I do not own any form of Harvest Moon, I am but a simple fan. NOTE: I am not basing this off of one of the games. Just a story I came up with.
A Farmer and His Goddess:
This is the story of a farmer. A farmer who fell for a goddess...
On the fifth day of spring a young boy was born. He was named "Jim". Jim's place of birth was a small island in a small village. He would one day be recognized for his great deeds.
Jim's earliest memory was a dream he had when he was five. He was sitting in a cave cold, tired and hungry hiding inside from a massive storm. He was depressed unknowing what he was doing there. Suddenly there was this white glow coming deeper within the cave. It was warm and inviting. He struggled to stand up and walk towards the light. When he found the source, he was in a massive room unnatural from the rest of the cave , it looked like it was carved out, the walls were flat and had beautiful designs, there were flowers all over placed in artistic places. His eyes narrowed on the center of the room a pedestal surrounded by water. Standing on the pedestal was a young maiden looked to be the age of twenty. She turned around and gave him a smile she had hair red and fiery as the summer heat, shimmering eyes of brown and orange like the falling leaves of fall ,skin as pale as the snow of winter, wearing a dress as colorful as spring flowers. Jim was in awe of this beautiful girl in front of him, but slowly things went dark. He was barely awake, he opened his eyes slowly the maiden was sitting with Jim's head on her lap, she gave him a soft warm smile and when he opened his eyes fully he awoke in his bed. Jim would never forget that dream.
Years passed by, Jim's childhood was a nice one he had two loving parents, his school life was as happy as a school was expected to be. He wasn't popular but he had some good friends, there were some bullies, but Jim ignored them only getting involved when he stood up for his friends. His life was normal he lived on his parents farm, but he never was involved with it, saying he wanted to go to the big city on the mainland to become a lawyer or a banker possibly. He studied a lot and hung out with friends, till the day of his departure, Jim had grown to be a strong young man at the age of 18. He awoke to a good morning, he got dressed and went straight for the door running to the dock saying his goodbyes to those of the village, Mrs. Barry the baker , Mr. Henry the tailor, Sir Grim the self proclaimed "Knight of Tools" and all sorts of people. He finally made it to the dock feeling ready to start his new life.
He would have left if the boat's captain didn't say...
"Traveling light I see."
Jim looked around and realized he forgot his luggage. He started to freak out but got himself calm and simply ran towards his family's farm to get his bags. On the way to the farm he heard thunder that sounded like a explosion, then it seemed like the sky dropped a thousand of buckets of water down. Jim cursed his luck and ran for a cave he used to play hide and seek in with his friends.
Jim was sitting at the entrance to the cave the rain has been going on for what felt like hours. He knew that he missed his boat. He chuckled remembering his earliest memory it seemed the same, he felt like he did in that dream. Humoring himself he stood up and looked into the cave not seeing any glow but seeing that the rain was still going on he chose to head deeper in. After a minute of walking he was thinking about giving up but when he turned a corner he saw a small light. Thinking it couldn't be true he ran towards it to confirm but as he got closer it felt like it was getting further and further away, he was feeling weary and doubts crossed his mind he felt like he should give up, but if this glow was what he remembered he couldn't give up. As he thought to himself.
"I can make it!"
He found the source of the light. He stood there looking around the room from his earliest memory, his dream. He looked to the center of the room and there she was, the maiden from his dream. Just like his dream she turned around and gave him a smile. Also like his dream things went dark as he fell to the ground.
When he woke up he saw that his head was on the maiden's lap, her caressing his head playing with his hair from time to time. He looked up at her and asked if this was a dream, she smiled and said no. After a few minutes he sat up asking who she was. She replied...
"That's simple, I am the Harvest Goddess."
Jim was taken aback and was dismissing her claim as a joke, he never believed in the Harvest Goddess growing up. She replied...
"Few did and even fewer believe in me now."
Before he could say anything she said.
"Yes I did read your mind. Now can I ask something of you?"
He was surprised, but just slowly nodded his head. She told him that this storm was caused by nature. Nature was angry that the island, one of the last places on earth that was untouched by the modern world was slowly being corrupted. She told him that he was the only one that could save the island and that he mustn't leave for the mainland or the island will be plagued by storms forever. The Goddess asked him once.
"Please save the island."
Jim's thoughts were filled with confliction. He wanted badly to do something in the world, but he couldn't just let his home be destroyed by eternal storms. He stuttered half his answer, but then regained himself and replied that he swore to help fix this problem and that he wouldn't let her down.
Hearing this made her smile like he had never seen before. He said his final words and left the cave. He saw that the storms did a pretty bad job to the island. Houses were damaged, roads were cracked and some businesses were demolished, but the major thing he saw was that ALL of the modern equipment was destroyed. Telephone poles, generators, computers and other stuff were gone. He went to the clinic seeing that a ton of the towns folk were injured including his parents. He looked around and just chose to get warm.
It seemed his parents were unable to take care of the farm due to their injuries, seeing this as his chance he told them he would take over, they were shocked to say the least, but he was persistent and they finally gave in.
For the next couple of weeks he would help out around the city rebuilding and repairing, in return the towns folk helped him fix his parents farm, after doing favors and errands he got enough money and help to enhance his farm and replace all the tools and even got a ton of seeds to plant.
