Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I already did a Cinderella au, so here's a Frozen one, lol. It's only 8 chapters, so it's pretty short. I debated not posting this for a long time, since it's Frozen and I thought people would find it stupid, but it's different since it's all OP characters, and involves dragons and family drama and sibling love. Ace and Robin are the best siblings. It originally was Ace, Deuce and Law as siblings, but then I changed it to Ace, Robin and Nami. Ace acts out of character in a part of this story for obvious reasons. Well, enjoy~

Ace was two years old when he lost everything. He was on a ship with his parents' friend, his godfather, in the Dark Sea, their ship durable enough to sustain against the tumultuous waters, but an accident to be in there regardless of the ship's strength. They were on their way to a to an island that was usually easy to get to, only a full water dragon attacked the ship from below, the storms making it even worse.

Rayleigh tried to get them away, but it didn't work out. Ace had been strapped to a pole inside so the waves didn't throw him around. He cried and screamed at the loud noises, the growls and snarls coming from the dragon that was dead set on killing them. Rayleigh was either eaten or drowned, for the dragon left.

Ace was alone, everyone had fallen off the ship to their demise. It was in tatters, and it barely floated and was thrown around, how the Dark Sea did with most ships. Rarely did any ship from the West fail to cross. This one just went right into the Dark Sea territory, and was doomed from then on. Only once had they made contact with the East, but that was long ago.

So, Ace was all alone, drifting at sea, until the Dark Sea let him go, let what was left of the ship into calmer waters.

He was starving and dehydrated, barely coherent enough to cry. But he was still alive, despite being thrown about. Any normal baby would have died. Ace hadn't. He was asleep and near death when the ship's remains finally were at rest, crashing against the shore of a castle. He was too young to remember his own home castle. It would drift from his mind as he aged.

Stationary, he finally woke up. He started to scream and cry weakly, tired but scared. Wanting to be off the ship, not strapped to the pole anymore. It hurt, he was uncomfortable, his diaper was completely soiled and giving him itchy rashes that he was unable to scratch or deal with. He was happy the waves had stopped, but was not happy over all.

It wasn't long after he landed that people entered. People he didn't know, but people nonetheless. He cried, and both of the people hurried to him and unstrapped him. The woman, with dark hair in an updo that must have taken long to make, picked him up. She didn't care about his disgusting diaper, even though it was fine to hold on the outside and only smelled bad.

The man inspected the ship, finding nobody there. "Where did this ship come from?" the woman asked, hurrying back inside to give the baby food and water, as he was clearly starving. He'd been there a long time, red marks around his body where the straps had been.

The man with black hair and a straight nose said he saw crests from the West painted on the wall. "How did this ship make it here from the West?" she asked in confusion as they quickly headed inside. Their daughters were asleep at the moment. They hurried into the infirmary area and had doctors on site help him.

They took off his diaper and bathed him, giving him a lot of water to drink, and serving him baby food they had for Nami. He wasn't allowed too much, the doctors not thinking his stomach could handle it, but it enough for now. They took care of the rash on his bottom, and brought him to their own room.

The king and queen looked at him in sadness. On the collar of his shirt, there was a name. "Ace." Simple, but a name nonetheless. So they would call him by his name and not make a new one. They had no idea how he'd made it. Nobody else was on the ship. A baby should have died early on.

They didn't know what Ace would grow up to be. What he was deep inside but had not shown yet. They got out a crib they'd had for Nami not long ago and tucked Ace in. It wasn't much of a change when he cried in the middle of the night, waking both of the adults. When the queen, Makino, got up, her husband stayed in bed while she took care of the young guest.

She heard his stomach rumble and he whimpered, so she picked him up and brought him to the kitchen, walking through the castle without irritation or exhaustion. Nami was three now, didn't eat baby food anymore. She shared her room with Robin. Makino put him in the high chair she got from the closet and fed him more baby food, and then gave him a sippy cup with cool water in it.

He gripped it tightly and drank the whole thing greedily. Makino smiled, and said, "You'll be okay, Ace. You're strong, surviving the Dark Sea alone." Ace yawned and the queen walked him back to their room and put him back in the crib.

"Is he okay?" Dragon asked his wife. She nodded, saying he was just hungry and thirsty. They went back to bed, and Ace didn't wake again. They had no clothes for him, so they had the castle seamstress make him some onesies. It happened quickly, and soon Ace was clothed, with small socks, too.

You could still see the bones through the clothing, as he was starved. At breakfast, Robin was a bit confused. She was six and Nami was three. "Mom, dad, why is there a baby here?" she asked, getting onto her seat at the table, helping Nami up into her chair, giggling before she saw Ace. Dragon explained about finding him in a ship the night before.

"From the Dark Sea?" Robin asked in shock. She was mature for her age while Nami just talked about Ace's cute freckles. The parents both nodded. "Is he okay?" she wondered, eating the food that was served to them.

Makino told her that he was starved and had been very dehydrated. But that she was sure he'd be okay. She spooned more baby food into his mouth. It dribbled down his lower lip, and he tried to put it back in his mouth, but only made a mess with his hands and whined. The queen wiped his hands off with a napkin and dabbed it around his mouth.

His hand gripped Makino's finger. "Who will you give him to?" If there was nobody on the ship, he had no family, and couldn't cross the Dark Sea to wherever he came from. Dragon looked at his wife, who was conflicted, looking at the freckled baby with a sad face. He could read her easily, and said, "You're mother wished to have a son, too."

At this, Makino smiled in relief. She wanted to keep him the moment they found him. "A brother?" Robin asked in shock before smiling. She turned to her younger sister and said, "We're gonna have little brother, Nami!"

The middle child cheered. Ace got the hiccups and started crying. Robin said he was very cute and was very happy to have a little brother. Adopted, but a sibling nonetheless. She was excited, as was Nami.

-x-

"Robin?" Ace asked at her closed door. "I gotta talk to you." No answer. He banged his fist on her room. The wood creaked, and he stopped before it splintered. He grabbed the door knob, wiggling it, trying to get inside.

Her voice, sounding tired, said, "Go away, Ace." But Ace refused, and broke the doorknob, opening it and hurrying inside. "Ace!" Robin said, sounding upset. He wasn't surprised about the room his big sister was trapped in. He knew it was cold inside, he could easily tell through the door.

"I gotta talk to you."

"Ace, get out. You know it's dangerous around me!" she was standing at the far wall. Ace was seven and she was eleven. Ace sat down in defiance and protest. He shivered, but he wasn't his sister. He hadn't been hurt by Robin, and hadn't had his memories of their fun wiped. The troll was unable to change his memoires.

They didn't know why, but he hadn't forgotten. To be honest, he'd never been as awed by Robin's magic like the middle child had. Ace insisted that he talk to her, and she said she didn't want to. "You never want to!" he said angrily. "I gotta tell you something, and mommy and daddy don't know. I'm scared to tell them," he added, voice no longer angry or sad. Robin relaxed at this a bit, sitting at the far, iced up wall.

She made him stay across the room from him. "What is it?" she asked, voice much more kind and understanding. Ace's hands shook as he pulled up his shirt. Robin's eyes widened, and she moved forward, unable to help herself. She had gloves on, and didn't notice she was touching his skin until Ace didn't shiver.

The eldest looked confused, and asked if he was cold. He shook his head. But then she got back on topic and took a deep breath. "When did these come?" Ace said he woke up with them. He hadn't felt anything strange and just woke up like that. "Do you know what they are?" He shook his head, looking worried.

He knew this wasn't normal, and the cuts weren't painful and had not bled. They were just there, three on each side of his abdomen. "Come with me, Ace," she said, but moved away from him more. She was shaking every time she went near him, but he was her little brother and was scared and felt alone.

She filled the bathtub with warm water, not touching the liquid to risk freezing it. He stayed in his underwear when she told him to get into the full bath. "Do you feel any different?" she asked, sitting on the toilet across from him in the private bathroom. Ace shook his head, asking why he was in the bathtub. "They look like gills."

Ace furrowed his brows. "Like fish?" She nodded, and he frowned deeply. He submerged his head in the large tub, and felt his sides start to move, and suddenly he wasn't holding his breath anymore. He felt fine. He wasn't breathing through his mouth or nose, but didn't feel light headed or uncomfortable. When he didn't come out, she hurried over and though he was drowning.

She didn't even wait to reach into the water and pull him up. Then she backed away once he was no longer looking to be drowning. "I felt okay. The gills were moving, I felt fine," he said, brows furrowed and mouth in a deep, deep frown.

"Then you can breathe underwater," Robin said simply. Ace asked why? "I… I don't know. I don't know where my magic came from, either." Ace pointed out they weren't magic. But she paused, and left the bathroom, him coming out and drying off. She looked at her door, seeing the broken doorknob.

"What is it?" he asked, a towel wrapped around himself. He almost slipped on the icy wood, but didn't fall. She frowned and pointed to the doorknob. She said he'd broken the lock with his bare hands. "So?" he asked.

She looked around and pulled out the drawer of her bedside table. She handed it to him, some frost on it when she let go. The princess was getting nervous, feeling uneasy. Ace took it and asked what he was supposed to do with it. "Try and break it."

He looked baffled and asked why. "I just want to see something. It's fine, I can throw it out with window and nobody will know what happened to it," she said. Ace was glad his sister wasn't acting closed off. She usually ignored both of them when they came to the door. To protect them both. He knew she felt worse with Nami because she didn't know so much. Didn't remember.

He looked at her like she was weird, and tried to break it. He didn't expect it to snap in half easily. The boy stared at it and then up at Robin, who was frowning, her brows furrowed. "What's wrong with me?" he asked in worry.

She sat on the bed, the sheet cracking a bit with the very light layer of frost on the blanket. It wasn't badly damaged, and she was used to it. "I don't know, Ace," she sighed. "I wish I did. I wish I knew what was wrong with me, too."

"You're not wrong. Just weird," he corrected her. She cracked a small smile, something she hadn't done in awhile. "I don't want anybody else to know. What if I get too weird and everyone makes me go away?" he asked sadly.

Robin said, "Even if you're adopted, we're family. Nobody will kick you out. I hurt Nami and I'm still here." Ace didn't point out that she was a biological child. It would be more wrong to get rid of her than Ace. Not that he had anywhere to go. He didn't want to leave, but still was uncertain about his place there.

He loved his family, but sometimes felt he really didn't belong. He loved his sisters and parents. But he just had a feeling that he didn't fit in. Maybe it was only to him, maybe not. He didn't bring it up with anyone but Robin. Before she locked herself away almost two years ago. She usually told him to go away, but he'd sit behind the door and talk to her.

Nami wasn't as persistent. When she was told to go away, she did. Ace didn't. Robin was his sister, but he wasn't going to do what she said, trying to be lonely. He didn't want her to be lonely. It wasn't fair that she locked herself away. He really wanted her to try and freeze him, see if it actually hurt him.

Her snow and ice was chilly, but never enough that he was every uncomfortable. What if her powers didn't work on him? What if she didn't have to be all alone and unable to touch anybody? But she never took her gloves off now. At least not when anyone else was around. He asked her if she'd always hide, voice sad now. Anything to not think about his own weirdness.

The princess visibly deflated and curled up in the bed. "I don't know. For as long as I need to," she said quietly. "Please go out, Ace. Just for now, I want to be alone. I'll talk to you through the door." Ace frowned, but nodded. At least he got to see her for a bit! He asked her not to tell anybody else. She agreed, and Ace knew he could trust her word. He opened the door and closed it behind him, seeing nobody was there in the hall.

He headed down the stairs, walking unlike Nami, who would slide down the banister. He went to his room and locked the door. Ace looked for something he could crush, just to see if the wooden drawer was just easy to break cause it was cold. He couldn't find anything good to break, and didn't want to do it to anything important.

So he filled his bath tub, glad to have his own bathroom, and submerged himself. He fell asleep under the water, feeling fine. It felt wonderful. The water felt right. It was so soft and warm against his skin. When he heard a knock on the bathroom door, he woke up and sat up. He suddenly smelled a strong scent of metal and leather. The smell coins had. He got out of the bath and wrapped a towel around himself.

He opened the door and saw it was dad. He smiled at Ace and asked if he had gone in Robin's room. He didn't lie, and nodded. He looked startled, maybe not expecting him to be truthful. He said, "Thank you for going to see her." Ace asked why she had to be locked away. And why Nami had to forget.

"The memories of magic were bad for her. She couldn't have gotten better any other way," Dragon explained patiently to the youngest. Ace pointed out that she could be told now. The magic was out of her head by then, surely. Dragon replied they didn't know that. Her hair was still white in that one spot.

Ace knew that was true, but wished his big sister could see her younger one. Ace went to his bath and drained it. "I've wanted to speak with you. After you get dressed, can we talk?" Dragon asked. Ace looked curious, but nodded. He closed the door and got dressed. He missed being in the water. Wanted to go back into the bath, but resisted.

He and his father sat on his big bed in front of the window. Unlike his sisters, his bed was against the large window. "You've seemed sad lately." Ace looked down. "Is it about your place here again?" Ace's cheeks turned red but he nodded. His father didn't show any trace of annoyance or irritation. "Is there anything we can do to make you feel different? Make you feel loved?"

Ace said he knew they loved him, but he still felt out of place sometimes. "You won't ever send me away, right?" he asked. Dragon put a hand on his shoulder, and looked at him, promising they'd never send him away, no matter what. Even if he was a troublesome child, even if he made a mess, even if he was rude to them, they'd still never give him away or send him someplace else.

"I swear on my life that you will never be abandoned," Dragon said firmly, but with compassion in his voice. Ace nodded, doing his best to accept the words as truth. But he never lied unless it was about Robin's magic. "It's dinner time, why don't we go to get some food?" he asked. Meals made Ace sad, because the whole family was never there anymore. Robin ate all alone, the food brought to her.

He isolated himself sometimes. Well, often, but it wasn't how Robin was all alone. He wished she was okay to come out. Wished she wasn't so scared. The gloves worked, and she'd touched him and he hadn't frozen over. Maybe it was just him, but he wished she could be happy. Like Nami was. Both the oldest and youngest had self-esteem problems. Nami was confident and happy most of the time.

Everything smelled so strongly that he had trouble not covering his nose. He kept his face straight, though. He didn't want to do anything weird. After dinner, he went to Robin's room, knocking on the door, and saying it was Ace. She answered, but did not open the door. "What is it?" she asked, sounding tired. Ace fidgeted, worried somebody was around before he spoke.

"I'm going swimming. If I get eaten by a shark, tell everybody," he said. The door swung open, and Robin told him to not go swimming in the middle of the night alone. She was glaring, looking at him firmly. Then frost started to form on the floor in front of the door. It spread up the doorframe and at Ace.

But it stopped about two inches from Ace's bare feet. They both stood there, and Robin gestured for Ace to come in in a hurry. She closed the door, the handle fixed up and functional. The wood had not splintered by his banging earlier. She demanded to know why he was planning on swimming.

He bit his lip and said he didn't want to be stuck in the bath tub. "I want to swim. Not just be in the bath." She firmly said that swimming in the dark and alone was incredibly dangerous. He pouted, wanting to go swimming. "But if someone else is there they'll know I'm weird," he protested. Robin had no reply to that, knowing it was true.

She sighed and said, "Still, you can't do that." Frowning, she added, "I know what it's like to hide things. I know how it feels to want to do something when you just can't. But you can't put your life in danger." He frowned, still not happy and not wanting to do as she said. He walked to the window and cleared the frost away from it and opened the glass.

"How about you watch? And then you can come save me if something bad happens," Ace offered, thinking that plan was full proof. She asked how he was supposed to get down and up. "You make an ice ladder," he suggested in a simple voice. "The ice doesn't make me cold. See," he said, and grabbed Robin's hand, ripped off the glove and grabbed it.

He looked at her firmly as she was trembling, but then saw the ice wasn't forming. It covered her hand, but didn't touch Ace's tan skin. She pulled her hand away and put the glove on before slowly hugging him. She hadn't had a hug in months at least. He hugged her back. After the hug, she still said no, though.

She could understand his feelings, but she wouldn't allow him to endanger his life. He moped, and left. He did as she said and walked back to his room to stew. But, he had to do it. He couldn't stop the itch! He made a rope of blankets and pants, and tied it around his bed frame before tossing it out of the window.

After climbing down it like an expert, he took his pajamas off besides his underwear and waded into the ocean right up against the side of the castle his bedroom was against. He went in fully, and swam out more. He submerged deeper, keeping his eyes closed until he finally opened them, and saw everything clearly.

He swam around, so happy, before he caught sight of a fish. Suddenly, he couldn't stop his body from chasing it, fast enough to grab it. He didn't think before eating it raw. He spit the bones out, looking shocked, and started shaking. He wasn't having fun anymore. After running to the wall and scaling the castle back into his room, he undid the rope and burrowed under the covers.

Why did he eat it raw? That really freaked him out. He couldn't tell even Robin about that. She'd think he was a monster, or something. And the fish hadn't tasted bad at all. He had this feeling of pride when he ate it. Like he was proud of his catch. But he could have waited to cook it. Put it in the freezer to be eaten later.

He hadn't even hesitated when he ate it as if he was a starving animal. He couldn't sleep all night, and woke up with circles under his eyes. He had to hide this from everybody. Robin was lucky. Ace and mom and dad knew. Nami was the only one she had to hide it from. Ace couldn't tell anybody about his problem. Not just cause they'd be mad, but they'd think he was a freak.

At breakfast the next day, nothing was appealing but the meat. He ate sausages and bacon mostly. When asked why he only ate those, the boy had no answer. He just didn't feel like it. Nami was glaring at him. She was eight and Ace was a year younger. Ace was uncomfortable under the glare before Nami finally erupted.

"Why does Ace get to see Robin and I don't?" she demanded angrily. The table was quiet, nobody had a satisfactory answer. Ace said, "I sort of went in without her permission. She got mad." Nami looked surprised and asked why he was able to get in when the door was usually locked.

Ace lied, "The handle broke. I don't know why, but it broke and so I pushed it open and went inside. She wasn't happy to see me," he explained. He didn't want Nami to feel Robin loved Ace more. She deflated, and said she wished she had broken the handle.

