Author's Note: Hello there! This is the Golurker, making my fanfic debut! Bit of background, the story originally was an episodic series sent via Swapnote, but given the discontinuation of its SpotPass functionality, it never got completed. Here, I hope to finish what I started, as well as flesh out that story more without that pesky ink limit. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: A Peaceful Prologue
Ch-chak ch-chak… Ch-chak ch-chak…
I awoke to the rhythmic sound of a train rolling along on the tracks. Once my eyes had adjusted to the bright lights of the train car, I lifted my head to see an anthropomorphic cat seated across from me. The feline stared at me inquisitively, eager to break the ice. He introduced himself as Rover and started asking me questions like what my name and where my destination is, which struck me as a bit strange. It wasn't the fact that he was a talking cat, but that his name was Rover. Isn't that a dog's name? In any case, I responded to his inquiries in turn.
"My name is Azure, and I'm on my way to a town called Wildfire."
He was certainly very outgoing, continuing the conversation with a great big smile on his face, which offset his otherwise ominous red eyes. We kept on chatting the time away about his past and interest in trains until-
Ding! We have arrived at Wildfire Station. Please watch your step when exiting the train.
Having reached my stop, I waved good-bye to my newfound feline friend, and stepped off onto the station platform. Upon exiting the station, I was taken aback by the beautiful scenery that lay before me in this warm, beachside town. There were two majestic waterfalls on either side of the landscape. The one to my left poured fiercely down into the ocean, whereas the one on my right fed the meandering river that flowed across the center of town. I could see the various resident's houses scattered throughout, including a particularly tall castle-like structure at the far end of the area. Before I could stand in awe at the sight of my new hometown much longer, I was greeted by a youthful kid with fiery orange hair in a messy, unkempt style. He was the same height as I was with a childish face, but I had a feeling he was older than his appearance suggested. For some reason, he was wearing nothing but a grass skirt and a bandage on his face. My guess was he came straight from a hula dancing contest. Either that, or he wanted to put the "wild" in Wildfire.
"Hi there!" He greeted cheerfully, "You must be Azure, the new guy who's moving in to this fine town! My name is Slash, and I'm the mayor here! Lemme give ya the Wildfire Grand Tour!"
He guided me around the entire village, introducing me to the other residents, as well as showing me the main landmarks. I also become fast friends with Lucky the laid-back mummy dog, and the dance fanatic mouse, Chadder. After the excursion had concluded, the orange-haired mayor asked, "Now that you've seen it all, have ya decided where ya wanna build your house?" After some consideration, I chose to have it built near the bridge at the center of town, which the locals have dubbed "Lunar Bridge" because of it's great view of the night sky.
"Alrighty then! I'll talk to Tom Nook about getting your house set up, Azure! I'll even take care of your housing expenses for ya! …Under one condition."
Curious of what the caveat could be, I asked what it was.
"Well, I'm currently doing some scientific research on bettering the lives of Wildfire's residents. Though I have made some progress, I'm kinda suffering from a lack of work space at the moment… What I'm asking is to be able to use your house as my research lab. But not the whole house! I just need one room. I'll provide ya with a nice, cozy bedroom upstairs! Ya can even crash at my place until construction is completed! Whaddya say?"
It was quite a generous deal, even if I have one less room to myself. And besides, his work will do much good for everyone in the town, right? With not a second wasted, I took him up on his offer.
As the sun set, we made our way over to his house overlooking the ocean, the same looming structure I saw all the way from the station. Being the mayor certainly has its perks. As the last rays of daylight faded from the sky, I laid down in a comfy hammock in the main room of Slash's expansive island-themed home. Before closing my eyes to sleep, I took a moment to reflect on the events that transpired that day. Getting a home in a peaceful and picturesque village, receiving help from an eccentric, yet generous mayor; befriending the quirky, but still relatable residents… I thought life could only get better from there.
Oh, how very, very wrong that statement would turn out to be… Little did I know, I would soon long the company that furry ferroequinologist I met earlier on my journey here…