Luffy continued to chase Chopper, there would be moments of silence followed by "WAIT! REINDEER! I JUST WANT TO TALK!"

Dalton wavered, then collapsed, Usopp and Vivi ran over to him, "Dalton, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," He answered, "I'm just a little worn out, some rest and I'll be fine."

"Hey." Doctorine shouted, "Hey you." She was, more or less, speaking to Zoro as opposed to everyone else gathered outside the castle.

Zoro looked over at her, a scowl on his face. The other people were much less... hostile, "Doctor... Kureha!"

"Yes, nice to see you too, now be useful and take the injured guy to the medical ward."

Some form of recognition set into Zoro, "Hey, I remember her! You're that damn old hag from befo-"

I looked away as Doctorine handed Zoro a beating. When I looked back, Doctorine was standing, arms casually folded, over Zoro.

"Well, get moving!" She ordered.

"Yes ma'am!"

"And I'd suggest you hurry, unless you want to be in the kind of pain this man is."

That was a great motivator. The villagers gathered around Dalton and helped him up, taking him into the castle.

Vivi glanced over, "Leanah, Are you coming?"

I stared down at the still-unconscious Zoro. "I'm gonna revive Zoro."

"Alright, just don't stay out here to long. You'll catch a cold."

"I hear ya." I said, waving the princess inside. "I can take care of myself." she walked into the castle. I looked over at Usopp, "Aren't you going inside too?"

"And miss being able to build my Snow monster army?" He laughed.

I chuckled, and pulled my fallen comrade to his feet, "Hey Zoro." I flicked his ear, "Snap out of it."

He twitched, and I flicked his ear again. That's when he came back to the world of the living.

He pushed off of me, and dusted himself off. I stepped back, then started walking towards the castle.

"How did you get up here?" Zoro asked, following.

"Well," I waved my hand dismissively, "I was on my way to Gyasta, then I started hallucinating and met Doctorine on the way, she diagnosed me with sleep deprivation, which is true, I've gotten roughly three hours of sleep in the last three days, not including the hour and a half I got while at the castle."

Zoro stopped, and I stopped as well, "Wait..." He said, crossing his arms. "You mean you haven't slept at all since we left Little Garden?"

"Three hours." I defended, "I've slept some..."

"Three hours isn't enough, no wonder you've been so ragged these past few days."

I turned to face him,"Pasted few days!? You've only known me for EIGHT."

"Still! If you want to get stronger and be a good fighter you have to take better care of yourself!" He half-shouted.

My eye twitched, "Says the man who tries to train full force with stitches in!"

"I'm trying to keep in top form! You're on a path to get yourself killed!"

"Oh yeah!? What if your stitches had popped and your wounds got infected? How would you expect to beat Hawk-eyes with one leg!?"

"At least I'd be alive!"

We were right up in each other's faces, shouting.

"Sure, but he wouldn't fight you!"

"How do you know that?!"

"I JUST DO!"

"THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN KNOW THAT!"

"HE WOULDN'T FIGHT MY DAD AFTER HE LOST HIS ARM!"

Usopp stopped and Zoro nearly jumped back, "Your dad fought Hawk-eyes!?"

I stood there for a moment. "Did I say dad..?"

"YES!"

"Oh..." I tilted my head, "I meant my old captain..." I frowned, turning around, "Maybe all this not-sleeping is getting to me..."

"OH YA THINK!?"

I turned back around, "Changing the subject, how did you get here?! And why do you have that coat?"

He glared, "I decided I would do some training... so I went ice water swimming."

"SWIIMING!?" I shouted, once again getting in his face. "Zoro, I told you to keep dry!"

"You said keep the bandages dry! And I did, they're back on the ship!" Usopp shrugged and continued building his snow monster army as Zoro and I fought.

"I meant keep your wounds dry!"

"You'd said they healed nicely!"

"That doesn't mean you can go and do what ever!"

"Hehehehehehehe." Doctorine's laugh interrupted our fight. "If you two are going to continue fighting, maybe you should continue fighting inside, where it's warmer."

"It's freezing in the castle though, unless you want us to fight near the medical rooms." I looked back at Doctorine.

"It was just a suggestion." The doctor turned on her heel, and walked back into the large snow covered castle.

I huffed, turning back to Zoro, who was still fuming. "Alright, there's only one way we're going to settle this." I drew my sword.

"Fine." He pulled his bandana off his arm and tied it around his head, then drew the Wado Ichimonji from its sheath, "And since you're not even using your swords, I'll only use one."

"You're on!" I ran at him, he dodged right. I spun, trying to kick him.

He jumped back and initiated his own string of attacks. First he went for my feet, I jumped, he pulled his sword up now going for my right arm. I blocked with the katana just in time. Once I got my footing again, Zoro had vanished.

