(A/N: I accidentally responded to reviews using my friend Stuff'nStuff's account because she used my computer to respond to her own reviews. :I Sorry for any confusion. But the responses were all from me. I'm just too dumb to check which account I'm logged into. So yeah. I'll avoid doing that from now on. *–*
Anonymous or PM Blocked review replies:
Guest (no signature): Well….you'll see in this chapter. ;) Hopefully it'll answer some of your questions! :D I'm glad you're liking it, and I hope the update wasn't too slow for you!
Guest (no signature): Good guess! :D You'll find out the full answer in this chapter. ;) I…understood most of what you said, but I'll admit you lost me a bit at the end. ^u^; Hope you got some sleep! Hahahaha I'm glad you liked it! Don't worry, the Hare plotline will be resurfacing very, very soon. ;)
Guest (no signature): I'm glad you loved it! You're welcome, and I hope the update wasn't too slow for you!
Guest (Rio): Hahahaha sorry for the kinda cliffhanger. Or at least all the looming questions. As for the reappearance of adult Ace, welllll…you'll see. ;) I'm glad you think so! Hope you enjoy the update! :D
Guest (LadyUzuScarlet): heeheehee…*tilts head, smiling* what do you mean you don't trust the ending of the chapter? Wasn't it all just…keheehee…perfectly normal? *clears throat* that aside, I'm glad you liked it! Hope the wait wasn't too unbearable!
Anjelle (whoops should have stuck this in the PM well gosh sorry): Good guess! You'll find out the full answer in this chapter!
Kuroshi-Kayane: I'm glad you liked it! Good guess, you'll find out the full answer soon~! :D I'm glad! I hope you continue liking it!
Guest (no signature): That is a very, very good question. It is also one I cannot answer. *cough*yet*cough**cough*. I'm sorry, I don't catch your meaning. What do you mean, "I think that the young Ace actually had all his ***. It's not a swear word."? If you could tell me what the stars mean perhaps I could answer it for you? Unless it's a spoiler. Then you'll remain in the dark. XD You're welcome! I hope you like the update!
Guest (Dappled Leaves): Good guess! The full answer will be revealed in this update! ;D Well, firstly, it was Marco the Other Ace was slapping. Secondly, can you be sure of the identity of the person the Other Ace was calling out to while attacking Marco…? ;D
Guest (Dappled Leaves) (part 2): Good question that will also be answered. It actually wasn't in the chapter, so don't worry, you didn't skip it. It will, however, be in this chapter.
109876543212014: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it, and I hope you enjoy the update!
Guest (no signature): Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh guestyouaremyfavoritepersonIloveyousomuchrightnowyouhavenoidea. The scene you are referencing right now is the single most important in regards to foreshadowing in the whole story. I won't tell you what chapter it's in. If you are so inclined, find it again and see what you can learn. I'll admit, the new information it has to offer is very subtle, but it's possible that you could glean something from a very close reading of it. Cheshire's identity is still unknown, and won't be revealed until the near-end of the story. The Jabberwocky's role has pretty much been fulfilled at this point. He's the mindless guardian of Wonderland, he attacks all the Inhabitants as technically they're constructs and not naturally a part of Ace's mind. His job is essentially to keep any of the Inhabitants from winning the Caucus Race. A close reading of his behavior would prove very very very informational, if you can understand what you see.
Guest (Dappled Leaves) (part 3): You're onto something. Kind of. I can't go into it, but you'll get more information with this chapter. This is a very interesting theory, and you're actually fairly close to one of the reveals I have planned, but you are a little off. Keep at it, though. You're almost there.
Guest (no signature): Good guess and actually correct spelling! The full answer will be in this chapter. c:
OKAY. So, now that that's out of the way, it's time for the chapter. This one was actually very hard to write, but I did my best and I sincerely hope that's enough. More foreshadowing in this chapter, and we're actually nearing the end guys! I can't believe it! It makes my chest feel all tight and weird to think the story's almost done! Fear not, I will write more after this story's done, with a sequel already in the works in my mind. It'd be a lot shorter, though. Probably only a very long one-shot. BUT I'M GETTING DISTRACTED.
*blasts Kill the Rabbit playlist into the distance*
This chapter has been rated T for LANGUAGE
And now, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!)
The room hung, seeming suspended on some invisible thread, being held outside the normal flow of time. Marco looked like he was still fighting to get his eyes to work right, the Other Ace was staring at Ace – who still held their wrist – with an expression that seemed…concerned? Ace, contrarily, was focused solely on Whitebeard and Thatch. But no, that wasn't quite right.
