A/N: Chapter one already! Don't expect them all to be up this fast, I just got bit by the writing bug recently. This is (loosely)based on the first time you meet Shea in the game. The chapter was originally going to be call "Welcome to the Jungle" after the actual event in the game, but I used that for the overall title of the story. So I named the chapter "The Final Bridge". I thought it was rather poetic, an end leads to another beginning. It's the last bridge Chelsea has to pay for, but it's the first time she meets Shea, staring a new experience for her. I know I'm blabbering on, but I hardly ever put so much thought into a title so wanted to tell you all about it. Now on with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness or any of it's characters
Chapter One - The Final Bridge
Nothing could beat the satisfaction, in the Spring of my second year, of handing over to Gannon the 10,000G and 500 pieces of lumber he required to build the final bridge on the island, from East Town to the Jungle. I could only imagine the resources I could find in there. I'd be careful of course, nothing is as delicate as the balance of nature.
"You're a real hard worker, little lady. Ya know that?" Gannon said, grabbing the blueprint that he'd already drawn up for the final bridge. I liked that about Gannon. Knowing that I would eventually commission him to build the bridges, he had previously gone out and done all the measurements. Which meant by the time I gave him the money and material he was ready to go.
"Me, Gannon? If that's true, I'd say we're two of a kind. Not once have I come in here for something that you don't already have a blueprint for," I said, smiling and leaning on the counter to look at the blueprint. It was very detailed. Gannon definitely knew what he was doing. We couldn't ask for a better carpenter. Looking at all the working out he had done made my head spin. I was so lucky Taro left the farm to me. The work was more physical than mental (and I had toughened up since my arrival on the island), but carpentry seemed a mixture of both.
"I'll give ya that, but working hard is what makes a living. And I want a good life for my little girl". I grinned. Gannon's daughter, Eliza, looked like the sweetest little thing. Though I heard from Natalie that she liked to cause mischief for Pierre sometimes when she was playing with Charlie. If Gannon knew, he'd probably tell her off, but I couldn't imagine him staying mad at her for too long. He was far too much the doting father.
"And you both deserve it," I replied, standing up properly and stretching. "Well, Gannon. I'll leave you to it. See you soon". With a wave and a smile, I left the shop. It was clear and sunny today, as if the weather knew things were getting easier for me now that the final bridge was built and it wanted to celebrate with me. So how was I going to celebrate? I'd fed and tended to all the animals before I left for Gannon's shop that morning. Planting new crops could wait until tomorrow, since I'd put a fair amount in the shipping bin already.
Fishing. I hadn't spent a good time fishing for a long time. Maybe Denny was at the beach. Now that he was seeing Lanna he didn't go out in his boat every day. I think that it was just in case she decided she wanted to find him. So I'd find Denny and go fishing. I could listen to him talk about Lanna, which I preferred to hearing Natalie or Sabrina gush about their respective almost-but-not-quite-yet boyfriends.
On the way to the beach however, I found Taro pacing up and down the path. Normally I wouldn't stop to say hello, but I was in a cheerful mood and the old man looked troubled. So I approached him with a huge grin.
"Hey Taro! How's things?" I asked. The old man looked up and raised his eyebrows at my friendly face. Had it really been that long since I'd greeted someone so cheerfully? I guess the farm had kept me even more busy and exhausted than I thought.
"Morning Chelsea. Things are as usual. My guts telling me we'll have another sunny day tomorrow. So what's put such a smile on your face?" Taro replied. He was frowning at me slightly.
"I just commissioned Gannon for the final bridge! There's no more to build!" I announced happily. Now that I didn't have to worry about farming the extra things to earn money for the bridges, I could relax a little bit more. Maybe have time to do some real socialising.
"That's great news! And wonderful timing! I was just thinking that these roads need to be fixed up. With the bridges finished, you can save up for that now, right?" My face fell. Every single drop of positive and hopeful attitude I had just drained out of my body. There went all the free time I'd had planned. As the money-maker of the island, I could hardly say no.
