Twenty minutes later, Drache found herself guiding a group of groggy pirates through the sparse forest on the island, heading to the top of the rocky mountain that lay on the uninhabited west end of the island. As soon as Nami had presented an explanation, that there was a legendary treasure on the island in a cave at the top of the mountain, the whole crew had grumpily gotten up and gotten ready. The blonde one, what was his name... Sanji, with the ridiculous eyebrow, had turned out to be a fantastic chef, and the breakfast had greatly improved everyone's mood, and, she supposed, their hangovers as well. She was introduced to everyone in rapid succession, and as her brain slowly recovered from the night before she started connecting faces with the names.
The hyperactive kid with black hair and wearing the straw hat (That was where she'd seen it before) was the Captain, Luffy. His unabashed enthusiasm was refreshing, but she thought it might get old fast on a confined space like that ship. The adorable reindeer was Chopper, the doctor. When he had first seen her on the deck, he had hidden, poorly, behind the mast, but soon had greeted her enthusiastically along with the others. The tan, skinny boy with the incredible nose was Usopp. He was full of bravado, but she thought it was just a veneer, a mask to help him fit in with the other confident members of the ship. Altogether it was a pretty small crew, but the personalities were larger than life. Each of the crew members had quirks coming out their ears. She loved it. The thought of these lively dimensional people leaving filled her with sadness. She pushed it from her mind as Chopper piped up behind her, "Have you heard of this treasure, Drache?"
"Of course I have. It's the only exciting thing about this island. Unfortunately it's supposedly at the top of the mountain, surrounded by sheer cliffs. The only person I've heard of that's gotten up there said there was no treasure out in the open, just a cave blocked by a huge boulder. They couldn't move it, and I think no one else thinks it's worth the effort."
Luffy smiled his huge smile. "I bet I can get it!"
Nami let her smirk grow to a grin, "I wonder what kind of treasure it is!" Drache could almost see the reflected glint of gold in her eyes. She shivered and looked ahead.
Somehow they had reached the top of the mountain, with help from Luffy's rubbery arms and Robin's many arms. The giant boulder was no object, as Zoro and Sanji had shoved it to the side with very little effort while Drache stared. Unfortunately for Nami, all that lay in the shallow cave was a small wooden box. There was no keyhole or distinguishable lid, so after a good 10 minutes of Zoro slashing at it, Luffy punching it, and Sanji kicking it, the crew decided to carry it back to the ship and see what they could figure out back there. When they reached the ship, the sun was beginning to set over the very mountain they had just climbed.
Drache suggested they go back to the bar to visit Emily, and they heartily agreed. Heading into town with the boisterous crew, Drache felt the least alone she ever had. She hated that they would be leaving so soon-but no, she wouldn't think about that now. She laughed at Usopp's latest ridiculous story as they entered the bar. They sat around a table, and soon were drinking beer and prodding the unscratched box, trying to figure out how to open it. Drache couldn't help but be reminded of something vague from her past. All she could fathom from the depths of her mind was a feeling of warmth, of being loved, and of the sharp wooden edges of a box just like this one. In fact, when she held the box in her hands, running the smooth, dark wood under her fingers, she felt that she could open it, if she could just remember...