His eyes were locked on Thatch and Thatch alone.
The smile was small, placid, a mere quirk at the edges. It didn't touch his eyes, though, which focused so singularly, so intently it was almost unnatural. The room was dead silent, Ace's question hanging in that space like a corpse.
Time didn't seem to stretch, but the silence expanded. Cloying, like the stench of overripe fruit.
"…Ace?" The Other Ace was the first to speak, voice quiet, barely above a murmur, and fragile, unsure.
The thread snapped. Time resumed.
Ace turned to them, dropping their wrist, expression shifting to one of complete bafflement. "What've you done to yourself, Serpent? And how?" He looked her up and down, tilting his head slightly, eyes almost analytical, trying to deduce the answers. Other Ace – Serpent – sighed.
"Your haki was kind of tossing itself around. I thought diverting some of it might be a good way to keep it from doing anything destructive. I wasn't exactly expecting…this result, though." She gestured to her human, 10-year-old form. "…I suppose it's actually good, though. We still don't know where Hare is," at the mention of the name, color seemed to almost instantly drain from Ace's face and he twitched – flinched, "and having a double makes it less likely that even if he managed to find us or separate us from the crew that he'd be able to take you back." Ace seemed to barely have heard, his face still pale, a minute trembling barely visible in his hands.
"…Y-Yeah. I…guess you're right."
"Ace, you-" At Selma's words, Ace jumped and spun, like she had snuck up on him. To be honest, he hadn't noticed the other occupants of the room until now.
His eyes widened, no longer focused on Selma.
He stumbled back a few steps, going – if possible – even paler. "Stay away from me," he whispered, seemingly too stunned to speak any louder. "Stay the fuck away!" Now his voice was louder, between speech and shout. His breathing had quickened, now nearing terrified panting. He continued to back away, only stopping when his back met the wall.
Jozu stared back, face bent with hurt, grief, and guilt.
"…All right," he murmured. He stood – Ace flinched, trying to press himself further back into the wall – and walked out of the room, eyes cast to the floor, moving at a non-threatening walk. He didn't look back or hesitate as he passed through the threshold.
"You did well," the White Rabbit said, resting one hand on Ace's shoulder, which still shook slightly. "You can't trust these people. You don't know them. They're strangers. Hare was on this ship. They did nothing. Clearly he was meant to be there, which means they must be allies or comrades. You can't trust them. You can't even stay here. Flee. Don't trust them. They hate you. They're going to hurt you." Whitebeard and Thatch stared at the Rabbit in unhidden shock. What the fuck?! What the fuck is he doing here? Thatch thought. The Rabbit turned to face him, massive grin firmly in place.
"Hello, Thatch. We didn't get to meet during your visit. As Whitebeard is about to tell you, I'm Mr. Savage. In answer to your question, I'm doing my job. Advising Ace on how to proceed."
"Ace, don't listen to him. That information is now several weeks old, based on how long you were in Wonderland. You need new data to form a conclusion. The most recent facts you have now are that your injuries are freshly dressed and there are no new ones. Consider that before entirely distrusting those on this ship," Hatter said, leaning in from the doorway Jozu had left through. "Ask questions. We need more information before we can make any kind of decision. Whitebeard is the captain. He can get whatever information he wants, and based on his behavior in Wonderland he's proven trustworthy, wouldn't you say? He'll answer your questions. However, I'd recommend asking this doctor first. She seems to be the only one with medical expertise on this ship, ergo she was the one that redressed your wounds. You can probably trust her."
"Still," Queen said, reclining on one of the cots, picking at a fingernail, axe leaning against the wall, "if she tries to turn it around on you and ask you questions, lie. We can't be sure of anyone's motives. It'd be best to keep our own information to ourselves." Whitebeard, Marco, and Thatch all stared between the three Inhabitants. Queen smiled sardonically, lifting one hand in a lazy wave.
"Yo," he said. He smirked, eyes landing on Thatch. "How're those guts feeling? Better?"
Selma and Haruta didn't react at all, neither seeing nor hearing the Inhabitants present in the room.
"I don't understand…" Ace said, eyes focused now on Selma. His voice was somewhat breathy. "I don't understand anything. Why am I here? How did I get here? How did you all know me? Why was Edward Hare on this ship?!"
Selma and Haruta exchanged a glance, then Selma looked to Whitebeard, who nodded. "Well…why you're here here – as in on this ship – is because we want to protect you, and we know this is the safest possible place for you. Why you're here in the Grand Line…well, we're not quite as sure on that one. We don't really know much about how you got here either. As for how we know you, well…" she trailed off, looking unsure of how exactly to proceed.
