[Video] With ash in your mouth, you'll ask it to burn again

[burnt_offering]

[The SmartSnail comes on suddenly, and two jeering youths can be seen making obscene gestures and laughing at the phone they've found. They seem to be pleased with themselves, and their unpleasant adventure starts with flipping up their middle fingers and slapping their butts at the camera.

Ah, the joys of youth.] Finders keepers, bitches. Whoever dropped this? Your loss! We got new tech now! [They give up on selfie time, and decide to use the camera function to keep a record of their destruction. They drag knives into every surface, kick over anything in their path, and brag about their piracy prowess in slurred drunk voices as the continue.] Oh shit, what's that? Hey, can you see-" [The name of the person is slurred beyond being audible, and they pull out a flashlight and shine it into the distance. They drag the weak light jerkily over a wide area, but find themselves staring at a grave . The light hits the top of it at first, and they murmur and mumble in slurred voices about what they could do if they took it apart.] So this is where the sorry bastard ended up. Guess the stones are worth something if nothing el-[A high pitched shriek emits from one of the men as he shines the light from the top of the grave, and then down to a huddled figure shaking at the bottom of it. The figure's back is facing the camera, scarred grotesquely, and a soft noise emits from the direction they're sitting in as they slowly rock back and forth.] Shit. Just a drunk. Go home! We claimed this place! Get out![No response comes.] Fuck off, and go! [One of them comes closer, and tries to kick at the figure while the other laughs and films.

But as he does, the form ignites. And the camera is dropped, shutting off as it meets the ground hard.]

Comments

[burnt_offering]

[I don't know. Ace makes a sound that's just short of a laugh at that, and then shudders. The pain is still there, the exhaustion is ripping at him, but he feels so good somehow despite that. And he doesn't know if he's okay either. But somehow, a little bit of company in that sentiment is nice, in it's own odd sort of way.] Yeah? Join the party.

[Ace eyes Sabo cautiously as he comes closer, something seems stranger about this situation than he can actually put his finger on, and gods he's stressed about this. He feels like he's missing something. And he's not sure why, so it's pissing him off a little too.]

Last time I checked. [His fingers press hard against the scarring then, as if he's trying to force his fingers through, to see if there's actually anything beneath.

Why does he feel so strange right now? There's a nagging feeling inside of him when he looks at the face of his companion, and he can't pin down the feeling's meaning or origin no matter how much he tries to. This is all ridiculous. Why did he come back? And who is this man?]

[chief_of_staff]

[Sabo's eyes focus on what Ace is doing; particularly, he's focused on the fingers pressing into the scars. It almost appears as if he's trying to reach inside of them, somehow. After a few moments of observation, the blond takes another step forward and flops down onto the grass, legs sprawled out but upper body remaining upright. He cautiously holds out one of his hands, still unsure whether this is all real or just a passing dream.]

Do you know who I am?

[The brother who abandoned you, who forgot you, who didn't come to try and save you in your time of need.]

Do you -- recognize me?

[He swallows. There's a lump in his throat, and it's difficult for him to speak clearly.]

[burnt_offering]

[Every word makes Ace curl in on himself a little, and it makes him madder. What the hell is he missing? He swears he knows this person, but he's so confused right now. He knows that Marco is holding back information from him, things that he doesn't think Ace can handle at the moment. He knows that he's missing massive chunks of time surrounding his death, things that are just missing from his mind. And he's completely forgotten the place he went between the last breath and here.

Who the fuck is this guy? He shivers, and sits up a little more. No need to act like a scared kid, even if he feels like one.]

I think I know you. Don't know from where, though. [He swallows hard, and peers at his face again. His eyes... Damn, they're the most familiar thing of all.] Don't take it personally. I'm missing a lot of stuff right now. [This time, he feels almost frantic when he looks at Sabo. Shit shit shit, where does he know him from? Why does it hurt to look at him? He's near tears again, because something is clicking.

