Chapter 1
"Mother, are you sure?" I asked. The branches and leaves of the surrounding trees rustled, and the wind blew, forming the soothing voice of a lady.
"Yes. You have been the White Guardian for many years now. The ancient treasure no longer needs guarding. It is time for you to set out in the world, to choose your path for once. Or you can stay here, I don't mind, my little blossom." my mother responded. Mother doesn't have an actual from. She is the life of this hidden island. She is the echoing wind. She is the forest itself. She is Mother. Mother has raised me all the time I've been here, which is my whole life. My purpose is to guard the treasure on this island. I don't know why, but Mother has told me that is why I She created me. She told me it would be dangerous if anyone got near, or even set foot on the shrine. Mother told me only I can touch it without being hurt. I tried it and indeed I do not feel pain. But I don't know if other people feel pain. My duty for all this time was to use my abilities to blow away intruders. When I use my power, the wind comes and blows them through the mist, to a place I do not know. I do not fully understand my power, nor does Mother.
The treasure can't work anymore, so she told me that I could set out my own path. Stepping out of the tall grass where I had lain, letting the sun dry the water from my bath in the spring, one of the branches of the tree slowly drooped down, and my clothes hanging from it. I have worn the same thing all this time. It's a sleeveless white button-up shirt with a turtleneck. The long white pants are connected to the shirt. From where the bottom of the back of the shirt was supposed to be, a long cloth extended, sweeping the ground. It was large enough to wrap around my body, but could shrink to the right size. White waterproof boots which went to my ankles went with the outfit, and waited at the base of the tree. I took my clothes from the branch, which retracted back into place, and I unbuttoned the buttons. It's kind of tricky to put it on at first. I wiggled into the pants, put my arms through the sleeve openings, and closed my shirt. Then I pulled the boots onto my feet. When I had finished that, I walked out of the clearing with the lake which I bathed in, which happened to be surrounded by trees, to a certain apple tree. There was a low, sturdy branch which was perfect for sitting in, which I did. An apple dropped down and I caught it with ease. My teeth sank into the juicy fruit, and I leaned back against the trees trunk.
"What do you want to do, little one?" Mother asked.
"Part of me wants to stay here, with you, but the other part of me wants to go out, out into the wide sea. It wants to learn, to explore, and to travel. It wants to live a life. That part of me is stronger. I can feel the urge." was my reply.
"I understand, little one. You do not have any experience in the outside world, so walk to the rose gardens center. There lies a gift which will help you dearly." Mother advised.
"Okay." I did as told, and walked for five minutes to get to where the roses grew. They were arranged in hedges to form one large circle. I walked up to part of the leafy wall and whispered to it. The hedges pulled apart to let me pass.
"You are getting better with your Whispering." praised Mother, and inside I glowed with pleasure. In the middle of the unkempt grass was Mothers gift. I picked it up and examined it. The gift was a small, beautiful rose, one of all the colors you can think of. It was growing on a wristband made of rose stems. I mean, it was literally growing. I could sense the life in it. The rose had a small glass sphere around it. "With this I can always be with you to give you advice. Now you don't have to miss me. It will also tell you when you are going to die, but don't live on that information." she warned.
"Don't worry, mother, and thank you." I assured and slipped it around my wrist. It fit perfectly. I walked out of the rose garden, and the gap closed behind me. I walked back to the apple tree, where a pack made of vines and leaves waited on my Sitting Branch. I opened it and looked at its contents. There was several apples, a cord of more vines braided into a rope, a blade made of bone, a book made of bark and leaves (Probably made by the fairies which also inhabit this place), a feather for a pen, berry ink in a wooden cup (Again, fairies), along with my water pouch which I usually store inside the apple tree. I closed the pack and slipped my arms through the handles.
"There is a boat waiting for you by the Peak." Mother told me. The Peak was a thin outstretch of land and the only place that was actually almost level with the water. The surface of the rest of the island was too high to safely reach the water. As promised, there was a raft, with a sail as white as my hair. There was even a paddle. I didn't stop to wonder how the raft got there or how it was made. Mother can be very unpredictable. I stepped onto the wood and sat down, my cape thingy tucked under me. The murky water began pushing my raft away from the place I had known for my entire life. Did I regret my decision? Not at all. Sleep,mylittlecub.Ishallwakeyouwhenitistime. Mother said in my head. As told, I lay on my side, one arm hugging my pack to my stomach, the other pulling my cape thingy over my body while I closed my eyes. It took several minutes for sleep to come, as I was not sleeping in the grass as I was used to, but eventually the gently rocking of my raft caused me to slip into the dream world.
