Light filtered in through the canopy above, sprinkling the pine-covered floor of Praline Woods with pinpricks of light. The needles and leaves covering the ground remained undisturbed by the fresh breeze, still damply packed down thanks to the melted winter snows. Weasels weaved in and out amongst the trees, enjoying the newfound heat that spring offered. Tiny footsteps followed not to close behind, scurrying quickly to and fro as they attempted to follow the furry creatures.
Childish laughter rebounded off the thick trunks, catching in the branches and new leaf buds. The thick forest hid the activities of the young within it, shielding them from the expectant and demanding world that surrounded it. Within its confines, the child yelled, cried and lived freely.
Black shoes ground to a halt beside one particularly large conifer, its occupant out-of-breath and wheezing from the continuous activity. Blue sneakers stopped by a few moments later, fidgeting where they rested a few steps away on the pine needles.
"Y'ok Van?" Matt mumbled, perpetual smile in place on his face. The grin made the dark-haired boy wonder if his friend was mocking him, as his smile never seemed to leave. Day-in and day-out it was plastered on his lips, never shifting or dipping in the slightest. "You can't get tired yet. We still got stuff to do later, plus everyone s'pposed to be heading back to the fort now to plan and stuff. We can't get left behind!"
"I-I'm fine," huffed Van, pushing himself off the tree he was leaning on. "And I'm not tired! Just…I just wanted to observe something for a moment." He straightened his glasses slightly, trying to look serious. "Anyways, I believe I'm done for now, shall we head back?"
"Come on, we gotta hurry!" Matt was off like a shot, sneakers smacking softly against the forest floor as he ran. Van followed suite, hair bobbing and chest heaving as he tried to catch up.
The boys moved quickly through the trees, one enjoying the breeze whilst his companion kept his eyes glued to the forest floor for the roots. He barely even noticed when they finally broke into the clearing that contained the clubhouse.
He probably should have.
"Guys, guys, guys, guys, GUYS!" There was Dakota, bouncing around like a squirrel on pixie sticks. "You took sooooo long. I'm almost mummied!"
He would have found some way to avoid this.
"That's mummified Dakota," He adjusted his glasses, not at all amused by the girl's hyper energy.
She stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Well Mr. Do-goodie-know-it-all-pants, that doesn't matter, you guys are late. Capital L-a-t-e," she snuffed, her feet tapping with a nervous energy. "We gots loads to do and the others are getting dancey."
Van let out another sigh of frustration. "You mean antsy Dak-"
"Wow Daki, you sounded just like Prof Gilly a second ago! It was awesome," Matt smiled brightly, clearly unbothered by her complaining, at least, from what Van could tell. He watched as his friend teetered back and forth happily, seeming genuinely amused by the comparison he'd made.
A confused look crossed Dakota's features, clouding her eyes temporarily before she let loose a giggle. As an "I so did!" rang out, it didn't take long for the giggle to spread and for the black haired boy to be left, in a matter of what seemed like seconds, the only person not laughing at the unintentional Gill impression.
He got tired of the awkward situation fairly quickly. "Do you remember the password?" Van asked, taking a step closer to the laugh-riot of a little girl. "You know the rules."
She nodded between giggles, the giddiness only wearing off slightly after she turned away from Matt. The light haired boy was still letting loose the occasional childish chortle, body slightly slumped by laughter. It was starting to become difficult to define his features, as the shadows cast by the setting sun obscured different sections of the clearing. Squinting, Van was just able to make out his friend straightening up and taking a second to bask in the sudden shade. He returned his attention to the girl in front of him then, who was, unfortunately, being boldly highlighted by the oranges and pinks of the light that crested the trees.
"One secret password, coming up!" Dakota sing-songed, quickly going to rap her knuckles against the sides of wooden shed; her pattern was erratic, holding no rhythm to Van's young ears. It seemed to do the trick however, as whoever was on the other side of the closed door cracked it open and peered through the small space.
