Disclaimer: I think you should know by now =.=; So I was working on Reverse but then I heard a song and wrote this chapter because I felt the urge to. I was going to leave this off for a while longer but said "screw it Ima work on it!" and here it is :D It's shorter than most of the other chapters but oh well, I just updated this story yesterday anyways :P Hopefully I can get the next chapter of Reverse up in a few days. Also working on some secret projects that I'll post once I get multiple chapters done so that you can have updates even if I get busy :P Two are going to be romances and all are AU. A warning: I suck at romances.

She hummed softly as she passed a loving gaze over the small bundle in her arms, a testament that even in the darkest crevices of society there were small flickers of light. The woman rocked back and forth slowly to soothe the child's sobs. Her golden waves brushed lightly against the infant's cheeks, causing a tiny smile to cross his lips. That was all she needed to carry on. In the blackness of her cell, her son gave her hope.

As he fell into a sweet slumber his mother was brought back to the cruel fate that had befallen them. The heavy collar chaffed her neck. The ground beneath her was moist and cold, as was the air, meaning that it was probably raining on the surface. That thought brought a smile to her face – what a wonderful feeling it would be to stand outside and let the droplets smooth over her skin. She missed the weather, good or bad. She wanted to see the sun. How long had it been? Two years? Three?

Her attention was brought back to the tiny bundle in her arms as he cooed and adjusted himself against her chest. He was all she had left. Despite the circumstances around his conception, he was her world. It didn't matter what sort of monster his father was. It didn't matter what that man had done to her. He wouldn't be like that. He was hers and she would raise him properly, to not be an animalistic beast like the one that made her suffer so. He was her light – all that she needed.

She cringed when she heard the metal door at the end of the room open. Placing her year-old son gently in the dank blankets they had been given, she lightly touched her lips to his forehead and rubbed the dark strands from her precious boy's eyes. He stirred, opening his eyes slightly to the woman in front of him. "I'll be back soon. I love you." After cupping his tiny cheek in her hands, she reluctantly headed towards the cell door. She took a look into the cell one last time, hating to part, and watched her baby vanish into the dark.

The guard shoved her forward and held tightly to her shackles, stringing her along like some worn-out doll to the end of the hall where she would have to meet Master. At that thought she reminded herself of the precious boy waiting for her and did not resist.

She was thrown down onto the moist ground and watched weakly as the metal door slammed shut. Thinking nothing of herself, she dragged her beaten body to the young boy in the corner as his large, dark eyes stared at her curiously. Once she stopped, unable to fully move herself forward, the child crawled over with coos of happiness. She smiled genuinely, paying no mind to her injuries.

The youthful woman pushed herself up against the wall with every bit of strength she had. Her arms stretched out towards her son, who rushed as fast as he could into her embrace with a cheery laugh. Once he spotted her neck he curiously fingered the gash he saw. She winced. Grabbing that hand gently in her own, she looked down at the raven-haired infant who didn't understand. His bright eyes melted away her tough exterior and she sobbed silently into her son's hair, holding him as close to her as she could. No matter how hard she tried or how long she wailed, she could not scream.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

The infant tilted his head in confusion. His mother made no noise and she knew that he wouldn't understand. Before then she would sing to him and call his name and tell him stories but no matter how hard she tried the words wouldn't come out. She cursed the raw flesh on her neck. She cursed the man who caused her so much pain. She cursed the world.

I'm so, so sorry. I won't be able to sing to you or tell you stories. I can't say your name anymore.

Please forgive me.

She cheered in silence as her son, now two, waddled her way. She knelt down and wrapped him in a tight embrace, longing to call out to him in her sorrows. All negative emotion vanished when she was with him. She could forget about the labours her body endured and the humiliation brought upon her as long as no harm came to him.

The boy scanned his mother curiously and spotted the dark purple and brown discoloured skin coating her arms and chest. He frowned and furrowed his brow at this, asking if it hurt without saying any words. His concerns were met with a bright smile and a loving hand that wiped away the greasy strands from his face.

The blonde spun around and revealed a tray consisting of bread and some raw fruits, hoping to relinquish the toddler's worries. His face lit up and he devoured his half, his mother keeping an eye on how fast he chewed. He wasn't good with hard foods.

She brushed a hand, lightly, across the crease on his back, cringing as her touch curved to every bone and indentation. He was deathly thin. She was, too, but she didn't care about herself. Even at two years old the child was still tiny, not having enough nutrients to keep him growing properly. His eyes were beginning it sink back into his skull. She had no doubt that she looked the same but brushed it off. If she lost him she would lose everything.

