I really hope that you will enjoy this, and tell me what you think of it!

Chapter II

As the months passed by, almost peacefully as the calm was only disturbed by that blond idiot in the kitchen, the young Fire Devil soon found himself getting accustomed to the cold climate and the people living in the castle. The Duke had started to train him as he had promised, and the man was a merciless teacher, forcing the boy to surpass himself over and over again.

But between all those hard training sessions, the hostage still had to learn about other things as well, such as history and politics between the five countries. So here he was, sitting in a chair in a room filled with so many books that it almost could be taken for a library and staring out through the big window at the slowly falling snowflakes. It apparently was the start of a new season, ending of the previous hard one, which had been filled with hail big as marbles raining down from the sky. Leaning back in his chair, he listened as their teacher told Eira to recite the history of the Six Hells. Bloody damn, they had reiterated it so many times now that they could say it in their sleep.

Closing his eyes as she started to speak, he wondered if the old man would notice if he slept a little. But he probably would, and that would only result in Zoro having to recite instead, after getting a hit in the head by that gigantic book their teacher always carried around. So the boy just leaned back again and closed his eyes, listening.

"As the Almighty King ascended to this world;
What He saw was forests and fields.
Feeling the Dark Power rise inside of His heart;
He started to shape these forests and fields;
Into the sharpest of blades;
Able to cut through flesh and bone of the Ones sent to Him.

Seeing His changing being enough;
He picked up some dirt;
Drew blood from His own arm and mixed it.
From the clay He created;
This time his very own Beings.

The ones who was given birth to;
Was the First Devils;
Strong and fierce with an immense thirst for blood
And wings black as the night.

Seeing that they needed servants;
He once again picked up some dirt and mixed it with His blood.
This time he created the Demons;
Awful creatures with claws as hands and tails as tridents.

He ruled over them for over five-hundred years;
Before he moved on;
Giving the power over the now Crimson Hell to the Council of Blood;
And ascended down to the Second Hell."

"Do you want me to continue?" As she stopped to take a break after the first verse, he creaked his eyelids open and peered at her where she stood with the book in hands. She had her long black hair up in a ponytail, looking at the wise man with attentive eyes as she waited for his answer. The Fire Devil couldn't get how she always managed to be so friendly with everyone. Never had he seen her act badly or insolent against anyone during the time he had lived here, she was almost a bloody saint!

"Yes, read the second one too. Then Saga-kun will take over and read the third and fourth, after that Zoro-kun can take the fifth and sixth verse." Biting back a groan to avoid getting hit in the head by the book, he just wanted to bang his forehead into the table before him. Damn this was boring, sitting in a dusty old room as you had to learn about stuff which happened ten thousand years before you were even thought about.

She nodded and continued to recite, telling of how their Fallen Lord had made the Second Hell into dark seas and wild jungles, filled with beasts so terrifying that no one ever had been even able to even imagine them. And the Devils was granted the with whips and an ability to control these monsters, to make them obedient as little dogs and their serving Demons being even more horrible than the the ones in the First Hell. As the Dark King was satisfied, he gave the power to the Council of Beasts and moved on the Third Hell.

Then Saga, the son to one of Mihawk's closest advisers and a High Noble, took over and told about how He had created the Starvation Hell and the Blazing Hell. One being just a desert with an ever burning sun where nothing ever would grow, the other being filled with flames which rose up to the blood red sky and inhabited by Devils and Demons who controlled and lived by the Fire inside of them.

Hearing the creations of his own home, he got a tiny spark of home-sickness. Getting irritated by his own weakness, he stood up and started to speak of how this Hell had been created, with it's paralyzing cold and interring snow and ice. The old man stretched as he heard about his own race's creation, of how they had been given the Power over the Ice and Snow, and how they were the "purest of Hells" as it were the youngest known. But just as he was going to start the sixth verse about the Sixth Hell, the Eternal Hell where the King of Devils now ruled, a guard rushed the door open and panted his message as he leaned against the door frame.

"Hah, hah... Eira-sama, your hah, Godfather has come!"

"Ojisan!" Everyone looked shocked at the girl as she shoot up from her seat with an unusual energy, a expression of true excitment on her pale face, which for some strange reason made Zoro's heart skip a beat and some color rush to his cheeks. But in the next second he shook his head and tried to understand what happened to him, as she turned against their teacher.