"Sure I can Taro. I'll get right on that."
"Thank you Chelsea, this island will really be at it's best because of you," the old man replied before walking off and heading home. I watched him go and hung my head with a sigh. It seemed there was no time for fishing after all. I had to head home and plant those crops. Life was just unfair sometimes.
"And he said it was just no good anymore, so he can't use it! All that food! Wasted!" Over a week had passed since Taro had asked me to pay for the new roads. I'd spent every day since then working on my farm. That day was no different, with the exception of Natalie and Sabrina's presence while I milked the cows. Natalie had had some sort of minor conflict with Pierre, so she was of course telling us all about it. Apparently he had asked her to go out and buy some ingredients for him. But when she brought them to him, she found that he already had everything .
"Well, he is a gourmet chef, Nat" I said calmly, giving Betsy a pat as I finished milking her. "His ingredients need to be the best or it's just not good enough for him"
"But he's used those ingredients before! And they were delicious" she groaned, annoyed that I wasn't supporting her. She looked to Sabrina for some help, but it seemed the brunette agreed with me.
"His ingredients do need to be specific" she said quietly. "But if he wasn't going to use them, why didn't you just take them?" Natalie just stared at us for a minute and then picked up the brush I used for the animals.
"I'm going to brush Betsy for you". It looked like she didn't want to continue the conversation if we were going to prove her wrong. That was fine with me. I had work to concentrate on. As I moved to go milk Millie, Sabrina followed me, leaving Natalie with Betsy. She didn't say anything for a while, just watched me. It wouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't realised she wanted to say something. As it was, I stopped working and gave her a questioning look. She blushed as if I'd caught her doing something wrong and took a deep breath.
"I was wondering… if you had any milk and rice to spare. And if I could use your kitchen, because I don't want my dad watching me. I wanted to try to make some porridge for Vaughn when he arrives tomorrow" Sabrina explained, looking highly embarrassed at her idea. I thought it was rather sweetly romantic of her, but that was exactly why I didn't feel like helping. Then a thought struck me.
"Why don't you go ask Pierre? He's got those spare ingredients now and I'm sure he'll be more than pleased to show off his cooking skills." Sabrina frowned, confused for a moment about why I couldn't simply give her the ingredients I clearly had. Then she caught on and smiled.
"That's a brilliant idea! Oh, but I hardly know Pierre. It would be rude of me to just turn up at his door asking for ingredients" she exclaimed. She whirled around on the spot to face Natalie. I couldn't help admiring the way her long, dark hair fanned out around her as she did so. "Natalie! Could you take me to Pierre's house? I'm sure he wouldn't mind then, knowing that I'm your friend."
Natalie glared at us both for a moment and then continued brushing Betsy. She knew exactly what we were doing. It was just a matter of whether she was going to let us get away with our little plot. Finally she put the brush back where she found it and folded her arms.
"Well, I suppose I could. Even though Pierre doesn't deserve to see me right now, I will go just to help you, Sabrina" she said. The way she phrased her words was funny. She was making it so that she could admit to herself that she was wrong, but not lose that always right attitude she worked so hard for. "We'd better go now actually. See you later, Chelsea."
I waved as Natalie grabbed Sabrina by the hand and marched out of the barn. Sabrina looked back and grinned before they disappeared, leaving me alone with the cows once more. Once I finished milking Millie, I gave her a quick brush and headed outside. That was my morning chores done. Something had made me get up stupidly early that morning, so the crops had been watered, the animals fed and tended to. I'd even got some fishing done. What to do now?
The answer to that question was given to me when Gannon came stomping up the path to my farm. It looked like he was about to head to my house, so shouted him and waved. Turning, he saw me standing outside the barn and quickly made his way over.
"Hey Gannon. There are only a few reasons you'd come up here, so I can only imagine this is good news" I said, smiling. Thank god for contagious smiles. Gannon chuckled and smiled back at me.
"You just have to know everything, don't ya. I finished the bridge this morning. I'll tell ya, the forest look quite invitin'. If you're planning on exploring, make sure you come back and tell me."
