So I was going to wait to post this like I usually do, but... I figured since I went so long without updating, I'd be nice and put the new chapter up right after writing it :) Don't get used to it, though - I've been pacing myself with updated lately. Also, I know this happened a while ago but I never mentioned it... Oda messed with my story! It no longer fits with canon! T^T (For those of you who read past the Punk Hazard arc in the manga, you'll know why) Damn it all...
Warning: This chapter contains what some people may consider disturbing imagery. It's not that detailed and I don't think it's bad, but other's might have a problem with it so I thought I'd warn you.
Disclaimer: Do you really need me to say it? Go read the story and enjoy it, damn it! ...For a second I swear I forgot English o.o
Stirring in his sleep, the boy was woken by a chill that filled his body. He tried to snuggle into his mother further, but her body offered no warmth. Brow furrowed, he opened his eyes and sat up, curiously studying the blonde beneath him. Eyes widened as his gaze trailed across the woman's skin. Something was very, very wrong.
Her skin was pallid, tinted gray. The colour that was drained from her face pooled at her back which turned a violet-red. More than that, her arms and legs looked swollen. What happened? Was she hurt?
Placing his hands on her forearm, Ace tried to rouse her. The action didn't nothing, leaving him to freeze at another reveal—the stiffness of her limbs.
"Mm," he grunted, tapping her shoulder in the hope of getting her to open her eyes. "Mm!"
Pleads going unheard, his arms fell limply to his sides. What was he supposed to do? He was scared. Why wouldn't she wake up?
Pulling his mouth taut, he clenched his fists. She was tired so he would let her rest. His mother hadn't been feeling well so he resigned to taking care of himself while she recovered. Slowly he stood, looking once more at the unmoving body, before turning around. His lip quivered as he walked.
He never felt so alone.
He hugged his legs to his chest, trying to quell his shaking as he stared at his mother. He pulled their only blanket over her a few days ago, hoping it would warm her, but her body still remained as frigid as before. Skin taking on a ting of green, she was looking worse each day. While before that day he continued to sleep next to her, he no longer could. The stench was overpowering, filling his nostrils and causing his stomach to turn.
As he sat a few feet away, watching her changing face, he noticed something crawling along her cheek. Squinting, the creature came into focus. His eyes widened.
An insect.
He ran up and swatted it off her face but froze when he saw another emerge from under the blanket. Again he removed the parasite—again and again—until the stench became too much and his legs automatically pulled away. Ace kept his distance, tears forming behind his eyes when he realized his body wouldn't allow him to get closer. He realized it before but refused to admit it. Now, though… he didn't have a choice.
She wasn't going to wake up.
Eyes puffy and red from crying, Ace grabbed what little belongings he had. He replaced all but one of the knives in the chest they came in, glancing back at his mother's corpse. Skin breaking apart and bugs devouring what they could, it was a horrifying sight. To him, though, it was just sad. Regardless of what she looked like, that woman was always with him. She cared for and protected him, stayed with him always.
He choked out a sob. Why wouldn't see open her eyes?
Turning away, he walked into the trees, never looking back. He couldn't return there. It hurt. He didn't want to see her like that anymore. Swallowing, the last image of his mother burned into his retinas, he relocated.
Days continued to pass and he continued to grow, but he could never forget the crushing truth that loomed over him.
He was alone.
Luffy sighed, glancing down at the sleeping boy in his arms. Despite their relentless coercion in the morning, Ace clammed up. He spoke nothing of his past, refusing to share it with anyone. When they saw how upset he was getting they stopped pressuring him into it and he returned to hiding in the storage room, leaving the crew to ponder his perplexing behaviour. The pirate king had never seen his brother like that—before or after his death. It only dawned on him then that the boy was more broken than he initially assumed.
Later in the day, the pirate managed to talk him into returning to the infirmary with him. It took a lot of persuasion but eventually he gave in, though Luffy could tell it was more because he was worried than because he was comfortable. Still, it was progress. Maybe once things calmed down a little—once Ace was back to normal—he could ask about his past again. Ordinarily he wouldn't care about it, but something told him that it was important.
Nigh an hour ago the boy silently placed his head on Luffy's chest and listened to his heart, falling asleep to the sound. The pirate king had a lot of trouble understanding that boy sometimes.
Chopper walked over to the bed, reading the results of some tests he performed earlier in the day. He looked concerned, which didn't look good for Luffy. He didn't expect good news, though. He'd noticed a few changes since he woke up from that short coma and, while he was alive, he was certainly not in top condition. He just hoped his theory was incorrect.
