This is a challenge entry to the now (hopefully) infamous Mostly Lucky Star Forum's fanfiction challenge here on the site. The theme itself is close to my heart, mostly because of a local festival, anywho: "Take your favorite cast and take them to the high seas, as pirates!"
Now let's get crackin' eh!
Fireworks shows are rather popular in Japan, attracting people from all around to view the spectacle and partake in the various shops and stalls near the area. But with such an attraction, there is always a risk of overcrowding and a substantial health-risk due to the large number of people close together. Some get around this by watching the fireworks from afar, on television, or from a safe hidden place.
Some people, under certain circumstances, simply just have their own miniature fireworks shows where they won't be disturbed, which is often in places that are crowded otherwise.
High tide at the beach was usually filled with people enjoying the waves or combing for any lost treasures. That night, near the edge where the rocks were piled high, four girls sat created their own fireworks display, small pops and bangs echoed along the empty shore. One of the girls sat on a rock, sparkler in hand, staring at it with a mystified expression.
"This is better than any stupid big show! No crowds, no mosquitoes, no stalls coercing you out of your money! This is best!" Admittedly, Patricia had originally wanted to go to the big festival, having convinced everyone to wear yukatas, but after some persuading she was talked into going to the beach instead. They were near the festival when the decision was made; one of the girls, Yutaka, had felt light-headed and was in no shape to be near such a large crowd.
A girl carrying a bucket towards the rest of the group nodded at the statements. It had been Minami's idea to have their own little festival, as her mother had won some fireworks in a random draw. Always concerned for Yutaka's health, she was also the one to notice her friend's sickly appearance.
"Keep that up and people might get the same idea, then you'll have to deal with those crowds that you hate so much." Hiyori didn't really mind coming to the beach, it had greater potential for good writing material and was much less muggy. She sat off to the side, recovering from what she called a near death experience brought on by a Roman candle. She was looking through the bag that held the fireworks and hadn't noticed Patty lighting one. She turned around and had the first charge from the popular spectacle pass mere millimetres from her nose.
"Oh don't be so grumpy, I said I was sorry you know."Patty pouted, crossing her arms dejectedly.
"Just be more careful next time, I rather like having a sense of smell." Hiyori inhaled deeply after that, gagging as a result. "Ugh, seaweed."
Minami set the bucket down beside the fireworks and glanced over to the rock where the girl with the sparkler was, only to find her missing. "Where is Yutaka?"
As if on cue, a shout of surprise echoed from the rocks, water rushing from them in a small river. When the other three investigated, they found the girl in question inside a small cave, soaked from the waist down and holding a glass bottle.
"Geez, what happened to you?" Patty moved to approach the girl, only to slip and the wet rock and land on her bottom. "Ow! What the hell?"
Minami moved over to Yutaka, eyeing the bottle held in the other girl's hands.
As if sensing the unasked questions in the taller girl's mind, Yutaka spoke. "There's a note in the bottle, someone is hurt in the cave."
No one had to guess what the response from the American with them would be, and braced for the shout inside the tight space. "We have to go rescue them!" The echo resounded through the cave several times, causing all but the one who shouted to cover their ears. "Come on, let's go!"
And thus a night of adventure began.
"You think someone would've noticed a cave this big by now, I mean, it's a public beach and all." Hiyori pointed out the obvious plot-hole in what she was considering to be just a nightmare; it was her only comfort other than a flashlight in the dark cave.
"The bigger the better, more to explore and the more potential for treasure." Obviously Patty wasn't thinking clearly, a cave with treasure would have traps, not pleas for help. A light in the distance caught her eye, and she ran towards it, causing the other three to run to keep up.
Reaching the light caused an unpleasant reaction though... "Kyaa!" Yutaka shrieked at the sight of a skeleton in tattered clothes, a faint light coming from a lantern situated beside it. "L-let's go back now, it's obviously not safe here."
"This has to be a joke guys, there's no way the message in the bottle would have made it to the entrance from here, and look at this, a lantern would have run out of oil by now." Hiyori was feeling both annoyed and nervous; she wanted to get out of the cave as soon as possible. "Patty, let's just go...Patty?"
The three girls followed the gaze of the American, realizing that they'd reached the end of the cave, and in front of them was a ship suspended on support beams above the water. A ramp leading to the deck of the ship seemed to be beckoning them to climb aboard. Surprisingly, it was Yutaka who went first to climb the ramp, the ever protective Minami went behind her, mostly making sure the girl didn't fall off. Next up the gangplank was Patty, very eager to find any sort of treasure. Hiyori hesitated, feeling like they should just go and tell the police about the cave or something. She took a deep breath, once again gagging on the smell of aquatic vegetation, and then carefully climbed the narrow ramp, using her free hand to steady herself on the weathered board.
