Well, hello there, and welcome to my first fanfic.
This was inspired by the back-story published about the history of the Witch and Wizard before they settled down in the present. Personally, I didn't like the actual back-story, so I made my own version, so to speak. Feel free to comment, whether it is praise, criticism, or bashing me for disregarding the actual material. I'll be sure to reply regardless. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters, settings, etc..
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The universe was an extraordinary thing - infinite, ever-changing, and existing as though it were undoubtedly alive. Where the planets stood rigid like totems or guardians, the stars danced and radiated a light of pure confidence. Comets would pass with tails of envious, perfect beauty, and seemed to occasionally challenge the competitive passer-by's to a contest of sorts.
Such an abundance of interactions existed beyond Earth, and all were far beyond the grasp of the narrow, pitiful human mind. It was a belief that no mortal would ever be able to comprehend the motions that existed beyond the boundaries of their silly atmosphere, for said humans were still far from understanding the processes of their own planet, much more anything outside of it.
It was also a belief that for those able to grasp, even scarcely, the meaning behind the most cosmic and carefully plotted movements of the celestial bodies, that he or she could translate the motions into a science that would enlighten the user with knowledge untouched, not only by the grimy hands of childish humans, but also by the carefully-wound threads of time.
It was in pursuit of this knowledge that many a man had sacrificed their mortality, including a rather peculiar one who stood perched behind his telescope. With his golden eye sealed shut, the other - shining with a rather brilliant shade of green - scavenged the endless void of space, never ceasing to be amazed by the marvels he found.
"...By looking up, I see downward..." The dark-skinned man murmured while absorbed in his work. "...Libra's planetary system is in... ...routine order..." It appeared to require a great deal of effort to tear away from the precious instrument. Blonde wisps of hair scattered haphazardly as he ducked down to scribble a brief chart of his findings. "...Zubeneschamali, however... Erratic movements..." The fountain pen was practically thrown at the table after its brief use, and it was hardly any time at all before he was looking again through space. "...Though none of the celestial bodies... ...radiate large amounts of light..." While his face was not holding any sort of smile, his interest was clear where his mouth hung slightly aghast. He was beyond intrigued, just as he always had been. "...Fascinating..."
"...Huh?"
And just like that, his world was shattered. The man who was once so animated stiffened like an iron rod as insects of icy irritation crept along his skin. It was as though someone had chucked a brick through the closest glass window, for the man knew well that he could not regain that focus, and all he could do, in turn, was stare at his chicken-scratch charts - the only remains of his brief, broken euphoria.
Clearly frustrated, he toyed with the frayed ends of his single, tribal-inspired braid. Maybe he would not have minded the interruption if it had been something of interest. The sound itself was certainly unique... Such a high-pitched grunt of incomprehension was comparable perhaps to the call of some juvenile amphibian from the Galapagos Islands that had swallowed a bag of burning thumbtacks.
Turning from his treasured work, the man exhaled a reluctant sigh. Reality was not nearly as interesting, of course. Unfortunately, the other-worldly amphibian was just his client at the time - Maya.
Right... On Earth, he was just an astrologer living in the middle of nowhere. With a droll in his pace, he seemed to crawl down the staircase to return to his crystal ball. His eyelids drooped with disinterest as the man forced himself to return the young lady's absent-minded gaze. Finally, almost painfully, he told her fortune. "It means that you're never going to find someone you love as long as you stay in Harmonica Town..."
The red-head, of course, did not take this well. "WHAT!" Her arms were thrown aback in some sort of uncoordinated fury, "You murmur nonsense for an hour, don't give me a snack, and then tell me THAT? What do you have to say for yourself, Wizard?"
His face didn't change, "...That'll be 2,700G."
Maya paused only long enough to fix her ruffled, black dress before storming out, leaving the Wizard to shake his head. Yes, this was just the life he lived. To everyone in Castanet, he was "Wizard"; the anti-social hermit who knew a lot of big words and seemed to enjoy mumbling them to himself. He could supposedly tell people their "fortunes" with his "toy crystal ball", but every time some villager like Maya caught even a whiff of bad news, the astrologer was left with no payment and a tighter belt. After sessions like this, the man received a notable amount of satisfaction from hearing the door slam on the customer's way out.
