A Thieving Scoundrel

Harvest Moon Cute

She had never met anyone like him before.

She didn't understand how she could hate and like someone so much at the same time.

He was a thief, a no good thief.

And trouble, to much trouble that she really needed right now.

But she couldn't stay away... no matter how hard she tried.

A/N: I would like to thank The Scarlet Sky for helping me on this chapter. I'm still a beginner, so your advice meant a lot to me.

I hope the rest of you readers enjoy the story!

It was a cool, clear night in Forget-Me-Not Valley. It was late, so most residents were residing in their bed chambers, their minds occupied themselves with fascinating dreams while they waited for the morning. However, their resident farmer, Teddy-Jo Davis, was far from sleepy.

Teddy-Jo smiled in triumph as she and River Dancer, her horse, cleared the extremely tall gate that guarded Romana's mansion. She and Dancer had been training very hard the past few months, to jump that exact gate. And they had done it, finally. Teddy-Jo dismounted and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She smiled again as she stroked Dancer's sweat soaked neck. He was panting heavily, so loudly that Teddy-Jo glanced nervously at the mansion. Romana didn't approve of her and Dancer jumping over her fence, and she had lectured them quite throughly on more than one occasion. She had even threatened to call the Mayor's son (who was a policeman) over from Mineral Town to 'lock her up and throw away the key.'

Dancer suddenly swung his head around, nostrils flaring. He half-reared, snorting indignantly with a mixture of anger and fear. Teddy-Jo instinctively threw her entire weight onto the reins, forcing him to resume the standing position. When he came back down on the stone ground, his hoofs made smattering 'clack' on the paved ground. Teddy-Jo then whipped her head around to see what exactly was so upsetting.

A young man stood by the gate, cloaked in moonlight. He leaned back and Teddy-Jo couldn't help but stare at this very well-dressed stranger; a shock of silver hair fell across half of his face, and his piercing blue locked on her own as he let a cocky grin spread a cross his face.

Teddy-Jo had never seen him before, but she knew whom he was. She had heard many things about this sleazy thief. He wooed all of the girls in the village with sweet words and a wink from his dreamy blue eyes. She wasn't at all impressed by his thieving abilities. Too many times had she woken up to find her cows already milked, her sheep already sheared, or the eggs from her chickens. And the produce was gone.

She struggled to meet ends as it was, without her money-making prospects disappearing. And everyone had told her that it had probably been Skye. The village's Phantom Thief. Most of the men said anything but good about the thief. The females, on the other hand, just spoke of him with a dreamy expression on their face. It disgusted her. It was for that reason that Teddy-Jo got along with the males of Forget-Me-Not Valley better than the females.

Teddy-Jo cast one more cautious glance at the mansion before glaring at him. "You would be Skye then, am I right?" She asked him dryly. He just smiled at her calmly, infuriating Teddy-Jo even more. "Well!?" She asked angrily. The boy stepped closer to her, his expression never changing. He seemed to like taunting her. Teddy-Jo felt her heart quickening, but she didn't back up when he stopped advancing towards her. He stopped just a few inches from Teddy-Jo and Dancer, still smirking.

"Yes, I would be. Forget-Me-Not's smooth talking thief," Skye told her smoothly. He seemed to be proud of unhonourable reputation. His entrancing blue gaze then lit up with interest, "And you must be their resident, goody two-shoes farmer, Theodora Josephine Davis." He assumed, watching with glee as Teddy-Jo's flushed face heated up. She glared fiercely at him, holding tightly onto Dancer's reins. How on earth does he know my real name? She thought frantically. She hated the name, so shortened it to Teddy-Jo. But she had never told anyone her real name, so how had he figured it out.

"Goody two-shoes?" She inquired mildly, "And what do you mean by that?" Teddy-Jo demanded, still trying to calm her speeding heart. Dancer stomped angrily, clearly not liking Skye. Dancer then blew gently onto Teddy-Jo's ear, trying to calm her temper. Teddy-Jo took a moment to sooth him and convince him that she was okay before turning to the thief, "Are you going to answer me? And how the hell do you know my full name?" She asked him furiously, exhausted. She would be at home right now if it wasn't for him.

"Yeah, the goody two-shoes. You're the one trying to free the Harvest Goddess and her Sprites by working super-duper hard!" Skye mocked in a childish voice. Teddy-Jo looked at him questioningly, not knowing how he found that out too. Skye shrugged at her searching gaze, and he answered the question that she was asking with her emerald green eyes. "I have connections." He told her simply. "Now about you and the Witch Princess...?"