My dreams are usually never very normal. This time, though, it was normal enough as I dreamt what places outside of the island is like. I woke up when I heard mother talking in my head. Wakeup,mylittleone, Mother prompted. I sat up and looked around, rubbing my eyes. All around me, I could see the blue sky. In the distance was something I could not identify. Thatisyourfirststop.Ifyouaregoingtostartyourjourney,youaregoingtoneedanameotherthantheWhiteGuardian. She was right; at least, I thought she was right because she has been right as far as I can remember.
"WhataboutWhiteBlank?" I thought back. Areyousurethatyoudon'twantsomething,abitmore,say,well,different? She suggested.
"Nah,Ilikeit." I replied mentally. Beforewearriveatthatisland,youshouldprobablylearnsomethings.One,thisoceaniscalledtheEastBlue.Two,therearethingscalledDevilFruitsthatgrantstheiruseraspecialpower,dependingonthefruit,buttakesawaytheirabilitytoswim.Youdon'thaveone,butmostpeoplewillthinkyouhaveaDevilFruitifyouuseyourpower,sotrynottouseitormakesureyoudon'thavetoswiminwater.Youcouldbeputindangerifanybodyfoundoutaboutthetruth.Three,therearemanypirateshere,sowatchout.TherearealsotheMarines;theydealwithpiratesandotherthings,althoughtheyhavedonesomebadthings.Butifyouneedprotectingfromapirate,gotothembutdoNOTshowthemyourpower.I'lltellyoumoreabouttheMarinesandotherthingstomorrow.Attheisland,whichiscalledKeogh,youwillhavetofindajobuntilyoudecidewhatyouwanttodo.
"Okay,Mother,butwhydidn'tyoutellmethisbefore?" I asked her.
"Tokeepyousafeandtopreventyoufromleavingbeforeyourtrialofservitudehadfinished," she explained, "I'msorryforkeepingthisinformationfromyou."
"It'sokay." I assured. Andonemorething,thereareotherslikeyou,yetverydifferent.Theydonothavethesamepast,buttheydohaveasimilarability.SinceyouaretheWhiteGuardian,yourpowerwillevolve.Likeyoualwaysknew,Idonotevengullyunderstandyourpowers,butIknowtheyareassociatedwithmorethantheisland.Sobecarefulwhoyoutrust,andfindtheseotherGuardians!
"ButcantheotherGuardiansprotectthemselves?"
No, you have the most experience with your powers out of all of them. How they react may be different, but I know at least some of them will panic and be confused, and there are other powers at work here, not all very nice. Those with dark purposes will try to control or even destroy the Guardians. You must assemble a circle of those who believe and trust in you, and will come when you are in need. There is another Guardian on the island, I can sense him. His powers are currently dormant but will awaken very soon.
"Yes,Mother." I replied. By now the island which I could not identify earlier was closer, and I could see trees, plants, and busy-looking people, though they were small from this distance. Along the area were several ships, many sporting a flag with a special symbol. They were all different, though they followed the same guidelines. One was an animal with curly horns head with bones forming an X behind it. Another had a sword and a gun replacing the crossing bones and a skull wearing goggles over it. Compared to the ships I and my raft felt very small. It would still be a time before I actually got to the island, so I took out my pack and pulled out the book, along with the pen and ink, and put in the first entry.
Day One,
So far I had recently left the island which has been my home for so many years. My raft is slowly approaching the island of Keogh. Mother told me that there are other Guardians, with powers similar to mind. These powers of mine are quite mysterious to the point where even she can't full understand them. And she told me I have to find the other Guardians, but even though I have no complaints whatsoever, one question of mine is 'why'? Is it because it is my fate or duty? Or to protect them and the secrets we Guardians are yet to uncover? And who are these people Mother told me of that want to hurt the Guardians? How did we get our powers in the first place? I have so many questions now, but first I should focus on the Guardian on Keogh. I have to find him somehow, and make sure he doesn't get hurt. But how will I do that? I don't even know the full extent of my own powers, and what will this Guardian be like? Wow, this situation is overwhelming me. I didn't expect things to be like this when I left, but the Universe works in mystifying ways.
