Hello everyone, here is the next chapter

Things will happen in this, and it is a bit short

And, a part of chapter was inspired from a review from a person called FIREmizuchi

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax


Ace gave a sigh, moving to Marco's room, feeling tired. Ace had been with the king and Marco for almost 3 hours now, playing cards. While it might not be anything exhausting in itself, Ace still didn't know many and they needed to teach him, Ace trying to remember everything, which took a lot, at least for him. The two had seemed to notice, and had said he should go and relax, it was late after all. Marco also said it might be because his body was still trying to settle in with being turned to a half-demon, and being in Hell.

Marco had originally walked with him, but a gremlin had stopped the man and said he was needed, urgently, and had left, giving an apology to him. Marco had his duties, so it was fine. They had been together a lot today either way, even with the king, Whitebeard, which was nice. Ace enjoyed that and had really had fun today. Even the time when he helped Thatch had gone fine, which was a surprise. Maybe things would be a bit better now, seeing as he wasn't being spoken down on and ignored every turn. The other High Lords at least seemed to try and pretend to be nice.

When Ace got to Marco's room, Ace sat down in bed, feeling tired, more so than he had believed. Ace was going to go to the bathroom to prepare himself for bed, but didn't feel like getting up again. Why did he feel so tired? Ace gave a small breath as he laid down in bed and tried to make himself comfortable, giving a small flinch when his arm, where Cerberus had bitten him, touched the bed. Ace turned to the other side and tried to relax, feeling more and more tired every second. Why did he feel so cold too? Ace moved himself more together and dragged the blankets more around himself.

Ace was probably just tired and would feel better after a night of sleep. It didn't take long before everything went black.

-x-

Marco gave a sigh, having finished an emergency meeting, someone messing their work up and a few demons disobeying orders. That happened now and then and had thankfully never got out of control. Marco was glad it was finished, the clock closing in on midnight, and he would like to rest, but he needed to report back to Pops first, where he was headed now.

But, as he was a few hallways away, a pound of fear had him halt.

Marco blinked, not sure what it was, before he recognized it to be the bond between him and Ace. Why was Ace scared? Not far away from terrified? A frown came on his face as he turned, quickly walking towards his room, his first thought being someone was messing with him. Many knew Marco would be busy in the meeting, which had ended early. And, if someone was messing with Ace now, even with his warning and explanation, not even Pops could save them.

When Marco got to the room, he opened the door, ready to injure whoever was there, only to be met with a dark room with no one inside, aside from the moving shape on the bed, which had to be Ace.

Marco gave a relieved breath, glad no one was here, Ace seeming to be turning in his sleep, most likely having a bad nightmare, the fear still being there. Marco walked over to the bed, sitting down on it and moving a hand to Ace's shoulder, shaking a bit. "Ace, yoi." There was no reaction, other than a small turn, the fear intensifying a bit. Marco gave a small frown, shaking harder. "Ace? Wake up, yoi. It's a nightmare." Marco might not know Ace too well, but knew he was a light sleeper, and would have woken from this. When Marco tried shaking Ace again, Ace's body turned a bit, and Marco saw a sweating Ace with a look of pain and fear.

Marco gave a frown and moved his hand to Ace's forehead, expression turning to shock and worry when he felt a bad fever. Ace shouldn't be sick.

Marco tried waking Ace again, shaking hard and telling his name, to no avail, Ace not even stirring, sweating and panting, face constricted in pain and fear. When Marco was unable to wake him, feeling really worried- Ace still shouldn't be sick- he moved to the door and got a gremlin to get Curiel now, not caring it was late, before he went back to the bed, trying to wake Ace, still having no luck.

After a few minutes, Curiel came into the room, having a frown as he knew it had to be a good reason to be called so late. Marco looked at the man. "He has a high fever, and I can't wake him, yoi."

Curiel gave a frown, walking over to the bed and feeling Ace's forehead, seeming shocked at the high fever too. "He shouldn't be having any fever." Marco nodded. "I know. I don't know why- he hasn't been doing anything special today either, yoi." Curiel had had a frown, trying to rouse Ace too, but to no avail. "Are you sure?" Marco nodded. "He's only been out a trip, with me, helped Thatch with some normal food, and played cards with Pops and I." There was no explanation on why Ace was like this now. He had seemed good earlier, maybe a bit tired. "He was a bit tired before, but that's it." Curiel gave a nod, still having a frown and trying to wake up Ace. When the man gave a harder shake, Ace gave a loud whimper, which had Curiel looking at something. "What's that on his arm?" He said while moving to Ace's arm, where the bandage from Cerebus' bite was, on his way to tell so even though he had told so earlier, but the man could have forgotten.

