A/N: This is my entry for the Drawing Dare in The Dares Forum! All the entries are based off a piece of Harvest Moon ToTT fanart made by annako on DeviantArt, which you can kinda see in the little cover picture. Annako makes some really nice Harvest Moon fanart, so I would check it out if I were you. XD

You can place your vote for a winner in The Dares Forum when the poll is open, but please read all contest entries first! Thank you!

-Cotton Candy Mareep

Yellow Rose

The older farm on the outskirts of town had been abandoned for years, as long as I could remember. The house lay empty and deserted; the barn had acquired that old, weathered look with loose boards and peeling paint; and the grass in the pasture had gone uncut for so long, it was practically past my knees.

But that all changed when she moved into Bluebell. The girl who would soon become my very best friend. She fixed that old farm back up into tiptop shape, bringing new life to the ranch in the form of cows and chickens.

And she taught us all a lesson that I won't soon forget.

The first time I laid eyes on her was when she visited our nearby farm to introduce herself, probably an attempt to get to know all her new neighbors. Shearing sheep in the pasture, I watched out of the corner of my eye as the girl stood out on the doorstep with Mum, explaining to her how she had come to move to Bluebell in the first place.

She glanced at me once, I think, but I was too consumed in my work to pay much attention. Or at least, that's how it looked, as I was actually listening intently, straining my ears to overhear their conversation.

Apparently, Mayor Rutger and Ina, the mayor of our rival town Konohana, had squabbled over her when they discovered her on the roads beyond our two towns, and she told them that she was interested in moving in.

Rutger had explained our town's way with animals, and the quaint charm of our brick homes and cobblestone streets, while Ina praised her town's aesthetic beauty in the form of tiled roofs and hanging lanterns, and their love of all things botanical. But the girl had decided to move to Bluebell in the end.

I continued listening as she and my mother made small talk, finishing up my work with the sheep and then taking the shears back to their place in the barn. When I returned, the girl was just preparing to leave, most likely to meet some other Bluebell folk.

She glanced up at me again, and though I didn't speak to her, I gave her a warm smile from my place in the field, hoping that the friendly gesture would make her feel welcome.

She smiled back and gave a timid wave, and I could just make out the violet tint of her eyes. Violet… such an interesting eye color, I thought.

A very pretty color, in my opinion.

The first time I spoke to her was over a naughty sheep.

Allow me to explain. One of our ewes on the farm, my favorite sheep in fact, had given birth a season ago to a lovely little white lamb. I allowed Cheryl to name the baby, which she gladly did. The name she chose definitely suited the young animal.

And although Snow was still just a lamb at the time, she was a mischievous one at that, and undeniably intelligent. It hadn't taken her very long at all to figure out how gates work, and so she was always pushing open the pasture gate, escaping into the town. Of course, it was up to me to retrieve her.

Unfortunately, that wasn't always as easy as it sounds.

On the day in question, I had just been returning from Howard's café after a midday snack of honey tea and scones with my good friend Laney, clutching a bag of leftover scones in one hand, when I caught sight of a familiar ball of white fluff wandering the cobblestone street up ahead.

Inwardly, I groaned- catching a runaway sheep was the last thing I was in the mood to do. Regardless of my skill with animals, Snow never seemed to want to obey me, or anyone else for that matter.

I was just devising a plan of capture when a gentle, feminine voice called out to me, "Wait… Stay back!"

I stopped in my tracks, speechless. It was that new girl, the new farmer in Bluebell. She had practically appeared out of nowhere. In one hand she held a bright yellow rose, presumably from Cam's flower stand. The girl lifted her free hand as if to say, 'I got this,' and made her way toward the little lamb.

Snow had begun wandering aimlessly around the town square, but stopped when the farmer approached her. I thought the lamb was certainly going to make a break for it, but the brunette simply knelt beside Snow, her free hand gently stroking the space behind the young sheep's ears.