"Shanks told us about you. He bragged about you and Luffy like you were his own sons. He told us a bit about what you looked like," Whitebeard supplied. "Thatch was the one who found you, so I'd assume it was just a guess on his part. He doesn't exactly know a lot of kids, so you were one of the few names he could actually guess that'd be age appropriate." Queen was giving him a flat look. If you're not careful he's going to figure it out. You have to lie better than that, old man, he said, directly into Whitebeard's mind. He then went back to picking at his nail, disinterested. Selma's eyes, which had focused on Whitebeard, shifted back to Ace.
"R-Right. As for why Hare was on this ship, well…" she bit her lip, looking down. "…I'm not going to lie to you, Ace." She looked back up, meeting his eyes. She took a deep breath. "…He was our ally." Ace felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head.
"Told you told you TOLD YOU!" Mr. Savage cheered.
"She used the past tense," Hatter insisted.
"Oh, the party's in here?" A new, familiar voice said. The Duchness walked through the door, smiling. They cast their eyes over the room's occupants.
"Yeah, but nobody fuckin' invited you, whore," Queen snarled, sitting up more, looking like he was actually considering getting up to attack them. Ace's eyes flicked between Queen and Duchness, momentarily distracted. The Duchness smiled seemly.
"Dirty talk isn't really my kink, and I don't like infantile, petulant children." The Duchness swept a hand through their hair. "Maybe if you weren't such a weak, pathetic little boy I'd find you more attractive and less unthreateningly obnoxious." At this Queen did stand, grabbing his axe.
"You fucking bitch, you wanna go?"
"Hare was our ally, but he lied to us. We didn't know what kind of person he was," Selma was talking again, and Ace was trying to focus on that.
"Nah, I'm a lover, not a fighter! Besides, beating up kids is for monsters."
"I'm not a kid and I swear I could unlive you in five seconds flat," Queen snarled, volume rising. Ace frowned slightly, passing two fingers over his brow as if trying to wipe something away.
"After you ran away and we consequently found you and discovered your injuries and where they'd come from, it was too late. Hare was already long gone. But I swear to you if we'd known what he was really like we'd never have allied ourselves with him," Selma said.
"Jeez, calm down! You're certainly full of piss and vinegar!" the Duchness said. "I'm just playing!" They smiled again. "Don't kids like to play pranks on each other?"
"Oh that is fucking IT!" Queen snapped, hefting his axe and stalking towards the Duchness. The Duchness laughed lightly.
"Violence? How primitive! You're really a joke, you know that Queen? I don't think you've ever once actually taken off anyone of any consequence's head. You're playing house, but you just have delusions of grandeur and call yourself royalty!" Queen struck at the Duchness who danced out of the way, avoiding the blow by a breath. "And who the fuck are you to judge anyone, huh?" Another blow narrowly avoided. "Especially me! I haven't even gotten to do anything!" Ace rubbed at his forehead again, longer this time, and harder.
Selma sighed. "Now he's gone, and we have no idea where. But I promise you, if we were ever to even sight his ship again, he'd be dead before-"
"What crime have I committed that you want to unlive me for anyway, huh? What kind of fucking farce of justice are you playing at?!"
"PISSING ME THE HELL OFF!" Queen roared. The Duchness laughed.
"Oh, so the moment someone questions your so-called 'reign' they're instantly exe-"
"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Selma jolted at Ace's outburst. Ace glared between the Duchness and Queen. "Both of you just fucking shut it! Can you not see I'm trying to do something more important than listen to you fight?!" he snarled. He stalked across the room, stopping before them. He turned to the Duchness first. "You. Get the hell out of here. There's a whole god damned ship you can put between you and Queen, I do not ever want to find you in the same room as him again." He spun, turning now to Queen. "As for you, Queen, you aren't needed right now. If you could please locate yourself somewhere less in the way that'd be lovely. And send Hatter back in, seeing as he's actually fucking helpful! Now both of you, GET OUT!" Ace finished. The Duchness merely shrugged, exiting the room and walking off down a hallway. Queen was more reluctant, snarling momentarily at Ace like he meant to retort before seeming to reconsider, spinning on his heel, scowling deeply, and stalking out of the room as well, noticeably in the opposite direction as the Duchness. Ace shut the door after them, sighing deeply. He leaned his forehead against the wood of the door, reveling in the silence.
"…Ace?" Haruta's voice sounded borderline frightened. Quiet. Ace grit his teeth.
