26 Two men talking

"Take me to your room," I told him when we already got farther from them.

"Excuse me?" He said in confusion.

"I said take me to your room, Arzen!" I said again clearer.

"I'm sorry, you're cute and all but I already have Kii and I love her very much. You might look like her but you're not her, so..." he trailed after I thwacked his head.

"Wanna die?" I said, tighten my hold on him.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. Jeez..." he whines.

"Get serious then, if you don't want to die yet!" I hissed again.

"I can't help it. The way you said it just makes it too easy to tease you" he said again.

"We need a secure place to talk, idiot!" I try to explain.

"I know, but you sound like you were seducing someone. Did you know that?" he said in amusement.

"Don't worry, I love women. And even if I'm swinging that way, you won't be my type" I snort at him.

"Ouch, Aoi-chan," he said again, clutching his heart as if he was in despair. 

This idiot just too hard to hate. It is easy to get angry at him, but always difficult to keep angry at him. Sigh.

I'm not giving up now though. I really need to know everything.

We walked to their room in silence after that. He doesn't need to tell me it was their or why they don't have a separate room. After reading everything, I know more about them than I'm comfortable with.

"So?" he starts as I closed the door and placed privacy wards.

"Who are you and who the hell is Portgas D Ace? Do you remember the past too? You're not Arzen, are you? Where the hell is the real Arzen?" I asked.

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down a second there. I won't be able to answer that all. One question at a time, please. You just had to say it right to the point, aren't you?" he sighs.

"So I was right. You're not Arzen after all" I prompt.

"I'm not saying that" he sighs again.

"Explain then," I told him, crossing my hands over my chest.

"You won't believe me," he said.

I snort. " I've been killed and died only to find out that I was time travelled to the past. What else can make me think it is impossible?" 

"Don't blame me if you think it sounds crazy... Er... Crazier than usual" he sighs again.

"You don't seem to be surprised" I stated.

"Sorry?" he questioned.

"I'm basically just told you that I was a time traveller but you don't seem to be surprised by it," I said.

"Well, I had a guess," he tells me with a smile.

"Explain!" I said sharply.

So he did.

It was mind-blowing. Part of me regretting my decision to ask him but another part of me glad to finally able to answer all questions I had. Thoughts, all of these is far from lessening my headache. It adds more to it.

So he was living in another universe by the name of Portgas D Ace who looks exactly like the picture on Kii's bedside. The other person that Kii likes. I thought he was a fictional character from Arzen make-believe story. Can you believe that?

He was a pirate.

That explains why he was so obsessed with being a pirate in the future and why he is not interested in something like titles or positions. It also explains his craziness, I guess.

He told me that the story he told Kii is his life story from his previous life. He was a son of a Pirate King (I don't know that pirate also had a king. Is there a Pirate kingdom or something at his previous universe?). There was a war because he was captured and about to be executed because of that (are they crazy? I mean why punished someone because of his birth?), he was saved by his little brother but died anyway.

Ether-sama help me! No wonder he is crazy. His universe is absolutely messed. All people live there are morons.

According to him, Ether-sama then took his soul and make it born here (in the second timeline that was created by my time travelling) in a previously Arzen's body.

Damn, my headache just keeps filling up.

"So you're saying that you are not Arzen?" 

"I don't say that"

"Explain more then. I don't fully understand yet!"

"I think the Arzen you know is still here," he said pointing at his chest "if he was not, I wouldn't able to see his memory that time" he continues.

"That time?" I asked.

"You know, that time when Kii and I got into an accident and didn't wake up for some time" he clarified.

"What did you see?" I asked more.

"Unpleasant things. I was so angry and scared, that I even considered to just stay away from Kii to prevent myself from hurting her. First, it was the scene of him, er, me? Ugh, whatever. The scene with that pink thing. He was smiling at her with the expression that should be given to Kii. He was cold to Kii which is hard to understand why. Kii is the sweetest girl you can find, how could he act like that to Kii, and..." he rambles.

"Arzen, focus!" I cut him.

"Oh sorry. Where was I?"

I rolled my eyes "the scenes with Angela" I remained him.

"Who the hell is Angela?" he asks confusedly.

I look at him at a moment, he seems to be genuinely confused. Don't tell me... After all this time he still doesn't know that that girl name is Angela. Nah, he probably just doesn't care.

"Seriously?" I said. He raised his brows. I sigh. "The pink thing," I said.

