Otherside

Oh how I love it when ideas come to you at six in the mornin' …
So yeah, I wanna get into something long-term, and this seems like the perfect way to go…

It's rated M for obvious reasons, well.. expect stuff eventually, and some deep stuff as well.

- Arrival -

His mind went blank, his body cold and his heart stale, as he collapsed next to his little brother, slowly slipping in to the after life as his final moments in this world came to a quick end. His body was torn, his face covered with scratches and his hair dripped with blood.

Although he had told Luffy to live without regrets, his heart still held many deeds left unfinished... as much as he was happy dying in the place of his brother, he still felt a need to live within this world… he wanted to continue living to keep protecting his little brother, no matter how much he would grow and become mentally or physically stronger, he would always need his older brother to look out for him.

He slipped out of his younger brother's grip and fell to the floor, his consciousness left him and he believed it was over.

With nothing else to do but to close his eyes and smile, he relaxed and fell into death's arms… or so he believed.

With an alarming scream and a horrific crash, Ace re-awoke with a daze… his eyes opened up to a beautiful starry sky, a peaceful aura surrounded him… a soft wind blew threw his hair… he felt at ease, aside from the horrible pain he was feeling in his back and his ears deafened from the scream before, his only thought was…

Is this heaven?

…

"Do you mind? – get off me you crazy idiot!" A familiar voice bellowed from underneath.

Ace eventually realized that he had landed on something very uncomfortable and scrawny, and from hearing the angry-tone of whomever it was underneath, he stood to his feet in a hurry and turned around to apologize.

Before he was able to sum up any kind of apology, all he could say was-"Oh… my… god…" as his mouth gaped open; his eyes fully fixed on the person who was now getting up from the floor and re-adjusting himself quite furiously. When he realized who had landed on him, he jumped back a little and readied himself... ready to fight.

"wo-ho, what's wrong Luffy? Do you not recognize me?" Ace cheered, he had no idea whether he was in heaven or hell, but all he could think about doing right now was hugging his little brother.

Luffy firmed his stance and stepped away as Ace approached, he didn't know how Luffy felt but Ace was about ready to pounce on him in joy!

"Come on… is this any way to act towards your big brother?" Ace smirked as he stopped just a few inches in front, holding out his arms to bring him into a hug.

"Big brother? – are you high?" he shouted, bringing his fists up.

"High? What on earth are you talking about? And don't tell me you're angry at me for dying…"

"What the hell's wrong with you? You died? I saw you like an hour ago and you seemed perfectly fine to me... And what's with that outfit? Are you going surfing or something? – I knew you were on drugs, I mean… who the hell surfs in winter, in Japan and at night? Are you crazy?"

"I could say the same about you! What's with that weird outfit? And this hostility! If you really want to fight me then don't get pissed when I beat you, like usual..." he smirked.

"Oh yeah? Well I've gotten stronger! You just haven't seen me in action yet because you've been avoiding since that happened!"

"Avoiding you?" I've been in prison…

Ace paused to take a quick look around... it was different, too different. Not only was it quiet but the air was clear of smells he was used to like gunpowder and sea water. He expected pirates to be dancing through the streets, singing, cheering, drinking, smoking, chatting up women... but nothing.. it was like a ghost town, maybe he was actually dead.

"Where am I? – this isn't Marineford, or even anywhere that resembles the places I've been…"

Ace looked over at Luffy who had lowered his hands, seeming slightly confused as well. "Well... who the hell are you? You're not the Ace I know, that's for sure."

"You're not the Luffy I know! The last time I saw you, you were crying you eyes out because I was… I was…" Ace paused, unsure how to continue…. He wasn't even sure himself about what happened.

"You were what?" Luffy added.

"I thought I died but… I feel fine and my chest is completely healed" He replied, scartching at his chest.

"Plus you were about to hug me weren't you? The Ace I know doesn't even know what a hug looks like…"

"Is it possible that I've… been transported to another world?" Ace said as he looked around once more, it definitely seemed like a possibility.

"Hmmm… well we could as my friend, he might know a thing or two. He goes to a private college, so he's stereotypically clever."