Nami sighed and said, "She only ever tells me to 'go away'. And Ace doesn't like to play anything. There's nothing to do but what I've already done over and over!" she complained. Her pout was very big, and he glared at her food. Ace said they could go outside. "It's winter, too cold." It was winter! And the ocean water, that was supposed to be completely freezing, had felt nice and warm to him.

Ace didn't know what to say, how to appease his sister. "I wish she could come out, too," Ace said. "It's not fair." Nami asked if he knew why she was shutting her out. Ace had sweat bead down the back of his neck. He just shrugged, but said whatever was keeping her inside wasn't right. She should come out. He didn't look at his parents, knowing they were disapproving of what he was saying in front of Nami. The youngest looked at the white of her hair. He was convinced that, once the white went away, they could tell her about Robin's magic. They could let him in the bubble all four of them were in.

It would be awful once she found out. That everybody but her knew about it. He excused himself from the table once he was finished. He felt unsatisfied. He walked down the halls after his plates were cleared, not knowing where he was going until he ended up in the freezer that housed all the meats.

He opened it, and walked to all of the frozen fish. He picked one up and smelled it. It smell awful and he left the place, going to the nearest bathroom to wash his hands. He smiled a relieved smile at his reflection. So, he wasn't obsessed with uncooked meat. Maybe it was only in the water. Or it was a fluke.

Nobody would know about that. He wouldn't let anybody, not his parents or his siblings. Not even Robin.

Chapter Text

Artemispolarbear: ╰(*´︶`*)╯

Ace was nine now. Robin was still in her room, Nami still not knowing, his parents still sticking to hiding Robin away. He didn't like it, but as time went on, the more Robin's room froze over, the more bitter he became towards his father mostly. He was keeping Robin captive in her room. Mom missed her, but thought this was for the best. She didn't actively enforce it, mostly trusting her husband.

But Ace thought they were wrong. Robin was thirteen. She would be locked away her whole childhood! She hadn't seen Nami in years. They didn't even talk outside of the door. Ace went in her room often. The cold, the ice, still didn't bother him. There was a fireplace in each room, and Robin's cold always kept the fire out. So she was cold and alone. Maybe she was visited by her family besides Nami, but she was still alone in there.

And Ace was dealing with his own problems as best as he could. He snuck the swims at night. He had a real rope now, though. Nobody knew about his swims, nobody knew about him enjoying hunting fish and eating them raw in the water. Nobody knew the sudden flashes of anger he'd feel. Mostly towards his father. He knew he could never tell him about his problems. Not without risking himself being locked away as well. For being a freak with gills. He hadn't been shirtless in front of anybody in two years.

Robin… they knew about her. Ace… he was supposed to be normal. But he wasn't. Clearly. Robin's and Grand Pabbie's magic didn't work on him. Then there was the strange behavior, strange habits. The feelings he hid. He hoped these feelings would go away.

-x-

It was at the dinner table on Robin's birthday, her fifteenth birthday, that he lost his composure. "It's Robin's birthday," he said, picking at his food. He ate normal food now. He passed the phase of only meat. The table grew uncomfortable. "Are we giving her gifts or making her cake?" he asked, looking straight at his father. His gaze was cold and hard.

Eleven years old, and he had the anger a child his age shouldn't. "She's asked to not celebrate it," he said. Ace knew that was true, but it didn't make it right.

He then asked, "And whose fault is that?" Dragon and Makino looked shocked at his behavior. The king looked at him in confusion and disapproval. He said Robin not celebrating her birthday was her choice. "And whose idea was it to keep her there?" he asked loudly, angrily. Nami looked confused, and mom lead her out, saying the two men of the house needed to speak in private.

The king took a deep breath. "Hiding her away was the best and safest choice. She doesn't want to hurt anybody. This is as much of her choice as it is mine." Ace slammed his fist on the table, but not hard enough to splinter it. He was good at controlling his strength.

Ace said, "I remember before. I remember when we all knew. She never lost control. Ever! It was an accident! Nami should have been the one at fault. She got carried away. It was only after Robin had to be hidden that she started acting like that. After she was hidden away from everybody. After the staff was limited. Doors shut and locked. It was your idea to hide her away. To abandon her, isolate her. If she wasn't, by now she could probably control it. Not have to use gloves all day, every day!"

Dragon looked at him in shock. Ace was furious. Then his father looked stern. "You don't speak to your parents that way. You will respect us, we are the adults." Ace wasn't phased.

"Robin hates herself because of the seeds you planted," he said in a cold voice. Then he pushed away from the table and stormed out. He left the castle and went into the courtyard, wanting to punch something, rip something up. He went into the gardening room and grabbed a brick and crushed it in his hands, breathing heavily.

He threw the dust down, feeling better after destroying something. He felt angry tears down his face. He looked around and picked a rose. The boy walked back inside, avoiding his family, able to smell and hear them just fine. He could hear dad repeating what Ace had said to his wife, sounding so sad. Good. He deserved to feel bad about the life he was ruining.

When he reached Robin's room, he knocked on the door five times, the code showing it was Ace. She opened it slightly, peeking out, looking so sad. Ace gave her the rose. "Happy birthday," he said softly. She opened the door wider and went inside. The whole room was frozen over. Snow and ice drifted in the air.

He opened the windows wide, letting warmth in. "I blew up at dad. About you being trapped in here. It's his fault. All his. He hid you away, made everyone forget about you being here. I can't stand it! I'm so angry, all the time. I want to break things," he confessed. "I don't know what's happening to me. I'm scared."

Robin put her hand on his shoulder, still gloved. "It's my choice, too." Ace asked her if hiding away was what she had wanted. She couldn't answer. He pointed out that she'd never lost control then. The Nami incident had been an accident. It should have made her more determined to control it, not terrified. "I don't blame dad, Ace."

"You should. You hate yourself because of him." She was shocked and then bit her lip, tears gathering in her eyes. "Please, come out. Look at this! How is this a comfortable bedroom?"

She asked him to stop. He didn't, tried to convince her to finally come out. She'd never be happy in there. "Stop!" she commanded. Ace froze, and looked down. He apologized for being angry. "I appreciate your sentiment, but it's me hiding away. I'm fifteen, I'm old enough to think for myself. I'll come out when I feel ready," she said. The eleven year old was still so angry. Robin should want to live and be free. She then asked how he was doing.

He said it was her birthday. "And it's my wish to know how you're doing." Ace contemplated telling her the truth. She wouldn't tell anybody. He confessed that he wasn't doing good. His sister frowned, both of them sitting on the frosty bed, and asked, "What's wrong?"

It was a few moments while he was trying to figure out what to say. Robin was patient. "I think there's something really wrong with me. I'm angry so much. I can smell everything and hear everything. It's so overwhelming. When I go swimming, I catch fish and then eat them raw. There's something wrong with me, I don't know how to fix it," he confessed, speaking very quietly.

When he looked up Robin hid a look of shock, but wasn't fast enough. Ace saw it. "I don't know how to help you." Ace said he didn't think anyone could. "It sounds like you have animal senses." The younger boy nodded, knowing that, too. He added that it was a violent animal. With how angry and destructive he felt.

"Do you think this is magic, too?" he asked, eyes wide. If it was magic, he would much rather have Robin's power with none of the cons. She said she didn't know, but it didn't sound anything like hers, or the magic in stories. "What if I just suddenly turn into an animal? Or what if I attack somebody?"

The ice user stopped him. "You aren't going to attack anybody, Ace. You're a person, not a monster." Ace wasn't convinced, still afraid. He said he wanted to see. He wanted to go see the trolls. "What? No, you can't go out there alone. You're always so reckless!" she scolded.

Ace countered that he couldn't ask anyone to go with him, as he didn't want anybody else to know about his problems. He couldn't trust their dad after how he reacted to Robin's accident. One she could have learned from and improved. Just been more careful with her aiming, and around a five year old child.

Robin was frustrated at her brother. "I'll go in the middle fo the nigh-"

"No! That's even worse!" she said angrily.

"You're fifteen. You can make your own decisions. Go with me if you don't want me going alone," he challenged, shocking her. She looked away and said she couldn't. Ace said it was because she was afraid of herself. She demanded to know why he was acting like such a know-it-all. "I… I sort of read a bunch of psychology books."

This made her sigh, but not in irritation. But then she looked up. "Please, I need to know what's wrong with me. We have no answer for your stuff, but maybe there's something for mine. I want to know how to handle this. I'm scared, and I don't want to be anymore. I can't trust anyone else."

Robin frowned and said he should trust his family. He didn't reply. He trusted them, but not with this. Not when they so completely screwed over Robin's childhood. He stared at her, waiting for an answer. She bit her lip, and nodded. She'd go, too. "Are you sure?"

She gave a half-smile. "Well, at least it'll be more interesting than my bedroom," she said. "But let's make this clear: you didn't pressure me into helping you. You're my little brother. You have helped me for years, so I'll do what I can to return the favor." Ace smiled and nodded. They hatched their plan to sneak out two nights from then. Out of their windows. Down rope, and then to the stables outside to get a horse.

They knew where to go, Ace had seen the map before. It wouldn't take long to get there.

When he left the room, and went back to his, he found his father waiting on the bed. He looked up, and had a sad and resigned face on. "Did you need me for something?"

"No, I want to talk to my son," Dragon said, though not in an angry voice. Ace sat on the lounge chair across from the bed. "I know where you're coming from, from a good place in your heart. I do believe that Robin will come out when she's comfortable." Ace held in a scoff and kept his eyes from rolling. "I will talk to her about it." Ace said he already did. And that she said it was her choice, as well.

Ace said, "She told me it was her choice, she'd come out when she wanted." The father sighed, but looked a bit relieved. "I know my reasons for being upset are right. But I won't talk about it with you anymore."

He winced at this. "Very well. Please don't speak to me with such anger and disrespect again. I am your father." Ace nodded stiffly. Then he asked how Nami was. "She's confused about what you meant."

The boy scowled, wishing he had gotten angry in private and not at the dinner table. He said he would like Ace to spend some time with her. Ace quietly agreed that he would. He didn't really have much in common with Nami. Even less now that he was cranky so often. Nami felt alone, just as much as Robin did, in her own different way. And Ace felt alone in his own way as well.

All of their children were alone. What good parenting.

But he wouldn't bring up his anger again. He'd hide it and maybe destroy some more bricks. The next morning, he played hide and seek with Nami. The whole castle was free reign. She was "it" first, and he hid as best as he could. He climbed the bannister of the staircase. There was a decorative squatting place by the skylight.

He climbed up and then leapt to the side, higher than he imagined he could. He gripped the edge of the decorative spot, danging over three stories of a spiral staircase, and pulled himself up easily. He sat back and out of view.

It was an hour in that Nami went around the castle, saying she gave up. Man this was a good spot! "I'm here!" Ace called, his voice echoing down the stairs. She ran to the floor, and then saw him.

"ACE! How did you get up there?!" she asked, though her voice showed awe. He said he climbed and jumped. "You could have fallen!" He grinned and pointed out that he hadn't. She was biting her nails as he dropped down, making her squeal, but he grabbed onto the railing and climbed over it and back to the top floor.

She ran up to him and punched him in the head. "Hey!"

"That was dangerous!" Ace countered that she rode her bike down the staircase. "Ah, good point…" Ace laughed, and she did, too. Then she frowned and sat on the top step. "Do you think Robin still loves me?" Ace didn't want to have this conversation, but there was no way he'd leave his sister hanging with a question like that.

Ace said, "Robin loves all of us."

"She lets you into her room, but not me. I haven't seen her in years. It's like she disappeared from my life. She hasn't for you or mom and dad," she said with a sad frown and a genuine pout.

The youngest thought for a bit, not knowing how to answer. "She'll let you in. She's just not ready. I'm sure she'll come out when she's ready," he said firmly. Nami then asked what he had been yelling at father about. Ace looked away, and said he hadn't meant to blow up like that. He got angry because they weren't celebrating her birthday.

"I blame him because he was the one to make her feel she had to stay in there. I can't say anything about it. And I don't want you to hate father. But I blame him fully for Robin shrinking away and hiding in her room."

Nami looked at him with an unidentifiable expression. "We're all lonely," she sighed, looking at her fingers wrapped around one knee. Ace nodded. They each had their own problems. Their parents hadn't helped them. "Do you still love them?"

"Of course! I can love them but be angry, too, you know. I can love dad while hating him at the same time." Nami said she understood what he meant. Ace was glad he didn't need to explain those feelings more. "Well, it's your turn to hide. You won't find a better place than that one, though."

She took the challenge, and Ace had to go to the Counting Closet and counted to 300. It was a big castle with many places to hide. When he left the closet, he knew where she was and followed the scent. He knew she was in the large bathroom that they didn't use since all their rooms had bathrooms attached. They used to be large closets, but were remodeled by their grandfather's staff.

He pretended to look around before he entered the large bathroom. He looked around and found her wedged between the main shower wall and the other door. He walked passed her, but then pretended to find her. "I… can't get out!" she squealed.

Ace laughed and helped pull her out. She rubbed her cheek. "My spot was better." She said that hers didn't endanger her life. Ace grinned and sheepishly agreed. The two then went into the kitchen and raided the refrigerator for the truffles. The eleven and twelve year olds sat in silence. A comfortable silence.

"I'm sorry," Ace said. "That I don't really talk with you anymore." She nodded, saying he'd always been closer to Robin. "Sometimes it's hard being around somebody so happy, when I'm not happy," he confessed. Nami frowned and asked why he wasn't happy. "I don't want to talk about it, but it's nobodies fault but mine. It's not you, or Robin or mom or dad. It's me."

To her credit, Nami didn't push. She just said she was there to talk to. Ace said he knew that, and said it was vice versa. She could talk to him. "I might be a party pooper, but I'll still listen. Maybe don't come for advice," he laughed, and she did, too. It was nice. He had a nice time hanging out with his sister. And she clearly did with him.

-x-

Ace climbed down his wall with the rope and then went to Robin's window, which was open. He threw the rope up, and she tied it to her own bed. She had her gloves on and a black cloak, just like he did. She slid down the rope, her hands not hurting due to the gloves. They both hurried away from that area and to the stables. They crept around the gates to not be seen by anybody.

Robin was, surprisingly, not as afraid as Ace expected her to be. She looked determined and happy to be outside. He didn't comment on it, though. They got onto one of the horses, but took off all of her gear so it wasn't clear she was a palace horse. They didn't even keep the gold trimmed saddle. Only the harness.

Robin got on first, and Ace climbed on after her. They rode the horse away and out of the kingdom. It was nice night, beautiful outside. The weather was nice and chilly, but not too cold. They rode deep into the forest, following the map to the trolls. Ace could smell odd scents, many of them, and pointed in the direction he felt they were.

Finally, they stopped at a clearing with a ton of rocks. How boring, to live as a rock. Or were they camouflaging? Or did they only do this when they sensed other people? They both got off and tied the horse's harness to a tree branch.

They both took their hoods off, and the trolls were all instantly awake. "Prince, princess!" one of them shouted. "What are you doing here?" he asked in shock. Ace said he wanted to talk to the troll that diagnosed Nami all those years ago. To his credit, he appeared immediately. Robin didn't like seeing him after his scary magic show, but she was there for Ace.

"What can I do for you, princess?" Ace put his hand up and said they were there for him, not her. The leader looked surprised, but asked what he was there for.

"Can you tell me if something is wrong with me? If I'm magic, too, or something?" he asked, voice trembling. Robin put her hand on his shoulder, but it didn't help at all. She looked worried, but of course didn't stop their interaction.

The troll walked closer and took his hand. Ace felt so small near him, even if he was shorter. "There is something here, but it's not magic. You weren't born here, correct?" he asked, still holding his hand. Ace said they found him on a ship as a baby. What they found on the ship were things showing it was from the West.

He nodded, saying that explained it. "Explained what? What's wrong with me?"

"You are not of this land. I don't mean to alarm you-" Ace was alarmed. "-but I think that you aren't human." Ace and Robin froze, and he asked what he meant, what he'd just said. "I think you are not human. Or at least, not fully."

Ace protested, saying he looked human, acted human, functioned like a human. How could he not be?! "That is why I think you may be part human. But there's another part of you that feels different."

He lifted his shirt and moved the cloak. But, it made sense. If he wasn't fully human, then it made sense he had gills. But even the troll was surprised at this. "I can breathe underwater. I got stronger, faster. I can smell and hear better than I could before. I'm angry so much. What am I?" he asked insistently, putting everything out there.

Grand Pabbie sighed and said he did not know what he was. "But I can tell you are not a monster. You have the heart and soul of a human. I don't know what will happen to you, but be prepared for anything." Ace was unafraid. He appreciated the advice, and felt better a bit, knowing why he had those things.

He wasn't human… he wasn't human. Oh god, he wasn't human! Robin grabbed his shoulder and told him to stay calm. He nodded. The troll said that they better get going before they're caught out. They promised to not tell a soul about this visit. Ace thanked him, and the brother and sister got back on the horse.

Ace held onto Robin from behind as they headed back home. He was sniffling. "It's okay. You're still our brother and mother and father's son. Nothing will change that," she said firmly. Ace didn't respond, just held in his tears.

Chapter Text

Artemispolarbear: ( ◡‿◡ )

They pulled it off perfectly. Nobody knew they left. They both climbed back up their windows, Robin giving him a cold hug before they went their separate ways. He couldn't sleep for a while, staring at the sky out of his window, but he did eventually sleep.

The next morning, he couldn't help but feel completely relieved. Maybe, whatever he was, was good. Maybe he wasn't a monster. And if he wasn't human, than maybe these things weren't wrong for what he was. He wasn't just somebody who mutated and was an abomination. He was something.

Maybe he'd find answers in the West. He could travel there some time. But the Dark Sea was impossible to cross. Yet he was hopeful. He had hope he'd find answers. Find out what he was and where he came from. That was his new dream. To see where he came from, even if all he knew was that it was in the West, a completely separate world from the eastern lands. A deadly ocean kept them separate. Ace was the only one from the West to ever make it through the Dark Sea and pop up on the other side.

Maybe not being human was why he had lived when any other baby would have easily died. He told nobody of this, both because of the subject matter and because the prince and one of the princesses left the kingdom at night without telling anybody. But he didn't regret it. Was glad he got answers, even if they felt completely incomplete and like he was barely scratching the surface.