"Fuck it all," he mumbled, pulling the door open and sprinting through it. He was dimly aware of calls for him to wait or come back, but he ignored them. Ignored the pain shooting through his legs. He just wanted to be alone. No questions, no Inhabitants, no thinking. Just quiet.
He was surprised how quickly he managed to find his way back to the room Thatch had shown him to, the one hidden in the wall.
"…So he still sees them?" Selma asked. The shock was still clear in her posture and expression.
"He didn't in the flashbacks…" Thatch mumbled. "This is new. This didn't happen before. In the past, he only ever saw the Inhabitants in times of extreme emotion, and only ever the White Rabbit."
"It's because he went back again," Marco said. His face was still. "He shouldn't have gone back. It reaffirmed the 'reality' of Wonderland, the identity and personalities of all these separate entities in his mind. Because they're even realer to him now, they aren't just voices in his head. They're fully-fledged, non-stop hallucinations. And they're directly influencing his behavior." Selma's eyes sharpened at this.
"'Directly influencing'? How directly? Do they seize control or just tell him what to do?" she asked, nearing urgency. Marco sighed, a shiver passing down his spine as he recalled his own experience.
"…For now, it's through suggestion. Instruction. Each recommends different courses of action, and Ace picks one or a combination of several. But," he allowed his eyes to open, focusing on Selma, "I know it's possible for the Inhabitants to seize temporary control of a body. They haven't tried it yet, but it may well be that they will." Selma slumped, letting her head thump gently against the wall.
"…So it's like a fucked up, schizophrenia plus dissociative identity disorder. It's both. At once." Selma already looked tired, just thinking about it. She sat heavily in a chair, propping her elbows on her knees and letting her head fall into her hands. She breathed deeply, allowing her eyes to fall shut. You can do this. You can do this. You're a doctor, for Christ's sake. This is your job. He's your brother and you're going to help him. Do it."Okay," she murmured to herself. "Okay." Taking one more steadying breath, she lifted her head, looking back at Whitebeard, Marco, and Thatch. "The first thing – and this will be no easy task – will be convincing Ace of the illegitimacy of these identities. He's become convinced he must be dependent on them for his own wellbeing, right? We need to show him that he isn't. We need to start putting him in entire control of his own decisions again, so that he isn't relying on the…what did you call them? 'Inhabitants'? For anything. After that, we start unmaking each one, showing Ace that he himself is already complete without these alternate personalities. Even deconstructing one of them could take…weeks. Months. Maybe even years. But it's possible." She looked between the three of them. "…How many 'Inhabitants' are there? And can you give me their personality traits? We'll have to single out each 'Inhabitant' in order to break each one down-"
"I'd recommend strongly against what you're suggesting, lady doctor."
All eyes in the room instantly snapped to the door. It was open, and apparently had been for an indeterminate amount of time.
Ace stood in the doorway, staring smoothly at Selma.
He smiled faintly, moving his hand as if lifting an invisible hat from his head and holding it against his chest before bowing slightly. "Hello. My name is Hatter. Ace likes to call me mad when he doesn't want to listen to me, but I'm the furthest possible thing from it." Selma, too surprised to respond for a moment, stumbled over a response, simultaneously reaching for a notebook and pen. Thatch rose to his feet.
"What the fuck?" he asked. Because he could see it. He could see the top hat, the over-long fingers, could recognize the tone of voice. "What are you playing at, Hatter? Get out of him!" Ace's face – wearing Hatter's expression – turned to look at Thatch. He smiled coldly.
"Excuse me. I'm speaking with the doctor right now. I don't recall ever addressing you," he said. "So if you don't mind, please don't interrupt our conversation." He turned his face back to Selma, the ice melting from his gaze. "It's a pleasure to speak directly with you, miss doctor."
"H-Hatter," she stammered, maintaining eye contact with him as she flipped open the notebook. "I…I hadn't expected to meet you this soon." Ace moved, seemingly replacing the invisible hat atop his head and walking into the room, sitting primly on one of the cots. He stared intently at Selma.
"I'm glad you're going to take notes. This is highly important material, and although the human mind is capable of much, it would be more than a shame if you lost this information due merely to faulty memorization." Ace smiled again, faintly, politely. "Before we begin, allow me to establish some important facts. I represent Ace's logic. His reasoning. I'm unemotional, analytical, and rational. Lying is a logical fallacy, and as such cannot even form in my partition of Ace's mind. What I am about to tell you is the truth, is only truth. I will tell you all that I can, but I cannot tell you everything. There are things that, if even spoken aloud, could cause irreparable damage. I will not speak of these things. I will, however, give you all the information you need to deduce these things on your own. Listen carefully and record as much of what I say word for word as you can. Do not interrupt me. My time here is highly limited and this information is essential. You would not want to miss any due to any," he looked pointedly at Thatch, "rude, pointless bumblings." He turned his gaze back to Selma. "Do you understand?" Selma looked a little uncertain, not quite trusting the seeming ease of this information.
