Chapter 4:
(P.O.V. Brianne/Breezy)
We don't own anything, One Piece or otherwise.
Thanks to our reviewers: Jaye, Sven, Vampire-chan and Breezy (even though she's the other writer).
It was cold, but not the same cold I remembered. Did we make it? Were we home? I couldn't tell. My body wouldn't do what I told it to. 'Get a hold of yourself! Wake up! Move!' And it did. But it wasn't me who was moving it. That was the first thing I was able to comprehend. The constant shifting with an occasional jerk, people (or at least I hoped it was people) touching me, being lifted and lowered, and then came the sounds. One person yelling at another, commands and responses, the blowing and crunching and rumbling from an unidentifiable source. Maybe I should pretend to be unconscious a bit longer? I was afraid of what I would see. I remembered falling into a vast blueness. If there was a more creative word, I would use it, but I didn't want to know where I was, because I knew we weren't home.
Something tickled my nose. I cracked my weary eyes open only to see blurred colors. I finally came to my senses and it was confirmed by the faint throbbing pain in my right leg, below my knee. The cold weather acted as some kind of numbing medicine. If I warmed up any, the pain would probably e searing and unbearable. My arms were wrapped around something, or someone? Yes, definitely someone for I could hear the heavy breathing and feel muscles flex and strain from underneath me. I couldn't help but feel a shred of safety, but who was my rescuer? That same 'something' tickled my nose again. It was time to find out.
I fully opened my eyes and saw that my head was on someone's shoulder. Strands of jet-black hair were being whipped around in the ferocious wind, flicking the tip of my nose from beneath my hoodie. I lifted my head and winced a bit as my neck popped. I took a deep breath and was relieved to find nothing else was hurting, except my leg. I was riding piggy back on the stranger and soon found out that this stranger was a boy. I may have been blushing but it was hard to tell- my cheeks were so numb from the cold. He groped up at what seemed to be a solid rock wall. He was climbing up it and he was carrying me as he did so. It reminded me of the rock-climbing attractions they have at the carnivals and state fairs and I couldn't help but wonder how high up we were. I slowly lifted my head and craned my neck to see what lay down below. That's when he spoke to me.
"Hey, you're finally up." It was a boy's voice but I could detect the strain from working against gravity. I wanted to make myself lighter, invisible, weightless.
"What's happening?" I asked. Then a more pressing question "Who are you?"
"We're taking you guys to a doctor." I looked over and to my astonishment, saw Zarah on the back of a nicely dressed, blonde-haired man, only a few feet away. She was unconscious and I was silently proud to be the first awake (little did I know). I looked around beneath us and saw nothing but a dull grey void. I gazed up towards the heavens and beheld the same phenomenon. Not only could I not make any sense of the height but also the location. I was good as lost in a blizzard and after a brief, but unpleasant flashback; I released one arm and checked my pulse. I ABSOLUTELY had to keep my heart rate down, especially in a situation like this.
"Quit moving around!" the boy snapped. He reached up and grabbed hold of a bump in the wall. Then the unpredictable happened. The rocks broke away from his grasp and we fell.
I heard the guy bearing Zarah scream something to his falling companion. Were we going to die? My stomach twisted from the decent and my eyes watered from helplessness. I could do nothing but either hold on or let go.
The boy I clung to dear life growled and reached both arms to the rock face. The moment his fingers made contact with the rough exterior, there was a burst of red mist. He screamed in pain as the wall scraped against his fingertips, leaving behind a trail of blood. Crimson droplets seemed to float around us as we continued to fall into the grey nothing.
"Grahh!" We gradually came to a stop. Tiny pebbles fell into our faces. Zarah and the man was only a speck, measuring the distance between us now. My heart pounded and I took deep breaths but it was nothing compared to the wheezing I heard from my saver. I could feel his back move with every struggled huff and wondered in amazement why this kid was risking his life for me.
"Just hang on a bit longer," he encouragingly said and I contemplated if he said it more for himself than for me.
"I'm so sorry! That was all my fault!" I wanted to cry.
"It wasn't your fault, it was the rocks. It should have been stronger."
I laughingly exhaled, but caught myself. This was no laughing matter and I was surprised by the boy's attempt to lighten my spirits when his condition was worse than mine.
He shivered, and then grunted as he reached one shaking hand up and continued to climb the rock wall. I wanted to ask him all sorts of questions, but decided against it. He needed to focus and I didn't want to bother him again. I examined his hands, bloody, probably scratched completely raw underneath. Small red rivulets ran down the course of his trembling arm.
I wanted this to be over. This stranger was better off without me. There was nothing I could do to help without getting in his way, so I buried my head into his shoulder and rested while I could. My life was in this guy's torn and bloody hands.
