Hey guys and girls! I'm back! See, that wait wasn't nearly as long as the last one:) Well I've got to make this quick because I should get to bed, school starts up again tomorrow... yay. I hope you like this chapter. It is a bit short but they will start to get back to there normal lengths again soon. I've figured out that I use writing as a stress reliever which is why I feel more inclined to write during the school year. Anyway! Lot's of new info in the chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 12

The Reason I'm Here?

"RUN!"

I wasn't sure who had shouted the order but no one paused to dwell on it too much. In the blink of an eye we had all bolted in a random direction, the massive python hot on our heels. I couldn't help but contemplate on how many unnaturally large animals this show had while I ran for my life. I mean really. What arc doesn't have some overly sized animal in it?

"It's sheer size…" Robin ponder, looking back over her shoulder as she ran. "Is this another result of the Sky Island's environment?"

I picked up Chopper, seeing that the little guy had shorter legs then us and couldn't run as fast. He looked at me gratefully through his tears. I looked over my shoulder to see Zoro spin around and face the serpent, one hand on the hilt of his katana. "You some kind of Catfish!?" He yelled as if it would answer. I face-palmed. Idiot.

Before he had a chance to draw his swords, the snake lurched forward forcing Zoro, Luffy and I to dodge out of the way. Zoro hopped up high off the ground, while Luffy wrapped a rubbery arm around my waist and the other around a tree branch. He flung us up onto the branch and hung below us like the monkey that he was.

The snake had sunk its teeth into the trunk of a tree, not having been able to stop in time. The crew looked on in horror when purple venom leaked from its fangs and dissolved through the tree in seconds.

"VENOM!" Chopper shrieked, wriggling around in my grasp.

Robin moved up to a high branch as well to get off the ground and out of easy reach of the predator.

"It's time for a tactical retreat." Zoro announced, gritting his teeth. I nodded vigorously. "Don't let the venom touch you!"

The snake launched towards Chopper, Luffy and I. Luffy reached out and grabbed a different branch, swinging from his arm like someone would a vine. With little choice, I jumped off the branch just in time to avoid being swallowed whole. We fell through the air and I snapped my eyes shut, focusing with every fiber of my being. Come on, come on!

I felt the now familiar surge of energy run through my core and I redirected it into my feet and managed to for a disk below us to catch our fall and lower us safely to the ground. I didn't get a chance to thank whatever gods out there that my power worked again because Chopper and I had to dodge the snake's tail that came whipping around. Chopper went the opposite way I had and disappeared off behind a tree.

When I came to my senses I stood up just in time to watch the snake slither off and I was left standing there in the destroyed area.

Completely. Alone.

"Oh poo…"

Okay. Someone is following me.

Do you know that weird chill you get when it feels like someone is watching you? The one that raises the hairs on the back of your neck? Yeah well, I had that to the extreme right now. I've had it ever since I started walking.

Really I had no idea where I was going to I just decided to follow the tracks of the snake and hope I didn't run into it again. If I remember correctly though, that snake was good or something. So maybe if I did run into it

But anyway, back to the situation. I knew for a fact that someone was following me but I wasn't sure who or why.

I definitely felt safer now that my powers were back but it didn't stop a paranoia from rising within me.

The rustling of leaves behind me caused me to shiver. Normally that sound wouldn't be odd in a jungle but when there was no wind or animals in the area… it can be a bit chilling.

Unable to take it anymore, I stopped suddenly and spun around scouring everywhere. Charging up energy in my hands, I said "Alright, enough of this. Whoever you are, come out now."

There was silence.

My eyes narrowed when I noticed a tree branch shake unnaturally. Not stopping to think I shot a bolt of darkness in that direction. It broke through the tree branch and it skimmed past leaves on its other branches before dissipating. Anywhere the darkness touched began to turn black as if the darkness was bleeding into the tree.

It didn't take long before I was staring at a once living beautiful piece of nature, now dead and decaying as if it had been as such for decades.

A whistle of amazement sounded from behind me. I stiffened, forgetting for a moment that I had just killed an innocent tree. "Jeez… And that was meant for me? Didn't think you hated me that much."

