Harvest Moon: Enishi

[Juxapose]

Now that Blueberry pie is almost finished, I want to unveil one of my favorite fanfics that I wrote. Yes, I know that I have other fics I want to write, I'll get to them soon. But I think this fic is special in a way. Why? If I told you, then I'd ruin half the fun. All I will say that I am trying something a bit different with this story. And I was very proud of the outcome. 

I would like to present with:

History:

Harvest Moon: Enishi is technically a sequel to a canceled fic that I wrote earlier Harvest Moon: Ressurection. But I canceled the fic mainly because the fic deals with too many dark themes such as murder and betrayal. I also found the fic to be quite cumbersome and hard to follow. Plus, the story at times went off the deep end with non-canon personalities. Witch Princess is a good, Keria is evil, the farmer is perverted, and the story in no way follows the original story of Harvest Moon: DS.

After the story of Harvest Moon: Ressurection, the main character then tells his story about his past. Oddly, the story is very dramatic, sentimental, heartfelt, and follows the story it was based on quite nicely. I also noticed that this story can technically be told without it's parent fic. So I scrapped the overly comlex original story, and focused on the more intersting story. The story will also be told in first person non-diary format, which adds a bit of character and humor. 

I did want to publish Harvest Moon: Ressurection, but I feel that the ideas should be saved for a more canon story if I can get enough ideas to rewrite the fic. But for now, Enishi will be a single stand-alone milti-chapter fic. 

Enishi means "Bond". A special connection between two human beings. But don't be fooled, even though there is romance, the fic has little to do with the main character chasing the girl of his dreams. The theme of this story will be Change. Transitioning from young and carefree to a responsible adult.

I will be publishing this fic after the last chapter of Blueberry pie.

Kanon

[Juxapose]

Prelude

In a distant land far from the city, and in a time where much of the world is modernized; there is a village nestled between a deep dense forest and the vast blue ocean. This village known as Forget-Me-Not Valley is home to a small number of people who have decided to escape the modern marvels of modern technology. Even the farm use nothing more than their bare hands and simple tools. Even though there are no cars or machinery in this village, everyone lives happily and peacefully.

Along with the old school way of living, there is an aura of magic that radiates from it. In a small hut right next to the local villa lives a Witch. She is as old as the hills, but looks no older than a twenty-year old woman. The witch walks out of her hut, and breathes in the fresh Summer air. It is a great day to fly around and see who is out and about. She gets on her broom, and soars into the air.

High above the village, she sees many people enjoying their day down below. She sees a local couple, a blond woman and her husband the bar owner taking a walk. A wealthy young woman is sitting with her blond boyfriend telling each other stories. Near a yurt, the local hippie is playing a song for a special lady in his life. A long haired brunette is working in a farm with her husband. Near the mines is a couple who study archeology together. Yes, the villagers are happy and well.

But she did not ride her broom just to see anyone. She has a special friend of her own she meets everyday. A man who is very special; his name is Kanon. Kanon runs the ranch in this Village. What makes him special is that Kanon had once died about a hundred years ago. The Witch brought him back to life to help her in a quest not too long ago. The quest is now complete, and he lives freely in the village.

As Kanon works, the witch descends from the air to see how is he doing. She finds him in a field of corn. She also sees well kept fields of tomatoes, onions, and pineapples; along with a grass field filled with cows, sheep, and hens. Quite impressive for one person without any type of machinery.

She lands in an open field not too far from where he is working. She waves at him and yells his name. Kanon looks over and calls back to her. It's about his break time, so he decides to call it quits for now. The day is young, and he has plenty of time to do his work.

Kanon grabs his tools along with his lunch, then heads over to the witch. They both sit on a nearby log that is half-buried into the ground. Kanon then takes out a couple of egg sandwiches, and hands one to the witch.

She takes a bite and yells, “wow! Your sandwiches are the best! I tell you, I don't like checking on you every day, but your lunches make the trip worth my time.”

Kanon takes a bite of his sandwich and says, “Yep, just like my wife used to make it.”

Hearing Kanon mention his past makes the witch curious. She stops eating for a moment and takes a second to look at him. Like the many times she has known him, Kanon spaces out as he reflects the life he once had. She was never interested before, but now she is getting quite curious about what weighs in his mind.

“Hey Kanon. . . Can I ask you a question?” After gaining his undivided attention, she continues to ask, “I'm curious about your past life. You died a little over a hundred years ago. Being brought back to life in a world you do not know must be hard. But you are doing pretty good all things considering. But I notice that you miss your old life every now and then. Please tell me about the life you miss so much.”

Kanon giggles and says, “I wasn't always like this. I remember a time when I was younger, I hated the idea about being a farmer. This life was forced on me against my will by my family. But even so, I learned to love being a farmer. I worked hard, and became the man my grandfather would be proud of. All hanks to a very special person in my life.”

“Go on. . .” said the witch fully interested in his story.

Kanon sighs and looks up into the crystal blue sky. His past recalling like a home movie begins to play in his mind. “I can still remember that day my relatives were arguing. Grandfather had just died, and all everyone cared about was his farm. Someone needs to take it over before it was sold to a stranger. Everyone else in my family lives in the city and had great jobs. Nobody wanted to live in a village and farm their life away. Even I dreaded the idea.

“But even so, I was still chosen to do it. At that time, I was the only person in the family without a job. I lived at home with my parents after all. I admit that I was lazy and spoiled. I did whatever I wanted, and I didn't care about what others told me.

“I was picked that day, it didn't take rocket science to foresee that. I tried to whine my way out of it, but they had me in their hand. Since mom and dad took care of me, I always had stuff like money, pretty girls, and nice things. I never worked in my life, being lazy was all I knew. My folks then told me that if I didn't go work in my grandfather's farm, I would be cut off. They won't take care of me anymore, and I would be kicked out of the house to live on my own.

"Farm work sucks, but so is getting a job in the city and trying to afford a place of my own. At least my grandfather's farm is free rent, and my parents will feed me an allowance for a while. But don't get me wrong, I went to the village with a plan. Oh yes, I schemed long and hard on how to get out of this boring work life. But I guess fate had a plan of it's own. . .”

Juxapose forever Proudly presents:

A story about growing up.

Harvest Moon: Enishi

[Juxapose]

Chapter 1

I tell you, it was pretty cold that Spring morning I got to that village. I took a look at the sign that read "Mineral Town" and I knew I got to the right place. I did remember going there once during my childhood, I was about 8 years old or so. That old sign did not change at all. 

"What a joke. . ." I said to myself. The village had no more than twenty people or so, and they had the nerve to call themselves a town. 

Not long after I got there, the village mayor found me and welcomed me with open arms. He was a strange short man; no more than four feet tall with a hat that adds another foot in height. His mustache was odd and reminded me of the Mario Brothers. I remember chuckling when I first saw him. I don't even remember what we talked about on the way to my grandfather's farm. Not like I cared to listen anyway.

I tell you, the condition of the farm is sickening! I just gasped at what I saw, and how it was so different from what I remember. The field was covered in junk from years of hurricanes and bad weather. Obviously nobody bothered to clean up before I got there. The buildings at the farm were old and ugly. Weeds and cobwebs all over the place made the farm unbearable. I asked myself that day, "am I supposed to live here?"

I was kinda expecting the farm to be a little more like how I remember it when I was a kid. Everything green and healthy. Animals and birds running around freely. The smell of honey, flowers, and vegetables in the air. I still can't figure out what happened to all that. But to be honest, I didn't care too much. I plan to leave as soon as I could regardless of the condition of the farm.

That very morning, the mayor told me that the villagers are willing to let me live in the farm for only three years. If after that time I could restore the farm to it's former glory, I was allowed to stay as long as I want. But if I fail as a farmer, then I'll have to leave. I agreed to the terms without question.

The mayor then left me at the farm. I just jumped for joy at how easy my plan was going to be. All I needed to do is slack off for about three years, and I'm off the hook. I would then go home, apologize to my parents, and lie about how hard I tried to revive that farm. What they don't know won't kill them after all.