But, he might be normal as whatever he was. And they hadn't said Robin was not human. So he wondered what happened to her. They might never find an answer to that. If the magic trolls didn't know, then who would? Well, that was a question for another day. Not now.

Robin didn't treat him any differently, which he was never afraid of happening. Ace trusted her to have his back no matter what he was.

-x-

Ace embraced his changes. He didn't purposely dull his acute senses. He didn't hide his emotions on his face, much more expressive even if he was better at controlling his anger. He snuck out to go swimming nearly every night. Nobody knew but Robin, and she didn't get mad at him about it anymore.

Things felt like they were getting better for Ace, even though he still had no idea what he was. No matter how many books on magic or supposed mythical creatures he read, a human with gills didn't come up. Fish don't have senses like he did, right? So, was he maybe part shark? They like hunting and they have gills and good senses. He didn't know. Part of him didn't want to know, but most of him desperately did.

Robin was still locked in her room. Ace was still bitter, and it would probably never go away, at their father. It wasn't much of a change when he and mother were leaving for a two week journey. Nami was excited for them, going on an adventure. Ace wasn't. Maybe it was still trauma about knowing what had happened to him on a ship. "Please, be so careful. Don't be reckless or stupid. Take care of the ship and each other-"

"We'll be fine, Ace. We'll be back before you know it," father said. Ace hugged both of them. He said one more time for them to be careful. "We promise we'll come back. There's no need to worry, son." Ace nodded, licking his lips. The promise didn't really assure him. He was fourteen now, and had never been gullible.

Nami told him he shouldn't worry. "I can't help it. You know how I came here," he said, a bit tersely. But she was good at handing his mood swings, just as Robin was. Ace didn't hide his expressions after all. So it was easier for them to adapt to them when he wasn't hiding it behind a blank facade.

The two of them went to the kitchen for food, stress eating on Ace's part, while Robin said her own goodbye. Ace knew she was nervous as well. When they were gone, the castle was as quiet as usual until the two younger siblings did reckless things to make noise. Noise was comforting in such a quiet and empty feeling castle.

Ace nearly fell off of the bannister when he attempted to slide down it like Nami was good at. She freaked out about it, but Ace just laughed at the bottom of the spiral staircase. Then she promptly crashed her bike and flew into some armor. She was dazed, and Ace laughed after knowing she was fine.

He enjoyed that he had a relationship with both of his sisters. They were very different ones. He went to Robin for more serious things, talking about his feelings and worries. Nami was just to have fun. He was happy to have a sibling relationship where Ace had just as much fun as she did.

The two weeks passed slowly. Then another week passed. And another. Ace was the pessimist of the three, and had resigned to the fact that they weren't coming back. Nami and Robin still held onto hope they'd come back. Battered, maybe, but alive. But when the news came, relations between all three of them tanked.

Ace and Nami barely had enough emotion to deal with the funeral. Ace didn't remember most of it. Once they got home, it wasn't only Robin who barricaded herself in her bedroom. The staff brought them food as what was left of the royal family crumbled to bits. They were all kids. Robin was barely eighteen.

He didn't remember talking to them for two weeks before the incident happened to him. Nami was on a walk, having walked past Ace in the hall. He could smell her scent getting further away. So she wasn't there when Ace and Robin destroyed his room.

He was laying on his bed when he started to whimper as his body ripped apart, growing bigger and bigger until he covered the entire bedroom floor. He started shrieking as he suffocated, his gills trying to function but not since he wasn't in water. He flailed around, a huge, long tail slamming into the walls.

Robin was there, leaving her room for the first time in a long time. "Ace!" she shouted, and he was glad she didn't think he ate her brother. He continued to thrash around in fear, until Robin blasted his window wall open. He managed to flop out of the castle and land in the water, where he was able to breathe again.

He stayed under the surface, big brown eyes staring at his clawed hands, his long tail, thin wings. He was big, too. The size of his bedroom, which was destroyed. Robin was shouting his name from above. He was afraid to surface, but felt his gills were in the water. He could breathe as long as that was there, right?

The dragon - because that was clearly what he was - stuck his long head out of the water. He didn't expect to be so angry and afraid when finally finding out what the hell he was. He popped his head up, and Robin shouted his name in relief. She didn't look at him in disgust or fear. At her huge, dragon brother.

"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" she called down, acting like this was totally normal. He tried talking, but it came out warbled and deep.

"I'm scared," he said. Robin climbed the rope down, which was still hanging from the wall. The wall that was decimated. She ran to him, and told him things would be okay. "How do you know?" he challenged. "Look at me! I'm a monster!"

Robin put her hands up like to have him calm down and be quiet. "You'll get used to this. You're not like me." Ace said that he was now a danger to them, too. She looked concerned and asked what he would do. There was a hint of anger in her voice, maybe thinking he'd leave them for good.

But he suddenly popped back into human form, still clothed, thankfully. He hunched over and started to sob. Robin sat and hugged him as he rocked back and forth. He had nobody to talk to about this. But what would he have asked his parents? Maybe they could have tried to find out information. But now all that was left was three grieving children, now two of them fearful for the safety of those around them.

"I'm not going back in," he said quietly. Robin asked him where he'd go. He looked behind him at the ocean. "Where I can't hurt anybody. I could have crushed you. I could have slammed you into a wall. I could have hurt Nami if she were here." Robin asked if he was just going to sleep in the water. He bit his lip, trying to hide in tears. He nodded.

He didn't want to leave the palace, but he wouldn't risk hurting the two that were all he had left. "I'll live in the ocean. I'll sleep and eat here until I can be confident to not hurt anyone…" He saw the knowing look on Robin's face. He was in her position, now. A danger to his family so he had to isolate himself.

"You'll stay, right?" Robin asked, sounding worried. Ace didn't reply, not knowing his answer. The sea looked inviting, daring him to come and explore. But he had a family, and he couldn't leave them after both parents just died. But maybe he could find them! But he became reasonable. They had no idea where the ship sunk. So he crushed that hope immediately.

He said, "I'll come back." Eventually. She asked him when. He looked at his hands as they formed into black claws with webbed fingers. "When I know I'm safe." His face grew hard and determined. "I will beat this. I will gain control, no matter how long it takes." Robin deflated, knowing Ace wasn't saying a concrete time period.

"How will you?"

Ace's hands changed back to normal, only they were black, like gloves. Then he felt a tail form, but it wasn't painful. "I'll put myself under stress, see if I can control myself during those times. I won't die."

"Why are you talking like that? You're barely fifteen, why are you talking about death?!" the eldest asked frantically. Ace replied that the outside world was scary. Surely there were large sharks or something. He said he'd figure it all out. Then he looked up at the decimated castle wall.

He changed back suddenly, and Robin jumped out of the way. Ace submerged his body in the water. "I'll come back, no matter what," he swore, and headed deeper. Robin tried running after him, but he was gone. He'd do whatever it took to not be a monster, not hurt his family. Robin never tried, but Ace would.

TEN MONTHS LATER.

Ace trudged out of the water, the air stinging on his skin. His lungs felt raw, hadn't been used properly in who knows how long? He saw his bedroom wall was fixed. His eyes were dull, human sight disappointing. He could smell and hear good, but not as good as he did as a dragon. He would miss that, but he missed home and never lost the mission of returning.

No matter how many wild dragons he fought. No matter the fishermen or pirates trying to capture him. No matter how tired he was, it was all to gain control. He turned his hands and feet into their clawed form and scaled the wall and into his room. It looked perfectly normal. He opened the window and entered.

After touched the bed, he went to the bathroom, where he looked at himself for the first time in god knows how long. He couldn't keep track of time. He could have been gone two months, two years, he didn't know. When he turned the light on, he saw his appearance, but was not surprised.

He looked much stronger, and was covered in scars. He wasn't expecting the scar spanning his temple and over his eye, reaching his chin. He looked like he'd been through hell. He had been. The Dark Sea wasn't the only place that was dangerous. The northern seas were full of dragons, too.

They were violent, and he knew none of them were part human like Ace was. He'd found no answers. He'd avoided the Dark Sea. He'd venture there once he was mentally prepared. He wanted to meet others like him, and they had to be on the other side of the Dark Sea.

He got dressed, and it felt strange, but nice and warm. He sighed and fell asleep on his bed for a full day. When he woke up, he left his room, and knocked on Robin's knowing she was in there. No answer. "Robin," his scratchy voice said. The door flew open, and his sister saw the almost seventeen year old. She had a look of anger on before she saw her brother.

She looked horrified. She also looked older. The eldest sibling looked at all of the scars, and her gloved hand touched the one spanning his face, that left a bare spot on his eyebrow. "What happened to you?" she asked.

Ace responded to the hug, and said, "I was training. I can control myself now. There are other dragons in the sea. They weren't the friendly type." He sounded so tired. "I'm fine, it's kind of hard getting use to being in a human body." She looked over his scars again, with sad eyes. Then he smiled awkwardly, muscles not used to this, and asked if she missed him.

She started to cry and nodded. "I- I tried. But I still can't control it," she said, sounding ashamed. Ace said his method was extreme, look at him. It looked like he'd survived multiple wars. Ace hugged her again and said he had no doubt she'd find her own method of learning, but not to give up.

"I have to go see Nami. I have to explain. I won't give you away," Ace said. He looked and felt older than sixteen. Robin went into her doorway, but did not close the door. The younger brother knocked on Nami's door loudly. He heard grumbling, and he knocked again, saying her name.

Just like Robin, the door was open in a second. Ace was now taller than Nami, and hugged her. She pulled away, looking at him in shock and confusion. Then she demanded to know where he went, how he got all of these injuries. She looked at the thick one on his face the most. Clothes could cover everything else, but not on his face.

"I'm part dragon," he said. Nami thought he was lying before he changed his hands into the black clawed dragon hands with webbed fingers. "I'm sorry I left without saying anything. You had to have seen my bedroom," he said. She nodded, and then hugged him again. "I was afraid of being around you two, so I left to make sure I have control over it.

"I couldn't live with myself if I hurt one of you," he said honestly. Nami smiled and wiped her eyes, saying she was so happy he was back. "It's weird, being in a human body like this. Being on land." She didn't act like this was weird at all. She instead said they should have breakfast. Ace's stomach rumbled. "What did you eat out there?"

He responded, "Whales and sharks." She raised her brows and then laughed.

"You're pretty cool, now." Ace smiled, though it was stiff. He meant the smile, his face was just hard to get used to. He'd spent a long time as a human under the stress of being around dragons, but he hadn't smiled in that time.

When the two of them left Nami's room, her messy hair stuffed into a bun, Ace wished Robin would come, too. But at least she had been practicing. He just didn't know how she could control it. Maybe she should leave the castle, too. But he wouldn't say that.

When they reached the kitchen, she pulled out any left-overs there were. It looked almost disgusting, cooked food. But he ate it, and they weren't disgusting at all. He started stuffing everything in his mouth, able to hold the utensils just fine. He was glad he could still function as a human.

Nami was just smiling, not eating anything herself. "I looked for them. I couldn't find them." Nami looked sad at that, but didn't cry. He asked how long he'd been gone. He wasn't surprised that it was ten months. It felt longer. He couldn't tell how long, but he knew it had been a long time. He drank a whole pitcher of lemonade.

"I'm happy you both seem to have moved on from mom and dad, but it was ten months, after all. Have you talked to Robin at all?" She frowned and said they hadn't. They were the only ones in the castle and never interacted. It was so lonely. "I was pretty lonely, too. There was nobody to talk to out there. I only focused on myself, but that didn't mean I liked it.

"But, I came back in control and stronger. I can control everything, every part of my body," he said proudly. He formed black hands and then had the markings trail up his arms in patterns, turning certain spots of his skin into scales. Nami had her mouth open in shock.

She asked how long he'd known about this. "It started a long time ago, the abnormal things. But I didn't know what I was until I destroyed my room. Thanks for fixing it, by the way. I'm glad I came back and it was fine." Nami said they'd never have left it destroyed for ten months. She frowned and said she'd really missed him. "Me, too. Both of you, a lot."

"Well, you're back now. And you're not leaving again, right?" Ace said he wasn't sure. She turned pale.

"I want to know where I came from. If there are others like me. For that, I'd need to brave the Dark Sea. But I'm not doing that anytime soon. Promise," Ace swore. Nami didn't look happy, but nodded. She wiped her nose and sniffled, apologizing. "Why?"

She shrugged, saying she didn't know, but just felt sorry. Ace hoped he hadn't really damaged both of them by leaving. He was the middle man, hung out with them when the other wouldn't. He was back now, and would be the bridge again.

Getting used to being back in a human place and a human body was hard, but he adjusted fairly quickly, to him that is. He got used to hot baths again, a comfortable bed, safety, food other than raw meat and fish. He fell back into step with both of his sisters, too. They grew up in the last ten months like he had. Robin still confined herself to her room, though.

Ace honestly didn't know if he expected her to ever leave before she became queen, the oldest of the three. She was 19 at the moment. Two years to get herself under control. He wondered if she'd be able to handle being queen, in front of so many people. Ace wouldn't be a good king, and he felt Nami would do alright with some experience. But Robin was the successor.

The dragon was glad he didn't need to have that responsibility. He wasn't thinking of himself as a human anymore. He felt like a dragon on the inside. That was the dominant side of him. But he had to resist that for the sake of his family. He had to be Ace the human. Not Ace the dragon.

Even though he lived as a human now, he couldn't just never go swimming again. The staff were shocked to see him, and in this state, with no answer of where he went the first time. Robin hadn't said a thing and Nami hadn't known anything. He felt bad for leaving her guessing. He was a bad brother sometimes.

But he did his best not to be.

-x-

Years passed again, Ace never feeling quite right as a human. He longed to live in the sea again, despite all of the comforts of living as a human in a palace. He still wished to find somebody like him. The young man never told them he felt this way. He always came back after a swim that never lasted more than two days. He never had enough time to approach the dangerous waters of the Dark Sea. But some day he would.

Once his sisters didn't need him anymore. When they could support one another. When he didn't need to be separated between them. Not even a bridge, really, since both sides never met.

Chapter Text

Starting to follow the Frozen plot more in this chapter. Enjoy~

"Go out and have fun before the coronation, Ace," Robin said to her nearly eighteen year old little brother. She was tense and stressed. It was the coronation day, and she still was not in control of her ice. Ace tried practicing with her, but she never left the castle, never even left her room. Sometimes Ace wondered how she hadn't gotten fat in there with no exercise.

Ace nodded, not wanting to pressure her, and left the room. He made sure his clothes were proper before he headed out of the castle and through the open gates into town. This didn't feel like being freed for him like it did Nami. Ace's free place was the ocean. Years later and Ace still felt more like a dragon than human.

He was the prince, but his appearance scared some kids away. His scarred face and hands. His empty eyes, too. Human expressions never really came back easily. His sisters were used to this by now and thought nothing of it. Ace had changed over the ten months. They accepted him, though, even if they might not like the change. He walked around, kind of disinterested. He went to a few shops, paying for the food, and forcing smiles. They all bowed, he couldn't have a conversation with them even if he wanted to.

He passed a man with a reindeer with a blue nose that stared at Ace but did nothing. Animals didn't seem spooked from him in human form. The horses didn't, and neither did the livestock in the pen right outside of the palace gates. They were nice and open right now, which he knew Nami was thrilled about.

Even with Ace, of course she was still lonely. He hoped she didn't do something stupid or reckless. Out of the three, she was definitely the most immature, despite being older than Ace. He'd been through a tough time of violence, hardship and isolation. He was fine with easier things than that.

Ace was grateful for those experiences, though, even if they changed him. When he was walking down the bridged path, he smelled someone untrustworthy. He was walking towards him. He knew all of the guests by their outfits, so he knew this man was the Duke of Sabaody. His kingdom was not a happy one, and Ace was surprised he was even invited.

He looked at Ace, and asked why people like him were allowed in. "I'm the prince, watch how you speak to me," Ace said in a hard voice, face flat. The Duke looked surprised, but gave an insincere apology. He followed him, but eventually passed him. He could hear the man say there was something suspicious about him. Well, he was right. But Ace would be keeping a close eye on him.

When he got back to the palace, it was time for the coronation ceremony. Ace and Nami were standing to the side of Robin, a step below her as she was introduced and then turned to hold the artifacts that were a tradition to hold. She took her gloves off, hands shaking. Ace was the only one to be nervous about it.

When she picked up the objects, she held them just long enough for the bottoms to start to ice before putting them down and putting the gloves back on. Ace noticed Nami giving gooey eyes at a man with spiky red hair.

When the party started, Ace stood at the wall while Robin awkwardly talked to Nami. It got better before Robin closed off, saying they could never be close again. Ace frowned sadly. He walked up to his oldest sister and asked if she needed a break. She said she couldn't take one at her own coronation. He nodded, and went to the food table to eat some chocolate truffles.

When he walked back, the Duke was coming over, and Ace whispered in her ear to not trust this man. She nodded, believing in his instincts. He introduced himself, acting completely strange and unlike he had with Ace at the beginning. The dragon watched him closely the whole time, even when he danced with Nami uncomfortably.

He didn't crack a smile, even if it was a terrible sight to see. Poor sister. She ended up dancing with another man, the one she was looking at before, and then left with him. Robin stopped him from following. "Let her have fun tonight," she said quietly. Ace knew she was signalling she wouldn't be coming out of her room except for duties as the next queen. The dragon nodded, and didn't follow.

The old man with strange attire from the unhappy kingdom, wanting to know of "Cocoyashi's secrets" kept eyeing the prince, who continued to stare at him with an unsettling and flat look. Robin didn't seem phased by it at all, completely used to it. It was normal now, and would probably be normal for awhile or even forever. Robin was still the whole time, a forced smile on. She should have staggered it.

Should have gotten used to being around the staff and not suddenly hundreds of people. He didn't say it, but he was waiting for something to go wrong. An accident to happen. Ace stood in the corner, watching the people like a guard would. His eyes rarely left the Duke. He was irritating Ace, though his face didn't show it.

The way he kept glancing at his sister was pissing him off, but he wouldn't act on it and risk creating an enemy. He left to go to the bathroom and came back with Robin talking to Nami in a frosty tone. He walked over, and got a scent of the guy Nami was with. He didn't smell good. And not as in he didn't take showers. He smelled like the Duke, only worse.

"What do you know of true love?" Robin asked. Ace wondered what had happened to bring up this topic.

