, and he's bound to see a lot more strange things. Not a lot gets to him, but this is more than a 'lot'. One moment he's watching as Akainu falls, elation that their world – that Ace – is saved, and the next he's moving to catch Ace as Roger runs him through with a sword.
"Roger!" he shouts, and he sees Luffy and Sabo dart after Roger, the only thought on their mind to catch him and make him atone for what he's done. They're too late, though, and Marco watches as the gate to the Holy Ground closes, Rouge pulled along with Roger and Ace heavy in his arms. There's no blood, but Ace isn't opening his eyes, and Marco feels his world narrowing down to Ace and just Ace.
"Ace, please," he says, sinking to the ground. He cradles Ace, looking up as Luffy and Sabo join him, their eyes wide. They have no idea what to do, just like Marco, and he searches for Whitebeard.
"Marco," Whitebeard says, the man who had defected from Akainu at his side, body language cautious and eyes shadowed. "Let him go."
Marco wants to shout, wants to do anything except let Ace go. He's about to argue, but Ace shifts in his arms, and Marco looks down in panic. He feels relief flood him when Ace's eyes open, but stills. Ace isn't looking at him, he seems to be looking at something far away, and he stands stiffly, not even acknowledging his brothers.
There is something terribly wrong, and Marco can only watch as Ace reaches for Aratama. The first swing shatters the ground around them, and Marco sinks to the ground, disbelief flowing through him as Ace continues on his rampage, Aratama splitting the world apart. Sabo and Luffy run after him, trying to stop him, and Marco just sits there, as if waiting for some great epiphany to help him.
"Ace," he whispers. The storm seems to have calmed, at least, though lightning is still tearing up the world. Thunder has been replaced with Aratama, and Marco shakes his head. This can't be the end.
"What are you doing?" someone says, and Marco looks up as the rouge familiar steps closer. Whitebeard seems to be collecting Akainu and his familiars, and the man jerks his head in the direction Ace went.
"Don't just sit here, boy," he says, and Marco wants to laugh. He hasn't been a boy for many years. At least not in body. Marco has been scared for many years, scared of his own loneliness, and scared that no one would ever be able to accept him for who he is. Ace smashed those fears, and he's still sitting here, like a child who can't do anything.
Marco feels sick, and he picks himself up off of the ground. He has no excuse not to try and find Ace. He has to put a stop to this – he will not let this world die like this. He feels like he's missing something still, but Marco begins running, no other option clear to him.
It's not hard to find out where Ace is. There is a train of destruction that is unlike the rubble the lightning has caused. There is a distinct path, and it takes Marco to a familiar place. He pauses, looking over what used to be a place where he could shed some of the weight off of his shoulders, and remembers bringing Ace here before. It's Shanks' temple, only reduced to fallen stone and rubble. It looks a little sad, and Marco is about to turn away when he hears a groan.
He turns, heading up the few stairs that remain intact, and pales when he sees Shanks. He's trapped between some rubble, but doesn't seem to be harmed too much. Marco can get him out, he thinks, and he calls out to Shanks.
"Lover's quarrel?" Shanks quips instantly, and his laughter fills Marco with relief. It will only be the end of the world when Shanks stops telling jokes.
"Let me help you out," he says, and Shanks wraps an arm around his shoulders, hissing in pain as his leg scrapes against a fallen block of wood. With a bit more push and pull, they manage to get Shanks out, and sit on the steps, echoing every visit Marco has made to this place before.
"He won't stop," Shanks says, and Marco looks at him. As if he doesn't know that already. He should go after Ace, but his feet remain cemented, and Marco stays. What use is he against such a power as Ace? Ace is the product of a god and a Bodhisattva, even with all his immortality and beads, Marco can never match up to that.
Besides, his beads can only perform a few tricks. They can catch and send out an electric pulse, but that's it. It certainly won't be enough to stop Ace.
"You really need to go after him," Shanks adds on, hands brushing dirt from his legs. He sighs, and Marco shakes his head. He doesn't want to do anything.
"This is the first time you'll actually get to do something that proves how you feel," Shanks says, and he looks at Marco with a soppy smile. "Don't think about what's best for the world or try to claw your way back to what you once had. Think about what you have now – who you have now – and ask yourself if they're worth everything."
Marco nods. He doesn't even have to think about it. He'll do anything for Ace, Sabo and Luffy. He hasn't thought about trying to find his home world for weeks now, possibly even since Ace gave him his tantō. Marco knows this, but he still can't move. He loves Ace more than anything, but he still won't be able to do anything. He can't help anymore.
"I know he loves you, and he'd stop at nothing," Shanks says, grunting as he pokes at a darkening bruise. "You're scared, and that's okay because it means you're afraid of losing him."
