Work Text:
“Ah, it’s a clear day today!”, said Tsukasa, the captain of the crew. “That means good fortune! Surely we’ll be able to find treasure without any catastrophes!”
Not even an hour later, a huge storm hits. The deck was rapidly flooding and the ship was sharply rocking. Nene turned the wheel as hard as she could to redirect their course. Rui fastened the sails, Emu secured the ropes, and Tsukasa held on to the mast for dear life.
The skies that were a beautiful shade of blue before were now an angry shade of gray. Lightning struck nearby, causing another wave to violently crash against the ship. The crew shouted orders at each other but were hardly heard over the deafening thunder.
Heavy raindrops pelted the boat. Suddenly, Tsukasa slipped. He slid across the deck and tripped over the railing, falling straight into the sea.
“TSUKASA!” First Mate Emu was the first to notice. She immediately rushed over and peered into the waters, seeing his blond head bob on the surface. Nene yelled, “Man overboard!” and hurried to throw the emergency ladder down below.
Panic. All Tsukasa could do was panic. Saltwater stinged his eyes and entered his ears. His lungs threatened to burst. He nearly forgot how to swim at that moment. He flailed his arms uselessly, for his body was somehow sinking instead of floating. Is this how it’s going to end?...
But then, a shiny object caught his eye. He kicked his legs and reached towards the abnormal item. Once his fingers clasped around its smooth form, he suddenly found his strength and was able to float to the surface. Plump drops of rain greeted him as he lifted his head above the water. He gasped for air as he glanced around for his ship. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far off, and he was able to swim and cling to its ladder.
Rui and Nene hoisted him up onto the deck. He flopped like a fish, panting. “Are you okay?” Emu asked innocently, noticing something cylindrical rolling out of his hand across the deck. He retorted, “Do I look okay to you?”, sitting up and gritting his teeth.
“Look, the skies are clearing up,” said Rui. Sure enough, the gray clouds parted to reveal the bright yellow sun hiding just above them. The storm had dissipated too, and Tsukasa gladly welcomed the warmth to dry his drenched clothes. “Maybe saving our captain satisfied the gods.”
He huddled his knees to his chest while cursing under his breath. “First time I’ve been thrown overboard. How humiliating.” Nene draped a blanket over him, saying, “Next time don’t let your fingers slip.”
He shot a glare at her. “It wasn’t my fault!”
Rui was at work unfastening the sails. Nene was shoving a mop into Tsukasa’s hands telling him to stop sitting around doing nothing. While the two were bickering, Emu was inspecting what Tsukasa dropped. It was a small glass bottle with a piece of parchment inside. She uncorked it and unfolded the paper. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Tsukasa! You found a map!” She bounced up and down showing everyone. Shocked, Tsukasa stood up and yanked it from her, careful not to rip it. “Hey! How’d you take it from me? It’s mine!” He smoothed out the parchment and scanned its contents.
It was, indeed, a map. An island was hastily sketched out with coordinates in the corner. The paper was yellowed with age and looked to be torn from a book. A big red ‘X’ marked a particular spot. The crew gathered around, staring at it intently.
“How did you find this?” Rui asked. “While I was in the water, I saw a bottle floating nearby. So I did what any pirate would do; grab the bottle!” Tsukasa struck a pose to dramatize his explanation.
Nene was unamused. She snatched the map to examine it more closely. “It doesn’t make sense for a strange bottle to appear out of nowhere. There’s no land nearby, and we’re far from the bottom of the ocean.”
Tsukasa snatched it right back. “Who cares where it originated? It’s a treasure map!” He brandished it like it was a priceless artifact. “We’re pirates! Pirates don’t solve mysteries, they find treasure! And as the captain of this ship, I say we get that treasure!”
Emu cheered. She was the only other person to not find anything weird about it. Nene was skeptical and so was Rui, but Rui told her to just go along with it. If anything goes wrong, they’ll leave the island and chart their course elsewhere. So the defeated Nene navigated their ship to the coordinates, knowing they will probably find nothing there at all.