"More than you. All you know is to shut people out but Ace," Nami threw back, looking genuinely upset. What happened? Robin turned even colder.

"You asked for my blessing but my answer is no." The guy Nami was holding onto, who Ace had never met before but might have seen sometime in town that day, asked to speak to the oldest sister but she cut him off and walked away, declaring the party was over.

Ace asked what was going on. What had caused his argument. "She won't let me get married! It's true love," Nami said angrily. Ace looked to the man that Nami wanted to suddenly marry, and got bad vibes from him. He looked perfectly nice, but there was something off. But he wasn't paying attention until Nami suddenly acted on her anger and went after her sister, grabbing Robin's glove.

"Give me my glove!" Robin said in panic, Ace rushing forward to try and calm things. But the argument was going strong even when he tried to get in the middle. The guy who caused the current mess tried to get to Nami, but Ace stepped in front of him. He told the man to not touch his sister. He was taller than he was, despite being at least five years younger.

Being a dragon for ten months changed his body as his dragon form grew larger and larger. His back was to his sisters when Nami demanded to know why Robin shut her out, why she shut the world out. Ace was glad she didn't bring him up, that Robin shut everybody but him out. "What are you so afraid of?!" she demanded, voice rising, angry.

"Enough!" Robin shouted, and ice formed in spikes. Ace grabbed Nami and pulled her back from oen of the larger spikes. Her black hair was out of sorts and she was scared. Everyone else was in shock. The Sabaody Duke said, "Sorcery! I knew there was something off going on here!" Robin ran from the room, Ace jumping over the wall of spikes to run after her, Nami coming after in shock.

"Robin!" he shouted, but she was running from him, too. He was conflicted. Very conflicted. There was one of two options. Stop her from leaving right now by force, or let her be alone for a bit, and he'd go after her later. She needed space. And he didn't want her to barricade herself in her bedroom.

Ace stopped, stopped Nami. "What are you doing, we have to go after her!" the middle child protested. Ace frowned and turned around.

He said, "She needs space for now," in a low voice. Nami frowned and accuse that he'd known. How long had he known? Was she the only one who hadn't? Why? Tears were in her eyes, of betrayal and hurt. "I need to talk to you in private about this. Without this guy," Ace said to Nami's sort-of-kind-of current lover.

She didn't protest leaving the man, Eustace, to talk with Ace. They walked into the palace, and Ace told the Duke he could shut his mouth, now, and not make things worse for himself. "Myself? Your sister is the one to consort with dark magic. I bet you do, too!"

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't, but that's none of your damn business," Ace said coldly. He walked inside and to a secure place. Ace looked at the white in Nami's hair. It was no longer touching her scalp, just her hair. But he would be careful about this. She waited in worry, but didn't rush him. "Robin has ice magic. She's afraid of hurting others with it. Which was why she hides in her room. Father locked her in there."

Nami asked why he knew and she didn't. "It was an accident that happened to you. You had the memories erased and replaced with altered ones. The mind wipe didn't work on me, so I still remember. Robin didn't seem to care about me more because she did, but because her ice magic has never hurt me. So, I'm the only one she feels safe being around. I swear on my life that it was never personal," he explained.

She suddenly grabbed her head, and he asked if she was okay. "Yeah. My head just hurt all of the sudden. It's gone now, though." He said she wasn't supposed to know about that, but the secret was out. They both noticed it had gotten very cold outside, and looked through the window to see it was snowing in summer. Somehow, everything was already covered in thick snow.

"We're in this together now, right?" she asked, not wanting to ever be shut out again. Ace nodded, saying that Robin might be afraid to be around her, but she was sure the younger sister would talk to her through the door. He brought her to Robin's room and opened the icey doorhandle.

Nami looked inside with such sadness and shock. "How is this a place to live in?" she asked. Ace told her it had been like that for years. "Well, we'll change that! Let's go find her and take her back home."

Ace nodded, and told Nami to stay there while he went. "Somebody has to be in charge of the kingdom." Nami vehemently protested, and said that Eustace could take over. "Nami, I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but I'm getting bad feelings from him. Sort of like the Sabaody Duke, but in a different way. I'm not saying this to hurt you, but you need to be careful. And we're not leaving a stranger in charge of the kingdom."

She looked in denial, but said nothing. It wasn't worth fighting over right now, they had to find Robin. They left, and Ace gave the kingdom's power to the woman who'd been taking care of them and substituting for Robin until she became queen. She easily took the burden while Nami and Ace rode the same horse.

Nami started to say Eustace was in charge, but stopped when Ace gave her a look. He made the announcement.

"We've left our care taker in charge and will be back with Robin and end the winter. Everybody, stay safe. Don't do anything you'll regret later," Ace said, aiming this at the Duke with a dark glare. He bristled at the look, and the guards gave him a dark look as well. He was on the front of the horse with Nami behind him.

He caught a look of Eustace glaring at him. Well, he'd deal with him later. The two siblings rode into the forest down the bridge path and out of the main kingdom. Cocoyashi faded away behind them, frosty and iced over, freezing cold.

"How long did you know?"

"Since the beginning."

"How long did Robin know about you?"

"Since I was seven. We both knew something was wrong then. I developed the gills then. Nobody knew about them but Robin, not even mom and dad. I was afraid of their opinions after what dad had done. We actually both snuck out when I was eleven and went to the trolls that altered your memories.

"I'm not magic, they just told me I wasn't human."

Nami said it must have been really scary. He nodded in affirmation, saying he'd been terrified, but relieved at the same time. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Nami forgave him, which he was very thankful for. He was following Robin's scent. She had gotten far in the last two hours. He wondered how she'd gotten that far.

The horse was being bogged down by the snow, and the pace was slow. Ace wished he could fly as well as swim. His wings were thin, though, and used for gliding easily. They were going uphill when a large tree fell under the weight of the thick layer of snow, knocking both royal siblings off and into the snow.

"Oh, no! Come back!" Nami shouted. Ace stood up with a groan in irritation. But it was not either one of their faults. He helped Nami out, telling her the horse was long gone, now. "We can't walk the whole way!" she said, freaking out. Ace was concerned for her. The snow was magic and didn't phase Ace, but it did for Nami. And she wasn't in warm clothes at all.

He lifted her onto his back so she wasn't standing in the thick snow. She was easy to carry as they made their way down the hill, to where the scent of people was. He lead them to a little shop in the middle of nowhere that also sported a sauna. He put his sister down on the porch of the building and opened the door, a bell dinging with it opening.

"Can't you see it's closed?" a grumpy small man with a cane said from behind a counter that seemed to be too big for him. "There's a damn blizzard outside, you think I'll sell you sun tan lotion?!" He sounded very angry. Nami started to say who they were. "I don't give a damn! What do you want?!" Ace was affronted, but also a bit entertained.

Nami politely asked for warm clothes, not anything for summer. Luckily, the grumpy old jerk had what Nami needed in the back. Ace didn't need anything else. He already had long sleeves on to hide his scars that littered his body. Though he had them with pride, feeling that they were all marks of him surviving hardships. Nami didn't ask if Robin had passed through since Ace didn't smell her there at all. She hadn't come this way, but another way, somehow.

While they were paying for the objects with expensive jewelry from Nami, about to be thrown out of the place, a man covered in frost, but clearly in a black outfit, came in. Ace remembered who he was. "You're the guy with the reindeer, right?" Ace asked, getting his attention as he bought rope, an axe and some carrots. But he was prompt thrown out without his things, as Woopslap yelled "WE ARE CLOSED!" Ace and Nami were shoved out, with Ace nabbing his things from the counter and hiding them in his jacket. He'd just stolen, but he didn't really care. That wasn't something royalty did, but Woopslap didn't exactly treat them how you would people of their status.

Ace repeated his question. "Yeah, what's it to you?" he asked, though not in a very disrespectful tone.

"I just saw you in town for the coronation," Ace said simply. "Hey, I got you these. Take us up the Reverse Mountain to find our sister." Nami hissed that he'd stolen. "I had to. We'll pay him for it later. This guy has barely any money," the big brother replied in a hush, able to smell a handful of coins on him, not nearly enough.

Ace didn't really expect the ice man to let them on his sled. He knew Robin was that direction as it was the way the wind was blowing her scent. Ace hoped she was okay, and was really worried about her.

And the man, Sanji, actually gave them a ride, which was surprising. He would have understood allowing Nami since she was pretty girl, but not Ace, too. Some big teenager with a scar down his face. And he could tell the man was a good person.

They left immediately, Nami sitting in the front while Ace was in the back of the sled. Woopslap either didn't notice or didn't care about the stolen items, as they escaped without issue. He told them where to turn, which Sanji found strange, but followed when Nami told him Ace knew where to go. "So, how'd you get that scar?" the man asked, seeming to have a rugged life but a polite attitude, despite living by himself besides a reindeer, delivering ice to the castle for payment.

"Got into a lot of fights," Ace replied, looking at the random objects in the back. He asked how a prince got into fights like that. "I went out of town for awhile and got attacked by wolves," he lied smoothly. Nami didn't say a thing about it. "I think it's pretty cool, but I'm very lucky the face wound didn't ruin my eye." Sanji asked if he had bites that they couldn't see, and Ace said they mostly used claws.

"And you were on your own? How did you treat the wounds?" He sounded very curious. Ace wasn't going to not answer, even if his replies were all lies. Ace said he was just lucky. He was alone, so he didn't have any medical treatment available. Sanji didn't believe this, clearly, but didn't ask. Instead, he asked Nami how she made the queen so angry, and if she was alright. He'd learned they were going after her and that's where he was taking them.

Nami told him about wanting to marry Eustace, and Ace was glad Sanji agreed that marrying somebody she just met might be a bad idea. "You don't know anything about him, he could be dangerous or manipulative. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but a lady shouldn't be so careless to trust strange men." His points were valid, and Sanji was almost charming in the way he talked to Nami.

"What?! It's not like that! I really like him! And he loves me, too!" It was kind of sad for Ace. She so desperately wanted full attention on her that she'd let some slimy guy trick her into "loving" him.

When Ace sensed wolves coming, he stood up, easily keeping his balance and brought out his claws and let out a scary aura. They stopped following them before anyone even noticed they were there. Ace turned his hands back to normal and sat back down. Nami and Sanji talked while the brother was silent and listening.

When they came across a cliff, Chopper, the reindeer, skidded to a stop. They had no way to cross. "What do we do now?" Ace asked, standing at the cliff. "We could leave the sled here and pass it by climbing down and up the other side."

Nami didn't look surprised at this, knowing Ace could climb with his claws and she could hang onto his back. Sanji looked at him like he was crazy. He asked how on earth he planned to do that. Ace said they'd drop down and then climb up the other side. "What about Chopper?" he challenged. The oldest didn't know how to fix that problem.

Then he said, "Chopper could stay inside the sleigh and I'll pull it up the cliff." It was all he could think of. Sanji said he was insane, and they had to find another way. Ace huffed. He said Chopper could find another way to get to them. But they they'd have to make the trip on foot. Ace finally sighed that they could try finding another way across.

The other man was fine with this, though both siblings were a bit impatient. They didn't know what Robin was doing, if she was okay. So they went the long way, finding a place to go across. It took at least an extra hour and a half. The sleigh was uncomfortably quiet. But then they all heard growls, and Ace didn't react quickly enough before the sleigh was going as fast as it could, as fast as Chopper was able.

But it was too heavy for him to run faster. They had to abandon the sleigh when the snowy ground caved under them, only held up by ice, it seemed. They jumped out, Chopper making it, and the only one not getting there was Ace. He landed next to the sleigh that exploded somehow. What had been in that thing? "Shit," Ace said, unhurt.

"ACE!" Nami shouted in horror.

"I'm okay!" he called. He didn't know how to get back up. The cliff sloped outwards. It wasn't a straight climb. He looked around for any way to get up. A rope was thrown down to him, and he easily climbed up it and onto the snowy ground that did not crumble under them. He dusted the snow off of his legs, and apologized to Sanji over his sleigh.

"We'll replace your sleigh, and everything in it," Nami promised with a sad smile. "And we understand if you don't want to help up anymore. After your sleigh got ruined…" Nami mumbled. Sanji didn't let a second pass before claiming he wouldn't let a lady be in danger when he could help. Nami would have no doubt gotten hypothermia by now if they had been forced to walk the whole way.

Nami blushed lighty, but was happy they'd still have assistance up the tall mountain. So, they continued their journey on foot. When they got sight of Reverse Mountain, they saw just how big it was. "She's there," he said, pointing to the intimidatingly tall mountain. He wondered how the hell they'd climb it. "How on earth did she get there?"

Sanji said that was a good question, and they continued on. Ace walked in front of them, not really paying attention to their conversations, just worried about what they'd find. What kind of state she would be in. He wondered if it was right to have brought Nami along, even though she accepted Robin's powers and was no longer angry about her hiding it.

She hadn't shown any negative effects of Ace telling her about the past. The memories did not come back, which was good. At least, Ace thought it was. He wanted to get their quickly. Walking ahead while they conversed. Sanji was a real polite guy, it seemed. But he did hear him ask Nami if Ace was okay.

"Yeah, why?"

"He's just glaring," Sanji replied. They were walking back far enough for Sanji to think they had privacy in what they were talking about.

"Oh, he's just like that. He's not angry or anything," she said lightly. Sanji didn't respond, but Ace assumed he had a curious or confused expression on. Nami seemed to really get along with Sanji. He was much better feeling than Eustace.

When they finally reached a wall of rock they they couldn't pass, Ace looked around and easily found a cave and didn't hesitate to tell them it led to a staircase going to where they were heading. They were close to the place Robin was.

When they exited the cave, they saw the palace that Robin had built out of ice all by herself. It was incredible, but Ace still didn't feel surprised. Nami and Sanji did, though. Ace walked ahead and up the stairs. Ace took his boots and socks off so he didn't risk slipping on the ice. Sanji didn't ask how his feet could handle the cold.

When they made it to the huge double doors made of ice, Ace knocked and then pushed it open. It revealed a beautiful interior. But it wasn't a home. Well, neither was her room. But how could Robin sleep there? Did she make ice furniture? How would she eat? She couldn't make fire out of ice. He didn't know how she could sustain herself here, but it was a good place to be alone at and think.

Ace walked right in, but Nami asked their new friend to not come in, to wait outside for a bit. Ace agreed with this. It was a family matter. "Robin!" Ace called, his voice echoing through the palace, bouncing off of the ice walls and floor. Nami slipped a few times, but didn't fall. Ace's feet were fine.

With Sanji outside, Chopper waiting at the base of the stairs due to being unable to come up the slippery ice, he felt comfortable enough to change his feet into his dragon form, still human sized. The nails dug into the ice so he didn't fall at all, with the scales rough and textured. Walking was fine for him. He called Robin's name again, Nami joining in. There was no point in saying who they were, their sister would recognize their voices.

Nami apologized for flipping out and upsetting her, for being the reason she was exposed. "I'm so sorry we fought! I didn't know, but I understand now, and I'm not mad!" Ace approved of her words as he climbed the ice staircase, and stopped when his oldest sister came out. Well, not only could she make a castle, she could change her outfit completely. It wasn't dark and green anymore, but a dark blue gown that stopped just above her new shoes. The dress looked soft, which was odd since it was made out of ice. Hmm.

She didn't look so stiff right now, and actually was smiling. Ace stood aside on the stairs and let Nami and Robin talk. They were the ones with the problems with one another. Ace had known for a long time, this wasn't shocking or bewildering in any way. But, he had to admit, it was nice seeing her out of her room. Maybe she wouldn't come back…

No, she would. They'd make sure of it.

"This place is amazing," Nami said brightly. Robin smiled shyly, and thanked her.

"I didn't know I was able to do this," she said simply. Ace was happy Robin was smiling at Nami, talking to her. But was also worried she really didn't want to come back. And they couldn't force her to come, but they did need the winter to be reversed. She was the only one that could do it.

"Robin, we were both so close. You know we could be like that again. I know everything now, and I'm not mad you tried to hide it at all. We can start over, or resume where we were before my memories were erased," Nami said sincerely. Robin winced at the words, and Ace worried why. But the look of fear was on her face, and Ace had a feeling she was doubting herself and remembering the incident that caused the strain in the family.

Before she declined, curling in on herself, Ace said, "You can learn control. Look at this palace you made, Robin. Look at your dress. How could somebody completely out of control do this?" His voice was soft. "It may be a start, and you may need a long time to fully control it. But come home, where people love you."

She shook her head, saying she wasn't going back. Besides, the kingdom was afraid of her, now. Ace pointed out that they weren't afraid, but confused and uncertain about how it had happened. "If it makes you feel better, I'll come out, too. Then we can both deal with the public being confused and uncertain."

The ice queen, or former-queen depending, looked shocked. "Don't be so surprised. You're my sister. Have always helped me, so I'll help you." Nami was smiling, hoping this did the trick. But Robin shook her head, saying she didn't want to have to wear the gloves anymore. She didn't want to be scared to be around other people.

Ace felt a surge of hatred for their father. Dead or not, look what he'd done. He didn't know what to say. "You isolated yourself for months. Who says I can't do the same?" she asked, raising up a very good point. Ace had no answer, nothing to say back because he knew she was right and it wasn't fair for him to go off on his own, but say she couldn't.

Nami wasn't happy with this. "Come home, Robin. You don't have to hide anything anymore! Everyone knows, I know. I forgive you for something you didn't mean to do. It's not fair, what happened to you. I can see why Ace is angry. But you can be you now."

"I am me. I can be by myself here, without even possibly hurting anybody, or making you stressed over me," she said sadly. "Please, leave." The dark haired young woman hurried up the stairs. Ace and Nami shared a look before they followed after her. They made it to the next story of the ice castle when Robin stopped. Nami was first in the room with Ace second. He was glad Sanji was still outside of the castle, giving the siblings time to talk in private.

"Please, come back," Nami begged, though she had an encouraging smile on. Ace didn't, but he looked worried.

Robin sighed and said, "You can go home, Nami. Enjoy the sun and make friends and don't be lonely. With everyone knowing, you and Ace can be closer… I won't trap you anymore." It looked like she didn't know about the winter that was chilling an unprepared Cocoyashi. "Please, leave me alone, here." Nami approached her, and Robin backed away quickly. "Go away, go home and be safe and away from me!" Robin begged.