Realisation drops. He looks at Shanks, and his lips part, but no words escape his throat. Marco stands, and he's running without second thought, heart beating wildly in a way that has nothing to do with his pace. He is afraid – but it's okay for him to be afraid. He loves Ace, and there has to be a way he can fix this without hurting Ace. It's not like Marco can die for his efforts, and he thinks he might learn to love his immortality if it means he can save Ace and this world.
There is a problem, though, and Marco soon realises he has no idea where Ace is anymore. He's not close, but the sound of Aratama smashing the world blurs with the lightning. Marco feels panic well in his chest and he chooses a direction, heading back towards his home in hopes Ace is there.
Marco stops for breath, and that's when he sees his saviour. Thatch has come to meet him, barking at Marco in a way he never has before, and Marco bends down to pat his head.
"Can you take me to them," he says, and Thatch barks. Marco nods, sprinting after Thatch as he takes off down a nearby alleyway, leading them close to the centre of town.
Marco is so focused on making sure he doesn't trip over rubble that he doesn't notice Ace at first. He pauses when he passes Thatch, unsure what it means, and then it hits him like a tonne of bricks. Thatch has stopped because they're there, and Marco begins looking for Ace instantly. He sees Sabo and Luffy first, in their human forms, watching Ace with worried faces as he continues on, Aratama tearing up homes and shops. They look at him as he nears, and Sabo speaks, voice wobbly with barely contained tears.
"Nothing we do can stop him," Sabo says, shaking his head. "He hasn't hurt us, doesn't come close, but even us being in the way doesn't stop him changing direction."
"Someone's controlling him," Luffy says, and he crosses his arms over his chest, watching Ace raise Aratama. "I hate them."
Marco sets a hand on Luffy's shoulder, moving towards Ace without a word. They let him go, and Marco steps before Aratama. His mouth is dry, palms sweaty, but he has to do this, and getting in the way is the only thing he knows. He's been given powers, and if Roger could use them to do remarkable things to protect the people he loved, so can Marco.
"Ace," he whispers, and Aratama stills. Ace's eyes are still not focused, but his body leans towards Marco, as if it remembers him.
"You need to stop this," he says, and Aratama twitches. He has Ace's attention for now, but he knows it won't be much longer before Ace returns to destruction. "Before you came, I never realised how much I love this world."
Marco wants to think he sees a little light return to Ace's eyes, but he can't be sure. He decides to lay everything out, and reaches for Ace's free hand. It's cold and limp by his side, and Marco rubs the skin, trying to warm Ace and bring him back from wherever he is.
"I don't think I can ever describe how much you made me fall in love." He laughs, and traces a circle on the back of Ace's hand. Aratama relaxes, Ace's grip loosening, and Marco wants to believe that this is working.
"Before you came, I wanted to leave this world. It's too perfect, too easy, and I was full of dislike for a man who saved me and gave me a family." Marco's voice is tight, and he wishes he had a drink. He'll force the words out if he has to, though, and continues with a smile. "I was scared of being happy, and scared of accepting the fact people loved me. I couldn't accept it from Rouge and Roger, but somehow you managed the impossible."
Ace's hand falls from Aratama, and Marco takes it. He can feel his power well in his chest, and he does nothing to stop his beads rolling over his wrist and over Ace's hand, effectively tying them together. It reminds Marco a little of the handfasting ceremonies he's seen, and he thinks that maybe one day they'll embark on that adventure together. He has more to do now, though, and knows he can make this right if he has Ace with him.
"But you showed me how far love can take you. You came here searching for your family and your belief you would find them never wavered." Marco swallows thickly. "I respect you a lot for that, and I'm still amazed your conviction never changed."
Ace blinks slowly, and a little colour seems to return to his cheeks. The signs spur Marco on, and he pulls Ace closer, wrapping his arms around Ace.
"That day in the field," he begins, "is something I'll never forget. You never backed down, never wavered, and yet you gave so much of yourself to me."
Marco remembers Ace meeting his demands evenly. He remembers Ace telling him that he wouldn't kill him – not that Marco had meant it in the literal sense. Ace had made it clear he loved Marco for who he was, and now Marco will do the same. Marco feels something shift inside of him, feels his powers retract for a moment before swelling, and the words come easily.
"I love you," he says, and Marco feels the world freeze. The storm seems to pause, lightning stuck to the earth as silence surrounds them. Marco is about to pull away, to check that Sabo, Luffy and Thatch are okay, when he feels hands tighten around the back of his kimono, fingers gripping cloth as Ace holds him.
"I was lost," Ace says shakily. Marco pulls back, just enough so he can look at Ace, and he feels overwhelmed. "You came for me, just as Roger said you would."
Marco ignores that, electing instead to kiss Ace. He gets more teeth and awkward lips than he likes, but it's still Ace. The kiss is perfect: it's exactly what Marco needs, and, judging by the way Ace kisses back, it's exactly what he needs too.