The girl's mouth was moving, and though I couldn't hear exactly what she was saying from my spot at the other end of the square, I could just make out the faint murmuring of her voice. Snow baaed once as if in reply.

Suddenly, the lamb abruptly stood up and turned away, and I watched in astonishment as Snow made her way back to the ranch on her own.

The girl stood up, brushed the stray dirt off the skirt of her dress, and approached me with a smile, one arm extended. "You're Ash, aren't you?"

I nodded and took her hand in mine, still slightly dumbfounded. "Yeah… that's me."

Releasing her hand after a quick and cordial handshake, I gestured toward my farm down the road, where I could see Snow had returned to the pasture with the other animals. Amazing, that was.

"That was pretty good right there. I've never seen anyone reason with a sheep before!"

I swear I could see the girl blush as she stared down at the flower in her hand, and I smiled before continuing, "You must really have a way with animals."

She nodded, her cheeks still flushed with pink. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Well, it's a good thing you were here. Thanks!"

"You're welcome." The girl abruptly turned to make her way back down the road, but I stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait!" I called after her, and she turned around to face me. "I don't think I caught your name."

She grinned. "It's Lillian."

I grinned back. "Well then, Lillian, I'll see you around sometime! Maybe we could go out to lunch together at the café? My friend Laney cooks there, the food's really good!"

Lillian tucked the yellow rose behind her ear and nodded before turning to leave again. "Yeah… that would be nice."

Lillian.

That moment was when I realized something. She wasn't just the nameless new farmer in Bluebell, anymore; no, she was Lillian, the shy but sweet girl with an undeniable way with animals. And probably people, too.

From that point on, I made a silent vow that we would become good friends.

And that's exactly what we did.

The next day, I introduced her to my other friends in Bluebell Village. Soon enough, Lillian was helping Cam arrange bouquets of flowers in the morning, and having lunch inside the café at midday with Laney and Howard, and going out to ride horses with Georgia in the afternoon. All while managing the various livestock on her farm, of course, all by herself.

She had become a right little social butterfly, but she always had time for me, as well. Every day I would visit to see how her farmwork was going, and then she would come back to help me with my own animals, especially Snow, who still refused to obey my orders. However, Snow seemed to have developed a close bond with Lillian, as she was the only person the lamb would listen to.

Lillian ate supper at my house twice a week with Mum, Cheryl, and myself, and even put up with Cheryl's whiny demands and uncomfortably scrutinizing glares at the dinner table.

I had become Lillian's best friend, as she trusted me with her deepest secrets. I was the one she came to when she wanted to confess her plans to reunite Bluebell and Konohana, despite their ongoing rivalry. It was a crazy dream, I admit, but Lillian supported the notion with such a passion that I just had to respect her for it.

Most importantly, I vowed to always protect her. I would be there for Lillian, forever and always.

And so, two years after she first stepped into our life, I knew I had to do something when I discovered her standing limply in her field, her violet eyes startlingly wet with tears.

"Lillian… Lillian, what's wrong?"

The brunette whipped around in surprise, before realizing that it was only me, and took a step backwards. Her eyes focused on the grass at my feet, as if she couldn't muster the strength to stare me in the eye.

"It's n-nothing."

But I knew it was definitely something. And not something good. The only other time I had ever seen Lillian like that was when one of her chickens had died the year previously.

Penny had only been a few months old, so when the young hen became deathly ill, Lillian did all she could to help her feathered friend. But it wasn't enough, and the chicken died the very next morning.

Lillian had been devastated. She concealed her sadness all day, until I finally pried the information from her, and she broke down in tears. I stood with her for what seemed like hours, holding her in my arms as she sobbed into my shoulder, releasing all her pent-up feelings at once.

And now, it looked like tears were about to spill from Lillian's eyes for a second time.

Lillian turned to rush away from me, but I had grabbed her wrist before she could run away, and she let out a squeal. Afraid I was going to hurt her, which was the last thing I wanted to do, I loosened my grip on her arm and bent toward her, holding her soft hand in my own. I could distinctly see the pain reflected in her eyes as she turned toward me to speak.

