Chapter Twenty-Three | Reunited

"What in the hell are you doing out of your bed?"

Before Quinn could blink she was dragged off Luffy's back and fell into the snow, cursing loudly. "I'm fine, woman!"

"Fine, my ass!"

Sputtering, she crawled to her feet and shook the snow off herself, casting another warming charm for good measure. "I'm plenty fine," she repeated, crossing her arms. "And you can thank me and Luffy for kicking Wapol's arse."

"Was that the crash I heard?" Cupping a hand to her ear, Kureha squinted and leaned towards the castle. "You better-"

"I'll fix your wall."

Lips pursed, Kureha studied her for a few seconds, although Quinn would rather describe it as a glare, before the woman sighed and shook her head. "No sense arguing with someone like you. Sirius told me enough to know that's a losing battle.*

"Serious?" Luffy asked, kicking idly at the snow as Sanji and Chopper walked over to meet them, looking bruised but otherwise unruffled. Although Quinn did a double take at the yeti-esque shape Chopper had taken, standing ten feet tall and broad shouldered, like the pictures she'd once seen in a textbook.

He shrunk before her eyes, changing back into the short and almost painfully adorable form he'd worn when she first saw him.

He's a walking, talking Puffskein.

Drawing her attention back to Luffy, Quinn continued her thought. "Sirius was my Godfather," she explained, rubbing the cold from her arms. "Sorry, give me a moment." Throwing a hand out, she accompanied the gesture with a catch all accio, reaching with her magic for a winter jacket. A second passed, and Chopper raised a… hoof? Hand? Either or, in question.

"What are you doing?"

"This," she said, feeling the tug on her magic as a coat inside the castle answered her call. Another second passed before it whizzed into her open hand and, with a sigh, Quinn threw it on. "Bit dusty, but it'll do."

"Awesome!" Both Luffy and Chopper shouted, gaping at her.

Smiling at them, Quinn shook her arms out and continued. "He fell through the same portal I did, almost ten years ago. Turns out he ended up here as well, decades before me, unfortunately."

"Can we meet him!? I wanna' meet a wizard!"

"He died. Thirty years ago?"

"A little over thirty years, yes," Kureha added.

Luffy immediately clammed up, blushing. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Sanji hissed through his teeth, a frown tugging at his brow. "You alright?"

"I thought he was dead this whole time. So… yes and no?" Scratching the back of her head, Quinn shrugged, looking up to the sky and admiring the snow whirling overhead. The clouds that flew, full and white across the roof of the world, so much closer than they'd ever been before. "He lived a good life, from what Doctor Kureha told me. A happy life." She laughed to herself, looking at Luffy out of the corner of her eye. "You'll never guess what else she told me."

"Is it a secret?" he blurted, tilting his head. "Is it a cool secret?"

"The coolest."

"Can I guess? Oh, Sanji! Help me. It's gotta' be, uh…" Brow knit together, Luffy grumbled under his breath, squatting low to the ground. "It's uh- he left a witch hat for you? A big pointy one? Like this?" He put his hands in a triangle above his head, before canting them. "Witch hat!"

"Idiot! It's not a hat. It's gotta' be something amazing!" Sanji declared, slamming a fist into his palm. "He left you a gorgeous dress!"

"...Bigger than that. You, Chopper."

"Me?" he squeaked, pointing at himself.

"You guess."

"Um. Uh-" Looking to Kureha, Chopper shifted his weight. "I, uh… did you say you were a witch?"

"That I am."

His eyes lit up, and he began to bounce on the spot. "A book of spells! It's a book of spells!"

"It's not any of those. No." A smile tugged at her lips, watching keen for Luffy's reaction. "He had a son. And you've all heard of him."

"Gramps!"

"Zeff?"

"Hiruluk?"

Pausing for effect, Quinn let a hush fall over them, one that Kureha snorted in amusement at. "Witches and wizards," she scoffed quietly, but just loud enough for Quinn to hear. "All so dramatic."

Shooting a good natured glare Kureha's way, Quinn slowly raised her hands. A deep breath, another pause, and-

"...Roger," she whispered, as if stood over a campfire and softly declaring the final, chilling words of a ghost story. "The Roger."

Sanji coughed. Loudly. Smacking his chest and hacking up smoke, he spat the cigarette out of his mouth and heaved, bug eyed, at her words.

Luffy cackled, slapped both hands over his mouth, and then let out a muffled but no less hysterical scream, running in circles all the while.

Chopper fell on his ass, staring at Quinn as if she'd just given him the secrets of the universe and all else in between.

Kureha laughed, hands on her hips and head thrown back, reveling in the trio's awe as much as Quinn herself was.

