Land Ahoy

Tim, Yumiko, and Kou stood still on the board. Each of them was leaned against one another in a circle, having their tongues out, showered in sweat droplets.

Yumiko's and Kou's heads leaned on Tim's shoulders as they felt like lifeless puppets. "We've been on the ocean for the past six days. There's no way that Urban Craftsman Island is so far away from Castlemania."

"I could sleep inside the ice tub, and still would ignore the frost." Ayuka stepped outside of the room and checked on them, as Tim came to a eureka. "I've got it!" he jumped to his feet, shoving Yumiko and Kou to the side, where they squeaked and crashed into the wood.

He immediately approached Ayuka on an enthusiastic stage. "Ayuka, you can make ice cubes! The heat's killing us! Could you make an ice-cold tub for us?"

She blinked twice and looked at Tim's face, confused. "You expect me to create some ice tub for no reason? My powers are not supposed to be used as toys to bathe. I'm not doing it."

Tim's face became a bit disappointed. "Come on, just this once? Pretty please!" Ayuka denied his request and disagreed, then walked to the fence. Tim followed her like a lost puppy and wouldn't let her go.

"I'll do anything. Just make an ice tub for us!" Ayuka's eyes became unimpressed, bored of his requirements. She turned to look at him and sighed. "Even if I made you an ice tub, we don't have a tub to put it in!"

Before Tim gave up, Ralphie exited onto the deck, holding a box. "I finished packing our food supplies for the road ahead. I'll just put the box here." That gave Tim the idea he needed. "That's it! We can use that box to fill it with ice! It's big enough for three and should be sturdy to hold the three of us."

"You want to bathe in a carton box? You do know that the ice will melt from the heat? Then it will become liquid water, and it'll probably tear the box apart."

Tim nodded and then put his arms on his hips. "Yup, I know. But we promise we'll clean it up, ourselves, afterward. Just please create the ice cubes."

She rolled her eyes to the side and immediately sighed. "Fine. I'll do it, but you better keep your promise. I will not be cleaning the soaked wood after you." Tim nodded immediately and then became pumped up; his eyes full of sparkles. "You will? Really?"

"I've already said I'll do it and I am not planning to go back on my words." As she closed her eyes, Tim raised his arms high up in the air and then wrapped his arms around Ayuka's body, hugging her tightly, her chest rubbing into his. She became embarrassed. "Thank you so much! I will do my best to clean it afterward!"

Ayuka looked down at him, feeling that her feet weren't touching the wood below. "Okay, but why are you hugging me?" Tim looked at her confused. "Um, you don't mind, do you?"

She looked to the side and softly spoke. "No, not at all..." Tim chuckled and immediately squeezed her tighter, nearly cracking her bones. "Not so tight, though!!" he finally released her and dropped her on the floor, allowing her to breathe.

"Sorry, I overdid it, huh?" she raised her chin and looked at him with a nearly startled face. "Are you trying to break me or what?" pressing her hand on her chest as Tim awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I'll be more gentle next time." Yumiko peeked from behind a corner with a smug face, enough to frustrate Ayuka.

"Yeah, you better do that!" she shouted and angrily walked inside the kitchen while the others prepared the box.

It took several minutes for Ayuka to finish the ice and fill the carton box, but after a long while, she finally filled it full and everyones' eyes were shining like a diamond.

"There, it's done." Hurriedly all three of them undressed their top and plunged into the ice tub, the cubes bouncing into Ayuka. "Hey!" she shouted, only to finally see all of them relaxed inside a cold bath.

Ralphie's signature eyes of pink hearts popped and floated outside. "Yumiko-swan! Let me join!" he was wiggling left and right, waving both of his arms left and right. He ran and jumped at Yumiko, prepared to land in the ice tub, but at that moment, Ayuka's fist rammed into Ralphie's face and launched him through the wooden wall inside the kitchen.

"Don't even think about it!!" His nose bled as he had a bump on his head. "Yes, Ayuka-swan..."

It passed a few minutes and each of them held a lemonade in their hands, drinking through the straw, still bathing in the ice. "They've been in there for almost an hour? How are they not cold?" Codey questioned, sitting on the stairs. "Tim can just heat his body if required. As for those two, I have no idea." Ayuka explained until she soon heard Yumiko squeak from the cold.

Her voice stuttering. "It's getting s-so c-cold!" Tim looked at her as she immediately wrapped her arms around him. "Share some of your body heat, Tim!!" his head was practically squeezed tight to her chest as he looked at her confused.

"I can't do that..." As Ayuka saw that, she shattered the ice in her palm from fury and aggressively stuffed it inside her mouth, biting through the cold. "That, Yumiko. She should have never come with us!" Codey looked at her from the corner of her eyes and misunderstood the situation.

But he soon looked to the side and noticed that there was a silhouette of an island in the distance. He ran up to the forecastle and looked through the binoculars. "Guys! We're here! It's the Urban Craftsman Island!" both Yumiko and Tim instantly looked in one direction; finally letting him go as he rushed to the forecastle and hung onto Codey's shoulders.

"Hey! Watch it!" he shouted. Tim just excitedly looked up ahead. "You're cold! Get off me, Tim!" he listened and climbed to the bowsprit with a glowing face. "Finally! I thought we'd never make it! Let's go!"

Tim prepared to leap into the air and fly. But he was soon caught by Ayuka by the ears. She had her right arm on her hip as she looked at him, intimidatingly.

"No, you don't. The last time we tried to split up, everything turned out wrong. Plus, you promised to clean the ice after you're finished "bathing", right?" she pulled his face closer to her, where his eyes continued to look at her casually.

"But-" he didn't even have a chance to finish. "There are no buts. You're going to clean the mess you made me do it. Now hurry up and clean up. We're still far away from the island."

Tim closed his eyes, surrendered, and hurried ahead to help Yumiko and Kou clean the mess. "Now I wish Natan was here..."

"You know. Why don't I just let Ayuka deal with Tim? She does a better job at keeping him still than I do." Kou added as he started to put the ice cubes in the bucket and toss it in the ocean.

Yumiko slowly tiptoed toward the kitchen to hide inside. She was stopped by Ayuka's serious tone. "And where do you think you're going?"

"Um," Yumiko froze on one of her feet and slowly rotated her head around. "just trying to look for my clothes?" Ayuka grabbed her by the bra and pulled her back to the box. "Hey! You're gonna undo my bra!"

"Get to work, Yumiko. You've done more than enough to irritate me, and if Tim and Kou are going to do it, you will too. You aren't getting your top not until you finish cleaning."

She looked at Ayuka unamused. "Man, I don't like you when you're serious." Ayuka ignored her and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Get to work."

"Yeah, yeah... I got it..." Yumiko finally started helping them while Codey took care of the navigating. "Tim, wouldn't you say Ayuka's scary?" Kou questioned, then watched Tim slowly lean closer to his ear and whisper. "Trust me. You don't want to be stuck with her in the room when she's upset. You're probably going to lose a limb or two. She's absolutely terrifying."

Ayuka's ears twitched as she turned around. "I heard you!" both gulped and rapidly began packing the ice in the bucket.

They were only a few meters away, and soon they would land on the Urban Craftsman Island; the island they'd been trying to reach for days.

They were one step closer to finding Harry.

To be continued...