The very next day, I took a stroll around the hick village. Mom and dad left me with a wad of money to get started. But naturally, I didn't use it to buy seeds and stuff I need. I used it to impress the local girls in the village.

I was pretty hungry, so I started my walk to the local inn. The owner, Doug was his name, gave me a free meal after introducing me to his cute daughter. I tell you, the guy was basically offering her to me to do as I please. She was a bit of a tomboy with her overalls and t-shirt. But she had cute long carrot colored hair, and a very cute face to boot. As long as her father is offering her, I may as well partake. Who knows what type of fun I could have with her!

Sometime later, I decided to give the neighbors a visit. They were all ranchers of some type. The pink haired family raised chickens, and the old man with his granddaughter raised cows and sheep. As I walked down the road, I noticed a couple of siblings arguing in front of the chicken ranch. The girl's name was Popuri, and she was really upset at her brother over something. Something about a chicken or something, I don't remember the details too well. After the pink haired princess ran off, I decided to play the hero and follow her. As I comforted her, I noticed that she was HOT!! She had long flawless pink hair, crimson eyes, and a super curvaceous body that can make a goddess eat her heart out! She also had a sexy white blouse on, a red long skirt, and a leather corset which hugs every mile of her curves. 

I played the sympathetic shoulder to cry on, and she fell for it hook, line, and sinker! I held and comforted her as she ranted on about how much she hated her brother. Meanwhile, I had my traveling hands studying every curve she had. she was eating out of the palm of my hand. Out of all the girls in the village, she was the easiest to seduce. I tell you, I had so much fun with her while I lived at Mineral Town.

As I was shopping for the essentials, I met another girl at the supermarket. Her name was Karen. Beautiful long brunette hair with blond highlights is all you needed to know about her looks. Her foxy green eyes stands out most of all on her pretty face. She dressed pretty casual with a white tee, purple sleeveless shirt, and shorts with boots. Of all the girls, Karen was the most fun to spend time with. She knew all the ways the village had to offer to have fun, and she liked getting smashed at night. I confess that I had no problem taking advantage while she was tipsy. 

There was another girl I met at the library. I didn't find her attractive at all, but she was passable. She was relatively boring, all she cared about was her crappy books. She liked to write, but her stories were lame too. But on a bored night when all the other girls were unavailable, she was always ready and willing. All I had to do is pretend that I liked her stories, and she was putty in my hands. She did get a bit weird and freaky with the insects and herbs and junk. 

I was pretty surprised at what I could get away with at the village. I dated four girls at the same time, and nobody questioned or even notice it. I didn't complain at all as long as I was having fun. I didn't care about how stupid or careless the villagers are, it was their own fault if I left a few broken hearts. All I cared about was my three year vacation in the village doing whatever I wanted.

However. . . Things happen that will change everything. Every knight has a chink in their armor, even if they refuse to admit it. Even I had a weakness.

To be continued.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 2

Time passed on as I continue living in the village. I usually spend all night living it up with the girls, and slept till past noon. I didn't care for the farm at all, and I didn't even do a lick of work the first year I lived there. 

Time after time, I get calls from mom asking about the farm. Sometimes she would get letters from the mayor saying that the shipping crate is always empty. But I kept telling her that I was trying or doing the best that I can. I kept lying, and just asked for more money.

Before I knew it, days turned into weeks, then months. Summer came around before I knew it. For some strange reason, nobody goes to the beach in Mineral Town unless there is a festival. The only interesting place that exists, and people ignore it. I did though, and I enjoyed every day of it. Not letting it go to waste after all.

I would drag the girls to the beach one after another. I got to see them in their sexy bikinis, and we would make out in the sand. I guess everyone is so busy with their daily lives that I literally could get away with anything I wanted.

Fall came around soon enough. To be honest, I hate fall! The air gets cold too quickly, and I get sick easily. I get so used to the Summer air that I never am prepared for Fall in time. I would get colds, fevers, and sometimes the flu. This was the only time I am ever weak. 

Like every year, I caught a cold that first Fall in the farm. I forgot to ask my mom to send my warm clothes in time. And the worst part of it was that since I am living on my own, nobody can get medicine for me. I didn't want the other girls to see me in my weak state, so I had to get it on my own. And to make matters worse, the only place to get medicine in that shanty little village was the Clinic.

I never been there before that day, never had to. I was as healthy as a horse except for Fall. On my way there, I forgot how far it was. It was on the other side of the village, and that's not exactly a easy task for a sick man. I should have asked one of the girls for help, but I just said that I didn't want them to see me struggling.

My cold got much worse by the time I got there. I held myself up as I breathed heavily outside the door. Just a bit more to get the medicine I need. But as I opened the door, the warm gust of wind made me feel a hundred times worse. Rapid changes in temperature just makes my body go haywire. Everything got so blurry, and I think I said something before I hit the ground.

I think I slept over at the clinic, though even now I am not sure. All I remember when I woke up was the sound of a beautiful woman humming a sweet tune. I woke up, and looked over to my side. And there she was. The nurse of the Clinic who will change my life forever.

When she noticed that I was awake, she walked up to me and asked, "Are you all right?" I nodded at her, then took a quick look around. I was lying in a bed in the back of the clinic. I don't think anyone but Elli and the Doctor knew I was back there. I was relieved, I would die of embarrassment if everyone knew what happened. Luckily, doctors are good at keeping secrets.

She then placed her hand on my head and said, "looks like your fever finally broke. You look much better than when you got here. That shot really did the trick."

I didn't notice until then, but there was a bandage on my right arm. I looked into her eyes, and found her to be strangely attractive. There was nothing special about her looks; brown shoulder length straight hair with brown eyes. Fair skin, average height for a typical girl. Not too curvy, but not flat either. I don't recall her wearing much else other than her nurse outfit. Even after saying that, my heart was telling me that she was the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. 

"Your. . . Name?" I struggled to ask. I was no longer sick, but I felt a bit shy. It felt so odd, I have never been shy before. 

She smiled and answered, "I'm Elli, the nurse here at the Mineral Town Clinic. And you must be Kanon, right? The guy who inherited the farm?"

I nodded. I was pretty surprised at how much she knew. I assumed that she had been talking to some people and heard of me. I am also surprised that she never got the memo that I was a good for nothing lazy playboy. I guess they must follow the old rule, "if you got nothing good to say, don't say anything at all."

I wanted to talk to her some more, but the doctor called her over to help with another patient. The doctor then came to see me and made me fill out some papers. Since I was fine at that point, he discharged me from the Clinic. I was hoping I could see her before I left, but she was busy. 

I don't know why, but she was stuck on my mind. She didn't do anything special, or said much at all. All I know is that I wanted to see her again. Something inside me knew what it wanted, and it wanted her. I had no choice, I had to make her mine!

To be continued.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 3

My cold weather clothes came in about two days later. And boy was that a relief. I was getting bored doing nothing at home but play with my fingers. Now that I had my clothes, I wanted to style out and take over the village. 

I spent a day with each girl after my clothes came in. I fooled around with Ann in one of the vacant rooms on Monday. Tuesday I made out with Popuri in the chicken barn. On Wednesday, I brought wine to Karen and we got drunk in my house. I then went on a picnic on Thursday with the nerd. 

But even if I was with the other girls, i couldn't shake Elli off my mind.No matter how hard I tried, I could not stop thinking about her. I had no idea what was happening to me. It was like my mind and my body wanted her for some odd reason. Even though I already had four girlfriends, I decided that i wanted one more.

On Friday, I casually walked over to the clinic. When I got there, I found Elli standing outside. She was just enjoying the Fall air. I assumed that she was on break or something. I sneered as I believed that Elli was already served to me on a silver platter.


"Hey there!" I called as I walked up to her.

She looked back at me and answered, "Hey there Kanon! Are you free at the moment?"

"Yes I am," I answered full of confidence.

She smiled, "good. I wanted to ask you something earlier. I didn't get a chance to last time we met."

All of the sudden, I became very happy. I believed that she was going to ask me out. Who could blame me, I had the biggest ego in all of human kind. In my mind, I was rubbing my hands together. Like a cartoon wolf drooling over a succulent sheep. Not a moment was she safe there alone with me. Just standing there waiting for her to say the word. But. . .

