Title: Thermostat

My humor never cease to amaze me from time to time.. This file was originally named as 'IDK WHAT STORY THIS IS'. This seemed to be a new story at all but it seems like my guilt will kill me in my sleep if I keep you guys waiting for more years to come.. XDD it wasn't completely my fault that I wasn't able to update.

One… Im lazy,

Two, my desktop broke up with me.

Three, it is hard to chase my time to get my head on the clouds again and write a story. But it looks like my plot bunnies decided to take a break from their veryyyy loooooong vacation and went back inside my head.

Oh btw.. expect to see Sabo in here.. of course he will be showing himself in front of Ace.. :D

So here I am, messing around inside the world of fanfiction once more. Mwahahahaha!!!

"Am I still inside this island?" Sei asked out loud to herself. She had been walking for what she felt like hours and she still hasn't arrived on her campsite. The woods are getting thicker by each moment passes. For all she could remember, her campsite was supposed to be not so far away from the entrance of the forest.

She doesn't want to admit it.

"This couldn't happen for the third time." She muttered under her breath.

Thinking back on what she just said, she realized, "Third?"

Why did I say 'third'? Did this happen before I met Luffy-san? When? I didn't just made a mistake right?

Flashes of blurred images appeared in her mind like a fast-forwarded lumps of pictures. The speed almost made her vision go swirling but nothing made sense to her. It was dizzying.

"I…" Red began to soak her vision as she tried to recognize the pictures she sees. The blacksmith's heart rate began to skyrocket as her breathing became labored. A voice at the back of her mind began to chant.

No…

You can't open it.

You should not remember it.

Just forget everything.

"What did I…" Her knees gave out on her but she doesn't seem to be feeling it at all. It was like her body had gone numb, her eyes were wide and dilated but she can't she anything, Sei was trapped inside a sea of visions.

"No! I won't leave you! I'll also stay here!"A child screamed

"* Please understand, you'll just go ahead of us. We promise to follow you," A woman's soft voice followed. It sounded a bit panicky but it was gentle. Like a soft and warm blanket at night.

"B-but.."

"Here. I'll leave this in your care. I promise I'll get them back later." Another kid was speaking.

Her body started to tremble in fear.

What is she afraid of?

Another flash.

*BOOM*

A loud explosion was heard throughout the place.

Her eyes went wide. She saw images before the explosion took place. Images she knew, but refuses to recognize.

"No… I don't know." She knew everything she needs are already inside her mind. She is standing in front of a closed door. The answers she seeks are all behind that door, yet she can't even touch the knob.

Never touch that door. You never saw anything… A voice chanted inside her head.

It Is alright.

Tears began to fall from her eyes. She can't even recognize any of those scenes inside her mind, but why does it hurt her so much? Why does it feel that her heart and mind is being torn into pieces? She could feel her head pounding relentlessly. Not being able to take it anymore, she screamed.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

"SEI!" Ace ears picked up a sudden sound inside the forest. Hell, he could recognize that voice anywhere.

The moment Ace heard the scream; he thought that something bad had happened to the blacksmith. He was already prepared to fight anything at the moment, but he was surprised to see the girl all alone leaning on a tree while clutching her head with too much force than necessary.

Never minding the fact that it might be a trap to lure someone in, Ace approached the girl and stood behind her, supporting her to stand properly. The girl doesn't seem to recognize him at all. Maybe she couldn't even notice that he is there after all, her eyes were wide with fear, her breaths were too fast for his liking as she began to sweat and tremble.

"Sei! Sei! What happened?" He gently shook the girl, but his voice didn't look like it reached her ears. She was grabbing her hair so hard that he had to pry them away so she won't damage them. He scanned her for any possible injuries, but he saw nothing. It was then that he noticed her rapid too breathing—she is hyperventilating. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, as if she is seeing something so scary that she can't even let her voice out.

"N-n-no,.. I can't—I d-don't know…" She was muttering through breaths, but nothing made sense to him.

