It was a warm summer morning in Prosperville. Rick walked outside and took a deep breath. He held deep pride that he had paid his debts to Tom Nook. He now lived in a large home which truly reflected the fruits of his labor. Sure, he ran into some suspicious types such as Redd and Lyle along the way, but he managed to pull it off.

Rick checked his mailbox for letters, "Bill… Bill… Happy Room Academy… Bill… What's this? A letter from Mindy?" Mindy was Rick's best friend. She lived in the nearby town of Sanctuary. As children, they were like peas in a pod. Rick opened the letter, it read:

Dear Richard,
Hiya there, Ricky! Congratulations on your debt completion! What do you plan to do with all that spare time now? Anyway, I'd like to invite you to Sanctuary to celebrate. Come hungry!
Love, Mindy.

A grin stretched across Rick's face. He hadn't spoken to Mindy since he first moved to Prosperville. He fantasized of the wonderful time he would have with Mindy. He rushed inside and put on his forest camo shirt before darting right back out. It was only a short walk to the town gates, but he just couldn't wait. The wind rushed through his short, brown hair as the town flag came into sight.
"You're up bright and early, very commendable!" commented Copper as Rick came to a halt inside the gate.
"I'm going to Sanctuary," replied Rick.
"I see, I shall open the gates at once!"
"Thanks."
Rick's face was illuminated as the freshly risen sun peered through the parting gates. He darted out into the wilderness. Remembering vividly the path to Sanctuary.

Meanwhile, in Sanctuary, Mindy brushed her long, blond hair. She smiled, hoping Rick had received her letter. She departed her home, anxious to spend the day with Rick. She awaited him at the gates.
They burst open as Rick stepped in. He smiled, knowing his best friend stood in front of him. "Mindy!" shouted Rick as he hugged his friend whom he hadn't seen in nearly a year.
"Oh, Ricky, I missed you so much," replied Mindy as they released each other.
"So, how have you been?"
"Good, good."
"That's great to hear. So, what have you planned for us?"
"When I heard you paid your debt, I ran to the ocean and caught the biggest, fattest sea bass I could find for dinner."
"Awesome."
"As for now, we can go apple picking. Then we can go to the museum. Blathers just got a ton of new exhibits. Then we can go have a drink at the new café they added. After that, we can have dinner at my place."
"Apple picking sounds cool."
The two departed from the town gates.

Rick and Mindy spent nearly an hour picking apples. They could no longer carry any more. Rick had filled his pockets, however, he wasn't satisfied with how many he had. He lifted his shirt and began to use it as a makeshift basket.
Mindy filled her pockets and was satisfied. "Damn, Rick," she said, "That's a lot of apples. Just make sure you save some room for the sea bass."
"Will do," he replied.

Back at Mindy's house, they two put the apples in Mindy's refrigerator. "To the museum?" asked Mindy.
"Alright," replied Rick. With that, the two left to the museum.

Blathers was sound asleep in the museum lobby. It was noon, but to an owl, that was midnight. Mindy decided against waking him up and headed to the paintings exhibit. Rick was amazed by the art which dotted the halls. Afterward, Mindy took Rick to the aquarium. He was hypnotized by the different species of fish which swam endlessly in the tanks. After the dinosaur and bug exhibits, Mindy took Rick to the café where they enjoyed Brewster's special blend of coffee. "I hope you're hungry," said Mindy as they departed the museum. Rick grinned. He knew precisely what Mindy was talking about.

Mindy had pre-cooked the fish for them. It awaited them in the oven. Rick sat at the table, nearly drooling. Mindy removed the fish from the oven and cut it to bite sized bits before serving it to Rick and herself. Rick and Mindy had received equal portions and began to dig into the scrumptious meal that Mindy had worked so hard to prepare.
The sun grew lower in the sky by the time they had finished. Mindy wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Well, I'm stuffed," she said, despite the fact that she had barely eaten half of her meal.
Rick had already eaten all of his. "Are you going to eat that?" he asked, feeling gluttonous.
Mindy smiled and handed her plate to Rick. He quickly ate up the remaining fish.

Mindy stood and walked over to her window, "I can't believe how long it's been," she said as she watched the sun disappear out of view from her window.
"That was some good fish," commented Rick.
Mindy turned to Rick, "Hey, Ricky, want to go watch the sunset before you go home?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied.

The two happily walked to the nearby beach where they sat in the sand and watched the sun sink below the horizon.
"You've got to come visit me in Prosperville sometime," said Rick. "I know, it's been a while," replied Mindy.
"Remember Nook's Cranny?"
"That little shack?"
"Now it's a full sized department store."
"Wow. How about the Able Sisters?"
"No change."
"Oh."
The dying sky turned to dusk as the sun departed into the sea.

The peace of the day's end was broken as footsteps approached. Rick turned to see Tortimer. "Mayor Tortimer, what are you doing here?" asked Rick.
Tortimer's face boasted a serious expression. "Richard, I'm afraid tragedy has struck," replied the elderly tortoise. He seemed displeased to be the bearer of bad news, but he knew it must be delivered.
"What happened? Has something happened to my mother?" asked Rick.
"No, this isn't about your family."
"What is it, then?"
"Your house has been destroyed in a fire that consumed half the town."
"Please, tell me there's a hidden camera somewhere."
"I'm sorry boy, but you're not on television. Your home isn't the only victim. Nookington's, The Able Sister's, and several other homes have been leveled as well. Not to mention the citizens."
"Did anyone survive?"
"Thomas and Harriet escaped over the river with minor injuries. Everyone else was burned alive. Mabel, Sable, Timmy, Tommy, and everyone else living on the east side of the river. Dead."
Rick immediately dashed off to the town gates, running as fast as he could.
"Ricky!" cried Mindy as she ran after him.

Prosperville's gates burst open as Rick ran in. He ran across the stone bridge to see the home he worked so hard to achieve in ruin. Firemen and police officers scanned the area, looking for the source of the fire. He saw some body bags which made him uncomfortable. He wished he were dreaming, but he knew it was real. The once pretty landscape of his town was now charred and blackened. Debris from the once proud buildings littered the ground. Rick's face turned white as he fell unconscious.