Hello there! I am proud to present to my wonderful readers the first chapter of The Island's City Apple. I hope you like it. =D


It was a hot morning in Harmonica Town. A humid haze rested above the water by the dock, but it didn't stop the sun glare from hitting Toby in the eyes. He took a hand off the fishing rod and tried to rub away the stinging. Toby was used to the feeling of the glare by now. He had been fishing at this spot everyday since he was a child. Now nine years later, he is known for being the greatest fisher on the island.

Toby instinctively shut his eyes for protection and went back to his daily fishing. The sun gradually began to rise into its afternoon position, lifting the haze away from the water. Toby knew what was coming next, as the boat tied next to him bobbed in the water at the moving weight inside.

Pascal appeared as he opened and closed the boat's door swiftly, attempting to silence the squeak the hinges of the door gave off as quick as he could. As he stepped onto the deck he spotted Toby placing an averaged size flounder into a cooler that contained a rarity of fish caught earlier that morning.

"Ahoy there Toby! Catch me brunch yet?"

"Sure have Captain."

Toby smiled with eyes still closed as he relaxed his fishing pole by his side and picked up the cooler, carefully balancing it over to the ship and making sure he kept the water from splashing out.

"Lad ain't that heavy on ye arms?"

"Nah, I am used to carrying it inside with double the amount of fish than what is in here."

Toby balanced the cooler on the edge of the ship, which Pascal then held onto so Toby could climb aboard on one of the tires attached to the side of the ship.

Once the silver- haired fisher got on board he pointed out the fish and their sizes. Pascal took a flounder and a cod from the cooler and thanked Toby for his generosity. Toby gave a nodded with his head and climbed back down onto the dock with ease. Pascal with not so much strength as Toby, shoved the cooler slowly into Toby's hands, causing a scratch mark to be left on the boat. With a quiet but angry curse, the Captain took out a knife and began flaying the flounder in the front of the ship.

The scales fell in a pretty petal motion into the ocean, but cause more of a disturbance for Toby who was trying to get back into fishing mode. Every once in a while a scale would come into his eyesight and the sun would reflect off it and into his eyes again.

How am I ever going to find a spot to fish again if I am blinded every few seconds," Toby thought, with his rod positioned behind him, ready to cast.

After a good minute of cataract suffering Toby gave up on patents and in a casual but threatening tone commented, "Hey Captain maybe you should-"

"Oh lad ye see that?" Pascal interrupted, putting down his knife and pointed out into the ocean at what looked like an orange life boat, "it is coming this way."

Toby walked over to the edge of the dock feeling the warm ocean breeze blow back his light blue, stripped jacket as he waited for the boat to draw closer. Pascal got off his little ship with rope in hand and joined Toby below. The boat soon drifted a mere ten feet away, but the water suddenly curved it to the left, bringing it out to sea again. Toby slipped out of his flip-flops and untied his straw hat from off his back, before hastily grabbing an end of the rope and gliding into the ocean water.

"That's a boy get that boat! Almost there lad. Don't forget to tie the rope tight!"

Toby ignored Pascal's random words of encouragement and swam skillfully with the water toward the boat. On the front was a loop where Toby tied the rope with a buntline hitch knot, something he learned from his father a few years back.

With a wave from the fisher, Pascal began to drag the boat in from the other end of the rope. Curiously Toby leaned into the wooden structure, tipping it enough to look inside. What he found surprised him. Instead of it being empty there was a girl curled up in a loose ball in the middle of the boat. She looked pale and her eyes had dark black rings under neither from lack of sleep. Her hair was a light brown color that was cut in a layered bob and she wore a long, dark green nightgown that hid much of her frail body. The odd thing about her was she looked familiar.

Once Pascal tied the lifeboat to the dock he climbed in and gently picked the girl up, while Toby lifted himself out of the water with a bit of a struggle thanks to the weight of his clothes.

"Doesn't she look fimiliar Captain?"

"She does," Pascal replied, laying her on the dock then climbing up next to her, "like that childhood friend of yours."

That is right! How could Toby have forgotten her? They fished together often at the river by the watermill and picked seashells along the sand, but she left a few years ago because her mother wanted to live in the city.

"Akari?" Toby whispered out of breath to the delicate figure.

At first no answer was given, causing Toby's heart to sink at the idea this girl wasn't whom he thought. However, the girl mumbled under her breath and then in a strained voice gave out a defeating "yes" in reply.