"Ah, yeah. That. I was about to throw up. I even told Ether to let me just die if it was going to be my future when suddenly the air shifted and I saw myself in a dark room. Kii was there, but she wasn't her. Okay, it might be her but at least not the Kii I know." he sighs in resistance. His eyes look at the distance in remembrance.

"She was empty. It was already painful to see her like that and I don't even have an idea of why could she be in a prison. Kii is quiet but she never been empty. The Kii I saw there was just like a shell with nothing inside her. Her eyes don't have my Kii's sparks on them. It was really bad. Then, he came to take more from her." he stops for a moment. I was about to urges him for more when he continues it again. His voice turns hoarser at every memory.

"I was there, yet I was useless. I saw him hurt her without able to do anything. I burned him. I pushed him. I punched, kicked. Nothing work. I begged him to leave her alone. I begged the man to help her. No one listens to me. It was hurt to see the person I love being violated. It feels worse when the one who did it is yourself. I promise to protect her. He supposed to protect her but... He, I hurt her" he said softly.

Arzen closed his eyes. His hands are shaking. It seems that the memory is still affected him a lot. I remember that day he looked so out of place and just leave Kii after he woke up. He evens asked me to take care of Kii. Is this the reason? Hmm, wait something is wrong. 

If it was the case and why did they do it after that?

"You were planning to leave Kii. What change it?" I glared at him.

"Well, I was laying there on my bed thinking of nothing when I remember what Ether told me when I was just born here"

"By Ether, do you mean Ether-sama, our God? Honestly Arzen... Show some respect" I sigh.

"Well, he doesn't mind," he said carelessly.

"And how do you know that?" 

"He told me"

"He told... Wait, nevermind. I don't care. Let's just focus at the problem at hand" I say, saving myself from another headache.

"What did you remember Ether-sama said?" I asked him again.

"He said this life that I would live has been lived before. That was when I understand. Time has been resetted. Kii was hurt. Who else can go to such length to protect her besides her big brother?" He said looking at me.

"I wasn't such a nice brother before, you know?" I told him.

"But you are now. I was thinking like that too. This body or who was it before is the one that hurt Kii, and who knows if I wouldn't do the same? I was scared of that, but I love Kii very much. Do you know that she is the first person that interest me in a romantic way?" he smiles.

"I was a pirate. I have one track of mind. All my life I have only been thinking about adventures and freedom. To find the meaning of my life. Meeting Kii, loving Kii, spending time with Kii is something that I don't want to lose. I am afraid that I will hurt her but I am more afraid to live without her. I'm not used to be like this. I was okay by myself but Kii changes that"

"So you slept with her?" i asked critically. I'm glad finding out he loves her so much but I don't plan to let him slide that easily.

"You won't believe me..." he said.

"What I won't believe?" i prompt.

"...that the first time when we did it, it was Kii who asked me to touch her," he said.

"Kii was..."

"Listen to me okay? Let me explain. She saw the same things. Though she doesn't know that it was a memory. She thought it was a nightmare. She saw past me, Portgas D Ace died, then she saw herself being violated by me,  er, Arzen. She was confused and scared. She told me that she doesn't want to be scared every time she sees me, so she wants to change the memory. It was awkward when we did it..."

"I don't need to know that! And it doesn't mean that it was okay for you to sleep with her either" I snapped which he ignored.

"It was not a pleasure that we were after. We just want to heal each other fears. Well, at least before she confessed that she finds my past self desirable." he mumbles the last part.

"What was that?" i said coolly.

"Nothing," he said immediately.

"Let say I believe you. Do you know what Kii wrote in her diary?" I asked.

"Er... About her childhood and her feeling about that, and about her mother told her that she was not her child?" he asked back.

"And everything you both did when you were alone" I smile. He looks at me in horror. Oh? So he wasn't aware. I was kind of pissed and half thought that he wants to brag.

"Oh shit!" he mumbles. "No, wait? We didn't do it before we are in school! There shouldn't be anything other than kisses written there" he mumbles again to himself.

"Oh, I read the one that in her dormitory too" I inform him. My smile grows.

He paused and look at me slowly. "Oh damn!" he said nervously.

"What the hell are you thinking!" I shout at his face.

"Wait, wait, Aoi!" he tried.

"The things you did to her, Arzen! It was... Ugh... It was..." 