The reindeer's face turned from the papers in his hand to his captain, a sympathetic look crossing his face. "Luffy, I…" He trailed off, averting his gaze as he fumbled over his words.
"What is it?"
Taking a deep breath, Chopper looked back to the pair resting on the bed, first to Ace and then to Luffy. "…You mentioned feeling weak, right?" He waited for the pirate's nod. "Well I think that's because the seastone is still in your system."
"So I'll go back to normal when it's gone?"
"You should, but—"
"Then it's fine!" Luffy beamed. He was content knowing that it wasn't permanent. It put his worst assumptions to rest.
"But Luffy, I don't know when that will be. And until it's gone…"
Luffy blinked, wondering what his crewmember was going on about. Instead of speaking, though, Chopper reached out and pinched the skin on his captain's hand, tugging at it slightly. He looked back into Luffy's eyes, willing him to understand what he was showing him. Bulging eyes staring back at him, he was worried he didn't get it at first. Then those already large eyes went wide.
"My ability…"
Chopper nodded. "It's being blocked by the seastone."
After a very quiet, heavy silence, Luffy smiled. "I'll be fine! I'm strong without it, too, you know."
Reassured by his captain's optimism, the reindeers smiled and nodded. "I'll go get you dinner. Don't get up again, okay? You're not well enough to wander around yet."
"Shishishi! Alright, I won't."
Chopper gave him one last look before shutting the door, leaving the brothers alone.
Luffy's smile faded as he leaned back, biting his lip. That wasn't good. Losing his ability now after having it for so long would spell doom—especially with that strange devil fruit user running around. He had to wonder how much use he would be without it. No longer could his body repel bullets or stretch across distances. While he remained optimistic in front of his doctor, he knew he would be all but useless in battle. Sure he still had haki and brute strength, but the liquid seastone had the same effect as cuffs, draining him of his energy. Lying there, he wondered if he would be able to protect anybody as he was.
Ace backed behind the leaves of the tree, careful not to make noise. He'd been following the pirates for the last while, keeping himself well-hidden in the foliage of the forest, cautious of the strangers as he always was. They'd proven themselves no different from the others, waving their weapons around at leisure and violently tearing their way across the island. The boy was content with watching them and never making himself known, just as he did with the rest.
Eyes narrowed on the three he was following, watching as they veered off their original path and headed deeper into the heart of the island, he froze. That was…
After more careless wandering, the pirates came across a clearing, their pursuer hot on their tail. Knife clenched tightly in his fist, Ace wanted to stop them—to use force if necessary. But he didn't. As battered and bruised as he was, as tired as he was, he wouldn't be able to take them all on at once. So, realization washing over him, he bit his lip and continued to observe from the forest cover.
"What's this?" one slurred, pressing the bottle in his hands to his lips and drinking his fill, allowing some of the liquid to pour down his front.
One of the others took a few steps closer to the object on the ground before startling back, letting out a bit of a gasp. "B-bones?" he stuttered, looking over the remains with disbelief.
Ace pulled his mouth into a taut line, ready to jump out if they so much as touched her. After so many years, he couldn't recall much of that woman. He knew she was with him for a long time, always at his side, but her face was washed from memory. Warmth was all that remained—warmth and security. Even still, he knew that person was important. She was someone he wanted to protect, even if she never woke—even if she no longer looked like herself.
Swallowing, he silently implored the group to leave. Whether they touched her or not, he still didn't want them to stay. He didn't like being there himself—never visited that area of his own accord. Even if his memories faded, he still felt that same loneliness from before whenever he was there.
"Coward," the third pirate scoffed, looking down at the bleach-white skeleton at his feet, studying it. "Looks old," he noted, "more than two years, at least."
"Doesn't matter," the first stated, wiping the alcohol from his chin. "Let's hurry back before Capitan does the same to us."
The second's eyes widened. "Y-you don't think he'd leave us to die, do you?"
He shrugged, "Might."
After a pause, the pirates decidedly turned around, taking brisk steps back towards the ship, leaving Ace to ponder the noise that they made. There was one sound he heard used before by the other strangers who came to the island on occasion: die. Did that sound have something to do with the woman? Looking over the bones, he wondered.
Stirring to wakefulness, Ace was met with a familiar rhythm.
Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Th-thump.
To his bleary, tired mind it sounded almost melodious—a noise he could easily fall back asleep to. Yawning, he opened his eyes and picked himself up, staring down at his make-shift bed. Luffy was resting on his back, snoring the night away. Ace's soft, gray eyes carried across his face and arms, studying him beneath the pale moonlight seeping in from the small window. His dream left him shaken, worried that when he would wake he'd be met with a suffocating silence.
