Sons of Beasts

Ice

The freckled boy wasn't paying attention to the shocking scene and climbed up the rope ladder at lightning speed, the blanket tied around his neck. He heard loud thumping as Luffy ran around the small space.

"Luffy! Luffy, calm down," Ace said, trying to get the dragon under control. He stopped running and tackled Ace.

What happened?! The spikeys! Luffy shouted fearfully. I sneezed! He added. Ace wrapped his arms around his brother.

"Shhh, it's okay. No one got hurt. Only some trees. Calm down so you can think straight," Ace told him softly, running his hand down Luffy's smooth spine. "You're okay, we're okay." The child then noticed Luffy wasn't cold anymore, and was warm like he used to be.

Ace wondered if Luffy had developed some powers. Though, if he had, Ace and Sabo expected him to control fire, like Ace and most dragons (fictional dragons, that is). Ace carried Luffy in his arms, Luffy looking over his shoulder, to the edge of the treehouse.

Ace called for Sabo to come up and help him get Luffy down. Sabo left the spikes of ice and went up the ladder to help tie Luffy to Ace's back. It wasn't difficult to carry Luffy down anymore. Ace was strong, and Luffy wasn't too heavy despite looking so.

Sabo followed them down once they were on the ground, and untied Luffy from Ace's back. They all approached the shards of ice. They were needle sharp at the end. Ace put his hand on the side and summoned his fire power, melting the ice quickly.

Sabo attempted to break it, wondering how strong it was. It didnt crack from even the hardest swings of his pipe. He looked to Luffy behind them, who had scared, wide eyes. Sabo looked at him in sympathy.

Ace turned around to look at Luffy. He crouched in front of the dragon, and put his warm hand on Luffy's head gently. "Luffy, I know how you feel. You weren't awake, but I was lit on fire, and almost burned you when I first got my power after you hatched. I was so scared I'd hurt you or Sabo.

"But, look at me now? I can completely control the flames," Ace said reassuringly, and lit his hand on fire, then spreading it onto the dirt. Before it spread too much, Ace sucked it back into his hand.

But... I can't even fly! Why I be able to control this? Luffy asked uncertainly. Ace gave him a warm smile, which calmed Luffy's fear a bit.

"We'll figure it out. And, since you're having trouble flying, we can now work on this power. We'll help you through it like you and Sabo did for me." Luffy looked down for a moment, and then nodded. "Now, I'm going to go melt those spikes."

The dragon and other human watched as Ace melted the ice into steam before in water form. Giant holes were left in the tunks of some of the trees. Ace and Sabo had to move the fallen tree away from their training area.

-x-

It was getting to be time to go to bed, about to put the fire out, before Ace told Sabo to "hold it." Sabo looked at him in confusion, but then nervousness. He had a feeling of what Ace wanted to talk about. Luffy looked at Ace in curiosity. Wasn't it bedtime? And Luffy was excited to sleep with the thick blanket bought for him as a surprise.

Sabo sat back down on the second log across from Ace and Luffy, who was laying at Ace's feet. "Who was the man in high town?" the freckled ten year old asked seriously. Sabo looked down, but knew Ace had a "bullshit detector" as he liked to call it. He could see through any lie Sabo told easily.

He looked up at Ace in a pleading way, but Ace didn't waver. Luffy asked what they were talking about. Ace looked down and said, "There was a suspicious noble - a bad guy - who knew him. And I've never seen him before." Luffy said Oh and looked at Sabo curiously.