I was just about to dose off when a bunch of snow was unintentionally shoved into my face. We were no longer at the steep incline, but instead we were leveling out. I never thought horizontal would feel so good!
The top of what I presumed to be a mountain was covered with two feet of snow. I could tell by how far the boy's arm sunk in. The wind wasn't as harsh up here and I could actually get a good look around. There was a huge white castle up ahead. This must be where the doctor lived. The boy knelt erect and gazed up at the building.
"What a pretty castle," he said just before he collapsed into the ice crystals. I wanted to do nothing but rest, but my mind was not at ease. We were still on the edge of this cliff and who's to say it wouldn't break away at any moment?
I pushed against the ground and tried to lift myself from the boy, but to no avail. I realized I was tied to him with a single strip of white fabric I hadn't noticed before. Great! Now what? I couldn't carry the guy with just on good leg, and Zarah and the other man were nowhere to be seen. I was pulling at the strip, hoping it would break free, when I heard a 'kroosh' sound and felt a slight drop. My fear had come true. The cliff edge was breaking away.
I furiously grabbed at the ground, but it was all packed snow. There was nothing to hold onto. The layer we were previously resting on was separating into smaller chunks. We were falling again, but this time the boy was not awake to stop us.
I opened my mouth to let out a helpless scream, but was cut short as our decent abruptly stopped. I looked up into the face of a mysterious person. His pink hat shadowed his face against the sun and his arm was brown and furry as it held fast to the boy's arm. 'I have had enough of this!' I stared up into the figure's silhouette and pleaded, "Please! Get us out of here!"
The person seemed to nod and before I knew it, the unconscious boy and I were whisked away on the huge person's fuzzy shoulder. I finally relaxed at my change of fate and reluctantly let the stranger carry us to the white castle.
My head began to spin. The throbbing in my leg became more noticeable and breathing was difficult. My side hurt and I couldn't help but gasp in new found pain. I was laying on a hard surface now with two unknown voices floating around me. One was old but strong and the other was squeaky and small.
I was fading fast and could only make out a few words at a time.
"What… dressed like… opper…"
"… broken…inter… shall I oper…"
"…them…others."
None of it made any sense. Then the boy who saved me spoke in a raspy and shivering voice.
"My friend… She's my friend!"
And that was the last thing I heard…
I awoke to a faint 'tmp, tmp, tmp' sound. Glass clanked and objects were being moved around. I was inside what I assumed was the white castle. It was very warm now and foe that I was grateful.
I lifted myself from my resting place and winced at a sharp pain in my left side. How could I have not realized that before?
I looked around the chamber and noticed several chemistry sets, bottles with liquids, a fireplace, bookshelves, a door, and an archway, a table with a few chairs, a window, my bed, and a small brown creature with antlers at the same time it noticed me.
"Ah!" I pushed back.
"Eeek!" The critter threw itself against a bookcase, volumes fell everywhere. It scampered around the doorway and peeked opposite with its round body exposed.
"Uh… You're peeking the wrong way." I informed as the creature's eyes widened and it changed direction so it was more sneaky-like. It was still obvious; I couldn't help but giggle a bit.
"Get lost human!" Then a little more softly, "B-by the way, is your fever better?"
"Fever?" I quietly gasped as I raised a hand to my forehead. It felt warm but surely not enough for fever?
"Please, you shouldn't move around too much! You're still badly injured!" It held two hoofed paws up at me and motioned for me to lie back down. It looked like some kind of deer with its antlers poking out from either side of its pink hat. It had a white 'x' on the front. The deer was also wearing purple-ish pants around its plump form. I tried to move my leg, but it felt heavy and there was some pressure around my mid section. I figured he (assuming) was probably right.
I sighed, laid back down on the bed, and stared at the creature's questioning disposition.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
"Why would I be afraid of you?"
"Because I'm a talking reindeer! It's not normal!"
There was a crashing noise and the reindeer disappeared in a plume of smoke.
"Chopper, what's with all the ruckus!" It was the strong, old voice from before. "Go check on the two in the other room!"
"Yes, Doctor!" The reindeer's clicking hooves faded into the distance as the smoke cleared to reveal an elderly woman with a surprisingly youthful look. Her dark pants swirled on the left side, her shirt displayed some flower petals, and she wore various bracelets on her wrist. She also had a belly-button ring and wore a pair o sun glasses on her face as well as a pair of regular glasses on her head, which was covered with long, wavy grey hair.
"Kak kak kak kak. You seem to be doing better." She smiled wickedly as she approached my bedside.
"Are you the doctor?" I questioned. She placed a single finger on my forehead.