The toddler beamed up at her after finishing his part of the meal and pushed the tray nearer to her, urging her to eat. She picked up the bread and shook her head, handing her son the remaining loaf. He stared inquisitively, trying to comprehend the action, before nodding and continuing his feast, albeit a lot slower than he had before.

She ran her fingers through the tangled mass on his head, ridding it of the dirt that had caked onto it over the last few days. If they could ever get out, there was so much about the world that she wanted to show him and so many things they would do. Firstly, she would give him a bath. His first real bath. He would probably be scared. Then she would introduce him to every food! He could try meat for the first time. Cooked meals. Food that was fresh. He could see the sea and feel the rain he never got to experience. They could sit in the sunlight and watch the sky and not be bothered by worries of being separated or abused. And maybe, if they were lucky, they could find someone to teach him how to speak when she could not.

It was hot. The metal walls singed with heat, scalding any bare skin that dared brush against it. She ran over to her boy, now four, and hurriedly checked over the burns on his back. With nothing to treat it, she helplessly blew on the wound, hoping to easy his frantic cries. The mother ignored the smoke entering into the room through the barred window in the door and cried out silently for help. She cursed her disability then more than ever and stroked the child's shoulder in an effort to easy his fears.

A dark figure appeared at the door through the smoke. Before she had time to react the door was forced from its hinges and slammed against the back wall. In the chaos of the fire, the woman saw a lean figure standing in the doorway. She huddled her son into her arms in a protective grasp as the person entered.

As he got nearer, she made out some more of his form. He was a young boy, probably eighteen or nineteen – same as her – with a scar under his left eye. Clad in red, he moved nearer, straw hat accenting his short, black hair and large eyes. She was scared at first, but then the boy bent down and reached out to her. She took his hand and rose to her feet with her child tightly grasped in her other arm. The strange boy smiled at her confusion.

"Get out of here before the guards come. I'm going to open the rest of the cells."

She felt herself nod before large, burning tears streamed down her cheeks. The boy gave her a small laugh before grabbing hold of her collar and shattering it in his hands. He continued to do this to the shackles on her arms and legs. He stopped to watch the black-haired boy in her arms, giving him a gentle rub on the upper half of his back. The little boy stared at the man curiously.

"They're even using kids now?" The man scowled, disgust lacing his tone. The boy reached out to the stranger when he spoke and traced his lips, having lived in silence most of his life. Will a weak smile at the child, he proceeded to break his bindings gently.

The mother bowed repeatedly in a show of silent gratitude as the man turned and waved, heading to the next cell.

"Go. Keep him safe."

She nodded, trying to dry her tears, and ran for a hole in the wall that led to a staircase. At the top of the staircase was another hole that led to the
outside. Hundreds of slaves rushed past her to escape. She followed suit, listening to another metal door being slammed of its hinges in the background, swearing to herself that she would protect her son and never let him return to a place like that. Even if it cost her life, she would protect him.

That small boy would finally be able to live. He could see the sun and rain and sky. He could try all of the world's foods and see every sight it had to offer.

They were free.

"Ace? Ace!"

The boy's eyes jolted open at the call of his name. It took him a while to adjust to the light and feel the grips on either of his shoulders. He registered the voice he heard and worried figure hovering over him, noting who it was.

"Luffy?" he asked groggily, eyes still blurred with sleep. "What's wrong?"

The pirate's grip on the boy lessened and he slumped onto the far side of the bed, exhaling in exhaustion. Ace could see that something was bothering the pirate; his breath was heavy, palms were clammy and he looked like he'd just finished panicking. Waiting for his older friend's answer, he tilted his head, noting the burning in his eyes.

"You started screaming so I was worried. Must have been a nightmare."

It was only after hearing those words that Ace noticed his throat was raw. He could taste the tangy metallic properties of his swollen throat. Reaching up to his cheeks, he felt cooling tears brush his fingertips, no doubt the cause of the sting in his eyes. He recalled the dream he'd just had of a blonde woman he used to know, slowly coming to an understanding of what had happened while he slept. It happened before, many times. This was the first since he met Luffy, though.

He quickly rubbed the salty liquid from his eyes and tried to erase any evidence of his crying. The Pirate King watched him.

"You okay?" a concerned pirate asked, gently rubbing the boy's upper back – an action that, for some reason, felt nostalgic. Comforting.

"…Yeah."

"You sure?" The boy didn't answer that time. Luffy watched him, worry growing, analyzing the detached expression he held. Did he remember something? He went over it in his mind, knowing full-well that there were many of his brother's memories that could elicit a reaction like that. Still, the more he looked, the more he thought it was something more than that. Something deeper. Something about his past, not the memories of his former self.