And then it does. And he's struggling to his feet, trying to get another look, because there's no way this is possible.] No way...

[chief_of_staff]

[Sabo continues to sit, watching Ace's every move, listening to his every word. He's intrigued, but also concerned. Concerned about what to do, what to say if Ace figures out who he is. How can he apologize for forgetting everything, for not being there to help try and save him from death?

When Ace speaks, Sabo says nothing. He just remains silent, thoughts of the fateful day where he found out about Ace's death and all of his memories came flooding back circling in his mind. It was overwhelming -- so much so that he fell into a coma for three days. What if that happens again, right now?

He sighs softly, but when he sees Ace start to stand, slowly, and he hears those quiet words, the realization hits him that he's figured it out. The blond is Sabo, the brother he thought died as a child on a small boat.]

You figured it out, haven't you?

[He actually chuckles softly, but only to hide the fact that he's starting to cry. He looks away.]

I'm Sabo.

[burnt_offering]

[Luffy had told him, earlier. That Sabo had survived, but it all seemed so surreal then, he's just now lucid enough that he's not clinging and begging to not die again, or struggling through denial over what had happened at all. He heard, he knew, but it seemed like a dream. Hardly anything more real or tangible than what had happened to himself.

He'd acted like a scared child in Marco's arms, and held Luffy close and used him as an emotion crutch so he'd have someone to focus on and something to focus on but his own trauma, and then there's this.

This is too much, and this time while he's crying, he's laughing too and he's not sure why. He all but tackles Sabo, arms winding around him and once again today he's felt so happy that it's literally painful somehow.

Sabo really is alive, his brother survived and nothing can top that. Not even coming back to life.] You're okay! Sabo, dammit. I- Damn, you look so cool, I wanna know everything you've been up to. How did you get here? You're alive, I'm alive, Luffy's here too. This is-[It all dissolves into laughter that reflects his happiness. It's going to be amazing, now that the three of them are back together again.]

[chief_of_staff]

[It continues to actually hit that Ace is alive, Ace is here, and Sabo's mind simply can't register this. For one thing, he's still just a little bit guilty about not being there to save him, or at least try to save him at Marineford. Even though he was suffering from amnesia at the time and couldn't actually know who Ace even was, an inkling of regret continues to linger.

As Ace wraps his arms around him, he starts to cry even harder, tears refusing to stop flowing down his face and cheeks. He doesn't know what to say or what to do. All his body wants to do right now is to cry, to let out all of that pain and anguish from those years lost due to amnesia.

When Ace's laughter turns from being a mix of that and crying to simply laughing, Sabo begins to laugh, too, shaking his head hard enough to almost knock off his hat. He reaches up to steady it, and then after a quick sniffle, responds:]

I've been through a lot. I was saved by Dragon-san that day; the scar on my face is a memento.

[burnt_offering]

Luffy said you were alive, he said you were super badass, but I thought I'd dreamed up what he talked with me about, and you got it? The fruit? Shit, you're impressive.

[His words keep coming, he's not sure why he felt the need to shove all of that into what felt like one breath, but he's high on emotions and life and he's beyond grateful to whatever allowed him to be alive again that he's allowed to be with his brothers once more.]

It's awesome looking, girls love scars anyway. [He's holding onto Sabo like he's never going to let go of him, just taking in how he feels, how he smells, he's alive. It's really him. and he has to stop and try to catch his breath. It's too much, and he's heading towards a place of hysterical laughter instead of happy laughter.

He breathes in and out for a moment, trying to get himself together. And finally speaks.] I'm so glad you're here. Nothing can stop the three of us, not when we're together.

[chief_of_staff]

[His hand trails from the brim of his hat to his eyes, where he wipes them dry one at a time. Hearing that he's been called badass is certainly a mood boost, to say the least.]

Super badass, huh? Can't say I disagree.