"Sei! Snap out of it!" The girl struggled more from his hold. Ace knew that this continued she would lose consciousness.

"Shit! What do I do?" Ace panicked. Damn it to all, he can face death like it is something happening everyday but he can't keep his head calm around her. Think Ace.. THINK!

The pyro's worries increased as her noticed that the blacksmith's hair is turning into a different color. The once vibrant lavender colors were slowly changing in black. It felt so wrong in his eyes, not to mention to ominous aura he is starting to feel emitting from the blacksmith.

Before all of Sei's hair turn to black, Ace grabbed her in a tight hug. "I don't know what happened but please snap out of it, Sei."

To Ace's surprise it took only a few seconds before he felt the blacksmith's struggles began to die down. Ace faced the blacksmith. He could still see the fear clouding her eyes and her frantic breathing. He knew he needs to calm her down.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Her blood curling scream rang throughout the dark forest. It was as if something inside her mind broke, rendering the blacksmith unable to fight her own demons. Much to Ace's surprise he saw how fast the blacksmith's hair turned black. A huge wave of air was suddenly emitted from the girl, throwing Ace to a nearby tree.

What was that? It was like a bomb mixture of cold and hot air.

"Ha… ha… ha…"

Before Ace realized what was happening, he was suddenly blocking an incoming attack from his fiancé. The word 'danger' suddenly flashed inside his mind as he got a better look of his opponent.

Ravensdale Sei never had a black hair.

She never had silvery eyes.

She never uses her weapons against her comrades.

She never had eyes that sought blood.

The aura surrounding the girl was so chilling that he subconsciously activated his fire.

"Hello~ It is nice to finally meet you~" Came a sweet voice.

Ace jumped away from his opponent to gain distance. "Who are you?" he asked, completely on guard.

Instead of answering, the girl in front of her laughed. A crazed laugh that could bring chills to anyone who hears it. She doesn't sound sane; it was like a voice coming out from your nightmares.

"'Who am I?' Ace, It's me~" The girl slowly approached him, a large smile plastered on her face.

Ace remained in his stance, ready to dodge anything that might came flying to him. Though he is sure as hell that his fiancé would never attack him like that, but right now he even isn't sure if the girl in front of him is indeed the same blacksmith he knew. Something isn't right about right her.

The girl began to look at herself happily, she seemed fascinated by her own stature. "That useless pirate finally did something right for once. You know my lovely Prince, this body holds a lot of secrets." Her gaze shifted to Ace, the look on her face became more sinister. "Her mind is like a locked door. A door she locked and never dared to enter.~"

"'Her'?" Ace repeated. Sei was talking like she was referring to another person, practically ignoring the strange fear he felt when he heard her call him a 'prince'.

"I am her, but she isn't me and I am not myself." In a flash the blacksmith vanished from his sight and he suddenly felt a powerful attack hit his logia body. Though his body dispersed to dodge the attack , he still doesn't like it when someone is trying to cut him. And damn she is fast. She jumps like she is feather and dances as graceful as the leaves blown by the wind.

Ace blocked a well-aimed kick to his face. "Sorry, but my head has a tight security with puzzles." Ace tries to convince himself not to be mesmerized by her movements. She was like dancing. "Shit!" Ace jumped out of Sei's reach when she pulled out her swords.

"Sei, I don't want to hurt you, Please wake up." The pyro pleaded. He knew he won't be able to stop himself from retaliating once the blacksmith uses her swords. If what he saw was anything to go by, he knew he had to fight back if he prefers his body parts intact. He felt a strange aura around her, and her blades were emitting danger. Even though he isn't sure if she could use haki or not, he had to be careful.

The blacksmith laughed. "But I am awake, Ace~" She emphasized his name without suffixes.

"No!" Ace refused to believe. He doesn't recognize the woman in front of him. She isn't the girl he met few years back. He isn't the blacksmith he saw at the Thousand Sunny. The girl who ignored his presence, even his marriage proposal, the one who smiled at him even on the verge of death. "Sei is kind and stubborn at the same time, childish and mature, smartass, crybaby, trusting, stupid when it comes to directions. You may have her face, but you are not her."