—
“Wake up. We’re here.” Nene knocked on the captain’s cabin, listening to his snores through the walls. It’s been three days since they charted their course for the coordinates on the map. She heard some rustling before an alarmed Tsukasa swung open the door. “REALLY?! YOU SHOULD’VE WOKEN ME UP SOONER!”
“You’re a heavy sleeper, I could hear you snoring from the deck-” She was unable to finish as he had already run up the stairs and left her behind. She let out an exasperated sigh.
Tsukasa shouted, “GUYS! WE’RE HERE!”, before realizing Emu had already dropped the anchor and Rui was finished furling the sails. “You’re a little late to the party,” Rui teased. “We tried waking you up earlier but you slept through it,” Emu said. “What an incompetent captain,” Nene muttered.
He stomped his feet angrily. “QUIT IT! What matters is we’re here now, prepared to search for treasure! Who’s with me?” He put his hand on his hip and raised his cutlass in the air.
Emu smiled from ear to ear. “We’re ready! Let’s gooooo!” She tackled him and threw her arms around his neck. His ears flushed red as he yelped for help.
Meanwhile, Rui and Nene ignored them and peered at the map. “The coordinates only gave the location of the island, not the location of the treasure,” said Nene. “The ‘X’ is really vague too. We can’t tell exactly where the treasure is with this.”
“If the treasure is more north and we are south, can’t we just walk a straight line to the ‘X’?”, asked Rui.
“That’s the thing. I can’t even tell what side of the island we’re on. This map is hundreds of years old. This place has changed a lot since then.”
“Are you sure you don’t have a definite idea of where it is?”
“Yes. It could be anywhere. We don’t have time to dig up the whole island. It might not even be here at all…”
“How about we split up?”
“Split up?”
“What if we split into teams and explore the island separately? Me and you can go one direction, and the captain and his first mate can go another direction. We’ll agree to meet back up at the ship once one of us has found the treasure or a certain amount of time has passed. If we end up not finding the treasure, we’ll just board the ship and go on our next adventure.”
“That isn’t a bad idea actually. We still have those tin whistles from our last journey, right?”
“Right. We can use them to communicate with each other from far away.”
“But do you really trust Tsukasa and Emu together?”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine. Someone’s gotta keep you in check after all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Would you rather be with me or babysit one of them?
“...You have a point. I’m just worried, that’s all.”
“Fufu. We’ll find the treasure in no time.”
—
After discussing and arguing about the plan, Tsukasa grudgingly took a whistle and stormed off in a different path. Emu followed behind, her pink hair bouncing on her shoulders. “We’re going to find the treasure first! This’ll be a piece of cake!”
“I’m sure it will be,” Tsukasa muttered under his breath.
Emu paused, her voice tinged with worry. “What’s wrong Tsukasa?”
He absentmindedly cut through the brush as they walked deeper into the wilderness. “Nothing. It’s just that I’m the captain of this crew, so I should be the one making sure everyone’s on track. Not the other way around.” He cursed as a branch scratched him.
She hummed and thought for a moment. “I think you make a great captain regardless,” she said as she hopped over a root. “Without you, we would never go on these fun adventures in the first place!”
He sighed. He knew she was just trying to make him feel better, but it didn’t stop the growing uneasiness inside him. Still, he smiled, happy to have her by his side.
“You’re right! If it weren’t for me, we could miss out on the amazing treasure we’ll find here!” He held his hands out posing as he walked, not noticing a large rock and nearly falling flat on his face. She laughed and mentioned another time that almost happened, making him laugh too.
As they were talking, something rattled in the distance. They didn’t realize what was coming for them until it was too late. Tsukasa turned around, his pupils dilating to the size of a pebble. He wasted no time gripping Emu’s hand and dragging her away.
“AHHHHH!” The two screamed as they sprinted away from the hideous beast behind them. Its roar shook the whole forest. Tsukasa tripped on a suspiciously-placed root, only to find out it wasn’t a root at all, but the tail of another beast. It yelped in pain and swiped at him with its sharp claws. Emu helped him up just in time to prevent him from getting a gnarly scar.
