Vacation Album: Kaguya Island
A/N: None of the new characters appearing in this story are technically canon, but neither are they of my own creation. They were in either of the musicals Kaguya Shima Densetsu or Shin Kaguya Shima Densetsu, musicals in the Sera Myu lineup.
Chapter 4: Island Princess
The seven castaways were pleasantly surprised by the bounty that Serena and Darien brought back with them, explaining how they had found it.
Diamond picked up and carefully eyed a star fruit. "Are you sure that it's safe?"
Ami aimed her Mercury Pocket Computer at the basket to scan the contents. "I detect no traces of any kind of poisons. The fruit in your hand is a carambola, better known as a starfruit. The carambola is a tropical fruit native to areas in Southeast Asia such as India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Why wouldn't it be safe?"
Zoisite smiled. Ami hadn't changed a bit. "Considering that we thought that this island was empty of human life, finding a basket full of fruit is a little suspicious, don't you think?"
Ami frowned. "Oh, that is strange." She withdrew into her thoughts and continued to tap on her computer, her hunger temporarily forgotten.
Serena smiled and looked up at the sky. "Maybe Queen Serenity sent it. I bet her spirit saw us here, in trouble, and sent food to help out."
"One problem with that theory Serena," Sapphire held up a finger. "Our magic doesn't work here, save for Ms. Mizuno's computer and it's solar-powered not magic."
The question hovered for several moments before Serena simply shrugged. "Well, however, it's here and I don't like to look a gift horse in the mouth. Without food, people weaken."
The next couple of hours passed by slowly with the group working intermittently on building a better shelter, gathering and boiling water from a stream found just a little ways into the jungle. There wasn't really that much to do and they knew it wasn't good to use too much energy when they didn't know how long they would have to make their food supply last.
Throughout that time, Darien found himself looking towards the jungle. Zoisite noticed and frowned. "What is it Master?"
"I don't know," Darien replied. "I have a strange feeling, like something's out there."
As if on cue, a small squadron of figures burst out of the thick foliage. The four men instinctively formed a protective circle around the girls.
"Trespassers!" one of the figures, a man dressed all in blue with blue streaks in his short brown hair jabbed a long spear at them. "You dare to enter our sacred lands?"
Darien raised his hands in a surrender motion. "Wait, we're not trespassers; we're castaways!
Our boat crashed and we were forced to come to this island. It was the only one nearby."
"LIES! You're with him," the man yelled.
Another figure, a woman with red highlights to her cropped black hair, stepped forward with a look of long-suffering. "Keirun, lower your weapon," she ordered.
"But Lady Selkie..." Keirun protested.
"Keirun!" Her tone brooked no argument. With a glare of distrust, he lowered the spear.
"Forgive his zealousness," she continued, in a milder voice. "You will come with us and our princess will decide if you are telling the truth or not. Until then, you will be treated as guests." She looked at Keirun. "Won't they?"
The man nodded although he clearly didn't agree with her decision.
"Wait," Diamond began. "Where are we? We had no idea anyone even lived here."
"You are on Kaguya Island, the Capital of the once proud nation of Artuka," Selkie explained.
Zoisite gasped. "Kaguya, Artuka? That's impossible. Artuka was destroyed in a tsunami over…"
"…5,000 years ago," Selkie finished. "Yes, I know. It is difficult to explain and it's not my place.
If the princess wishes you to know, she will tell you. Come."
"And who is this 'him' that your associate mentioned?" Ami asked curiously.
"Yeah, maybe we can help," Lita added.
Selkie ignored the question as they neared a large stone wall and a gate guarded by two soldiers dressed similarly to the ones flanking them. They bowed politely to her, which she returned with gentle nods. It was obvious who the higher ranking individual among them was by that behavior alone.
All discussion ceased as they got their first look of the ancient city. Houses of both wood and thatch lined the first street from the gate. There was a second story built along the wall above the wooden houses. The second story held houses of a sort of clay. The houses gave an idea of how the social hierarchy worked and the garments and jewelry upon the peoples said even more. Those coming from the wooden houses wore simply garments made of cloth and grasses while those above worth more elaborately colored saris and kytens. Each woman wore a small bead in the center of their foreheads. The little girls wore a blue bead, those in their teens wore pink and the adult women wore either a deep red or a green. Many of the elderly, men and women alike, wore a black bead.
In the center of the city rose a large structure similar in design to the Mayan or Aztec temples. Inside the temple, in what was clearly an audience chamber of a sort, in a throne of stone and soft purple fabric sat a beautiful young woman. Chestnut hair with glistening streaks of violet cascaded down and framed lightly tanned cheeks. Her eyes, like sparkling jewels of amethyst, gazed upon them.
Selkie stopped feet from the throne and fell to a knee. "Your Highness, I present the visitors to our island." She indicated for the group to copy her motions.
Only Darien failed to mirror their guide's bow, he was in shock at the sight of the very princess from his dreams. Should he say something? He wasn't sure but as he met her eyes he was sure that he felt something pass between them.
The princess rose from her throne. "Oh how exciting, we haven't had real visitors in such a long time." She hopped down from the dais on her which her throne stood and grabbed Darien's hand. "I am Princess Loof Merrow of Artuka. Welcome, welcome!"
Darien swallowed, surprised at the woman's forwardness. He wondered if she knew that he had dreamed of her, if she could peer into his mind and sense his confusion. "Um...I am Darien Chiba and these are my friends. I am sorry for trespassing on your island. We were on vacation and our boat was wrecked in the storm."
"No, no, no need to apologize. You are most welcome here. Oh," she gasped, "but you all must be tired and hungry and here I am rambling like an idiot. Selkie, have the cooks prepare a luncheon for our guests," she grinned looking at her guests, "and tonight we will have a grand banquet in your honor. My people will be grateful for something to celebrate." She snapped her fingers and another servant stepped forward. "Show our guests to the finest rooms available. They will need to rest and freshen up before lunch."
Before any other words could be said, Darien and the others were led off towards their new accommodations. Loof Merrow grabbed Selkie's hand in her own with excitement.
"Oh how long has it been since we've had real guests Selkie," Loof Merrow squealed. "And no, we don't count him ever!"
Selkie laughed at her princess and friend's giddiness. "5,000 years, Loofy."
"And did you see the men with them. One of the one has to be the one we've been waiting for. It makes no sense that they would coincidentally crash on our island just when it happens to be back in the ribbon of time and none of them be the one I'm supposed to marry," Loofy insisted as much to herself as she felt anticipation rise within her. "Right?"
Selkie patted her friend's hand. "I'm sure they're here for a reason as well, Princess. You will simply have to get to know them and see. Don't trick yourself into thinking you love any one of them, be sure first. Your happiness is most important to your people. We have been here for 5,000 years, it won't hurt us to wait longer."
Loofy smiled. Selkie was right. Love was what she was waiting for and she would wait as long as she needed to.
AN: Well another chapter and our castaways have finally met the inhabitants of this strange island. Just who is this "him" that they keep referring to? Why has Darien been dreaming of this princess only to meet her here? Will they ever get off the island? Find out next time on Vacation Album: Kaguya Island. Have a good day.