"My oh my~ so touching."

The pyro's expression hardened when the blacksmith slowly approached him. "I swear Sei, I don't mean this. I'm really, really sorry." In a flash Ace appeared behind the blacksmith shortly knocking her out.

"Cheater." The blacksmith fell to the awaiting arms of the Whitebeard pirate. And at the same time her hair turned back to lavender.

"Sei. Can you hear me?" he gently touched the girl's face after brushing away a stray hair which stuck to her face due to sweat. "C'mon Sei you need to snap out of it. Listen to me. It's me, Ace." He spoke gently word per word in hope that his voice would somehow release her from her nightmares.

Soon enough, the blacksmith began to focus her eyes on him. Sei began to hear humming through her ears. It was like she is covered by a thin sheet of water which prevents her from seeing and hearing clearly.

"….r…me..?" She couldn't hear clearly.

Who is it?

"I..s…sce…"

Who?

She tried to focus her vision, concentrating on hearing the person in front of her. Her nose recognizes a certain smell she didn't know she remembered.

It smelled of the fresh sea breeze.

"A..Ace…san…"

The pyro smiled upon hearing his name. "Yes, yes, it's me. How are you feeling?"

"I.." Sei tried to stand of her own despite leaning heavily on Ace's body for support. "What.." Sei again glanced at the man beside her. In a second she saw a flash of a scowling kid with freckles instead of Ace, then a searing pain on her head passed causing her to faint from stress and exhaustion.

"What the—" Ace thanked his fast reflexes that he caught the blacksmith before she hit the ground. "Sei?" Ace touched her face and somewhat felt warm, a little too warm. "Looks like we need to get back." The pyro gently hoisted the girl into his arms, effortlessly carrying her.

As the two walks back to the ship, Ace began to ponder what had just transpired. Before he decided to stalk—*cough* follow the blacksmith he was sure that there was nothing wrong with her. Hell, she even managed to throw an overly grown drunk man to the ground with so much ease. What could've happened for a few minutes that would caused to blacksmith to scream like that? As far as he observed the girl rarely liked attention aside from her crewmates, especially from the crowd. She is always laying low—meaning it is not in her nature to just give away her presence. She would stay incognito as much as possible instead of screaming her lungs out in the middle of a forest she barely knew. And going berserk afterwards.

Ace glanced to his right, giving him a close-up full access to the sleeping girl. Which probably the most stupid thing he did at the moment. He was able to see the blacksmith clearly without her, trying to ward him off like an annoying fly.

No doubt the blacksmith is beautiful, she may not notice it but her beauty is enchanting. The kind of beauty that you would never get tired looking at. And her lavender hair only added to that ethereal glow. Ace didn't notice that he had been staring too long that he already forgot to look at his path and almost toppled over when a rock accidentally tripped him. It was then that he decided to snap out of his stupor.

Now is not the time to watch her sleeping face, idiot. You can do that later. Ace nodded and agreed with himself.

Ace inwardly growled when he noticed a presence just as he arrived at the dock.

"Trafalgar…"

"Seems like Cinderella went past 12:00…" but no humor hinted at the statement. The Surgeon of Death is directly staring at Sei who is asleep at Fire First's back.

Ace took a deep breath and stared at the doctor seriously. "Could you help her?"

Law held back whatever strategy he has in mind to rile up the Whitebeard Second Division Commander. He knew that he had to discuss everything formally, as a doctor. "Let's just settle her to bed. I need to talk to you and the Straw Hats."

Ace nodded and proceeded inside the ship.

"Oh, Ace!" Luffy greeted his brother enthusiastically but halfway halted when he noticed the person behind on his back. Luffy's face turned blank.

"Chopper."