Their headquarters was backed into the trees on one end of the cleared area, hidden in the shadow of the branches that spread overheard. It was a shoddily put together shack, in Van's 'humble' opinion, likely a left over from the carpenters more ambitious attempts at cutting down trees further within the forest. The walls were made from a dark redwood that was clearly unsmoothed in certain places and painted a painful fire-engine red in others. A few windows were scattered throughout, varying in size and in symmetry. The base's door was situated at an irregular angle, crooked and half hanging off its hinges when it was open.
The first time they'd come across the place, Van had thought that it might have been designed and built by Luke on one of his sugar highs. It wouldn't have been the first time that had happened.
Angie poked her head briefly through the gap, shyly staring at everyone before giving a soft greeting. Dakota cleared her throat expectantly afterward, looking at the other girl as she visibly shifted despite being hidden by the door. Matt continued to smile, albeit a little more for Angie's sake, as they waited for her to allow them in.
She began to clear the entrance so that they could enter when the carrot-top in the clearing cleared her throat again, a barely perceptible cough tingeing the end of it. Angie looked up quizzically, Dakota having tilted her head exaggeratedly to emphasis her point. The boys could only watch with sympathy as she tried to figure out what exactly she wanted.
Losing patience, Dakota finally grumbled. "…just ask for the password…"
Realization seemed to dawn on Angie's face before another confused look descended upon her.
"I thought we said that we weren't doing that today?"
"Pass. Word." Dakota hissed, unwilling to discuss the statement.
"But we-"
"No. Password."
Van didn't like the tone Dakota was using. Then again, he sometimes didn't even like Dakota, but in a small town like theirs, beggars couldn't always be choosers with friends. She really shouldn't take that tone with Angie though.
"Aren't we supposed to use the password?" Matt whispered to him, smile diminished and brows furrowed.
"Don't you remember? We only started again recently after…you know who…thought that the woodpeckers might get in if we only used the secret knock."
"Oh yeah…"
"Oh…um…password, yes," The violet haired girl shifted again nervously, probably due to the pigtailed one's glare more than anything. In a small voice she asked, "So…what's the password?"
"Snickerdoodle," Dakota looked beyond satisfied as the door opened wide, Angie quietly getting out of the way as the girl came in. Matt was quick to flock to her side, bumping his shoulder against her good naturally and offering a cheerfully goofy face before heading in also. The smaller girl chuckled at her friend's antics, her expression brightening as Van walked toward her.
"Hey," she murmured when he finally stopped just feet away. His expression softened into a small smile before he nodded in acknowledgement; the two remained like that for several moments, neither speaking nor moving until she took his hand in hers, pulling him after their friends.
Spring light danced through the small windows of their wooden play house, illuminating the assorted knick-knacks that littered the corners and surfaces of everything available in the room. As Van and Angie entered the scene, the others were scattered throughout its expanse, either playing or making plans. A mop of green hair immediately caught the black-haired boy's eye, making him slowly drift in his direction with Angie in tow.
He wasn't greeted very enthusiastically. In fact, he was barely acknowledged at all.
"Bug."
The doctor's son quirked an eyebrow, clearly confused. What bug?
"Hey Heath," the timid smile on Angie's face could be heard in her words. "What are you looking at?"
"Bug."
"Yes, that we heard," Van tried to peer around the taller boy, whose frame was hunched and turned away from the rest of the group. "Maybe we could take a look at it?"
"Bug."
Van could only deflate with his sigh. His friend could be a little too focused on his research subjects. "Yes Heath, it is a bug. Moving on from that point…"
Angie placed a hand on his shoulder, using it as leverage to peek at what he was hiding. Quickly, a bright smile formed, making her grayish-blue eyes sparkle.
"That's…"
"What is it?" He impatiently shuffled from foot to foot, trying to contain his curiosity. His voice rose in irritation as his question was met with silence. "What bug?'
"Bug!?" The shrill voice of Dakota pierced through Van's mind once more. "Where!? Whose got it!?"