"Sensei, can I go and meet him? Please?" A pleading look, and the old man was defeated.

"Ah, alright then. But all of you, remember the homework to next time, to write down the laws about using Magic!"

"Okay, see you next time, Sensei!" And with that she left, leaving everyone else behind as she rushed out with that joyful smile on her lips. Bewildered, Zoro looked at the violet haired boy to get some kind of explanation about the princess's strange and out of character behaviour.

"What was that about?"

"Come, I'll show you instead." Wrinkling his green eyebrows in confusion, he shrugged his shoulders and picked up the books lying on his desk as he followed his friend. "These people are really strange..." He muttered to himself.

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"Ojisan!" Running over the lightly snow covered court with the skirt of her purple dress flapping around her legs, she jumped up at her Godfather, clinging to him like a big koala and pressing her face hard against his thickly clad chest.

"Woh! Easy, Eira-chan, you don't have to knock me over!" Clapping at her back with his big and blue hand, he smiled down at her before he placed her in the gap between his bent elbow and his broad torso, holding her easy like that. Snuggling closer, she giggled as the fur at the brim of his mantle tickled her nose.

"Please excuse my daughter, Jinbei, she's just too excited by your visit." Looking at her father who now had appeared on the courtyard too, she pouted against him and just reached up with her arms to try and hug the huge male who held her.

"Ah, there's no danger, Mihawk, I've missed her too." Still smiling, he lifted the little girl up so that she could give him a better hug, wrapping her small arms around his thick neck and carefully avoiding the sensitive openings at the side of his throat, which he used to breathed through under water. She didn't care if she acted indecorous right now, she was too happy to have the energy to care about it!

"How long can you stay, Jin-chan? 'Til after my birthday, please? I really want you to be here then!" Looking up at his for most terrifying face with her sparkling yellow eyes, hope written all over her little face as she gripped at his cloak, she tried to convince him to stay by just her willpower. Chuckling, he put her down and patted her on the head, her hand still gripping tightly at his clothes so that he had to stay bent down.

"I'll stay for about three weeks, then I have to go back home." Her smile faltering for a second, she released his mantle and looked down at the paved ground and the snowflakes which whirled around in the soft wind. But then she looked up at him and smiled big again.

"Then we'll just need to have as fun as possible, as long as you are here, right?"

Her optimism made him laugh out loud, as he took the hand she offered in his and looked at her father when his laughter had stilled.

"My friend, I don't think my gift can wait so much longer, is it alright to give it to her now?" She felt her eyes widening as she looked up at him. A gift that couldn't wait two days? What kind of gift was that?

Wrinkling his forehead in thoughts, the Ice Lord looked at his daughter's pleading face before he opened his mouth and answered. "Alright, if it can't wait."

"Yay!" Jumping up and down by excitement, she tugged at Jinbei's huge hand to try and make him hurry up and bring her her present, heart beating hard with anticipation. She didn't note that Zoro and Saga stood a little bit behind her father, watching her as Saga explained to the other boy that Jinbei was her Godfather, if anything happened to Mihawk he would take care of her. He also told that it was really rare for a Devil from the Second Hell to be chosen as a Guardian for a Child of Ice.

But even if she had knew they were she wouldn't have cared, just as little as she cared about the fact that her Godfather was from a different Hell than her, and that he practically couldn't be called a Devil anymore since his ancestors had blended with Demons so much. And that was said to be the fate of all Hells as time passed on, Demons and Devils mixing, blending their blood. It had happened in both the First and the Second Hell, and in the Third is was on its way, relationships between the Serving and the Ruling class becoming more and more accepted. That was the reason why this Hell was the only known one which could be considered "pure". Since it had even happened in the Blazing Hell.

"Well then, come here then Eira-chan." Turning against his suite which had already started to pack up and carry the luggage inside with the help of the Ice Demons, he waved against one of his men. "Hatchan, you can take out the her gift now."

"Nyu~ As you wish, Jinbei-san." The muffled up octopus man waved back and went over to a big hamper, carefully lifting it down to the ground from the back of the horse which was carrying it, as if not to disturb whatever was inside. Still holding her Guardian by the hand, Eira walked over to him just as carefully, trying to contain her expectation before this present.