Sincerely,
Me
I looked over my entry, the red ink permanently staining the page. How was I going to do this? Guess I should do one question at a time. But there will be time for that later, as now I have arrived at the island, or at least near it. I took hold of the paddle and steered the raft into the docking area. Using the rope I tied the raft to one of the pegs on the wooden platform and jumped up. I'd best not risk my pack getting stolen so I had also brought my pack, along with the wooden paddle for a weapon. It was an odd choice of weapon and not a very resourceful one, but it would do for now. Since the straps of the packs were made of vines, I slipped the paddle between the intertwining cords so I wouldn't have to use one of my hands to carry it. Next I marched into the town, stalls lining the sides of the paved roads. I had to find a job, as mother told me, but I had no idea what I could do. I walked up to a middle-aged man running a fruit stand.
Don'tforgetyourmanners,White, said Mother, and I was glad that she used the name I made up.
"Excuse me, but would you happen to know where I could get a job?" I asked the man.
"Yeah, ahead you'll find a market. It's one of the most popular places for the surrounding islands as they have all kinds of goods from all over the Grand Line. They're hiring people to do some cleaning around the place. Find a lady called Martha and tell her Frank sent you. What's your name anyway?" he asked.
"Thank you, and my name is White Blank." I answered and set off towards the market. It was pretty obvious which building it was from its appearance and the people milling around inside whom could be seen through the tall windows. For a while I just stood and stared at the intricate details of the place. The building was tall and white, and many carvings were engraved into the stone, covering nearly every inch except for the less impressive sign. The sign was plain brown wood with 'Go Go Super Market!" carved and painted into it.
Funnyname, commented Mother. Yeah, I thought back. While I was halfway through the doorway, something very strange happened. My arm felt funny and strange, glowing, white curly marks appeared on my left arm and a circle of the same marks appeared on the wall when I stepped back outside to look around. What was happening?
White,Iamgettingsomeinformationoutofnowhere.I-Ithinkyoushouldpressyourhandonthecircle.Andforsomereasonnobodyseemstobetakinganynoticeofthis. I turned my head and indeed, nobody was staring or even glancing toward me or the white circle. And if Mother said I should do something, I guess I should do it. I pressed my left arm on the circle and was quite startled when I went straight through it. I landed hard on my face, and I sat up cross-legged, rubbing my nose. I was in a narrow stone tunnel, torches along the walls but not completely banishing the darkness of the place. To my right instead of a regular torch the fire of this one was green. The strange circle was carved underneath it, no longer glowing. ThisplaceiscalledtheTunnelsoftheMyth.ThetorchandthemarkmustshowwheretheEntrancePointis.ApparentlythereareEntrancePointsleadingtodifferentplacesandarescatteredalongallthetunnels.OntheOtherSide,thenormalworld,theEntrancePointsareinmanydifferentplaces,andonlyaGuardiancanaccessthem.Also,whenoneisresonatingwiththeGuardian,thepeoplearoundthemcan'tseethemandwillgetanimpulsetoavoidtheareawheretheGuardianisstanding, Mother explained. I wasn't even going to ask how she knew this stuff.
"So now what should I do?" I asked Mother. Than up ahead I could barely see a large carving. I ran to it, and observed it. It looked like a map of the Tunnels. There were ton of lines and there was glowing dark green stone at one spot. There were many smaller, glowing, light green gems scattered among the lines. "It looks like the dark green one is me, and the smaller ones are the Entrance Points. What do you think, Mother?" I chatted. If I didn't hear myself speak I was afraid I would lose myself in this place.
Ithinkyouareright.Wait,White!Look,thereisanotherdarkgreenone. As Mother said another dark green one had appeared, and it was moving rapidly to where I was.
"If only Guardians can access this place, then that means…It's the other Guardian!" I exclaimed. My voice echoed down both sides of the tunnel, and the other spot on the map stopped.
"W-who's there," a voice cried out. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him perfectly fine.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," I answered, "My name is White Blank." I heard slow footsteps, and a boy that looked about 8 came into view. He had brown hair, red eyes, and even different shades of red clothing. His forearms had the curly markings, only they glowed red. His eyes widened when he saw my forearms, and I realized the markings still remained, and had spread to both of my arms, just like the boy.
