AN: Aaah so sorry for the long wait guys! And the uh… ridiculously short chapter and lack of responses to reviews. I have just been very busy with life, and that mixed with the lack of motivation to write left me feeling pretty eh. But I managed to piece this crappy chapter together for you!

Introducing Marco – properly, ehehe~

-five-

-Harpy or Phoenix-

He was all bright blues and golds.

Ace had never seen such vibrant shades before. They flickered and glowed, the feathers like fire, and Ace was mesmerized. Even while just sitting there, the creature was majestic, holding himself with a grace that none of the half-bloods or creatures he had encountered before had.

And he was singing, too. Softly, sweetly, barely above a whisper, and strangely, Ace found himself crying. Not out of any negative emotion, no, but… something else, something he couldn't place his talon on. It was just so… beautiful.

The creature seemed to notice he was being observed too, and he looked up with a gentle smile. "You're awake, good. I was afraid the tears would not heal the damage…"

He stood up from where he had been sitting by the small fire and moved over to Ace, bird-like talons causing sticks and leaves to crack beneath his weight. Beneath the mask, bright blue eyes gazed at him with concern, and Ace wondered…

A harpy? The mask was similar to those that the bird-creatures were known to wear, but he'd never come across one that was so… bright. Or glowed. Harpies feather's didn't glow. In fact, the energies that surrounded him felt entirely different. He didn't smell like one either, harpies smelled of rock and moss, but…

This creature smelled of fire. Vitality. Life.

What… was he?

When Ace tried to speak, the creature shushed him gently and crouched beside him, and one of those wings morphed into a very human-like hand. Definitely not harpy – they didn't possess shifting magic.

Fingers gentle, they prodded against Ace's chest, testing – something. Ace was too out of it to tell. "Are you in any pain, yoi? Can you breathe alright? Your lungs were nearly burned through…"

Ace swallowed thickly and licked his lips. Lips? He had been… positive he wasn't in his half-form before… when had…

He tried to sit up, and beneath the mask, the creature's lips pressed into a thin line and he placed his hand firmly on one of the dragon's shoulders. "Don't move. The skin is fresh, thin, any wrong move and you may just tear it open. I've used enough tears on you as it is, yoi."

The dragon swallowed again and blinked. He tried to speak again, and this time he managed hoarsely, "W-where… where am I?"

"Just past the Eastern border." The creature said softly, and gently began smoothing a damp cloth across the dragon's chest. It felt… very nice against his skin. "The Mountain King's domain."

Ace blinked, numb with shock at what he'd just heard. "Wh- What? How did I – I don't-"

"I found you. You were bleeding out, yoi." The creature lifted the cloth and began dabbing Ace's face. "I recognised the touch of Demonic magic lacing your injuries. And you are the first dragon I have seen in… many centuries, yoi. I could not allow you to die."

Again, Ace tried to sit up, but the creature held him down, preventing him from moving, and the first stirrings of panic began to well within the dragon.

And with that panic came all the memories from before. The fight, Luffy –

"Hush, yoi." The creature said gently, and a soft trill escaped him – a noise that soothed his nerves and calmed the dragon's racing heart – and oh gods his chest hurt so much….

All he could do was lay there and try to breathe, and the creature soothingly ran the fingers of his human hand through the dragon's hair. "You are safe. Safe, yoi."

"W-who… what are you?" Ace gasped out. "Not – look like harpy, but feel different. Smell different. W-what-"

His breath hitched in his throat and Ace coughed, and found he couldn't suck enough air into his lungs. It hurt, it hurt so much, but the creature was there, another trill escaping him, lips forming words that Ace couldn't distinguish, but slowly – so painfully slowly – he started to come back to himself.

He could breathe. The pain was still there, but he could breathe. And the creature was singing softly, soothingly, and Ace stared at him in wonder.

The singing tapered off, and the creature let out a small chuckle. "Very astute of you, Salamander. It's been a long time since someone was able to tell that I am not what I am disguising myself as, yoi. My name is Marco. I am a phoenix."

The walk was – shorter than expected, but that may have been due to the paths that Ace took Luffy and Robin through. Along the way, he explained what had happened to him – in trying to search for Luffy while on the verge of death, he'd wondered so far away – chasing a scent that hadn't really been there - and found himself within the Mountain King's territory.

Luffy listened to it all without once getting distracted, strangely. He ran around of course, 'oohing' and 'aahing' at all of the plants and small creatures they came across, but he didn't stray off the path, and always nodded along to Ace's words. The dragon knew he was paying attention, not just acting like it. And then, at times, Luffy clung to Ace's arm, and the dragon was reminded of the times from way back, when Luffy had still been just a brat and did the exact same thing. Ace allowed it, because…

It felt… so good, to finally be speaking to Luffy. To touch him again. To be in his presence. To get this off his chest. He had missed him… So damn much…

After a while though, Ace fell silent, having just passed the part where he'd met his saviour - as they were nearing the end of the path. The trees thinned out and the underbrush grew sparse, giving way to short, tough grass and rocky ground. The mountain loomed above them, casting them in its giant shadow, and Ace looked up at the large, intricately carved stone door – the entrance to the Mountain King's hall.

The doors were open, and there was a familiar, faint blue glow coming from the tip of the archway – Marco.

The dragon had to prevent Luffy from running forwards excitedly, gripping the back of his shirt to keep him in place. The boy whined and pouted up at the dragon but didn't try to pull away, and behind him, Ace could hear the demon woman laugh softly.

"Oi, Ace!" Marco called down from where he was perched in his hybrid form. Even from this distance, Ace could see the amused smirk beneath the gold and blue mask. "Put some pants on, yoi!"

