Yay! And update! :D Took me a while to get around to writing this. It's only around 2,100 words but since you'll likely be getting the extremely long bonus next chapter I figured it was appropriate. Plus it allowed me to leave off at a semi-cliffy and you know how much I love those :P Oh and there's a part that I guarantee with confuse you in this and if you wanna get a better understanding of what's going on in Ace's head (because it's confusing as hell when you just hear his thoughts) I suggest you go back and read the last three chapters. If not, well, figure it out yourself :P

We're at 431 reviews! I'll post the bonus as 450 reviews! :D

Oh! Made a video of me drawing Portgas D. Ann on my YouTube channel :D Check it out if you're bored! Link's on my profile!

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece, DO own insanity. Yep, insanity is a tangible thing now. And no, Ace isn't going insane. He just has... things to work out.

All eyes turned at the sound of panicked, scared cries. They saw Ace flailing about in Robin's arms, desperately trying to free himself. After being still for so long he was suddenly animated and frenzied. The archeologist had no choice but to lower and allow him to slip out of her grasp; he could have hurt himself otherwise.

Ace stared with impossibly large eyes at the nine figures in the room, then back to the one on the bed. His breathing increased to the point of hyperventilation and, as everyone approached and attempted to help him, blackness entered the rims of his vision. He inched away from their touch before falling to the ground in a disoriented mess.

Chopper heaved a sigh as he finished checking on the young boy's condition. What else could go wrong? First his operation on Luffy failed and then the youngest person aboard had a miniature breakdown. If anything else happened he was sure he'd die from the stress. While he was used to caring for his crewmates and tending to their injuries, it was rare for the situation to become so dire, especially after their captain became Pirate King.

"…What happened?" Nami asked reluctantly, clenching the fabric of her shirt. They all knew something was wrong with Ace—that became obvious when Robin returned with him—but after such an outburst no one knew quite what to expect. She mentally scolded herself for not looking after him while Luffy's condition was unknown. If he were awake he would have told her to take care of his brother.

The doctor looked down at the sleeping face of the freckled boy, wondering what brought on such an intense reaction. It likely had something to do with his time alone on the island but he was no psychologist and, while he could heal their physical wounds, he could do little for any mental scarring.

"He had a panic attack," the deer replied simply, looking over the child for any signs of distress. He knew about his night terrors—had been treating them for the past three weeks—and wondered if they were related to his earlier experience, but he wasn't showing any visible signs of any sort of dream.

"Why? The shitty brat get scared or something?" Sanji asked with his hands in his pockets. For once he wasn't smoking, seeing as he was in the infirmary, and his nerves were shot because of it. With everything that happened he really needed a cigarette.

"I think it was because he saw Luffy," Chopper stated, going over to the other bed to check on his patient. He began fiddling with some of the machines, making sure everything was working just as he wanted it. "He did see him die, after all. And, despite his upbringing, he's just a child. It's… hard losing someone, even as an adult."

They all bowed their heads at that, recalling the people they'd lost. Nami remembered her mother's death—seeing her shot. She was young then. Ace's reaction was fiercer than hers, but after all he'd been through it was no wonder. Luffy was the only person he made a real connection with. He was the sole crewmember who he trusted and, though he didn't know it, was his only family. Maybe one day Ace would come to feel the same about the rest of the Straw Hats, but for the time that was the way it was.

"I'm worried," the doctor announce as he adjusted the sheets on his patient's bed. He turned to look at his friends with big, sad doe eyes. "Because of what he went through… I'm not sure how he'll react when he wakes up."

"What should we do?" Zoro asked, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway.

"You can go. I'll watch them for now and tell you guys if there are any changes."

"Are you sure?" Robin questioned, looking between the unconscious boy and captain. She felt guilty. Wasn't there something she could do? Did she really have to wait it out? She wanted to help them. Luffy was the one who gave her a place to belong and Ace… He was just like her.

Chopper nodded. "They need rest."

With their silent protests going unheard, the crew filed out of the room. None of them wanted to leave but knew that listening to the doctor was their best option. No one complained. However, Nami didn't leave the room. As she neared the entrance she turned to face the reindeer.

"Hey, Chopper… Can I stay? I don't really want to leave them like this, and our course is already set so I'm not needed on deck…"

The small creature seemed to contemplate that before giving her a smile and nodding. Having one more person present would be useful just in case he had to step out for a minute or two.

