Chapter 1: Arrival

"Do we have to live like this?"

My voice crocked, Phillip turned around to face me with his serious blue eyes. The rain was pouring around us while our carriage was taking us to our destination. I blinked once, twice until I noticed that he didn't want to talk about it. I didn't blame him for not smiling for over a week now. We did lose our parents…not too long ago. Ever since that day I never had seen Phillip laugh or even crack a smile towards me. I wasn't used to it but something tells me I better get used to it.

"We have no choice."

I almost leaped out from my spot of the carriage when my older brother said something. I frowned and glanced up at him, his eyes were still cold and hard. He believed that it would be better if we did became separated I should go to Bluebell. It would be a bit easier for me because I would be familiar with farming because our father took care of farm animals for all his life. I bit my lower lip,

"We could live in the same town you know…why do you have to make me live alone in Bluebell? It'll be easier for both of us if we both live in Bluebell, plus, it's not like those people would be that-"

"Lillian, you know yourself that those people would do such a thing. Now stop fussing and behave."

I closed my mouth shut but I couldn't help but glare at my brother. We had to move to different towns because our mother and father went against a rule that the Harvest Goddess was very strict about. Our father was from Bluebell and our mother was from Kohnoha. Ever since they both married our family never had an easy life. When mother and father died the mayors of the two towns wanted to talk to us and decide our faith. Phillip however felt that we were going to be separated for punishment because of our parents going against the rules.

"Phillip?"

Phillip stayed still like a rock and said nothing. His blue eyes were staring forward, his hands holding the rope that steadied the horse from tilting the old carriage. Sloppy specks of rain drops smeared his face and I could tell he was frustrated and much angrier then I was.

"Phillip."

I called him by his name again. He glared at me with his messy dark brown hair,

"What?"

"If we are separated…I could move to Kohnohana if you like. I can handle planting plants."

He only shaked his head silently and spoke in his slightly deep voice,

"I doubt you can even handle it. We never seen mother planting plants, we're better at raising animals then raising crops. You'll have an easier life."

"But what about you? Wouldn't it be unfair?"

Phillip never answered my question, we had finally arrived to the top of the mountain. The mountain stood in-between the two towns. My heart was pounding nonstop when I noticed there were five people on top of the mountain. Phillip squeezed my right hand tightly when he noticed I was shivering nervously in the rain. He finally stopped the carriage when our horse almost bumped into a old white haired man with a green top hat on top of his head.

"Welcome! You two must be the children we've been hearing about!"

The old man shouted out towards us. I didn't say a word for I was still quite nervous. Phillip managed to shake the man's head. I took this time to look at the other four people. Besides the old man stood an old crooked woman who was smiling sweetly at us. On the other side of the old man stood a young woman with a red dress with raven black hair. She was holding hands with a little boy that I presumed was her son. My eyes caught the dark brown eyes of a middle aged man who was staring at me. He had a white priest gown and was standing besides the old woman that I noticed earlier. I begin to wonder who these people were.

"We better get this over with then."

The old man's words made me snap out from my thoughts.

"I am Rutger, Mayor of Bluebell. And this,"

He pointed towards the old woman next to him,

"Is my dear wife Rose."

Rose smiled sweetly towards Phillip and me and spoke in the highest pitched voice I had ever heard in my life,

"Good to meet you two!"

Rutger smiled at the two of us also but soon his face turned into a scowl when he turned to the woman with the red dress. The woman glared back at him with pure hatred but turned to us and introduced herself in a much more serious tone,

"I am Ina, Mayor of Kohnoha. This is my son Rahi."

Rahi did not look up to greet the two of us but he did manage to give us a little wave. The priest finally stood in between the mayors when he introduced himself,

"I am Nathan, loyal priest to the Harvest Goddess herself. I will be telling all of us on what the Harvest Goddess wants us to do."

The moment Nathan said that I had just noticed that the five of them had umbrellas while Phillip and I were left to soak in the rain. I didn't mind the rain but I didn't like the thought of catching a cold the next morning. Nathan began the meeting in the pouring rain,

"The Harvest Goddess has spoken to me that one of you shall live in Blue Bell while the other live in Kohnoha."

My eyes widen and stared at Phillip…his guess was right! We were going to be separated! My hand got a tighter grip around my brother's arm…I didn't want to leave his side and be alone! Nathan noticed but he continued,

"It is said from the Harvest Goddess herself that if you two stay together darkness would come and destroy us all. For our safety we cannot let you two be together…I hope you two understand this serious situation."

Phillip seemed as if he was about to punch Nathan in the nose but he pulled himself back. The priest continued and pretended not to notice Phillip,

"She had also told me that the mayors shall choose who shall join their town!"

Ina immediately snapped when Nathan just finished his sentence,

"I will take the boy. We need strong men in order to grow more crops in Kohnohana."

Rutger growled back at the woman,

"We need stronger men much more than your little garden! In Blue Bell we need strong men in order to make sure the animals behave! Lately there have been accidents in my town! Therefore, I need the boy in my town!"

"Well then, you might as well make your town into a zoo if you can't control your animals!"

"Your town does nothing but watering your little plants while my people work harder by making sure no predators come and eat the animals! Blue Bell folks are much harder working then your lazy people who only water weeds!"

Ina gasped and was about to charge until Nathan grabbed a hold of her,

"How dare you speak to my town with such disrespect?"

