Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Harvest Moon.
AN: This is my entry for the Village Square contest, which is Loss this time. I did plan a different story, but decided to go for this route.
Chelsea smiled to herself as Volcano Island came into view. She scanned the barren rocks and dark terrain of the island. It seemed that this island had been spared from all the snow that now covered the rest of Sunshine Islands. She could see the shimmering waves of heat radiating up from the lava pool as she neared her destination.
Turning her head to Kirk with happiness sparkling in her eyes she expressed her gratitude to the sailor. "Thanks, Kirk! I really appreciate this!"
"Think nothing of it, Chelsea," the boatman replied as he guided his boat alongside the wooden pier. He gave the young rancher a curious gaze."I take it you are here because the Mining Festival is tomorrow?"
"That's right!" the rancher agreed cheerfully. "I'm hoping that I can find some nice gems!"
Kirk gave the girl a small smile. "I see. Well, I know this isn't your first time here on Volcano Island, but be sure you are careful."
"I know," Chelsea replied as she climbed out of the boat and onto the dry wooden pier. She extended her arm into the boat and grabbed her bag. A slight grunt escaped her lips as she hefted the bag out of the boat. In the bag were all of her tools and the supplies she would need for the day. Satisfied that all was in order, she gave Kirk a smile and waved. She then lifted the bag and turned to look at the volcano before her.
Despite the fact that it could be very dangerous, Volcano Island was also known as Sunshine Island's local mining area. Even Regis, the head of the mining company often frequented the island. The first time he saw the rancher there he'd casually mentioned that it was his home away from home. She noticed that when the weather was pleasant, Regis would drop by at least once during the day. This was true even when the oppressive summer sun was beating down on the course and rocky landscape, Regis would comment about the heat, yet it didn't keep him away.
Chelsea however didn't consider the barren island her home away from home, yet she often found herself there. She would collect as many of the gems as she came across. And while she would ship a lot of them, she would often reserve some of the more unique finds and give to Regis and Sabrina as gifts.
It was through that association that the brunette had learned to tell the different jewels apart allowing her to separate the common stones from the more rare gems. She discovered that every gem was unique and had a quality of its own. Even those that seemed dull and lifeless had a value. She figured that with what she had been taught, she should be able to find at least a good quality gem to present at the Mining Festival.
"Here I go," she said with a positive nod of her head. As she approached the mine entrance, she could feel the furnace like heat. The foul smell of sulfur and brimstone assaulted her sense of smell as she stepped into the cave's entrance. Chelsea didn't mind the heat; in fact she felt it was a blessing considering how cold it had been lately. She reached into her bag and removed her hammer. Picking a good looking spot she gripped the wooden handle and prepared to get to work.
Chelsea paused and wiped the perspiration from her brow. She had no idea how long she'd been in the mine, all she knew was that she'd found a nice quantity of gems. While many were not the best of quality, there were a few that easily passed as good quality gems. Chelsea knew that she should soon head back, yet she couldn't stop the competitive side of her from thinking she could do better! So she continued her hunt for that elusive gem that would ensure her victory.
More time passed before she finally located an emerald. She held up the shimmering light green jewel and admired how it seemed to glimmer in the dull light of the mine. It was easily the best quality jewel she had found thus far. "I can probably do better though," she thought out loud and took a couple of steps forward.
Chelsea knew that there were inherent dangers while searching within the mines and she thought she had prepared herself for any possible situation that could arise. She had even filled her stomach to insure that her stamina and energy levels remained high. But in spite of all her care and perpetration there was one thing she hadn't considered. An audible gasp escaped the brunette's lips as she felt the ground beneath her feet begin to crumble and fall away. With a scream the rancher disappeared into the further depths of the mine!
When she finally hit solid ground and came to a stop, a bolt of excruciating pain shot up her left leg. Chelsea gasped in pain as she tried to reposition herself into a semi upright sitting position. Her leg throbbed but it didn't feel like it was broken or anything. Not that she knew what a broken leg actually felt like, but she was hoping that wasn't the case. As the dust settled she scanned her surroundings looking for clues of what level she'd ended up on. All of the gems that she'd worked so hard to collect were now scattered about on the rocky ground. To her right lay her hammer and hoe. With some effort she was able to retrieve her tools and use them to aid her in retrieving most of the gems, which she placed back into her bag.
Chelsea then took a couple of deep breaths and using her arms she attempted to stand. Sharp pain radiated up from her injured limb and she instantly regretted the idea of trying to stand. With a loud gasp of pain, she slipped back to the cold hard ground. Tears welled in the young rancher's eyes as the gravity of her situation sank in. She knew that it wasn't likely that anyone would easily find her and if she was going to get out, she would have to do so on her own.
Gritting her teeth the brunette once again prepared to use her arms in an attempt to push herself up off of the dusty cave floor. As she took several deep breaths, she paused and listened as a familiar sound filled her ears. The sound of footsteps echoing not far away!
"Hello, is someone there?" she shouted loudly.
"Chelsea? Is that you?" a girl's voice called back.
Chelsea immediately recognized the female voice as that of the treasure hunter Lily. She was the other girl who ever frequented Volcano Island. Most of the other local girls didn't have an interest in gems and Regis was so overly protective of Sabrina that she wasn't allowed to go there.
"Yes it's me, I'm over here Lily!"
A few moments later, a girl with raven black hair and wearing a red dress came into sight. Lily's face filled with concern as she noticed that the rancher was down on the floor of the cavern. Quickly she rushed over to her friend's side. "Are you okay, Chelsea? What happened?"
"I was looking for gems when the ground gave way underneath me. For the most part I'm alright, but my leg… it really hurts!"