"No fuckin' way," Sanji whispered, unable to tear his gaze from her. He fumbled with another cigarette, missing his mouth once before finally clamping it between his lips, lighting it with a twitching match. He took a deep drag, eyes losing focus, before blinking back to reality. "No way. You're kidding, right?"

"Every word is true. Unless the good doctor here was pulling my leg."

Scoffing again, Kureha raised her nose, imperious. "Unless the man himself lied to me about his son and wife, then no."

"The Pirate King…" was Chopper's awe filled whisper.

Luffy, though, sat down in the snow and continued to squeal into his hands, both locked right over his mouth, his fingers knotted together. It looked as though his eyes would pop out of his head, and Quinn grew concerned when his cheeks grew redder and redder, and she realized he hadn't taken a breath the whole time.

"Breathe, Luffy. In and out."

He gasped, hands flying from his mouth. "Secret!" he roared, muffling himself again an instant later. "Sk'rit!"

"You have your own secret?"

Nodding furiously, he started to grow red again when Quinn huffed, kneeling in front of him. "It's alright. You don't have to tell me."

"Y'sure?" he asked, quiet words flitting between his fingers.

"Completely sure."

Taking another deep breath, Luffy gave her a jerky nod and stood. A sound could be heard in the distance, that of creaking rope and muffled voices, and Luffy ignored it in lieu of dancing on the spot and shaking his arms, nervous energy bleeding off him in waves. "Whew! Roger! Roger, Roger, Roger! That's so cool!"

"It's crazy is what it is." Sanji let the ash fall from his cigarette, Quinn held within his gaze all the while. "That means you're the Pirate King's sister… Quinn, you know what that means, right?"

His tone caught her attention, and she shook her head. "No. What?"

"You just might be the most wanted woman in the world if that gets out." He glanced towards the growing noise, lips thinning. "So… be careful with that information. Please. Same goes to you, Luffy."

Deadly serious, Luffy readjusted his hat. "It's a secret," he declared, zipping his lips.

"I'll keep mum," was Quinn's response, though her mind drifted elsewhere.

Nico Robin, were you given the same kind of warning? She pondered, remembering the bone chilling fear that had stricken the woman's mind, all of it directed towards the World Government. She'd been petrified, and while Quinn still didn't have all the pieces – barely any, really – Sanji's words gave her just a bit more to go on.

And Zoro's – his talk of the Marines, a little girl, and a wolf still seared in her memory. Ordered to kill themselves by their Commanding Officer, he'd said, and a liar Zoro was not. Would've followed through with it if he and Luffy hadn't intervened.

What had they done to Miss All Sunday, to compel such fear? What would people like them do to someone like Quinn, who by blood and by oath was directly related to a man whose execution was spoken of in whispers two decades after the fact? Whose execution is famous the world over, an historical fact, in a land without television or radio.

There was deadly warning in Sanji's eyes, and her cheerful revelation now rested bittersweet on her tongue. She needed to learn more about the World Government. About Roger. All to better understand an institution that may well be her enemy beyond the customary bounty on her head.

If only she could pick Nico Robin's mind on the subject, and were Quinn to see her again (and she likely would, considering their inevitable harbour in Alabasta) she would find a way to get those details from her by crook or by hook. Femme fatale she may seem to be, Quinn knew how to push people's buttons given the chance of questioning or interrogation.

"That sound," she started, drawing herself back to the here and now. "More enemies on their way? Or friends."

"I doubt there's more fighters. It's your friends, most likely, judging by how chatty they are." Kureha tapped her ear before pointing towards the noise. "Wapol would wring his men's necks if they talked that much."

And through the snow Quinn could hear that chatter grow closer, shadows moving in the distance. Nearer they came, and she could begin to make out the occasional word. Suddenly, without warning, the snow began to dwindle – the blizzard that had raged since their arrival slowing to a halt. There was still an errant wind, a breeze more like, that flowed gentle through the air as a brook would round corners and over smooth-washed stones, made pearls by its currents.

In the span of a few seconds the skyline cleared, a bright winter moon shining in soft curtains through the clouds above, its pale glow illuminating the gaggle of villagers, guardsmen, and the remaining Straw Hats that approached the four of them.

"Guys!" Luffy shouted, raising his arms and leaping with joy. "Quinn is all better!"

"I was worried I'd lose my sparring partner!" Zoro called back, while Nami waved beside him. Usopp and Vivi followed a short ways away, the former shooting worried glances towards the blank-faced Marianne that lazily trotted in their wake.

A man of broad shoulders, chin, and great height looked at Luffy with astonishment, his gaze occasionally flicking left and right as he searched for an enemy. "You defeated him… you actually defeated him."

