Hi guys! So, a little bit more about the story. This story is set in the world of Magical Melody, simply because I've noticed the characters themselves are much more built personality wise. Just imagine the artwork for ToT style and you'll be fine. :P I'll be walking through character development in the first few chapters, so even if you haven't played the game, you should be able to love (or hate) the characters that you choose.
This story is a tale of Love and Loss. When Ellen finds her soulmate, he's already in love... with the farmer! This story is about the lengths that Ellen goes to fight for her love.. but will she care if the farmer loses hers in the process? Find out inside...
It had been nine months since Carl and Carly had met for the first time. He had knocked on her door asking for eggs for the egg festival. Carly said yes, and the pair had been inseparable since. It was hard for the two at first, only seeing each other every Tuesday, but Carl was sure that with enough money and a friend like Carly to help him through with the dairy products and encouragement, he could see his Cafe up and running by the fall. Every Tuesday, Carly walked with Carl around the town, talking about hopes and dreams. At the end, Carly would always give Carl one of the best eggs from her chickens that week. Slowly but surely, the two began to realize that their friendship was no ordinary one.
Once the Moonlight Bar was in town, Carl immediately claimed a job as a jack of all trades. Usually, Carl didn't like being around so many of the toughest guys in town, but when Carly came in every night around 7 or 8, he instantly forgot about his inadequate existence and focused on serving and talking to her. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about. She would talk about her day, and Carl would talk about his baking. They were both interested in what happened on the other side of the products they made. Now that Carl was moved into the town permanently, he was also to bake. Carly generously provided her kitchen whenever he wanted it, and they would often cook together and enjoy the results of a job well done.
Surely enough, at the beginning of fall, Carl had raised all of his money and was more than encouraged to start Halloway Cafe. He invited Carly in first, and she was able to marvel at all that he had accomplished. The restaurant hadn't even started, but she knew that it would be a success. Her dear friend was about to live his dream, and she couldn't have been more proud. Carl was proud of himself when he opened the Cafe for the first time. But, as Carly left and other townspeople started filtering in, Carl felt... alone. He started to realize that ever since the Spring when the friendship was forged, he didn't really want to bake cakes for everyone... just for her. So, Carl had a new goal. He would make the most fantastic cake in the world. It would be a cake so delicious that when Carly ate it, all other cakes wouldn't hold a candle to it for the rest of her life. He would name it after her, and then, he would ask her to marry him. This would be in the future, after his baking skills improved and he had enough money to experiment with cake and Carly's tastes frequently. But, he was sure that if only one person could eat what he cooked for the rest of his life, it would be her.
Ellen wiped the sweat off of her face and she put another load of mayonnaise into the shipping box. Farming was tiring, but she helped out with the coop because Bob was always finding metal in the caves to do upgrades to the farm, and Blue took care of the Cows, Sheep, and Cliffguard the prized horse. Papa Hank took care of the store, and Ellen knew that while her life wasn't exactly extraordinary, she was a lucky girl to have the family she had. Her one stress reliever was baking.
Ellen took out the flour, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder and mixed it together. She focused on the perfect proportions, adding the flavors of her day. Bitter chestnut honey brought it all together, and with just the right amount of flavorless water, Ellen knew that these cookies would be bittersweet echoes of her life. The mixing didn't take long, and the cookies only took ten minutes in the oven. Ellen set them on a cooling rack and sighed, taking one while it was still warm. The bittersweet flavor made for a delicious cookie, but Ellen still sighed. Compared to a real baker, these cookies would taste like they had a lack of passion. She couldn't complain. The amount of passion in her life was a 0 on a scale from 1-10. She hadn't found anything to fight for. She never saw anything and wanted it more than what she had. She had comfort and stability, but no passion.
"Ellen," her father called, "Go ahead and take the rest of the day off! I heard that new Cafe just opened up!" Hank's head peeked around the corner, "Why don't you bring some of your cookies as a business-warming present?" Ellen smiled and nodded. Hank went back to the counter and Ellen's smile disappeared. Had she really been so busy that she'd forgotten about the Cafe opening? Well, she was sure a world famous Patissier wouldn't suddenly move to this hodunk town, so bringing her cookies as a present probably wouldn't cause too much of a stir up. Ellen gathered her cookies into a bowl and waved goodbye to her father as she left the Ranch.