Nathan interrupted the two from clawing out each other's eyes,

"Stop! As children from the Harvest Goddess we must show maturity and generosity! Even though I am a Blue Bell folk in heart, I must follow the Harvest Goddess guidance."

He turned to face Ina with a stern face,

"Ina, because you choose the boy first, you shall take him. Rutger, you shall take the girl."

"This is outrageous! We need the boy-!"

Rutger was about to explode and throw knives at the other mayor but his wife was able to calm him down by gently holding his hand and giving him a stern face.

"It is decided then. The girl shall live in Blue Bell while the boy shall live in Kohnohana. I will tell the Harvest Goddess immediately when we get back to Blue Bell."

Nathan said with a small nod. Phillip looked down at me with his same stern blue eyes and I couldn't help but hug him tightly. His big hands were holding my hands tightly, I could tell he didn't wanted to leave my side either. I couldn't help but let the tears that I was holding back stream down my cheeks at the thought of never seeing my brother again.

"I don't want to leave you!"

"We have to…we'll see each other some other time."

"But what if they'll never let us see each other again? I can't leave you Phillip…after what happened with mother and father! Please don't leave me!"

"Lillian. What must be done must be done. The Harvest Goddess said so herself."

Phillip's eyes were filled with tears and he gently accepted my big bear hug. At that moment I wished it lasted forever, for the three adults were not going to let us stay together any longer.

"Dear! Come here! We'll show you to your new home!"

I looked back and noticed Rose waving at me with a smiling face. I shaked my head and snapped back at her like a five year old,

"No! I'm not going to leave my brother!"

Rose's smile faded and frowned with sad blue eyes. Phillip whispered down to me desperately,

"Lillian, we have no choice. You must go! Or they might give you severe punishment! Seeing you getting hurt is the last thing I want to see…it's bad enough we lost our home and parents."

"I don't care! There is no way anyone is going to take the only person I have left in this world!"

I chocked and hugged Phillip even more tightly, never wanting to leave his side. He was my brother and I wasn't going to leave his side that easily! I suddenly felt strong big arms grabbing me by the shoulders and trying to pull me off from Phillip, it was the priest!

"Let go of him dear! Or the Harvest Goddess will punish you! You will see him in the future!"

"No! Let go of me, I don't believe a thing you're telling me!"

I was soon yanked off from my brother and my eyes burst into several tears that just wouldn't stop. I screamed and scratched Nathan's thick arms and small drops of blood soaked into his white priest clothes. I shouted and cursed while the priest was forcing me to get into a carriage that would take me to Blue Bell. The strong wind and rain drops whipped my face and body, it was such a mess!

"Don't be so childish girl! You must obey the Harvest Goddess's words!"

"I don't care! Let me go please! I'm begging you! Don't do this to me! Phillip! Make him stop! Don't leave me! Don't make them take me away!"

Phillip only stood his ground and I could see his eyes wide in shock while I was dragged away helplessly. I was screaming, punching, whining, cursing, spitting-anything to let the priest let go of me so I could return to my brother. Phillip's tears eventually flow down from his eyes and he turned to face Rutger and asked him desperately,

"Please! Can you allow me to stay with my sister? I would be so grateful…!"

"You cannot change any deal, my boy. What's done is done, I'm sorry. You'll see her at times my boy…but not that much."

Phillip whipped his head back at my direction quickly, I could see his eyes wide with sadness. I never expected my brother to cry like that. I never understood why we came here at the first place…we could have just ran away. But the fact hit me…going against the Harvest Goddess was the worst thing a human being in this world would ever do. Phillip stood there like a statue, tears still flowing from his eyes and his fists clenched tightly together.

"Phillip! Why are you leaving me like this? Don't leave me!"

I shouted for him one more time while Nathan was wrestling me to the ground. Mud splattered all over my old ragged clothes. I didn't know what to do anymore, Nathan was too strong!

"Lillian! I love you! But we must follow the Harvest Goddess's orders! I'm sorry! But I promise we'll see each other as soon as possible!"

But it never happened because Nathan, even though he was a priest, knocked me out.

My eyes fluttered open, I was on the cold wooden floor in a strange pose, bits of my hair covering my eyes and my legs and arms in strange positions. I must have been thrown to the ground like a sack of potatoes by Nathan. I rubbed the back of my head slowly, from the painful blow the priest had given me up in the mountains. I looked around me nervously and noticed myself that I was in a little house. There was no light and the room was pitch black with nothing but the noise of cracking thunder and the pounding rain to welcome me.

"Hello…? Phillip? You there…?"

I noticed a junky old bed in the far corner with a little kitchen on the other side. Besides those two items I noticed nothing else in the old house. While my hands were touching the back of my head I felt liquid…not from the rain but it was blood!

"Oh great…"

I sigh and said nothing. When I found out Phillip was gone from sight I began to cry as if I was lost…and I sure felt I was lost! I wanted my brother to be back to me! I felt that I lost enough already…I lost my parents, my home and now my brother! I sniffled and coughed when I couldn't breathe because I was crying too hard. I fell on the ground and breathed slowly as if I was a dying fish, breathing desperately for air. I stayed on the cold floor and listened to the pounding rain until my heart settled a bit and I was able to manage to get back on my feet. I struggled to stand but made my way towards the sink of the kitchen, rinsing my bloody head with cold water. It stung and a few tears ran away from my eyes but I didn't scream or cried. I was quiet for the rest of the night. When I was finally done with rinsing my hair I wrapped my head in a towel and I slipped under the covers before forcing myself to go to sleep.