I do not own or have anything to do with the Harvest Moon series.

Please enjoy, many chapters to ensue. Though I haven't planned an ending yet...


Another beautiful night. A surprisingly chilled summer breeze blew through the trees, the sound of leaves and needles gently colliding made it seem like the breeze was hushing even the crickets, beckoning the forest to sleep, "Shhhhhhhhh…" Just a few days and the full effects of autumn would become unmistakably apparent, the flora and fauna preparing themselves to enter the deep sleep brought upon by winter.

Akari strolled through the Fugue Forest, there was large clearing in the center of the dense trees, walled off on all sides- No where to look but up. This was her preferred star gazing spot.

She had spent countless days and nights in the forest since she had moved to Castanet earlier that year. The air in the forest was made cool and crisp by the breath of the foliage, and the towering trees absorbed and nullified all of the incoming sound from the town. Here there was truly privacy from the townsfolk, too afraid or too busy to explore the forest or enjoy its wild life. She however took advantage of the fauna who had never come to fear people for that very reason. Akari was able to approach the creatures, photograph them and observing their behavior as if she wasn't even there.

She really should have pursued some style of biology instead of farming, she loved observing animals, deciphering their behavior and how it affected their habitat- But all work and no play made Jack a dull boy, and Akari wanted to ensure that she always enjoyed her outings. She figured it was better to have a responsibility to escape from rather than nothing to look forward to after work. Not to say that she didn't enjoy her work on the farm...

Nearly the third season in, and Akari had run Madrona Ranch without incident. Her father grew up farming, so it was in her blood. She quickly and easily taught herself how to cultivate the land to its peak output, and caring for the animals took no second thoughts.

Yes, the farming was no challenge, and she slowly learned to enjoy, even love, the hands on work. The town, on the other hand, she could do without. It was the smallest place she could find, she even compromised on the quality of the buildings and size of the fields for a smaller population, yet even here people were just as annoying as ever, maybe even more so than other places she had lived. So needy. Simple minded. They never left Akari alone. The Mayor even took it upon himself to visit her home at the crack of dawn each day before there was a festival, to ask if she would attend. Goddess, that better end after her first year…

And what's with these bells? Akari didn't sign up for this shit. Celestial beings didn't need a farmer to solve the land's problems. Trying to recruit her with that flying hyperactive sprite… The Goddess wasn't waking early every morning to work so she could feed herself and the animals, no. They could handle this one without her.

Dismissing the annoying quest and avoiding the townsfolk, Akari managed to maintain a more than modest life style. She completed her work on the farm quite early each morning, gliding through the watering and feeding and harvesting routines with ease. She did not have to spend her afternoons supplementing her income, because none of her produce or profit went into social gifting or spending. This left Akari's afternoons to her disposal.

And so, with another free night to waste, she stared up into the night sky, wondering if she would see the silvery haired man again that night.