It was a sad sight to see. Ace had nothing to argue anymore. He wouldn't be a hypocrite, even if he wanted her to come home and live happily. They could make an ice ring in the ocean behind the castle, where she could practice, keep her gloves on inside.

"We're not safe. It... looks like you don't know," Nami said awkwardly and hesitantly. Robin turned around and furrowed her brows, asking what she was talking about. "Cocoyashi is covered in snow. It looks like your powers made everywhere cold, like winter. But I'm sure you can fix it and we can all be happy!"

"I don't know how to fix it," Robin said quietly, looking panicked. Nami continued to try and convince her she could, but the oldest sibling wasn't hearing it, lost in her own thoughts.

Ace bit his lip, knowing that was an insensitive way to say it. To tell her about her powers negatively affecting everyone in the area. He walked closer, but she started to have a panic attack, it seemed. Ace had never seen her have one, since they were always in her bedroom to talk, a calm and controlled environment. He didn't touch her as her powers, now able to be used, maybe not safely, started to create a little blizzard in the room. Ace's hair whipped around and the wind pushed him back towards the wall and the doorway that lead to the balcony.

It was hard to hear what she was saying through the wind, but she was talking to herself, curling inwards. "I said I can't!" she screamed angrily, upset, when Nami continued to insist that she could fix the storm if she wanted to hard enough. A burst of ice or wind or both slammed through the room in every direction from her, throwing Ace off the balcony and down the tallest mountain anywhere in this area.

Chapter Text

Artemispolarbear: lol I made Kid be in Hans' position because it was originally Deuce, Ace and Law as the siblings, and Law was paired with Kid. Luffy is taken. But I changed it in the end to be Nami and Robin.

"ACE!" he heard both sisters cry as he cursed and fell down. He couldn't see them as he fell, screaming out swear words that he usually never said other than to himself. He saw there was not snow on the ground far, far below Robin's castle, but rocks of all shapes. Sharp ones, small ones and big ones.

He coated his whole body in scales and hit the rocks hard. He groaned in pain, but wasn't dead or with shattered bones. He wasn't a splatter all over the rocks. He stood up, but felt blood on his shoulder. It wasn't bad, just skinned him on one of the rough textured rocks. He shook for a minute. His ears had popped on his way down. Looking around, he saw walls of stone surrounded him. Nobody could find him here. Ace was on his own now. He couldn't even see the top of the mountain anymore.

He had to have dropped at least five hundred feet or more, he couldn't tell, but was estimating. It would be a long climb up, but he didn't want his sisters to think he was dead down there and possibly do something reckless. He had to get there in a hurry, and dug his clawed fingers and toes into the rock wall directly below the palace.

Up and up he climbed as the blizzard got even worse around him. He couldn't see, so it was one arm in front of the other, one foot in front of the other. Unable to see or hear anything, he trusted only his sense of touch. He ended up slipping and falling a bit before he grabbed on again and resumed the climb.

It took at least three hours to get back up, and the blood on his shoulder had stopped, but it had dripped down his back a bit. If he hadn't been able to harden his body, he'd be dead and nobody would have ever found him, in an impossible place to climb with snow that would no doubt cover his body, making his corpse impossible to recover.

But he was alive. As he climbed, he started to hear noises. The sounds of crashing and shouting. He sped up and climbed over the side. He changed his hands and feet back to normal as he ran bare foot through the snow, and up the broken staircase, careful to not fall here. "Robin! Nami!" Ace screamed. He heard Robin shout his name from above, and ran up the broken stairs.

The castle was crumbling with cracks in the walls. He was worried it wouldn't stay safe. Ace skid into a room, and Robin ran to him and hugged him. Crying out apologies. "I'm okay, I'm not dead," Ace said, and demanded to know what was happening by the people there, who all had weapons.

There were two men who were those that accompanied the Sabaody Duke. Scumbag he was. Eustace was there, too, playing nice guy. Both of the men under Duke's orders shot arrows from their crossbows at Ace, who caught them and crushed them. "You won't mess with my sister," he growled.

They ran at him, but he threw them about easily. Robin was behind him, not using her ice magic anymore. He brought out his claws and went after them swiping at them and leaving claw marks. It didn't matter, he wasn't lying when he said he'd expose himself to everyone. He looked like a violent monster, but he saw the spikes Robin had sent at the enemies.

He didn't have time to turn around before a sword was thrust into his shoulder, making him scream. It was from Eustace. "I'm sorry your highness," he said, but didn't sound that way. Ace grabbed the sword from behind and ripped it out, slashing at his chest, drawing blood but not too deep.

His sword was broken, but one of their kingdom's soldiers were loyal, and did not attack either of the cornered siblings. When one of the thugs from the Duke aimed his crossbow, the loyal soldier shoved it up, unfortunately cutting right through the ice piece holding up the beautiful chandelier, which dropped onto him from above.

It skewered him in some parts, but he was alive. When a huge chunk of ice Ace fell on his head, he was out like a light, with Robin hitting her head and passing out as well. They were both completely helpless. Ace expected to die there, Robin being taken back. The queen. Ace was just a "violent prince".

-x-

When he woke up, he was in one of the prison cells. Robin was there, too. Her hands were trapped in metal, fingerless "gloves", as she was chained to the floor with long enough chains for her to stand, but not to reach and free Ace, who was strapped to the ground tightly, and gagged and with muzzle on with his hands cuffed.

He was bloody, but it seemed his wounds had healed. They always healed quickly after his ten months away. Robin woke up, and saw Ace. "Ace! Oh no, what have they done?" she asked, trying to reach him but unable to. He just was trapped there. He couldn't even speak. The way he was stuck made it hard for him to move at all.

He had to get out.

But then Eustace came in. Robin demanded to know why he brought them there. He played the good guy card and said, "I couldn't just let them kill you." He was ignoring Ace, who was pissed. He grew the spikes out of his back, cutting some of the straps. Eustace looked shocked and backed away as Ace pushed himself up from the floor.

His hands were still locked behind him, his feet shacked to the ground. He tried breaking them, but they were thick. "What are you?" Eustace asked. Ace gave a cold grin.

"Your worst nightmare," he said, spitting the gag out but unable to get the muzzle off. "You won't mess with either of my sisters. I knew you were rotten from the start." Robin looked at Eustace in a new light, no doubt trusting what Ace was saying, how he felt. He had better instincts than anyone.

Eustace glared, and said, "Think what you wish," and left. Ace huffed, and struggled against the chains. Robin looked fearful and then out the window, seeing the mess that was the frozen fjord. He asked her to help him get out, and she looked down at the gloves, her face determined as she froze them from the inside, making them weak and brittle, breaking them apart to free herself.

She then hurried to Ace's side and undid the rest of the straps, took the muzzle off and froze and broke the cuffs. He stood up and stretched. "I'm so sorry I knocked you over the cliff. And I hurt Nami, too. I'm such a bad sister… A terrible person," she lamented. Ace hugged her.

"We'll figure it out. I want to know what's happening first. What's going on," Ace said, and closed his eyes. He heard Eustace's voice say Robin had killed Nami, and he froze. But then he heard Nami's voice, seeming to talk to herself. She sounded tired and cold, but the castle was freezing from the outside in. She wasn't dead, Eustace was lying. But maybe them being away from her would be the best for now.

And why the hell did it seem like he was in charge? Ace left their pseudo guardian in charge! It didn't make sense, and it angered the dragon. Ace told Robin what he was hearing, but that he heard Nami in one of the rooms. He asked if she thought it was best for everyone if they both left. But he sounded so, so sad. He couldn't leave Robin and just ditch the kingdom to go live as a dragon again.

But where would they really go?

That scum pretended Nami was dead, and then said that they exchanged wedding vows before she died in his arms. Though he could still hear her just fine. Robin grew angry with this as well, but he had the same question of Ace: could Nami be safe if they stayed? She was uninvolved with the battle in Robin's ice palace. She wouldn't be seen as one of the fighters.

"Cocoyashi looks to you. You're all we have left," the french minister said. What happened to make Eustace in charge? Neither of the royal siblings had told anyone that he was.

Eustace had the gall to sound sad when he said, "With a heavy heart, I charge queen Robin with treason, and sentence her to death." Ace got up, telling Robin this, and kicked the wall open. It took a few, but it broke open. For now, they had to leave. But on their way out, Robin had to fix the storm.

He and his big sister dropped out of the castle, Ace catching her when she leapt out, too. Both had hard faces on, determined ones. He didn't remember sharing these expressions since the time they snuck out to see the trolls together. They ran across the ice, with a blizzard forming with Robin's heavy heart, her sadness and resignation.

The weather got worse, and so cold the ice below them started to crack, too dry. Robin didn't fall through, but Ace did, slipping through a hole. He heard Robin scream his name, but the crack froze over. At least there was a new layer so she wouldn't fall in, too. He tried to find any where to get out. He was too big to not wreck the fjord and make Robin fall in the water in dragon form.

He swam, looking for a hole. He tried punching the ice from below, but it was dulled do to water resistance. If he was in dragon form, it would have been easy, but he wasn't. He searched fruitlessly for any opening. He listened for any place clearer. Not muted. He found one, but it was nowhere near where he knew Robin was.

He swam to the hole quickly and pulled himself out, shivering slightly. His clothes started to freeze, wet and uncomfortable. But he couldn't take his shirt off and risk people seeing his gills. He ran towards where he felt Robin was. And he also heard Nami screaming for Sanji, sounding weak.

But he smelled Eustace approaching Robin from behind. His scent was behind hers but not by far, though was unable to hear his muffled words, even though he knew he was speaking. But hearing Nami's weak voice, he felt she was in more danger. He ran to her, found her with white hair.

"A-Ace!" she cried, seeing him alive. Tears on her face froze over. He ran to her, seeing her skin turning to ice.

"I'm okay, I'm alive, don't worry," Ace said. "Wh-What happened to you?" he asked frantically. "H-How do I fix you?! Tell me!" he cried. She couldn't reply, and Ace had no idea what had happened. He could do nothing as her skin hardened and chilled, all of her turning to ice right in front of him. He was frozen in place, too.

"Nami, no," he said. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you, I'm sorry I kept everything a secret, but you can't leave us," he begged before hugging her tightly, though not enough that he'd break her.

The wind was getting worse, and he didn't want her to fall over and crack. Didn't know how fragile she was. But there had to be a way to heal her. He picked her up under his arm and went running for Robin. "Don't worry, she'll fix you. And we'll live normally. We won't leave, or we won't go for good. M-maybe we can train Robin like I did for me? And th-then we can have fun. Nobody has to be excluded," he rambled, trying to not think of his probably-dead sister.

"You can't leave us for good, we love you, and you can't die on us. I won't let you! Robin won't let you!" he shouted over the wind. But she started to feel heavier under his arm, and turned warm and limp. "Nami!" he shouted, seeing she was back to normal. "You're back!" he cried and hugged her.

But she was still ill, very cold and sick, but not ice, and breathing. It was getting colder and colder. Ace couldn't offer her any warm clothes, as his had just been wet and were frozen now, too. He held her to his chest, looking for Robin. Nami needed immediate medical attention.

But Robin was in danger, too, and she couldn't be far. The fjord wasn't that big. He ran across the ice with scales on his feet and followed Robin's scent, feeling more panicked than he ever had before. Both of his sisters were in danger.

The wind was blowing Robin's scent everywhere, but he followed where it was the strongest. When he reached her, he and Nami found Eustace frozen to the ground up to his waist. His sword laid forgotten.

"Nami? She froze your heart! You were supposed to die, damn it!" Eustace said in anger and shock. Robin kicked him in the head. Ace insisted they get Nami medical attention, putting any healing for Robin's part on pause. They hurried back to the castle, but the storm was worse, and making their progress slower.

The storm abated out of determination and desperation on Robin's part, and they went back to the castle. Robin was exhausted, but had to run because Ace was carrying Nami. they got inside, but the door was frozen shut. Robin's desperation continued to fuel the melting of the castle.

Ace couldn't smell the medical staff there. Did they leave? Now?! So he and Robin brought her to the nearest fireplace and got warm, cozy blankets. He rubbed Nami's arms, trying to warm her up. Robin got up to leave to try and get water. "You're not going, right?" he asked, grabbing her wrist before she could leave the room.

"No. And I wont let my ice hurt Nami. I promise, I'll be back," she vowed, and left, though her fists were shaking, and came back not long later with a pot of water that she put over the fireplace to make hot water, not even tea. Nami did wake up, and Ace gave her some warm water, and she started to look better. She hadn't had frost bite, but hypothermia. But she was warm now.

"Welcome back," Ace said with a relieved sigh. Robin shrunk away, scooching back a bit. The storm was still raging outside, but the interior was safe. Nami turned to Robin and smiled softly. Robin sniffled and apologized, looking so broken and hurt.

"I forgive you. For everything. And look, we're all together, by the fireplace," she said happily. "Like a family. We're your family, we love you," she added. Robin wiped her eyes and nodded. Ace smiled and pointed out that Robin was controlling her ice, even with her emotions all over the place.

She said, "Only because it's you two… I don't think I could do the same for everywhere else." Nami reasoned that they would only be safe if the whole kingdom was safe. Robin was the oldest of them, the big sister. She now wanted to take care of and protect her siblings, like Ace always wanted to.

The dark haired woman nodded, and a determined look came across her face. One Ace hadn't seen in too long. She walked to the window, barefoot and not in her ice shoes, and looked out the window. She closed her eyes and exhaled before they watched as the ice melted and storm cleared.

"I did it!" Robin said in shock and happiness, letting out a true smile.

"Only needed a little desperation," Ace said half heartedly.

"No, just love," Nami said sweetly, with the oldest nodding in agreement. She looked at her hands, and shock covered her face. She wasn't wearing gloves. She touched the couch, the wooden wall and glass window. She had always worn the gloves, and Ace never thought about her being unable to touch things with that.

He'd been waiting for this for years. Finally, it came.

"Oh… there's somebody I want to see."

"Better not be Eustace," Ace said grimly. He was an enemy, and Ace didn't know how much Nami knew.

She grew angry. "Of course not him, he tried to have me killed! I want to see Sanji… And talk about some stuff," Nami admitted. Ace was unsurprised, but was glad it was not Eustace that she wanted to see. So Ace went to find Sanji and Chopper, assuming they were still there based on the fact he could smell Chopper. He didn't smell the best…

Robin was left alone with Nami for the first time in a very long time, but didn't show any fear that she would harm the youngest. Only some true panic, fear and desperation to heal their little family unit.

-x-

Once everything came out - not Ace's dragon part yet - the leaders of the neighboring kingdoms felt stupid. For trusting Eustace blindly like they had. The Duke of Sabaody was in trouble just like Eustace, for ordering his men to kill the queen and nearly succeeding. He and Eustace were thrown into their ships' brigs to be brought to their home land to be punished.

Ace smirked at Eustace the whole time he was being manhandled to his ship. Just to annoy him. "Everyone will find out about you!"

"I'm planning on that, but it won't be up to you. That's my choice," Ace replied easily, and then left the docks to go back to the palace. Things would be different now. Hopefully. He was worried about everyone finding out, but they seemed to be okay with Robin's power. They all even went ice skating in the palace courtyard, with much of the small population.

After a week or so of the change, of Robin fixing up her room and coming to dinner, speaking with both of them, no longer hiding, she announced that they should put the truth out about Ace. He agreed. Sanji did, too. He was staying in the castle for now until he found other living arrangements.

He knew about Ace already. He was a good guy. Ace had pretended to be surprised when Nami announced that she wanted to be with him. Not marry. Robin and Ace had laughed about that part, glad she learned her lesson about not marrying somebody she just met. Though she'd known Sanji a little over a week. Still, better than one hour.

The town was gathered at the shore of the fjord, where Robin announced that Ace had magic in his own way. Everyone was excited, since Robin's magic was beautiful once it was controllable. But he was nervous, and Nami put his hand on his shoulder, saying he'd be fine. He nodded, and since there were barely any ships on the fjord, he shifted in the outer part of the fjord once it met the wide ocean.

Everyone gasped when his huge head popped out of the water. Some were afraid, and Robin said, "Ace has been controlling this for years. And even if he wanted to, he cannot get on land, and will never hurt anyone or anything. He can't even fit in the fjord.

"Please accept him as you accepted me," she said with hope in her voice. Nobody protested, and most of them nodded. Well, now they had two abnormal people in the kingdom, and in the same family, too. It was such a strange coincidence, but Robin and Nami never regretted Ace being in their family.

He was hoping life would become more normal than it was before.

End of part 1

Chapter Text

Ace was sitting at the shore of the castle that wasn't in front of the fjord. Robin came over, in her boots and not heels. She'd changed how she dressed in the last two years. She sat next to him, not caring about dirtying her current dress. He didn't greet her.

"Is it the voice again?" she asked quietly. Ace nodded. He'd been hearing voices in his head, and a pull straight away from Cocoyashi. "Do you know what they're saying yet?" his older sister asked kindly. He shook his head. The muffled, kind voices showed up in his mind a couple weeks ago.

He'd hidden them at first, but he finally confessed to Robin about it. He still talked to her more about tough subjects, which Nami knew and wasn't upset about. Even when they were closer sometimes, she had Sanji. "Is it the same voices?" she asked.

"Yeah. The man and woman. I think they're saying my name, but I can't tell. It's hard to make it out," he said, voice flat. He knew where they were coming from. Always felt like they were coming from the west. Where he'd come from, through the Dark Sea. He desperately wanted to search for the voices, but didn't want to leave his sisters.

Robin frowned and looked out to the sea. "You know you're not chained here, right?" she asked. "You're not king, you're not the leader." He wasn't expecting her to say that. She knew him too well, like he knew her. He looked away, and down at the shrimp in the small tide pools to his left. Ace said he had a responsibility to his sisters. He couldn't leave them.

"We'll be fine here, Ace. I promise."

But he had another worry. What if he found the voices, found where he came from and didn't want to leave? What if he found others like him? What if he found his original parents? They couldn't replace his adoptive parents. And nothing could replace Robin and Nami.

The queen asked, "You're afraid of liking it too much and not coming back, aren't you?"