The reindeer-doctor swiftly stood from his study table the moment he heard his captain call his name. There are only few instances Luffy uses that kind of tone to call him, and all of them are nothing to be trifled with.

"Sei!" The reindeer-doctor turned to his captain's brother. "What happened?"

"Well, I'm not sure either. I was following her—" Ace coughed to clear his throat when he noticed he sounded like stalker, the raised eyebrows from his audience made him a bit embarrassed. "And then I just heard her screaming in the middle of the forest."

"Screaming?" Sanji asked confirmed seriously. Seems like it isn't the first time it happened.

"Yeah. When I saw her, she was on the ground, hyperventilating, then her hair slowly changed color."

"Trauma." Law stated calmly.

"And then she—wait, What?!"

"There are some instances where a person's hair changes color from a deep trauma."

Ace stared at his brother for confirmation. Luffy's eyes remained hidden by the shadow of his strawhat.

Damn it.

"How long?" Ace muttered under his breath. He wanted to punch something just to get the anger off his system, but held himself back.

"Maybe long before we met her." Sanji replied as he blew smoke.

Damn it all!

What kind of childhood did she experience to leave that kind of trauma? How young was she? What the hell happened while he wasn't around her?

Robin cut off the pyro's train of thoughts. "What happened next, Firefist-san?"

"She.. she changed."

"Did she point her weapons at you?" Luffy asked.

"No." And it was the truth. Yes, the blacksmith had drawn her swords but he never pointed it at him. Well, he knocked her out before she could use her weapons but there had been a voice behind his head that is telling him that he would never point her swords towards him. She attacked him, yet he didn't feel that she is trying to kill him. It was like she was challenging him.

The conversation fell silent.

"So… why are following Sei, Ace?" Expect Luffy to bring up the most awkward question.

Ace stared at his brother's crewmates—all have mirth dancing in their eyes, it was like they were waiting for him to humor Luffy about his newly found stalking habits. Without ruining his image of course.

"Uh.. She might be lost?" He finished lamely.

"Oh, But I saw you following her ever since this morning." Chopper innocently added, not really getting why his crewmates find this very amusing, minus Luffy.

Luffy tilted his head. "Ace?" awaiting his brother's answer.

"And besides, Ojou has Torao with him." Franky teasingly added.

Ace threw a glare towards the cyborg. C'mon he doesn't need another one to grill him. By each questions being asked, he is starting to look like a perverted stalker. Luffy doesn't need to be surrounded by another pervert, his shipwright is already enough.

"They might be lost….?" It was more of a question than a statement. He is a gentleman damn it!

Luffy would've accepted the reason if not for Usopp who off-handedly commented "I can't think of anyone that can be worse than Zoro."

Zoro glared at the sniper which caused him to flinch.

"Yohohohoho! Sei-san can follow directions if it means to save her life."

"Oi!"

"Right, the shitty swordsman can even get lost on a straight line. I can't even imagine what could be worse."

"What was that, you curly brows?!" Zoro drew one of his swords.

"I said you are worse than a cat when it comes to directions!"

That was the last straw and the two started their daily dose of useless fight. Nami sighed and didn't even bother to knock their heads up. They needed a little change of mood after the discussion of the psychological state of their resident blacksmith.

The banter between the two continued, and Ace was really glad that the topic shifted.

"That's it! I'll cut you swirly brows!" Zoro had his hand on the hilt of his sword. The crew just watched the two fight it out, especially Franky who is watching out for any possible ship damage that might be incurred.

The room became heated, sparks continued to fly between the two, not even noticing that none of their crewmates were bothering to stop them. Chopper flopped down on the floor, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his hand (or hoofs) trying to fan himself. "Hot… hot…"

Franky wiped a sweat. "Now that you mention it… It feels warm."

Brook opened the door to the deck and tried to check things outside. "Nami-san, there's nothing strange in the weather! Yohohoho, I can even feel the cold ocean breeze in my skin—even though I don't have a skin."

"So it means, that it is hot only inside the ship." Robin mused.

