Chapter 16

This was turning into a dramatic disaster, Law couldn't help but think. Hopefully not all the Chosen ones had been like this. If they had been, well Law had to admit he was surprised that the Old God of Light hadn't simply just erased them all for being sheer annoyances.

Firstly they had all been captured. Most of them got free, bar their leader Dragon, who remained captured. They fled to Nami's village which was being run by a criminal, who got his ass kicked by Vivi and Luffy. And she was the simple one, or actually Vivi was. Vivi didn't seem to have any crazy past, apart from being a Princess, but considering that was what she was Chosen as... Yeah, wasn't too surprising.

Marco and Ace were apparently lovers from years ago, but Ace got reincarnated into a hunter and Marco went crazy and ate people. Or something like that. Now Marco had some memories back but not them all and Ace thought he was under an enchantment and Law had no idea what was going on honestly. Zoro's lover was a head witch and was constantly being hunted down, and Law had Doflamingo chasing after him.

Not to mention they were all infected by darkness.

Seriously, what the fuck was this mess?

Now Marco was sulking, Nami, Vivi and Tama sitting beside him, trying to encourage him, while Sanji and Zoro argued. About what, Law wasn't sure, Zoro had been worried, Sanji got annoyed by his fretting, they started calling each other names and Sanji said how Zoro never cleaned the dishes and it descended into them kicking and punching each other.

By the Gods, he would have been better off with Doflamingo.

"Traffy," Luffy called out. "What was all that?"

Law raised a brow. "What was what?"

"That whole Mingo thing. He said you were ill but he also said he was controlling you and he was such a jerk!" Luffy huffed. "Then that shadow lady appeared and didn't let me hit Mingo."

Vivi startled. "Yeah, Law are you alright? I thought you were okay!"

Law sighed. "My kind have been infected with a disease called Amber Lead for years now. I'm the last of them because of that, and the only reason I'm alive is because of Doflamingo's 'cure'."

"But you said this cure was bad, right?" Luffy frowned. "How can a cure be bad? Does it taste nasty?"

Law twitched. How did he find this idiot endearing again?

"No," Law sighed. "The problem is that the cure is created from someone's life force, and I hadn't discovered that until a few years ago."

Luffy frowned. "And this person is important to you?"

"He's the reason I am who I am today." Law gritted his teeth. "But because he saved me from my hatred and tore me from Doflamingo's family he was regarded as a traitor to Doflamingo and his life force is now being continuously stolen from him and fed to me. I was in the process of trying to discover where Doflamingo has been keeping him but that usually leads me to being captured by Doflamingo and having one of his strings put into my head."

"And these strings control you?" Vivi startled. "How?"

"He's a New God," Law said. "His magical power is vastly different from any other mortal beings, no matter their age or power. Doflamingo was originally an Angel, but when he was ascended into Godhood he became even more powerful-"

Nami gasped. "He was an Angel? Him? Angels are beings of pure light. They are kind and gentle-"

Law grimaced. "He may have had the potential for that once but if he was anything like that it was long before my time. The only kindness he will ever show is to his family, and we're bound to him by the strings in our heads."

Luffy twitched. "He does that to all his family?"

"Yeah, they all accept it, but obviously I'm the 'troublemaker' because I refuse to." Law scoffed. He was always told off by his 'family' members for not 'behaving'. Brainwashed bunch of donkeys.

Luffy gritted his teeth. "I'll kick his damn ass! And the next time the shadow lady better not get in my way, or I'll kick her too! I'll never let him take you, Law. You're free, just like the rest of us-"

A gentle warmth filled Law at the thought, but he brushed it off, reverting to his usual sarcastic nature. It was far easier to deal with, than the faint warmth soothing him like it had a few years ago. All because of another person with a huge grin and bright personality.

No, he shook off the joy. Instead he pointed at Luffy's arm. "Well I believe we need to get that darkness out of your arm first before you can attain your complete freedom."

Luffy gasped, staring at his arm. "You're right! Shishishishi, you'll get it out of us, Traffy. I trust you."

The joy hit Law like a brick once more, and he felt a brush of light flicker through him, unable to contain his delight. Luffy stared at him wide eyed, before his grin spread out even further.

"You just glowed. By the Gods, you're so pretty, Traffy!"

Law groaned, and buried his head in his hand. The little shit was driving him crazy. And why was he calling him 'Traffy' again? He had said Law! The little bastard was doing this on purpose, and instead of being annoying Law found it endearing.

He must have hit his head recently. That was the only explanation for any of this.

"Eh? Traffy, you can't see us if you cover your face," Luffy said, his tone the picture of confusion.

That was the point. He just needed another set of hands to block off his ears too. Then maybe he'd finally get some peace from the crazy dwarf.

.::.

Ace had finally found a temple dedicated to the Old God of Light. Ace scoffed at the idea. The Old God of Light was a Goddess, but they had depicted the holy Lady as a man. The common folk didn't even know that the Old God of Darkness wished to marry the holy Lady. It was pathetic. But the soothing peace still eased him nevertheless.

Just because the memory was wrong, didn't mean the ideas were.

Ace sat down by the fountain that was pressed against the wall, away from the chairs and the altar where the priests attempted to tell the history of the Old God of Light.

A throbbing in his head made him grimace.

A vaguely familiar woman's voice spoke up, much to Ace's despair. "They should know better than to anger a Portgas."

"D-Demons!" Another woman's voice, filled with pain, choking out the word.

"This is what I have to put up with." A man complained.