"Ash… I'm leaving."

"Wait… what?" I could feel the undisguised shock creep up my face. "You-You're leaving? To where?"

Lillian's face remained expressionless but for her eyes, thinly veiling a whirlwind of emotion. A single word was spoken.

"Konohana."

Konohana. Bluebell's biggest rival. An immediate sense of betrayal rose up in my chest, and I fought hard to suppress those dark feelings.

I knew that Lillian had often visited the other town, much more than any other villager of Bluebell, probably because she was an outsider to our rivalry and customs. I knew of her plans to rekindle a friendship between our two towns.

But never would I have ever been able to guess that she would actually move there, and leave Bluebell. She had lived in Bluebell Village for nearly two years now! She was one of us. What had changed?

I couldn't help the tone of disbelief that crept up in my voice. "But why? Why would you do that? Bluebell is your home!"

Lillian's expression darkened. "Not anymore."

"But… Please, Lillian, listen. I need you. We all need you here, in Bluebell. Why would you throw that away?"

The farmer swiped her wrist across her watering violet eyes. "I wasn't going to tell you…"

She hadn't planned on telling me until she was long gone... I couldn't help but feel hurt by this revelation.

"But… I thought we were friends! Best friends…" A tone of contempt entered my voice, before I could stop myself.

"Friends tell each other everything… they don't keep secrets!"

Lillian gasped. "You…You don't understand! I need to move to Konohana! I-I've been trying to figure out a way to bring the two towns closer together, rather than drive them apart, and to do that, I've realized that I must extend a hand a friendship to Konohana! I need Mayor Ina to trust me, and convince her to change her ways as well."

A single tear dripped down her cheek, leaving behind a thin trail of wetness. I extended a hand toward her face to wipe it away with my fingers, but she took a step back.

"I'm sorry, Ash."

The day after the incident, I approached Lillian's farm, hoping that what she told me couldn't be true- but it was. The farm lay empty, deserted once again. No chickens in their little pen by the house, no cows or sheep grazing lazily in the pasture. No light shining from the home's window. No Lillian.

A queasy feeling rose up in my stomach, and I shook my head, as though to shake off the sadness that erupted inside of me. Why did she have to move to Konohana?

Perhaps it was selfish of me, trying to keep her to myself, but I couldn't help but feel betrayed by her actions.

I gripped the side of the fence for support and allowed a single tear to drip down my face, leaving a salty streak in its wake. My arms shook against the fencepost, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't explain why I was crying, exactly. It wasn't as if Lillian was gone forever. But the idea that she would no longer be there constantly, a reliable figure at her farm, simply overwhelmed me.

For nearly a week, I didn't see her, but not once did she ever leave my mind. How could she, when she had been my best friend for all those seasons she spent in Bluebell? She was still my best friend, I told myself; but it was hard to be friends with someone so far away, one who had become a sworn rival.

Because as much as I hated to admit it, there was no stopping the intense rivalry that divided the two towns, from dividing Lillian and myself as well.

The Cooking Festival came along not even a week later.

As I made my way up the mountain path with my fellow Bluebell villagers, I couldn't help but imagine seeing Lillian again. It was difficult describing my feelings for her; I didn't know whether to ignore her, or apologize, or pretend that nothing had happened between us.

But I couldn't deny the division we were already facing in our relationship.

And then, as we entered the festival clearing, I saw her. She stood off to the side, near the fence on the mountainside that overlooked the entire valley. A tall woman in a pale pink dress stood next to her, talking, her long ebony hair reaching past her waist. A muscular young man I recognized as Kana came up behind them and stretched one arm around Lillian's shoulder, and the brunette turned toward him with a smile.

Kana… Georgia had probably told me about him- apparently, he was a horse enthusiast, just as she was.

They were Konohana villagers. They laughed and smiled with Lillian as if they were old friends, and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Lillian was our friend. She belonged in Bluebell.