Even more beasts followed them, each ear-splitting screech more terrifying than the last. The pirates didn’t dare look back. All they could do was keep running.
Finally, Emu pointed and said, “Look! Over there!” A cave sat conveniently nearby. Its entrance was partially covered by foliage, but it was a shelter nonetheless. Tsukasa and Emu made a beeline for the cave, ducking inside and watching if the beasts would follow. They didn’t.
Because they had another plan.
Instead, they rammed their heads against the stones repeatedly like they were trying to coax the pirates out. But then rocks fell across the opening. A cloud of dust formed, making them cough, and once it had settled they realized the entrance was completely blocked.
“No! Those stupid monsters!” Tsukasa slammed his fist against the stones. They were firmly packed together. He thrusted his shoulder against them over and over, but it didn’t budge. The pirates were trapped.
“Should we blow the whistle?” Emu didn’t show an inch of fear.
Light peeked through from the cracks. No matter how many times Tsukasa banged against the rocks, nothing happened. His attempts proved fruitless. He scrunched his face in frustration. “Not yet, there has to be another way!”
Emu lit a match from her pouch. She glanced around and found a few dry sticks. Binding them together with spare gauze, she ignited it, successfully creating a makeshift torch. The flame lit up the surrounding darkness, revealing a path. It showed the cave was much bigger than they thought. She buzzed with excitement. “Come on, Tsukasa! Let’s go deeper into the cave!
“Wait! Our goal is to find the treasure, not explore- Emu!” He shouted after her as she ran through the cave. He protested while chasing her down, keeping track of the light from the torch. They shortly found an open area large enough for the light to not reach fully. Soft, snoring sounds were heard, but no living beings were seen. A shiver ran down Tsukasa’s spine.
“Hello? Anyone th-” Tsukasa clamped a hand over Emu’s mouth. “Shhh! Whatever is here, we can’t wake them!”, he whispered frantically. He lifted his hand off and she brought a finger to her lips, grinning.
Quietly, they walked forward, past the snoring sounds, as sneakily and stealthily as possible. “What if they can help us find the treasure?” Emu whispered as the torch lit her hopeful expression. Tsukasa whispered back, “Are you kidding me? If we wake them up, they’ll kill us. We’ll die here!” He nervously glanced at the spreading darkness beside them, shuddering. “Pirates don’t die in weird caves with no exit…”
The further they went, the stuffier it was. The air was stale and the walls were grimy. As if no one had explored this part of the cave in ages.
And with untouched areas comes dust.
Emu sneezed.
ACHOO!
Instantly, the pirates heard creaking, small debris falling from the ceiling as the entire cave shook. Tsukasa and Emu slowly turned around with terror etched on their faces. The torch lit up what horrifying, frightful faces the beasts had.
They screamed.
And so, the chase commenced.
Tsukasa and Emu ran for their lives, shrieking with the beasts right on their heels. They turned a corner and Emu’s torch went out, leaving them blinded in the darkness. They tripped. They stumbled. They bumped into walls multiple times, and the beasts, and each other. Even the beasts were confused by their tactics. What kind of stupid pirates are they?
After braving so many scrapes and bruises, Tsukasa finally unsheathed his cutlass and waved foolishly in the air. With dumb luck, he sliced one of the beasts, causing it to whimper and headbutt into a wall. It rammed against the stones a few times before the structure gave way and sunlight shot through. The duo had never been so happy to see light. They darted forward, escaping from the mob of monsters and maintaining a far enough distance from the cave.
Finally, once they'd made sure they weren’t being followed anymore, they collapsed under a tree, panting. Tsukasa wheezed thinking they were going to die and almost passed out right then and there. Emu was dapping her forehead with a handkerchief, smiling despite their ordeal. “We made it, Tsukasa,” she said with twinkling eyes. “We fought those horrible monsters and escaped!”