Orange haired whipped wildly from side to side, slowly drawing the attention of the other club members. Paolo, who seemed to have been her previous diversion, squinted at the rest of the room, looking for all the world like he was trying to glare the truth out of his surroundings.
"Heath…found something," Angie's voice ran hesitantly throughout the wooden shed. "But…erm…
"Found somethin'?" Paolo drawled, his expression open and curious as he wandered the length of the room. "What kind?"
"Well…"
"Wooow," Matt murmured in awe. Van's head whipped around to see Matt perched where Angie had been moments before, brown hair bobbing up and down in enthusiasm. He was a little irked that his friend was so good at sneaking up on things, leaving him behind with the rest of the anxious crowd. "Awesome."
Grey-blue eyes sparkled once again, letting themselves wander to the male duo.
"I know…"
"What's awesome!?" The black-haired boy had to fight to keep a smirk from crossing his features. Comical steam was practically pouring from Dakota's ears. Her voice had risen to the point where almost only dogs could hear her. "TELL ME!"
Van wasn't the only one smirking it seemed. From across the room, Sasilvia, leaned against the broken vanity that they'd turned into their 'treasure' spot. A broad smug smile was curling her lips and her posture showed her pleasure with the situation. As dark-red hair was being casually looped around a finger, the farmer's daughter's brown eyes scanned the scene with interest. Apparently, the doctor's son wasn't the only one who found amusement in Dakota's annoyance.
"Heaaaaathh!" The pigtailed girl drew out the whine. "Cooomeee on."
"Show it to us Heath," The shaggy-haired boy finally uncurled himself from his crouch, his body sluggish in the warm afternoon light. Van nodded his head, hoping his words hadn't come off too needy. Dakota and Paolo teetered in place, visibly impatient and anxiously waiting for the taller boy to finish turning around. Even Sasilvia, in all her nonchalance, seemed just as invested in the suspenseful atmosphere.
What he held up wasn't entirely what they had been expecting.
"That's it man, really?" Paolo's squint had lost its curious tinge and a look of utter confusion replaced it. "It's just paper!"
The 'paper' in question was actually faded parchment, Van noted, and seemed to have several curious markings spotting its well-worn surface.
"It…isn't just paper," Angie protested vehemently, her hands grasping her skirt in frustration. Matt nodded furiously in agreement, his eyes glued to Heath as if he held the secrets of the universe.
Lithe limbs guided the spotlighted boy to the middle of the room, and he quickly stepped onto the small uneven coffee table at its heart. The boy once again thrust the document forward for all to see. The other occupants of their base all flocked to the center, maneuvering their way around some of their toys that lay scattered on the ground. A spark of recognition lit up Sasilvia's face first.
"So that's what you meant by bug," she murmured around a grin, letting her feet carry her to the side of one of the sofas surrounding the table. "Genius."
Van wanted to groan in frustration; he didn't enjoy it when his classmates got the answer before him. He attempted to concentrate a little harder, brows furrowed and eyes so intent that they could burn holes into the paper.
The object in Heath's hands was old and faded; a piece of parchment well past its prime. Beyond holes and discolored patches sprinkled throughout, thick black lines came together to form a map. Upon further inspection, it seemed to be a rough outline of the island, with crude markers showing buildings or other landmarks. The sight of a small creature and a peculiar location caught his eye. A sudden flush of excitement and euphoria captured him.
Now he understood where the other boy was going with this, and the others were right. This was absolutely ingenious.
"I can't wait to go looking for it," It was the longest sentence Heath had put together since they arrived. "Dad is always saying that adventures like this only come around once in a lifetime, so I can't stop halfway this time."
The doctor's son gave the boy a scrutinizing look. "When have you ever given up on anything?"
Heath's mouth broadened into a grin. "Well if you put it that way," His head swiveled from side to side, looking proudly at the others in the room as he beamed. "I do never back down from an adventure. Like my mum always says 'there's always a way to move forward, so don't ever give up.'"