Recognizing the voice I turned slowly and came face to face with none other than Locke, who was leaning casually against a tree. "I don't have much of an opinion of you yet. Why are you following me?"

He looked at me with an even gaze. Never faltering, never looking away. "Well, I did have a question to ask you but that right there answers it pretty clearly." He gestured to the dead tree.

I raised a brow at him. "So you were stalking me?"

Locke shrugged and pushed off from his leaning position, moving closer to me. "It's more fun that way."

Now that he was right in front of me I took the time to really look at him. He seemed much more relaxed then he had before and less like he wanted to strangle me. Which was a nice change. I wasn't particularly in the mood to be strangled. Before he could ask his question, I decided to ask one of my own. "Who are you?"

Locke tilted his head. "I think we've covered this already."

I laughed and started walking in the direction I was headed before but at a more relaxed stroll this time. I gestured for Locke to follow. "No, I mean where are you from? How'd you get here?"

Locke matched pace with me easily. "I don't really think that's very important." He said honestly, but his voice wasn't defensive or guarded it was light and relaxed.

"I think it's important."

"You trying to get to know me better?" He asked with a slightly flirtatious tone. I rolled my eyes.

"If you plan on continuing to stalk me then yes." I returned. He smirked but didn't say anything so I decided to ask another question instead. "Do you know anything about the Cradle?" To my surprise, Locke nodded. I hadn't really expected him to, what with the little information I had this far. "What do you know? Have you heard of the Children of the Cradle? Why do they call me the Dark Song? How did I end up here? Wh-"

"Woah! Woah, slow down!" He seemed to look me over for a moment before sighing and turning his gaze back in front of him. "I guess I'd better start at the beginning huh?"

I nodded eagerly.

"Alright. Well, a long time ago, people from our world found a way to enter this world through a… portal?" Locke paused, testing the word before shaking his head and continuing. "That they created using the five elements."

I looked at him in confusion. "Aren't there only four elements? Earth, fire, water and air right?"

"That's what most people think but there's one that's always forgotten." Locke stopped walking and crouched down, beginning to draw something in the dirt. I squatted beside him to see what it was. To my amazement, Locke drew the same symbol that was on the letter I had received and the one that Alex and I had found in the book. As he drew he continued speaking. "The four base elements are powerful enough as they are but they aren't powerful enough to break through to a different world. Our people discovered the missing ingredient."

Locke finished drawing the cross and drew a lion on the left of it, saying "Earth," and then moved to draw an ankh on the bottom, an eye on the right and finally an arrow at the top saying each element that corresponded with the symbols in order "Water, Fire and Air."

Then he moved to the middle and drew a raven, his finger lingering on it for a moment before he took it away saying "Darkness."

My eyes widened at the implications. Locke didn't stop there. "Our people created a way to harness the Darkness and use it. That's how they came here, to this world. However, they had to die in one world to exist in another and if a man dies once and wakes up from it they tend to get the wrong impression."

I remembered what Locke had said to me yesterday. "They thought they were invincible." I murmured in understanding.

"Exactly. But they weren't. They died off quickly and for stupid reasons like getting into fights with pirates or jumping from a cliff to see if they'd survive. When the people in charge of the operation back home got word of this, they deemed the experiments to be unsafe so they shut down the program."

I shook my head trying to work this information out in my head. "But that doesn't make sense! Our world's technology isn't nearly advanced enough for that!" I exclaimed. We hadn't even found the cure for cancer yet and he's talking about travelling through dimensions!

"The government tells common people like us only what we need to know." Locke said seriously.

"But then, how does that explain how we got here? You said they shut it down."

Locke nodded and stood up again but didn't resume walking. "They did the best they could but there were faults, holes in the system. Occasionally the portal would activate for a split second, like a hiccup almost and one of us would get sent through."

I nodded slowly. That sort of made sense…

Locke looked at me carefully. "You okay? I know it's a lot to take in."

Taking a deep breath I nodded again, more firmly this time. Locke shook his head in what I hoped was fondness. "Keep going." I urged, wanting as much information as I could get. I could process it later.

"Okay. Well, it seems that the portal only had enough extra juice for four more 'hiccups'. I was sent here after I died in a plane crash." He spoke casually as if it was everyday that you could say something like that. He pointed to the arrow at the top of the cross. "I died in the air. Your friend, the red-head."