She beamed back. "Thanks." Maybe she would be able to make up for her lack of responsibility—for ignoring the younger in favour of the older.

Ace stared out into the blackness—the void he could not escape. He was breathing erratically as that one sight flashed through his mind, never leaving the back of his eyes. There it was again—indescribable, paralyzing agony. There was no going back. He saw it and recalled it and he couldn't return to being blissfully unaware. Luffy…

Forget.

Ace's breath hitched as the voice resounded through the walls of his mind. Could he? Could he… forget? Erase it from his memories and go back to his ignorance? But… wouldn't his heart start to vanish? Wouldn't he disappear?

Forget. It hurts too much.

Should he? Uncertainty enveloped his mind, crushing it under a massive weight until he couldn't break free. He didn't know what to do. Luffy… What would Luffy do? What would he want Ace to do?

He clenched his head tightly. His thoughts circled and fought to sway him—to forget or not to. He was tired of it all. He was tired of the swallowing despair and numbing images. After all that, he began to wonder what the dream was. Was he always like that?

Ace's breathing slowed. If he made a move—took another step—would there be anything left? If he returned to that other the reality that wasn't a crumbling darkness, would he be alright? Did he have a chance? Could he be free of all… that? He wanted to wake up and hug his brother. He wanted to tell him about his nightmare and thank him for being alright. But… that wasn't waiting for him, was it? Luffy's heart stopped. His skin ran cold and breathing ceased. Luffy was dead.

After that thought, forgetting seemed like a good idea. He knew that if he moved forward everything would fall apart; he would have to accept what happened. He wasn't ready for that. If he forgot… If he regressed…

The boy let out a small, jaded chuckle. He was seeping into the cracks of a bleak insanity if he was thinking like that. It still appealed to him, though. Pretending it didn't happen would alleviate some of the misery welling in his chest. Maybe he would get some relief. Why not? He couldn't break free, anyways. He was trapped.

Even when his eyes opened, he wouldn't really 'see'. Seeing meant that he had to acknowledge the lifeless form that wouldn't leave his thoughts. There would be no going back. There already wasn't. He was bitter. What the hell was happening to him? He was slipping further into the dream—his new reality. He would throw everything away if it meant retaining his thoughtless bliss.

When Ace opened his eyes he was met with stark white sheets and a similarly shaded ceiling. Blinking as his vision adjusted to the light, he looked around. Everything was clean and neat and sterile. He had to wonder how he got there. The last he remembered… Wait, where was he before he fell asleep? Try as he might, he could not recall. It probably wasn't important.

The boy sat up to get a better look at the room. No one was around and he was thankful for that. When his gaze hovered around the other bed, though, he had to correct himself. Someone was laying there in a peaceful sleep. There was a breathing mask over his mouth and Ace had to rethink his definition of 'peaceful'. Either way he appeared undisturbed.

Curious, he threw the covers off his legs and hopped down from the bed and over to the other. He pressed his hands against the mattress, lifting himself onto the nearby stool to get a better height. With wide eyes he watched as the mask fogged up, cleared and repeated. He didn't ever remember seeing one of those things before but its purpose was obvious.

His eyes trailed across the still body and noticed wires and… things sticking out of his arms and chest. He dared not touch them and instead moved to his face. It was familiar, framed by a matted mess of ebony strands. A small scar rested on the man's left cheek and his lids hid two very large eyes. Ace smiled, thankful that Luffy was alright and that his dream was just that and nothing more.

Slowly his smile faded as he more closely analyzed the pirate's condition. Maybe he wasn't as alright as Ace thought. He needed a machine to help him breathe and had all sorts of weird things attached to him. What was wrong? He would be okay… right? Why wasn't he awake?

A slow beeping filled the silence. The heart monitor continued to be the only sound in the room for what seemed to Ace like an eternity. It just kept getting louder and louder, filling his ears with its taunting—

The door opened. He froze. A redheaded woman entered the room, at first oblivious to his presence. She was holding a steaming mug in one hand and seemed exhausted. When she looked up and registered his alertness she smiled.

He trembled.

"You're awake," she stated before she placed her mug on the table at the end of Luffy's bed and headed over.