I knew who was participating in the contest from Bluebell this time. Laney was entering a dish, of course, and her father Howard. My mother had decided to take a shot at it as well.

Normally, Lillian would have been participating in the contest, but since her move to Konohana… that wasn't happening.

But to my surprise, Lillian was entering the contest. She stepped up on the opposing side, along with the long-haired woman in the pink dress, and another elderly woman with graying hair.

I admit, I barely paid any attention to the contest itself- I was too busy staring at Lillian in shock. I couldn't help but feel stabbed in the back that she would go against Bluebell in the Cooking Festival, on the side of Konohana, our ultimate rival!

Lillian looked up from the cooking table to catch me glaring at her, and her eyes widened. I mentally slapped myself. Normally, the rivalry between the two towns didn't get to me like that, so what was different this year? Of course, I knew the answer.

And I couldn't let it get in the way of our friendship.

Within the hour, the winning team was announced. So caught up in observing Lillian, I hardly noticed as the villagers of Bluebell came together under Mayor Rutger, their feet dragging dejectedly as they shot glances at the celebrating Konohana villagers.

Georgia ran up to me and tugged on my arm. "C'mon, Ash… it's time to go."

Laney stood a little ways behind her, chatting with Cam, preparing for the walk back down the mountain into Bluebell. From the look in Georgia's eyes, I knew the girl could tell what I was thinking.

I turned to look behind me, and again, my eyes met Lillian's as she was led away down the opposite side of the mountain by the girl in pink, back toward Konohana. A whisper escaped my lips.

"I miss you."

Although it was impossible from such a distance, I like to think she heard me, as a sad smile crossed her lips before she turned away.

For the next few Cooking Festivals, I didn't dare speak to Lillian. I couldn't explain my mixed feelings to her, not yet.

Because while a part of me respected her for her dedication to such a complicated goal, another part remained jealous of the time she spent with the villagers of Konohana. I remembered how comfortable she seemed with the woman in pink, Nori, and the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke with Kana, shining with a sort of inner bliss that I had never seen from her before.

But as spring faded into summer, these things changed. I finally built up the courage to apologize, as I should have done ages ago, at our very first Cooking Festival apart.

Building up all my courage, I stepped forward, interrupting a light conversation she was having with the young doctor of Konohana, Hiro. Lillian's eyes brightened when she saw me, and Hiro bobbed his head in greeting before taking a step back.

I took a deep breath, looking her straight in the eye. "Lillian… I-I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for antagonizing you like that, when I know you meant no harm."

A flash of gratitude crossed Lillian's face. "Oh, Ash… Thank you! I mean, I'm sorry, too. And I should have told you earlier, but I was so unsure of myself... I didn't do it on purpose; I never intended to harm our friendship... You know I would never. And I-I missed you."

Hiro, realizing the intimacy of our conversation, turned away to talk to Nori nearby. Lillian and I spoke on into the night, disregarding everything else around us. It was the best Cooking Festival I had experienced in quite some time.

But it still wasn't quite the same. There was still a level of discomfort in our relationship, as if Lillian felt guilty for leaving Bluebell behind, and I was embarrassed for making her feel so at fault.

I hoped that over time, these feelings would fade.

More than a year later, the tunnel between Bluebell and Konohana reopened, and I knew that Lillian had finally met her goal.

I walked past her farm again, the way that I always had during the time she spent in Konohana, in the hopes that I might actually see her standing out in the fields, murmuring gently in a cow's ear or scattering corn for the chickens.

I knew it was futile, but a guy can dream, can't he?

For the past year, this farm had sat empty, and I had grown used to the idea that Lillian may never live there again.

But this time, it was different. The grass was shorter, as if it had been cut recently, and a few cows grazed contentedly in the pasture. My heart filled with hope.

"...Lillian?"

And then I saw her, running a hand along her horse's back at the opposite edge of the field.

"Lillian!"

She looked up. "…Ash!"

