Chapter Text
For many people, on their 13th Birthday, the person gets an animal that will represent their soulmate. Usually, this animal acts like their soulmate or looks like their soulmate in some way. The night of Ace's 13th birthday, both Ace and Luffy stayed up to see what animal it would be. If you were to ask Ace, the wait was long and stressful. He didn't know if he even had a soulmate, to begin with. Luffy was excited to find out, having not seen a soulmate animal at all. Everyone in Foosha had already had a pendant, meaning they already found their soulmate. As Ace's birthday began to end, Ace had begun to lose all hope of meeting his Soulmate Animal. Luffy was by his side the entire day. They searched the woods in excitement expecting to meet the animal only to end up empty-handed.
It was already late by the time the 2 boys made it back to their little tree house. Ace's hope for a Soulmate animal was fading quickly with the depleting time.
“It's okay, Ace!” Luffy said happily, “You don't need a soulmate animal you have me!”
Ace smiles but it fades quickly, “I was looking forward to finding out what my soulmate was like. I didn't think I wouldn't have one in general.”
“Ace has a soulmate!” Luffy yelled as he began to climb the tall tree to their treehouse, “Ace will definitely have a soulmate!”
Ace let out a defeated sigh before climbing up behind Luffy, careful to make sure Luffy doesn't fall.
As they made it into the tree house, Ace discarded his pipe to the side. Luffy had already wrapped himself up in a blanket, ready for bed. Ace was about to join him when all of a sudden, Ace saw a glimmer of Blue fly past the window of the Treehouse. Curiosity got the better of him and Ace went to look out the window.
“Ace?” Luffy called for him, Hey, Ace! Come lay down with me!”
“Shhh,” Ace placed a finger over his mouth in a shushing manner, “I saw something. Just lay down and be quiet.”
It took a couple of minutes before another gleam of blue light flew across the viewing again, this time closer than the first time.
“What is that?” Ace said, not meaning to say it out loud, “It doesn't look like the regular animals that live here…”
“OHHH!” Luffy got up excitedly, “Is it a new animal? Let me see!”
Now, both Ace and Luffy were staring out the window. They waited for the gleam to show up again until they realized that a shining light was rushing straight at them.
“Eugh!” Ace grunted as the light thing hit his face. “What the Hell was that!?”
Looking down at what was now sitting on his lap, Ace's eyes widen. In front of him was some kind of living flame. The fire the creature was made of didn't burn him. Instead, they warmed his hands with a sense of security and love.
“What is that??” Luffy asked curiously, watching as Ace moved his hand up and down the flame in his hand.
“I don't know, Luffy,” Ace replied, his face full of confusion, “It's a living fire thing.”
The next odd thing to happen was for the flames to expand while on his lap. Ace didn't know what to do. Thinking it was a bomb, Ace lifted it away from his body, only for the increasing flames to take the form of wings.
“OHHH!” Luffy exclaimed, “It's a Bird! Ace, your soulmate is a bird!”
Ace just sighed, “No, Luffy, my soulmate isn't a bird.” he brought the bird — Bird? — back to his lap, “The soulmate animal is supposed to embody what your soulmate is like.”
“What?” Luffy asked confused, his eyebrows furrowing before whining, “So he is a bird! Why did you say I was wrong??”
Ace just ignored him in favor of taking a closer look at the animal in his lap. It was a magnetic and hypnotizing blue, swirls of gold glimmering at the edge of each flame of its being. The bird looked as beautiful as it would be dangerous.
“Eep!” Ace was startled when the animal in his lap let out a little chirp. The little birdy nuzzled into his chest, looking straight up at him in admiration. The eyes the creature possessed were no less captivating than its flames and form. They were an oceanic blue, swirling with the depth of the ocean itself. Ace could feel himself being dragged into its gaze.
“Ace!” Luffy whined his name, clearly realizing that Ace wasn't listening, “You didn't hear anything I said!”
Ace couldn't help but turn back to his brother with a sigh and a small smile. Ace had always been weak to Luffy. Since Sabo's death, Luffy has been the only constant there with him. He would reign hell on everyone if anything happened to him.
“What did you say?” Ace asked, shifting his body to face Luffy. Ace moved slowly so as to not disrupt the animal in his lap.
Luffy mumbled with a pout before looking at the animal, eyes full of curiosity. After a second, Luffy looked up with his blinding D smile, “Ace! What are you going to name it?”
“I haven't thought about it, yet,” Ace said, looking down at the creature again before lifting it in his arms. The bird — fire thing — was quick to adjust itself, flying out of grasp before landing on Ace’s shoulder. Ace simply smiled. The flames didn't burn. It was more like a constant warmth flowing on his shoulder than anything else.
“Looks like a peacock,” Luffy whispers, “You should name it Blue!”
“What—” Ace pauses before turning to the bird on his shoulder, “Are you a girl or a boy?” The bird tilts his head curiously and squeaks. “Ima guess you're a girl? I'll name you… Mayura.”
“Why are you naming it Mayo?” Luffy asked, his expression confused.
“Not Mayo, you Dumbass! Mayura!”
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Marco hadn't had much planned besides the paperwork building up in his office. Izou had been insistent on him taking a break and spending time out of the office, but Marco was quick to deny it. He was fine doing paperwork, it was a lot easier than dealing with everyone else. As Marco made his way to his office, he heard a hiss. Marco signed before turning face-to-face with his soulmate animal. He has taken care of and spoiled this creature for many years now, growing a quick attachment to the animal. In front of his office door stood a red Lynx. The Lynx was beautiful and vicious. Across its body were spots that looked like dancing sparks whenever it moved. The Lynx’s whiskers were long and a midnight black, complimenting its eyes. The eyes of the creature were a story for themselves. They were both colorful yet colorless, an empty void yet full of life. A deep shade of Black enveloped his gaze.
“You are working with Izou again, aren't you?” Marco sighed, rubbing his face while visibly noticing how the Lynx looked so full of pride from that statement, “I'm fine, Ember, it's just some paperwork.”
Ember — the Lynx — visibly pouted. Marco never figured out how the animal knew how to pout, but he gave in immediately. “Fine, I'll let the paperwork be dealt with by somebody else. Are you happy now?” Marco could hear a quiet ‘yes’ from behind the barrels but ignored them in favor of watching the lynx preen with victory. Ember came up to him, rubbed against his legs, and nuzzled his head against Marco's pant leg before running off. Ember had always been like that. Besides food and necessities on the boat that Ember couldn't get or find, the Lynx was usually roaming free, enjoying the luxury it was given. There was more than 1 occasion where Marco had found the Lynx winning against the new recruits in combat.
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“I don't know what I did to make Ember such a troublemaker.” Marco huffed, clearly tired of the Lynx’s antics.
“Gurararara!” Whitebeard, Marco’s Oyaji, laughed, “You have no control over how they act. It all depends on the person they were made after.”
“It's already exhausting…” Marco complained before smiling to himself. Truth be told, he enjoyed the little Lynx’s actions. Marco actively awaited to see what they would do next. Ember, despite its independence, was loyal and Prideful. You'd sooner see the Lynx jump a man before letting them insult someone they know.
“I wonder who my soulmate is…” Marco laughed, “I bet they will reveal themselves with the same attention-drawing attitude Ember had.”
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