"…I think she was my mother."

A/N: So to clarify just in case it wasn't clear, this was basically a telling of Ace's past. The flashbacks aren't what Ace is dreaming though, it's basically his mother's showing of the past. Ace was dreaming of her, but he didn't dream all of that. He wouldn't be able to remember most of it! XD Also to clarify, yes Ace's mother was raped. Yes, they were both slaves. And yes, Ace is the child of his mother's rapist, her "master". If there are any parts that aren't clear then please let me know and I'll revise it! I didn't check it over before uploading this time because it's getting late and I need a shower XD

You've probably noticed, but I'm kinda trolling you here :P There's going to be a second part that's going to explain what exactly happened to Ace and his mother after that which will go all of the way up to not long before he met (or should I say reunited with?) Luffy. I'm sure you can guess the basics but it'll go into good detail. That second half won't be written for a long time though :P Hahaha XD

Also, as I said I'm working on Reverse but I have 9 hours of classes tomorrow so I might be too exhausted to write at all tomorrow. Sadly, you might have to wait a while for me to get it up. Skip is...giving me trouble. I'm not having much fun writing this chapter of it so it's bleh and going slow and sounding crappy and...might be a little while for an update. At most a week! ...maybe.

Now, my lovelies~

Kitsune Foxfire: It is! ;_; but I'll survive! Maybe. Glad you liked it! But yeah, there's going to be comparisons made to "himself" which Lufy realizes and is worried about. Hope this update was good too!

SioQu: Well you have to consider that if he remembers he's only going to remember bits at a time, just like he is now. If he remembers certain bits like the way he was treated because he was Roger's son, Sabo's death, Thatch's death ect it could really hurt him. Luffy is worried that he'll remember the bad aspects of his brother's life before he remembers the good. Not to mention that he'll have to live in the shadow of "himself" because he'll realize that he can't do the things he used to do because of his current body, among other things. And there's also the chance that Ace won't every remember everything. Ace could end up really hurt if he only remembers certain things and not others. Not to mention that he's only recognizing things and remembering names and nothing else right now, which is already scaring the boy because he doesn't know why it's happening to him. Hope that helps!

YingYang21: You are most welcome! :D

XxSaorixX: Really? I didn't think it was that sad D: I'm sorry! Now I'm wondering if this update is sadder or happier than the last one...oh well! Lol I had time for one last update before the hard classes start and took advantage of it! XD Sadly it'll slow down after this. Too many studios *sigh* And the next chapter will be happier to make you guys feel better and not hate me! It's going to involve a certain call on a den den mushi and a character everyone's been waiting for. Hehehe...

Son Goshen: Why? D: Was it that bad? And honestly, you're right about his second life not being any better...you guys are going to hate me by the end of this ;_; Well I'm sure you can guess who he was a slave to. Well, the first time. Oops, didn't say that. Ignore me. Ahem. Well yes, Luffy slipped up, but he didn't explain it to Ace so he's just confused XD For now. *stares* You're giving me ideas...though I've already written out the ending plot...but the ideas...but no XD My ending will piss more people off so I'll keep :P

MysteriousEyez: Yeah, he doesn't understand yet :/ Probably won't for a while, if I stick with my plan. I'm glad you like it! XD The next chapter is going to take place the morning after the last, so Ace's feelings and thoughts on what's goin on will start to be revealed. It'll be more lighthearted since these two chapters were kinda heavy.

alana chantelune: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

RowanQuill: You're exaggerating XD But I thank you for the compliment! There should be another 4 or 5 bonus chapters before I finish the story and one of them will be fluffy so don't worry, you'll get your wish XD Just might take a while. There will also be some interaction between Ace and the crew in the next chapter too.

Stelra Etnae: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed the update!

Neko-VongolaPrimo: Lol yes, Shanks really shouldn't lecture Luffy about drinking XD And you'll do more then rage when Skip's over. You'll probably all try to find me and kill me XD I'm serious, it is NOT a happy story, though a lot of the reviewers think it might be. Lol thank you XD I've been checking my email a lot because of reviews! They make me so happy :'D

Lolext90: Thank you! :D Marco is coming up REALLY soon.

K: Thank you so much! I appreciate the compliments!

angelrider13: Nope XD That was pretty obvious for the start lol. It's something far more important. I know how you feel, school's already starting to take its tole on me. Yeah, the main purpose of the last chapter was to explain the pros and cons of Ace being a reincarnation :) Since I knew not many people would understand it otherwise.

(Again, you lovelies make me so happy! Thanks so much for the reviews!)