Luffy hummed, a finger in his ear. "Who?"

"Wapol."

"Oh. That guy. Yeah, he went flying uh- that way." He pointed at the castle. "Punched him through the wall."

"Which I'm going to fix," Quinn hastily added at the sudden glare Kureha shot their way. "In fact, I think I'll take care of that now."

"No you don't!" Nami playfully chided, jogging through the snow and pulling Quinn into a hug, who spluttered and stood frozen, arms awkwardly splayed past Nami's back. "Ah! You had us so worried!"

"M'fine. I'm alright," she insisted, trying to pry herself from Nami's steely grip. "Seriously, I'm good."

It was like a switch flipped, Nami's cheerful tone suddenly turning furious, the whiplash of it even more jarring than the hug. "You could have died, you idiot! And oh, you had to be all stubborn and say no, I'm alright, I'm just a little bit sick. Just a little sick! All while you had a forty degree fever!" Shaking Quinn, she shouted some more before letting go, sighing loudly.

"Moron. I thought you'd be sane, not like these psychopaths," she grumbled, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder at Luffy, who was admiring Zoro's new coat. "Turns out you're just as bad!"

"...Got it all out?"

Nami pushed her shoulder. "Asshole."

The guardsman, who had been staring at the lot of them in abject shock, fell to his knees with a shout, tears dripping onto the snow. "Thank you!" he howled, forehead brushing against the powdered white. "Thank you! All of you! You've saved this country!"

We did, didn't we? Quinn realized, having forgotten it was a tyrant king that she and Luffy had sent flying.

"No worries! Thanks for letting us help our friend!" came her Captain's reply, a giggle following immediately after. "Hey! Lady!"

"What, brat?"

"Got any food?"

"Not unless you drag your ass back to the sickroom. Don't think I haven't noticed those burns of yours."

Luffy paled, putting his hands up in an x and shuffling behind Zoro. "Guys I think we should get out of here," he stage whispered, trying to hide behind the swordsman's broad shoulders. "Someone grab the reindeer."

Skirting around Luffy, Usopp walked over with a question on his lips. "Reindeer?"

"That guy," Quinn said, pointing at Chopper, who hadn't yet noticed the attention coming his way.

Nami immediately cooed, almost melting into a pile next to her. "He's so fluffy!"

"Is he… a pet?"

"Doctor, actually."

"He's a doctor!?" Usopp's jaw dropped, before he righted himself and crossed his arms. "Well, I was a great healer back in my humble hometown, discovering cures to all kinds of sickness and disease-"

"It's good to see you too, Usopp."

He stammered, sending an awkward smile Quinn's way. "Y-you too. Glad to see you better."

She raised an eyebrow at him, at which Usopp clammed up, Nami jabbing his shoulder with a sharp glare. "Another time," she sighed, not wanting to get in between whatever was going on there, before cracking her knuckles and turning towards the castle. "Well, I have to go fix that wall before we get out of here."

"At least some of you have manners!" Snapping her fingers, Kureha pointed at Quinn. "Chopper, go help her. And you, Dalton. Let me get a look at you."

"Yes Doctorine!" both Chopper and the guardsman exclaimed.

Running up alongside her, Quinn began to trudge through the snow next to the pint-sized doctor, who shot her awed glances when he thought she wasn't looking. "A real witch…" he whispered, astonished, and she smiled down at him, chuckling.

"Wanna' see some more magic?"

"Yeah!"

"Check this out," she said, drawing her rapier as they got closer to the rubble, the open court of the castle drenched in moonlight that made her blade glimmer as it moved through the air. "Ready?"

Practically bouncing, Chopper nodded with all his might. "Yeah!"

"Alright. On three, okay? One… two.. Reparo." The last word came out all but bleeding purpose, her beckoning call to the magic of this world made clear. The air shifted and slowly, the rubble drifted upward and began to settle into its former home. Stone fused to stone, snow was pushed aside as blocks slid into place, and like a puzzle everything slotted back together in a display of magical strength that would have garnered a few impressed murmurs back in her old world. It was simple magic, but the scope of it was where her tendency to bruteforce spells began to shine.

Finesse was not one of Quinn's strong suits, but showy displays of power? Sheer destructive strength? Her bombarda was a thing of legend amongst the auror corps, having brought down an entire building with one spell when tempers had gone high. No one was hurt, a miracle in and of itself, but her place in the force was never questioned from that point onward. No longer the kid saviour and a shining example of the Ministry's nepotism, but instead a colleague who – when push came to shove – could scrap with the best of the best and never falter when things inevitably went awry.

Because things always went awry when hunting down the worst of the worst.