He wasn't.
Sitting back on his legs, the boy moved a cautious hand to the pirate's shoulder, the tips of his fingers warming with the other's body heat. Luffy's skin was soft as it always was, filled with colour and a slight tan. He was breathing—making noise—and his heart beat strong.
It wasn't like his nightmare. Ace wasn't back on the island, wasn't alone. Luffy wasn't… dead.
Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, Ace glanced out the window on the far wall, eyes lingering on the deep, velvet sky that he could barely make out from that angle. It was long into the night, but he wasn't sure he was tired anymore. He didn't want to return to that dark, dank storage room, though. It was cold there. While he worried still of his attack on Nami—that the same would inevitably happen once more—he thought that maybe… maybe he could risk it.
They were nakama.
Tension easing from his shoulders, Ace replaced his head in the crook of his brother's shoulder, adjusting until he was comfortable, closing his eyes as he listened to the strong, unwavering rhythm of his caretaker's heart. It was proof of his life.
Luffy was alive, and Ace…
Ace wasn't alone.
A/N: There you go - his past! Or at least all your going to get for a long, long time :P But that's basically everything you need to know about him, in a nutshell. That marks the last big part of this arc, so over the next few chapters we'll slowly head back into the main story. Hope you guys enjoyed!
To my lovelies~
Bluebird42: Lol nope, not wrong. And here's your fast update! I don't think it's even been a week... I'm being too nice to you guys :P
jam klaoo: Hehehe... *evil grin* I'm glad it was emotional for you!
teengens: What are you talking about? Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows will never die! Will the update cheer you up?
azab: Glad you like!
MysteriousEyez: Yep. You've got to commend her for that. She tried. I thought you guys would enjoy the irony XD
yukiko hyuga-chan: Sorry for making you cry :( I updated very quickly this time to make up for it! :) Really? That's awesome! I help convert someone muahaha! You're welcome ^^
Knight-of-Cool: Muahaha! Wasn't my goal, but it makes me proud ;)
sakura240: Really happy you enjoyed it! I tried, I really did ^^ Here's your update~
Guest: I update really often, actually, it's just I have 6 other stories going so I was updating them and not this one for a while ^^ It's hard to find the time to keep them all up... Well, yeah, they're going to be in future chapters. They're the main characters. I just took the last chapter to show Ace's past. We're only 3/5 through the story. Hope you enjoyed :)
Son Goshen: Lol she only resembles her because she's blonde XD Actually, you know what the realy weird thing is? I realized when writing the last chapter that my image of Silvia from To Be a Boy is actually identical to my image of Ace's mother from this fic O.o Isn't that creepy? Not much is going on in the present right now, which is why I took the time to write about his past hehe.
mad100141: Melodrama? I guess. I just write whatever comes to mind :P Really happy you like it! I was hoping the last bit would have an effect like that, but I'm not good with emotional scenes so I wasn't sure how it turned out. Glad to hear you think it worked!
Aimiko: Lol he's been with Luffy this whole time, technically :P
spoons-are-evil: Even more depressing than the Platform Drop bonus? Or my Goodbye oneshot? If you think THAT'S morbid then wait until you see what I have planned for Divide muahaha! Exactly! Ace's memories of her and all they went through are very vague, as shown by the last flashback. He doesn't even realize how hard she tried for him. Cut the world's smallest violin! Lol I know, 5-year-old Ace has a much better chance of survival than 18-year-old me XD Kind of sad, actually... His father isn't that important. He was a noble who used Ace's mother for sexual pleasure, impregnated her and left his illegitimate child for his slave to care for, not caring whether he lived or died. The part where she wonders if he's going to be compared to his father, she worries because his father, while rich, was a rapist and she didn't want her son to be equated to someone like him. Hope that helps :) Glad you like!
Blueh: Here's an update!
(To the 14 who reviewed, thank you so much for your support despite the break I took from the story. It really brightens my day to read your reviews and to find out whether you liked the chapter or not. And to all of my readers: thanks for stickin' around so long. This story was my first One Piece fanfic and despite my break I assure you I'll finish it even if it kills me - unless I die before I can finish it e_e But that is unlikely, statistically speaking. Ahem. Getting off-topic there. So I hope you've enjoyed thus far and I'll be back with another chapter when I can find time. Until then, please leave a review and, if you're interested, check out some of my other fics while you're waiting. Maybe you'll find something that's to your liking! Adieu~)