For the next couple of years the island's inhabitants prospered under Jim's help, people wondered how he could help around so much and take care of his farm as well. Jim was a hard worker and he showed it. Now 21 he was in charge of the best farm on the island. He worked hard, winning tons of contest and making money from his harvest, but even after a hard day's work he managed to make his way back to the cave where he made his promise to help the island out. He would share his day with the Harvest Goddess who was always willing to hear how things were going. She was there when he was happy, She was there when he was sad. Though she never saw him angry and every time she worried Jim would show her, her favorite toothy grin assuring her he was okay.
As years went by Jim had turned 29. His friends and family wondered why he never asked a girl out, he would spend time with his friends some of which were female but he didn't show any interest. A friend was joking why he didn't show interest in any guys, but Jim assured him that wasn't the case. In any case whenever the subject came up he seemed sad and said he didn't want to talk about it. His father sat him down and asked why he wasn't with somebody, He is almost 30 after all and most of his generation was already married. Jim would tell him that he is interested in someone, not just interested, but deeply in love. His father asked who, but Jim would not answer. Either way the subject reminded his father about a old tradition that he was the last of the islanders to do it. Before when someone was truly in love they would search for a rare blue feather, that was how he proposed to Jim's mother. His father said that it's such a old tradition that no one else would remember it. Jim thought about it and then stood right up telling his father that he was going to search for the feather.
Jim spent the next week searching for the feather. He still needed to work on his farm, but had to give up visiting the Harvest Goddess to have time, but he thought that if he brought the feather she would forgive him. At the end of the week he finally found the feather, he was ecstatic . He rushed to the cave where his love resided. He saw her sitting on the pedestal with her arms wrapped around her legs looking sad. He would yell to get her attention. She turned around and her face lit up after not seeing him for a week. She went straight to him and gave him a hug. Then bonked him on the head for not visiting her. He jokingly said
"Well how human of you to act this way my Goddess"
She would gasp and in a blink of a eye she was back on the pedestal. She asked him where he was that whole and he just walked into the water around her pedestal and climbed up it ignoring her complaints he would reply by pulling out the blue feather once he was standing with her. Her face was a expression mixed with joy and shock. It then turned to sadness. He questioned why the sudden change. She simply explained that since she was a goddess and he was human they couldn't be together. She would be unable to live with him and start a family. He asked her if she couldn't leave the cave for just a little while? She would reply that she could leave the cave for maybe a day and a half then have to return for awhile. Jim's face lit up as he knelt down on one knee and offered her the feather saying.
"My Goddess, I love you more than anything else in the world. Will you marry me?"
She would tear up and explain again but he just told her that that's enough time for the ceremony. Just then her tears of sadness would turn to those of joy. She would embrace him and hold him tight.
"So when shall we set the date Vestess?"
She looked confused and questioned why he called her that.
"Well I don't think anyone would believe you're the actual Harvest Goddess and it's better than Harvgod"
She would giggle and say that he was silly, but agreed with his logic.
A month past by to their wedding day. Jim explained to the town that she was a traveler that was working as a field hand and the reason she never came to town was because of her shyness. Everyone took it surprisingly well. The ceremony was wonderful many people were overjoyed to see Jim married and some were even crying. After all was said and done Jim and Vestess went back to his farm. To enjoy their time and their honeymoon. Both were nervous for that part, Jim saying that he never shown interest in other women and Vestess would make a joke about how hard it was to find a date while stuck in a cave. They would enjoy their Honeymoon being truly together for the first time. Though sadly by morning she had to return to the cave.
The years went by Jim and Vestess lived a happy life together they had three children two girls one boy. Although she was only able to leave the cave for special events, Jim and the children made it a point to go to the cave every day.
Time flew by Jim was now a old man and his children grown. Due to old age he couldn't handle the farm alone even with the help from his children, he had to hire some of the towns folk to help.
Time went by Vestess had to stop appearing in public. Since she was a goddess she would never age. She would only be able to visit her family when no one else was around. Then a horrible thing happened.
Jim was around 70 now, his children had their own children so they couldn't stay on the farm. Jim was tilling the fields when he suffered a heart attack. Luckily one of his grandchildren was there to get him to the hospital. Jim had to be put on life support. Vestess only found out the truth when her daughter told her. She was unable to get to Jim since she still needed to rest from last time she left the cave.
Jim could feel his time was coming. He gained the strength to remove the tubes hooked up to him and walked slowly to the cave somehow able to avoid his children and towns folk. He walked slowly into Vestess' room and sat on a rock near the pedestal. Vestess zoomed to him, tears in her eyes questioning why and how he was there. He would tell her that he wanted to see her one last time. She told him not to speak like that but he calmed her down and said.
"Vestess. Thanks to you I was able to live a productive life and I achieved my goal of helping people. I ran a successful farm, I have a wonderful family and got married to my true love, but my time is almost gone and I wanted it to be spent with you."
Jim's words got slower and quieter as he was talking with his love until he stopped talking entirely. He smiled at her and she smiled back his head resting on her lap. His last memory would be like his first, resting with the person he loved. As life left Jim, Vestess used her power to turn herself and him into two trees intertwined around each other. As this final act happened it was witnessed by their children. This cave would become their family's shrine and every time a member of their family would pass on a flower would bloom near to the tree.
The End.
Well I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing. This came as inspiration from a Harvest Moon fan song I listened to. If you guys want me to make a longer more complex version of this story then post in the comments and if enough people ask I will.