Reunited

Chopper

"So why did you join this troupe?" Chopper asked. His current patient has been sleeping for the past four days. He finally woke up today.

"Well, it's a lot better than living back home," Ahote replied.

"What do you mean?" Chopper asked.

"My mama remarried last year to this jerk. This family is very well know and very wealthily," Ahote explained. "They always wanted me and my sister to be all prim and proper. I was never allowed to play and have fun. It was all manners all the time. I was being smothered to death. And he isn't the nicest. He's hit me a couple of times. I really needed to get away from them. So when this troupe came to town, I joined them."

"I'm sorry. That must have been terrible. But I don't see how this place is much better than your home."

"I know they seem uncaring. But, in fact, they really are caring. We all have similar backgrounds. We all ran from something. Most of the time it's the feeling of being unwanted. They have formed their own family here. Master may come off cold, but he loves his family very much and takes good care of us all. They all just have a tight bond. They warm up to others fairly easy. What about you? What are you running away from?"

"I'm not running away from anything," Chopper replied.

"Then why are you in this troupe?"

"I'm not really. I kinda jumped into this by accident. You were sick and it's my job to care for those who are. I didn't mean to tag along with you all, but I was heading in the same direction you all were anyway."

"I see. Then what are you looking for?"

"Well, I, uh…" Chopper glanced at his little monkey companion. It was standing off in the corner and hadn't moved from that spot unless Chopper left the little hut. "I can't answer that."

"Why not?"

"I know it sounds strange, but I can't answer that either. I'm sorry," Chopper dropped his eyes to the floor.

"It's all right," Chopper pulled his eyes back up to Ahote. Ahote was smiling at him. "You helped me. If you say you can't tell me what you're looking for then I won't press it. I am grateful for your help."

"Ah shucks! You don't have to thank me you jerk!" Chopper blushed. After that the two settled into some pleasant conversation. Ahote told him all about the troupe he was in and Chopper, carefully, told Ahote about his friends.

Soon their chatting was interrupted by their convoy pulling to a stop. They had reached their destination. And Chopper was now closer to retrieving his shard. "Do you really have to go?"

"I do," Chopper nodded. "I have to take care of something and then get back to my friends. I'm really concerned about one of them in particular. I want to make sure she's okay."

"I understand," Ahota nodded with a smile. "I'm glad I got to meet you. And thanks again for your help."

"Don't mention it!" Chopper waved goodbye as he ran off from the troupe. He ran into the near by forest and made sure he was well out of sight before turning to the monkey. "All right, show me that map again."

The monkey formed the holographic map. Chopper studied it before the two headed off to where the shard was. "Good, we're very close to it."

After ten minutes of walking, they were standing right on top of it. Chopper looked around, but didn't see it. He looked at the map again. "It should be right here."

He then kneeled down and started to move vines and leaves out of the way. He found it. It was almost twice as big as him with jagged edges. He grabbed it and cheer. "Yes! I have it! I found it! I can go see Neo now!"

He jumped around in excitement. As he jumped around the monkey clicked and chirped a couple of times. Chopper never noticed as he was too happy. He didn't even noticed the monkey taking the shard out of his hooves. Next thing he knew was his name was being called. "Chopper?"

"Huh?" Chopper paused mid-jump. After he reopened his eyes, he looked around and noticed he was no longer in the forest. He was in front of some kind of house. And in front of Neo. He ran to her. "Neo!"

"Chopper!" Neo held out her arms, allowing the little reindeer to dive into them. "I'm so glad you are safe!"

"I'm glad you are safe as well," Chopper cried. He scanned his eyes over her body. "Are you injured? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," Neo shook her head. "He hasn't touched me at all."

"I'm so glad!" Chopper hugged her. "Are the others here?"

"No," She shook her head again. He pulled back from their hug and looked at her. "You're the first to arrive."

"So where are we?" Chopper asked.

"We're in the Time Stream."

"The what?"

"There's something you should see," Neo said as she opened her wings. She flew them up to the balcony. "Take a look."

Chopper blinked a few times before viewing into the telescope that Neo was holding him up to. "What?! Where the heck are we?! What's going on?!"

"You're in the Time Stream as the princess has said."

"Who said that?" Chopper asked. He looked around for the little female voice that had just spoke to him.

