As always, Thank you for reading! If you want to see the art for the final scene, Go to my profile! You'll have to manually type in the link though as does not allow URL to other sites now. Thank you!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the Sakura Kingdom, once known as Drum Island, snowflakes are dancing through the crisp night air atop a remote, snowy peak. Dr. Kureha is in her office when the tranquility of the night is suddenly shattered by the sound of a door bursting open.

"Dr. Kureha! We found a severely injured child out in the cold!" exclaims an Isshi-20 doctor.

"Quickly, lay them down here!" Kureha responds.

Kureha, along with a group of doctors, carries a small, unconscious figure bundled in blankets. Once she peeled away the blanket, she was taken aback to see that it's a child she recognizes all too well: Frisk. However, she has no time to dwell on the surprise. She observes the tapestry of bruises and ominous angles of fractures on Frisk's body, and faint sounds of distress can be heard.

"They're so young!" one of the Isshi-20 doctors remarks.

"I can see that! Now hush and fetch me my medical kit, and hot water!" Kureha retorts.

The doctors scatter to follow her orders. Dr. Kureha's hands move with a blend of tenderness and efficiency, checking vitals and aligning broken limbs with practiced care. She mutters to herself, listing the injuries, while preparing for what is sure to be a lengthy treatment.

"Get the operating room ready! I need an IV line, blood ready for transfusion, and bring me the supplies as I call them out!" Kureha instructs.

"Yes, Doctor!" the Isshi-20 doctors respond in unison.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The flicker of a hearth's flame casts a warm, dancing light over a small wooden room. The smell of medicinal herbs mingles with the comforting aroma of burning wood. The room has a cozy, rustic ambiance, suggesting it has served as a haven against countless cold winters. This atmosphere is all too familiar to Frisk.

The soft light from the hearth makes her squint, pain searing through her body. Her ears catch the gentle popping and crackling of the fire, a soothing backdrop against the chaos she remembered before blacking out.

She tries to move, tries to speak, but her voice is faint and her body feels like lead. The sound of a newspaper being flipped reaches her ears. Turning her head, Frisk sees a face she dearly loves. A wizened face framed by white hair leans into her view. She smiles upon recognizing who it is.

"You know, when I told you to come back safely, you seemed to forget the 'safely' part. I'm starting to think you make a habit of being found outside in the cold," Kureha chides.

Frisk remains silent.

"You're fortunate I found you when I did. Had it been any other doctor, you might not be here," Kureha continues.

Summoning all her strength, Frisk whispers, "Thank you..."

"None of that," Kureha interrupts. "I found you with deep lacerations, fractured bones, internal injuries, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've treated countless injuries over the years, but yours are some of the worst I've seen on a child. No talking. No moving. You're going to rest here for at least a month."

Frisk nods, fully grasping Dr. Kureha's seriousness. With that, Dr. Kureha gently strokes Frisk's forehead. A wave of drowsiness washes over Frisk.

"Don't strain yourself. There'll be ample time to talk later. For now, rest," Kureha murmurs.

Frisk's eyelids grow heavy, and she soon succumbs to sleep, no longer resisting the fatigue enveloping her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kureha watches as Frisk drifts back into slumber, her expression softening. She then turns and continues her work, preparing another concoction.

"Poor girl," murmurs Kureha.

She wonders how Frisk had ended up here and why she was in such a gravely injured state. Kureha's gaze shifts to the newspaper on a nearby table. The headline blares news of the impending war at Marineford, with Portgas D. Ace's scheduled execution at its epicenter. The world teeters on the brink of upheaval, and the balance of power seems poised to shift perilously.

"The world is changing," Kureha whispers to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next time Frisk awoke, she felt much more refreshed. Sensing some return of her strength, she tried to stand, using the bedpost for support. However, before she could fully rise, a whack landed on her head.

"Will you stop moving?! You'll tear your stitches!" Kureha scolded.

Frisk winced in pain but, with a mixture of guilt and affection, smiled and hugged Kureha.

"Doctorine..." Frisk whispered with a raspy voice.