Ace huffed and replied, "Stop reading my thoughts." Robin countered that he'd done that so many times over the years to her. "... But you're right. I'm afraid of finding what I've always wanted to. Find out why I'm like this. If I'm the only one. I met plenty of dragons in the ten months, but none were like me," he said. Robin put her hand on his shoulder, and said that they both wanted him to be happy. Even if it was somewhere else. "You don't feel that way, you're just trying to make me feel better."

"I'm not. You've done everything to make me and Nami happy. Of course we want to help you now, too. We both want you to be happy. You just have to make sure you'll visit." Ace sighed, but felt hope blooming in his chest. He wanted to find others like him. If he went straight west, he could find at least some land.

And he could always find Cocoyashi again. It had a strong scent even when it didn't involve his sisters or their castle. Ace said that he did want to go. He wished he could take them with him, though. See what the other side of the world had to offer. But he couldn't put them in that danger. Maybe if they had some sort of crazy harness that had air in it that they could strap to his back.

But nobody knew how big the Dark Sea was. Nobody ever came back to give any discoveries of it. "I'll visit. I promise." He was going to go. "I won't be gone ten months this time," he swore. He had to say goodbye to Nami. She said she knew what Robin was going to say to him. It wasn't a goodbye for forever.

Ace thanked her and stood up. He walked into the water. It was summer, two years after Robin became queen. She had Nami now, even if her self-esteem was still low sometimes. But, she had her sister. She stood and told him to be safe. "Go find the voices. We'll be waiting here."

She was giving him a smile as he submerged himself and swam until he was deep enough to shift into his dragon form. He sunk lower and began his journey to the west. He'd face the Dark Sea, prepared for hell.

He fell back into step, those ten months over five years ago. He caught his food, swam quickly, leaving the human world behind as he embraced his dragon side. He swam to the Dark Sea, where he knew it was. It was far from the castle, to the west. He swam quickly. Excited. Like he used to, he slept on the sea bed, where the dragons didn't spend their time.

Always keeping his senses primed, he was able to rest his body and mind while still being aware and keeping himself safe. His scales and body were littered with the pink lines. The eye scar went from his flat forehead down to his snout. He kept away from other dragons.

He didn't challenge them like he used to. Used to throw himself in danger, in human form and waiting till the last moment to show himself. It was how he trained his self control. If he could hold it in at the face of death, why couldn't he do that somewhere safe and loving?

Unable to tell time, he didn't know how long he swam. For ten months, he swam around the world beside the Dark Sea, not ready to go there, not wanting to go there. Not then, but now he did.

After what felt like weeks going as fast as he could, faster than any ship, he entered the Dark Sea. He could sense the moment he entered. He felt the presences of all sorts of sized creatures. Sharks too big to be natural, dragons his size that fought him. Wanted to, but he swam away. He had to compete for food, but was good at evading and fleeing the scene, not wanting to fight.

He wasn't doing this trip to train, but to go to where he came from. Dearly wanting to get closer. And the moment he entered the Dark Sea, the voices in his head became clearer. A woman and a man, speaking to him with happy voices. Obviously talking to a baby with their voices higher pitched. He didn't know how he remembered it, but he was glad he did.

Another week of weathering the violent currents, the violent creatures, he smelled humans. A ship. He approached it from below, not understanding how it was still there. But he could smell a different type of wood. And there was stone on the bottom. They were prepared for the violent and dangerous sea.

He didn't ask for directions, worried. He'd find it by following the voices. He knew he'd get there, where the voices were waiting for him. He swam faster, excited beyond belief. No fear was felt. He… he was going to his home. Where he might belong, but only based on his unfounded hope. He might get there and find nothing, nobody like him.

But it felt right, following the pull that accompanied the voices.

"I love you, Ace. You'll have a fun trip. I'm sorry papa can't go with you, but it's your first time out to sea," the woman's voice said. The voice of his mother. It was so warm. His biological mother, not Makino, his adoptive one. But this voice gave a different feel. Warmth. He hoped he could meet her. And that she wouldn't hate him.

Could someone with love in their voice like that ever hate him? But he was nineteen now, no longer a child or baby. Would he be accepted? He swam and swam, fighting when he had to, but being proud of how well he hid from his enemies. Everything around him was an enemy. Every type of creature.

Even dolphins sometimes attacked him. In normal waters, dolphins never approached him. But soon, he finally was out of the Dark Sea, into warm and calm waters. Full of fish, big and small, but nothing alarming. Until he sensed more dragons, but they were further away and more stationary. And they felt like him.

He was there. He sped up, and made it to the shore of a beach. It was warm here. Not like in the east. It was summer in Cocoyashi, too, but not this warm. He transformed and walked up the beach. There were people around, playing in the sand. The all smelled so familiar. He smiled as he walked around.

After entering the main city part, he saw just how huge this place was compared to his other home. He walked through the city, seeing houses and buildings that looked nothing like the ones he was used to. The streets were cobblestone, many of the buildings made of wood and decorated with stone murals or paintings.

This place, whatever it was called, felt so natural. Like how things should be. He didn't even think of how he was comparing this place to home, so far away. At least six weeks of swimming quickly.

The foreigner looked in the windows of every building. They had such a variety of food and objects. Books, art supplies, clothes. His clothes looked different from everybody else's, too fancy, even though he was still soaked and barefoot. His clothes shifted with him, but for some reason his shoes didn't. He was surprised to see a lot of men with scars on them. Not many had them on their faces. He also saw artistic marks on their skins.

Tattoos? One of the foreign allies had those, but Cocoyashi didn't. It was frowned upon. But everyone here had some sort of marking. It was interesting. He rolled his sleeves up and the bottom of his pants. He didn't feel the need to hide his scars. Then he froze when he saw a shirtless man walking around with slits in his sides, too.

These people were like him! He must have come from this place. He wished he could show Robin, but there was no way she'd survive the trip here, no matter if she had magic. He looked around more, exploring the large city. Many times larger than his home kingdom. They were so small. He'd never really thought about it, even when visitors told them it was quaint. He'd just had nothing to compare it to.

He walked through some more before he saw a mural on a large building. It was of a small child. He touched his cheeks, recognizing the placement of them on the mural. Black hair, tan skin, freckles, dark brown eyes. He stared at it for a long time, not really thinking it was him even though it looked just like the photos of him when he was a baby.

No, that painting was him. But why him? He approached the nearest person. He was so happy they spoke the same language. "Excuse me? Who is that, on the wall?" Ace asked, pointing to the mural across the cobblestone street.

"That's prince Ace before he perished in the Dark Sea," the man said simply. Ace turned around, looking at it again. He was a prince here, too? What were the odds? He snickered, but looked around. Nobody looked at him strangely. He was a baby when his ship was gone. Of course people would think he was dead.

How would a baby survive that?

He heard the voices, louder and clearer than ever, and followed it towards the largest building. It was a palace bigger than the one at home. He walked up the stairs, surprised there were no guards. Well, Cocoyashi had no outside guards either. He walked to the large doors. He pushed it inward, but was met with guards there.

Two large dogs. He was unafraid of them. They looked like wolves, but not completely. They smelled him, and then went running away from him. He peeked his head inside, and slowly entered, cautiously. Surely their security wasn't so lax… but the dogs came back. They brought a blonde man down some stairs.

He looked about Ace's age, if not a bit younger. He had no scars, though, or tattoos. "Ace?" he asked in a whisper. Ace awkwardly said that was what his name was. The guy ran at him and hugged him suddenly. He pat his back, not knowing who this was. "Um, who are you?"

"I'm Sabo. Your brother," he said with a watery smile. "I don't remember you, but I wished I had." He frowned, looking at the floor, eyes looked so sad. "Where have you been? All this time?" he asked.

Ace had never had a brother, he only had sisters. They were his siblings, and now apparently he had a brother? He wasn't the baby? Well, he didn't know Sabo at all. Maybe they could be friends.

"I was in the east. I was the only one on the ship when it washed ashore there. It's called Cocoyashi. Their king and queen took me in and had raised me as their own. I have two sisters. It was kind of a mess for a bit. I was the only one like me there."

Sabo laughed, and Ace didn't know why. "So you were the son of the queen and king in two kingdoms?" Ace nodded, thinking it was a weird coincidence. Then he looked at Ace, and asked why on earth a prince would have so many damn scars. Ace said he'd trained himself to have self control over his dragon self by spending ten months out at sea.

"I didn't want to hurt my sisters," Ace said. He was smiling. He touched his mouth. He hadn't smiled like this in a long time. He was asked what was wrong in concern. "I haven't smiled like this in a long time," he said honestly. Sabo asked why. "I don't know. I came back after the ten months looking bored all the time."

Sabo lead him to a room with a bunch of very comfortable chairs and couches. There was a nice looking coffee table. He sat on a couch opposite of Sabo, who put his feet on the table. Ace was surprised. He was never allowed to put his feet up on any table at home. "This is my relax room. I can do whatever I want. You're welcome to put your feet on the table. Ace pointed out that he was barefoot. "So?" Ace slowly put his feet up on the table. "Please, tell me everything! I want to know all about you and your life. Mom and dad aren't here right now, they went to a meeting with a neighboring kingdom."

So, Ace explained everything he went through with his oldest sister. How he slowly developed all these strange qualities years before he ever transformed and destroyed his bedroom, then leaving. He then told him all about the mess that was the coronation. Sabo was so invested in the story, leaning forward and listening.

"So, there was only one person there with magic?" he asked in shock. Ace nodded. "It's sad she had to be hidden away," he said sincerely. Ace nodded, saying he always tried to help her, but it rarely worked. Until after everybody knew, and she was now happy. "I love them, so I'm going to go back sometime. But it took so damn long to get here!" Sabo frowned deeply.

He said, "But… you just got here." Ace frowned. When he said he had to get back, he felt a coldness in his chest. He felt himself deflate, a feeling he knew was paired with disappointment. Ace said they were his sisters, he couldn't leave them completely. He had promised he would go back.

"I'll stay here for awhile. I want to know about where I came from. What kind of life I would have had. It's so different here. Warm and open. People have gills and scars and tattoos. It's strange," he said honestly, smiling. Sabo smiled and said that perhaps their kingdoms could become allied.

Ace frowned, worried that people would die. The Dark Sea wasn't a friendly place. Sabo smiled, and said they could just go around it. Ace said there was no way around it. "Maybe not to regular people. But our people have explored the entire world." He told Ace wait a second, and ran out of the room, coming back with a bunch of scrolls. He laid them all out on the large coffee table.

"This is where Cocoyashi is," Ace said, pointing to the place he knew was there. Sabo took a pen and wrote on it. He said these were his maps, so it was fine.

"This is the way to get around it. It takes a lot longer to get that way, but its safer than the monstrous Dark Sea," Sabo explained. Then he showed the other world maps. Cocoyashi had never gotten past the Dark Sea alive, so there was no information about the west. It was amazing, the world was so big! "I kind of want to meet your family. Of course if you want me to."

Ace smiled and said it would be cool for them to meet, if he got to know Sabo better. "But… is it weird, you smell like me?"

Sabo said family all smelled alike. He leaned across the table and took Ace's hands. "I'm so happy you're alive. Even if you leave, I know you're alive. I can't be more grateful." Ace blushed and then said he was happy he wasn't a monster. He wasn't some abomination, the only of his kind. "There are tons of dragons here! We have water dragons, earth dragons, sky dragons. Then there are the fire ones that like to live in hot places.

"The neighboring kingdoms are also made of half humans. Whitebeard's territory are phoenixes. Shanks' kingdom are griffins. You're in no way alone!" he finished. He asked if he wanted to see the rest of the castle, and Ace nodded. Sabo rolled the maps up but left them on the coffee table. Ace liked that room. It looked lived in. Everything wasn't so proper and organized.

He was lead through the castle, which was open. Whole walls were made of windows. There were no curtains, so they were open and letting in sunlight or starlight at all times. He was shown Sabo's room, which had an unorganized bed full of different types of pillows and with paintings and photos all over the walls.

There were books organized on one whole wall. He had framed photos, and Ace saw himself on one. Tears were in his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said, voice thick. "That I couldn't be your brother."

Sabo hugged him and said he was just so happy he was alive. "Do you want to see your old room?" Ace couldn't help it, so he nodded. It was across the hall. It was smaller, and there was a nice crib, and so many toys and stuffed animals, different than those at home. Everything was dusty. Nobody had gone in here in a long, long time.

He dragged his finger across the wooded railing or the crib, collecting a lot of dust. "Yeah, nobody comes in here anymore. It's preserved from that time. Those toys have never left that spot," the blonde said, a bit of sadness in his voice. Ace sighed. He felt longing again. To be a baby again and wash up here.

But then he felt guilt. He loved Robin and Nami. He didn't want to leave them for too long. He was worried to meet his parents. When they went through the castle more, Sabo wondered how he'd come back. "I was hearing voices. A man and woman. And I've always wanted to see if I was all alone. The voices made me come here, got louder and more clear as I got closer. I think they were my- our parents. I can't be sure."

They walked outside, and Ace saw the huge and beautiful garden with all sorts of plants. His castle didn't have any gardens. Just the stone courtyard. He went to all of the flowers and smelled them. There were strange looking bugs, but Sabo didn't tell him not to go near, so they weren't dangerous.

There was a gazebo with vines all over the railings. "This castle is beautiful. It feels warm and inviting," Ace said, exploring the large backyard that met the ocean through a gate. He'd never seen a beach in person before. He went back inside, wiping his feet on the mat outside the large glass doors.

Ace wondered why it was so open and inviting. The front door wasn't even locked. "We don't need guards. We know if people come in, we can smell them. Though we have Ina and Zuma. named after an old friend. Their our guard dogs."

"The ones that looked like wolves?" Sabo nodded, explaining that they were called huskies. Sabo lead him through the castle more. Ace loved it. So open, inviting, warm. The windows could never be closed. They would always be open.

Sabo asked how he liked it. "I love it. It's so warm and inviting. And it looks like real people live here. Like it's a home. I never realized that it didn't feel like that at home." He looked at the wall window. "The windows were always shuttered everywhere but our bedrooms. Especially mine, since I would sneak out in the middle of the night down and rope to go on swims. Nobody ever found out," he laughed, and Sabo did, too. Ace was glad he wasn't comparing Ace's home to this one. He didn't say anything about this castle being better than Ace's based on descriptions from the slightly older son.

Sabo really didn't look like Ace at all, but he said they were brothers by blood. "Will you stay long enough to meet mom and dad?" the blonde brother asked. Ace nodded. He said he wanted to stay at least a couple weeks. "Will you visit after that? If you do go back to Cocoyashi?"

Ace smiled and said he would definitely come visit. Sabo grinned in relief. He didn't try to pressure Ace into staying. He was grateful for Sabo's attitude about this. Not being pushy, it was nice, he was being considerate. He did express concern for Robin. Being isolated in a place where she was the only person who could use magic.

The oldest nodded, saying it was always his worry. That she'd be alone forever. "She was there for me when I needed it, and I was the same. I would never leave her for good, never without saying something." Sabo said that was how good siblings acted. He agreed that being there for one another was important. He was a good brother.

"So far, you are too. You haven't pushed me or compared my home and family to this one. So, thank you for making this easier for me. I really appreciate it. And maybe our kingdoms could become allied! They would know about the rest of the world, too."

Sabo grinned, said he didn't think anybody would have a problem with that. Making allies with the kingdom that took care of their thought-to-be-dead prince was definitely a reason to be on good terms. Plus, it was clear that no manmade weapon could be a danger to the dragons when they could just stop them sailing altogether.

The king and queen didn't come back that day, but would the next. Ace stayed in one of the spare bedrooms that was less dusty than the nursery. He couldn't imagine the pain his biological parents went through, thinking their baby had died. But, he wasn't dead. He was alive and well, just with a lot of scars that he was proud of.

He barely slept, nervous about meeting them. Sabo acted like they were good people, so Ace trusted that. He was nervous anyways, though. He did end up falling asleep to the starlight pouring in from the window. When he woke up, it was to Sabo knocking on the door. Ace dressed in Sabo's clothes that seemed to fit him perfectly, but his shoes didn't. Ace's were bigger. So he was just in socks. Sabo was grinning, and said their parents were there, but didn't know about his presence.

"Do I look okay?" Ace asked, very nervous and scared. What if they didn't accept him? His parents were dead, so he hoped these ones liked him, even if he didn't love them like he did his late mother and father. Even if he felt bitter about their father a bit, Robin was happy and open now, so the hate had faded.

Ace stopped around the corner when he heard the familiar voices talking about somebody named Whitebeard. Sabo took his hand and pulled him with him slowly. They both stood at the top of the staircase. "Mom, dad, we have a guest," Sabo said with a wide grin.

The father, a man with a large smile, black hair and long mustache, looked up. As did the mother, who had strawberry blonde hair and Ace's freckles. Well, he had hers. They both dropped what they were holding, in shock. The mom walked up the stairs, and touched Ace's face.

"Ace?"

Ace licked his lips and nodded. He was hugged tightly. His blood parents didn't hate him. Ace hugged her back, taller than she was. The dad was grinning brightly and hugged him from behind so he was embraced by both of them. The mom was crying. The dad was laughing happily.

After the hug was over, his mother, whose name was Rouge and was perfectly fine with him calling her by her first name, lead him to the living room that was neater than Sabo's, but still had books on the tables, unfinished. There was a newspaper on the couch that they moved and sat down.

Roger, the dad, asked him all the questions Sabo had, and he explained his whole life up until that moment. They listened quietly, entrapped. Once he was finished, talking about his swim there, Rouge sighed and smiled, putting her hands together and thanking those that raised Ace. It made him happy. Paying respects to his late adoptive parents. Roger didn't do it, but smiled so fondly at his wife. He leaned over and kissed his cheek lovingly. Rouge took his hand, and said she wished they could meet his siblings, but that it would be dangerous for them.

Ace hadn't ever seen his other parents openly show affection like that. This felt like a family, not a royal one. They didn't speak very properly. They weren't even wearing clothes that might make them look royal. Rouge's hair was down and she was wearing a flowery dress, while Roger was in plain clothes as well.

The only things that showed they were king and queen was what he assumed were their crowns. The were just hair pins. Big and beautiful, with all sorts of stones, but they didn't have crowns on. His dad had a hair clip, too, but it was mostly gold and silver, not jeweled. Sabo looked like what he assumed a regular guy would look like here.