"How's the farm doing?" she asked killing all of my imagination. "It's been a while since Tony was running it. I bet it's pretty tough for you to get into it all of the sudden."

I should have expected that. My imagination went so wild, that I couldn't help but feel disappointed. But I wasn't down for the count yet. I figured that if I wanted this lovely princess, I better lay on my cool charm to impress her.

So I put up my bad boy act and said in my Casanova voice, "Ah, I am not into that farming crap! Farming is for the birds. I am more of a dancer, romancing kind of guy. Sure, I make enough to make ends meet. But I am from the hustle and bustle of the city. I love to make the world move to my own beat rather than move some dirt around-"


"Stop it!" yelled Elli. She yelled loud enough for me to lose my composure. I didn't notice; but as I was talking, Elli got pissed! "How could you say that about your grandfather's farm? He was your family, and you should work as hard as you can in his honor. This town owes a great deal to him, I will not stand anyone talking like that!"

I was speechless. Never knew that anyone could get so beat up over a farm. I mean, she's a nurse. What does she care about a farm anyway? I wanted to say something, but what could I say? Do I tell her that I was kidding? Should I just lie, or say something else romantic to steer her away from farming?

I didn't know what to tell her, so I ended up saying nothing with my jaw hanging loose. She then huffed and turned away saying, "I have to go back to work. Good day to you!"

Yeah, she said "good day", but she said it sarcastically. She probably flipped me the birdie when I wasn't looking. I should have been mad, but I wasn't. I wanted to run into the clinic and apologize or something. Instead, I let her be to cool off before I do anything I would end up regretting.

That event kept bugging me for days, weeks even. I stopped hanging with the girls for a few days, and stayed home trying to figure it out. All I said was that I just liked to have fun instead of farming, how was that wrong? It worked for everyone else.

I eventually went back to dating and making out with the other four. Even so, things were not the same. I became distant, and the girls were noticing that something was on my mind. I got distracted often, and they kept asking me what was wrong. One of them even went as far as to ask if there is another girl in my life. I kept lying telling them no. I wanted to keep it together, or else I was gonna blow it. 

To be continued.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 4

That event with Elli kept driving me crazy! I wanted Elli to change her opinion of me no matter what. I often went back to the clinic to see her, even faked illnesses if I had to. But no matter how loud I moaned and acted, she never fell for it. She just sends the doctor to see me instead. You have no idea how frustrating that was. 

Then I tried to win her over with gifts. I picked wild flowers every day, but they end up getting thrown away. I bought her expensive things; lotions, jewelry, perfumes, the works. She would not accept a thing. Of all the girls I have ever met, Elli was just hard to please!

Time kept passing by, and I kept trying. But no matter how hard I try, I could not win her over. I even tried to make up new ways to impress her, things I never had to do before. I even considered begging for a second chance, but that would have been too pathetic. Instead, I would spend days hatching new ideas to get her to like me., but I just end up making her even more upset. 

Well, sooner than later Winter came knocking on our doors. That small village was covered in a foot of snow at all times I tell ya! Everyone stayed inside to hide from the cold, but that never stopped me. Now that I think about it, I was so obsessed with Elli, that I barely spent any time with the other four that Winter. I was either at home thinking up new plans, or at the Clinic focusing my energy at Elli. Funny how the other girls didn't notice that I was there. 

Even though the other girls were not happy with me, they still tried to keep their make believe relationships alive. Ann would bring me hot food a couple of times a week. Popuri brought me an egg, but she got upset when I boiled it and ate it. I thought that's why she gave it to me in the first place? Women, who can understand them? Then Karen would bring wine, and sleep over at my house. Really had to keep my cool while she was over. I do remember the nerd bringing me books to read, but I hate reading!

Close to the end of winter, the village held a festival of some sort. I think it was called the Starlight Festival, or something. . . People would eat good food and head up to the mountain to gaze at the moon or stars or something. At that time, I avoided Festivals like the plague. The girlfriends gather at the same place, and going would mean getting caught. But I had a plan!

While Elli was at home, I slipped a letter under her door when no one was looking. I knocked, and hid so that she won't know that I placed it there. She opened the door, and found no one. She did find my letter before going back inside. I even made sure the letter was unsigned so that she won't throw it away as soon as my name was seen.

In the letter, I asked her to meet me at a different location away from the other villagers. An open field halfway between the summit and base of the mountain. I picked a time when I was sure that everyone was already up at the summit. That way I could talk to Elli in private. 

I hid behind some bushes as I waited for Elli to show up. I wasn't even sure if she was gonna show up, but my gut feeling told me to be patient. My gut proved to be right. She was a few minutes late, but there she was, walking to the empty field all by herself. Everything was perfect, the field was open, so we had the perfect view of the stars and the moon and all sorts of crap village girls like to see. Not a cloud in the sky, a perfect setting for a date!

I came out of hiding, and greeted, "hello Elli!"

She nodded at me and answered, "I figured it was you."

"I see, guess it was pretty obvious, huh? But if you knew it was me, why did you bother to show up?"

"You said that you needed to talk about something. I feel that it would do no harm to listen," she answered. 

I smiled at her, but I had a small problem. I made up this plan to get her there, but I never thought about what to say. I didn't panic, I kept it cool. I figured that if I treated that night like a normal date, things would just flow nicely. 

I looked up and said, "the stars are nice. . . Aren't they?" I asked to break the ice. Thinking back, I could have come up with something better, but that's all I had at that time.

"They are," she said as she looked up to see them. I figured things were gonna go well. She didn't get mad for dragging her away from the others. Just her, me, and the stars. 

"How is the farm coming along," she then asked bringing back that old conversation. I was a bit nervous, but I kept it cool. "It must have been a tough Winter since nothing grew. Spring is coming soon, you have any plans for it?"

Last time she asked about my farm, I got careless and made her mad. I was prepared for it that night! I figured that she doesn't go to the farm at all, so I told a little fib.

"I'm trying. I'm not used to the work, but I'll get the hang of it sooner or later. I just need a bit more time, that's all."

"I see. . . " I remember her saying. But the tone she used was telling me that she didn't believe me. I never figured out how she knew, I assume that she was talking to the locals for info. Or she might have visited my farm without me knowing. But that wasn't important at that time, all I cared about was that she still was there, and I still had a chance to make her mine.

I looked at her dramatically and asked, "Why do you even care of that farm so much? Were you good friends with my grandfather?"

She shook her head no, and answered, "I just think that you should do your best. If you do, you can stay in the village. People don't thing highly of you yet, and I'm worried."

"You want me to stay in the village that badly?" Elli never answered my question. I continued, "Listen Elli, I don't know why you want me to farm. Trust me on this, I am no farmer. There is more to life than to dig a bunch of holes, and watch some plants pop out of the ground. There is music, dancing, and so many games to play. I'm sure that if you gave me a chance, you could have so much fun too."

When she turned to look at me, I knew that I was in trouble. She had the angriest face, that if looks could kill, I would be a dead man. Well. . . Dead sooner anyway. If she was any other girl, I would have stepped up and put her in her place. But for the first time in my life, I was scared of a woman. I really felt like I was gonna sink in the snow and die. 

Even though she looked that aggressive, she never yelled. She just turned away and said, "If you don't want to stay here, then leave! I don't want to know someone who will just disappear from my life and never come back! Goodbye!"

She left me there in the mountain, stunned solid. My heart sank. For the first time in my life, I was truly turned down. All those other times were potatoes compared to what happened that night. I didn't know how to take it. I did my best, pulled all sorts of tricks from my blue hat; and still she never responded the way I wanted her to. 

I went home alone, and laid on my bed. I remember that night well, I never slept a wink. I may have even shed a tear or two. All I am sure of that I spent the rest of the night thinking about her. Those words she spoke that night disturbed me. My heart was so hurt, I thought I was gonna die for sure.

I came to the village planning to score with as many girls I can. Be lazy, eat a lot, have some fun. But that night, something changed. I no longer wanted to leave. Not because I wanted to be rebellious, although I am now above doing that. Instead, I truly wanted to stay.