The hefty front door, unfortunately, did not even get the chance to close. Before the Wizard could move, the portly Hamilton quickly let himself inside.
Still behind his crystal ball, the fortune-teller silently cursed his luck. He was in the perfect position to appear as though he were ready and willing to help his customers - two traits that, frankly, the Wizard never felt. The mayor seemed to notice this as well, and, after straightening the buttons along his violet coat, he quickly waddled forward to take advantage of the situation.
The astrologer was again twisting his braid in melancholy. It would be a lie for him to say that he did not expect the mayor's visit, but he gave a routine greeting regardless, "...May I help yo-..." only to be interrupted shortly after.
"Wizard," Hamilton's brow was damp with the same desperation that coated his voice. "I need to know if the construction project will be a good investment."
With another sigh, the Wizard's lengthy fingers drifted from the braid to his forehead, where his temples received a much-needed massage. "With all due respect..." A lie, but he continued, "...It's your job to make these decisions, not mine."
"It's yours if I ask it to be!" The tiny man's face was awfully pale, and honestly, it was definitely not the first time that the mayor had demanded such services from him. "It's my job to make good decisions, so if I don't make good decisions, I lose my job."
For a while, the Wizard simply observed the chubby man. His hair and clothing, after a closer look, were in clear disarray, even to the point where he was missing one of his tiny, hard-soled shoes. The astronomer crossed his slender arms; it was probably safe to assume that Hamilton had snuck away from his son in order to be there. Gill had never been fond of the Wizard, and he had become even more unfriendly since discovering the dependency behind his father's work. With remorse, he cringed in disappointment. The Wizard couldn't help it, he just always felt sorry for the man.
"...Fine... I'll call in an hour."
As though they were the magic words, the mayor left a pouch containing an obvious amount more than his standard 2700G fee and exited the house. At last, a gentle smile fell upon the Wizard's face. That was how he liked his social interactions - short and to the point. And, best of all, he was finally left alone... That was perhaps the best news of the day.
Coin by coin, his elegant fingers began to slowly tally his payment. Should he have felt guilty about the dealing? Perhaps, but the Wizard had honestly built up a tolerance to it by that point. In giving up his mortality, he had lived in Castanet for several generations, and every mayor and leader had paid at least one visit to him over time.
The Wizard paused to hope that there was no misunderstanding, however. While he was not particularly fond of all of the residents, he obviously felt at home in Castanet, or he would have begged to move decades prior. The scenery was gorgeous, and the people, though irritating, were genuinely happy and satisfied. Harmonica Town was dull, but never dreary as a result of this, and the beauty of the people reflected on the land around them.
A swift knock on the door was more than enough to make the Wizard revise his last comment. No, not all of Castanet was beautiful. The Fugue Forest, to be specific, was like a bubble exclusive to the dying and decayed, where even the fiercest of storms could not bring harm to the practically poisonous terrain. The astrologer had just been pondering over how the beauty of the residents reflected upon the land around them...
The door flew open as though shoved by a ragged wind. Yes, if the wellness of the people impacted the world around them, then the embodiment of ill wickedness had just broken the lock on his front door.
"Wizard," The tall, white-haired woman didn't wait for an invitation. "Get me something to drink."
"...You know where everything is..." Something about the black-clad girl always seemed to deprive the Wizard of his confidence. His once obvious sarcastic undertone had all but vanished, leaving only a fragile, shaky structure for the man to build his words upon.
Of course, the woman had noticed this as well. She responded first with a haughty laugh, and then with the words that the man hated more than anything else. "Wizard, remind me again of the reason you're in the world of the living?"
At first, he only ground his teeth.
"Who is to thank for your immortality?"
"..." She sneered at his enraged silence, thriving from it.
"Who allows you to study your silly stars instead of sleep in your grave?"
The Wizard knew he would have to answer before she would ever leave him be."...You do... Witch..."
"Now one more time," The Witch spoke as though she were addressing a tiny child. "What is your purpose?"
With a deep breath, he sucked up his pride and began to mumble a phrase he had spoken at least a thousand times in his life, "...To serve, love, and honor only you, Witch Princess, for all of eternity."
"Good boy." Her thin lips curled with clear satisfaction, "Now, get me that drink."
The Wizard retreated into his kitchen.