"He's telling the truth," Marco said. "We met him in Wonderland. He is Ace's logic. He can't lie. If you're going to get information, you'll want to get it from him." Selma, still slightly unsettled but reassured by Marco's words, nodded to him before turning her attention back to Ace.
"I understand," she said. Ace – Hatter, right now – smiled politely again. "Very well then, let's begin. The information I will be sharing will not be to your liking and I expect you'll disbelieve me for your own emotional resentment of what I have to say, but it is truth. Record it, so that maybe someone else will believe and act accordingly." He leaned forward, face going dead serious.
"You cannot, under any circumstances, ever try to destroy the Inhabitants or Wonderland." He stared right into Selma's face as he said it, eyes hard. He let this statement hang in the air, settle in. Selma's expression had shifted from wary curiosity to mild animosity.
"Don't be stupid. If Ace ever wants to be perfectly autonomous again, the Inhabitants and Wonderland have to go. Self-preservation-" Selma said.
"Don't misunderstand me," Hatter said, face still calm. "I don't say this out of some misplaced desire to continue my own existence. I don't fear unexistence. Truly, I am incapable of fearing anything. I am incapable of truly desiring anything, either. I can only assess the pros and cons of a situation based on the facts of that situation. Based on the facts of this situation, I can tell you that – beyond a shadow of a doubt – if you destroy the Inhabitants or Wonderland, you will have performed a blunder so massive you will regret it for the remainder of your life." Selma was still dubious.
"Why?" she asked. "Why would restoring Ace to being his own person be a bad thing?" Ace sighed.
"Consider this, lady doctor," he said. He met her gaze evenly, coolly. "Could any man, woman, or child truly endure what Ace suffered at the hands of Edward Hare? By 'endure' I mean emerge out on the other side mentally intact." He allowed a moment of silence after his question before continuing. "The answer to this question is no. No one can experience cruelty that extreme and come out unscathed. Ace needed – still needs – a way to disassociate what happened. The creation of Wonderland, a world that – to him – is equally plausible and existent as reality, is what allows him to be the person he is. Now that Wonderland, an equally valid reality, exists, but at the same time he knows it doesn't, Ace can dismiss the parts of this reality that are too much to suffer as non-real." As if sensing the growing confusion in the room, Hatter elaborated. "You see, to him, Wonderland is exactly as real as reality. Yet he knows Wonderland isn't real. As such, he can say reality – being exactly as valid as Wonderland – doesn't truly exist either. In this way, the things he endured were just as non-real as his struggles in Wonderland. Like nightmares, the effects and pain only lasting as long as the dream itself. But this isn't all."
"I'm sure that, since the time you discovered Ace's injuries, you've done some research on childhood trauma cases, no?" Hatter asked. When Selma nodded, he continued. "Well, as research suggests, exposure to violence breeds the capacity for violence, the more endured sometimes directly correspondent to the inclination. Now, consider Wonderland. Chaotic. Lewd. Primitive. Above all, savage. You didn't truly get to experience Wonderland the way these three," he gestured to Marco, Thatch, and Whitebeard, "did. But allow me to assure you, not a day passes where someone isn't brutally unlived. It's a place that is practically sustained on violence. Why? Because it's a vent. The level of constant fear and stress that Ace has been under – and I'll admit it largely fluctuates – needs to be released. And after his lifetime experiences, one of the ways he releases it is through violence. He uses Wonderland to flush out all that violence in a non-destructive way." Hatter smiled sardonically.
"Did you know that when we were first created, none of us were capable in combat?" He watched the confusion and protest surface on Whitebeard, Marco, and Thatch's faces, amused. "That's right. Now tell me, how is combat talent developed? Practice. In the past ten years I've unlived over 1,000 times. Once every three days, on average. And there are more Inhabitants than just me. It comes out to an average of two or three a day. Only the creator has the power to unlive Inhabitants like that. When it first started, every day was a massacre, usually only one or two of us being alive or dead by the end of the day, the rest unlived. We learned, though. We've learned to fight back, to draw it out. If it takes longer for him to unlive one of us, by the time he unlives the others, the first ones have revived again. This…stabilizes Wonderland. If all of us are ever gone at once, it doesn't end well."