I stayed home for the rest of Winter. I had enough food to hibernate until Spring. The girls did come over, but I never answered the door. I even pretended that I wasn't home, or did I even need to pretend? I was so zoned out, I may not have been all there, just staring blankly at my ceiling. I was ashamed and embarrassed, and I refused to let anyone see me that way.

To be continued.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 5

Sooner than later, Spring came. Once it got there, I finally left the house. The snow vanished as quickly as it came. And once the ground was bare, I saw that the field was still waiting for someone to work on it. I spent a few hours looking high and low at the farm, and finally noticed that I did nothing. Of course I did nothing, that was the whole point; wasn't it? 

As I stood in the center of the property, I scratched my head and recalled everything Elli told me. She just went on and on about me doing my best in the farm. Like a broken record or an annoying parrot. But I did spend over a week cooped up in my house thinking the whole farming thing over.

So I told myself, "Elli told me that I should work on the farm. Why? Is this farm that important to her?" No matter how much I tried, I came up with no answers. Then I turned my attention to the farm tools that were rusting next to the barn. I headed over there, and picked up the sickle. They were old, but still usable. 

As I stared at the old sickle, I thought about my grandfather for the first time since I got there. I remembered him using the tools to clear the garbage like weeds and sticks off the field. Funny story: I remember pretending that I was the old man, and I swung the old sickle like if I was harvesting some grass for the animals.

Each tool has it's own unique use, the very same tools I use today for this farm. With those tools, my grandfather turned that wasteland into a thriving paradise. I didn't know if I had the ability to do the same. After all, I am his grandson, perhaps I have the inborn ability to do it too. 


And so, I made the decision. I knew that I wasn't gonna like it. I was even convinced that I would hate it. But I needed to know why is Elli so obsessed with farm work. Why is it important to her. I felt that maybe the answer would slap me if I just tried. Even if it was only a little.

Of course, I was not willing to change that easily. An hour later, I was at the verge of giving up already. The tools were heavy, and the rust made them blunt. I could hardly cut anything with he ax and sickle. The hammer bounces off the bigger rocks, nearly smacked myself with it. The hoe was worthless too, damn thing gets stuck in the ground. The day was cool, but I was sweating like a pig. My breath and heartbeat were so fast, that I could have passed out and died. Boy was I out of shape.

But I struggled and kept going for the whole day. By the end of that day, I only cleared out enough room to plant one bag of seeds. Problem was that I didn't have any seeds. I wasted so much money that first year that I hardly had anything left. I had to beg mom and dad for more. The money would take a week to get there, so I had some time to plan a new strategy. 

The next day, I put my new idea into motion. Remembering the people who live here, there is an old man with an eight year old granddaughter that runs an animal ranch. What was it called? Yokel? Yodel? Model's? Bah, I can't remember, it's not important. What is important is that I needed his help to learn about field work. And what better candidate than an old man who has been doing this for what seems like a century or two?

When I got there, they were both hard at work. It did piss me off to see an eight year old doing work better than I can. But that was no time for bruised ego's. I needed help, and I was gonna get it. After all, he's as old as the hills, he must have known my grandfather when he was still alive. I can use that card against him too. But even so, I didn't want to forget that he is an old man, and the ride was not gonna be easy. 

"Hey there old man," I called out. Now that I think about it, that was probably not a good idea.

The old man frowned at me and yelled, "The name is Barley sonny! And who may you be?"

"Sorry about that. My name is Kanon. I believe you've heard about me? I moved into the farm a few doors down last year."

His expression changed, "ah yes. Tony's grandson! How can I help you today? Have you finally come to buy one of my prize winning animals to raise in your farm? If you want a chicken, you'll need to visit the chicken ranch. You've passed it on the way here!"

"No, it's nothing like that. I came over to ask for some help in my farm. It's not doing so well right now."

Barley stroked his beard before answering, "aren't you a year too late to be asking for help, boy?"

I hated to admit it, but he was right. Naturally, I came up with one of my clever little fibs, "I thought that I could do it all by myself, but it didn't work out last year. I want to start over and learn from the best. That means you!"

He was intrigued. I had him eating off my hands for only a moment. Just like any man in the world, stroking or challenging his ego will get him to do what I want.

"I guess I can. After all, Tony was a good friend of mine. I couldn't let his grandson down."

"So you'll help," I asked.

He gave me that look of determination and answered, "starting tomorrow, I will train you on how to harvest the land. But I have to warn you, my training is a lot for a city slicking whipper snapper like you!"

I instantly got pissed off hearing that from the dried up old prune, but I had to eat it. I had to remember that this is an old balding man with white hair and a bad back. I still have my pride as long as I had my youth. But you can't blame me, I was not used to having old men calling me names.

The old man wakes me up at six in the morning sharp, not even the roosters were that punctual! I was not used to waking up so early, the earliest I ever woke up since I got there was ten in the morning; sometimes past noon. He then dragged me out of the house in my PJ's and all to show me the progress I've made. I tell you, he was not happy! He gave me a good hour long lecture before we got started. I couldn't pay attention to what he was saying, I was still half asleep.

The first thing he had me do is clear the weeds from the whole field. . . By hand! I am not kidding, I had a perfectly good sickle, but I was forced to pluck weeds with my bare hands. They got so dirty, and I was bleeding like crazy from the thorns and sharp leaves. Even so, the old man cracked that whip and made sure I kept my pace; bleeding and all.

Took me three days to clear the weeds, so now I had to work on the next part of the job. I had to gather the twigs by hand too. I gathered each one up, tied them together, and carried them off the field to be thrown away. Of course, it would be too easy if I didn't need to dig some of them out of the dried up tough dirt. Sweat, dirt, scabbing hands, I was already miserable.

Then I had to deal with the rocks. At least this time, he let me use tools to smash up the rocks into smaller manageable rubble. But I had to do the small ones first until I get my strength up. Then the medium sized ones which was about the size of a table. Then finish off with the huge six foot tall boulders that took forever to get rid of. 

Weeks of work, and all the old man did was just sit around watching me with a straw in his mouth. I swear, I was saving up a punch just for him. Damn old man, I didn't feel like he was helping at the time. Just getting off of seeing me work like a mule. 

My parent's money while I was still working on the weeds. I was not allowed to spend it on anything but seeds. I was so mad; I asked for help, not for the old man to be like my dad! But at least when the field was ready, we had the money to buy seeds. The old man then taught me some crop formations so they can grow better. But like always, when the old man returned to his ranch, I just did whatever the hell I wanted. It's farm work, I just dug a few holes in the ground and watered the seeds. What could go wrong?

Things DID go wrong! The crops were ripe (more or less) around mid Spring. But when the old man came by, I tell you his face was priceless. Instead of getting healthy crops, I got these runt sized, ill shaped, pathetic excuses of turnip, potatoes, and cabbage. He looked at me hard with that stink eye. I didn't know at the time what I did wrong, I did water the plants. . . Most of the time at least. . .

"You know what your problem is sonny?" said the old man getting on my nerves. "You lack responsibility!"

"Leave me alone old man, I'm trying," I answered.

The old man stroked his white beard, "At this rate, you'll never be a successful farmer in time. Running this place needs love, care, and dedication. Crops are living things too, and we didn't even cover animals yet!"

I sighed. As much as I hated it, he was right. I didn't care about farming at all at that time. Farming was just a tool I was using to get the girl. But like everything else in my life, I didn't put my everything into it. I never had to before, how am I supposed to learn now? But can you blame me? You can't learn to be a true farmer over night. I cannot fake or lie my way through love and dedication.

After the old man went back home, I practically gave up. I did all that work, and I was in no way closer to my goal. Besides, I didn't notice any proof that Elli even noticed me trying. And pulling up mutated turnips was not helping either.

That night I stayed up way past midnight. I was not planning to do anymore work, so I didn't care. I laid there seriously considering going home. I planned to make up a story about how hard I tried. I would show off my scabbed hands, and mutated potatoes as proof. Then I would just go back to the life I was used to; playing games, hitting up the bars, and chasing women. But something inside was fighting against me. Something demanding that I stay. Elli was still on my mind, and my heart screamed to be with her.