Not that Ace minded the heat—he is fire, heat doesn't bother him—he tried to sense where the heat was radiating off. It doesn't seem that there is something burning in the ship because all of the StrawHats are present inside the room, and he is sure as hell that he didn't burn anything either.

Two men inside the room dashed towards the bedroom of a certain blacksmith.

Ace opened the door, and the heat intensified as they discovered its source.

There laid their previous topic of conversation, tossing and turning on the bed and gripping the sheets tightly it made her knuckles white. Ace ran and checked everything on the bed, trying to see if there is anything that could've caused the drastic change in temperature.

But he saw none.

Law approached his patient and eyed her calculatively. "It's coming from Raven-ya." He stated.

The StrawHats entered the room and trying to bear the intensity of the heat, all of them are worriedly staring at their comrade.

Chopper hopped on the bed and tried to check their crewmate's temperature only to be shocked that in a few seconds, the thermometer broke. "This is bad. This fever could damage her brain!" Panicked the reindeer.

It is quite disturbing that this heat comes from a human body. Law mentally noted. Unless….

"Firefist-ya, can you wake her up?"

"What is happening, Chopper? Torao?" Luffy asked seriously, he too is affected by the heat but is trying to bear it.

"Sei, Sei…" Ace tried to tap the blacksmith.

"I…" Feeling the tap on her skin, the blacksmith slowly opened her eyes. Huh…? I was… Where was I… I was… Black, was something that greeted her. The surgeon and reindeer noticed this and pushed the pyro out of the way.

"Raven-ya." Law called out. Automatically, the patient turned her head towards the source of the voice Chopper took out a penlight he kept inside his pocket and touched the girl's head, trying to slowly coax her to face the reindeer.

Sei recognized the hoofs (it's not like there are other animals in their ship anyways). "Cho..pper..?

Nami audibly gasped, their comrade had turned to Chopper but she was not staring at the doctor. Her gaze missed.

"Sei is—"

Law noticed the unnatural breathing of their patient, and another rise of temperature inside the room. "Raven-ya, calm down." He tried to hold her shoulders and was surprised to find it cooler than the room. She isn't affected by the heat even though it emits from her body. In fact she is cold.

"Law,"

"Listen to me, Raven-ya. I need you to take deep breaths—" The lavender-haired girl began to follow. "That's it. Inhale, exhale, inhale exhale, slowly. Do you see any light now?"

True enough she begin to see some light.

"Don't rush it, Sei. Calm down and adjust your eyes to the light. Slowly. Breathe." She heard the reindeer say.

The blacksmith internally flinched. He is worried. She doesn't like it when she makes them worry. Even though she can't see anything, she could feel the heavy air inside the room. Slowly, she was able to recognize their faces. She focused her eyes on her captain. "Luffy…" She can't read his facial expression, he was only staring her with blank eyes.

Law decided to end the staring contest and gestured by his hand. "Raven-ya, we would appreciate if you could lower the temperature inside this room."

"Eh…? Sei stared confused at the surgeon.

"EHHH?!" Exclaimed by the other Straw Hats.

Almost automatically, the heat dissipated and soft air flowed in the room.

"SOOO COOL!!" Only Luffy had a different reaction from the group. His eyes sparkled widely. "Since when can you control the temperature?"

Usopp joined the captain. "You mean we will have no problem if there will be sudden cold and hot areas in the Grand Line?"

Sei winced at the loudness. But more importantly, what the heck are they saying? She could control the temperature? What is she, a thermostat?

"A devil fruit—"

"That's awesome, Ojou!"

She is starting to get annoyed by the sounds, and the cant even understand half of the one-sided conversation. She is attacked question by question by her fellow crewmates who failed to see her scattered brain during the mornings.

"It could help to make the booze better—"

"My mikan tree's found its savior in the grand line!"

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Ace flailed noticing the irritation on the blacksmith.

Law looked too amused to bother reprimanding the other pirates in the room.