"Of course I will Gannon. No problem there," I replied happily. Gannon nodded and turned to head off back to his shop. This was great timing. I could go explore the jungle. I might be able to find some things to put in the shipping bin for a little extra money. I didn't waste time in running down to East Town. I passed a number of people who seemed quite curious as to where I was running to.
I grinned when I reached the new bridge. It had been beautifully built, well-structured and smooth. Nothing less could be expected from Gannon. I walked across and delighted in the soft thud every step carried on the wood. Stepping on the lush green grass on the other side, I stopped to look around, wondering where I should start looking first.
"Hello Chelsea!" Hearing the voice made me jump. Where did that come from? There was a sudden flash of light in front of me and I had to take a step back. Now in front of me floated a little Harvest Sprite. Every time I went to a new part of the island, one of these little guys popped out to welcome me. I should have expected it really. I smiled and bent down slightly so I was on the same level as the sprite. When it spoke again, it confirmed what I already knew. "I'm a Harvest Sprite. I live in this jungle. Welcome!"
"Thank you" I said politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you". The sprite grinned, as if it didn't hear that often. Probably not, how long had it been since someone had been to the jungle?
"You know, there are two native islanders who live around here," the sprite said suddenly, as if it had been following my train of thought.
"Natives?" I repeated. So there were already people here? Were they friendly?
"Their tribe has lived on this island for generations. You should meet them! They're a little odd, but I think you'll get along!" the sprite said excitedly. What kind of world was I living in for me to trust the words of a little creature that had appeared out of nowhere? I nodded.
"I'll see if I can meet them," I promised.
"Good luck!" it said, and with another flash of light it disappeared. I frowned. Good luck? Was it just saying that or was there something I needed luck for? Was there something about the natives that the sprite had neglected to tell me? Hearing the sounds of footsteps, I quickly stood up fully.
It was the bare chest that caught my eye first. It wasn't muscled, but there was a promise of strength in the broad shoulders. A single strap attached to what I assumed was a knife pouch was slung over the young man's shoulder. His skin was a naturally tanned brown that made me think of the beach. The only clothes he wore were the furs of an animal I didn't want to imagine. Some of the fur was around his forearms. The rest created a loincloth around his waist and what was more socks that shoes tied around his feet. The yellow-brown hair was brushed so that it spiked at the back, tied in place with string. I couldn't see his face as he was looking at the ground while he walked, which explained why he hadn't noticed my presence yet.
I let out the breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding. That seemed to set off an alert in his mind as the young man looked up and spotted me. We simply stared at each of for a moment and it occurred to me that this was one of the natives that the sprite had spoken about. Underneath his narrow, chocolate-brown eyes was some kind of orange paint across his cheeks. Blinking, he seemed to come to his senses and turned to run back the way he came. To this day I have no idea what made me do it, but as he ran, I ran after him.
Deep into the jungle, I did my best to keep up with him. I was breathing heavily and could feel the energy draining out of me. So it was a relief when I saw the old house up ahead, surrounded by the wildness of the jungle. The young man had disappeared inside, and I stopped outside the door. Had he noticed that I was following him? I'd come too far to go back now, so I knocked gently on the door and pushed it open. The young man was inside, but he was not alone.
An older man was inside the house with him. He was also dressed in animal furs, but his appearance was not as flattering. His dark hair was a wild mess, and he had thick, bushy eyebrows to match. A skull and bones were worn around his head like a crown and I was pretty sure that it was a newt hanging from his mouth by the tail. I stared at them both, trying to think of something to say. To explain exactly why I was intruding on their land. Then the young man spoke, but not to me.
"What that?! Is it… dangerous?" he asked the older native. That? It? To say that hurt was an understatement. Did this guy realise he was being rude? Talking about me as if I were an inanimate object that couldn't understand him. "Strange animal. First time I see it. Wada, is that food?"
Food?! They didn't seriously think I was food, did they? I could see now why the sprite had wished me luck. These two clearly hadn't seen another human in a very long time. Though must have at some point, to be speaking understandable, even if a little broken, English. There was a long pause as both the young man and I waited for a response.