I woke up late for the first time in weeks. I grabbed some boxes, and was ready to pack up. But I remember an odd noise stopping me. I took a look out the window, and found old man Barley outside in my farm with a pony. Curious to see what was happening, I put on my ranch clothes and stepped outside.

"Hey old man! What's the deal?"

My voice startled the pony. After thrashing around for a moment, the old man calmed it down and looked over to me. "This Pony was born last year on my ranch.I don't have enough room for another horse, so it's gonna live here from now on. Congratulation boy! You are now the proud owner of this young foal!"

My jaw dropped. "But. . .But. . . Didn't we just say yesterday that I can't care for crops!? And you're gonna just dump this animal on me? Did you flip your wig?"

He pets the horse's mane and says, "drastic times calls for drastic measures my boy. If this young stallion can't teach you responsibility, nothing will!"

I don't know why, but I pretty much agreed to it. I mean, I didn't have to, I had no reason. I planned on leaving that god forsaken village until that horse came into my life. Even today, I have no clue what got into me. But I tell ya, that horse changed me.

*To be continued*

[Juxapose]

Chapter 6

Just like anything else farm related, raising animals is tough! I mean crops are one thing, but livestock is a whole other league. Crops don't move, never cause you trouble, and they don't need that much care. But that horse was a bigger pain in the ass than I've ever expected. I have no idea why I didn't just give up after the first day, but I held on.

I named the Pony Koni, after my grandfather's horse. The stable in the farm was old, but usable as-is. At least it was good enough to keep it out of the rain. The old man gave me a whole list of things I needed to do for the horse. Naturally, I barely paid attention. I just nodded my head every now and then. I tell you, I should have listened looking back now.

I had to wake up at 6:00 am every morning to take the horse out to the field. Barley got me some grass seeds for me to plant on the field to make a pasture. I planted them on the other side of the field so that it would stay clear away from my crops. Speaking of which, was the horse responsibility enough? No, that would have been too easy. On top of caring for an animal, I still had to try growing crops AGAIN! Like if that was a ton of fun the first time around. This time, the old man made sure that I got the seed formations right. And he also made sure that I watered every last plant correctly.

At that point, I didn't mind the crops too much. But that horse was driving me nuts! Taking the horse out was not as easy as it sounds. It didn't listen to commands yet, so I had to push it out of the stable. Took me a whole hour fighting with it every morning. Have you ever heard the saying, "stubborn as a mule"? Whoever said that never met Koni.

At that time, I did not know what was that horse's problem. When it's time to go outside, it acts like it's scared to be outdoors. And when it's time to drag him back in at night, it acts scared of the stable. Dragging him back in was the worst! Sometimes, I would find it on the other side of the farm, and I had to pull him from the reins for hours. Because of that horse, i could end up getting home past midnight. But I still had to wake up at 6:00am sharp!

I did everything I could think of to control that pony. I built a fence to keep it in the field or out of the crops. Please remember that I am no carpenter, so Koni just ends up knocking my crappy fence over. I hung a carrot on a stick, but it would not follow me. I had to try anything, it keeps trampling some of my crops. Yelling and screaming doesn't work either, and pushing it around just pisses it off even more. I even tried the old scare tactic; sneak behind him and scream to make it run away. But when I tried that, it hind kicked me. . . In the groin! There I was, covering my junk, falling to my knees, and plopping on the ground sideways. Me in the fetal position in intense pain. I tell you, horses kick harder than a harem of angry women all at once.

Weeks pass. The grass grew, but the horse still ends up trampling my crops. I was getting really sick and tired of Koni's behavior. Force it out of the stable, fight with it so it can stay out of my crops, struggle to bring it back in, and I tell you that ponies are a lot stronger than people can ever be. Eventually, I decided to take a shortcut. If it wanted to stay outside so badly, I left it there! As long as it was not raining, I let it stay outside as long as it wanted. I also decided NOT to replant any crops it trampled so I won't have to bother wasting time with them.

For a few days, I was happy. I slept better, had more energy, and I allowed myself to be a bit lazy. But leaving that horse outside proved to be a really bad idea. There was a good reason why old man Barley warned me against leaving animals out overnight. If I had listened, I would know why was it so important.

So I was asleep one night. I dreamed that I was a millionaire back in the city surrounded by the hottest women I could pick. But my dream was suddenly interrupted when I heard Koni screaming from outside. I ran to the nearest window, and saw several wild dogs attacking my pony. I let out a few f-bombs before running outside with my tools. I pulled my hammer out of my rucksack, and charged in swinging wildly. The dogs got upset, and surrounded me with their fangs showing. They wanted to eat my horse, and they were not ready to give up without a fight. But I was pretty serious myself. I whacked one with my mallet, and did some pretty serious damage to one of them. This was enough to scare the others away. The dog I hit also escaped limping.

I didn't get hurt, but Koni was pretty messed up. He had several wounds on his legs from the biting and scratching. None of them looked serious, so I brought it back to the stable. I figured that if I let him heal, he should be fine in a few days. No one would notice my mistake. But once again, that was a really bad idea.

I decided to feed Koni the next day, but found that his wounds were swollen. He was also limping a bit, and walking was painful for him. I didn't make too much of it, so I let it be. Just keep it in the stable and rest it's injuries. Day after day, it's injuries did not get better.

A week after the attack, Koni's whinny became a light moan. It was obviously sick, and I had no idea how to treat an animal. I never owned anything bigger than a goldfish, so I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to see Barley yet, too afraid what he would tell me. But it's illness got worse and worse.

One day, Koni could no longer stand up. It started to run a fever, I didn't even know horses can even get fevers! I was out of options, so I begged Barley for help. After telling him what happened, he rushed over to the stable and found Koni hanging between life and death.

"This is bad," said the old man. "His wounds are badly infected, and it's been a while without treatment. I'm surprised Koni is even still alive."

"Can we do something?" I asked.

Old man Barley thought for a moment before answering, "I can give it an antibiotic shot for the infection, but that might not be able to save it at this point. This horse is not only ill, but I can see that it's miserable. It's chances of survival are slim to none."

I sighed. Then I took a look at Koni dying before me and felt angry. "It was all his fault. Damn horse never listened to a word I say. It's stubborn, it's stupid, and it does whatever it wants."

"Reminds you of someone?" asked Barley.

I got even more upset and yelled, "If I had it my way, I would just send it to the glue factory and-"

Before I finished my rant, the old wrinkly knuckles of old man Barley struck me right on the chin. I admit that for an old man, he hits pretty hard. That uppercut he gave me really sent me flying. A stack of hay broke my fall. Must have been from drinking all that milk and carrying fodder all his life.

The old man cracked his knuckles and yelled, "listen to yourself boy! Making excuses while a poor animal is dying right in front of you! You think animals are things you can replace? Like a TV or a car? He is a living creature, just like you and me!"

After going off on me for a bit longer, he calmed down and took a deep. "Besides, you should know that if something happens to your horse, everyone in Mineral Town will hold you responsible. Think about that for a while."

I thought about getting up and fighting back. But old man Barley was right. For the first time in my life, I felt guilty. I was blaming the horse to cover the fact that I was being lazy. I left the horse outside so that I can get some sleep. Then I refused to treat the pony cause I thought it would just "go away" on it's own. Because I was so spoiled, I have never understood the idea of consequences.

I worked so hard to stay in Mineral Town, that I was not yet ready to throw in the towel just yet. The horse needs me, and I'll have to man up. I didn't know what I can do, but I felt that determination. So I wiped the blood of my face and stood up. "Tell me what to do. I don't know if I can help, but I'll do anything as long as Koni lives."

Barley sighs, but he was willing to trust me. He pulls out a small vial out of his pocket and gave me these instructions, "I'm going to give Koni the shot. Give him a single tablespoon of this medicine every day until he recovers. But let me warn you, Koni will not take it willingfully."

"Why?"

"Horses are noble creatures, but only if they respect their owners. If they hate or mistrust their owners, they will not do as their told. Some may even lose the will to live. He will die before listening to anything you say. So you'll have to find a way to bond with him, and you must do it quickly. He won't live for another day or two."