They couldn't stop looking at Ace, and he was understanding about why. They thought he was dead for the last seventeen years. Thought their baby had died, and didn't even have his body to bury or say goodbye to. But he was alive, much better than just having his body to bury and mourn.

Chapter Text

Artemispolarbear: Having two families would be hard for a reason... But being loved by more people is what Ace deserves.

I have so many stories to edit. This only has one chapter left, so I'd like to start posting a new one.

1. Zombie apocalypse au with Luffy, Ace and Law being the ones behind it (not a secret lol)

2. Baby Luffy who turned into a vampire, Katakuri is his adoptive dad and takes good care of him. Fluffy story.

3. Ace develops some sort of unknown disease that causes his life to spiral into deep depression and having most people abandon him for it. Basically all angst/hurt/comfort.

4. Demon slayer au where Ace dies and is transported to DS world.

5. Luffy son of Katakuri in big mom pirates. Eventual Zolu and Luffy turning into a vampire. You can imagine how the BM pirates react to that.

6. Jujutsu Kaisen au with young Luffy having a power to get rid of curses/demons. Fluffy and mc is Luffy and our lovely Gojo Satoru.

7. Bleach au with Ace and Ichigo as mcs. Another story where Ace comes from Marineford into another world.

Please vote, I'm drowning in which one to post!

"It is such a strange coincidence that you're a prince in both kingdoms," Roger said, all of them sitting still. Ace nodded, saying it was weird, too.

"Would you like to see everything? Show you the best parts of our kingdom?" Rouge asked, looking and sounding hopeful. Ace nodded, wanting to see more of his homeland. He pushed guilt away. Smiling more here than he had at home. The four of them walked about the kingdom, waving to their subjects happily. Some bowed fully while others gave respective head nods.

Ace wondered why they had no guards. "I have my strong husband and son for that," Rouge said simply. Ace asked them if they were dragons. "Of course! I'm a sky dragon and your father is an earth dragon. Sabo is like you, a water dragon." Ace asked if it was hereditary. "No. It is random. And nobody knows at birth. Only when they are three or four. For water dragons, gills develop first." Rouge reached for his hand, and Ace held it just fine.

It was strange to see a king and queen go about the city and see their subjects on such friendly terms. His mom and dad rarely left the castle.

Ace asked how you could tell for other dragons.

Sabo explained this time, "Sky dragons develop white scales along their shoulder blades and down their backs. Earth dragons have moss form out of nowhere on their sides, where gills would be. How did they react to you forming gills? Must have been quite a shock!"

The newcomer looked down. "They never knew. I didn't tell them, only Robin. I didn't want them to get rid of me. Though they always said they never would. I was scared that my father would lock me away like he did for my oldest sister."

Rouge said, "I don't think that was the good way to handle her magic, but he must have had the best intentions, even if the method was wrong." Ace said he was always so angry about what he did to his sister. How she hated herself, was scared of herself. "Then it's wonderful she had you there for her. Now she's free, right?"

Ace nodded with a smile. "I was so happy when she first showed her powers properly. I know she feels like I did. Lost, wondering if she is alone."

The queen said, "Sadly, we don't have any like her. There were ice dragons long ago, but when the planet got warmer, they slowly changed generation by generation into sky dragons. Our 'magic' here, is just what we are. I would say phoenixes were the most magical, unable to be injured."

Ace said he wished he could see one. "Maybe we can introduce you there," Roger said. "I'm on very friendly terms with Whitebeard, the king and ally of the phoenix nation. How long are you thinking of staying?" he asked so lightly.

The older brother looked down, and said he didn't know. It had taken so long to get there, he had to count on going back. "I promised less than last time. Maybe I can stay here a month or two. I don't know, maybe longer. I wish I had a way to communicate with them, but they're just so far away, you know?"

None of them seemed disappointed about him only planning on staying a few months. They seemed to just want to enjoy the time they had him with them. They explored the city, the museum, the candy makers, the main park. "This is the largest dragon known to anyone," Sabo said when they arrived at a large, wild park with bones on poles high up above them. It was a skeleton that covered over at least the space of half of the city. "This is a wild dragon, not one of us. We'd never do that to us."

Ace was in awe of the huge thing. Ace was very, very big, but nowhere near how massive this monstrous beast was. He asked them how they honored the dead. At the east, they buried their loved ones.

"We cremate them, and then release their ashes in the ocean, the sky or off of one of the mountains. Back to the place they'd all once come from," Rouge explained, holding his hand tightly. Ace thought that was nice. When his parents had just been declared dead, he'd had nightmares about their bodies rotting in the ground.

They walked back the way they came and stopped at the family's favorite bakery. They had foods Ace had never seen before. They bought him samples of everything, and they all sat on the outside patio at a glass table. The glass was decorative, each table a rose. He enjoyed most of the foods. He ate all of it.

"I never really get to eat as much as I want to," he said, politely stuffing his face, not making a mess at all. He may not feel like a prince here, just a normal person despite his connections, but he still had manners drilled into his mind. "I'm left hungry a lot of the time, I don't want to look improper," he confessed.

Roger laughed and said all dragons were overly hungry compared to those he described. Full humans. Ace wondered how they sustained themselves. "There are hundreds of thousands of miles of different crops that are shared by all three of the allied kingdoms," the man explained.

Ace asked if they had other kingdoms, too. Sabo replied, "Our country only has all three kingdoms. It's a very large continent, but it can only fit us three kingdoms." Ace asked if this place was the only place. "There are plenty of kingdoms that use magic, but are not part beast. If anything, your sister, Robin, would fit in at another kingdom of magic." Ace was shocked, but said that Robin was born to parents with no magic. "Which was quite strange! I can't think of anything that could make her magical, but born in a non magical land without any people who could do such things."

Ace furrowed his brows. "Does the land have things to do with it? Do places matter?" Sabo nodded. It was due to the land that they were possible. Ace asked for specifics, and was in awe as he was told how the food and water available there thousands of years ago had turned human babies of one generation into how they were now.

"I can imagine it being very scary for human parents to have dragon babies!" Roger said, laughing. He was noisy, such a contrast to his perfectly polite late father. He wondered if they were hurt at this, watching from wherever they were now.

They headed back to the palace, the sun setting on his first day in a completely different world, that belonged to half of him. The half that felt lonely, out of place. The part that knew he didn't belong in Cocoyashi. But the other part of him was full of guilt, missing his sisters. Without him noticing, one side of him was overpowering the other, pushing it out of his mind for now.

The second night at the home that should have been his, he and Sabo slept in his living room in sleeping bags. They talked a long time, mostly about random things. Random things that had nothing to do with Ace's old life. No, his current life. Cocoyashi was his home. And he wasn't discarding the life he'd lived for seventeen years.

"Ace, have you ever had a crush on somebody? I'm imprinted with a sky dragon named Koala. She lived out of town, so she flies here and we always go to the beach. What about you?" Sabo asked quietly as the stars moved across the sky. It felt like he had his first ever friend. Not a brother, a friend. One he could get close to.

"Uh, no. I've never been around a lot of people. Just my family, my sisters. I'm friendly with some of the castle staff and all, and our former teachers, but never romantic. What's imprinting?" he wondered. He knew that some baby animals imprint on their mothers, but he didn't know what Sabo meant in this context.

Sabo looked at him curiously, in surprise. "Nobody imprints there?" Ace shook his head. "I guess you can call it love at first sight." Ace said he didn't ever remember going through that. He asked how old you had to be to imprint. "Any age that you meet them. Babies don't remember that, though. The older one had to wait for their brain to develop in that way, and then the imprint is always returned."

"Did somebody imprint on me when I was a baby?" he asked, voice flat.

Sabo shrugged. "I know somebody had been affected by hearing of your death worse than most people besides family. I don't remember it, but I've met him multiple times. He's a nice guy, I guess. I don't know if he imprinted on you, of course. I wasn't alive then." Ace swallowed.

"Wait… does that guarantee somebody will love me some day?" he asked. Sabo looked at him and his face was sad. He said of course somebody would love him. Why wouldn't anybody love him? "I'm just… I feel not normal no matter where I go. Here, I feel wrong. And in Cocoyashi, I feel wrong, too."

Sabo gave him a smile. "You're not wrong no matter where you are. You're not wrong here, and not wrong there. Maybe different, but never wrong. If the guy did imprint on you, he could visit you often at your current home." Ace asked how. They'd have to cross the Dark Sea all the time.

"He's not a dragon, he's a phoenix." Ace was startled at the "he" part. Then he deflated, biting his bottom lip and putting his face in the pillow. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" he asked in worry. Ace asked to clarify if it was a he. "Yeah. Is that a problem?"

Ace muttered, "It's frowned upon at home. I didn't know I'd like boys - men. Now I'm ever more wrong there," he explained, his left cheek on his pillow.

Sabo apologized for saying anything, he didn't mean to upset him. Ace told him he wasn't upset with him, but asked if he could ever be with somebody he didn't imprint on. "I guess it's possible. You don't remember him. So I'm not sure. Does it really bother you? That it's a man?" Ace shrugged. It was nothing personal to the other guy, but he just didn't want anyone at home to know. He was weird enough as it was.

Sabo turned back on his back, saying it was normal here. Nobody could help who they imprinted on. "I don't want to meet him," Ace confessed. He felt bad for the guy, but he didn't want more attachments here. He already would be leaving a family he felt he could truly fit in with. He'd leave a land that accepted him, was warm and inviting. But he didn't want to leave somebody he ended up loving.

Sabo didn't press him. But he did say it would be hard to not meet him. "Word has probably already spread of you being here. I mean, you look completely like that mural, and you were with us in public all day, holding mom's hand. He's going to learn even if you don't go to him," Sabo explained honestly.

Ace knew that was true. And it wasn't anybodies fault, he was glad he got to go somewhere with his biological family. Eventually they both fell asleep. When Ace woke up, his hair was a mess, eyes blank in sleep before he jerked awake fully. Then he sighed, remembering where he was. Sabo was still asleep, and based on the sky outside the huge windows, it was early morning.

The prince heard knocking on the front door, but he didn't open it. It seemed locked, but then it opened and Ace zoomed upstairs. He was hiding behind the wall, not knowing who it was and if it was the guy that imprinted on baby Ace.

Then he looked down. When he went back home, he now knew he wouldn't find love. Not only because he was weird, not only because of the imprinting, but a man would never be with him with the social stigma. What if nobody loved him? Ever? The only person who could was here. He was irritated with that. He didn't get to choose who he loved?

He finally turned around, and saw it wasn't how Sabo described him. He didn't give his name, but Ace knew who to hide from. At least, who he wanted to hide from. And it wasn't this man. Instead, it was a read headed man with three scars over his eye. He didn't feel any different, so it wasn't the guy who imprinted on him when he couldn't remember.

"Yo! Roger, where you at?" he called. Then he noticed Ace peeking around the corner. He grinned widely. "It's good to see you, Ace. I haven't seen you since you were a baby," he said brightly. "My name is Shanks!" Ace walked down the stairs and shook his hand.

"Um, I think he's still sleeping," Ace said, not knowing who this guy was. Though, he didn't know who anybody was here. He was meeting everybody for the first time. Shanks asked him if he was the only one in the ship. He looked uncomfortable all of the sudden. Ace shook his head. "It was only me. Somebody tied me to a post during the bad storm."

Shanks said, "I see. I'm so happy you're alive and made it back to us all. When are you going back home?" Ace hadn't expected that as a follow up question. Shanks grinned and said, "You have a life different than this one, right?" The older teen nodded slowly. He had a family, two older sisters.

They were only just starting to talk when Roger came down the stairs. "What's with you waking me up? You know how Rouge is when I get out of bed too noisily," the man said, though his grin was the opposite of his words. Roger asked how Ace slept. He said he slept okay, was confused when he woke up.

Shanks was there to meet Ace again, so they all had breakfast together, Ace having brushed his hair and changed into a clean one of Sabo's outfits. They were so light and comfortable. Not something Ace would ever wear at home. There were so many differences. Easily spotted differences.

Ace felt he'd be going over his life story a lot here. Everybody had been interested in Robin's unexplained powers. More than in him, which was nice. He realized he had no idea what this place was called other than the west. He felt silly asking, but Roger and Sabo were the ones to look embarrassed.

Rouge chuckled and said their kingdom was named Raftel. Ace thanked them, saying he felt weird he never asked. "Well, we didn't introduce you!" Roger laughed. Ace smiled awkwardly at first, but it relaxed into a real, small smile. Sabo asked what he wanted to do today. Ace said he wanted to go swimming, but didn't want to be rude.

"Did you forget? I'm a water dragon, too. We can go swimming together," Sabo offered. It sounded wonderful, to share the experience with somebody else. So he agreed and nodded excitedly. He didn't feel like he was nineteen. He felt younger. For so long he'd felt older than he was.

For once, it was nice to not feel that way. He was feeling his responsibilities fading away. The stress seeping out of him. Sabo would be king here. Even if Ace did stay, Sabo would be king. He was raised for it, knew everything about the kingdom and country and continent. And Ace had never wanted to be a ruler. Never desired that inevitable responsibility. The feeling of hundreds of people depending on you.

More like tens of thousands of people in Raftel, instead of the couple hundred in Cocoyashi. He wondered how Robin would handle this many people. After they were done eating, Shanks and Roger stayed inside to talk while both brothers, friends to Ace, went to the beach behind the castle. The waters here were made for swimming, not just for water dragons.

The beach was full of people when he first arrived. The two of them took off their shirts, but left the shorts Ace had changed into. They waded into the water and swam in once they were deep enough to fit. Ace was black with pink scars all over, and Sabo was dark blue. He blended in with the water more than Ace did.

They went swimming, and Sabo said, "It's nice to swim with somebody else." His voice was much deeper than usual, as well. Just like Ace. The older brother nodded. They went hunting, seeing who got the biggest catch, which was Ace's killer whale and and Sabo's huge tiger shark. They ate them proudly.

"Is it normal to have food like this taste better than nicely made, delicious food?" Ace asked once they both finished off the sea creatures, their bones sinking into the sea. Both were stuffed and just floating around, relaxed.

Sabo replied that it always was better after catching your own food. "The taste isn't better, but the pride that comes with it is what makes it 'taste better'. All dragons are like that, not just water dragons." Ace nodded, glad he wasn't alone. "The things you feel alone with, the weird feelings and habits probably aren't that weird here," the blonde said.

Ace nodded, saying he assumed that was true based on what he'd learned so far. The two relaxed in the ocean for a couple hours, before they went back to the house. He spent time with Rouge as Roger had work to do. Ace felt his old life melt out of his mind as he stayed with his family in the kingdom that should have been his home, once had been. It was only when he first woke up that he felt guilt bubble up inside him. He was going back. No matter what. But, would he stay? He had two sisters and a life there. But he knew things would never be the same when he returned.

He'd found a world he truly fit in with, not a small and lonely kingdom. Before Raftel, he'd never known he liked exploring. Going to parks, on hikes and seeing new animals. Getting his shoes dirty, getting sweaty out in the warm sun.

In Cocoyashi, there was no exploring, not really. The forest was deemed dangerous. Nobody would ever go with him. This place knew he was back, but Ace made the choice to not be included in the welcome ceremony.

He's listened from inside to hear his family tell everybody that Ace was not staying for good, but to welcome him regardless. The people were sad about him not staying. Why? They didn't know him. He wasn't their prince or king. Why did they care?

Then he thought of the people of Cocoyashi. They were fond of the queen and Nami. Maybe it was because Ace always came across as grumpy, but he didn't feel welcome just walking around the tiny city. Compared to Raftel and the land beyond, Cocoyashi was like the size of a neighborhood.

He learned the man who was suspected to imprint on him was named Marco. He never came. Roger said he'd asked Whitebeard, his father, to let Ace have space. And he had been so grateful for him doing that. He was already knowing he'd miss his new family, his other family, once he returned home.

It wouldn't be nice to miss a lover, too.

-x-

Two months after arriving, after having fun, exploring the land and getting to know people he saw often, two months of smiling, laughing, swimming with his brother, was when he decided he needed to go back home. At least for now. He promised to visit, no matter what his decision was. They were all sad to see him go, but nobody was surprised and nobody was upset with him.

Ace was bringing Sabo so he could go around the Dark Sea, and to give a formal invitation to be allied kingdoms. The freckled teen was sure Robin would be glad to make allies, even if it was across a dangerous and vast ocean. Ace hugged his biological parents, who he had started to think of without the first part, and said he'd see them again, but didn't know when.

"Whatever you choose, we'll always be here with open arms," Rouge said, kissing his forehead. He felt like he'd lived there forever. But he hadn't, and he had a different life and different family he had to be with. Hopefully he'd fall back into step at Cocoyashi.

But he knew these people would always wait for him, happily. And he wouldn't leave them for good. So, he and Sabo swam back to Cocoyashi. It wasn't lonely and scary this time. They had a glass capsule with all the paperwork needed to confirm their alliance. A hand written letter form both the queen and king.

There were also many thank you cards, for giving Ace a home. They should have been for his parents, though they were dead, so they were addressed to his sisters. Thank them for always caring and welcoming him.

The closer they got to Cocoyashi, to the sea surrounding it, going around the Dark Sea completely, the worse he felt. Sabo noticed this. "Cheer up, you get to see your sisters and tell them all about this big wide world they have no clue about."

"I know, I know," Ace said while they were eating shark, going to enter the easy sea. "It'll be a shock for you. You have to be overly polite, and not to familiar with anybody but me, okay?" Sabo nodded, saying he was ready for the change, and for Ace not to worry.

Then the day that marked four months since he departed, as a completely different person, came and they landed at Ace's first home kingdom. He got out of the water, and both of them headed inside, through the open gates. "Wow, it's so small," Sabo said, looking around in awe. Ace was carrying the glass trunk, the glass so thick it couldn't break, in his arms. It was holding the letters, the invitation and formal paperwork, along with the maps of the world that Cocoyashi didn't have, and couldn't map themselves.

He entered the castle, calling Robin and Nami's names. He heard gasps and thundering foot steps down the stairs, seeing Ace in the hallway. He rushed forward and hugged both of them tightly. "We missed you," Nami said, a smile in her voice. Ace said he missed them, too. Robin looked at him, touching his cheek, the frown.

"Who is this?" Nami asked of the blonde.

