Though they only knew each other for what felt like a moment, for him it was a moment in paradise. From the instant he arrived from the city years ago and took his first look at the sunny countryside Mineral Town resided in he felt as though he was in Shangri-La. The air was fresh, the sun was warm, and the wind carried no noise other than the quiet sounds of nature. It was on that very same day that they first met.
For him, if the country truly was the wondrous haven he envisioned it as, then she was the Goddess that made it so.
He never could pinpoint what it was that made her so desirable to him. She was beautiful, she was perky, and anything she said or did would make him smile. Whatever it was, he made no attempt to hide his feelings for her and though she seemed a tad reluctant at first he was more than pleased when she eventually began to return them. After all, with her, his paradise became complete. He had a wonderful place to home, a successful farm, a great life, and most of all he had someone to share it all with.
Yet, for Popuri it was anything but perfect.
While she appeared to be content with her life to everyone else to her it was all an act. In reality she was growing tired of Mineral Town and her daily routine and longed for something new. She had always dreamed of leaving the country and moving to the city but with her father absent and her mother ill her brother Rick was sure to shoot down any ideas she had.
Having Jack around, sadly, only made things worse. She wanted to tell him about her dreams yet he proved to be the opposite of her. He would do nothing but shower Mineral Town with praise while speaking ill of the city, making it clear he had no desire to return.
She refused to let his stories tarnish her views of outside world, however.
Years before a young traveler from the city named Kai had stopped in town for the season and naturally she found herself drawn to him. He told her about how the city was a wondrous place where your wildest dreams could come true and feed her desire to see it for herself. When it came time for him to leave he invited her to come back with him to experience what she had always hoped to but her brother was right there to keep her in place. Disheartened, Kai returned back to the city alone, but promised her that he would one day return.
Eventually, a letter from him did come, telling her of his arrival in just a few seasons. It was then that she found herself torn. She had come to genuinely care for Jack and had no desire to hurt him yet she could not trust herself to stay in town much longer. Her heart was set on following her dreams and it was obvious that he had no interest in following her if she left. While it became apparent that her heart belonged to Kai and the city she knew that she just couldn't hurt Jack. She thought of how to handle the situation in a way that would cause the least harm and eventually came up with what she felt was a fair compromise.
She decided that while she wouldn't tell him about her plan to leave for his own protection she would make the time they had left the best she could. She would give him a moment in paradise.
She spent the next few seasons doing whatever he wanted. They went to festivals, spent nights up on Mother Hill looking at the stars, took walks on the beach, just about anything that would make him happy. She knew that spending so much time together could end up making her departure worse for him but she hoped that the memories of their time together would ease the pain.
Eventually, summer came and Popuri spent its first night out on the shore, waiting for Kai. She had decided it would be best if she and Kai left as soon as he arrived rather than let a whole season pass before hand, giving Jack enough time to figure out her plan and Rick time to stop her. Just as she hoped when Kai made landfall he was more than happy to follow through with her idea and they set off immediately. She hoped the note she left on the counter of her house was enough to explain her choice to her family.
The following morning the town practically found itself awoken by the sound of Rick's furious shouting, his anger an obvious result of his sister's absence. By the time noon came by the whole town had found out about Popuri's leaving through him and Lillia. While many of them reached out to comfort them Jack found himself slipping away to Mother Hill, alone.
He just couldn't believe it, she was gone.
Worst of all was how when Rick read off the letter she had written explaining her decision to leave there wasn't a single mention of him.
Was he really nothing to her?
His image of the area began to dispel. It was no paradise; it was just like the city, a place where people bring you up only to take you down when you're at your highest. A whirlwind of emotions overtook him. He was heartbroken; he was angry, and not just at her but at himself for allowing himself to be tricked so easily. He was confused. His thoughts began to transform what he once saw as Shangri-La into a dark and dreary dystopia.
Popuri had gone to heaven, leaving him to wallow around in the hell on earth she helped create.
Was this her plan all along? It certainly seemed that way.
Time passed and while his vision of the countryside eventually returned to its original bright state he still found himself confused emotionally. On the one hand he hated Popuri and how she made him view the past. Looking back he only saw a relationship built on lies that lead to a heartbreak that could have easily been prevented. It was like a dark tunnel.
Yet, he came to realize that in devoting all his thinking about the past, he never bothered to look at what was at the end of the tunnel, a light.
He never stopped to think about what it meant for the future.
His experience with her was almost like a lesson. It showed him the importance of trust and communication and how they were important to any relationships. He could look back on the mistakes he made and learn from them so that next time he can correct them. It was almost as if Popuri was trying to tell him how to treat his true love. Though, if anything he would credit it to fate rather than her.
Sure, it wasn't enough for him to forgive her, he wasn't sure if anything would be enough really, but it was enough to help him get better.
After all, if his soul mate was still out there, then there was still a chance for him to return to his Shangri-La. Only next time he would be sure that it won't be a moment in paradise.
It would be a lifetime.
A/N: Sorry if this isn't the greatest, it's been a rough week for me. I actually wrote this while I was at the hospital a few days ago and haven't had the time to upload it until now.
It's another one-shot inspired by a song, this time the song "Moment in Paradise" by ELO. When I hear it it makes me think of how sometimes you meet people who you don't know for long but have a large impact on your life which is something I can relate to since I use to know someone like, the song reminds me of them for that reason. Coincidentally it's one of my favorite songs to play on guitar.
Their song Shangri-La also helped in some obvious spots and the idea of focusing on the past and not the future came from a line I heard in Pacific Rim.
But enough of that stuff, please R&R and if things get better I hope to finally start updating To Build an Island by the end of next week. Ciao!