I looked around, Where is he? He's gotta be around here somewhere! I turned, and turned again, Where!? A perfect picture formed in my head, Zoro was going to attack from... "My left?!" I turned, knocking his blade out of the way.

"What?!" He jumped back, keeping a tight grip on his blade.

Being that I only had four and a half hours of sleep under my belt in four days, I wasn't doing very well in the thought department, The best I could offer was a shrug, at this point I was ready to chalk it up to dumb luck. "I got lucky."

Zoro didn't seem so sure, "Right."

I side-stepped and lost my footing in the snow, and fell "Arg!"

"Pft..." He burst out laughing.

"Not Freakin' funny!" I shouted, getting to my feet. "Seriously, I'm not on my top game right now..."

"Well that's obvious."

I sneered at Zoro, then sheathed the katana, "You win this round..." I crossed my arms, mumbling to myself, "'S obvious I'm just gonna end up hurting myself if I try to fight you right n-." I faltered in my footing again, and fell. "I think... I'll just sit down." My brain felt fuzzy again, I was really either going to need a good drink, or a good night's rest... or both.

Zoro sat down in the snow not to far away.

I laid back, deciding I'd try to make a snow angel, but wound up falling a sleep instead.

There was a building, it was about two stories, huge and grey, a feeling of being crushed gripped my system as I pulled on one of the glass doors to gain entrance. There were face-less people all around me, focusing on someone next to them or the doors ahead. I had a bad feeling nothing good was going to come of me being there. True enough, I tripped on something, and landed on my face. I struggled to my knees.

"Look at her!" One of the face-less on-lookers around me said, "She just tripped over thin air!" everyone around me laughed.

I flushed, embarrassed. Slowly I picked myself up.

"Wait, isn't she that girl who passed out in her math class a few days ago?"

"Wow, so she's a floozy and uncoordinated!" More laughter.

Something burned underneath my sleeves, I could only assume what.

"Hey! You all stop that right now!" A voice shouted. I heard heels click against the tile floor and stop next to me.

I looked up at her, she was about my height, had long light brown hair and purple highlights. "Leave her alone you jerks!"

The crowd suddenly dissipated, "Th- thanks." I said in a hushed voice.

"No problem." The girl looked down at me, smiling. "I'm just glad I was there to stop them. I know you haven't been doing well since... well... you know."

I sat up, "Yeah..."

"You gonna be okay?"

I looked down at the floor, "I don't know..." I sighed, "Mom didn't come home last night."

"So you spent more time with Mr. Donovan?"

I grabbed her shoulder and pulled myself up, "Nah, he couldn't be there. He had some of his own business that some how got him out of his house."

"Amazing!"

We walked into the building. "I know. It was really weird..."

"Will you come with me to the cooking classroom?" She asked, adjusting her backpack strap

I pulled a thin, sliver go-phone out of my pocket, checking the time. "Wait, why? I mean..." I bit my lip, "We have APUSH first period, there's no way we'll make it there and back by the bell."

The girl slung and arm around my shoulder, "Don't worry. If Mr. Jackson asks, just let me do the talking."

I sighed, I knew I wasn't going to get out of it no matter what I said. "Fine. I'll go, Mar-"

"REINDEEEEEEER COME OUT AND JOIN MY CCCCCRRRREEEEEWWWW!"

I shot up, once again rudely awoken by Luffy screaming.

"HEY! DEER! COME BE A PART OF MY CRRRREEEEWWW!"

I looked around, it was night time, I was covered in snow, Usopp's Snow monster army had become just a snow man army, and Luffy was screaming at the top of his lungs not to far away.

"Come on, Luffy." I heard Usopp say, "Why don't you just give it up, you've been tracking him forever and he still hasn't shown up."

"He's not interested in becoming a pirate, you're just going to have to accept that."

"Not true!" Luffy shouted, pointing at Zoro, "I want the reindeer to be a pirate with us!"

"JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT!" Zoro shouted.

I stood up, flicking the snow off of me, "Seriously, Luffy, the world doesn't work like that. I want my memories back, does that mean I'm going to get them back?"

"Yes!" He declared.

I glared at our captain, "No."

Luffy turned to the castle, "REINDEEEEEER! COME OUT AND BE A PIRATE WITH US!" He shouted more and more, I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore it.

Snow crunch in the forest, and Chopper emerged.

"Reindeer-guy!" Everyone was watching the reindeer. Luffy threw his hands into the air. "Hey, you're gonna come on our ship and be a pirate with us. OK?" He said it as if it were just a fact.

"I can't." Chopper insisted.

"Sure you can, reindeer! It's a whole lotta fun!"

"That's not a very good argument." Usopp pointed out.