"What do you mean by that? And what did you mean, 'in the past ten years'? Wasn't Wonderland only developed a few weeks ago?" Selma asked.
"I cannot answer your first question. It is one of the topics I have been prohibited from broaching. The other two, however, lead me to my third and final point about how you would find the destruction of Wonderland adverse to your wishes." Ace looked to Marco, Thatch and Whitebeard. "I'm going to tell her now. Sorry if you were planning to do it more delicately than this." He looked back to Selma.
"If you were to destroy Wonderland, you would destroy the Ace you know as your brother, friend, and comrade along with us. You see, the Inhabitants as we are now, as Thatch, Marco, Whitebeard, and now you have interacted with us, aren't the ones from ten years ago – though we were practically entirely the same back then too. This is us now. The fact of the matter is, between the time of Ace as a ten-year-old and the present, Ace doesn't 'get better', as you seem to have defined it. We don't go away. We don't stop talking to him. We don't stop telling him what to do. He continues to listen to us. And it is because of what we say and advise that he has said and done many of the things you respect and know him for. We are part of what defines Ace as the person you know. If you were to take us away, to shut us up, to unchangeably reinstate the original…he wouldn't be the same person that you know. So here is the final question: Do you want to save your brother or save the stranger? Because if you destroy Wonderland, you'll destroy your Ace with us."
Ace turned his head slightly, his expression turning to a snarl. "Hatter shut up. You're going too far!" Ace's expression shifted, suddenly calm again. "Ah. I forgot myself for a moment." He sighed deeply. The snarl returned as quickly as it had gone. "You 'forgot yourself'?! We only just fucking manage to start to get Dormouse going again, and you 'forgot yourself'?! I swear to God, if he heard you and Dormouse is gone again, I'll fucking unlive you myself!" Ace's expression shifted to calm curiosity. "Speaking of him hearing things, where exactly is he? You and Caterpillar said you'd hold him back while I talked to the lady doctor, where did you spirit him off to?" The expression shift wasn't to a snarl this time, but the tone of voice suggested the same person as before. "Caterpillar's got him. We…uh…" he looked a little sheepish, rubbing at the back of his head. "…we went a little overboard, though," he finally mumbled, dropping his gaze to the floor. His face shifted back to the calm, and a few seconds of silence stretched, Hatter blinking mutely. "…You know I don't find your sense of humor amusing, Queen," he finally said. His expression shifted again, this time to something between embarrassment and anger. "It's not a joke! We didn't mean to, but he wouldn't stop-" he was cut off by a heavy sigh, accompanied by Hatter's placid expression. "Take me to him." The other voice – Queen – returned, this time turning to look out at the room's occupants. "What about them?" he asked. Hatter's calm expression retook Ace's face. "…They'll be fine. There's some other Inhabitants nearby that they can talk to. The lady doctor's interested in a psycho-analysis, I believe." Queen's expression claimed Ace's face and he looked around and behind him, seemingly seeing things they couldn't. "…Not exactly a cheery crowd. But a harmless one." Hatter appended, taking over directly after Queen finished his sentence. Queen returned, studying the invisible people around them for another moment before shrugging, his expression then leaving Ace's face.
Ace's face went blank for a few seconds, staring unblinkingly at the wall. Silence stretched.
Finally, Ace seemed to revitalize, his hands reaching for and grasping each other. His face took on a look of nervousness. "I-I-I think it'd b-be okay f-for us to-to-to sp-speak. Wh-What do you th-think?" A tiny pause. "I d-don't think it'd be-be wro-wrong." He looked out at the room's occupants, smiling timidly at Selma. "H-Hello, la-lady doctor. I-I-I'm Tweedle D-Dee. A-And I'm Tw-Tweedle Dum. Y-You prob-probably won't be a-able to t-tell us apart, b-but that's o-okay. W-We c-c-collec-collectively act as Ace's c-conscience. I t-tell him if a thi-thing is right. A-And I t-tell him if a th-thing is wro-wrong." A long moment of silence passed.
"…D-Do you re-really want to des-destroy us, lady d-d-doctor?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, eyes widening. "It-It'd be wr-wrong for you t-to jump to ha-ha-hasty ac-action. Y-Y-You sh-should thi-think about what Ha-Ha-Hatter s-said r-really ha-hard before you m-make up your m-mind."
"I…" Selma glanced to Whitebeard. "We haven't decided what course of action is best yet. We're going to have to discuss it. With Ace too." Ace's face twisted into a slight frown.