The smile came back as he introduced Sabo, his brother. "Come here, we have something to give you, and I have so much to tell you," Ace said excitedly. He didn't understand the frown on Robin's face, but it disappeared, and she sat at the table with Ace and Sabo, Sabo opening the glass ball and taking everything out of it.

"I've heard all about you both. I have to say, your adventure with the winter/summer was fascinating," Sabo said politely. Ace was impressed by the change in his tone. He wasn't loud or familiar or laughing. He was how you acted in Cocoyashi. "These are letters from Ace's biological parents," (nice save, Sabo!), "and invitations of being allies. We also have some things this kingdom doesn't. Maps of the world we've taken and all."

The two sisters looked confused. Ace said, "Turns out I'm a prince in two kingdoms." Robin shook her head with a smile.

"Of course you are," she said in good humor. She sifted through everything while Nami looked at the expansive maps. She read the invitation and formal paperwork with a smile. Ace grinned, and said new allies were always great.

"New allies is always great. Since it's completely from another sea, it won't be trading, but for protection," Ace said. Robin said it was in name only, mostly. The youngest brother nodded. It was just so long and difficult to get to Raftel from Cocoyashi that they couldn't make contact even if they wanted to. If they needed to.

Robin put everything down. "This can wait for later. Tell us all about your time there," she insisted at the table. Ace smiled and told her all about Raftel, how different it was. She kept hiding a frown and a look of nervousness. And it was never directed at Sabo, who stayed quiet, and gulped a lot. She was the picture of worried and uncomfortable.

After the conversation, when he was entering his room, that he realized why Robin had seemed upset. Ace touched his mouth, realizing he smiled more talking about Raftel and his time there more than he had in a long time there. Sabo was in there, and asked him if he was okay. Ace nodded, asking what he thought of the place so far.

"I think your sisters are very lovely and kind. I can see why you missed them. But… I don't know, it feels cold. Not just because this is a colder area, more northern. I don't sense any sort of warmth from anywhere. And looking at you… Ace you look miserable. I haven't seen you frown like this at all yet."

Ace sat on his bed and looked out the window. Seeing the fjord, and beyond that, the town. The tiny town. This wasn't a kingdom. The buildings, the surroundings, lacked the warmth of Raftel. And the most striking of it all was how Ace felt about himself. He was a freak, didn't belong here. There was nobody like him here, nobody that could understand him fully. It was an unwelcome feeling.

Chapter Text

Artemispolarbear: I've decided to do #3 since I got more votes for that one by multiple people. Lol people love the angst I guess.

I have decided which story to post after this one. I'm nearly finished editing it, so it will be out soon. Enjoy the last chapter.

He and Sabo both smelled and heard Robin at the door before she knocked. Ace shared a glance with Sabo, who was by the door and left when Robin entered. "How has it been since I was gone?" Ace asked, not wanting to talk about what she was clearly there to. "Has everything been going okay?"

Robin sat on the bed next to him and said everything had been going smoothly. No troubles, Nami and Sanji were getting more serious with their relationship. It made Ace smile, happy for them. Then his face fell completely. He gripped the sheets. If Sabo was right, which he thought he was (he was never wrong), then Ace had somebody who already loved him. And that person wasn't here.

They were near Raftel. In Sphinx, the closest kingdom to Ace's. Not his kingdom, this was his kingdom. Or was it? It was Robin's kingdom.

"Apparently Eustace has been exiled from his kingdom for attempting to assassinate his brothers to be the real king." Ace's jaw dropped. "Yeah, a real catch." Ace chuckled. Robin asked how he was. To speak honestly. "Like we used to. When it was just you and me who were there for one another."

Ace brought his legs up to sit cross legged. "I missed you both. But… I don't know, it's stupid." Robin told him it wasn't stupid. To speak to her. Not to close her off like she had done so many times. "I just felt like I belonged somewhere. I was normal there. Everyone was like me. I got to go swimming with Sabo whenever we wanted to."

Robin smiled sadly, "What do you want to do? I saw your smile when you described Raftel. I haven't seen that smile in years, Ace. Do you want to stay there? Please be honest."

"I can't leave you two-"

"That's not the question I asked. Do you want to stay there?" Ace bit his lip, and said he wasn't sure. He looked at his hands, feeling the warmth of his mother's hand. He felt bad, like they were replacing his parents that raised him. Not perfectly, but they raised and loved him. For himself, even if he never felt he fit in. with his blood relatives, and even with people who were strangers to him, he felt light. That he didn't need to watch himself. Didn't need to pretend to be normal, be human.

"If you went there, you'd understand what I mean when I saw it is warmer in Raftel. The people, they talked and laughed with us. The castle had a whole wall as a window. They could never be covered, could never lock us inside. We interacted with the people, the people they ruled over. They were a queen and king that loved their people. I know mom and dad loved the people, but not like they did.

"Mom and dad never went walking out through town and interacted with the people, went to their bakeries, shopping there. It was so different. I felt at peace. Things felt right, I didn't feel alone. I love you and I know you're here for me, but you know the feeling. I could be with you, close to you, and you still feel alone. There's nobody like you here. The same as me, but I found someplace where I'm not alone."

He was going into detail, couldn't stop now that he started. "I love my family, and the good memories I have here. Even that mess of an adventure that is the most memorable part of my life here. I just don't feel myself. I'm not this person, I joke, I laugh. I do stupid stuff, I swear, I put my feet up on the coffee table."

Robin stayed quiet the whole time. Then he finished with, "And there's somebody there that loves me. And I can't love anybody but them." She was confused, so he explained the imprinting. He didn't dare mention the gender. He didn't know them, but his family told him they had been affected especially when he was declared dead.

His sister was quiet for a moment before thanking him for being honest. "I know how you feel, Ace. I'm constantly nervous I'll mess up. I'm not good enough, I'll make a mistake and be a bad queen. And with you here, I feel better, but I still feel lonely. In the way you described."

Ace was quiet, waiting for her to finish, knowing she had more to say. "Even if I'm sad, I would feel more terrible if you stayed here for us, not for you."

He said he had a responsibility to his family. To be there for them. "And I have a responsibility to make the lives of my citizens good. Brother or not, I'm your queen. And I fail at making you happy." Ace winced at that, wanting to protest, but she put her hand up. "I don't want you here if you aren't happy, Ace.

"You've always been there for me. Trying to make me happy, risking your safety just to be here for me. I can't make you stay because it's what Nami and I want. I have her. She's my sister, after everything, we're together. You're the bridge between us. So much you made me want to be with her. Now that I am, I can barely let her out of my sight. She's my little sister."

Ace didn't know where she was going until she said, "I don't need you here. I can function with Nami only. Nami and Sanji and Chopper." He knew what she meant. He wasn't necessary in her life if he didn't want to be.

"I need you," he said.

"No, you don't." She said, touching his hand. "You'll always be my brother, I'll always be your sister, but I can't hold you here with guilt, or some sense of duty to us." Ace looked down at his hands and fisted them. He looked around the room. This place wasn't his haven. The walls were a cool color, they didn't give off warmth.

There was nothing screaming "ACE!" in there. He didn't have books on the walls. He didn't have a desk with discarded papers when he tried to write out his adventure years ago, with the whole mess of Robin leaving the after being so scared. This didn't feel like home.

Even the sheets felt rough when he knew they weren't. "This doesn't feel like my home," he confessed. "It's my home, but it doesn't feel that way."

She smiled a knowing smile and said, "I feel the same, this isn't where I'm meant to be. But it's my duty as queen to stay. You're not a king or queen." Ace asked that he didn't want to stay. "I want to be with Nami, and I will stay because it's what's good for my people. But I feel trapped. My magic gets stronger every day and I feel like I'll mess up again. Do something stupid."

Ace was frowning softly. Both of them had issues. And this time, neither could help the other. It was a choice they had to make separately. "You can visit whenever you want. This room will stay yours."

"But I don't know yet," Ace protested.

The queen and older sister smiled. "You do know. You know it," she said simply, shutting Ace down because he knew she was right. He said he needed some time. "Of course. Whatever your decision, don't make it for me or Nami. You've spent your whole life doing that. Do it for you. You deserve to be happy."

"You do, too."

"I know that. But my time hasn't come. Your time is here, you have the chance to take it and run with it. But I'll give you time and space. I'll tell Nami to do so as well. But we have talked about it long and hard, and both accept your choice, what it might be," she said, and left the room. Sabo was there and walked in.

He knew his brother heard all of it. He closed the door behind him. "She's a wonderful woman," he commented. "A wonderful sister." Ace smiled softly and agreed. He had a feeling he'd known he'd not be happy here for years. It was never clear, but looking back, it was there. After he'd returned to normal life, after those ten months as a dragon, he preferred his dragon life. He had trouble smiling after leaving it behind. He didn't smile because he was mature, or because he was traumatized or anything. He didn't smile because he just wasn't happy there. Hadn't been for years. But what if they needed him again? And he wouldn't be anywhere near to help.

"Nami offered me a guest room. I want to give you time alone to think. Take your time, I won't leave," he said. Ace nodded, thanking him. He left the room, and Ace went into the bathroom and took a bath. It was not big enough for him to submerge completely anymore. He laid in the hot water, and ended up falling asleep until the water got chilly.

He stood up and dressed, looking at himself in the mirror. At the scars. The scars he bore to know he could protect his sisters from himself. But those scars wouldn't be there if he had been at Raftel, his original home. At Raftel, he didn't wear these scars as proudly because they weren't necessary if he'd been there.

The scars would also fill him with pride in one way. His dedication to push through the pain for his sisters, but still. He put a shirt on and went to bed, unable to sleep, not facing the window. He woke up to a bright light coming from outside, and put the pillow over his head before he heard a tapping noise on the glass.

He whirled around and saw a blue bird there, perching on the window sill, clearly waiting for him to open the window. A phoenix, and clearly part human. It was probably the one Sabo talked about. Ace turned away and put his face in the pillow, clenching the blankets.

"I'll wait for you. No matter what you choose, I'll wait for you, Ace," the deep voice said in such a kind way. Then he flew away and the blue glow disappeared.

He had tears in his eyes and was unable to sleep again. The teen just stared out the window, hoping he would come back.

-x-

Ace stood at the broken entrance to Robin's ice palace, looking at it. For some reason, he wanted to visit this place. Sabo was with him, and staring at it with awe. This was where Robin had gone to be free. But she returned from here. The ocean was where Ace had gone to be free. But he didn't return home happier than before.

He walked carefully up the ice steps. None of it had melted, but he hadn't expected it to. It was magic ice, not regular. When he entered the lobby area, he remembered the time here. When he was the one comforting Robin in being happy. Things had changed so much since then. He climbed up the stairs to the room with the broken ice chandelier.

He was wearing his boots now, and the ice crunched under his feet like glass. There was the balcony he'd fallen over. He looked down, and told Sabo he had fallen down there. Sabo was in shock, probably wondering how he survived. "I covered myself in scales. Otherwise, I'd be dead." Then he said that huge chandelier had fallen on top of him.

"That whole fiasco sounds like it was a nightmare." Ace nodded, but said he treasured those memories.

"It changed all of us, for the better. We became a stronger family. Robin left her room, she bonded with Nami again, was the big sister and not hiding away in fear anymore. I was there for her, always. I know she's trying to return the feeling. Return helping me be happy." Sabo smiled. He hadn't pressured him into a decision at all. Had wordlessly walked with Ace all the way to Reverse Mountain and then scaled it. But unlike the last time, there was no snow, which made things easier and faster.

After an hour of Ace just sitting at the steps, they went back to the city. To the kingdom. He walked past everyone, who bowed to him respectfully. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

Nami and Robin didn't speak to him all day, which he was glad of. He looked everywhere for the phoenix, but he wasn't there. But he did notice someone sticking out in town, drinking coffee outside. He didn't make eye contact, but Ace knew he shouldn't be there. He smelled non-human.

"Sabo? Is that him?" Ace asked discretely. Sabo looked bewildered.

"I promise I didn't tell him about us leaving." That was confirmation enough. Ace stopped walking. Sabo asked what was wrong, and everybody was around to watch. Ace was looking different. His arms were shown, his sleeves rolled up. No one but his family here had seen any scars but his face one.

Ace turned and strode to the phoenix and sat at the table across from him. The man's mouth turned upwards. He put the coffee down. "I told you I'd wait for you. I'm sorry if I intruded. I just couldn't let you go again, not like before." Ace looked at his eyes, sensing no lie. Marco smiled and asked, "Want to go somewhere where we can talk openly?" Ace licked his lips in worry and nodded.

Sabo didn't follow when Ace and the man went to a more secluded area. They sat on a bench. "My name is Marco," he said.

"Ace," he replied, though Marco clearly knew his name. "I'm sorry I was rude last night." Marco smiled and replied so kindly. So understanding.

"I was selfish to come. I don't want to be your final decision, even if I want to be with you after seventeen years of thinking you died as a baby. I was devastated, but never gave up. I waited, waited forever how long I needed to. And here you are, alive and well," Marco said, face heavy with emotion. Ace nodded, saying he was glad to be alive. "I'm sure you've been asked a million times about your life, so I won't ask.

"Do you want me to talk about myself?" Ace nodded, and listened to him speak. About his huge family, his loving father. He was also a prince, but not the one who would turn into a king. He wanted to write a book, but didn't feel like a very good writer. He said he honestly didn't have many talents other than being smart, but being smart wasn't exactly an activity to do.

He liked to read, but only certain books. If he picked up a book he wasn't interested in, he couldn't get past the first paragraph. His siblings always annoyed and pranked him when he was definitely not in the mood. He loved them dearly, though. Even if they were annoying.

Despite being a phoenix and able to fly, he liked horseback riding more. He didn't like traveling long distances, he liked being at home or in the neighboring kingdoms. He liked the comfort of home and familiar places. Ace listened quietly. Marco was laying all of himself out for him to listen and judge if he so wanted.

His voice was warm, and he looked so at ease. Ace had never been around somebody who just looked so comfortable in their own skin. Even as he spoke about his flaws, or things he wasn't good at, he never looked ashamed. He clearly liked himself as a person. Ace wished he could say the same for himself.

After a long one sided conversation, Ace listening to him speak without feeling the need to interrupt, Ace smiled. Marco sat next to him on the bench and said, "I don't want you to tell me all about who you are. I'm interested in your past, of course, but I want to get to know you personally. I know that to others imprinting sounds silly." Ace was surprised at this, but he continued. "'How can I love somebody I've just met?' or 'what if they only love me because they imprinted?'"

Ace couldn't help but nod. Marco smiled and said that was why he wanted to be Ace's friend before anything more. "I already feel like I like you, but… not love or anything."

Marco smiled a true smile, and said, "And I'm glad. I don't want to have to do no work. I don't want to have you love me instantly. I don't want you to love me because I'm your destined partner. I want you to love me based on who I am, experience things with me." He sounded so honest.

The younger bit his lip. He was only two years younger, but Marco felt so much older. More experienced in life. "Take as long as you want. I've been waiting seventeen years, I will wait just as long for you."

Ace asked, "You're not just saying that and will leave, right?"

Marco firmly said, "No. I won't ever leave you if you don't want me to." Ace asked if he would leave so easily. "It would hurt like hell, but I won't be with somebody I make unhappy. If I do, I'll work on myself so I can be who you want to be with." Ace had tears down his face. He quietly asked for a promise.

"I swear on my life." Ace sniffled and smiled. "I will be here, whenever you will have me." He reached for Ace's hand, and Ace took it. It made him feel warm and confident. Confident on where he wanted to go. He wanted to see where Marco could take him. Just touching hands made him feel like melted butter.

But like he asked, Ace would act on those feelings if he found them justified. He walked with him to find Sabo, but Marco didn't hold his hand. "I can read the room. I won't embarrass you or make you have a stain on your name here." Ace thanked him, smiling a small smile. Sabo was grinning at him as they walked back to the palace. He made his decision.

-x-

Ace had everything he needed in the glass ball they'd brought things into with. He had personal belongings, old blankets, stuffed animals, photos and paintings of his first family. Nami had tears in her eyes while Robin smiled warmly. She was happy with his decision. "If only because I could see you smile again like this, then it's worth it."

The whole kingdom watched him leave. He hugged his sisters one more time, telling Sanji he better take care of Nami while he was gone. Because he promised he would see them again. "Maybe the next time I'll see you, you'll be free and happy, too," he said to Robin.

"I hope so," she replied. "See you later." Ace nodded and dove with Sabo, Marco flying above them back to where Ace would start a new life. He didn't regret the years of sadness, loneliness, longing for somebody to understand him. It made him who he was, and doing this made it just that much more sweet.

He swam away and didn't look back. They just went to their new home. Well, his new home. They were just returning to where they belonged. The journey was long, and Marco had to rest on their backs while the floated to eat as a bird form. Like the dragons, eating raw food in their beast forms was fine.

They continued on, Ace in a much better mood than he had been on his way back. When they did make it, and he was returned with all of his important belongings, he made a thought of, You'll never be replaced before he ran and hugged his mom and dad. Marco Was there, perched on a tree branch with red eyes and pursed lips. Ace looked up at him with a grin. "I'm here. Prove it to me," he said. Prove that you love me. Prove you want me.

"Absolutely."

-x-

Ace was sleeping on his bed, Marco and Sabo on the floor, having all fallen asleep after staying up as late as they could, when there was a knock on the bedroom door. Ace sat up and rubbed his eyes, walking to the door and tripping on his lover. "Oof!" he grunted.

The door was knocked on again, and he smelled something impossible, but ran to it. He opened it and stared at his sister, who was smiling at him with his mom behind her in the hallway. Robin's hair was down completely, and she was wearing a white dress and sandals, nothing like how she used to look.

What was even more jarring was her demeanor. She seemed so happy. So relaxed and at peace. He hugged her and said, "You found your happiness, huh?" She beamed and said she had. They left the house and went to the beach, where Robin told him all about her second adventure and where she found herself.

When asked how on earth she'd gotten there, a water horse materialized out of the sea. A literal horse made of water. Ace was surprised when Robin said Nami was now queen, but he had a feeling Nami would make a great queen. "Looks like we both shrugged off our royal responsibilities."

"We're both free. I like saying it like that."

"I agree. Does this mean you'll visit me?" She nodded, taking his hand. Both of them were happy with where they were and who they were. It was a happy ending, but only just the beginning for both of them.