Van noted his friend's usual attitude coming to the fore. He hadn't meant it as a compliment, quite the opposite truthfully, but the other boy had refused to acknowledge an alternative. He was normally like that with everything however, always moving forward regardless of the consequences.
"I still don't get it!" Dakota cried, hands tugging at her pigtails. The agonized faces that she and Paolo were pulling were starting to get to the doctor's son, and he struggled to keep a straight face as he watched them.
"It's our next quest nimrods," and there went Sasilvia, as offensive as ever. Van smiled.
"How!?" Paolo drawled as he collapsed on the sofa behind him. "I don't get it.'
"It's from my dad's office," Heath began. The boy's father, Calvin, was an archeologist who always got his hands on fascinating documents and artifacts. Of course, rather than store these precious objects elsewhere, he kept everything within his office and in plain sight. "I found it this morning when I was rummaging through stuff. My dad had just thrown it away in a corner – probably thought it wasn't important or whatever – so I took it."
"Awesome," Matt whispered. His expression wasn't far off from the impressed looks that covered the faces of the other two in front, as if his coming by the map was some great heroic feat. Even Sasilvia seemed to admire his 'style,' or so she would have called it.
Despite the day was quickly passing around them, everyone seemed frozen within the small base. Out of the corner of his eye, Van saw Angie glow with excitement, waiting eagerly for the knowledge she already knew. The sight made a small genuine smile, cross his lips.
"Anyways, it's a map of Waffle Town in the old, old, olden days, when the ruins weren't, you know, ruins," he pointed to the top left corner of the map. "But that isn't even the best part!" Van felt the boy gearing up for his typical history lecture mode, wishing that he could find some way to stop him, not wanting his friend to feel embarrassed at the others lack of interest. Several of their eyes even glazed over in preparation.
"Apparently, there's something hidden in the village somewhere…"
That quickly caught everyone's attention, drawing them back from their tuned out states, and murmuring erupted amongst the different pairs. Sasilvia even took the time to raise her eyebrow at Van, gesturing with her head toward the messy haired adventurer and mouthing "think it's legit?" The table began to creak as the boy shifted, his feet shuffling and beginning to tap as he became more and more excited at his big reveal. The others shifted anxiously, interest restored, as they waited for him to continue.
"Something…big."
"Get on with it already! The day's a wastin'." Whined Paolo, his noise then prompting a swift agreement from his carrot-topped couch mate, who lay against several ripped throw-cushions.
"Okay, so get this," Heath jumped down from his perch, seating himself instead. The others flocked a little bit closer. "The people who used to live in the town, the guys who used the ruins, apparently they left something super important behind, something that the grown-ups really want to get their hands on." He adjusted his hat slightly, letting the silence stretch on. His next words came out swiftly. "And this map leads straight to it."
"Wait, if that thing is so important, why'd your dad just leave it lying around?"
Heath's deep-blue eyes bore into Sasilvia's, his expression serious, "My dad thought the trail was dried up, but he just didn't understand the map's secret."
Both Angie and Matt, sitting side by side on two patched couch cushions to Heath's right, made themselves heard by boldly, and proudly, exclaiming, "Bug."
"Exactly."
"I still don't see how insects play a part in this…"
"I'm getting there Van, I'm getting there," the adventurer's son quickly drew attention to several bits of gold leaf that seemed to litter the map. "These little critters are stag beetles."
"Wait, so the secret, scary thingie that these ancient folks left behind was a bug!?"
"Shut up Paolo," Dakota grinded out.
"No. Now stop interrupting," The green-haired boy huffed, placing the piece of paper on his lap. "Anyway, to these 'ancient folks,'" the boy sent a small glare Paolo's way, or as much as he could manage anyway. "Stag beetles were the guardians of sacred areas."
The dark-haired boy nodded his head; their friend often found little knick-knacks and artifacts around his house and brought them back for the group to see. His 'discoveries' often brought out mixed results from the crowd, himself included, but sometimes he seemed to hit the jackpot with whatever he found.