"I-I-I know you th-think it'd b-be r-right for you to ta-talk about this w-with Ace, b-but you c-c-can't. It-It-It's really impor-rtant th-that you d-don't t-tell him ab-about any of wh-what H-Hatter s-said." Selma frowned in confusion, turning from Ace to Marco, Thatch, and Whitebeard. They were equally perplexed, however. Selma shook her head, turning back to Ace.
"Isn't Hatter part of Ace's mind? Doesn't he already know everything Hatter knows?" she asked. Ace whimpered, curling in on himself, clutching his own hand more desperately.
"I-It's wrong to h-hide thi-things fr-from them," Ace whispered to himself. "Y-Yes, b-but is it r-right to te-te-tell th-them?" Ace seemed to curl further in on himself, face crinkled with indecision. "…Th-They're h-his fa-family. I…I-I think i-it's ri-right for them t-to know. G-Good. L-Let's tell the-them then." Ace whimpered again, clutching his own hand tighter still. "…I-I'm s-s-scared. W-W-What if h-he fi-finds out? W-What if w-w-we mess u-up and he he-hears? It-It'd b-be the end o-of ev-ev-every-everything!" Ace squeezed his eyes shut, a single tear escaping and sliding down the left side of his face. "I-I know. I-I-I'm sc-scared too." A shudder passed through his frame. "B-But we ha-have to tr-try."
Ace looked back up at Selma, his face a distressed spectrum of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. "W-Will you ha-hate us?" he asked timidly. "W-Will you ha-hate him?" Selma frowned.
"No. Ace is my family, my brother. There's nothing you could say that would ever make me hate him," she said firmly. Ace remained silent for a few moments, studying her face as if trying to measure her resolve. When he turned away, Selma couldn't be sure whether he'd found what he looked for or not. His gaze shifted to Marco, Thatch, and Whitebeard.
"…Di-Did it e-ev-ever strike you a-as strange? Di-Did you e-ever t-take a mo-moment t-to really th-think ab-about it? I-I don't th-think you d-did a-and you we-weren't sup-suppo-supposed to. B-But th-think about it n-now.
"Wh-Wh-When Ace we-went into Wonderl-land for the f-f-first time, h-he sa-sa-saw the physical body ly-lying on the floor, r-right?" He took the uncomprehending looks as confirmation. "B-B-But is-isn't it w-weird, i-if you loo-loo-look at the timing? I-If h-he could s-see th-th-that bo-body, why c-couldn't he s-see a-any-anyone else in the ro-room? Sho-Shouldn't h-he have also s-seen H-Hare and th-the other m-men? I-If he w-was re-re-really the-there at tha-that time?" Ace's left hand squeezed the right. "Something's c-coming…" he said nervously, looking around like a spooked deer. "Hurry u-up!" Ace swallowed thickly, beginning to tremble faintly. "A-And that's n-not a-all," he said, talking faster now, more desperately. "Wh-Why-Why did Ace f-find th-the Inhabitants fa-familiar? He m-might not have kno-known the na-names, but he kn-knew u-us. Wh-Why? He-He'd ne-ne-never me-met us before, r-right?" Ace looked around wildly, breath in terrified gasps. "Out of t-time! W-We ha-ha-have to r-ru-" Ace leapt to his feet and spun, facing a wall. He went rigid, his entire body freezing, eyes widened in horror.
"Too late," he whispered.
Silence reigned for a few moments, Ace so perfectly still it was jarring. Time itself seemed to almost pause. A pin dropping would have sounded like thunder.
Ace slumped bonelessly to the floor.
"Ace!" Selma was the first to rush over, crouching over him, lifting him gently. It became quickly obvious that he was alive – his breathing was regular and his pulse steady, when Selma gently pressed her fingers to her neck. His eyes were closed, his mouth open slightly.
"He's…asleep?" Thatch asked, standing beside Selma, bending over Ace in concern.
"Ace," Selma said, shaking Ace gently. "Ace," she repeated, slightly increasing the force she was using. Ace's eyelids fluttered, clenched, then finally opened. He groaned quietly, squeezing his eyes shut again and rubbing at them like he had a headache, or the light in the room was too bright. When he opened his eyes again, he flinched, pulling out of Selma's hold and sitting up on his own. Selma looked concerned, prepared to brace him if he needed it, but didn't touch him again. Ace looked around the room
"Wha…?" he murmured, still squinting. He looked up at Marco. "How'd I get here?"
