Prompt 4 - Camping and/or Campfire Stories
username; Yugi
The young prince Hanako was thoroughly excited as he packed his clothing, toiletries, and his beloved bug equipment. It was the first time in forever both of his parents would be staying home for the summer, and it was an opportunity he didn't want to miss. All of his days spent planning this amazing trip to his favorite island with his beloved family members would finally pay off. His parents were finished with their packing, but his siblings were scrambling as they tried to pack as much as they could. He had forgotten how long it had been since most of them had time away from their royal duties, similar to his parents. His siblings were stressed out; he could easily see it from the looks on their faces. Those that were completely interested in their work had soon become bored of how repetitive it all was. It was clear that they needed a temporary break, and they needed one soon. Hanako had dearly hoped that this vacation would be able to help relieve them, even if it was just a tiny bit. He cared deeply for his older siblings, as he completely admired them all.
It wasn't before long until his parents called for their children, politely demanding that they be downstairs within thirty minutes. Hanako stood close to his mother and father, smiling proudly. He held onto a bag with his belongings in it. As the minutes began to pass, slowly but surely his siblings began to appear. They too carried large bags filled to the brim with various clothing and accessories. His mother, Ochiba, held onto the most bags out of the bunch, carrying them effortlessly as Hanako's father pleaded for her to take it easy. She had prepared plentiful food with Hanako and their hired cooks for the short trip ahead of them. When the large family was ready, they all headed out, boarding a horse drawn carriage to be taken to the closest docks. The young koi prince had already rented out a ship and a friendly mariner to take them to their location weeks prior. Working together, the family was able to quickly board the ship with all of their belongings safely stored in the ship's hub. Hanako's siblings were enthralled to be on a ship; talk about sight seeing and dolphin watching could be heard among the chatter and gossip. He stood near his parents, hoping that they would ask him all about the island they were all heading to. Without their knowledge, Hanako had spent months visiting the island with his friends, building a camping ground for all of them to experience. For a while, it was just a secret spot he and his acquaintances used when they wanted to get away from the Koi Kingdom.
The trip itself was surprisingly short. They arrived early next morning, just when the fog was beginning to part ways. As they gathered to the front of the boat, they were greeted with a wonderful view of the green, mountainous island. The shoreline itself was covered with sand that was a similar color of soot. The mariner expertly docked the ship on the island's shore before throwing down an anchor and a wooden ramp. The family sleepily stumbled down the ramp slowly with their belongings in hand with Hanako leading their way. They began to make their way into the heavily wooded area, beyond the dark colored beach, and into a refreshing clearing. The sun shined brightly above the island, making the clearing to appear as if it was glowing. Wooden cabins that Hanako and his friends hand crafted stood proudly among the trees and bright sun shine, welcoming the whole family into their homely interiors. While it wasn't completely traditional camping, as they had no tents to pitch, the young boy knew that his siblings would prefer to stay in actual housing. And he was completely right; his siblings immediately began to choose which cabins they would be staying in for that adventurous week, sorting out which bunk bed would belong to them.
The first day of their trip, they spent time learning the area and preparing for the exciting week ahead of them. Hanako guided them through the island with absolute ease, showcasing all of the unique qualities that it had to offer. As if he was conducting his own fun summer camp, he went through a list of activities that they were all able to do, and what times were the best for them to participate. Before long, night had already fell; bright glow-bugs began to illuminate the cool ocean air around them. After eating food Ochiba had prepared for them all, they all left to get plenty of rest for tomorrow.
The second day of their trip was quite eventful. Hanako had nothing planned until the third day, so they were all free to do as they pleased. He spent time with his mother and father to go hunting for large beetles that often migrated to the island during the summer. His parents laughed joyously as they attempted to catch the massive insects with sturdy nets, only to fail miserably; Hanako was pleased to see his parents so happy once again. His siblings separated into their own groups; the oldest of the bunch spent time relaxing on the black sand beaches, taking in as much sun as possible; the middle siblings were splashing about in the warm ocean waters, attempting to surf on the waves that crashed onto the shore; the younger teenagers spent the day collecting various sea shells, as well as trying their best to catch fish with their own hands for dinner, despite not being able to physically do so one bit.
The third day was a little bit more quiet, but still fun as Hanako put his plans into work. He had informed them that they were all moving to a new location, somewhere further in, so they needed to pack once again. When they were ready, they were all greeted with a freshly prepared breakfast that was cooked by Hanako's own hands. This prepared them for the afternoon long hike he had in store for them; staying together, the close family was able to finally spend unforgettable moments together. They haven't been as close as they had been that day for years now, as they were too busy focusing on their duties to be able to enjoy a well deserved break, especially with their own family. They crossed gently flowing rivers, traversed up soft, green hills, and carefully snaked their way through the bountiful wildlife. Their end destination turned out to be an area nearby a clear lake, which had a shoreline covered with larger cabins.
The fourth day picked up once again. During the daytime, they had all enjoyed playing around in the freshwater lake. However, the nighttime turned out to be quite peaceful, despite the horror stories his older siblings tried to tell to spook them all. They roasted various types of fish over an open bonfire for dinner, and then fluffy marshmallows for dessert. While his parents were too tired to continue staying up for long, Hanako and his siblings sat around the fire until midnight, listening to tales told to them by the eldest sibling about mischievous yokai pulling horrible pranks on mortals.
The fifth day was a bit of a chore, as it required a trip back to their original cabins, for the next day they were to head back out to the sea to go back home. Regardless of how tiring the trek back to the beach was, Hanako and his family was happy with being able to spend time with each other once again. They were able to reach the cabins a little bit earlier, as they weren't as distracted by the gorgeous scenery around them. With the little time they had left, they spent the afternoon until night soaking in the sun on the beach. When the stars came out and the moon shone brightly, Hanako huddled closely with his family. Tancho told stories to his children about the constellations that sat high up above them all, while Ochiba pointed out the shooting comets that flew across the sky vividly. Before they had knew it, midnight had already quickly passed them by, and the sun was already peeking above the ocean's horizon.
They could only stay until the afternoon on the sixth day, as the mariner Hanako had asked to take them back home would arrive then. A majority of them napped outside, but those that were still awake chatted among themselves to pass the time. The boat came quickly, a lot quicker than they all hoped for. Sleepy eyed, they boarded the large vessel and headed back home, happier and closer to each other than they originally all were.
(1,472/1,500)
{Hanako | Ochiba | Tancho / All viscets named in the story belong to me}
