Notes: Hey! New chapter! I almost didn't get it out today! It might seem kind of filler-y so... sorry about that! Also uh, the Ace and Luffy interaction might seem a little... Non-brotherly if you squint... Maybe? It's probably obvious but it's unintended. More notes at the end :)
CHAPTER 5: Regroup
(Don't leave it.
Not again.
After so much time being lonely, it couldn't be left alone again.
Not when it had finally seen people once again.
People that were warm. So, so warm and filled with what it lacked and desperatly hoped to gain.
It didn't want to be alone anymore.)
Before he opens his eyes, the first thing Luffy notices is that its warm.
Not too warm, but not cold at all.
(Nothing at all like the cold loneliness that chilled him right to his very core, clawing at him until he almost couldn't breath.)
There's someone next to him; someone that smells familiar.
Luffy smiles and snuggles a bit closer to his big brother who had crawled into the cot with him. It explained the warmth and why Luffy felt so at home.
It's so quiet in the room there in that Luffy can hear voices echoing outside, but he was unable to make out any words.
"Lu?" Ace whispers so quietly that the twelve year old wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't right next to his older brother. "You awake?"
"Mmn," Luffy confirms with a tiny nod. He pries his big blue eyes open and lets out a tiny yawn. "Goodmornin'… Wanna sleep more…"
"You can sleep soon. Are you okay?" Ace asks, still in a whisper. Luffy notices how worried he sounds and how his grip around the younger's waist had tightened a bit.
The twelve year old smiles and leans into the embrace as much as he possibly can. He stretches his neck out a little and presses a short, soft kiss to his older brothers forehead. "I'm okay now. I'll tell you later…."
Ace's cheeks flush a bit but after a moment he calms down. "…God you're stupid."
Despite himself, Luffy giggles, smiling at his big brother. "You'll be here when I wake up again, right?"
Ace gets a weird soft look in his eye and whispers, "Yeah. I'll always be here Lu, don't worry."
"Good." Luffy whispers, relaxing in his brothers grip. He can feel a pair of warm lips press against the top of his head and he smiles wider.
Ace was here and he would always be there.
Luffy even had a crew in the future that he could tell cared a lot about him.
He wasn't alone anymore.
The galley is unnaturally silent and serious than they had been in a while as the crew absorbs what Chopper had just told them.
Really, this had been happening more often than the crew would have liked.
"So, you don't know what's wrong?" Sanji breaks the silence, crushing his cigarette butt in the ashtray.
Chopper looks uncomfortable, but the small reindeer nods.
"He's no different than he was physically, but something is affecting him mentally."
"The forest affected him in some way… But how?" Robin voices out everything that the other crew members had been seeing. The black haired woman's eyebrows were furrowed in thought. All crew members could see that her mind was racing. It was very rare to see the calm and collected woman like so.
"We're going to have to wait for him to wake up." Zoro says, taking a sip of his ale.
"It has something to do with the forest. It could have been one of the plants, seeing as there were some odd looking ones. Or perhaps… This island isn't as deserted as we thought. I can try to find something in my books."
"Did you find anything on why they're younger?" Usopp asks softly.
Robin shakes her head. "No. I haven't found anything in my books. The most reasonable assumption is that a devil fruit has changed them. As for Luffy's reaction…"
Nami slams her hands on the table before silence can settle once more. "Well, it looks like we're just gonna have to wait until Luffy wakes up to find out! Robin, until then find whatever you can about the plants we saw! Chopper, get Luffy in the best shape you can get him in!"
The rest of the crew smiles at the fired up Navigator, each one of them getting a spark lit up in their eyes.
"Yeah!" The more excited members cheer, careful not to be too loud.
"Robin-chawn, would you like a delicious drink while you research?"
"Fufufu, I'm fine at the moment but if I need anything I'll let you know."
"Just call and your prince shall come!"
"Disgusting."
"SHUT YOUR TRAP YOU SHITTY MARIMO!"
"So you admit it?"