"You definitely aren't the Luffy I know, where the hell did you pick up a word like stereotypical?" Ace replied, worried.

"College…" he replied, a little confused "like everyone else…"

"College? There's no such thing as college in my world, I have no idea what that even is…. I kinda know how my brother feels now…"

"Anyway…" Luffy added, realizing that in the world this Ace was from, his brother was obviously very stupid and to make matters worse, he was the little brother of this Ace from that world, he couldn't possibly imagine that happening in this world. "If you come round I can invite him over and he might be able to help."

"That would be awesome Lu, thanks" He smiled happily.

"Lu? …" his eyebrow tweaked.

"Oh sorry, that's my nickname for you" he paused to correct himself "I mean… the Luffy I know..." Ace replied, feeling a little awkward for the first time in ever around his younger brother.

"Right… right…" Luffy said as he walked by Ace and continued home. Ace followed, silence was a major part of the walk home, they had both had an awkward meeting and they had both learned a little something about themselves.

"So…." Luffy started "You died?" he added, seeming a little saddened.

"Well I thought I did"

"How? You're so young as it is and you seem healthy and free of illness…"

"No it wasn't anything like that… I was a pirate and although my main enemy was the navy, I was actually defeated by this man who was once my friend, but he betrayed us by murdering his friend and running off. I went looking for him and when I found him he was incredibly powerful, he defeated me and handed me over to the navy. I was supposed to have been executed but you, well the you I know came to save me."

"Really? I came to save you"

"We're brothers where I come from, and we always have been" Ace smiled, looking back up at the stars and wondering if his Luffy was really okay…

"But if you were rescued. That means you died after you were rescued right?"

"Well yeah, you managed to rescue me, but when we were escaping, one of the admirals in the navy started taunting me about how pathetic my captain was and I sorta' lost my cool. When he attempted to kill you I stood in front of you and took the blow to my back, it pierced right through my chest, it should of killed me but it seems I'm still alive."

"So what happened to me then?" Luffy added, from Ace's point of view, he seemed very intrigued.

"I'm not sure, I'm hoping you managed to get away… you're probably in a right state though. I need to get back pronto though before you do anything insane."

"Me? In a state? … That really doesn't seem like the sort of thing I'd do after someone I cared for died… well I'd be upset but I wouldn't let it bother me too much…"

"You really aren't the Luffy I know…" Ace laughed, for the first time that night as well, Luffy was able to laugh along with him.

Luffy abruptly stopped outside a block of apartments.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked.

"Nothing, we're home"

"You live here?"

"The rent is really cheap and I like it because it's more sociable. The Ace I know lives here as well, but he's never home, he's a really popular guy so he's always out partying."

"That does sound a little like me…"

"So? Come on in then, I'm hungry, so I'd like to eat at some point…" Luffy said as he opened up the main entrance and pulled Ace in. Although on the outside the building seemed very old and plain, on the inside it was beautifully decorated, clean and very peaceful, Ace had never seen anything like this, but he liked the idea of it.

"It's so quiet and clean…"

"Well the landlady is like, a germaphobe, so she cleans this place like two to three times a day. She even offers to clean some of our rooms but since it's mostly students who live here... We're all a bit uneasy with the idea" Ace and Luffy climbed two flights of stairs before reaching the front door to Luffy's apartment at the very beginning of the corridor.

"Oh, so where do I technically live?" Ace questioned.

"The last door on the right at the end of this corridor, to be honest you're probably the quietest out of everyone who lives here."

"Do I not bring people back from time to time though? If you catch my drift…"

"You did, you used to do it like all the time, to the point where I saw the same people over and over again. But a few months ago you suddenly stopped and about a week ago something happened… I don't really want to talk about it."

Something happened?...

Luffy stepped into his apartment and motioned Ace to join him. "Have you always been like that with him?" Ace asked as he took a quick gander around the apartment.

"Yeah… since childhood, we get a long and stuff but we have our differences and we fight all the time. As much as I hate to admit it, I've never been able to beat him in a single fight, contest, game or bet" Luffy said as he sat down in front of his kotatsu. (T/N: A low-down Japanese table, usually covered by a futon)."Come sit, I'm gonna order some food and invite Usopp around, so make yourself comfortable" Luffy motioned for him to come and join him on the floor.