“While getting trapped and almost dying in the process,” grumbled Tsukasa in disdain. Technically, it was Emu’s fault for sneezing and causing them to be chased out, but he didn’t have the heart nor energy to scold her. He was just grateful that he didn’t lead them to their deaths due to his own negligence. A true captain looks out for his crewmates.
Emu hopped up, quick to be back on her feet after the most intense escape of her life. Blood seemed to be seeping through the fabric of her clothes in some spots, but she looked unbothered. “The treasure wasn’t in there, we need to keep looking!” Her hyper spirit was never extinguished in spite of it all.
He winced with pain. Did he really want to continue searching? They were already badly hurt. Gazing at Emu’s wounds, he grimaced, blaming himself for getting them into trouble. He rubbed his temple, feeling demotivated because of their setback. “I don’t know, Emu, is it really worth-”
A shiny glint in some nearby bushes made him pause. Was that the treasure? Without thinking, he tugged Emu along, dashing toward whatever was hidden.
It appeared to be metal, but when Tsukasa shifted the leaves to take a closer look, it moved, rising out of the bush and revealing its true form.
In fact, it was not a chest, but a beast’s scales reflecting the sunlight.
It roared.
Other beasts joined in.
Now, the duo was surrounded, hundreds of hungry eyes glaring at them. It seemed that they had no plans on letting them go this time. These were the pesky humans who trespassed their island, so why shouldn’t they get their revenge?
Tsukasa shrieked, attempting to dart away before getting flung by a tail tripping his legs. Another creature headbutt Emu from behind causing her to tumble over. The beasts continuously attacked them, making fun of them as they allowed ample time for them to get up before knocking them over again. Tsukasa tried fighting back with his cutlass, but he was never able to land a precise strike. He felt humiliated.
“EMU! BACK TO THE SHIP! NOW!” He shouted when he kicked a beast and created an opening. Emu followed close behind him as they ran from the monsters, neither of them caring about the treasure anymore. They weaved through trees and hopped over roots. The adrenaline from this second chase was the only thing fueling them to drive forward. So they fled, away from the vicious creatures who beat them up, all while sticking together.
—
Tsukasa and Emu barely made it back to the ship alive. They collapsed at Rui and Nene’s feet, too out of breath to notice the large treasure chest beside them. Various scratches and wounds covered their bodies. Their crewmates stared down at them, one humored and one unamused.
The beasts seemed to not like the sand that the humans they were chasing just faceplanted in. They stayed in the shade, hiding so well the other two humans couldn’t see them. Tsukasa spit out a mouthful of sand. Emu shook her head, her pink bob sending sand flying back into Tsukasa’s face.
Nene said, “Where have you been? We blew the whistle a while ago.” Rui commented, “Looks like you’ve gotten your exercise in for the day.”
Tsukasa winced as he massaged his lower back. “Everything hurts…”
Emu hopped up and squealed. “You found the treasure! Wonderhoy!” Her eyes shined looking upon the chest more than half her size. It looked like a classic treasure chest, its wood worn down and its metal rusted and dark. Tsukasa’s eyebrows raised in shock. “The treasure!”
Rui was pleased by their reactions. “We found it not far from the ship, actually. It was slightly poking out in the sand. The hardest part was digging it up.” They could see that sand still coated its exterior and his clothes. He and Nene definitely had a better time than them.
The captain staggered backwards, his eyes flickering with disbelief. “So you’re telling me… the treasure was right here the whole time?” He could feel his brain spinning with all sorts of mixed emotions. Emu caught him as he nearly fainted. “Tsukasa! Hang in there!” She shook his shoulders roughly.
“Geez, what took you two so long?” Nene huffed as she crossed her arms. “We’ve been waiting for ages. I would’ve opened it by now if it weren’t for Rui making me wait for you.”
Tsukasa pointed at where he just came from offensively. “Oh, sorry for the wait, we were busy escaping from monsters and running for our lives! We nearly died! More than once!” He exaggerated his words with dramatic gestures, his voice tinged with frustration. His crewmates found the treasure effortlessly while he and his first mate licked the gates of death multiple times! How did they get the easy route and the captain himself went straight to the final boss? How cruel!