But, the words died in his throat as he looked at the arm, seeing something green seeping through the bandages.

Marco helped Curiel take the bandages off, Ace seeming to be in pain as they did. When the bandage was off, Marco was shocked to see the bite wound being an awful purple color, oozing green pus. What was this? Marco had never seen a reaction like this. As he was on his way to ask Curiel, the man moved to look at the door, which was still open, and gave a whistle, a gremlin soon being there. "Go get Bay and tell her to bring my emergency bag 2, now." When the gremlin was off, Marco looked at the man. "What is it, yoi?" Curiel had to have an idea; why else would he tell the gremlin to get Bay, someone who was a sort of nurse here, and the emergency was bad. Curiel looked at him. "Ace is only a half-demon, a Cambion, still settling to being here, being a sort of weak demon in a way." Marco nodded, still not understanding, and Curiel continued.

"Cerberus' spit is poisonous, even to us, but that is really rare." Marco gave a small frown, before he understood, feeling worried. "And Ace is only a weak half-demon." Curiel nodded.

"The saliva is killing him. His demon side is too weak to do anything."

Marco looked down at Ace in worry. Ace was dying? Marco looked up when Curiel spoke again. "There is not much we can do, but there are things we can try." Marco gave a nod. "Just try anything, yoi." Ace couldn't die, not now or like this. When Bay came with a bag, Marco gave the two room to work, the two cleaning Ace's wound and giving something in a needle, hopefully to make Ace less in pain and lower the fever. As they did this, Marco had a gremlin go and get Pops, updating the man when he came. Pops looked really worried too- the man had taken a liking to Ace- and tried to comfort him, telling Curiel was an amazing doctor, which helped a bit. But, Marco knew one didn't survive being bitten by Cerberus, having had demons dying from that now and then. But, one had survived years ago, if Marco remembered.

Marco didn't want Ace to die.

When Curiel and Bay moved away from Ace two hours later, Bay left and Curiel looked at him, telling they couldn't do much more now, nothing more than hoping for the best. Although Curiel didn't say it, Marco knew the chances of Ace surviving was low. Ace was only a half-demon, and he had not settled yet.

Marco moved to the bed and sat down on it, moving a hand to Ace's head, stroking through his hair. Ace still seemed to have a high fever. Pops came and sat down on the other side of the bed, looking worried too. After a minute, Curiel came with a bowl of water and a cloth, telling that he couldn't get Ace's fever down more, but having a cold cloth on his head might help, and Marco wiped Ace's face a bit, before placing it on his forehead. Curiel stayed a bit, before he left, needing to sleep, which Marco wouldn't do, not with Ace this sick.

Marco stayed up all night with Ace, Pops with him, Ace still having a high fever and seeming to be in distress. Ace had at one point, whimpered out Luffy and Sabo's name, making him believe Ace had a nightmare about their deaths. Marco had tried to comfort Ace, but it didn't seem to work. When morning came, Curiel stopped by again, checking up on Ace, but not saying much. After he had left, a few of the high lords had stopped by, wanting to know how Ace was. Marco didn't say much, telling they didn't know yet. When Thatch had dropped by, he had looked extremely guilty, him being the reason Ace had been close to Cerberus. Pops did try and comfort the man, but also knew it was, in a way, his fault.

They hoped Ace would be fine.

As the day went by, nothing happening in the sense of improvement on Ace, a gremlin came and said there was another emergency and Marco was needed. When Marco asked if one of the other High Lords could do it, the gremlin said no, telling it had to do with Sengoku, or God, and he had specifically asked for Marco. Marco really didn't want to leave, but knew he needed to since it was Sengoku. Pops did try to reassure that he would stay with Ace and that he would ask for help if needed.

Marco gave a nod, before leaving reluctantly, hoping the meeting would go fast. But, seeing as it was with Sengoku, it would take a long time. Marco hated being The Prince of Hell at times.

Marco hoped Ace would be better when he returned.

-x-

Ace didn't know what was happening. Why was everything dark? He didn't like the dark, not when it was so dark he could see absolutely nothing.

"Ace!" Ace turned to look around him. Was that? "Help! ACE!" Ace looked frantically around, searching. "Luffy! Where are you?!" Ace tried to find his brother, who was yelling in pain. "Help us!" Ace looked more around, trying to move, but found out he couldn't. "Sabo, Luffy!" Ace needed to get them, to save them. Where were they?! "ACE!" They sounded to be close by, but Ace saw no one. "Sabo! Luffy!" Ace needed to find them, to make it all better.

