Chapter Text
Sabo takes a deep breath, inhaling the crisp evening air. He's watching the stars outside, relaxing under the watch of the sky. The blonde closes his eyes, leaning back from his sitting position and lying down, watching the clouds shift to cover the moon. His eyes sting from the lack of sleep he's had, but he doesn't mind it. He blinks, intending to only close them for a moment.
The blonde doesn't open them again.
Soon, an eerie blue glow washed over the revolutionary, illuminated by the moon. The mist that had just rolled in covers the blonde, who shivers in his sleep and turns onto his side, falling deeper into a slumber that may or may not have been induced by the strange mist.
A much-younger-than-before Sabo blinks awake, groaning as his neck cracks. He yawns widely, smacking his lips together for a moment before taking notice of his surroundings.
Why the hell is he outside? He vividly remembers being cramped between his brothers in their treehouse. The blonde feels his breath hitch in panic for a moment, before a different piece of information resurfaces. He's in Baltigo, with the revolutionaries. He's safe.
He furrows his brows. Wait. That doesn't make sense. He tries to backtrack.
He was talking, or complaining really, to Koala. She told him to get some rest. He went to do so. Ace teased him for being too soft on Luffy. Luffy told him to be less tired–
Wait, no. That wasn't what happened.
Sabo groaned, rubbing his eyes. He's still too tired for this. He gets up, grabbing his discarded hat and turning around to head back to the base. Koala wouldn't be happy if he skipped out on work. The blonde pauses for a second, mid-step as a thought provokes him. He should go find his brothers.
The thought is sudden, but not unwelcome. He debates it for maybe half a second, before a wide grin splits across his face and he starts running. He's gotta tell Dragon-san that he's taking a break! A small vacation if you will. He last heard that Ace was a Whitebeard Commander! Imagine that, the hot-headed, stubborn Ace he knew, a commander! He almost wanted to laugh.
And Luffy! His sweet, adorable baby brother is already a captain of his own crew! The memories of what he's heard are a bit foggy, but he's sure Luffy is doing okay. After all, a starting bounty of 30.000.000 beli is nothing to sneeze at! And defeating a Warlord is impressive for a rookie, especially Crocodile!
Right, he should focus and get his memories in order. He was outside watching the stars, Ace was calm for once, Luffy tried making a story up, Koala had gotten pissed at him because he dine 'n' dashed while on a mission, Dragon told him–
Fuck, he couldn't get his thoughts in order at all! The blonde speeds up his pace and pushes any lingering anxiety to the back of his mind. He can still find his brothers! He should tell them where he's been! He absently wonders how long it's been or why he hasn't visited sooner, but dismisses the thought. He's a revolutionary, he's not supposed to be seen! That's probably why they haven't seen each other sooner.
Sabo ignored the gaping looks of others as he skidded to a stop in front of the leader's office, holding his arms out to brace his small body. He knocked three times to be polite, before reaching up and pushing the door open.
Dragon takes one look at Sabo and sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose to push away a headache. The familiar young blonde boy who opened the door to his office just beams widely at the man, swaying slightly on the heels of his feet.
"I'm going on a vacation! I have brothers to search for!" He declared, and Dragon deadpanned, before pulling out a piece of paper and writing something on it. Sabo assumes that means he can leave, so he gladly does so, opting to begin his search for a boat suitable for his needs.
Dragon delicately folds the paper he was writing on, setting the reminder in his desk. Koala would definitely like to know what happened, Hack too. Disappointingly though, Sabo had left before Dragon could remind him to bring his Den-Den Mushi. He hopes the boy remembers to bring it on his own, although it wasn't likely. He barely spares a thought as to how the blonde turned into a child, it's the Grandline after all. Anything can happen.
Look, all Sabo knew was that he was ten years old, a revolutionary despite the memories of how long he's been one being muddled and foggy, and that he's homesick. Oh, he also doesn't know exactly where he's going. That's important to add, since he's now uselessly drifting at sea in a dinky little sailboat that he has limited knowledge on how to use. Now he just needs to figure out how to steer the boat and figure out where his brothers are at the same time.
The boy glares at the bow of the vessel as though it personally offended him, before sighing. He should make a few calls, it's so difficult tracking a moving ship, how will he find the Straw Hats, let alone the Whitebeards? He pulls out his Log Pose and stares at it like it has all the answers.
Heaving a sigh once more, Sabo begins sailing to where he thinks the Moby Dick is heading; he doesn't even bother trying to predict where Luffy is. The boy was always unpredictable. He zones out for a moment, fondly remembering his brothers and steeling his resolve that he should definitely see them. Imagine how happy they would be to get a visit from him! He's such a delight. He feels a self-confident smile tug his lips.
The young boy absentmindedly traces the edges of his scar, and his smile slowly dies. How did that get there? He doesn't remember, but he knows he's had it for a long time. He didn't have it when he was with his brothers, though, he knows that for sure. He decides not to think too hard about it, instead beginning to feel a giddiness build as he plans how he'll spend time with his brothers. He feels a giggle threatening to escape when he tries to compare the younger Ace he knew to the commander.
He grins widely at the waves, anticipation thrumming under his skin. He has a lot to say to them!