A few minutes later...

"Chase, Chase, Chase," Maya sang in the kitchen of Ocarina Inn, "please try this apple tart I made for Akari. I wanted to see if it is any good."

"Why the hell would I want to eat something you made," Chase said passively, while he stirred a new tomato soup Yolanda taught him how to make a day ago.

Maya ignored the pain in her chest and pressed on.

"She is coming today with her father, and it has been ten years since we saw our childhood friend. I want her to feel welcomed and safe since she is staying for a year. You seemed so happy too when you first heard she was coming."

Chase stayed silent for a moment, with only the sound of the spoon occasionally scrapping against the inside of the pot of soup.

"Well, what if she changed into someone like... like you," Chase said, whipping his head in Maya's direction and gave her a blank stare.

At that sentence, Maya finally caved in and sped walked out of the kitchen with the tart held securely and tears flowing down her face.

Chase chuckled at his effect on Maya and continued to stir the soup. Suddenly his stirring got slower and slower until it abruptly stopped all together. Chase's smirk turned into a line of concentration as his thoughts drifted to Akari. She was his best friend besides Gill and they grew up together, but why did she have to go to the city. He knew it was her stupid mother's fault for taking her away from him, but why couldn't she refuse and stay on the island. However, now that she was coming back was like a dream to Chase. The problem is is did the city change her, or maybe she found better friends in the city.

These questions had been eating at Chase since he found out about her surprise visit a week ago, and all he has been doing is taking out his fears on poor, innocent Maya. Chase gripped the front of his head and leaned his back against the cold counter trying to brush off the last memory he ever had of Akari waving goodbye to him from a ship. A sad smile stayed on her face the whole time, as Chase stood by the lighthouse screaming for her to come back. Gill patted his back, trying to show he understood what it meant to loose somebody unexpectedly.

The thought was shaken off when he heared voices outside the kitchen of Maya and Yolanda.

"Dear this is very good. Best you made yet," Yolanda's sincere voice said comforting Maya, who sniffled and hiccupped.

"Really? Chase didn't want to try it."

"Don't worry, grandma will have a talk with him."

Chase felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound of Yolanda saying, "talk", that was never a good sign. He remembered one time when he was twelve he ruining Irene's herb garden, because he lost a small blue ball in it once. Yolanda found out the next day and had a "talk" with him, which consisted off a smack on the butt with a wooden spoon. He never likes going past that garden now, even though Irene has long forgotten about the incident.

Out of the blue the two dropped their voices to a whisper, that Chase couldn't hear. Maya gave a sudden shout and said," I will see if Jin has her now," and slammed the front door to the Inn. Chase wondered who this her was, until he put the clues together. Chase turned off the stove, threw his teal apron on the counter, and sped walked out of the kitchen only to meet the "talk".

Yolanda got him smack in the forehead with the wooden spoon, making the chef see stars.

"Figured I'd make it hurt since you are going to the doctor's," Yolanda grinned, watching Chase stumble to the front door.

"Thanks, so you knew I was eavesdropping huh," Chase said holding his head, as he shoved his feet into his sandals.

"Haha, I see and hear all in this Inn young sir."

"That makes me feel safe..."

Chase didn't stick around for Yolanda's answer. He had more important matters to worry about, as he ran over to the clinic and pretended not to see Irene's garden.


Inside, the clinic was cold from the air conditioning system recently installed by the carpenters. Chase enjoyed it since he was working at the stove all day. On the other hand, Irene stood wrapped tightly in her shawl at the front counter. She was as always mixing herbs into some medicine paste and looking over supplies. The noise of the door closing interrupted her work, and she showed her dissastisfaction toward Chase with a scowl.

"Are you here for the lump on your head or to see Miss Akari?"

It made a lump, gezz Yolanda, "Chase rubbed his forehead in disbelief, but sure enough there was a big bump smack in the middle of his forehead.

"Uh, Akari Ma'am."

"Back room."

"Thank you"

"Mhm"

As Chase entered the room he was surprised at the crowed around the bed. Maya and Jin were there of course, but Pascal and Toby were there as well. Maya hovered over the bed, while Toby and Pascal sat in chairs against the wall. Jin blocked the girl from Chase's view, as he was checking her eyes and heart rate. Toby noticed Chase and gave a nervous smile, as he walked over toward him.