"No… human… like us" Wada (I assumed that was his name) finally replied. I breathed a sigh of relief. However, I still didn't say anything since I was too busy wondering how he'd managed to talk without dropping the newt from his mouth.
"Human…? First time I see one…" the young man mumbled, thinking out loud to himself. Then he turned his attention to me. "You really… a human?" I nodded. What else could I do? My mouth had gone dry and all I could do was gaze at him. He smiled. It was such a warm and inviting smile that I couldn't help smiling back. "Good! Humans are friends! You not food. Wada told me. What your name?"
"Chelsea" I replied, a little too quickly. I was just glad to finally get a word out. I didn't want them thinking I was a complete idiot or something. Hang on, why was I so worried about their opinion of me? That confused me for a moment, but the thought was wiped from my mind when I saw that warm smile again.
"Oh, Chelsea. I'm Shea. You be friends with me, okay?"
"Of course! That's the reason I came here." What? No it wasn't. Well, why I came to their house maybe, but I'd come across the bridge to collect things from the jungle. I was going to correct myself, but Shea looked so pleased that I didn't want to ruin it for him.
"I… very happy. Visit lots, Chelsea!" he exclaimed, an even wider smile on his face. It was nice to know I could make someone so happy just from being there. My stomach growled and I realised I hadn't eaten since my quick breakfast that morning and then I'd done all that running. No wonder I felt so drained.
With that realisation, I started to go weak at the knees. The next thing I knew, the floor was no longer beneath my feet and I was being caught in a pair of strong arms. I put my hands up to support myself and found that I was placing them on a bare chest. My face turned red with embarrassment when I realised it was Shea who caught me. Even with my eyes threatening to close on me, all I could think of was how useless and weak I must have looked. I tried to stand again, but found my legs being picked up from under me. Shea held me up close to him, in a bridal style I realised with a blush. He was gazing down at me, a worried look in those beautiful eyes.
"Where Chelsea home?" he asked, giving me the slightest shake.
"In town…" I breathed. "Across the bridge". That was all I needed to say and all I could manage. Wada held open the door and Shea shifted me in his arms so my head rested on his shoulder. He hurried out the door and almost ran back through the jungle. Where he found the strength to move at that pace while carrying me, was beyond my imagination. I was just grateful he was going to get me home, but at the same time I was embarrassed to be like this. It was extremely comfortable in his arms. I wanted to snuggle up close to him and never let go. It wasn't until the soft padding of feet on grass turned to the hurried thumps of walking across the bridge that I realised people were going to see me like this. What would my neighbours think? I tried to say something to Shea, anything to make him let me walk on my own feet again, but he interrupted me.
"Where now?" he asked. Completely forgetting that I wanted to put down, I tried to think of how to explain where we were going. Then, I heard a familiar voice.
"Chelsea?! What's happened?!" I turned my head slightly to see both Denny and Lanna running towards us. I felt the heat, that had gone down, rise up in my face again. So much for hoping no one saw me. Denny and Lanna both stopped before getting to close, unsure of what was going on.
"You Chelsea friends?" Shea asked them, studying them both very carefully, especially Denny.
"Yes we are" Lanna answered, because Denny was determinedly glaring back at Shea. My new friend turned away from the fisherman and spoke directly to Lanna.
"She almost faint in jungle. Where Chelsea home?" he asked, repeating the question he had directed at me earlier. It seemed he was determined to see me all they way there. I wasn't going to get a say in it. Denny stopped glaring at Shea long enough to take Lanna's hand and reply.
"We'll take you there."
A/N: I hope it wasn't too long. I'm not sure how it came across, but Chelsea isn't already in love with Shea. It was more a "Oh my god, this good-looking, half-naked, strong man is carrying me in his arms" sort of feeling. Unless you're not into good-looking men, you'd probably feel the same way. I'll slowly start building up their relationship, so they'll start as friends. Anyway, please rate and review!