Ace took a shaky step back. His foot slipped off the stool and soon he was sent tumbling to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Nami asked, rushing to his side. He stumbled backwards, inching away cautiously until he hit the wall. He was scared—couldn't stop himself. The redhead noticed. "Ace? What's wrong?"

She took another step forward and he flinched, unable to get further away. She just kept getting closer and closer, asking him questions that he didn't hear. He wasn't paying attention to her words—couldn't be bothered to. All he knew was that he felt just like he did at the island—trapped with nowhere to go. When Nami knelt down he felt his heart race. A loud, overpowering pounding entered his ears. He felt every vibration. Quickly he looked around for a weapon, hating himself for doing it. That was Nami. She was one of Luffy's nakama—the one who gave him clothes. She was a companion and yet…

Nami gazed over the boy with sorrow and concern. He looked absolutely terrified. Noting the bandages around his head, she wondered if the fall he took after his panic attack caused some damage. Was he disoriented? Was he hurt? She needed to know. Chopper stepped out for dinner and she had gone for a drink. She didn't want to leave the boy alone and, by the looks of it, he wouldn't be willing to go with her to the mess hall. All she could do was stay there until the doctor returned. Hopefully he would be able to find out if Ace was alright.

"Ace," Nami began as she crouched, inches away from the shaking boy. She watched as he shielded himself with his arms, winching as though he was about to be attacked. "What's wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?" The more she looked, the more she resolved to see him as a child and not the great Fire Fist. Reincarnation or not, he was still little—a scared, helpless boy. It was sad.

Ace gave her no response aside from a few whimpers. Nami sighed with concern and reached out to pat him on the shoulder. As soon as he saw her move his body went into panic-mode. He moved his arms to shield his head as flames licked his limbs and shoulders. Within seconds the fire shot out and made contact with her arm.

Eyes closed, he found himself in darkness once again. He hated his black surroundings but was too scared to look again. Then he heard a surprised yelled and some tumbling. When he peered out from the protective shield of his arms he saw Nami had fallen back and hurriedly flailed about, trying to put out the red-hot flames on her burning appendage.

Ace's eyes widened as he took in the sight. He hurt Nami. What had he done?

I'm… broken.

A/N: So yeah. That happened. And no, Ace didn't lose his memories (obviously). That's not what the 'voice' meant by "forgetting". Don't understand? Reread! If enough people have issues with it I'll explain in the next chapter. Consider this my Easter gift to you! And see! I told you the crew would play an important role later on and that they'd slow up more! Everything I've said since the beginning I will not go back on :P

Question: Do you enjoy the bonuses or would you rather I not make them?

To my lovelies~

Haruka-desu: Lol yep, he's dead. No, he's not. When it talked about remembering in the last chapter it wasn't referring to his past life, but instead his memory of Luffy dying. He blocked out everything as a way to defend against the trauma. You're welcome~

xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Yep, it was pretty obvious :P Ace huh? Interesting...

TheRoseJr: There's going to be losses in this. People will die :P Really? All? XD Awesome! Even Imagined Life and To Be a Boy or just the original 4? I appreciate the support! (Lol nope, no fanclub. Unless someone wants to make one :P)

Bluebird42: Not mentally unstable, just going through some stuff. Hehe the bonus is OVERLY long so hopefully you guys will be nice and review lots for it XD It's like 6 chapters in one.

trisha23flow: It was going to. Good thing I switched the plot around a few months back, eh? :P Lol a tiny spoiler: won't see Ace first.

spoons-are-evil: Yep, very tortured. I'm mean like that :P She cries, just very rarely. It's a pretty emotional thing that happened so I figured it would be appropriate. Hehe don't worry, you'll learn a little about the Great War as time goes on. It's Coby :P I didn't intend to trick you guys on that. Well I killed him off in a bonus and a oneshot (and I think somewhere else) already so I figured I should give him a break... for now. Lol didn't expect for someone to say Marco XD But I agree, it would be sad without the pineapple and eventual bird jokes :P Well not the side-effect part, but... The bonus is giong to give away spoilers, I just realized it XD Anyways it's worse than that.

Guest: Glad you like!

Kitsune Foxfire: More than a bit ;) Yep, Coby.