"100.76 degrees F," she calculated, "hmm, tolerable enough." The women lifted her sunglasses and continued.
"I'm Kureha, but just call me Doctor."
"Oh, finally, we made it," I sighed, thinking back to the back to the horrifying experience on the cliff side.
"The secret to my youthful appearance?" The woman suddenly asked.
"Wha…I …don't…" I stammered, slightly embarrassed to be discussing her age. Thankfully she cut me off.
"You're in the castle on the mountain top. You're lucky that kid brought you here or you would have been in a world of hurt."
"Where is he?" I wanted to make sure the boy was alright, that he didn't end up killing himself trying to help me.
"He's resting in the other room. Don't worry he'll recover and so will the other guy."
"Oh my gosh! Where's Zarah?" I couldn't believe I had forgotten.
"She's fine," she said as she gestured to the other side of the room where Zarah lay on a bed, sleeping. "I had to sedate her in order to fix her broken arm. It was done worse than your leg. What in the world were you girlies doing to end up like this?"
"It's pretty complicated." I smiled sheepishly.
There were some crashes before a very freaked out deer burst through dragging two bandaged boys behind him.
"DEER MEAT!" exclaimed the more familiar of the two.
"Wait Luffy, I'll cook it up!" yelled the blonde-haired teen.
I sat straight up and pulled the thick bed covers closer to me as if they would protect me.
"It's you guys!" I shouted in surprise.
"Incredible! They're up and about already?" said the doctor as the three wrestled on the castle floor.
"Delicious deer meat! The boy I guessed was Luffy continued to grab the deer.
"Hold on minute, don't eat him yet!"
"NO! I HATE YOU PEOPLE!" The poor creature's eyes were nearly popping out of his head in his terror.
"Is that a reindeer? He looks too anthromorphic." I asked.
"That's Chopper, your basic blue-nosed reindeer." Informed the elderly, young woman.
"A reindeer that talks…" I gazed interestingly at what little I could see of him in the tangled mess.
"Yes, well, that's because…" she paused just as the creature grew into a gigantic man. The hooves and antlers disappeared, but the pink hat and blue nose remained. I gasped remembering the mysterious figure from the cliff side.
"I'M NOT FOOD!" The reindeer-man knocked a good one over the guy's heads so that they fell face-first into the stone floor.
"… he ate the human-human fruit, which enables him to do anything a human can do." The doctor finished her statement.
"Human-human fruit?" I questioned. "I've never heard of such a thing." My attention was drawn back to the reindeer who hastily exited the chamber, exclaiming, "FIENDS!" I felt sorry for him.
Several minutes passes before the two boys regained their composure and started up a lively conversation with Doctor Kureha. My rescuer was dressed in blue denim shorts and a red, sleeveless vest with three yellow buttons. He wore a straw hat with a strip of red fabric around the bowl and sandals were the only things covering his feet. The other teen had on a vertically striped shirt, black pants, and dress shoes. I decided I was going to pull a ninja-move and eavesdrop on what they were saying and pretend to be resting. Maybe I can figure these guys out.
"Please, you have to join us, old lady!" said black-haired boy.
"Luffy is what you call yourself, right?" the doctor inquired.
"Yes," he replied just as a boot connected with his face and sent him flying across the room.
"Watch your mouth, boy! I'm still in my pert-and-perky 130's!"
I cringed at the age. 130 and she could kick like that? I, myself, hadn't expected to live past 85.
"What an amazing old crone!" said the other guy. He too, got the same treatment.
"You want me to become a pirate?" the doctor addressed Luffy who had quickly recovered. "Don't be ridiculous! I have no interest in the sea."
"Who cares if you're interested? Just do it and have an adventure with us! We just got us a weapons-maker and a new navigator, now we need a doctor!"
"Hold it one minute! I declared, sitting up from my phony sleep. "Weapons-maker? Navigator? Sounds a lot like me and my friend!"
Everyone's attention shifted to me.
"Of course, I'm talking about you guys. Zarah told us all about your talent on the way over here. The only way we can travel the Grand Line safely is with a navigator and you're going to do it."
I furrowed my brow at the boy's demand.
"No way! I am not becoming a pirate and neither is Zarah! We have more important things to do!" I paused, and then came back a little more loudly. "And just who do you think you are! Telling me what to do!It's not your call! Besides, recruiting should be the captain's job."
The other guy snickered at this.
"What's so funny!" I snapped at him.
"He is the captain." He smiled as he arose from the floor. He flooded his arms and bowed his blonde head as he continued to laugh.
"What!" I clapped my hands over my mouth. The boy stood up proudly and declared, "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat pirates!"
