Updated:10/31/16
Chapter 18: Welcome
Liara was persistently endeavoring to inform herself she wasn't trapped in a dream.
She was standing on an island that she had fantasized about seeing since she was a little girl. It was the same place she had composed countless pictures of, had been laughed at for believing in, and had departed from her home to locate. For a moment, everybody around her faded into the background as she repeatedly blinked and tried to convince herself that what was occurring at that moment was genuine. Her throat tightened as a wave of emotions swept over her. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"This is it! I'm finally here!"
And it was so, so beautiful.
"This place is amazing!" Nami squealed as she clapped her hands together and dramatically kicked her foot up behind her. "You think there's any treasure here?" Her pupils flashed into Berri symbols.
Liara's eyes proceeded to scan their surroundings. "I don't know of any treasure." Her sights rested on what appeared to be a bedraggled, brick path that had become camouflaged by grass.
"Why is a man-made trail here?" Robin inquisitively questioned as she approached the path, almost as if she had read Liara's thoughts. She raised an eyebrow and peered over at the brunette. "Were there ever humans living here?"
Liara shrugged. "Not that I know of, but then again, nobody really knows how old this island is or how many secrets are here."
"Let's follow it!" Luffy cheered as he pumped his fists up, an idiotic grin on his face. "I wanna see where it leads!"
Usopp glimpsed away, trying to show he wasn't the least bit frightened. "Luffy, we don't even know what lives here! What if a giant monster attacks us?" He shivered.
"We should probably get back on the ship real quick and pack a few things to take with us," Franky suggested as he jammed his robotic thumb up in the air to gesture behind him. "We have no idea what's on this island, or how long we'll be walking around."
Usopp bent his head in defeat and sighed as the group sprinted back to the ship in excitement. "They never listen to me." Brook chuckled and sympathetically patted him on the back.
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At last, they were all packed and prepared to initiate their expedition. Liara had decided to slip into a ebony tank top with a blue butterfly on it, white shorts, and amethyst sandals with padding so she could trek comfortably. She also accumulated a navy blue bag and wore it like a backpack so she could import extra supplies. The only things inside were a sketchpad, one of her explorer books that had some information about the island, and a bunch of pencils that were held together by a rubber band. Her sword was wrapped securely around her waist.
When everyone had accumulated in front of the boat, Luffy eagerly dashed towards the trail, his sandals clapping against the clumps of grass and bricks. "Let's go!" he impatiently shouted as the others proceeded to join him. Liara stood in the middle of everybody, her fingers clutching the straps of her bag tightly. Her heart was pounding against her chest so vehemently that she was certain everybody could hear it.
The entire group moved forward in unison, pursuing Luffy like he actually knew where he was going. "Keep an eye on moss-head," Sanji snickered as he exhaled cigarette smoke. "He'll get lost on a one-way street."
Zoro hatefully glared.
[Atlantis: The Lost Empire-The Journey]
The path wound around towering trees, whose trunks were shielded with patches of moss. Everybody but Luffy contemplated Sanji, expecting him to make some sort of reference to the Swordsman's hair. The chef began to open his mouth, but clamped it shut when Nami stared at him threateningly. She wasn't in the mood to break up a fight, and if Nami was going to be displeased, then he supposed he could skip insulting the swordsman for once.
The crew simultaneously exhaled a deep breath.
The world encircling them seemed to warp into an admirable jungle. Bird whistles could be perceived reiterating from almost every angle. Brook combined his own whistling with nature's harmony to bring about a pleasant atmosphere. Liara would occasionally close her eyes and inhale the gentle and pure breeze. It was vastly contrasting from the city air, which was littered with the scents from smoke, food, and body odors. She almost felt like she was breathing in nature for the first time.
Multiple shades of mahogany and jade aggregated over each other along the walkway. Vines of great magnitude curved downwards from tree canopies hidden above clusters of branches. Blotches of dirt covered random areas of the path they walked on, producing a reticent crunching sound as the tiny clumps of rock buried near the top were pressed into the ground.
Tropical bushes with light-green, narrows leaves compiled in gatherings in various spots along the verdant ground. Sometimes, broader emerald shrubs would materialize near the tropical ones, with a few flowers protruding between the leaves. The blossoms were shaped like sunflowers, and either had scarlet leaves and a yellow center or orange leaves and an ivory center. They were rather alluring to behold.