MysteriousEyez: Lol it was very obvious that it was seastone :P Shock but a little more than that. Never make a prediction about me not killing someone, it'll be your downfall :P Just remember this review for later. Hehe interesting prediction ;) Lol my main priority changes depending on which one has the most reviews. And don't worry, I love long reviews!

XxSaorixX: Indeed it is. Well Ace wasn't "there" when they explained that Luffy was alive so up until the last scene he thought he was dead, hence the panic attack and freak out. It's okay, I'm just glad you reviewed at all ^^

Diclonious57: Lol.

Starry Roses (22): Please don't do that. I don't want you to review for the sake of reviewing. I only put the reivew count on to make sure a decent enough number of people enjoy my fic. Now I'm going to wait until we get 451 reviews :P

AikoLoveGirl: Yep, I always saw her as that as well. Robin's awesome. Don't compliment me, my ego will take over :P And of course I'll continue the story! Though not right now because I have a headache.

Starry Roses (23): No, he wasn't. He was trying to repress his memory of Luffy dying. Has nothing to do with his past life, not at all. Yep, it was Coby :P

samettikettu: Yep! No, he's not going to randomly lose one of his senses :P Lol well he's not going to suddenly become an adult. He grows normally, though it's stunted a bit because of the years he was malnourished. And even IF he gets his memories back he's not going to return to being the same as he was in his past life. But he would act like that a bit :P IF he were to get his memories back. Yeah, it makes sense XD

StrawberryGirlKairi: Yep, he's in a coma. Nope I don't get emotional at all when writing this or any of my fics, for that matter. Doesn't affect me at all :P

deadlycute17: You're welcome~

LinaFair: Honestly, in the plots of some of the future fics I have planned out (that I REALLY want to get around to writing but can't because I have all of these stories to work on) I do a lot worse to Ace than just killing Luffy. So yes, I COULD do that to Ace :P Yep, I understand. He's... going through some issues. It's Coby :P

RexLink: It's okay, I understand :) Awe that's sweet, thank you!

azab: He's not going to remember. His reactions have nothing to do with his past life. Hehe he's only alive for now. Remember, the fic isn't over yet.

Son Goshen: Really? It confused most other people XD Yep, it's Coby! But... his role isn't has awesome as you'd hope e_e; Lol I see XD I have issues writing Franky and Brook. I love their characters but they're... difficult. Awe don't be! He's not mentally ill, just... umm... going through some things.

xRaven Of The Shadows: Lol I agree, they should XD I will~

WeissDragon: Ace huh? Interesting. Hehe well now you get an update!

Neko-VongolaPrimo: I wasn't planning on making you cry :P Actually there are some problems with having Law help Luffy. Well, you'll see what I mean eventually. Well it wasn't actually a dream. Even though that's what he calls it (if you reread he actually calls it 'reality' and says reality is the 'dream' but w/e) he's actually just conscious, just... not registering anything, you know? That's why he thought Luffy was dead - didn't hear the conversation.

SioQu: Yep, it's Coby: Lol well it's not really his fault, couldn't help getting stabbed with the syringe XD I still don't agree with Ace's death in the manga e_e; At all. And I could go on for hours about all of the problems I have with it but I won't :P Hehe you're the first person who actually read and replied to the side-story part XD

K: Lol it's fine. I'm a double major in university so I understand, I'm just REALLY good at time management and freeing up my schedule to keep up with my writing :P Yep, Coby. Nope, people will die. Hmm... interesting idea. Lol it's fine. I personally am very bitter about the most recent chapters in One Piece :P

angelrider13: You're back! :D We missed ya! Yeah, life can be problematic sometimes, I understand. Hope you are able to get into the swing of things again :) Yes, the Fleet Admiral is Coby. Lol if Garp was a Fleet Admiral... we'd have issues XD

Cyborgnetics: Lol yep, they do. Yep, Coby. No mystery there :P Yeah Ace has gone through quite bit, huh?

Guest (2): Little Ace's past :)

Guest (3): Can't answer that question without spoilers :P

Kaoru likes One Piece: Glad you like!

(So that's everything. I feel like there's something I should tell you guys but I'm not sure what... Oh well, probably isn't important. I'm going to get some food and then word on the Sabo's Story bonus, the Mafia bonus, and Divide since exams are coming up and I won't be able to get in much writing until they're over so I'll see you next update! Adieu~)