"I don't think Luffy cares.."

"I can't..." Chopper repeated, "I'm a reindeer not a human! I have antlers and hooves!" He looked down at his hands, "Don't you see?" He was really getting wound up, "I even have a blue nose!" My heart fractured for him, he spent his entire life behind ignored and chased, called a monster. "OK... so maybe I do wanna be a pirate, but I can't ever be one of you! I'm a monster, I can't be your friend and I can't be a pirate on your ship, you see!" He took a breath, "I'm just here to say..." He bowed, "Thank you. Thank you for protecting Doctor's flag, and... I appreciate you asking me to join your ship... that was really nice. So thank you." He was beginning to cry, you could hear it in his voice.

A moment of silence passed, his words sinking in.

"I'm going to stay here..." He looked up at us, smiling, "But if you wanted too, you could stop by here again!"

"SHUT UP!" Luffy interrupted, shouting at the top of his lungs, "LET'S GOOOOOO!"

Chopper was crying, but he'd finally given i- I mean- accepted Luffy's invitation to join the crew.

"Most people don't make friends by telling people to shut up." Zoro grumbled.

"Luffy's not most people." I pointed out.

After Chopper got his crying under control, He ran towards the castle, pausing he said, "I gotta go get my stuff and say goodbye to Doctorine."

So we waited. Something nagged at me, there was just something that made me tense about coming events.

"Leanah, is something wrong?" Nami asked.

I shifted, "Ah... I don't know... I just get the feeling that we should be getting ready to run." I crossed my arms, turning to her.

"What would give you that feeling?"

"Well... just think of Doctorine, and then think of the one sure fire way she could get Chopper to leave quickly."

Nami shrugged, "You're just jumping to conclusions."

We waited a little longer. Usopp asked Nami about her health.

Luffy was rolling around on a snow ball he'd made. "Hey, I think we should go say bye to that Dalton guy."

"Don't be so thoughtless, he lived with Doctorine for six years of his life, he needs sometime alone with her. I'm sure it's going to be really sad for them both."

I got that sinking feeling when you just know that something is going to go downhill very fast. I paced in the snow, worried.

A large commotion started in the castle, shouting, crashing, and other noises that indicated a fight.

Nami scoffed, "Would you listen to that? Seriously, people need to be more respectful, there are two people saying goodbye in there."

I think that might be the goodbye...

I was proven right when Chopper came running out of the castle in full deer form pulling the sleigh behind him.

"Huh?" Nami tilted her head slightly. "Chopper what's going-"

"Everybody!" Chopper shouted, "Get in! No time to explain!"

"What?"

"You heard him!" I said, "Get in!" I sprinted towards the sleigh, using every bit of the energy I'd gotten from napping to jump in.

Everyone else jumped in after Doctorine came out throwing various weapons at us.

"What the hell!" Nami shrieked, keeping a tight grip on the still-passed-out Sanji.

"You... see?" I huffed, "That was the... good bye."

"SHUT UP!" Nami and Vivi ran as fast as it seemed they could to catch up with the sleigh, I extended my hand to help, they both tossed Sanji at me, which was very surprising.

"Ouf!" He landed right on top of me, nearly crushing me. I, or at least made an effort to, push him off. "God! Sanji you're so heavy!"

The chef let out an inhumane moan, he was probably still in some sort of pain. A spike of guilt ran through me, at least until one of his hands landed on a spot that was just to damn convenient for a person who was suppose to be passed out.

"No!" I punched him, sending his to the other side of the sleigh.

Vivi and Nami hopped in, "Why'd you punch him?"

I shook my fist, "The ass isn't quite passed out, he tried to grope me!"

Zoro hopped in after, "Serves the dumb-ass chef right."

"Moss... head..." Sanji moaned.

That's when Chopper jumped off the cliff, and Luffy still wasn't on board, not that he ever really did, he seemed to enjoy hanging off the back while the rest of us screamed in terror.

The landing was pretty rough, it made my brain hurt. That and my hands hurt from holding on to the sleigh so tightly. My knuckles were white, almost like... Like on Shanks's ship...I stared at the trees as they zoomed passed. That's right... I was remembering things even back then, too. Though... how I could have remembered those three joining is a mystery. A mystery only my memory can solve. I crossed my arms, Maybe Chopper can help with getting my memories back... but... My eyes rested on our young, half-reindeer half-human, doctor. He's just lost his famliy. He seems to be going strong now... but he has to be crying. My heart seized, I felt like I could understand Chopper's feelings, since we'd arrived on Drum Island we'd brought with us ghosts from the horrid history of the fallen nation.