My eyes opened wide as I examined the teenager, who was probably as old as I was. How could he possibly be a captain? He was just a kid and there wasn't much to see. The scar under his left eye was the toughest thing about him.
Luffy grinned from ear to ear, then stopped and looked behind him as if he heard something. Sure enough the tiny reindeer peeking, the wrong way, from the archway. The two boys immediately fell into a pursuit and the three of them ran to another door at the end of the room.
"Ahhh!" it screamed.
"Just you wait, Breezy, I'll make you a stamina-building reindeer stew!" the blonde man grinned
"Not if I eat you first!" exclaimed the doctor as she chased after the boys with butcher knives in either hand. I wanted to shout at the group but they were already gone from sight. How much had Zarah told them? I had to get out of here. I had to find Gertie and fly away, but Zarah was still sleeping. How long would it be until she awoke?
I lifted the covers and sluggishly dragged my right leg out, but it was still so heavy. I had been resting a long time and it took every bit of my diminished energy to move my leg to the edge of the mattress.
"Stay in bed!" a frantic squeaky voice shouted from the archway. It was the reindeer. "You're fever may be gone, but you're in no condition to be walking."
"So you're Chopper, right?" I asked. "Have you been taking care of me? Thank you very much!"
"Shut up!" I blinked in surprise. The reindeer started to sway its arms and smiled brightly. "Don't be ridiculous! I don't accept thanks from humans! Fool!"
I squealed in delight. "Kyaaa! You are so cute!"
The reindeer began to creep toward my beside like a frightened critter, ready to sprint. He reached over and poked at my hand. Then he hesitantly spoke.
"So, you guys are pirates?"
"I'm not, but those two boys are."
"Do you know if they have a pirate flag?"
"I'm not sure-probably. Are you interested in pirates?"
"Of course not!" The reindeer jumped back into the bookcase.
"Hey, calm down. It was just a question." An idea struck me. "You should go with them! Zarah and I might travel with them a bit, so I'll be there with you! Besides, I think they need a doctor on their team."
"FOOL! I can't live with humans! He jumped up from the mess of books "Besides, doesn't the way I look scare you? I'm a talking reindeer that walks on two legs!"
I leaned back against the wall. "I try not to judge people by their looks." My face dropped bit as I remembered how poorly I had judged the young captain. Then I smiled at the reindeer. "Maybe we can be friends?"
"…But I have a blue nose…" It sounded like one last attempt to frighten me.
"Well, what's wrong with that? Blue is my favorite color, and if it was any different, I don't think I would really care much." He blinked in surprise.
"HOLD IT, REINDEER!" The two dudes slid into the room from the side archway.
"EEK!" and they were off again.
"Hey, get out of here! I'm trying to rest!" I shook my fist at them, but they were gone again.
"Phew! Those brats are fast." It was the doctor. She sat in a chair and sighed.
"You disappoint me girly. I leave the room and you try to take my reindeer from me."
"He seemed like a great guy-and I would never steal him away without your permission, of course." I played along.
"Kak kak kak kak kak! You don't need permission. Take him if you want him." Her voice got serious. "But it will be hard to convince. He's got a deep wound in his heart that not even a doctor can heal."
"What do you mean?"
The atmosphere became very solemn as the doctor explained.
"When Chopper was born, his parents rejected him because he had a blue nose. He had to walk far behind the herd because he was different.
"That's so cruel!"
"Yes, but it gets worse. When he ate the devil fruit, he was laughed at and called names until they finally cast him out. The other reindeer wouldn't accept him, so he decided to live with the humans. But to them, he was a blue-nosed monster. He looked nothing like a normal reindeer and he wasn't completely human."
"This would make it nearly impossible for him to befriend anyone." I envisioned the reindeer lost and alone, with nowhere to go. Something ignited within me. "I'll be his friend! I don't know how much longer I'll be around but rest assured, he'll always have a friend in me!"
"Kak kak kak kak!" the doctor threw her head back and cackled like a witch. "You're the third person to accept him so easily."
"Third?" I asked.
"There was a quack named Doctor Hiriluk who lived in Drum Kingdom." Her eyes grew distant as she remembered some memory of the past.
"He gave Chopper his name and treated him like a son." Her mouth pulled up into a gentle smile. I did the same and wished the little reindeer were here so I could give him lots of love and hugging.
It was as if my wish was granted because Chopper came running through the open door on all fours. He looked like a normal reindeer now, save for the blue nose and accessories. The two boys followed and collapsed from exhaustion.
"Wapol's back!" Chopper panted nervously. I sat up a little in my bed and excitedly clapped my hands together.
"Waffles! Sounds great!" But my excitement soon disappeared as it was met with the troubled looks from both Doctor Kureha and Chopper.