Insignificant Love.
I don't own harvest moon..
Also, English is my second language and not my best language so spelling and grammar can be doggie.
Ignis always thought of her as a loyal companion. He can not address her as a friend, nor his lover. Despite how much he wanted to, Gods can not, or in this case SHOULD NOT treat a mortal as one of their own. As the Harvest King, his duty is to protect the people on this land, which includes Hikari, grant their wishes, look after them from one generation to another, until the end of time.
Thus made him wonder if she was to be...wedded by someone other than him, will he still be capable of fulfill his duty as the Harvest King, protect Hikari and even her husband and children with fair. He was always amazed at the power she had over him: how her smile can make him feeling warm and peaceful even on the cold ice mountain top during stormy weather...Actually, even remembering her smile can already give the same effect.
No doubt, he was in love with her. Love is something even the Harvest King himself can not describe, its a mixture of wine and poison, it can be sacred or forbidden, or both at the same time. He knew how destructive love can be from the beginning, far earlier than first sight. He sometimes watched the people from his throne, watched Hikari working hard for the sake of other villagers. Every now and then she might mess up something, but never did her cheerful smile vanish for more than a day.
He restored the Harvest Goddess' tree due to her request. which made him wonder, would he summon storm and hale to wreck the island if she had requested?
He shook his head to this thought, looking at the sky, he quietly waits for her arrival. Although he gave her a portal for her convenience, but she insisted on walking the forty five story mine on daily basis. Thus she always arrived near sunset, which only allowed them to chat for a few minutes and she would have to return to her farm again.
Everyday when she arrives, she would bring him some shinning fruits as souvenirs, and she would always wave to him before she climbs up the icy stairs-
"Hey~Look what I've got!"
As her cheerful voice had broken his deep thoughts, he smiled, and said nothing, but walked towards her, realizing what she had on her hand was not a shinning apple nor fruit cocktail. It was something he did not expect nor want to see.
She didn't realize the horror on his face and continued. "I was walking up to the mountain top and a blue bird dropped this, so I picked it up. Mira told me it was a-"
"A blue feather, it represents happiness, therefore it is usually used in proposals." He finished her sentence, with no sign of emotion on his face. He can feel his heart aching, but he wasn't even sure if he had a heart to begin with, after all, he was a god.
"Right, therefore..I thought you might wanna have it." She giggled as his expression turned confused and conflicted. "You sure look like you need a lot more happiness than I do~"
"...Are you saying that you want me to keep it?" He asked gently, holding the feather tightly in his hand, almost like he was afraid that the wind might blow his happiness away.
"Yep...oh, and one more thing, today's present is Apple Cocktail, so here you go..." she then looked at her watch again and shocked at the fact that it is way too late for her to be still out. "Well then, gotta go, and don't throw away the feather okay?"
"..You have my word." He looked at her almost hopping back to her farm, and looked at the feather when she disappeared under moonlight.
Of course, he thought to himself, the blue bird only drops its feather for someone in the right time. If the time is not right, no matter how much you seek for the feather, it simply will not be found.
Does that mean it was the right time for her? If she gave the feather to anyone else, then she would become someone else's wife? The thought of that killed him from the inside a little.
But now that he had the feather, she can no longer propose to anyone else, unless someone else is going to propose to her, he can still dream about being with her.
Such selfish thought should never belong to a king, he knows, but can't help hoping for a chance to...love her, be with her.
He did hear from other gods about the story of the Harvest Goddess from Mineral Town. She was bound to the duty of protecting the people, granting people's wishes. She fall in love with a human, she knows they can not be together, so she tested him, again and again, refusing to take his blue feather. He didn't give up, and then eventually he married her. Even after their marriage, she can not afford to spend too much time at home, so he had to visit her in her spring, everyday until he was too old to move.
And in the end, he died, like any other human. Leaving her nothing but memories.
This story gave him hope, made him wanting to leave behind everything, and live with her for the rest of her life.
And after her years has passed, he would treasure every moment spend with her.
"My King."
He turned around to the voice of the Harvest Goddess. Only she, the Harvest Spirits and Hikari can get to the mountain top without climbing the mine, since the teleport stone he arranged for Hikari was made from his affection towards her, other humans will not be able to use it.
"What is it?" He looked at the Harvest Goddess, she is elegant and beautiful, but she will never be what Hikari is. She can only prey and wish for the restore of the Harvest Tree when Hikari would restore it with her hard work.
"The story other gods told...the Harvest Goddess that fallen for a human..." She mentioned the story carefully, trying her best not to anger or upset the King. "She loved the human, yet tested him, only visited him a few times in a year, never accepted his invitation for festivals, never even told him her real name..."
"I know, I've heard from other gods."
"He loved her."
His eyes widened, his hand closed tighter on the blue feather.
"Why?" He asked. "Why did she love someone who tortured her so badly, why did she wanted to be with him? He can not spend time with her, can not be with her and help her when she is having hard time!" He was filled with anger, didn't even realise that he was not asking about the story anymore, he was asking about her, about Hikari.
"Simply because Hikari loved you, My King."
He can not gather another sentence. He never knew what she felt about him, surely she cared about him, wondered if he was lonely or cold on the mountain top, wanted to make him happy by giving him things he liked.
The Harvest Goddess pitied the King and herself at the same time. The King loved Hikari as much as Hikari loved him, yet they can not be together. For herself, she wanted someone to love, someone to love her in return, but that can not be managed, as long as she remains to be the Harvest Goddess, she can not live freely.
"The story, in the end, the human died." She sighed, as she saw the king's expression darkened. "She continues to protect the land he once loved, protect his friend, and protect their daughter."
He began to think he had too much surprises today than he could handle. "They had a daughter?"
"Yes, their daughter, their family had then been passed down. Her lover lived and died, leaving her the memories, and a family."
She said and looked at the full moon on the sky, it is already dark, she glanced at the king, and returned to her spring.