"You had a narcoleptic attack in the hallway. We wanted to make sure you hadn't reopened any of your wounds or hit your head in the fall, so we brought you back here," Marco said calmly, smoothly. Selma looked at him sharply for a moment, and he looked up at her briefly to stare back calmly. He turned his gaze back to Ace before he resumed speaking. "You woke up before Selma started the examination though. How are you feeling? Does anything feel like it reopened? Does your head hurt?" Ace shook his head slowly.
"It doesn't hurt. Just feels a little…fuzzy," he said, rubbing at his forehead. He frowned slightly. "I…I think I had a weird dream, but I don't remember…"
"It'd probably be best for you to get some decent sleep. After being trapped in Wonderland, your mind could probably use a break," Whitebeard said. "Thatch can show you to your room, if you'd like. Someone will come and get you for dinner as well." Ace, still seeming a little dazed, rose unsteadily to his feet. Whitebeard could sense his muffled confusion, the unformed question hanging in Ace's mind. He looked between the adults, mild uncertainty in his eyes. What happened? he thought dimly, the thought vague, and not fully formed, but still clearly projected to Thatch, Marco and Whitebeard. Why are you all looking at me like that? The frown was growing, distrust with it.
Ace think about it, Marco supplied placantingly. All four of us share mindspace now. We're practically like the Inhabitants. We aren't capable of hiding things from you or lying to you, right? Ace studied him, silent, for a moment longer. Finally, though, his face relaxed.
Right, he finally responded, shaking his head slightly. Of course. He seemed at ease now, believing these facts to be irrevocably true. Ace turned away to face the door and Marco frowned slightly, careful to keep his confusion and incomprehension subtle enough that Ace wouldn't pick up on it and ask.
Because the Inhabitants were hiding things from Ace.
Apparently earth-shatteringly important things.
Things that, despite knowing the answer was there, staring him in the face, Marco couldn't quite piece together.
Marco couldn't be sure of anything. And until he figured out what, exactly, this secret the Inhabitants were keeping was and why Ace couldn't know about it, he deemed prudence the safest course of action. Once he discovered this secret he could deduce its possible consequences. He didn't want to jump in blind, telling Ace what they'd been told before he figured out what it all meant. So he'd do as Hatter suggested and keep it quiet, recommending the others do so as well. He wasn't sure what could be so important that saying it would change everything so dramatically, but that uncertainty leant him even more caution.
What Marco wondered at the most, the fact that he was currently scrutinizing the most closely, was the fact that this situation could exist at all.
How could it be possible that the Inhabitants, pieces of Ace's mind, could have information that Ace didn't?
This question buzzed back and forth in his head, but he couldn't pin down an answer. He hadn't even come up with a hypothesis that withstood the slightest cross-examination yet. No matter how he looked at it, it just didn't make sense.
Marco's thought-process was interrupted by someone pounding through the door, winded from sprinting. Ace practically leapt out of his skin, jumping back, closer to Thatch, Marco, and Whitebeard. The man – a member of 6th division – took only a moment to regain any of his breath before speaking, voice urgent.
"Oyaji!" he gasped, leaning against the doorframe. "You have to come quickly!" Whitebeard, concerned, rose.
"What is it?" he asked, voice taking on a more powerful, commanding tone. The man – still panting – swallowed, glancing at Ace and seeming to hesitate. "Say it," Whitebeard ordered.
"It-…It's," he started. He licked his lips, eyes flitting uncertainly to Ace for a moment before returning to Oyaji.
"We found one of Edward Hare's men on the ship."
(A/N: Well that was the poopiest cliffhanger I've ever written. Whoops.
So yay for another informational chapter! To be honest, this chapter feels waaaaayyyyyyy too obtuse foreshadowing-wise, but as the creator I already know what's going to happen and don't have to figure it out, so maybe it's less obvious to you…? I dunno. Hope you liked it, in any case. As specified, you now have all the pieces you need (you've actually had them for a while, but meh) to figure out what the hell is going on. So good luck with that, if you care to try! Send me guesses in reviews or PMs. c:
I'm really trying to finish this story before the end of my summer break, so hopefully the updating schedule will pick up a bit. As always, no promises. But I'm going to make a serious effort, so that should be worth something. *shrugs*
Well, anyway, I'll let you all get on with your day/night now. Hope you enjoyed, and I hope you're looking forward to the approaching conclusion to Kill the Rabbit!
~Mountain97
PS: sorry again about any confusion with me using the wrong account to respond to reviews. I'm just dumb sometimes. Staying up past 2 in the morning for like 8 nights in a row does things to your brain. I'll avoid mistakes like that in the future, promise!)