Beside her, Chopper oohed and aahed, his voice growing higher and higher as the final blocks settled into place and, with a brief exhale, Quinn lowered her arm and released her hold on the spell.

"Took a bit out of me, that," she admitted, rolling her shoulders and, with a loud sigh, cracking her back. "Still getting used to how magic works here."

"Are you kidding me!? That was amazing!" Running a circle around her, the ecstatic hoofbeats of Chopper clattered against the stone until he skidded to a halt, slapping a hand over his mouth. "I mean- I mean- I couldn't care less! Human!"

Squatting so she could look him eye to eye, Quinn raised a brow and huffed her quiet amusement. "Uh huh? You seemed pretty impressed to me."

"Not at all!"

"You're hurtin' my feelings here, Chopper."

His eyes widened and he put a hand on her knee. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" With a small squeak, he retreated again. "You're trying to trick me!"

Laughing, she poked him in the shoulder. "Just taking the piss. Means I like you."

"I don't need praise from a human! Jerk! Asshole!" He squirmed as he shouted, very obviously pleased with her compliment, at which Quinn stifled another laugh. "Don't mess with me!"

"You know, Luffy wants you to come with us."

Chopper froze, and in an instant he went from cheerful to bashful and then all the way to shy, his shoulders hunched and a fearful look in his eye. "...Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because… I'm a reindeer. I have antlers, I have hooves!" he exclaimed, pointing to his head. "My nose is blue and- and I'd be an awful pirate. I'm a monster…"

"And I'm a witch from another world. Our Captain is made of rubber, and I'm pretty sure our swordsman is descended from a Nundu with how hard he is to keep down."

"A Nundu?"

"Really big, scary cat- look, Chopper. I'm not asking you, because that's not my job. Luffy's going to, that you can guarantee, but take a good look at all of us and ask yourself this… do you think any one of us would care one lick about you being a reindeer? Hell, I think that's a bonus, and I know the rest of the crew would agree." She put a finger up, carrying on. "And – and this is a big and – I've met monsters. I've fought a snake the size of a house. I've fought demons that suck the happiness right out of you. But I've also fought people who make those two things seem like a walk in the park because the choices they made were monstrous, and that much scarier for it.

"You're a reindeer, yeah. Got a blue nose and antlers and little hooves but that's not what makes you, you. You're a doctor, you're a fighter, and you're damned cute to boot. Now, does that sound monstrous?" Gently clapping him on the shoulder, Quinn stood and grinned. "Eh, Chopper? Because I've never heard of a monster that's anything like that."

Tears in his eyes, he threw his arms around Quinn's waist and buried his face in her hip, sniffling. "...You really mean it?"

"Every word."

She felt him nod, the brim of his hat tickling her belly. "I have to… I have to go think."

"We'll be waiting outside."

With another sniffle, Chopper ran off, leaving Quinn alone in the great windy courtyard. She admired the quiet serenity of it for a moment, the moonlight overhead and the snow falling alongside it, before venturing back outside the castle walls. Kureha met her in the corridor, leaning against the wall with a foot propped up against it, her glasses low and a gentle look on her face.

"You stealing my apprentice?" she asked, catching Quinn's eye.

"Might be."

Looking away, Kureha exhaled softly, her breath misty in the cold air. "They all have to leave the nest some day." She clicked her tongue, arms folding. "Tell me. What's that rubber kid's name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy."

"Monkey D. Luffy," Kureha echoed, letting the name fall from her lips as though a hymn. "Funny, how that initial crops up. Gol D. Roger. Monkey D. Luffy." She turned her head, gaze piercing Quinn. "Potter D. Quinn."

"Delilah. It stands for Delilah."

"Not here it doesn't. No, girlie, it's taken on a whole new meaning for you. Because that spirit was in your godfather and in his son, and it's in that captain of yours too. I've never met someone with that initial who was a bore, and I've met many, many people in this life of mine." Wagging her finger at Quinn, Kureha stepped away from the wall and began to pace. "Forces of nature, you are. And that's all I'll tell you on the matter. The rest of it is up to you to figure out. And Quinn?"

"Yes, doctor?"

"I have a feeling your entire crew is going to take this world by storm… don't you?"

As she said that, Quinn could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and what had been a simple question now sounded like so much more. A premonition, perhaps, something intangible that buzzed, electric as it disappeared into the open air. The rest of it is up to you to figure out, echoed in her mind, the hint of a grand puzzle laid out before her, only the barest few pieces scattered across the table and the rest shrouded in the churning morass of the unknown.

"Yeah. I think I'm starting to get that feeling too,' she mused, looking out the open doors to see the silhouette of Luffy, cheering as he flung snowball after snowball after a giggling Usopp.

To smile in the face of adversity, she realized, was a magic unto itself.