[The Fruit ... yes, Sabo has it; he'd asked Luffy for permission, after all. Shifting slightly, he pauses a moment before commenting on that.]

I do have the Fruit. So that means -- in this world, we both have it. Right? [Such a strange concept!]

You think so? Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know how much I care about girls' opinions on scars. [He breathes out a sigh, contented, and then tilts his head just a little at the return of Ace's laughter.]

Ah, yes. You're right! We're going to have to get into trouble again, aren't we?

[burnt_offering]

[He feels like he's a kid again, this is better than any present a birthday or holiday could bring. This world feels like victory. He's got his brothers back, he has his life back, what else could he ever ask for? And Sabo grew up so cool, he wouldn't have ever guessed this was possible in any way.]

So you've got it, and I've got it? That's... weird. [He doesn't care that he has it, but then it occurs to him that if they both have it, they care raise twice as much hell together.] So wait, that's not a bad thing at all! Think about what we could do, we'll burn it all away, anything in our paths, any obstacle. Duel flames!

Yeah, it's kind of like you not to care about what people think. You're too cool to care. [He's still pretty amazed at Sabo at this point. And he's still running on a high of sorts, from revival and relief. Maybe he'll be less excitable later, but for now he's pretty much on cloud nine.] So much trouble!

[chief_of_staff]

[Sabo still feels guilty for all that he didn't do, and he's sure that the high of seeing Ace again, alive, is going to wear off at some point and the guilt will surface. But for now, he's happy.]

Yeah, we both have it. But I'm not going to say I'm as skilled at wielding its powers like you are. [In fact, he still tends to go out of his way to train when he's able to.] It'd be more like one and a half flames at this point.

[He snorts at his own little comment there, and then:]

I care what certain people think. Just not everyone; if I cared about every opinion out there, I'd be in trouble. Speaking of trouble, I have an actual bounty on my head now.

[burnt_offering]

Nah, we'll get you caught up. It'll be fun to train together, fun for us at least. Maybe not everyone else!

[Somehow, the idea of them having the same fruit is comforting, a further bond between them shared. This is amazing and he's overwhelmed still. Sabo is alive and awesome, and wait-He's got a bounty too?]

Yeah? Really? What are we looking at? I'm gonna have to get your wanted poster too. I keep up with Luffy's so you gotta go on the wall with him... [He blinks, suddenly a little winded. This whole coming back to life business is exhausting.]

[chief_of_staff]

Well, I don't want to cause too much trouble. I do have an important job and all -- well, actually, I have another job to add to the pile. [He rests a gloved hand atop Ace's head.] Have to keep an eye on you!

But I'll be happy to train with you sometime. No one could train me to wield the Fruit better than you, after all!

[His cheeks actually flush a little and he moves his hand off of Ace's head, placing it in front of his lap instead. Sighing, he responds:]

Oh, it's not that high. Nothing impressive, really. [He just doesn't want to say it.] I only got it for being in Dressrosa and causing some trouble there. Not a big deal.

[He thinks he picks up on Ace's energy levels, if just a little.]

How are you holding up? Do you need to rest? Or do you need something to eat?

[burnt_offering]

Life's too short not to raise a little hell. And I can't promise I'll make that job easy on you. [Before death, he probably would have argued that he didn't need anyone to watch over him, in any way. Playful or no. But now, it's just another reaffirmation of the fact that he's loved enough for people to want him to stay safe.]

Yeah! I've got plenty of experience with it. [He tilts his head, watching Sabo. This is going to seem surreal for a long time, and occasionally he still wonders if they're just all dead. And that's why he's getting to meet with Sabo now. And that thought starts coming back harder to him, stronger in his mind, but then it gets interrupted. If Sabo was dead too, he'd be a kid. Wouldn't he? So that's not how it is.

He doesn't want to talk about it. He kept it quiet from Luffy. But he really isn't feeling great at all. And it's okay to let go a little with Sabo, even if he tones it down for him. No point in worrying him when they just got reunited.] ...It kinda hurts to breathe. It's tight. I think I need to eat, then get some rest.