"I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HECK ARE WE TALKING ABOUT!! SPEAK ONE BY ONE!" She yelled.

The group shut their mouth in an instant.

Sei, irritably huffed, trying to calm herself. Ace noted to back off a little during the mornings…or maybe not.

"Now. Can we resume the conversation by speaking one by one, and acting like the mature adults we are?" She sweetly added.

"Brat." Zoro automatically countered.

Sei glared which was ignored by the swordsman. "You changed inside the forest."

"…Oh…"

So this isn't the first time she changed? Ace mentally noted the reaction of her crewmates. They didn't even look bothered by it. Which is quite surprising, one normal person would freak out with the 160-degrees change in the personality, not to mention the change in color. She did pull out her katanas, which only made her more dangerous. On one hand, StrawHats are not exactly 'normal'.

"I'm sorry…" She apologized sadly. She doesn't want that, it was like she is losing a part of herself. It makes her nervous to know that there is another personality inside her that she doesn't even know. Another person that may potentially harm her comrades.

"Raven, you are making the room, too cold." Law noted, noticing the slight frost on the floor.

"WHAT?"

Law wore his stethoscope and proceeded to examine his patient. "Deep breathe." Normal. He placed his hands on her forehead. Cold.

"Tell me, Raven, what kind of fruit did you manage to eat during your abduction."

Huh?

"Fruit?"

"Ojou, you are making the temperature jump up and down, and no one else would be able to do that aside from a devil fruit."

"Mendell he—"

She remembered the moment when her blood touched one of the swords she made, that silvery white metal automatically turned into black.

Curse.

"He made me eat a Devil…fruit…" She murmured to herself. She stared at the hands, slightly trembling.

Ace stared at his fiancé, even though faint, he could see her tremble, fear in her eyes were starting to grow. Was she afraid of herself? Who wouldn't? She changes personality without her own knowledge and the worst part is that she could actually harm someone with those skills of hers.

"COLD!" The sniper suddenly exclaimed, probably not able to stop himself. She raised her head and what she saw shattered her. Her crewmate's breaths were almost visible with the fog, almost all of them seem to be affected by it, minus Luffy, Chopper and Ace.

The doctor began to see the signs of panic surfacing, he decided to lead everyone out of the room. The more his patient gets upset, the more uncontrollable her power becomes. He had heard of many stories of people who weren't able to control their abilities, and none of it ended like a fairy tale.

He motioned Straw Hat to stop questioning and everyone understood. They always do.

"Brat, you look horrible to say the least."

Almost automatically, Sei glared at the swordsman. She knew he was concerned, but couldn't he phrase it nicely? Oh, well. This is Zoro, he had a twisted way of caring for his crewmates.

"Duh. I don't think you will look nicely from fainting inside a freakin forest."

"As I said, you look like shit. You need to clear up or your blade will dull." He stepped outside before he heard Robin giggle and Nami sighed.

Sanji ruffled the lavender hair softly, much to the blacksmith's annoyance. "Don't mind the shitty marimo. Just rest, I'll bring food later." Sanji walked out.

"Just don't put vegetables!!" The blacksmith shouted.

Sanji just waved his hand.

Nami shrugged, really those two are similar. Even though at times, they were harsh, they care for her like a little sister. All of them do, she is childish as Luffy, minus the hard-headedness. Oh, wait. She's hard-headed too but not as much as Luffy. She sighed. As expected of a Straw Hat member. Follow the leader, huh.

(~pagebreak~)

Yayayayay!!! The date right now is 03/01/18 08:17 pm!!

Im back!! Lol..

Im still very much alive. Yep…

cough*

Uhmmm… I would love to thank those various KnB AkaKuro fanfics that I have been reading since last week. You guys are awsum, you made me roll around in my bed, trying to be quiet fangirling over your stories.. and thanks to you guys my plot bunnies are jumping around happily!

Yayayayay!!

NP: Clutch Time by Hyuuga Junpei.

Please read and review!!