And so it began, the struggle between horse and man. Barley gave Koni the shot, but I had to give the medicine. Just as Barley promised, it was not easy. I tried spoon feeding the medicine, but Koni refused. I tried talking to him, explaining how the medicine will make him better. I told him he'll die without it, but nothing I said worked. Then I tried petting and brushing his mane in an attempt to bond with it, but he kept pulling away. I didn't know why that day, but it hated me. It would rather die than live at my farm anymore, just like Barley said.

The next day, I did not leave the stable for any reason. Screw the farm work, that pony was my first priority. I tried my best to make up with him. I apologized countless times, offered carrots and treats, I even sang to him. Whatever I did, I just get ignored. 

That night, I was sure that Koni will die. But if it did, I made sure that I would not leave it's side till the end. As he laid on the hay stack barely moving, I decided to tell him a story. I stroked his mane and said, "Hey Koni, can I tell you something? One summer a long time ago, I visited this very same farm. My grandfather was alive back in those days. I admit that I was a real bad kid. I used to chase the chickens, until they ganged up and chased me back. I would catch fish in the stream, and watch them wiggle on the line. Then I tried to ride the cows, but they threw me off.
"That's when my grandfather let me ride his mighty stallion. His name was Koni too, named you after him. Unlike the cows, Koni let me ride him. It was so much fun!
"I know that you're only a pony. When you're big and strong, we can ride together too. We'll win races and impress the girls. I'm pretty sure you'll meet a pretty girl-horse you want to impress too. I'll help you bag all the girls, just like me! What do you say buddy?"

Koni then looked up at me. There was a curious look in his eyes. For a moment, I swore he understood what I was saying. But if he didn't make it it wouldn't matter. As I looked into his dying eyes, I shed tears of guilt. All of the sudden, I no longer wanted him to live for my own benefit. I just wanted him to live to have a chance at life. I felt like I had a friend for the first time in my life. We did hate each other in the beginning, but only because I treated him like an animal. Now I see him like a living being, full of life and a personality of it's own.

"Please Koni, take the medicine. You'll get better, and we'll be best friends. I promise."

I went as far as to make a promise to a pony. I never kept promises to humans, but I was willing to keep this promise. Did it understood me? Till this day I don't know. All I know is that something indeed changed that night.

I fell asleep soon after. I woke up the next morning and found Koni laying on the hay. He didn't move, and I was sure that he died as I slept. I cried as I walked up to him, but he shrugged as I petted his body. He didn't die, he was only asleep.

"But how?" I asked. Then I noticed the medicine lying on the floor. The bottle was open, and I saw that he took enough medicine on it's own to avoid dying.

"You little bastard," I said in shock. "I don't know how you did it, but you did! You took some medicine while I was sleeping."

Till this day, I cannot figure out how did he manage to take the medicine without my help. Animals can be amazing creatures when they have the will to live. But even after taking the medicine, he is still ill. But at least i know he won't fight with me anymore, and take his medicine like a good pony.

To be continued.

[Butterscotch]

This is nit-picky, but horse and pony are not interchangeable synonyms. It would be kind of like if Kanon had a dog, and you referred to it as both a dog and a wolf in the text.

www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-a-horse-and-a-pony.htm

I'm glad Koni lived. I think I would have stopped reading altogether if he'd died, since it would have made Kanon too unlikable and beyond redemption for me.

[Juxapose]

May 12, 2013 23:08:32 GMT -5 Butterscotch said:

This is nit-picky, but horse and pony are not interchangeable synonyms. It would be kind of like if Kanon had a dog, and you referred to it as both a dog and a wolf in the text.

www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-a-horse-and-a-pony.htm

I'm glad Koni lived. I think I would have stopped reading altogether if he'd died, since it would have made Kanon too unlikable and beyond redemption for me.

Yeah, you are completely right about that. I'll be a bit more careful about the choice of words. Actually, I was a bit more worried about using the words "Stallion" and "Horse" interchangeably. I wasn't sure if stallion is another word for horse, or a specific breed of horse.

[Butterscotch]

A stallion is an adult male horse who has not been castrated.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 7

Koni took his medicine everyday until it got better. It took him a good week to get as strong as it always was before the attack, perhaps even stronger. Old man Barley even came by, and boy he was surprised to see Koni strong and kicking.

A few things changed as far as how I treated my new friend. In the morning, I opened the stable and allowed Koni to leave when he was good and ready. I learned that he fought to get out because like me, he likes to sleep in a few hours before running around the farm.

Bringing him in at night was still a pain, but I learned a neat trick after a few days. One day, I was whistling my favorite tune, and Koni began to follow me. Koni loves the sound of whistling, and I was able to teach it some commands based on whistle pitches. High pitches makes him run off, while low pitches calls him to me. So at night, I whistled inside the stable and he came willingly after a few minutes. I wished I learned that sooner.

I soon found out why Koni was trampling my crops. I observed that Koni likes to hang out in the areas where he trampled my crops. Something about the way it smelled or something. Taking advantage of this, I planted grass on those spots and Koni stayed there grazing once the grass grew. This meant that I had to move some crops over to the far side of the field, but it all worked out in the end.

By the end of Spring, Barley came by to supervise my harvest. Naturally if I was ripping turnips and potatoes out of the ground on my own, I would have ruined them. Cabbage is especially delicate, so Barley had to show me the proper way to pick them to make sure I ship for the maximum profit. It took all day dragging a basket all around the farm carefully picking vegetables to ship. Naturally, I whined and complained the whole time and Barley barely lifted a finger to help. 

After all the crops were properly and carefully shipped, I received my pay that afternoon. And boy was it a payday! Since all the crops this time around were plump, healthy, and high quality, I got a hefty pay from the shipper. In one day, I made a hell of a lot more than what my parent's sent in a month. Barley explained that the pay I got was only the beginning. With practice, I can grow a lot more crops; not to mention that different crops are even more profitable. Strawberry harvests may sell for less, but they can keep making more strawberries until the end of the season without replanting seeds.

That Summer, I invested in a ton of Tomato and Corn seeds. Using all that Barley taught me, I was able to sow them all on my own without his help. I made a few mistakes here and there, but at least it wasn't like the fiasco from the beginning of Spring. I got plenty of harvests by mid-Summer, and the money was pretty much pouring in after that.

Koni and I shared a bond that Summer. It followed me around when I was working in the farm like a chick to a hen. He let me hang some bags on his back and helped with the harvest. Because of his help, I got pretty decent with the farm. The tomatoes and corn were coming out plump and healthy. Koni's help made the daily harvest less of a chore, and felt like a walk with a friend. I am embarrassed to admit, I started talking to him like if it was a human. Telling him old stories from back in my hometown. At that time, Farm work didn't seem so bad after all.

The girls still came over to play. Surprisingly, I kept refusing. They tried over and over asking me to go to the beach to show off their new swimsuit. But over and over, I told them that I was too busy. I was really starting to like farm work. The beginning of the season was hard work, but the rest of the season was easy with Koni's help. 

One day, I was collecting the Summer crops and dropping them off into Koni's satchels. As I was picking some corn, Koni gave me a light headbutt on my back. This was his way of showing affection. I turned around and gave him a rough rub on the head while laughing heartily. But as I played with my pony, I noticed Elli standing by the entrance of the farm. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her. She looked the same as usual with the typical nurse outfit, but watching her hair and dress billow in the Summer breeze just took my breath away. She smiled at me as she moved a few strands of hair from her face. All I did was smile back and wave at her.

She didn't stay long. I guess that she was on break from her job at the clinic. But I kept asking myself; why did she come by so randomly? I did hear a rumor that old man Barley asked her to do so, but I could never confirm that. But lets be honest, I didn't care about the rumor. To see her smile for me was all I wanted and needed to continue doing my best. 

There was another mystery that I was thinking about; why did Elli care so much about that farm? Or why did Elli want me to work so hard? Before, I couldn't even get her to look at me. Then she randomly popped up my farm with the most pure and beautiful smile I had ever seen. Even though I only did the work to impress her, I completely forgot about my mission and worked for my own reasons. 