"I can't help it, okay. She was too cute and I love it when she was..."

"Shut up!" I hurriedly covered his mouth. I don't want to hear it. I've been traumatized enough.

"I'm going to kill you!" I hissed at him.

"We haven't finished talking. You can't kill me," he whines.

"We're done!" I said.

"It's about the pink thing" he tried again.

"Who cares about her?" I hissed again.

"You would want to know!" he insists.

"Oh? Would I? You just trying to find an excuses" I said grabbing his collar again.

"You would! It's important and definitely only partially an excuse!" he mumbles the last part again.

"You can't just do whatever you want to my sister, Arzen!" I warn him.

"It's mutual, I promise!" he tries to explain, "besides, aren't we talking about where the Arzen from your past should be now?" he reminds me.

"We can talk about that after I kill you," I tell him carelessly.

"We can't talk if I die, and Kii will be sad" 

"Don't bring Kii into this!"

"I'm just stating a fact!"

"A fact your arse!"

"Language, Aoi-chan"

"Arzen... I warn you!"

"Sorry, sorry but we really need to finish the talk. To think that it was you who initiates it, but it was me who actually want to finish it. It's weird!" he complained.

"Make it fast!" I hissed.

Arzen opened his mouth but before he can tell me what is so important for me to know, the door opened. There stood my so-called uncle.

"Are you boys alright? I'm sorry to barge like this but I've been knocking and calling for several times. The King would like to meet all his guests. If you boys still need time..." he trailed.

"No. We're okay. We are done. Sorry to keep all of you waiting" I bow to him.

"It's no problem" he smiled.

Arzen and I follow him out from the room. We have no choice but to cut our talk short. To be honest, I still need to process what Arzen has revealed to me. I understand what he did but it seems that I haven't grasped the real meaning of it yet.

Good grief. I come for an answer but I got more confused instead.

A pirate? I know and heard what pirates are, but we don't have them anymore here. Pirates are just legend. I don't know how pirates live. Hmm, will Kii okay if she indeed goes and become one?

I sigh.

It seems that I have more research to do. Fuck you, Arzen! It's all your fault! Speaking of him, I will ask Kii to tell me the story about Portgas D Ace. Kii is honest. No way I'm going to ask Arzen himself. I refuse to trust him (even though I know he can't lie to save his own life) to tell a story about his own life.

Hmm, I wonder what he was going to tell me about Angela. I don't like suspense. I need to know what is it right now.

"Oi," I call Arzen who was talking animatedly with my Uncle. He turned to me "what are you going to tell me about that pink thing?" I asked him.

My dear mage Uncle is looking at me confusedly. Arzen furrowed his brows. Oi, oi, don't tell me you forget about it already.

"Ah," he said. "It just that it seems that that pink thing is same as me," he said, one finger pointing at his forehead.

What? Same as him as in a pirate? Or? Have been born in another universe before she was here? Why can't you give me a straight answer, Arzen? Sigh... Yet another thing to research.

"Oh, and I am planning to propose to Kii at the graduation ceremony later. Just to let you know. I hope you don't mind. Kii doesn't know yet. You are actually the first one that I told. Oh, and Uncle Raselle, I guess" he said looking at me expectantly.

Propose? To Kii? I blink my eyes several times. Wait, what? Kii just turns 15 and Arzen himself is still 17. It just... Well, it is not wrong. Arzen is a royalty after all. But...

"Oi, Aoi. You still here?" he asked flicking his fingers in front of me.

"Why?" I consciously said.

"What do you mean why? Isn't it obvious? I love Kii. I want our love recognised officially, so no one will dare to take Kii from me. Besides, we're basically married already. I want to give Kii what she deserves. A title of respect. Am I wrong? Are you not okay with me marrying Kii?" he said worriedly.

"That's not the problem," I told him.

"Well, it's okay then? I'm glad," he said with a smile before skipping away from me.

"It's too fast!" I called out to him. He doesn't turn back, but just humming to himself. That fucker!

"Arzen!" I called again in a frustrated voice.

"There, there. I was in your place a few years ago. I know the feeling" My Uncle said patting my back.

I sigh. I was annoyed by the news, but I can't stop myself from smiling.

Arzen. This Arzen who was a man called Portgas D Ace before really loves Kii. I'm wary of him, but I'm glad he actually treasure her and put her above everything in his life.

Don't disappoint me for trusting you, Portgas D Ace.