After an extensive amount of traipsing, the sonority of a waterfall could be made out. The companions disembarked down a slope and encountered a timbered bridge that spanned out aloft a commodious gap. Below was a sweeping river of magnificent cobalt that could be witnessed flowing east through even more trees.
A refreshing mist sprayed onto the Straw Hats as they reached the overpass, instantly alleviating the pirates of any perspiration that had gathered on them during the hike. Luffy collapsed on the wooden surface and spread out his limbs while his tongue plopped out of his mouth like a dog.
"Sanjiii! Fooood!"
Sanji sighed but conceded, realizing that it was probably getting close to dinner time anyways. He stooped down and unfastened his backpack, pulling out wrapped sandwiches and sliced fruit. Robin had been hefting the water bottles in her pouch, so she handed those out to go with their meal.
Liara perched herself at the side of the bridge, her legs dangling as she basked in the cooling mist and view. The river glittered from the sun's rays, sparkling like a sea of diamonds. She closed her eyes and for a moment allowed all the scents and sounds of nature to infiltrate her senses, bringing about a blissful and serene feeling. She knew that as soon as she had a sufficient amount of free time, she would definitely be sketching out the scenery. Her eyes opened, and her lips spread out into a smile.
She would be the first person to provide a detailed image of Fantasmic Island. Goosebumps crawled on her skin.
Brook stood behind her, his spine stiffening and head twisting around. He almost felt like they were being watched.
Zoro looked over at him and grimaced. "You sense it too, huh?"The skeleton nodded but remained silent. The Swordsman turned away. "Something isn't right here; watch your back."
"And you as well," Brook countered. He observed Zoro as he ambled towards the edge of the bridge, searching around for anything suspicious or out of place.
The Musician focused on the brunette and sat down next to her, his sandwich already half-way eaten. "So, what do you think of the island so far?"
Liara grinned and looked up at him, her eyes shining with excitement. "I feel like I've stepped into another world." She turned her face away so she could focus on the scenery in front of her. "It's so beautiful here."
He examined her face, admiring the glow on her cheeks, her shimmering azure orbs and the blissful smile on her coral lips. "Yes, you are."
[+]
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The group resumed their saunter about fifteen minutes later, refreshed and energized from the meal. Shade had expanded transversely over the dirt floor as the sun gradually began its descent, causing a decrease in temperature.
"We should find shelter soon," Robin suggested. The group murmured in agreement, aware that night would fall in only a couple hours.
They quickened their pace, eyes earnestly searching for any area that would make for a stable camp site. After a half hour of promenading within the trees, the Straw Hats finally stepped off the earthly trail and ventured into a spacious open area. A chameleon scurrying by paused its movement, eyed the group suspiciously, and then scaled up an adjacent tree. Its presence was overlooked, however, as the group lumbered towards the middle of the field, exhausted from journeying by foot nearly half the day
All the water bottles were empty, and bladder issues needed to be dealt with. Luffy,Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky all separated from the group and plod off into some neighboring bushes to relieve themselves, while the others resolved to wait a little longer until it grew darker out so privacy could be guaranteed.
The sun had already embraced the horizon line by the time the boys returned. Sanji had collected some rocks and arranged them into a circle while Liara, Robin, Nami and Zoro constructed their own group to gather firewood.
An abrupt noise of snapping twigs was clearly heeded from within the forest. Liara followed Brook and Zoro's example by compressing her hands around her sword's sheath, preparing to strike if an attack were to ensue. She felt nervous, as she'd never actually had to operate her weapon in serious combat before. What if she missed? What if she looked like an idiot? She swallowed and steadied her hands.
"Show yourself!" Sanji firmly ordered. The embers of the cigarette gave his face a hellish glow as he lit up the tobacco stick and stuck it firmly between his lips.
A figure finally emanated from the trees, exposing an elderly woman. She had blanched skin, white hair that curled at all angles, and grey eyes. She stood at about 5'2", and was quite slim. Wrinkles were evident on her face, but only around the mouth and eyes. She wore a turquoise dress and a gold-chained necklace that had a bright cerulean jewel in the center of it. Her lips pulled back to reveal pearly teeth.
"Ah, company eh?" she cackled out. "Greetings strangers! I'm Merida! Welcome to my home!"
-I just wanted to point out that while it indeed seems ridiculous for a skeleton to have to use the restroom, there was an episode in the anime when he really had to. Plus, he does tell Luffy that he craps, so yeah...XD-