[chief_of_staff]

Luffy doesn't make it easy for me, either. [He really, really doesn't. Honestly, Sabo wishes he would actually cool down sometimes, but --

That's just not how he is!]

Mhm, yeah. You have a ton of experience with the Fruit. Which is why you'd make the perfect teacher! [He grins, but the grin vanishes once he hears that it kind of hurts for Ace to breathe. He leans forward and wraps his arms around his shoulders, resting his head atop the closest one.]

If there's anything I can do, anything at all... please tell me. I don't just mean for right now, either.

[Staying in the embrace for a few moments, he sighs, and then finally straightens back up.]

Okay, yeah. Food and rest sound like a plan. I don't want to keep you here if you're uncomfortable.

[burnt_offering]

Just having you back, having you alive? That's more than I could have asked for.

[He appreciates the offer, he appreciates that Sabo has taken care of Luffy, he appreciates everything. And he wants to just stay with him, to talk and find out more, to get better stories and more information and details. But he's hungry and tired, and his chest aches through to his back. He can still feel what happened to him, and the stress of revival is making him unsettled and strained.

He really needs to cry it out alone and sleep. He's just not physically or emotionally ready for much in the way of anything right now.

He looks at Sabo miserably for a moment, and then sighs.] I wanna stay and talk with you. I don't want to head out. But I'm pretty tired. We can talk later, right? You're gonna stick around?

[chief_of_staff]

[The pain of his regrets hits him harder than it probably should when he listens to those words, specifically the question of if he'll stick around. He's vowed to himself to never, ever let Luffy get in the way of intense danger, to never forget or lose him, and now that Ace is here, he feels --

Well, he feels as if he has a second chance. He's not going anywhere, and he isn't going to forget a thing.]

I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you.

[He smiles and moves to press their foreheads together.]

Promise.

[And then, after lingering there for a moment, straightens back up.]

But for now, I'll leave you to rest. I should go get some food, anyway.

[burnt_offering]

[Second chances are amazing. And Ace is fully going to take advantage of this one, living a life even better than before. And he lets his eyes close for a moment, forehead pressed up against Sabo's, and everything feels a little more right.

He has to go eat, and rest. He feels like shit, and he can't even keep up with what's going on. But he has his brother's back, and Sabo promised that he'd stay in touch with him, so it's going to be okay. He'll get himself back to Marco, who's still hovering in the distance, and he'll eat and sleep and everything will end up okay.

And tomorrow, he can get to know Sabo properly. The brother he thought was lost, has returned. And Ace can't wait to really know him, the person he grew up to be.] Yeah. I'll talk to you tomorrow. [He finally unwinds from Sabo, the grip loosening reluctantly. But he's got to go and rest before he can start up their friendship, their brotherhood all over again.]

[chief_of_staff]

[This promise means more than any other to Sabo; well, save for the one he said to Luffy, of course. That promise is equal with this. He knows that he can't mess up this time, he can't leave Ace alone. Even though he knows his brother has friends and crew mates to watch his back, he still needs to be around.

Plus, they have a ton of catching up to do.

He smiles warmly as he scoots back a little, finally hoisting himself up to stand. The grip on his hand has loosened enough to where he doesn't feel guilty letting it go, as a part of him can think of that moment, that second of watching Ace's hand leave his own as an opportunity for them to connect once again. But not now, as Ace needs to rest and Sabo needs food.]

Definitely! Take care.

[He casually waves and turns around, walking slowly toward the nearby town so he can find some actual food.]

[burnt_offering]

[And Ace slowly stumbles back to Marco, who will unfortunately be on the receiving end of another crying fit. It's been a hell of a long day, and he needs to get a lot out of his system before he's really capable of reconnecting.

But tomorrow will come, soon enough. And he'll be able to meet with Sabo again.]