Kureha, initially taken aback, returned the hug gently and sighed. "Why do I always get the most ridiculous patients? Sit down and rest. Doctor's orders."

Frisk nodded and settled back onto the bed. Kureha handed her a mug of hot chocolate, which Frisk gratefully accepted.

"Thank you..." Frisk murmured.

"Heeheehee!" Kureha chuckled, taking a swig of her alcohol.

A momentary silence enveloped them, punctuated only by the crackling of wood in the fireplace. Then, Frisk began to speak.

"We encountered an Admiral, highly advanced robots, and one of the seven warlords all at once. We were overwhelmed... The warlord, Kuma, used his devil fruit power and sent me here," Frisk explained, tears streaming down her face. "I assume we all got separated... I..."

"...It must've been difficult," Kureha interjected softly.

Frisk's voice broke. "I'm sorry, Doctorine... I promised to take care of Chopper..."

Kureha's hand landed sharply on Frisk's head again, prompting a surprised look from the younger girl. "Idiot! I know that sniveling brat will be fine. I trained him, after all. You need to worry about yourself right now."

A watery smile broke on Frisk's face. "You're as kind as ever."

"You might be concussed if you're calling me kind!" Kureha retorted.

Frisk suddenly sensed others in the castle and looked quizzically at Kureha. "Are there people here?"

Kureha grinned. "Some inexperienced doctors wanted to learn from me, so I'm teaching them. This is now the Sakura Kingdom."

Frisk thought about how proud Chopper would be upon seeing the new kingdom upon his return.

"Now lie down until you're fully recovered!" Kureha ordered.

Frisk nestled under her blanket. "I'll try to stay put," she promised, though the playful glint in her eyes hinted at potential mischief.

Kureha chuckled and began to walk away. With a final, stern glance, she left the room. Alone with her thoughts, the warmth of the hearth and the softness of the bed began to lure Frisk. Exhausted and overwhelmed by recent events, she soon drifted into a peaceful sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Frisk felt significantly better today. Stepping outside, she felt a lightness in her step, a reprieve from the burdens of choices and consequences. Using just a stick and a few pebbles, she began to craft a snowman. Kureha, observing from a distance, chuckled at the youthful playfulness on display. But her amusement was interrupted when a snowball, thrown with remarkable accuracy, smacked her square in the face. She spluttered, directing a faux glare at Frisk, who was doubled over in laughter.

"You're asking for it now!" Kureha declared with feigned indignation.

The tranquil setting quickly transformed into a battlefield for an epic snowball duel. Frisk did her best to evade the flurry of snowballs hurled by the seasoned doctor. Age might separate them, but Kureha's aim was impeccable. In no time, Frisk found herself submerged under a heap of snow, a testament to Kureha's victorious onslaught.

"Heeheehee! Let's head inside and warm up," Kureha said, extending a hand to help Frisk up.

With a broad smile, Frisk accepted Kureha's hand, and the two of them returned to the castle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Four more days have passed. With Frisk now healthy enough to roam the castle without getting hit by Kureha on the head, her strength has returned quite a bit, though not to its full extent. She got to see all of the renovations the castle has gone through and was more lively with the doctors roaming around. That afternoon, as Frisk came back from making a snowman, she went back into her room and on the wooden table, was the newspaper Kureha had been reading previously. Curiosity piqued, Frisk picked it up. Her eyes widened as they scanned the headlines and accompanying images: "Marineford War Imminent! Whitebeard Pirates Set to Clash with Marine Forces! Execution of Fire Fist Ace Scheduled for 3PM tomorrow!"

The first thing she could think of was Luffy. Ace was Luffy's brother. Frisk's heart raced as she held the newspaper, her thoughts racing to connect the dots of why Ace's vivre card was small last time. She had to be there, she had to help. Not fully comprehending the weight of her own injuries, she turned to dart out of the room. Just as she turned around, Dr. Kureha was in front of Frisk. She had a sharp gaze looking at Frisk.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Kureha asked with a frown.

"I… I need to go," Frisk replied hesitantly, avoiding eye contact.