A different woman's voice wailed loudly. "It's not my fault I was born to the Healing Clan! I like studying medicines, not performing surgery!"

"You don't need to perform surgery as a healer, Hiramatsu. Just use magic-"

"Using my last name just makes me panic more!"

"Yes, Spirit Healer, remember what I did to your kind for siding with Joy Boy." Another man's voice said sharply.

The same man spoke again, but this time filled with gentle amusement. A kind tone one would take with a child. It soothed Ace, and he couldn't help but breath a soft sigh of relief.

"It's a beautiful necklace. But I sense a powerful creature within it. What did you find?"

A woman's voice again. The first woman's. "A Phoenix!"

"Really? My, that is interesting. They are very rare creatures."

"I found this one in a cave trapped in the fossil when I was little."

"I once had to kill one. An unfortunate affair, but that Phoenix was far too dangerous to live."

Ace startled awake. A Phoenix? The man had killed a Phoenix? Ace groaned, shaking his head, but was startled when footsteps approached him.

People didn't approach others at the fountain. Apart from the Priest who knelt before him. He had red hair and a beard, surprisingly not overly groomed like the regular priests would have. He was dressed rather casually too compared to the robes and overcoats most priests would have.

It was the Old God of Light's symbol upon his chest that keyed Ace into his true work however. He was the head of this temple.

"Having a tough day?" he asked, smiling warmly.

"It feels longer than that..." Ace sighed.

"Such as the way of things when the days go wrong," he said. "I'm Jonathan, head of the temple." Jonathan winked. "Of course, I too end up laughing at my colleagues version of the holy Lady, just as I'm sure you do."

Ace choked. "I thought only the Hunter's Guild-"

"I have a colourful history." Jonathan grinned. "And I remember you, although you were just a toddler when I was last around. Stumbling after that Smoker guy with relentless enthusiasm. It was so adorable."

Ace groaned.

"Smoker absolutely adored it. Never would admit it of course," Jonathan chuckled. "So cute. The pair of you. But I bet Akainu's running you ragged and sending you out on missions far too early for your age, right? You shouldn't even be in your thirties yet. My, how time flies. Jessica was still ignoring me those days, or threatening to cut me with her dagger if I didn't stop sending her flowers."

Ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. This guy was just going on about anything and everything, wasn't he? But Ace knew his game, it was to distract and calm, just how Ace was taught to interact with people. Hunters used their more 'charming' personalities –Although Akainu didn't have a charming bone in his body- to calm potential witnesses to darker creatures crimes down.

It worked even now with Ace.

"It's not exactly a mission from Akainu anymore." Ace held out his arm, the one without the darkness of course. There was no way he would let anyone from the Hunter's Guild, previously or not, see it.

Jonathan startled. "A Chosen One? My, you really have led quite the interesting life for a elf as young as yourself. I knew the beacons around the world were lit, but as always, we do not know who the Chosen are."

"I don't know how much help we're gonna be this time," Ace admitted. "Teach, the Old God of Darkness, he's ambushed us already and taken our leader. The rest of us barely managed to escape, but everything keeps going wrong-"

"Sometimes the difficult path is the one that leads us on to the true road." Jonathan laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gentle. "You're a Portgas, Ace. You're a child of light and fire, but you've not seen the world yet. There's so much for you to experience, from both the past and the future."

"So I just need to press on?" Ace huffed. "I could have told myself that."

Jonathan chuckled. "And perhaps rely on your fellow Chosen. I know it's difficult, the Chosen have darker creatures among them. But think of it this way, the Lady chose them for a reason, and the other Chosen before you have managed to put aside their worries and work by their side."

"She has a plan..." Ace sighed.

Because that's what they were taught. That the holy Lady always had a plan for her followers. He had been chosen as one of her warriors for a reason.

But Marco...

"The Vampire Chosen believes he has memories of me from another life-"

Jonathan paused. "Marco?"

Ace startled. "You know him?"

Jonathan nodded. "He's close friends with the Grand Vampire himself, Edward Newgate."

"I know. I'll be cautious-"

Somewhat.

"No." Jonathan frowned. "You won't need to be. You are at your safest by their side-"

"What?" Ace gasped. "But they're vampires!"

"Not all dark creatures are evil, just as not all light creatures are good," Jonathan said. "Each of us are precious in our own way, and vampires used to be mortals. Give them a chance, Ace. You won't regret it."

"I have to anyway, don't I?" Ace huffed. "We've been Chosen together after all."

"But you will not listen to him?" Jonathan smiled.

"No. He's an ass." Ace smirked, standing up. "Thanks. I needed that little chat."

"You're welcome here anytime." Jonathan bowed his bed. "Perhaps I will see you after the Old God of Darkness is sealed once more."

"Hopefully you will." Ace grinned.

.::.

Jonathan closed his eyes and slumped against the wall once Ace had finally left. Because they would never seen each other again, not when the Guild learned what Jonathan had just done.

He should have detained Ace and handed him safely back to the Hunters Guild. No, instead he patted the boy on the back and told him to press on.

"I guess I won't be coming home..." Jonathan murmured. "Sorry, Jessica."

Sorry I've been away for a bit! I think I wrote myself into a slump with all the stories I've been working on 0.0 I've been getting a lot less hours at my job too, so now I've got to search for another job. Hopefully The Wardens of Strar takes off and I won't need to worry about hours anymore xD

Any help would be appreciated if you wish to help with The Wardens of Strar, liking the main Facebook page or sharing would be fantastic as it gets more eyes on it for the launch day. It's the 28th of this month, so it's really close now o.o

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon and catch up on all my writing :)