Fall came to Mineral Town once again. I became ill, but I was well prepared that time. Only one day in bed, and it was straight back to work for me. But I did little work on the crops that season. I had another thing in mind.

Early that fall, I invested in a hen. God damn hens are like roaches! You have one, and they start populating like crazy! By the end of the season, I had the whole coop filled with birds laying eggs every day. Not a lot of money in eggs, but it was a permanent form of income every day as long as they were healthy. Carry the chickens out in the morning, bring them back in at night. Collect the eggs while they were busy pecking the dirt. Not hard work, and I got some extra money. 

By mid Fall, I bought a cow. Cows are a whole lot of work compared to chickens. It was like raising another horse, but slower. Whistling didn't work too well, but pushing and shoving did the trick. That is until I learned that cows like the sound of bells not whistles. Took a while until it starting giving milk, but it was well worth it.

Too bad for the girls. I was so busy with my farm that I had to break up with all of them. They took it pretty rough, just as expected. When Elli rejected me, it hurt like hell! I don't even want to think about how the girls felt. But I had my goals now. I was gonna do my best for the farm, and earn Elli's affection somehow. 

Winter came and went, and Spring arrived melting the snow. That marked the beginning of the third year living in Mineral Town. After that year, I was to be judged before the whole town. They get to decide if I get to stay in Mineral Town or not. I was fairly confident, the farm was doing well after all. But what I did the first year made me a bit nervous. 

Koni grew into a fine stallion by that time. It was big enough to buy a saddle and ride it around. It was not very fast yet, so I had no plans to enter any horse races. But now that it's all grown up, I can whistle from anywhere in the farm, and jump on him to travel around town with ease.

Early that Spring, I learned about a festival for couples to enter. I believe it was called the "Flower Festival" or the "Goddess Festival" or something like that. All I knew was that I wanted to attend that year, and I knew who I was gonna ask to be my date.

So the day before the festival came, and I headed over to the clinic. You don't need to be a genius to figure out that I was gonna ask Elli to go with me to the festival. I admit, I was nervous as hell! I was almost too sure that she was gonna turn me down. But I thought to myself, "I'll never know until I try." So I swallowed my pride, and entered the clinic with my cleanest farming gear. 

When I got there, Elli was treating her younger brother's scrape. As soon as she saw me, she asked her brother to go play, giving her a chance to see what I needed. 

"Can I help you?" she asked in her casual tone. 

I had goosebumps as I tried to find the perfect words to say. But I put on my game face, and I decided to scrap the fancy talk and go for the direct approach, "there is a festival going on tomorrow. I've never been to that festival yet, so I'm looking forward to it. But I heard that you need a date to go, is that true?"

She nodded. Then I continued, "I don't have anyone to go with, so I figured that I'd ask you to go with me. What do you say?"

She was quiet for a while. She then began to look deep into my eyes, almost like if she was searching for something. As she looked into my deep brown eyes, I could tell that she was not thinking about my question. Rather, it felt like if she was looking into my soul, checking out if my intentions were pure. She then looked down, and started to play with her fingers for some reason. I was almost sure that she was going to say no. I was prepared for the worst, until. . .

"Okay," she said shyly.

I admit, I was shocked! I was happy too, but shocked took over that very moment. I didn't know what else to say other than, "Okay. . . Sure! Lets head over to the square at ten in the morning. Shall I pick you up, or are you coming to the farm?"

"I'll come to the farm," she answered. At that time, I didn't know if she was happy or what. Her expression was strange, but not in a bad way. All I knew was that I had a date with Elli.

To be continued.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 8

I tell you, I hardly got any sleep that night. I spent hours rehearsing the lines I was going to use at our date. I wanted to tell her how I feel; without scaring her away of course. I also needed to keep my "playboy" persona in check. I spent a whole year getting to that point, I didn't want to screw it up. 

I got up that next morning on the crack of dawn. Funny how I got used to that after so much time. Maybe the crowing rooster had something to do with that. Anyways, my work was done early; watered the crops, fed and tended the animals, cleared the fields of weeds. Just basic stuff so that I wouldn't worry about it later. When I got done, it was getting close to nine or so. 

Around the same time I got changed, Elli came to the farm. I swear, my heart stopped for a moment when I laid eyes on her. Unlike her usual nurse outfit, she came in the traditional goddess gown of Mineral Town. She was nothing less than amazing wearing it. I remember that gown like it was yesterday; pure pink decorated with wild flowers and vines all around. Screw the Harvest Goddess, she was blushing before the goddess that Elli was. Even in that gown, she never wore a lick of makeup. Which comes to show you how naturally beautiful she is.

"How do I look?" she asked with a cute blush.

"To be honest, you look stunning!" Elli blushed even harder when I said that.

All the villagers were pretty surprised to see me escorting Elli to the festival. I learned that doctor Trent usually escorts her to the festival. Naturally, I got those nasty looks from the other four that I dated earlier. Jealousy I guess. . .

Later that afternoon, the ladies put on their dance for their escorts. I really thought this dance was going to eat. But honestly, I found myself liking it. The ladies had years of practice, some of them have been dancing since they were eight years old! They danced in sync and with such grace and skill. If you saw them, you could not take your eyes off the dancers. 

Naturally I watched Elli the most. She knew I was, but that didn't distract her at all. I could have sworn that she put on her best dance just for me. Sounds crazy I know, but I stand by that! Her dance had so much passion and energy, that it can only come from performing for one specific person. 

The dance ends, and the festival ends not too long afterwards. Everyone went home, Elli and I ended up being the last two people at the square. It was getting dark out, and I was about to take her home. (No seriously, I was just going to take her home. I was not thinking about doing anything I would regret.) But she had something else planned for us that night.

Elli dragged me past the farm, and straight up the mountain. She took me to that halfway point between the base and the summit. The same place Elli and I talked that first Winter. Wild flowers were growing in the field, such a view to behold. But I asked myself that moment, why did Elli bring me there?

"Elli, why are we here?" I asked breaking the ice. 

At first, she didn't say anything. All she did was fan out her skirt and sit in the grass. She then started to pick the flowers one by one, and make a small bouquet. I know she loves flowers, but I had no idea why she wanted to pick flowers that night. 

I kept watching her silently until she made her bouquet. She took a strong whiff before she said, "I come here a lot when I feel all alone. . ."

I took a seat next to her and said, "I see. Do you feel lonely right now?" She shook her head no. I then took a deep breath and continued, "when do you feel alone? Doesn't your family keep you company? Your brother? Your grandmother? What about the clinic?"

She shook her head no again and continued, "I am not alone anymore. But when I was a little girl, I felt alone all the time. After my brother was born, my mother and my father both died from an accident while they were traveling. My grandmother was ill, so I raised my brother myself."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." After I said that, I realized that this story was starting to feel a bit familiar. 

Elli continues, "As a child, I would come here all the time. The flowers would keep me company. I would talk to them all the time, and I would ask them for a friend. Someone I could talk to, run and play with."

"Go on. . . ," I asked curiously.

"One Summer day, I was walking up this hill humming my mother's favorite tune. Then I met him, sleeping on the grass right here where we are sitting on right now. At first, I thought he was sick or lost or something. But that boy was fine. He was only asleep, that's all."

I stood up and gasped. I couldn't believe it, that boy she was talking about was me! She knew the whole time that we were friends as children, but I completely forgot.

"That boy was from the city. I was so curious about the city that I begged him to tell me about it. We spent all Summer playing and talking about the city and Mineral Town. Exchanging stories made me feel like I was whisked away to a new world that I have never seen before. And I would sing to him my mother's song, just for him."

She hummed that song that moment. It all started to come back in a single flash. The past that me and Elli shared as children. How could I have forgotten the bond we shared? I started to feel ashamed of myself.

"When Summer was over, the boy went home. I was crying as I watched him leave my side. He promised me that he would come back someday. He promised that we would be together forever. I believed him, so I waited. So many years have passed by, and I still wait. Waiting for the day he would keep his promise."

"You knew it was me the whole time," I said. She nodded. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

She looked up at me with her tear filled eyes that shined from the moonlight. It took her a moment to answer, "I wanted you to remember me. Remember the promise you made. Two years have passed since you came to Mineral Town, and you haven't remembered me."