The air was crisp and alight with the colors and smells of Autumn. Ellen walked down the pathway with a blue shawl around her shoulders. The lack of activity in the town had made her grow old prematurely, though, nobody ever caught her eye in such a way that inspired her to change her pixie haircut and old-fashioned dress. Ellen passed by the junk shop, tsking at the amount of weeds in their yard. Surely Ann could do something like that once in awhile. Ellen took care of the chickens and cooked for the crew. She wondered if Ann did much of anything besides play in the mine and tinker with machines. Ellen walked down the pathway and saw the back of the cafe. Carly came running up the road like she always did.
"Hi Ellen!" Carly said with a grin, "Are you going to the Cafe?" Ellen smiled in reply. "I am," Ellen said, gesturing to her cookies, "my business-warming duties await me." Carly laughed and Ellen gave a genuine smile. The pig-tailed farmer was hard not to like. She was genuine in all that she did. She even brought by some of the richest Cocoa in the country if she had spare time. If Ellen was friends with any of the women in this town, Carly would come the closest to the definition. "Alright," Carly said, "I have to put my animals in. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. But, have fun!" Carly said. She waved goodbye as she left, and Ellen waved back. Yes, if she had a friend, it was her.
Ellen walked swiftly the rest of the way to the cafe, the sky starting to cloud over. She opened the door and walked inside to be smacked with one of the most delicious smells in the world. Her mouth watered, and her body was drawn to the warmth of the professional oven like a moth to a flame. Ellen closed the door behind her and looked around. Lyla, Nina, and Liz were seated at a table with their sweets. Gina and Martha were having a discussion about Dia over a delicious looking piece of shortcake. Even Joe was inside, but Ellen suspected that was because he wanted to check out the new girl who looked about 16 years old. Ellen didn't care to know her name quite yet.
"Hi! I'm Katie!" The girl said. Ellen inwardly sighed and then put on a surefooted smile. "I'm Ellen," Ellen said reaching out her hand. Katie shook it vigorously and then led her to the counter. "Carl should be out in a minute. He's giving free treats today." Katie smiled and then walked back over to Joe to finish their conversation. She would do well in this village. Ellen sat on a stool at the front and waited. She set her cookies on the counter and let her mind wander. What did she want in life? It wasn't even five minutes before she found out.
"Wow," Carl said, "These cookies are great! I love the bitter chestnut. But, maybe next time you should be happier before you bake them. They weren't mixed as well as they should have been." Ellen sat up and blinked. Carl stood in front of her, elbow on the counter. He put down her cookie and set a piece of Honey Cake in front of her. "I hope that will brighten your day a little." Carl laughed and then took his cookie back to the kitchen.
Ellen was frozen in place. Was love at first sight possible? Ellen shook her head. "No... Let's just eat." Ellen whispered to herself. She picked up her dessert fork and took a small piece of her honey cake. Her pallet was sensitive, so she would know exactly how he felt when he was baking, too. Ellen put the piece of cake in her mouth. The fork dropped from her hand onto the counter. Ellen forgot to breath for nearly a minute. She gasped and then looked down at the cake. It was the most delicious thing she had tasted. She knew that love at first sight was a myth... but love at first taste was a different story. Just to check, Ellen put a bigger piece in her mouth. She closed her eyes and tried not to moan at its delicious flavor.
She found it. Ellen found what she could be passionate for. The man who brought her this cake, who had cheered her up and encouraged her to be happy when she was baking... There was no doubt that he was her soulmate. There was only one problem. Only a man in love could make a cake so delicious. But, when a woman finds her passion, she is not easily deterred. Ellen finished her cake and grabbed her shawl around her neck. She left the building and felt a drop of rain hit her nose. Ellen looked up to see a giant rain cloud making its way over town. How far would she go? What would she have to do? All she knew is that she would do whatever it took... even if it meant breaking the two apart.
And that's the end of chapter one! I have this whole thing outlined, so this will be great. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! :)