"Shh, Ace. It's only a nightmare." Ace blinked. Who was that? Nightmare? No, he could hear his brothers clearly, and that voice was faint and sounded distant. "Sabo! Luffy!" There was no response this time, making him more frantic. What if something happened?! What if someone hurt them? "Relax." There was that voice again. It sounded somewhat familiar, but Ace couldn't place it.

"It's okay, son. Relax." Son?

"D-dad?" It couldn't be his dad. He had disappeared when Ace was born. But maybe? It sounded comforting. "Don't worry. I'm here, son." Ace tried to look around, to see where the voice came from. "Dad!"

Ace heard soft hushing, before everything faded to black.

-x-

Ace felt himself panting, trying to open his eyes, but found it near impossible. Why? Why did he feel so hot? Why did his body hurt? What had happened?

Ace tried to move, but found it impossible. Ace felt a hand come to stroke his head. Where was he? Who was this? Ace gave a small whimper, scared. Ace heard soft hushing, feeling something cold being placed on his head, which felt good. And everything faded to black again.

When Ace felt himself waking up again, he still couldn't manage to open his eyes, his body feeling heavy, a whimper making its way past his lips. Ace didn't like this.

Ace felt someone lift him up, his upper body, Ace trying to desperately open his eyes to no avail, or just move his body. Ace heard some faint mumbling, and tried to concentrate on that. "-atch, the water." Water? Ace felt something being placed again his lips, before something cold made its way into his mouth, Ace feeling the cold water, which felt like the most amazing and cold water ever. Why was he so thirsty?

"-at's enough, Izou." Voices again, mumbling. The water was soon removed, Ace feeling himself being put down, feeling something soft under him. Was he in a bed? Why? Why couldn't he open his eyes or move? Ace soon felt something cold on his forehead, which felt good.

Then everything went black again.

-x-

Ace felt himself waking up, feeling sweaty, barely able to open his eyes a bit, but everything was blurry. Why did his body feel heavy?

Ace tried to move, but wasn't able to, only giving a whimper as his body ached. A hand came to his forehead, before something cold, making Ace open his eyes again. When had he closed them? Everything was still blurry, Ace barely able to open them. Ace was able to make out a shape with dark hair and light skin, moving something- a cold cloth?- on his head. The person had kind eyes, looking worried. Why? Ace tried to speak, to ask who it was, but only managing a whimper. "Shh." Ace opened his eyes. Had he closed them? And saw the person hushing lightly, which felt comforting in a way. Who was it? Another shape came half into view behind the other, having a lot of blond hair that stood half up or something.

Was Ace dead? Was this heaven? Ace didn't know. Ace felt the cold on his face leave, before coming back again, the hushing never stopping, before moving to… humming?

Then everything went black.

-x-

Ace felt himself waking up, body feeling heavy, him barely managing to open his eyes.

When Ace tried to move, he gave a whimper as his body ached in pain. "Ace?" Ace looked over to his side, not realising he had closed his eyes, towards the voice. Ace needed a second to focus, but soon recognized Marco. "M-Marco?" Why was his voice so weird? Why was it hard to speak?

Marco gave a nod, "Yes, yoi. Just relax." Before moving a hand to stroke his head, taking something- a cloth?- away. As Marco moved to do something with the cloth, Ace tried to look around, to see where he was. Marco's room? It did look like it, but it was dark. Ace's vision was also blurry. When Ace looked to his side, the other from Marco, he saw a few shapes, blinking to see better. It looked like… Ace felt his head hurt. The person had white hair and a moustache? And someone with dark hair and blond hair next to that person. Who had that again? Ace couldn't remember, but felt he knew who.

Ace felt something cold being placed on his head, turning to see Marco having placed something- a wet cloth?- on his forehead. "Wha-" Ace couldn't speak, his voice failing him. Marco shook his head a bit, before helping him drink something from a glass. "You'll be fine, yoi. Just relax. Everything's fine now. I'll explain later."

Ace gave a small nod, or he thought he did, before his eyes felt heavy. Why did they feel heavy? Why did Marco look worried? What had happened? Ace trusted Marco and was sure things would be fine. Marco was kind.

It wasn't long before Ace felt himself falling asleep, a hand stroking his head.


And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed

Know the chapter was a bit short, but I didn't want to add more after everything that happened and wanted to end it like this. Hope it was okay. Next chapter will be longer

If you have the time, I greatly appreciate feedback

And, if you like my story, please go check out Borderless Horizon, which is a new story I randomly decided to start. Also a One Piece fic, but more canon