Six years... Six years without resolution, and all of it... all of it was resolved in a few hours. And now, he had made his decision, he was leaving with us. Becoming a pirate. How harshly he was thrown out, but that was really the only Doctorine knew how to do things. Or, tho only way to stop Chopper from seeing her cry.

Getting him to lighten up was going to be tough unless something big happened. I smiled, Big things happen all the time.

"I see it!" Luffy shouted, "I see the Gong Merry!" True enough our ship was on the horizon.

Chopper turned suddenly, the sleigh coming to a stop next to the ship.

"Leanah," Nami shouted, I turned in time to catch to two very familiar weapons.

I held Ami and Ana close, "Oh! I missed you two!"

"Weird." Zoro commented as he passed by.

"Weird?" I shouted, following behind, "You're weird. I got these swords from someone very important to me." I climbed up into the ship, "And what about you? You can't possibly tell me that you're not attached to your swords."

He grumbled something and chose not to reply.

"SANJI!" Luffy shouted, "FOOOOOD!"

"Right," The chef stood up, and hobbled to the kitchen, "Captain."

"Will he be OK?" Chopper asked, "He was just in surgery!"

I crossed my arms, walking over to him. "Believe me, when that man is in the kitchen, no matter how hurt he is, he'll always deliver the best food you've ever eaten."

The reindeer's eyes widened, and then he screamed, "Ah!" He jumped around, pressing his whooves to his head, "I left my backpack! All my medical supplies were in there!"

Nami looked at Chopper, "Wait..." She hefted a small blue backpack with an X on it. "Is this it?"

"My backpack!" Chopper grabbed the pack from Nami. "That's weird..."

"I thought you put it in there." Nami said.

"Hm.. And I was sure Doctorine had hidden my swords, but they were in the sleigh as well." I clicked my tongue, "Makes you wonder doesn't it?"

Chopper looked like he was about to cry. But Luffy gave him no time, "LET'S PARTY!" He dashed by, snatching Chopper up and stopping less than a foot away from Usopp.

I chuckled, and leaned- Zoro would later tell me I had collapsed, and not leaned, but what does he know- on the railing. I was tired, I know, that should be obvious by now to all of you, but shut up, I'm telling this story.

I really wanted to just get some sleep, but I didn't want to until I knew Chopper would be okay. I frowned, everyone was gathered around our newest crew mate, I should be happy, so why do I feel so... detached from this situation?

The party got underway, I eventually joined the festivities. Sanji brought out juice and beer, I, having my shameful addiction, took the beer, as did Nami and Zoro. Sanji didn't have anything thing to drink because he still had cooking to do. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper all had juice.

I laughed, "We maybe the only pirate crew where half of us only drink juice."

Luffy smiled, "It doesn't matter! We're gonna be the best pirates in the whole world!"

"Especially now that we have an amazing doctor." Nami smiled at Chopper.

The doctor in question started dancing, "You can't flatter me, you ass!"

/He's really not good at hiding his emotions./ I thought, taking a drink. Sanji brought out food, and passed it around to all of us.

It wasn't long before Chopper got a solemn look on his face again, taking only small bites from his food. I frowned. "Hey, Luffy!" I shouted, gesturing to him with my glass, "Show Chopper that thing you do with chopsticks."

"What?" The small doctor was thoroughly confused.

"Hm?" Luffy looked confused, his mouth absolutely full of food. "Fhat thin'?"

"You know... That thing where you put the chopsticks-"

"Oh!" Luffy gulped down the food in had in his mouth and turned away. When he turned back he had the chopsticks wedged long ways between his lips, "Look Hopper!" He added to the silliness by jumping around and making odd gestures with his hands.

Chopper laughed, grabbing on to Usopp to keep up, Usopp was doing the same to him, which is probably why they both collapsed.

After they got their stuff together Chopper attempted the same, he pulled it of successfully, only looking more cute than silly.

That's when we heard the cannon fire.

Everyone turned towards Drum Island to see the pink spreading through the air, making the Drum Rockies look just like a cherry blossom tree.

"It's beautiful." I got transfixed in the spreading pink snow.

"DOOCCCTORIIIINNNEEE!" Chopper cried, snapping the chopsticks he'd had in his mouth. I sighed, and I was now completely sure, Chopper would be fine.

Luffy raised his glass as the pink snow began to descend on the Merry, "Cheers!" He shouted.

The rest of us raised our glasses, "Cheers!"

"To new crew mates and onward to Alabasta!"

"Yeah!"

Everyone downed their glass.

Author's Note:

I am a shame to all serial fanfic authors.

You've been waiting for this chapter since May, and I only just finished it today.

I AM SO SORRRRRRYYYYYYYY! FORGIVE ME PLEASE!

On the upside, only two more chapters until You-Know-Who is introduced! *yay*

Your ever willing author,
kari910