On the deck Yutaka and Minami were examining the aged vessel, the shorter girl focusing on a large wheel in the middle of the deck. Patty immediately went into the upper cabin, undeterred by the gloomy atmosphere and possible health risks posed by the humidity. Hiyori immediately made her way to the mast in the center of the deck, figuring it would be the area least likely to give way beneath her feet.
The sound of something being dragged across the floor came from within the ship, and Patty emerged pulling a large wooden chest, a sly grin on her face. "Well well, look at what I found." She pulled something from her pocket and jammed it into the lock, the sound of a lighter coming to life and a hissing noise alerted the other three to what the girl was doing.
"Wait, Patty! Don't do th—" Hiyori found herself cut off as a loud bang rattled the cave, the cherry bomb blasting the aged lock off the chest. "Seriously, this has to be a joke, there's no way that should have worked!"
Patty ignored her, or possibly couldn't hear her, it was hard to tell, instead she opened the box, her face turning sour from the contents. "Aw man, it's just a bunch of old clothes."
Yutaka pulled a shirt from the box, eyed it a moment, then slipped in on. It was far too big for the girl, but the colour was good, and the design was rather fancy. She pulled a hat from the box and put it on too, grinning madly. "This is sort of cool." The hat was an old style from Europe, typical of that worn by naval officers or the like, but much rattier and it bore a skull and crossbones on it.
Hiyori gaped at the sight, then was immediately upon the box like a predator on its meal. The contents of the box were clothes that were commonly seen in the American portrayal of pirates, but to the artist it was a new source of cosplay material, far better than any imitation. "Incredible, there really was a treasure!"
Patty came out of her pouting as the conversation went on, then got an idea. She slipped over to the box, grabbed something from inside, then slipped it onto Minami's head. For a moment the taller girl was bewildered, until it occurred to her it was just an eye patch. After that it became the four girls trying on various articles of the antiquated clothing, none of them stopping to wonder why the cave was so well lit, or why they were even still down there.
In full pirate clothing, all of which was too big for her, giving off the image of a child in their parent's clothing, Yutaka went up to the helm of the ship. "Yar, let's have an adventure!"
"Where to captain?" asked 'first mate' Minami in her usual quiet voice. The clothing she wore caused her to look like a man, causing her no small amount of discomfort.
"I say wherever there is adventure to be had, we go!" Patty called up from the front of the ship, gazing out as if she were surveying the horizon.
"Aye captain, let the winds choose our course!" It was at this point that Hiyori got one of those 'what the hell am I doing?' moments. This feeling was amplified by a loud cracking noise echoed throughout the cave as the gangplank gave way, trapping them on the ship. "Oh crap."
The sound of wood creaking filled the air, the ship shook violently as the support beams below slipped out of place and snapped from the now poorly balanced hull of the ship. The entire vessel dropped a good ten metres into the water, the screams of the girls barely audible over the crashing sounds.
First to open their eyes was Minami, she was shielding Yutaka with her body out of instinct, and she was first to notice the ship was moving. She glanced around for any more impending danger, then helped Yutaka to her feet. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, just a little frightened." Yutaka rubbed the tears of fear from her eyes and looked around. The fact the vessel was moving did not concern her at first, she was more worried about the two on the lower deck. Once she was sure Hiyori and Patty were alright, she took a moment to register the movement of the ship through the cave away from where they entered.
She froze.
Hiyori edged towards the edge of the ship, carefully peering over the edge at the water below. The hull of the ship was barely a few millimetres from the wall of the cave, the rocks threatening to tear the wooden ship apart. Up ahead there was a bend in the water, a seam of light beyond the curve...but the ship couldn't steer itself, could it? Hiyori ran up to the helm, shouting all the while. "We have to turn or we'll crash!"
Both Hiyori and Minami grabbed the helm and jerked it to the left, the entire vessel creaking as a result. Patty joined in on their efforts, not wanting to end the adventure so soon, Yutaka contributed what she could, not wanting anyone to get hurt. Slowly the ship angled into the bend towards the light, narrowly avoiding a sharp rock jutting from the far wall, and sailed out of the cave to meet the sunrise.
"Wow..." Yutaka stared out to the sunrise, the water ahead of the ship glowed golden and the cool breeze tickled her face. Something out of the corner of her vision caught her eye, and when she turned her head Yutaka found herself face to face with a floating ball of blue flame. Normally this would make Yutaka faint, but having gone through the ordeal she had, the adrenaline in her system prevented that.
A hollow voice came from the floating phantasm, chilling the girls' hearts. "Awaiting orders cap'n, the Tempest is yours to command." More of the blue spirits phased into appearance on the ship, all seeming to have their eyes on her.
In the spur of the moment, Yutaka had only one thing to say. "Set the sails!"
Hiyori on the other hand, only had one thing she could mutter to herself. "This can't be happening."