Marco X Ace: Genderbender Ace

Part III

From here on, Ace will be referred to as a female because physically, he is.

Ace stares at Marco regretfully, lips puckered. On the other hand, Marco knelt facing the shimmering pool, hands scooping clear water to wipe off the sticky blood streaming from his nose. His sleepy eyes and blank face betrayed no emotion but the face when he did nosebleed was horrific!

Ace scratches his head and stammers "I didn't know I was going to be transformed into a girl you know..."

Marco doesn't answer. Ace knows very well his nakama has seen everything much to his dismay. If he was a guy, he wouldn't have minded since they were close friends, and probably more than that if Marco shares the same feelings and Ace had not been strained by his own sluggishness and inability to confess his feelings for fear of rejection. But as a girl...everything seems a hell lot sensitive, including his feelings, it feels like he would consantly cross cloud nine and get depressed easily. Included also is her strange and heightened sense of touch and not to mention his nerves that he will now describe as 'jumpy'.

The more she stared at Ace, the more the pounding of the heart on her rib cage pounded her ears drums.

His muscles and abs, well-toned and glistening from the clear water...The skin glows from neatness as the phoenix washes away dirt and dust that had gathered during the course of their chase...His sandy blond hair turning into blue flames at the tips...The eyes that had rolled up to meet her eyes, blue pools that might as well swallow her soul...Those gorgeous eyes staring hard at her and eye brows raised in question.

Ace snaps from his trance and ultimately finds that Marco was being weirded by his girlish gawking. Heat stirs at the tips of her ears, spreading across her face, more evenly gathered within her freckled cheeks. She opens her mouth and laughs, landing a hand at the back of her head "Ahaha. Sorry." Still, the new and higher pitch of her voice remains a surprise to her. How she can get used to her body, she does not know.

Marco sighs tiredly and resumes to his washing.

Like a curious girl, she thinks 'Did Marco like what he see?'

That in mind, she loosens her hand's grip on the shirt, at the heart, her palm rubbed to her breast. She almost nosebleeded herself, thinking of the body as another's but it was indeed hers. She cups them curiously and squeezes slightly as fumes escapes from her pinkish ears. They feel like watermelons! But the flesh is soft. After sizing up her chest, her eyes travel to where the two hills meet; she curiously stares down at her cleavage. 'Wow'. As in WOW.

She blushes, and unbuttons a pair of buttons more to see entirely his boobs (so sorry! This makes me nose bleed!). Mouth is shaped into a huge 'O'.

Fingers nimbly unbutton another pair, pinkish buds emerging from the cover of the short, almost to the point of her 'nips' being revealed when she looks up in time to see Marco shade his eyes. Blood was threatening to explode off his nose again and his face was drowning to a deep scarlet.

When the red might have a chance to calm down, the older man says "Would you mind doing me a favor and stop exposing your body yoi?"

Ace opens his mouth only to have it sealed again. His flushed face was still ripe and hot. "Er...okay."

Ace pouts and fixes her shirt again. Good thing her female body is also very attractive, nice curves and all but her chest is really too heavy and it feels like his waist would snap if she juts out her hip or try swaying it.

Once the buttons are paired again, the shorts she wore, decent, she says, "Well you know, there's no need to feel embarrassed. We're nakamas. Wait? Are you attracted?"

Sprouts of hope shot up from inside him.

Marco turns away from her and strolls over to one of the tunnels in fast paces "I wouldn't date a girl wearing boxers yoi."

Ace feels her mouth drop without her permission, as well as the sensation of her soul fly over to the other side.

※

They wander the tunnels, the green hue glow of the magical mushrooms giving light to many paths.

Ace stretched both arms behind Marco. She jogged and skipped, trying out her new body which was lighter and more flexible. Ace's pants were fixed by tightening the belt so no worries about the lower part while Marco's shirt was tied to a knot at her waist side. Raised, her belly button is half-revealed.

Marco was ignoring her so she starts to whistle a merry tune echoing all over the deathly silent place. When she jumps over at a small pool playfully, droplets splash into Ace's heels. The irritated man turns and glowers down at him. Ace smiles sheepishly, feeling very small compared to his nakama. His short height has become uncomfortable now.

She asks, hands on her waist "Wut?"

The older pirate says nothing, and with a straight face he turns back, resuming their wandering around the haunting place. Ace trails behind, arms crossed. Somehow, Marco was ruining his mood gradually.

Suddenly, skittering sounds echo and the walls vibrate. Small signs of life emerge slowly from the end of the tunnel facing their backs. Whirling around, they cover their ears at the deafening screeching of the black creatures with wings. Ace drops her mouth, recognizing the species of human blood-sucking bats. The thick wave charges towards them. Ace stretches out her hand to release flames but only smoke rose from her fingertips. "No!"

Before the wave descends upon them, Marco pushes Ace to the ground and covers him.