"Shut it!" The dragon called back, mock irritation lacing his voice. "I haven't been in this form for years! Do you expect me to cart around a pair of pants wherever I go?"

The phoenix let out a snort, and with a beat of brightly glowing wings, leapt into the air and glided to the ground. He hit the rough stone path with his scaled feet, the talons making a loud clicking noise at the contact and causing some lose pebbles to scatter, and his tail feathers trailed across the ground as he moved forwards. He didn't waddle, no – he was far too elegant for that; it was more of a strut, and Ace allowed a grin to stretch across his face in greeting.

Marco had been the one to save him. As one of the last remaining phoenixes in existence, Marco knew what it was like – to be alone, hunted… and to have a long, incalculable life. To be immortal. He had to have been... very alone, before he became a part of Whitebeard's court.

The tears of a phoenix were the most potent healing substance in existence. Ace could remember waking up, and being surrounded by trees and the sound of birdsong – and the strange blue bird standing above him. The tears… they had brought him back and healed the worst of the damage, but there had just been something about that attack Sakazuki had used. It held a… taint that the sheer purity of the tears could not destroy completely, hence the gruesome scar that remained on his chest – and underneath, his scarred heart and lungs.

In the beginning he hadn't been able to do much of anything, the pain simply too much. It got better over time, and now Ace liked to think that he was healed – and had yet to be disproven.

But that taint… Sakazuki… he never forgot.

The hatred he had for demons simply grew over the years as well.

But Marco… He had felt an instant connection to Marco, and hadn't resisted being taken to Whitebeard. He'd wanted to give up then, in too much pain and mourning his lost Light, but… he made a home amongst the Court. Marco managed to build him up again, with the help of… Thatch…

Who was gone.

Ace shook his head, his smile faltering for just a moment – before Luffy tried to barrel past him with a screech of "Pretty birdy! So cool!"

Marco gave a slight start, flaring his wings wide and blinking in shock, before Ace managed to snag his arm around Luffy's neck and haul him back. Squeezing tightly, causing the boy to yelp and tug at his arm, Ace growled, "Damn it Lu, what did I say about running ahead?! Calm down!"

The half-blood pouted up at him. "But Aaaace, I just wanted to see what the feathers feel like! They're so pretty!"

"Yes, yes, they're pretty, but it's impolite to run up to a harpy – or anyone really – and touch them without permission. That's asking to get your face clawed up! Don't you remember what happened back in Goa? The Summer Market? You're lucky I was there to step in before she tore you're throat out!"

He called Marco a harpy because… well, there was a reason Marco presented himself the way he did. A phoenix was a rare sight, highly sought after and hunted, and in all likelihood he was the last – so it was better to pass off as a harpy; albeit, a very, very unique one. He was able to fool a great many people, who didn't carry the blood of a creature, and Ace – the whole of Whitebeard's court, really – were expected to play along. To protect their brother, their family.

Luffy blinked, large eyes becoming glazed and vacant for a few moments – and worrying the hell out of Ace because seeing Luffy go blank… scared him, slightly. It cleared quickly though, and the boy blinked again. And smiled. "Oh yeah! But they were such a pretty purple, Ace! Shishishishi!"

The dragon rolled his eyes, relieved. "Honestly Luffy… definitely haven't changed at all. I was hoping you'd gotten smarter…"

From behind them, there was a soft laugh as the demon woman came up and stopped beside them – making sure to keep a good distance between her and Ace. "He has always been like this, then? So uncaring of danger?"

Ace snorted. "/Always/. Since the brat found me and didn't stop following me around, even when I threatened to eat him. Just laughed it off and tried to climb all over me."

Luffy just laughed again, still grinning, and before them, there was a rustle of feathers.

Marco stood there with his head tilted to the side, eyes regarding Robin with – not hostility, no, but definitely wariness. He didn't hate demons as much as Ace did – knew that they were not all entirely corrupt – but he knew better than to trust easily. His eyes then shifted to Luffy, still clutching at Ace's arm, and he stated, "I see you know our guests…?"

The name Luffy – it rang a bell to the phoenix. That was… Ace's long thought dead brother.

The dragon smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. Luffy, my brother. And his companion is… Robin?"

The demon nodded her head in greeting, still smiling. "Yes, it is an honour to meet such an esteemed member of the Mountain King's court. You are… Marco, yes? The Blue Harpy. The rumours I have heard about you sound quite fearsome."

"Oh?" The phoenix tilted his head, staring at her with eyes that had not lost a single trace of that wariness. "I can only hope that the rumours are flattering, no? Regardless, it is a pleasure to meet you too – both of you, yoi. I have heard many stories about Ace's brother." He nodded to them. "However, as nice as it would be to stand around and exchange further pleasantries, we must get down to business. The Mountain King has been expecting you, yoi. Please, follow me."

Luffy stopped him, though. "Wait."

The Phoenix did, and he turned back, head tilted to the side in question. Luffy was still clutching Ace's arm, and staring at Marco with a familiar intensity. "You're the one that saved Ace, right?"

Marco regarded Luffy in silence, before he nodded his head. "Yes. Yes, I did."

The boy kept staring – almost as if he was sizing the phoenix up – before he grinned. "That's good! If Ace had really died I would have been very upset! Thank you, shishishihsi!"

A smile crept across Marco's lips, and he dipped his head in acknowledgement. "You're welcome, yoi. Now, if you would follow me…"

He turned again, and began strutting up the stone path with Robin falling into step behind him after throwing Luffy a glance. The boy remained beside Ace, clinging to his arm, and started dragging him after. Ace allowed it, his gaze firmly fixed on Luffy's face, not…

Not really knowing why he was feeling worried about Luffy.

This would… take some thinking. And getting used to.

AN: Aaah again sorry for the length and quality. Please review and tell me what you think~