“But Tsukasa! We survived! And you managed to defeat one of the monsters with your trusty cutlass! That was so brave of you,” encouraged Emu. Although he didn’t really take down a beast, he only slashed one while waving his weapon around blindly, he realized that it was still a pretty heroic move for a captain. The fact he even took out his cutlass in the first place to defend himself and his first mate instead of scrambling like a coward was an act of courage. He still scrambled like a coward, but at least he tried.
Rui scanned the two, noticing their abundance of wounds and scrapes. “Do you want to fix yourselves up first, or open-” Tsukasa cut him off before he could finish, shouting, “Open it! This better have been worth it!”
So the crew gathered around the chest, Emu buzzing with enthusiasm and Rui humming with curiosity. Tsukasa unlatched the lid and slowly lifted it open. The inside seemed to blind them by the imaginary light that was emitted.
“WOAH! THERE’S SO MUCH TREASURE!” Emu’s eyes gleamed as she peered down at the valuables within. Piles of gold coins filled it to the brim, along with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Everything was in pristine condition and was certainly worth a lot. Tsukasa was stunned by the beauty of it all, almost fainting again and nearly falling on top of it if it weren’t for Emu holding onto his arm.
“Huh. This is probably the best loot yet,” Nene said bluntly. “And we were the ones who found it, Nene,” Rui raised his hand toward her for a high-five, to which she uneagerly complied.
All four of them carried it onto the ship. Tsukasa seemed like he was in a daze, smiling while hugging some of the jewels to his chest. It looked like his earlier anger had completely dissipated. Now he’s a happy captain, forgetting about the hardships he endured and enjoying the treasure he didn’t even find. Once he patched his wounds up, he did some weird dance on the deck, throwing some coins around and doing a funny spin. Emu joined him without questioning. Nene and Rui sighed, letting them goof off as they prepared to set sail.
The captain leaned against the taffrail, embracing the salty wind blowing through his hair. Nene had charted their course towards the mainland where they’ll hopefully find more treasure along the way or be able to restock on goods. Rui was taking a nap in his cabin. That short adventure must’ve worn him out.
Emu joined the captain, noticing an uneasy expression etched on his face. He looked like his brain was occupied in another world. She tilted her head, filled with concern. “Are you alright?”
Tsukasa gazed down at his bandaged hands, flexing his stiff fingers. “Emu… I’m sorry I led you to danger. If I had been more careful, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” He sets his eyes to the horizon. “I know I haven’t been the best captain, but I should be more responsible…”
“Tsukasa, you don’t have to be sorry,” said Emu. “You did what you thought was right. You wanted treasure, so you seeked treasure. You’re a true pirate!” She beamed from ear to ear. “Pirates constantly face danger. A few battle scars only make you look cooler.”
Seagulls flew by, squawking as they went the direction the crew just came from. “There will be so many more adventures after this. We’ll improve, bond, and grow stronger together! What matters is we made it out with a story to tell.”
He let her words sink in. He definitely had room to grow as a captain of a pirate crew. He was obnoxious, impulsive, and reckless. He wanted to do better, become a great leader, discover treasure old and new. But most importantly, he wanted to do it with his friends, to venture the seas alongside them and earn the title as the most magnificent crew to have ever sailed. And if they were willing to follow his lead despite his blunders, the least he could do was become someone worthy of that loyalty.
He straightened his posture and pointed his cutlass toward the sun. “That little mishap was one of many! Thank you, my first mate Emu!” A hearty laugh came from his throat. “We shall continue exploring and conquer the ocean! More treasures await us!”
Emu grinned happily, delighted to make him smile. Even if he sounded a bit unsure, his heart was in the right place. He wanted to achieve his dreams together with his crew. The first mate leaned her head against her captain’s shoulder, watching the sun steadily go down.
“Oh captain, my captain,” she murmured, exhaling the salty mist of the air. “You’ll always be a great captain to me.”