Nami rests her cheek in her palm, looking at her crew members with fond exasperation. Zoro and Sanji fighting, Franky raving on to Brook about how he'd make something super to kick whatever had harmed Luffy, while the skeleton tuned his violin that he had brought in with him, and Chopper leaving galley.
"Boys are such idiots." She sighs, but the smile on her face is undeniable.
"That's what makes us the Straw Hat Pirates." Usopp says from his spot next to her, grinning widely. And then the sharpshooter realizes what she had said. "OI, I'M NOT AN IDIOT TOO."
"Eh? Sure, why not."
"Can you explain what happened, Luffy?" Chopper asks about two hours later.
Roughly ten minutes ago Luffy had woken up with a start, going on and on about how he was starving. In almost no time, the crew was surrounding him, Ace was next to him, and a big plate of pasta was in front of him.
The fork on its way to the twelve year old's mouth pauses and he looks up at the crew.
"In the forest?"
The crew and Ace nods as one and Luffy puts the fork in his mouth.
"I dunno… I got really cold on the inside and I felt really lonely? Which was weird because all of you guys were there. Then we went in more it got worse and it felt like something heavy was on me and then it felt like I was in water kind of."
Robin is the first to react, humming and bringing a finger to her lips, her mind clearly racing.
"...Interesting."
"What is it Robin?" Zoro asks, leaning on the table.
"Well, if I'm correct, I can remember hearing something similar. Mostly folklore, of course, but..." The thirty year old pauses, still in thought. "I'll need to research more before I'm sure."
"Wait Robin, what do you think it is?" Nami counters as Robin stands up and gathers the books she had brought with her.
"It's better if I do not say, seeing as I'm unsure." the older woman says calmly, but her eyebrows are furrowed.
The look on the usually stoic woman's face in enough to get the crew to let her go.
Silence fills the air once more, except for the sounds of Luffy eating. Everyone wonders what it could possibly have been that made Robin of all people look worried.
Chopper sighs and leans on Zoro. There was probably nothing else he could do to help in this situation.
The green haired swordsman pats him on the back and it makes him feel a little better.
Ace glares at the table. He really wished that the woman would have told them. As it was, he wanted to find whatever had messed with his brother and kick its ass.
A loud growl comes from his stomach, causing everyone to look his way.
In almost no time at all, Sanji puts a plate of pasta in front of him, with a smile on his face.
"There's enough to go around, eat up." Sanji leans back against the bar. "Robin-chan will find out what's wrong, don't worry."
Ace hesitates before taking a large forkful of his spaghetti. How could they tell him not to worry, Luffy was his most important person.
His brown eyes look around the table quickly. Worry is clear in everyone but Luffy's eyes.
So maybe he isn't the only one.
"Who wants to hear Captain Usopp's great adventure in the great desert country?!" Usopp cuts in, puffing his chest out.
"ME, ME!" Both Luffy and Chopper chirp, extending their arms in the air.
"Well it all started when..."
Ace only faintly listens to Usopp's story while he eats, focusing on his own thoughts.
Since they had been running to leave the forest to even now, the crew had been sending worried glances not only to Luffy, but to Ace too.
It was still odd to Ace, having people other than Luffy worry for him.
Ace had accepted that people wouldn't like him being of his lineage, not that he liked it. People would scorn him and threaten him without even realizing. No one that knew really showed they cared.
Until the rubber pre-teen had forced his way into Ace's life, sinking his claws into the older boy's heart and never letting go.
And, to Ace, that was more than perfect because he cared about Luffy more than anyone.
But still, it was nice having others to send you worried glances.
Zoro notices him staring off into space and catches Ace's attention by tapping his fingers twice against the table.
The scarred swordsman smiles at the fifteen year old and nods his head once.
Ace blinks but slowly, he smiles back.
Note: Okay... Chapter is done! I had troubles with this chapter too...
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT RESPONSE LAST CHAPTER? SEVENTEEN REVIEWS AND A BUNCH MORE FAVORITES? You guys are so sweet, I've been freaking out for the past week.
Next chapter should reveal some things... that you guys can probably guess OTL