"Y-you're like me!" he squeaked.
"Yes, I am. Allow me to explain, but first please tell me your name," I said calmly.
"Rudy Primrose. What are these markings? When they first showed up while I was in the street, some people tried to attack me. On a building this red circle appeared, but nobody noticed. The men were about to attack me and I pressed on the circle and I ended up here, but I didn't stop running because I was too afraid." Rudy babbled, speaking so fast I could barely understand him.
Quite the frisky one, isn't he?
"Yes,yesheis," I thought back to Mother, "Hey, slow down. First, you and I are what are called Guardians. We have special powers that cannot be full understand. I am the White Guardian and you must be the Red Guardian, and there are other Guardians, and some of their powers have probably not awakened. There are people who wish us harm, but I do not know why are who they are. These markings seem to appear when we are near an Entrance Point, and that is what that circle is called, and when we are in here. This place is called the Tunnels of Myth. Though, I wasn't expecting you to be so young," I explained, as I talked, Rudy seemed to calm down a bit, only to raise his eye in confusion.
"I'M FOURTEEN! And what are these powers like?" he questioned. He certainly didn't look his age.
"Like I said, they are not fully understood and probably never will, but I think the Guardians color decides the power. I think my power relates to wind, but I don't know everything I can do. We will have to wait and see what you can do."
"Wait a minute, we?" he accused.
"One of my missions is to find the other Guardians and bring them with my travels."
I never said they had to travel with you.
"ButIsupposedtheywouldhaveto,inorderforustoprotecteachother.Anditseemsbesttobandtogetherforsafetyinnumbers." I thought retorted.
Youhaveagoodpoint.
"For us Guardians to learn more about our powers and fight these mysterious enemies, it is best we stick together, unless you have other plans." I said.
"Actually, I've got a family, and I ain't abandoning them!" Rudy growled his fear now replaced by anger.
Watch your words carefully, little one
"It is your choice, but if you stay with them your family will be in great danger. Remember the men who attacked you earlier? They will do anything possible to hurt you."
"R-really, you aren't lying?"
"I swear on my mothers' brooch."
Even though I don't have one
I know mother, but I needed to swear on something.
It is okay, just say on my truest word next time
Fine
"I'll come with you then. But can I at least say goodbye to them?"
"Sure."
"Do you have a Den-Den Mushi?"
"A Den-Den what?"
"You don't know what a Den-Den Mushi is?"
"This is actually my first time off of my island."
"Oh, so, like, can we get out of here?" he asked. I nodded and, taking his hand in mine, I led him to the Entrance Point I had used to get in here, but paused before passing. Ignoring the warm sensation caused by my markings due to the resonance with the Entrance Point, I shared my thought with Rudy.
"We have no idea what's on the other side. So how can we know if those men that want to kill us are on the other side? And will people still not notice us?"
"Guess we'll have to chance it." Rudy said with a shrug. So with that I pressed my palm on the circle and we passed through the Entrance Point. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side. Once we had passed, nobody took notice and Rudy led the way to his house, only to find our path blocked by men dressed in pinstripe suits and readying rifles.
This doesn't seem it will turn out very well.
No, it does not Mother.
"What do we do!" cried Rudy, who was trying to hide behind me.
"Um, one, we can run, two, we can fight. Your choice," I suggested.
"Aren't we surrounded?"
"I thought…" I trailed off since I glanced behind and indeed, we were surrounded by the pinstripe men, "Then let's fight. I mean, I'll fight." Rasising one arm, the winds suddenly began to become fiercer and fiercer, until I had created a full-fledged wind storm. All the pinstripe men were lifted to the skies, before being blown to some random place across the island. I failed to notice one of their numbers hidden in an alley, and raised a pistol at me.
"White!" shrieked Rudy and he threw himself in front of me.
"Rudy, don't!" I warned, but I had not needed to as the man was enveloped by fire. He stared at his palms in amazement, stunned by his newly awakened ability.
"So, are we going to say goodbye to your family or what?"
"Nah, I can just write them. They'll be sad I left, but it will put them in danger if I went home to say goodbye."
