A/N- Okay, I'm really excited! I couldn't wait the whole week to post again!

And one thing I'd like to point out is that this story is not your average One Piece fanfiction. No SI inserts, no cliché scenarios with OOC-ness. This will have an original plot mostly. Might change instances of the canon story at my own discretion to spice up the story. So if you're into to differing plots, but not too much differing, than this story is for you!

Flash forward to the immediate present, where I found myself in new surroundings. A new world. One that didn't seem to have much that I wasn't used to so far.

Lying on my back, I felt as if sharp needles were jabbing at my bare skin. The cold invaded my body, sending chills down my spine. All was quiet, only the wind whistling seemed to make sound. And the air had this nip in it, tingling my cheeks and nose, slicing at my bare skin like sharp knives. I squeezed my palms around the odd feeling underneath me and noticed it made a soft crunch sound. It clumped and stuck its shape when I relieved the pressure.

I opened my eyes to blinding white. It took a second to adjust but then I noticed above. The grey sky looked soft, slowly drifting past me.

I don't know how long I stayed there and stared. It must've been a long time. The light grey skies grew darker and darker till it became pitch black. By that time I could no longer feel most of my body and my joints went stiff. Just like the clouds, I felt soft and heavy.

And then the sky lightened, and I got to see thick clumps of white drift down. I think they piled over my body, but I didn't bother to wipe them off. I was the defeated shell of what I once was.

Slowly, I began to get more and more tired. It could've been from the head trauma, or maybe so much time has past. My mind struggled to stay awake, but my eyelids held a different opinion. They grew heavy and I started to close them. Lungs took more and more shorter and shallower breaths. The white clumps became a warm blanket, soft to the touch. I wanted to sleep.

But then one of my last senses, hearing, caught a crunching sound. It was quiet at first but grew louder till I could've sworn it was right next to my ears.
My body was lifted into the air, dangling in the arms of darker figure. I was much smaller compared to the beast, but his gentle touch held no hostile intentions. And still, I did not move.

It pulled me close and took me away. The shades of white to grey to black blurred with other colors that I couldn't name. Like the thing that was carrying me- I didn't know those colors on his body or nose. I went limp and lost all connection with reality.

I must've passed out, because it felt like I had blinked and found myself in a bed. Alert, I analyzed my surroundings before taking action. Somewhere beside me there was the sound of something crackling, alongside the sound a soft breathing.

A fire, I thought and turned my head to see a crackling fire not too far away.

I was in no immediate danger, I realized quickly, even though I made it to this world harshly enough.

Next procedure was to assess my situation.

I was in a grey bricked room in a bed, simple enough. A thick quilt tucked around my body, but it was loose enough to maneuver within. I stretched my fingers out, immediately became surprised when they ached. Shifting more, My limbs barely responded to my commands. It seemed as if they have went unused for days.

"Nasty case of frostbite you've suffered from," A older, feminine voiced announced. "Didn't think you were going to make it."
I shifted my head toward the voice and found an underdressed, elderly-faced woman. She was sitting but I knew she was tall, with long legs and well-kept slim body that should've belonged to a young woman. However her face was older, much older than her body portrays, and dull hair pulled into two loose pigtails.

Her wrinkled faced smiled as she laughed quietly to herself, then took a drink from a darkly colored bottle. An inside joke I wasn't aware of.
"Who are you? Where am I?" I croaked, cringing at my own voice.

The lady slammed her bottle on the side table and reached to grab my throat. She grabbed tightly, poking at all my sore spots. I had to hold back the urge to whimper, as to not show fear. She may have been toying with me.

Finally, she sits back down and retrieves her bottle to resume drinking. "Yup, much better than I expected. Glad you didn't fight me either."

I swallowed and adjusted my gaze directly at hers. Mustering the little bit of my energy I had, I demanded, "Tell me who you are and where I am. Please."

"Miss Manners are we? Think you're some type of Queen." She answered, asserting herself, "I'm the Doctor who brought you back to life, Doctor Kureha, so show some respect. It was pure luck that Chopper found you in the snow. You blended in so well. I could've turned a blind eye."

"Oh," I shrank back down, my voice an ugly thing in my ears. "Sorry."

Staying on the good side was the only way I could probably leave this place alive. And in my world you must be respectful to anyone with higher status then your own. Seeing as I was pretty low on the totem, I was always respectful. She stated she was a doctor, which equals the status of a Med. It's a habit to be respectful. Plus, I felt too weak and knew that I was unable to fight my way through her.

"That's a much better attitude." She approved and then turned her attention to the door. "Chopper! Get in here!"

"Yes ma'am!" I heard from the outside and immediately a tiny creature with antlers barged into the room with a tray.

"A deer?" I muttered to myself.

He did look kind of like a deer we had in my world, even though they were different colors as well as slightly different body structures. The deer had four black hooves but stood on two. His body was more like a young child's but still had the distinctive nose, fur, ears and features that a deer had. If I could, I would also compare him to a type of raccoon-dog hybrid. And one more thing to note- he had talked like a normal inhabitant.

