The Fire & The Requiem

Chapter 7

A distant memory. 

   One year ago.

  Ace was sitting on the deck of the Moby Dick watching the waves. His crew had been welcomed to WhiteBeard's ship with almost open arms. Even with the fact Ace had originally tried to kill WhiteBeard.
    The old man didn't hold a single action against him. In fact it only had the old man really want him as part of the crew. And thus the Spade pirates were no more.
    Ace was so lost to his memories that he didn't even realize Marco had come to sit beside him.
     "So."
   Startled Ace looked over at Marco and raised an eyebrow as he fixed his hat.
    "What is it Marco?"
    Marco was silent before he finally asked what had been on his mind for a while now.
   "Who is this girl you never shut up about and why isn't she with you if you're always talking about her?" Asked Marco who was honestly genuinely curious, and then worried. What if he had brought up a painful memory? What if they had a falling out? Wait no- Ace wouldn't speak so fondly of her if that was the case. Could she be dead? Yet he was quickly pulled out of those thoughts.
     "Huh?" Was the confused reply from the residential fire user.
"The girl in the photo? The same woman you always talk about?" He asked again, this time a bit different and yet part of him was still worried this was a taboo subject.
      When all of a sudden coal black eyes lit up as he understood the question. "Oh! You mean Yukina!"
"Yes her you dolt." Marco groaned in annoyance.
"She's my best friend. She's a requiem user. Lost powers in all honesty."
          "So she ate a devil fruit?"
         "Hell no! She was born with her gift. Fuckin awesome too if you ask me. Anyway, I met her when we were 7." Marco watched as Ace's smile only grew. And the way his eyes had a far away look.
         "She was honestly a little shit. Hated everyone myself included."
Now Marco raised an eyebrow. "And she's your best friend?"
        "Yep. After I overheard a conversation I never should have ...I made a promise to her. One I swear to keep."
       "Oh?"
      "Yep. Even if it meant leaving here. I won't let her be alone."
         "She must be pretty damn special. What's she look like now?"
        Ace was thoughtful for a moment. "Probably around the same. But taller, more lean, she has a scary right hook so watch out for that. A no bullshit attitude and a blinding smile." As Marco watched Ace he noticed how he got a goofy smile on his face.
        "Long obsidian hair, stormy grey eyes and sun kissed skin. And a long scar on her left arm."
          Now Marco raised both eyebrows. "From what?"
        "I'm not too sure. She showed up in the middle of a battle, her arm bloody and then chaos happened. I blacked out and when I came to she was sleeping next to me her arm still bleeding so I wrapped it up. Only for her to wake up and lecture me for a good twenty minutes. Which was scary and felt like forever." He laughed at memory.
         "When she woke up and knew I was fine she grabbed me by the ear. Scolded the fuck out of me again. Then forced me to apologize to Dadan. Honestly scared the fuck out of me too. And when I asked about the arm I was met with silence so I dropped it quickly."
Marco blinked before he laughed. "Damn she sounds scary."
      "She is. I asked her eventually why she was so mad and she shot back. This 'why?! Why am I mad at you?! You could have died!' 'Why would that bother you?' She was silent for a hot second and I knew I fucked up. 'Because you're my friend you idiot!'" Ace smile at the sky as he was now lost in a distant memory.
     Marco blinked before he realized Ace was in love with his best friend, now mind you he would have teased him for this before. But now, now it felt wrong. Aces feelings were genuine, especially if that smile he got talking about her was any indication. He was sharing something personal and boy was he sure that Ace didn't realize it was love.
      "Yeah, she sounds damn amazing for that. She cared." Aces smile grew sad for a moment. Before instantly brightening.
       "It was and she is. She told me. The day I left. That I was the first person to show her a world of light and color." To which Marco was speechless. Something that wasn't common with him.
        "Huh,  well - yoi it sounds like you have a real loyal friend." And then ace grinned once more this time a bit brighter then normal.
       "Yep! And I gotta find her soon too!" "How come man?"
        "Well one she's hard to find on occasion. Two it's been 3 years since I've seen her and three. Her birthday is coming up!"
    Marco blinked before laughing at this. Well guess he knew his next course of action. It was now to track down none other than Ace's best friend. And lords was he in for a challenge.
     "Why you didn't answer my other question."
     "What question?"
    Marco felt his eye twitch. How could Ace forget already?!
     "Why isn't she with you if you two were that close?"
    "Ah, I asked her too but she shot me down. She was gonna be 17 three weeks after me so leaving with me wouldn't have broken the promise. One that was made to make sure no one would die out at sea."
     Marco nodded, instantly relief to hear the woman was alive.
    "So then why?"
    "She's chasing her own dream. To find every last requiem."
    Marco blinked, that was an ambitious dream, and goal. Yet he had a feeling she could do it.
     "Makes sense. She didn't wanna slow you down-yoi."
     "Nah, she didn't. Doesn't mean I haven't given up."
    "Oh?"
     "Yep. Besides I'm sure once Pops meets her he'll take a liking to her."
     And somehow Marco knew he was right. Pop's cared for his son's. And the man would love to have a daughter aboard. Especially if she was as scary strong as Ace said.
     "So she can fight?"
     "Damn straight. Trained with her myself." He laughed at the memory.
     "You hit a girl?!"
     "Uh yeah. Kinda had to when we were training. How did you miss that when I said she has a mean right hook?"
      "I thought she punched you for being an idiot!"
      Ace laughed even harder. "Oh no, she punched me for that too. But-" all of a sudden he grew serious.
     "She can hold her own in a battle, we made sure of that."
     Somehow Marco knew there had been more people but wisely said nothing about them.
     "I see. So what's this requiem she has?"
    And with that Ace launched into the day Yuki arrived with Shade and re-told the story of how she got him. The same way Yuki had told him.
     "Holy shit." Yet neither boy knew of the dragon that she was bound too.
     "But the dragon where did that come from?"
     "Not sure man. Yuki seemed confused by it too."
    "Huh. Somehow I feel like somethings missing but what would I know." And with that the two fell into a comfortable silence before Marco spoke once more.
    "Hey Ace?"
     "Yeah?"
     "We'll find her, oh and you should so tell Pop's about her. Like all of it. Gotta start wearing him down now if we're gonna somehow convince the brat to join us."
     Ace blinked before he laughed, leave it to Marco to plan ahead. Yet he was right, perhaps now would be a good time to start pestering the old man.
     "I guess we both should."
  And with that the stories started, each day was something new. A memory, a story, a photo. Until eventually Pop's started asking more and more questions.
    Leaving Marco to smirk. They would have a new crew member eventually. Whether they knew it or not. For now all he could do was go along for the ride.