Holding her breath as the lid was carefully removed by gloved hands, she looked down into it. Gasping as she saw the little hairball which lied curled up at the bottom of the basket, sleeping soundly on a carpet of hay, she released her hold on Jinbei and sank down to her knees so that she could touch the soft pelt with her little hand. As she stroke it gently, the small creature woke up and raised its head, blinking and waving the little brown ears which were located beneath the small antlers. Wrinkling its nose, which to her surprise were blue, the little reindeer sniffed on her hand groggily.

"Aw~ How cute..." Patting the little head, she looked up at her smiling Guardian and father, awe wrote all over her face. "Is he really mine?"

"Yes. We found him up in our North, apparently his herd had abounded him. Probably because of his blue nose and the fact that he is half demon. But you have to be careful, even if he is used to cold he is still very young and you have to take care of him." Listening and nodding to Jinbei's words, she patted the little reindeer's head again.

"I promise to take great care of him! But what's his name?" Looking at the little calf as he stood up on unsteady legs, she supported him by putting her hand under his stomach.

"Ah, that's for you to decide. He is yours after all."

Wrinkling her forehead in thoughts, she watched as her gift jumped out of the basket, shaking himself when he stood on the firm ground. He raised his head and sniffed in the wind, before turning against the boys who stood and watched them in silence.

"Tony Tony Chopper! That will be your name." Smiling big, she wrapped her arms around his hairy little neck and pressed her face close to him. Then, she nearly jumped out of her skin as he outburst:

"Ah! That tickles!"

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Moving his glass in small circles, he watched as the amber liquid inside swirled, making the aroma rise up and fill his nostrils. The dancing light from the fire played on the shelves standing along the walls, deepening the shadows and illuminating the spines of the many books filling them up. It was a great library, consisting of texts from all of the Hells, of swordsmanship, philosophy and novels in a glorious mix. This was where they always held their little discussions, speaking of politic or whatever crossed their minds.

Averting his black gaze to his old friend and host, he opened his mouth and broke the silence which filled the big room.

"How is it going with having the young Fire Devil here? Zoro-kun was his name, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it is. And it goes just fine, there was a long time since I last felt such satisfaction in lecturing. Sure, Saga has potential too, but he will be nowhere near that boy's top when he reaches his peak."

Nodding as he got his answers, he took another gulp out of his glass. Hostages at the mere age of eleven, where was this world heading? He felt slight pity for the lad, as he thought about how it must feel to be so long from home in a place so different from ones own country. Damn, even he himself had some trouble with the cold, how bad wouldn't it then be for a Child of Fire?

Sighting, he stared up at the dark ceiling above. It was so high that not even the light from the fire in the hearth could lighten it up. His thoughts wandering off to the event in two days, mixing with their previous discussion about the current politic, he muttered to himself.

"Only six more years..."

"Did you say anything, Jinbei?" The voice of Mihawk pulling him out of his own inner monologue, he looked at his friend.

"Ah, just that you only have six more years of peace, before the suitors will start to knock on your door and wish to marry Eira." Watching as the others eyes grew darker and slightly more narrow, he waited for the response.

"Yes. Only six more years. Bloody hell, couldn't there be some more time? Why do we need to throw our children into this game before they are even adults?" Feeling compassion for his friend as he voiced his opinion on the season system, which meant that on ones sixteenth year one had to start visiting balls and be available for marriage, he leaned forward in the big chair.

"I feel the same, but there isn't much we can do to prevent it. She is your one and only heiress, and her husband will be granted with the power over the Frozen North."

"You speak of the truth. I just hope that she will be able to choose a strong one when the time comes, and not just some random weakling who charms her with beautiful words and promises."

"So do I. But when you think about her mother, I do not think that there is any danger in that, she will choose wisely." Smiling, the Fishman remembered some of the balls he had visited here in the Frozen Hell during Mihawk's courtship of his Bride. One could easily say that his future wife hadn't made things easy for him. Even if he had been one of the most coveted bachelor of all, she had held her distance and made sure that she knew him before she gave him her yes.

A rare and sad smile spread over the Ice Lords face as he thought about the mother of his child. Yes, his friend was right, she would choose wisely. Just like her mother.

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This is the one and hopefully only story where I need to make character changes...
Since just as Ace needs to visit the solarium, Saga needs some white powder to pass as an Ice Devil XD