"Captain and I found her in a lifeboat this afternoon. She seems to be doing better...when we first found her she was pretty dehydrated."

"What happened to her dad?"

Toby's eyes widened and his body tensed up at the mention of Akari's father. He grabbed Chase's arm and pulled him to a secluded corner of the room.

"Watch what you say out loud Chase. Their boat got caught in a storm. Luckily Akari made it into a lifeboat, but her father stayed to help the crew," Toby glanced at Jin who was helping Akari off the bed and then turned his head back to Chase, " I think Robert died with the ship."

"Akari knows about him?"

"I think she figured out what happened to her father, and she gave few words about the ship wreak. The rest of the time in the clinic she has been silent. Maya was the first to bring up Robert's absence."

"Oh great. Can she think before she speaks ever," Chase said watching Maya hold what looked to be Akari's shoulder for support."

"Apparently not and Akari broke down into tears at the mention of him. Anyway I am sure you want to see her too. I never knew she would come back," Toby said, looking at Chase for answers.

The chef ignored Toby's expression and walked over to the crowd.

Pascal tapped his foot in an anxious rhythm, as Toby sat back down beside him.

"How did the boy take it?"

"Alright."

"The lass sure grew into a pretty jewel eh?" Pascal said, leaning back in the chair and lighting his pipe

"Ha yeah."

"Why don't ye go after her skirt?"

"I think my competitor is too tough for me to surpass," Toby smirked at the tiled flooring.

"You look to be healthy Akari, but sleep the rest of the day once you get back to the Inn and Maya..er I mean Chase or Yolanda can fix you tea," Jin said, hoping Maya didn't hear her name."

Akari nodded in response and walked a few steps toward the door, but her nose came into contact with a white dress shirt. She looked up at the tall stature and brown eyes met violet.

"Oh Chase you came to," Maya said, walking over to the two, "We should have walked together to-"

Chase couldn't hear Maya anymore as he continued to stare at Akari. She had a peachy coloring to her skin that went well with her hair and eyes. The night gowned hid a lot of her other features making her look young, innocent, and helpless. Every thought of her changing from being in the city left his mind, she still looked like the same old Akari, just tired.

As for Akari she couldn't believe how tall her best friend had gotten. He had to have been a foot taller than her. The two barrettes in his hair were still there and that familiar smell of oranges emitted off his clothing. Akari gave a warm smile, hoping he would forgive her for leaving him behind.

Chase turned away from her smile and put an uneasy arm on her shoulder. Toby frowned at Chase's response, noticing how the hurt reflected in Akari's eyes.

"We should get her home now Jin. You need sleep after such a shock," Maya said, grabbing Akari and heading for the door leading to the front room, eager to break the tension.

"Yes, thank you for bringing her to me Toby and Pascal."

"Aye no problem Doc."

"Sure. Hey Chase I need your help real quick," Toby said.

"What do you need?"

"I need you to help me lift the lifeboat out of the water and put it against my house."

Maya took this time to steal Akari back to Inn. She shut the door quietly, said good-bye to Irene, and went out into the street with the silent girl.

It was only 2:47 in the afternoon, but Akari didn't look like she would be able to stay awake for much longer, especially in this summer heat. Maya thanked the goddess the Inn was a neighbor to the clinic. So it was a short walk and inside the Inn it was cool.

Yolanda, Jake, and Colleen greeted the girls with welcoming faces, knowing of Akari's crisis. Colleen shooed Maya away to work on the Inn's menu with Yolanda, while she showed Akari to her room. It was fairly small, but cozy with ac. Akari bowed to Colleen respectfully, and then closed the door for privacy. The young 20-year-old crawled on the soft bed. Unfortunately she could fall asleep, because of Chase's response earlier. It was her fault their friendship weakened. If only she had called him or sent letters.

Colleen came back to the bedroom with Akari's lunch to see the door still closed, as she went to knock she heard tiny sobs from inside the room. The caring mother knew it was better to leave her alone at the moment, so she tip toed out of the hall and into the main room of many worried guest.


There was the first chapter for you'll. I must say I am excited to work hard on this story. ChasexAkari have always been my favorite couple in the game, then comes GillxAkari. I hope you continue reading and I would be grateful if you could review the story. Have a great summer and I will be updating soon 3 ^-^