"Yeah! I remember Professor Gill saying that about the bug hier-higher-hiro-thingies a few weeks ago."
"So the signs on the map…are of sacred places?"
His hat bobbed up and down, "Sort of. They're more like keys on how to get to a sacred place."
"Huh?" The young fisherman's brow furrowed, and, though he had whispered it, the monosyllabic utterance reverberated around the space.
Van felt the need to step in to support his friend. "They were more frequently used as signs, warning people against entering places, pointing them toward places, that kind of thing."
"So what does that hafta do with that grown-up thingie?"
"So," Heath went to straighten his windbreaker next. "I figured that all the beetles come together somehow."
"Yeah, and, and!?"
"Well, I mean, it makes sense that there'd be tons and tons of them in the ruins, but with so many around town, it's suspicious."
The doctor's son could see that the excited adventurer was losing the group, and he was starting to get impatient himself. "So what do they mean and how do they fit?"
"I think the beetles are like 'X's' on a treasure map; they're where treasures have been buried."
"Treasure," the group mumbled in unison, enthusiasm evident in all their tones. The orange-light of later day, as it wafted in through the thick panes of glass, set all their eyes ablaze. Soon, they would have another exploit to embark on and their days of monotony would be at an end.
However, the hushed silence did not last. It was Angie who first noticed the problem with Heath's story.
"Er…that thing the adults want, it couldn't be split into pieces like that…could it?"
Sasilvia moved herself so that she was perched by Angie, leaning some of her weight on the shoddy green cushion as she sat on its edge. Van knew the red-haired girl refused to be any further from the center of the action.
"The stag beetles are the key to finding it."
"How?" Van's question hung heavy in the air, his uncontrollable curiosity making itself known.
"I think that they all fit together – like the pieces of a puzzle – and that once we have all of them together, they'll lead us right to it."
"Awww, so they're not real treasure? They're just weird junk that leads us to other super important stuff?"
"Not exactly," The adventurer hummed, his feet sliding back and forth across the dirt floor. His feet disturbed the kid magazines and sketchbooks that were on the floor with the table. "Like I was saying, that treasure probably, when put together, is like a guide or something to where the sacred place with the important item is."
Van was about to speak up when an older male voice interrupted him. "Though plausible, it sounds like too great a leap in logic, Heath."
The lot whirled to the source of the unexpected sound, only to be greeted by Perry's lanky, teenage form. He stood silhouetted in the doorway, blue hair near black against the shadows created by the dimming sunlight. The assistant placed a steadying hand on the wall, just inches shy of the blanket covered shelf where they hid their snacks. The girls exchanged nervous glances; the three of them had just restocked the shelves and they didn't want Perry to find out about their candy collection.
"It is not!"
"What the heck does 'plausible' even mean!?" Dakota's voice rose slightly, nervousness laced in her confused tone.
"I got nothin' Daki, I've never heard Prof Gill say anythin' in class about it."
Sasilvia lifted herself from her saggy, mismatched cushion, going back to crossing her arms and leaning against the vanity. Van noticed how Angie settled a bit more heavily into the cushion after the red-heads departure, as if trying to ground herself. They all straightened themselves a little at the older boy's approach; his age did give him authority after all. His authority did mean he sometimes snitched to the parents, though.
"The stag beetles obviously mean something, there wouldn't be so many of them if they didn't," Van tried to reason, echoing Heath's argument, eyes shifting between Heath's still figure and Perry. "Wouldn't ignoring that be a bad thing?"
The older boy crossed his arms, letting the comment fade into the quickly cooling air. The others looked amongst themselves, before silently resolving to support Heath in his idea. They all turned back to the doctor's assistant, with defiant expressions in place and their heads held high.
"Anyway, that wasn't why I stopped by," Perry deflected, his short hair fluttering in the slight breeze coming through the doorway. "Doctor Jin asked me to warn all of you that the sun will be setting soon, and that, given the season, staying out in the forest too late would be unwise. That, and Gill asked me to tell you all to go do your homework; it isn't winter break anymore after all."
