With different eyes

Book Hunt

I wake up slowly and recline on the bed. I am in my cabin and the sun was shining in the sky. Judging by the position of the sun, it is early morning. Had I been unconscious all day? Well, hopefully Ace wasn't worried. I stretch and make my way to the bathroom. I'm standing in the shower when Ace calls again. "Lucia?" he asks excitedly. "Yes?" I answer, a little confused. What's the excitement about? "Thank God you're all right!" comes a relieved Ace. I can feel his relief. "What happened?" I ask Ace as I let the warm water run over my body. "You were knocked unconscious by the haki of father and the old sack, and you haven't been around all day. I thought something happened to you when you didn't regain consciousness after hours," Ace replies. Oh dear, I was in the in-between for so long. Honestly this place needs another name. "Where were you?" Ace asks curiously. "Uh, where we are when we dream together," I say. "You were there alone?" asks Ace, offended. Crap, trick question! "Uh, well, I was there alone" I say evasively, hoping Ace won't probe further. He grumbled hurt. Please, what's going on now? "What's going on?" I ask Ace gently. "This is our place! We're there together and suddenly you're there alone?" he grumbles. "I wasn't there by choice!" I want to defend myself. "I thought you left for forever!" roared Ace. And finally I understand what this is really about. "I don't want to leave! Even if I would like to have my own body again" I admit. And it was the truth, somehow I couldn't imagine a boring life without Ace and the chaotic bunch anymore. 

"Tell me, where is Marco's room?" I try to distract him. "Uh, down the hall, the last one on the right," Ace says irritated. Okay, if Marco doesn't give me the book back, then I'm going to get it back. Even if it is close to suicide. "We should be on our way to breakfast. The others will be glad you're okay," Ace says. I nod and get dressed to go on my way. Along the way to the galley I don't meet a soul. I stretch with pleasure before arriving at the door. I go in and look around, everywhere I see worried faces and even Whitebeard doesn't look as happy as usual. Was everyone really so worried? "Yes, when you just didn't wake up again, we all thought you weren't coming back at all," says Ace sadly. I walk toward my regular seat and grin at Marco. "What are you so happy about? Did Lucia get in touch?" asks Marco to me, or rather Ace. "You can call it that" I say grinning. "Lucia?" asks Marco. I nod with a grin and already I have a bunch of commanders hanging from my neck. Well Marco just grins and Whitebeard seems to be in a better mood again. Behind me I hear the bawling of the rest of the crew. Were they all really so relieved? I had to grin and also feel that Ace is happy. But now first have breakfast and then finally ask Marco what he knows. Somehow I have the feeling that he still won't come out with it.

Breakfast is the same as always: loud and chaotic. I have to grin the whole time and Ace laughs incessantly in my head. I turn to Marco, "Tell me Marco, when do I get my book back?" Marco jerks his body. "Don't know yet." Says Marco. Again, such an evasive answer. "You do know something?" I say calculatingly. "What do you mean?" asks Marco evasively. "About Ace and my condition. Why it's like that or how it happened." I wait and Marco doesn't answer. I'm about to say something when a "Enough, Lucia, not now!" rings out from Whitebeard. I remain silent. Why are they both trying to keep this from me? I nod and make up my mind to just steal the book from Marco's room. "Are you tired of living? Besides, father said no! He'll have a reason," Ace asks, horrified. I don't think he's comfortable with the idea of just walking into Marco's room. To be honest, neither do I, but I want answers. And let's face it, the book is mine. "It's your life," says Ace. Well, that's not quite true, it's Ace's body. Ace snorts. Marco looks at me suspiciously, probably because I don't protest.

We all finish breakfast and get up. I'm just about to set off when Marco says "Stop". Does he suspect something? "You have to do some of Ace's chores!" says Marco, giving me a series of tasks. And how he suspects something. I groan in annoyance and ask, "Do I have to?" Marco doesn't answer but pushes me towards the exit. Ace laughs and I am annoyed. Marco keeps pushing me towards a storage room. "So best start taking inventory since we're coming to a new island soon and need to shop." Says Marco. I'm really supposed to buy that Ace would get such a task? He would only buy meat. "I wouldn't!" Ace defends himself. "Yeah, no, it's clear!" I laugh at Ace. He snorts. Marco pushes me into the room with my clipboard and pen and closes the door. Somehow I think that this is Marco's job and he gives it to me to distract me. Like I'm falling for it. I start to do my task. After a seemingly endless time, I finally finish. I carefully poke my head out the door and look around the hallway. Good to see no one. I make my way to Marco's cabin, acting, I must admit, more than suspicious. Again and again I look around and prance nervously through the area.