Lily hushed the girl next to her and carefully pulled the up the cuff of Chelsea's pants leg up in order to take a look. "Hm, it doesn't seem to be broken," she assured. "But there is a lot of swelling and I can see that you are in pain." Lily positioned herself next to the fallen rancher so that she could support her on the side of her injured limb. "Put your arm around me and I'll help you."
"Thank you, Lily, I really appreciate that," Chelsea said thankfully.
Lily gave the rancher an encouraging smile as she carefully helped the rancher to her feet. After deciding to ignore the rest of the gems that still remained scattered about, the two girls made their way to the surface.
"There you go," Lily told Chelsea as she placed an ice pack on the rancher's swollen ankle. She then covered the girl in a light green blanket. "You should just relax and take it easy for the rest of the day. That ice pack will help to reduce the swelling as well."
"Thank you, Lily. That's just what I will do," Chelsea replied. "You certainly know a lot about things like this."
"Yeah well, this stuff happens a lot," the treasure hunter responded. "Some of the places that I've hunted for treasure have been quite precarious so you learn to be careful and you learn what to do if you do get injured."
"Thanks, I'll remember that from now on," the rancher murmured sheepishly.
Lily smiled and looked around Chelsea's house. To her it looked pretty standard. And yet, it was very inviting. There was Chelsea's bed, a table, a few chairs, and a kitchen tucked into one corner of the house. While it may not look like much too some people, to Chelsea it was home.
The raven haired girl turned her attention back to her friend. "I noticed you left some jewels behind back there."
"Yeah I did, but they weren't really all that important," Chelsea replied. "I was in the mine looking for gems that I could use to enter in the Mining Festival tomorrow."
"Ah, I see." A thoughtful look crossed Lily's face. "Are you sure it was okay that those were left behind?"
"Yeah I'm sure. After all I still have some in my bag," Chelsea replied, pointing the dark brown canvas bag that Lily had placed on the floor. "I'll look over what I have later and decide what I what to use as my entry. Though… to be honest, I think I may have tried a little too hard."
"What do you mean?" the treasure hunter inquired, looking at the rancher curiously.
"Well… every time I found a gem, I kept thinking I could get something even better. I wanted to prove that I could find a great quality gem, just like Regis and Sabrina taught me."
Lily placed a finger on her cheek. "Do you think in some way that you were trying to impress them perhaps? By getting first place I mean?"
The brunette was about to say that wasn't the case, but she found she couldn't. She had to admit that Lily was right. Regis and Sabrina were her closest friends on the islands. They felt almost like family to her. While Regis' home away from home was Volcano Island, hers was the mansion where Regis and Sabrina lived.
"Yeah… you're probably right, Lily," Chelsea said softly. "I have to admit, I've always looked up to Regis as something of a father figure. And Sabrina… well, I've always felt like she was my sister or something. I guess I just wanted them proud of me."
Lily smiled at the rancher's confession. "You know, I'm sure if they care about you they would be proud of you either way. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose."
Chelsea smiled at the other girl. She knew that Lily was right about that. She didn't know what made her think she had to impress them, but she was glad that the raven haired girl talked some sense into her.
"I recommend taking it easy today, and be careful if you try to do any chores," Lily told the girl. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Chelsea waved at Lily as she left. Then she reached over to her bag to see what gems she had left. Pouring out the bags contents, one stood out more than the rest. The glimmering emerald, the final gem she had picked up before the floor had given way.
The girl smiled slightly as she held the gem up and watched as it sparkled in the sunlight. She was pretty sure she knew what the festivals outcome would be.
After Chelsea finished taking care of her animals, she gingerly made her way over to the pier of Verdure Island. Lily had been right, the rest and ice had reduced the swelling of her ankle. It was still painful, but with care she was able to move about. She limped over to Kirk's boat which caused the sailor to ask what had happened. Chelsea told him she would explain everything later. Right now she wanted to get to Meadow Island. That way, she could tell everyone at once.
Like the rest of the islands, Meadow Island was covered in snow. And just as Chelsea suspected, she was the last one there. Everyone else always seemed to beat her there. But she figured it was due to the fact that she had farm chores to do.
However, instead of having to explain everything, everyone she talked to said that they hoped she felt better soon. The brunette turned her gaze to Lily, who smiled back in return. It didn't take long for Chelsea to realize that the treasure hunter had already told everyone. This made her feel bad about not telling Kirk so she quickly explained what happened to her.
The last two people Chelsea talked to was Sabrina and Regis, who stood behind the counter accepting entries for the contest. Sabrina looked concerned when she eyed the rancher. Even Regis, who was usually so composed, had a slight worried expression on his face.
"Are you sure you are okay, Chelsea?" Sabrina asked. "Shouldn't you be in bed resting?"
"I'm fine," Chelsea replied with a smile. "Thanks to Lily that is, I really wanted to attend this year's festival. I worked hard to get this." She reached her hand into her pocket and removed the emerald and placed it on the table in front of Sabrina.
Sabrina smiled slightly and accepted the entry. Chelsea decided to sit back and relax after that, just waiting for the announcement. After all, she figured it was best to stay off of her injured ankle as much as possible.
A couple of hours later the results of the contest were finally announced. Chelsea smiled when it was announced that her entry had won second place. She didn't recognize the name of the man who'd came in first, but that didn't matter to her. The point was that she had lost. And yet, she still felt proud of herself for making it as far as she did.
Regis walked over to the girl and smiled down at her. "I must say Chelsea I am impressed, a second place finish is by no means an easy accomplishment."
Chelsea smiled widely when she heard the man's praise. "Thank you Regis, your words mean a lot to me," she said politely.
"Here is your prize for second place, some Wonderful Pieces." The black haired man handed over the little chips. "Perhaps next year you can claim first place."
"Maybe," Chelsea agreed, smiling warmly. "But I do promise to be a lot more careful in the mine from now on."