"Chopper, give the lady her items we found on her," Kureha requested to the small animal.

The small animal nodded and rushed over to me with his tray, which had all my stuff placed upon it. I pushed myself up in the bed, letting the covers fall to my lap, and examine what I had. They didn't miss a thing, everything was there. The bulky red Analysis glasses, the silver rectangular locket, and my black skirt and buttoned white shirt and jacket. They even went far enough to give back-

"My daggers?" I questioned, pointing to the belt that held all six of them.

Kureha shrugged, "I don't need, nor want, them. And besides, I wouldn't have given them back if I knew you were a threat."

I nodded and read between her words, or rather threat. I knew I was strong, but I was still weak. Lying in the cold snow for who knows how long can do that. And even though her face looked old, I was taught never to underestimate. So before she could change anything I retrieved my items.

"Thank you," I told Chopper. "I really appreciate it."

But Chopper, the odd animal, only widened his eyes as if scared and bolted out the door. I looked over to Kureha for an explanation but she didn't react.
Instead she stared, at me, like an interesting object. And she smiled, a small one like she knew something more. A wicked grin one would call it. In retaliation I calmly placed my hands in my lap and met her gaze with no expression.

"You're not from here," Kureha stated while breaking the silence.

"Of course not," I answered her simply, "And I don't plan to be here long. I do thank you for nursing me back to health. I can't do so much in repayment, I'm sorry. I wasn't prepared for the snow, either. But I must be gone right away."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." I nod.

The doctor's smile grew even more and she sat up in her seat. She examined me with her eyes one more time.

"What's your name, girl?" She finally asked of me.

Finally, I had thought, we were getting somewhere. She was going to let me leave. Though, I felt bad not sticking to my principles.

"Koe," I said, pronouncing it differently to match their language phonetics. Ko-aye. I was too used to just Ko, but I'll get over it.

"It's nice to meet you, Koe," Kureha got up and walked a few short steps to me. Though her words were nice, her actions were not. She pushes me down into the bed, her knee pressing against the middle of my chest. "But you see, I'm the doctor. And the doctor knows that even though you feel better, you're not."

I glared and scowled, "I never said I felt better, did I? I said that I couldn't be here much longer."

Kureha didn't move, continuing to use her stare to intimidate me. And if I knew I was healthy enough to leave I would've thrown her off me. In truth, I felt mostly stiff and unable to fully move my right leg. It didn't feel broken, no, it just didn't feel anything.

"My right leg," I finally admitted, losing eye contact with her. "I can't move it."

Nodding, Kureha relieved the pressure on my chest, "Of course not."

"Why?" I asked, trying to make my leg respond. It wouldn't. My left leg, to partial relief, responded a little bit.

Kureha crossed her arms, "You received a nasty head wound. A concussion, I'd say. It's only natural for complications to arise from just that."

Instinctively my hand went to my head. Instead of hair I felt bandages, wrapped the whole way around. When my fingers brushed softly against the back of my head, a blinding white pain erupted in my skull. Biting my tongue, I forced my yelp of pain back down.

"I'm surprised you can even move one of your legs, from a head injury like that," Kureha mused thoughtfully.

I didn't reply, and blinked back the tears that sprung up in my eyes. Looking down at my items in my lap, I began to feel a heavy burden wrap around my shoulder and suffocate. This was only a setback, I told myself too readily. Regaining the use of my legs was possible, for me, but it sadly would take time; crucial time. And I would need help until I fully recovered, but I couldn't just mooch off a caregiver like that. It went against my principles. But I did not know how to maneuver with only the slight use of my right leg.

"I'm very grateful to you, Dr. Kureha," I announced, bowing my head in respect before her, "And I promise that I won't let your hard work saving me goes to waste. As soon as I feel better I'll do all I can to pay you back before I leave this place."

"Yeah, yeah, you do that, Miss Manners,"

I continued to keep my head bowed and stared at my hands. They clutched the locket instinctively, as if letting go would kill me. In a way, however, this locket may kill me. What a reminder to have, so inconspicuous the silly object was in my possession. Weren't these precious things suppose to bring joy to the owner? But, then again, doesn't that make the perfect hidden object? I smiled a grim smile.

"I'm curious to know how you got here, Miss Manners Koe. An injury so low to the back of the head with such force doesn't happen that often," Kureha continued, much to my dismay, "Either you fell awkwardly from a high height, or somebody really did not like you."

A little giggle escaped my lips. It was sad and far from humorous. Oh, doctor Kureha, I wish I had fallen and hit the back of my head. It would've made the story much more simpler.

But I guess with me, simple doesn't even exist.

A/N: Hmm, she's on Drum island it looks like. Wonder why?

Next chapter we will go back to the past and put some pieces of the puzzle together.

I hope you read again!

Leylainie

P.S. Feedback brings me motivation! Constructive criticism helps me improve!