His bedroom was surprisingly clean, there were drabs of clothing placed loosely around the apartment and there was rubbish scattered all over the place, but aside from that it was a lot cleaner than expected, considering who he was.

The apartment itself was also pretty spacious, fitted with a comfortable looking double bed, a desk that had a weird flat device resting on it. A small bathroom that was equipped with a fancy looking shower. The kitchen was small but complete with the essentials like a cooker, refrigerator/freezer and other interesting devices.

Ace faintly picked up on Luffy speaking to someone other than himself. He focused on the strange black-looking device that Luffy had hold of in his hand and next to his ear.

"Right, I want the usual…" pause "you know what the usual is, I ordered it like two days ago" pause "you're the same guy I spoke to the other day right?" pause "you're memory is really, really shit – just give me three large pizza's, with every kind of meat and novegetables – you at least know the address right?" pause "thank god for that, thanks, and hurry up, I'm starving!" Luffy hangs up and holds the device up in front of him.

"What's that?" Ace asked.

"This? – it's a phone, have you never seen one before?"

"Well yeah, but not like that... They usually have snails connected to them"

"What kind of world did you come from?" Luffy questioned.

"Now that I'm in this world I'm questioning it myself!"

"Hold on a second, I'm calling usopp" the room fell silent, the faint sound of ringing can be heard from the device next to Luffy's ear until the ringing abruptly stops and Ace barely recognizes the familiar, nasally voice.

"Usopp! Are you busy?" Luffy practically screams down the phone at him "you're studying? – but you did that last night, and the night before, and the night before that." Pause… "It's not that important! Anyway come round to mine, there's something you might want to see…" he looks up at Ace, smiling "yeah, it's pretty interesting, so hurry up!" pause "Cya later" Luffy hangs up and places the phone on the table.

"I can't believe Usopp is here as well, I wonder if the others are as well…" Ace questioned.

"Was there an Usopp where you came from?" Luffy asked.

"Oh yeah, he was part of your crew, along with a few others"

"My… crew?"

"Yeah, you were a pirate like me and a captain at that. Your dream was to be the king of pirates"

Luffy's jaw dropped in excitement "I was a pirate? That's awesome! And I even had a crew! Wherever you came from is amazing!" he cried.

"Yeah, you loved being a pirate, you had a great crew as well, and even though I hate to admit it, you were pretty powerful, but only because you ate a devil fruit-" he stopped and realized… My Mera Mera ability… do I still have it?

Trying with all his might, Ace attempted to set his fingers alight, but it didn't come to him like it naturally did. Luffy stared at him intently and worriedly before he questioned his actions. "What are you doing?"

"I had a devil fruit ability, but it seems like I've lost it- damn, a major amount of my recent strength was based on my devil fruit power…" He paused to look at Luffy "Guess I'll have to do some more training…"

"Devil fruits? – what're they?" Luffy questioned.

"Oh, they're these weird mystical fruits that give the eater different abilities and powers."

"Did you say I ate one?"

"Yeah, when you were seven years old you accidentally ate the Gomu Gomu fruit, you became a rubber man. I used to love teasing you as a kid about how cruddy your ability was… but it really is useful"

"Hmm, I bet it suited me though… I myself am really flexible, watch…" he said as he shifted back from the table and placed both of his legs behind his head. "Ta-da!" He smiled innocently.

Something tingled inside Ace; he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time…. From seeing Luffy's flexibility, how his crotch was so openly exposed… it was… arousing. "Heh…" he smiled wearily "how bout that? …" he shifted uncomfortably and looked away.

A sudden knock on the door saved him from any continuing discomfort.

"Coming!" Luffy shouted, removing his legs from behind his head, standing up and making his way over to the door.

Ace looked towards and out the window at the starry night and questioned that particular incident…

I know this new Luffy is a bit OOC, but there's a reason and you'll find out about it in the next chapter.

Like? Review!