Kureha's frown deepened. She glanced at what Frisk was holding. "I thought you knew that all the people who don't listen to doctors are the ones that die. You're not ready to leave yet, certainly not after what you've put your body through."

"But-" Frisk started.

"No! And that's final! You're not going anywhere!" Kureha yelled, causing Frisk to flinch, but she looked back at Kureha with determination.

"I need to help Luffy!" exclaimed Frisk, and she sprinted out. Kureha, taken by surprise, shouted after her, "Stop her! She's not fully healed! I'M GOING TO TIE YOU UP IN BED UNTIL YOU RECOVER!" Screamed Kureha as she chased after Frisk. The echo of Frisk's footsteps and Kureha's shouts rang through the castle, quickly catching the attention of the Isshi-20 doctors. One of them stepped into the hallway, only to be narrowly avoided by Frisk who used her agility to dodge and weave through the oncoming obstacles. The doctor unfortunately crashed himself into the wall trying to catch Frisk.

"Sorry!" exclaimed Frisk.

The castle became a frenzy of activity. The Isshi-20 doctors, spread out in different rooms and hallways, began converging on the noise, attempting to corner the determined child. Further ahead, two more doctors spread out, trying to use their numbers to their advantage. Using the momentum from her slide, Frisk launched herself up and grabbed onto a chandelier, swinging across the room and landing on the other side, leaving the baffled doctors behind.

As Frisk slid under tables and jumped over railings, she winced a little as she felt pain from her wounds. She eventually hid herself behind a curtain. The doctors passed the curtain, and Frisk was the only one left in the room. She quietly came out and walked toward the exit, clenching her abdomen. Frisk eventually made it to the first floor of the castle and opened the castle door. It was snowing, and Frisk stood still, panting slightly. Shortly after, Kureha came out, panting heavily.

"Where you're going is going to be a warzone! It's suicide!" exclaimed Kureha. "Look at you, clutching at your abdomen! Do you know how close you were to dying?! YOU ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT!"

"What could you possibly do there?!" Kureha continued.

Frisk simply hugged Kureha.

"If you think that's going to-" Kureha started, but Frisk cut her off.

"I know I can't do much. I don't even know what I'm going to do. But I know that I need to be there for my friend," Frisk said.

Kureha was silent for a moment, then hugged Frisk back.

"You know, Doctorine… When you told me to come back safely… I was so happy. I never had somewhere I could call home. Not in the underground… Nowhere else. I never thought I would find a place to call home, you know?" Frisk continued.

Kureha didn't respond, listening intently.

"But you showed me a place I could call home… The love that you've shown me… When everything is over and this journey ends… I want to come back here and live with you. Maybe even find out the secret of your beauty," Frisk added with a hint of humor.

Kureha snorted at that last part.

"I… until recently, I used to always doubt myself, unsure if my decision was the correct choice and thought I was a failure that always made mistakes. But through my friends, I learned that it's okay to make mistakes," Frisk said, looking up at Kureha with a smile.

"I want to live a life without regrets," Frisk concluded.

Kureha was silent for a few seconds before handing Frisk a small pouch.

"Take two of this medicine once a day. You're discharged, brat," Kureha said, patting Frisk on the head gently and starting to drink from her flask.

"Thank you, Doctorine…" Frisk said.

There was silence as they shared a final embrace in the snow.

"Don't cry, Doctorine…" said Frisk softly.

"I'm not crying, you brat... Come back safely, Frisk," said Kureha with a shaky voice. "It's a promise. I'll be back. I love you, Doctorine," Frisk said.

With that, Kureha stood alone, Frisk nowhere to be seen. Kureha stood in the snow until one of the Isshi-20 doctors hurriedly came out of the door. "Doctor! We have yet to find the-" the Isshi-20 doctor started. "No need. She's discharged," Kureha interrupted. "Huh?! Where could she possibly have gone?!" the Isshi-20 doctor asked, bewildered. Kureha didn't respond as she went back to the castle. "This is why I don't like tearful goodbyes…" Kureha said to herself.