"Now it makes sense. You wanted me to do well in my grandfathers farm hoping that it could help me remember the past."

Elli then stood up. She then dropped the bouquet scattering the flowers into the wind. "But even after you started working on the farm, you still could not remember. If I never said anything tonight, could you honestly say that you would remember? Remember that promise you made to me?"

She was right. I don't know why, but I barely had any memories of Mineral Town. Just that I visited, and played with animals. Everything else fell into the cracks of my memory. I could make up a reason why I couldn't remember her, but no reason was going to cut it. I stood there speechless without bothering to explain myself.

She then whispered "goodbye" as she began to walk away. My heart sank, I felt like if she was going to walk out of my life for good this time. She was not saying goodbye to me, but rather that child she cherished so many years ago. She came here hoping to find him again, but for a moment she lost hope. I couldn't let it end that way. I realized that even if I didn't remember her, my heart did. The first time I laid eyes on her, there was a bond. An unbreakable bond that transcends time. So I ran up to her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to me. I embraced her tightly so that she could not escape until I told her what I needed to say.

I held back tears of my own as I said, "I'm sorry. . . I have no excuse for not remembering you. I am not asking you to forgive me, but please listen! Even if I did not remember our promise, my heart sure did. When we met at the clinic, something deep inside me recognized you. Someone deep in my chest was telling me that I knew you, I was just too stubborn to listen. I know I did you wrong, but let me make it up to you. So please don't say goodbye."

"Kanon. . ." she said so passionately. She couldn't help herself but to wrap her arms around me. We held one another under the moonlight. Our souls melting into one. That bond, stronger than it ever was.

"I love you," I said instinctively.

"I love you too. I always have, for a very long time," she answered.

I then held her cheek and looked into her eyes. She was sad for a moment, but she then gave me this pure smile that I always loved to see. I couldn't help myself, I kissed her. She kissed me back, almost like if she was waiting a lifetime for that moment to arrive. To be honest, I think she really did.

*To be continued*

[Juxapose]

I wanted to post another chapter of the fic, but since Butters is moving I decided to hold off. The fic is at it's closing chapters, and I don't want her to miss them. So starting this sunday, I'll be working on my incomplete fics until Butters settles into her new home. I apologize if anyone else was reading this fic as well.

[Juxapose]

Chapter 9

Things got pretty busy afterwards; Elli and I became a couple. Me being a farmer and she being a nurse, it wasn't easy. We lived in the opposite sides of the village, which gave little time to see each other. We both tried our best to make it work though. 

When I got done with my farm work, I would go over to the clinic with flowers. Just for kicks, I would make up illnesses to have an excuse to see her. Being an expert in health, Elli knew when I was faking it. But that's okay, she found my acts to be pretty funny.

On her breaks, she came over to my farm with sandwiches. They were. . . A little hard to eat when she started making them. They did get better over time, she really tried hard for me. I really appreciated that. She did teach me her recipe, which are the sandwiches I eat today.

Not only that, we attended each festival together. I must admit, these festivals are a ton of fun once you give them a chance. Or maybe they were a lot of fun when you go with someone you love. We learned so much about each other from the festivals. My favorite festival was the tomato throwing festival. Gave me an excuse to let out any frustration by pegging people with tomatoes in the face. I win every round, while Elli and her brother keep getting hit.

Fall came around, and once again I got sick. When that happened, Elli took time off work to take care of me. She made me hot food, made sure my house was clean, and found some help for the farm. It's pretty amazing to know how dependable she was. Nobody else was like her, which made me love her even more.

Winter came and went once more. The fourth Spring arrived, and I was to be judged before the entire village. Grandfather's farm was running well, but I did piss off a few villagers. I was pretty scared to tell you the truth, I really wanted to stay in Mineral Town with Elli. It took several long painful nail-biting hours to reach a decision. But after everything was said and done, they decided to let me stay.

The village celebrated that day when I officially became a resident of Mineral Town. I was allowed to keep my grandfather's farm, we partied all the way to the next day, and I thought things were going to be perfect, like an ending to a fairy tale.

Since I was allowed to stay, I did what any man in love would do. I asked Elli to marry me. She said yes, with her beautiful and cheerful smile. When we announced it to the doctor, Elli surprised me by quitting her job that very day. She said that she can't be a perfect wife to me if she devoted her time to the clinic. It was painful to watch her say goodbye to the clinic, but this was her decision so I respected it.

The whole village celebrated that day we got married just a week later. She was so beautiful in her wedding dress, pure white with ribbons everywhere. Like an angle descended from heaven. Me and Elli wrote our vows, and recited them on our wedding day. I was so moved when she read her vows. I am not going to even try to recall it word for word; I know that I have made it seem that I can remember everything, but I will not even try to butcher her precious words. I remember clearly that she was telling me about how she waited for me for many years, but she never gave up. She knew that someday, I would find my way back to her.

Me on the other hand, I remember what I wrote perfectly. I unfolded my page that I spent all week writing, and recited these words, "Growing up, I made a lot of mistakes. My heart rebelled, and I didn't know why I did the things I did. When I came here to Mineral Town, I found my answer. My heart was incomplete. But when I found Elli, I slowly started to change. Not even a day passed by, I found myself not thinking about her. I realized that me and Elli shared an unbreakable bond. In the Japanese language, this is called 'Enishi', a red string of fate that bonds two hearts. Time or distance did not break his bond. When I was a child, Me and Elli promised that we will be together forever. Now and forever, I will keep that promise. I love Elli, and I will keep loving her until the end of time."

After exchanging the rings, we sealed our vows with a kiss. I felt like the proudest man in the universe that day. Looking back now, I never imagined that I would someday tie the knot. But there I was, kissing the blushing bride. There was no going back, I was a changed man.

And what a change that was. Since the villagers accepted me as one of them, we did everything together as one huge family. We celebrated, had fun, and supported each other to the best of our ability. I didn't know it before, but I found out around that time why was the village called "Mineral Town". The population is that of a village, but it had the heart of a town.

Naturally, Elli and I lived together after we got married. She did miss her job as a nurse, but she was still happy to be my wife. She made sure I was well taken care of, had a balanced healthy diet, and all of my injuries were taken care of so I can recover quickly. I appreciated her hard work so much. 

We were inseparable, except when it came to farm work of course. She was there when I woke up, there to see me off  to work, there when I came back, and there when I went to sleep. We would go on a picnic every Sunday, and talk to each other about anything. We were a very open couple, and held nothing back.

Then at night when we are all alone in our nest, we would have endless nights of passion. I made love with countless women before, but being with Elli was different. Our love was pure and meaningful. We would look into each other's eyes, held each other's hands tightly as our souls became one. She was so warm and comforting, I have never experienced that with anyone else.

Yes, my life with her was nothing but perfect. We never fought, she was very affectionate, and we communicated every chance we got. I swear, it was like a perfect dream. But like all dreams, they must end unexpectedly. . .

One Fall day, the mayor came to me with a desperate favor. He made some sort of deal with the mayor of the next town over. If someone in Mineral Town could catch a fish over three feet long before the next day, the village will be rewarded. He asked me to do the fishing of course.

Elli told me not to go. She knew that my weakness to the Fall weather would make the favor dangerous. But I was a proud member of Mineral Town, I couldn't let it go. So I left home that afternoon for the docks to fish.

I was there all afternoon and all night fishing for that perfect catch. I did feel ill as I sat on that dock waiting for the next catch. I took some medicine, and kept going. In the middle of the night, my patience paid off. My line pulled hard, and I fought with the biggest sucker I have ever felt. It was a hard fight, I pulled it in after a good half hour. I caught a king fish that measured over four feet long. I was excited by my catch, so I ran back planning to head to the mayor's house.

But fate was not kind that night. As I was still on the dock, I had a hard time struggling with the fish that felt like it weighed more than I did. Eventually, I became seriously ill. I quickly developed a high fever, things got dizzy and I lost my balance. I let go of the fish, and it fell into the water. As for me, I fell in with it.

To be continued.