"The Witch Princess gave me no choice in the matter," she informed him, keeping her face blank. Skye shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't read her neutral expression. He had never had trouble reading females before. He flattered them all to the point of them not being able to do anything but blush. But he didn't give away the fact that he was frustrated, he kept smiling cheekily instead.

"You could've said no," Skye pointed out. Teddy-Jo smiled wryly at him, the only expression other than a frown or a glare she had given him. Her smile wasn't very big, but it was big enough to affect Skye in unfamiliar ways, although he didn't show it.

"Ever tried saying no to a Witch?" She asked, "It doesn't work too well. I say this with experience in my past. A very painful experience," she added, wincing in the memory. "And you are avoiding my earlier question, how do you know my name!?" Skye observed her quietly for a moment, ignoring her little outburst. He had heard many things about this farmer, she wasn't like the other girls in town. Muffy was a frilly, snot nosed slut. Lumina was a rich bitch, with very high expectations. Nami was a loner, and refused to speak very much to anyone. Flora was a clueless mine digger. And the only thing that registered in Celia's mind was her stupid plants.

As this crossed his mind, Teddy-Jo smirked at him, the same trademark smirk that usually played out on his own lips. She was waiting for him to answer her question, and was thinking she had rendered the Phantom Thief speechless. Which was not the case. The Phantom Thief didn't get speechless. Ever.

"I find it wise to avoid the Witch Princess." Skye said haughtily. She glared at him, she didn't like his tone. The front door of the mansion then opened. Teddy-Jo turned in shock, afraid that it would be Romana. But it was Lumina. She smiled when she saw Teddy-Jo and Dancer, but then her oval shaped face darkened when she saw Skye.

"THIEF!!" She cried, stabbing one of her well manicured fingers at him. Despite her yelling, the dogs now barking and various lights switching on all over the village, Skye looked quite calm. Teddy-Jo glanced nervously between the two, and then up at Romana's window. The light was on and she could hear Romana grumbling as she stomped down the staircase. Skye smiled again at Lumina, preparing to fluster her with his charms.

"Now, now, now. Such a beautiful face shouldn't be spoiled in anger," he told her in his silky voice. Lumina blushed, but her anger at him didn't waver. She did, however, twiddle her thumbs for a moment, almost unsure of what to do. But when Romana and Sebastian joined her in the doorway, and Romana took over

"Argh! Sebastian! Get him!" She demanded, pointing at Skye. But poor Sebastian was really old and him running was exactly an option for him. With his bad back and sore feet, a run would damage his old, creaky body even more. But what Romana wants, Romana gets. But before Sebastian had the time to start after Skye, he was gone. Sebastian turned back to Romana, his apology clear in his droopy eyes. Romana just huffed and went back inside, Sebastian close at her heels, apologizing profusely.

When they were out of earshot, Teddy-Jo's best friend turned to her excitedly, "Isn't he cute? And did you hear what he said to me? I mean, I know he was just doing it so I would let him go, but still. All the girls are in love with him, even the girls from Mineral Town. I'm pretty sure they come here just to see if they can meet him. But... isn't he cute!" Lumina rambled on.

"Yeah, he's cute. But he's a jerk," Teddy-Jo said, interrupting Lumina. She enunciated heavily on the word 'jerk'. Lumina's thin eyebrow rose in surprise. She had never heard her friend voice such... resentment and annoyance. Teddy-Jo was generally a very gentle person. She did have a slight temper, but she was always able to control it. But then she took note of her. Her pale face was flushed, and her emerald green eyes were shining with some emotion that Lumina didn't recognize. Her dark black hair that framed her heart-shaped face, was blowing in the wind furiously. Her skinny figure was trembling with anger and her fists were clenched.

"Teddy-Jo...?" She asked cautiously, "Are you okay?" Teddy-Jo then snapped out of her angry trance at once. Lumina's concerned voice switched her attention from the idiocy of Skye's mannerism. She glanced at Lumina, managing a smile before remounting Dancer.

"Yeah, I'm fine" She said, although she was not, "Look, I have to go. Dancer is exhausted, I'll see you tomorrow." She squeezed Dancer's sides gently, urging him into a trot. As her silhouette lit by the moon grew smaller, Lumina couldn't help but think, What on earth just happened?

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