"I did this," Ace says when they break apart, and he looks over to his brothers with a shake of his head. Marco knows the guilt he must be feeling, and he shrugs.
"You can do more," he says, and Ace looks at him, perhaps wondering if some rubble caught the side of Marco's head. Marco smiles, and he knows what's been missing. He knows that he's never accepted his role, his powers, before, and it's only by Ace doing this that he's been able to.
Marco's never felt whole because he's never accepted himself. He's always been complete, even when he was a child and trying to find a way out because the world was too cruel. Even when he was left alone with a stranger, even when he moved to this world, even when he met Ace – Marco has always been complete. He's needed to show that love to Ace, and that's how Marco's realised he's never been missing anything.
"We can fix this," he says, and Marco feels his power hum in agreement. He has the power to create and restore, just as Roger did, and this world was built on this power. Ace has the power too – the power to bend worlds to his will with his hammer, and together they can stop the storm and fix their home.
It's not hard, and Marco is surprised at how little effort it is to take Ace's hand. Ace holds Aratama out before them, the inside glowing, and Marco set his beads over Ace's hands, letting them run over Aratama. Together, they lift the hammer and lower it gently, and the world seems to let out a deep sigh, as if it had been held underwater and only now allowed to breathe.
Marco is about to turn to Ace, to thank him and congratulate him, when the world brightens. Marco knows that it's just for them, a tiny patch of light that is doing something to them, and as Kyoto begins to heal, Marco watches his world fade.
The place they end up is plain, if Marco's honest. Ace looks as unimpressed as Marco feels, and he shrinks down Aratama as Marco lets his beads fade. They've been brought here by something, but Marco has no idea what that something might be.
"You fixed it," a voice says, and Marco feels something brush against his leg. He starts, watching as a rabbit forms out of nowhere, followed by a monkey and a dog. They are all the same size, no larger than a baby, and Marco has the feeling that not just anyone gets to see them.
"Roger gambled when he did that," the voice says, and Marco thinks it is coming from all three of the animals at the same time, as well as the air around them. He slides a little closer to Ace, offering him a nod of the head, not knowing what was happening either.
"It worked in the end, but it was the riskiest path," the voice says, and the three animals form a little circle, following each other. They move their circle around Marco and Ace, peering up at them, almost in curiosity.
"I've watched you for a long time," the voice says, and Marco begins to form an idea of who this is. It seems that Ace, too, has an idea, for he smiles and sits down on the floor, allowing the animals to push and shove their way onto his lap.
"They always taught me about the central plain back at the Shrine," Ace says, lifting the monkey up. "I never thought I'd get to see it. Or the Creator himself," he adds in afterthought.
"Joy Boy," the Creator says. "We're family, you should call me by my name."
Ace grins, and Marco lets his shoulders relax. They really did it. They've saved their world, protected it from being ripped apart by the Shrine, awakened Marco's powers, and helped Ace master his control on moving between worlds (Marco thinks the gate to the Holy Ground had to have come from somewhere – and Ace is the only one who could have made it, especially if he trusted in what Roger was doing). They will be able to do so much more now, and the possibilities are endless, as immortal as Marco perhaps.
"You've both grown into your powers," Joy Boy says. He sounds proud, and Marco wonders what everyone else will think. They'll have a lot to catch up on – he'll need to go to the shop to make sure he has enough for dinner.
"It's time you took the position offered to you," Joy Boy continues, and Marco sees Ace look away from the animals, eyes darting around the room.
"The Mirror World should never be without its rulers," he says, and Marco nods. He's always known that Kyoto exists in balance, and if the Mirror World is thrown out of balance, the harmony of the 13 worlds may shatter. Roger and Rouge were supposed to rule, but Marco thinks that's out of the question now. Rouge is confined to the Holy Ground, and Roger gave up his title years ago.
"You have to decide what you want to do, but the position is rightfully yours," Joy Boy says, and Marco hears Ace laugh. He joins in, unable to help himself, and stands. It's time they went home, he thinks, and while he hates to cut short the creator of the known worlds, all he really wants is to go to bed with Ace (and probably Luffy, Sabo and Thatch too, knowing that lot they'll all be sleeping in a pile tonight).
"I think everything will be okay," Marco says, turning towards Ace as the light around them intensifies again. They're heading home, and Ace smiles at him, burying his head against Marco's neck as he holds him.
"There's one last thing we need to do," Ace says, and Marco knows instantly what he means. He nods his head as they return to their world, and it's not long before they're smothered by Luffy and Sabo, tears free flowing.
Marco isn't sure how long they spend reaffirming that they are alive and all okay, but he knows it's time to finish things up when Ace grows quiet.
"Are we ready?" he asks, and everyone nods. There is excitement in the air, and Marco decides it's best to hold Luffy's hand so he doesn't go tearing off right away. There's a few things they need to sort out first.