"Right here, pal," Chopper turned to look at the three sprites standing on the balcony railing.

"What?! What are those things?! Are they bugs?! Why are bugs talking?!" Chopper shrieked waved his limbs.

"We're not bugs," Elian replied.

"We Time Sprites!" Celeste giggled.

"Time Sprites?" Chopper asked.

"We have a lot to talk about," Chopper tilted his head up to Neo when she spoke. He only nodded as she carried him into her bedroom. She sat down on the bed with him still in her arms. The sprites followed and sat down on the bed in front of the two. They exchanged stories on what had happened to them.

"This is crazy," Chopper said after they all had told their stories.

"And he didn't say anything else to you all about his plans?" Elian asked.

"Nothing," Chopper replied. "He only wanted us to find the shards."

"Where is the shard you found?" Velocity asked.

"I don't know," Chopper looked at his hooves. "I had it a few minutes ago. That monkey thing seems to have disappeared too."

"I assume it went back to Pendulum," Elian crossed his arms. "That must mean that those monkeys have the ability to travel through the Time Stream without the help of the Time Spheres."

"How could that be possible?" Velocity asked. "From what the doctor said, that monkey was just a machine."

"Monkey! Monkey! Monkey!" Celeste cheered as she did cartwheels over the blanket. "Silly little monkey!"

"But it wasn't a monkey or machine that attacked us. It was some kind of fluid thing," Chopper said. "None of our attacks could stop it. Nothing would work on it. Not even Neo's crystals."

"We have no choice but to wait for the others to return," Neo said. They all looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Neo," Chopper said. She looked down at him. Tears were pooling in his childlike eyes. "I wish there was something I could have done to stop that thing. Then you'd still be with Law."

Neo reached up and touched Law's hat. She shook her head and hugged him. "Don't apologize. There was nothing any of us could do to stop it. He'll be here. All of them will come."

"Neo, are you wearing perfume or something?"

"No. Why?" Neo asked, looking down at her reindeer friend sitting in her lap.

"You smell different," Chopper replied, his scanned his eyes over her.

"Bepo has said the exact same thing. I haven't done anything different. Shachi said it was the new smells of Purlieu Island. Maybe it's just the new smells here?"

"That's possible. This place is new. It does smell kinda strange," Chopper looked around the room. "And you have been here for a while. I'm not sure though. This smell you have is kind of familiar…I just can't seem to place it."

Chopper's furry cheeks darkened when his stomach growled. "Guess I'm hungry."

"Let's go down to the kitchen," Neo stood up from the bed. She carried him out of the room with the sprites following after them. Once they had crossed through the living room, the sprites flew ahead of her and Chopper. They started to lay out food on the table as the two entered into the kitchen.

Neo finally released Chopper from her hold. They both sat down. Chopper's eyes sparkled as he looked at the food before him. "Wow! It looks so yummy! Thank you!"

"Some of it might taste kind of strange from what we're use to," Neo said as Chopper started to fill a plate.

"That's okay. After what I've been eating for the past five days," Chopper said as he chomped over several different things. "This stuff is first class food! It's so good!"

The sprites chuckled at his starry eyed expression. Neo felt like laughing too, but she couldn't. Her lips and voice just wouldn't form the action. They had once again left with Law and wasn't going to come back until he was with her again.

Later that night, Chopper sneezed when something flicked his nose. He blinked his eyes opened when his nose was flicked again. Elian was standing in front of him. "What is it, Elian?"

Elian placed his finger over his lips. "Shh. Come with me."

"What for?" Chopper asked as he sat up.

"I need to speak with you," Elian pointed towards the door. "But not here."

"Huh? Why not?" They both looked over at Neo when she let out a light whimper. Chopper reached over and pulled the blanket, that had feel down, back up over her shoulders. He was sleeping on the bed with her. He told her that he would have been fine on the floor, but she had insisted. She felt less lonely with him and the sprites nearby.

"Please, just come with me. I really need to speak with you in private. It's about the princess," Elian said then flew over to the door. Chopper gave him a confused look. He glanced once more at Neo before following after the sprite.

…

Author's Notes: Finally! Neo's getting to reunite with her friends. :D I think she really loves holding Chopper. This is the second time they've been like this. And I think he likes being held by her too.