A vague smile crossed her face, and I jumped over the fence to run to her, arms outstretched. She nestled her head against my shoulder as we embraced, and I felt her thin arms wrap around my waist.

"You came back?"

She nodded, a single tear visible in her eye. "For good this time. You're right- Bluebell is my home. I've done what I needed to do, and now I'm finally ready to return."

And just like that, we were back to old times again. Almost.

Lillian perched atop one of the wooden beams that made up the fence around Grady's ranch, rolling a single yellow rose between her fingers. A lone horse grazed in the grassy pasture behind us, rays of sunlight dappling his pure white coat.

It had been almost a season since Lillian moved back to Bluebell Village, and life was slowly returning to normal. Sort of.

The rift between Bluebell and Konohana had been mended, all thanks to Lillian, and passage between the two towns was made simpler by the removal of the huge boulders that had once blocked the tunnel. I now knew all the Konohana villagers by name, and visited the other town often, though it didn't have the same comforting feel as my hometown.

But now, Lillian said that she wanted- no, needed- to tell me something. Something important.

She glanced up at me, and I couldn't quite place the emotion shining in her eyes as she spoke.

"Ash- I'm getting married."

Lillian seemed slightly apprehensive, uneasy about telling me. "Are… are you okay with it? I mean… Is it all right with you?"

That's when I realized for sure, I wasn't in love with Lillian. Yes, I loved her- but I loved her like a sister, a friend, not in the romantic way.

"Lillian… You don't have to explain yourself to me. In fact, I'm really happy for you!"

I reached out a hand to hold hers, the one that wasn't occupied by a flower. "You…you're like a sister to me, Lillian. Only better. You're my best friend."

She smirked teasingly at me. "Don't let Cheryl catch you saying anything like that."

My younger sister Cheryl, who had always been so possessive of me, jealous of the time I spent with Lillian. Together we laughed, and it felt so good to laugh with my best friend again, here in Bluebell. Our home.

Still chucking, I asked the question that I knew would pop up sooner or later. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Lillian leaned forward, still balancing on the fence, and cupped her hand around my ear to whisper a single name.

Him? My eyebrows widened in surprise, and the faintest hint of distrust rose up inside me. But then I smiled. Wrapping my arms around her, I took her by surprise as I pulled her closer, into my chest. Her soft auburn hair tickled my chin, and I caught a distinct scent of lavender.

"He proposed to me yesterday," she continued. "With a blue feather- it's on my bedside table right now."

I ran a hand through her hair. "I'm proud of you, Lillian."

She glanced up to meet my eyes, her head tipped against my shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, Ash, but he's a great guy… Really. I-I love him."

I took the yellow rose from her fingers and tucked it behind her ear. "I know."

"But remember, Lillian, I'll always be your best friend, you hear? I'll always be there for you."

Lillian reached a hand forward to adjust my cap, which had been knocked slightly askew. There were tears in her eyes, but they were tears of joy, not sorrow.

"I know."

A/N: I understand that the story strays from the game a bit, but it was necessary in order for the plot to progress the way I wanted it to. I could definitely see Ash as a best friend type, as opposed to a romantic interest for Lillian. Actually, I think I prefer him that way. Though I feel there were some definite feelings of unrequited love in this story, mainly on Ash's part.

I purposely left the person who proposed to Lillian unnamed, so that you can decide for yourself who it was. Though there was one person I had in mind when I wrote this, haha. Maybe you can figure it out?

A little background info- yellow roses may symbolize friendship, joy, happiness, or jealousy, while red roses symbolize romance, love, and beauty, and pink roses represent grace, admiration, or sympathy. I hope you enjoyed my first ToTT fanfiction! There I go again, writing about a game that I've never even played. I would have bought the game for DS by now, actually, except I can't find it anywhere… Seriously now, where did all you people buy this game? I was so bummed, I could only find the 3DS version. :(

Ah well. Thanks for reading!

-Cotton Candy Mareep