"Alex." I offered.

"Yeah, her. She told me she died in a landslide." He pointed to the lion. "Earth."

I started to catch on to what he was saying. Each symbol in the cross represented one of the people who came through to this side with every leak of the portals energy.

"Ganesh was burned alive. Fire." Locke said pointing at the eye, then he frowned. "But this is where we have a problem. I thought that you were Water, Alex told me that you had drowned. But…"

"But? But what?" I asked nervously.

"But," Locke continued "You can control the Darkness. Meaning you're the Raven. That means that one of us is still missing, and the portal should have used up the rest of its power sending you here."

I blinked at him as he stared at the symbols, thinking hard on the supposed problem that was occurring. A thought suddenly came to mind. "Say, how do you know all of this anyway?"

Locke seemed to snap out of his thoughts and he smiled at me. The sudden expression took me aback. I hadn't expected to see a genuine smile on his face. We started walking again. "Ganesh. He's been in this world the longest out of all of us. He's like a father to me." It was impossible to not hear the fondness in his voice.

I'd like to meet this person.

There was a comfortable silence between us as we walked for about a half hour. I was thinking about everything that Locke had shared. This was becoming more serious than I initially thought. It wasn't just me that could get hurt anymore. But I don't understand why! Why is all of this happening? What purpose do we have here?

I had thought of asking Locke about the Cradle again but decided against it. By the sounds of it, the person to get information from is this Ganesh character.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

My thoughts came to a screeching halt and I stumbled, just catching myself before I kissed the ground. "W-What!? Where did that come from?" I spluttered, looking at Locke with wide eyes.

He smirked. "Just wondering."

I crossed my arms and turned my head away defiantly, an awkward blush dusting my cheeks. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

He looked rather surprised before he smiled deviously. "Oh! So there is a guy. Well, I might just have to fight him for you. You are pretty cute."

My blush heated up so much I probably looked like a tomato. "W-Wait what!? I-I… h-h-how did… I don't… I'm not interested in you like that! Besides, there's no way you could beat him!"

"Beat who?"

"Luffy!"

"…"

"…"

I slapped a hand on my mouth when I realized what I had said. How did we even get into this? Locke had stopped walking and I looked at him warily. I jumped and my hand switched to cover my now racing heart as Locke burst out in laughter. "What's so funny?" I asked.

He clutched his stomach, bending forwards. "Y-You… hahahahaha… You're d-dating hahahahaha… that guy!?"

I puffed out my cheeks, too insulted to correct him. "So what if I am?" I huffed.

Locke's laughter slowed down to a chuckle. "Sorry, sorry! But, Luffy? Really? That kid?"

"He's not a kid!" I glared, totally forgetting that I had teased Luffy about being a child the other day. "And he can be really sweet…" I trailed off thinking about when he kissed my bandage.

Locke blinked at me and looked rather astonished. "You're blushing." He said bluntly almost sounding like a question.

I turned around and kept walking. "Shut up." Locke jogged to catch up with me.

"No way! I'm defiantly not going easy on this kid now!"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Why do you even care?"

Locke grinned at me. "Cause you're worth it."

"You don't even know me!"

"Then I'll get to know you!"

It was hard not to start getting frustrated with this guy. I mean really! I barely no him! And what? He wants to fight Luffy for my love? Please!

While I was grumbling to myself about how weird men could be I didn't notice the bright flash of fizzling light until it was too late.

"ASA! WATCH OUT!"

We had forgotten that Enel could hear everything hadn't we...

So? Good? Bad? Terrible? Let me know what you think! Also, check out the song The Sun Will Rise by Kelly Clarkson if you haven't already heard it. I've been told that it reflects my story pretty well so I gave it a listen. Thanks Grey-Skye-eyes for introducing me to that awesome song!

So if you have any theories about where this is going or any questions you want to ask let me know, I'd love to hear them! I've been thinking about answering reviews in the chapter's AN's... any thoughts on that? Do people like it when author's do that? I don't know.

Thanks for sticking with me everyone! You all rock! Free cookies for all!

Until Next Time!