Despite the collective groan that came from his last statement, the boy then turned and made his exit, leaving the shed door wide open as he made his way through the clearing. The group of youngsters became more relaxed the further away he was, until his disappearing amongst the trees prompted them to look back at one another.
"Such a debbie-downer," muttered Matt, who had flopped onto the beige cushion underneath him.
They all nodded in agreement. Even if he was their friend it didn't mean they always had to enjoy his company.
"Well guys, guess we better be goin'," Paolo pulled himself up from his chair, taking a moment to stretch before motioning to the still-open doorway. "We'll go treasure-huntin' next time."
Heath pouted in defeat, but also hopped up from his make-shift seat. He rolled the map up, eyes unfocused, waiting for the other kids to leave. Van knew that he was probably still bothered by what Perry had said; he wasn't one for being challenged.
Dakota's orange pig-tails bounced as she jumped to her feet, eyes again alight and clearly excited by another idea.
"Maybe we can't go treasure hunting today, but maybe we can do some exploring! We still got some time before dinner, so we can right?"
Interest and happiness quickly replaced the tense atmosphere, as the others nodded their consent to the new plan. The adventurer went to tuck the map into their 'discovery' pile in the corner of the room, before quickly trotting back to the group that had begun to make its way into the afternoon sun.
He bounced in a jolly trot beside Van, as Angie directed herself to the dark-haired boy's other side. The whole group was energetic with the looming prospect of their exploration, even if they were going to start in the Maple Lake District, an area they were all too familiar with.
Heath was the first to break under the excited tension. "Come on guys, we don't have a minute to waste! Adventure awaits us!"
"But shouldn't we plan fir-" Muttered Van, a little shocked by the sudden declaration.
Ignoring the comment, the green-haired boy pressed on, running quickly to the head of the group and yelling "ADVENTURE TIME!" before darting off into the trees. Much like earlier that day, the other kids gave chase, running through the woods towards their next exploit, ever eager to start. The laughter of all but two echoed throughout the small forest between the mountains.
Angie giggled as Van waved his hand at the lot of them, and the two slowly drifted to the back of the pack as Heath and the others ran ahead. As a sharp gust of wind rushed trough the trees the violet haired girl shifted a little closer to the boy beside her, winding her arm through his. They walked on for a few minutes, calmly taking in the sunset colored woods, before Sasilvia reappeared alongside them.
"It's style," Her hair fluttered as she twirled around the two other youngsters. The movements made her voice ricochet off into the trees, echoing it in the distance. "My style."
"What is?"
"This dancing. Mom always says that it's important to have your own style whenever you try something, and I think this might be mine."
"It's really…cool Sasi."
Sasilvia beamed, "Thanks Angie." Red hair whipped around once more before the girl finally settled, walking backwards just a few feet away from the two. "Now hurry up Mister and Misses, we got a place to explore to find. That, and Daki said that the last person to the lake has to steal Maya's great-gran's cookies from the Inn, and I really, really want to see her get yelled at by the old tanker. You guys ready?"
Angie could only softly click her tongue in disapproval as Van vehemently nodded, a bounce suddenly in his step.
"Well, I guess we can't let her and Paolo win…"
"That's the spirit Ang! Now let's go show'em!"
The dancer's daughter sprinted ahead, quickly disappearing into the maze of trees. Turning to his companion, Van gave her hand a quick squeeze and extracted himself, mentally preparing for the dash ahead. Within a beat, the two were off, the only sounds between them the thud of their feet, their deep breaths and the pounding of their hearts in the tepid spring air.
A/N: A small point of clarification regarding Sasilvia, because I know some must be wondering. She's meant to be the farmer and Selena's daughter, and her name comes from Kuneko's (author of Harvest High!) daughter in ToT. I decided to use her rather than Luke and Selena's daughter Lucy because I would feel out of sorts if I used an exclusively AP character in a ToT fanfic. I hope she wasn't too great a source of confusion though and proved to be interesting to read! Until next time.