To those gathered out on the dock at the edge of Harmonica Town it seemed only fitting that their assembly coincided with the first cold rain of the fall season. The gentle shower that tapped amongst the group's umbrellas seemed to represent the tears that were welling up inside many of them due to Kasey's impending departure but remained unshed. Perhaps they might have been those of the Goddess herself, saddened to see the one whom helped save her homeland now set to return to his own home.
"So this is it huh?" Molly asked somberly as she stood off to her brother's side.
Kasey's gaze stayed fixated on the uneven sea that stretched before them, the waters as grey as the clouds above. "Seems like it." He answered in a distant tone.
It was obvious that his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts but nonetheless Molly continued. "Don't you forget to write to us all once you get settled back in the city. We'll all be waiting, and hey, maybe… maybe you can find time to come and visit us again at some point, real soon."
Kasey drew his attention away from the waters and looked towards Molly. The faux sense of cheerfulness she had attempted to display was easily given away not only by her tone but also the looming sense of grief in her eyes. He offered her a smile that was just as much of a lie.
Molly considered her next words carefully. "You… you don't have to go if you really don't want to…"
The 'smile' across Kasey's face instantly vanished as he looked back out to the sea. "She said it'll work out this time… things will be different…"
"Will they Kasey?" She asked as her tone became noticeably more aggressive. "After what happened last time? After she threw away half of your stuff and kicked you out to the curb? Now things will be different?"
"I owe it to her to try…" He quietly replied.
"Owe her for what?" Molly practically shouted. "For breaking your heart more times than I can count? For keeping you up all those nights while you cried about her? For making yo-"
"Molly!" Kasey snapped before pausing. His view turned to the small crowd that continued to stand in silence a short distance away as he tried to calm himself, diverting Molly's attention there for a brief moment as well. "Please…"
Molly looked into his fragile eyes that appeared ready to shatter. "I'm sorry Kasey, it's just… I've never seen you truly happy until you decided to come here…"
Kasey hesitated to muster up a response and turned back to the ocean.
"I had nowhere else to go… not after she, well you know…" He eventually responded.
Molly was about ready to express her contempt for Kasey's beloved nightmare back in the city once more but decided to keep her grievances to herself this time.
"You've done so well for yourself here." She stated. "Everyone here really appreciates all the work you've done to help keep the town running."
A smile came across Kasey's face as he let out a snort. "Is that it? You don't want me to leave since I'm the one managed to do all the work around here?" He asked in a joking manner.
Though Molly was no less displeased that he still sounded set on leaving his passing attempt at lightening the mood was enough to get her to smile back.
"Hey, I worked hard too you know." She asserted while giving him a light jab in the stomach with the back of her hand. "I'm not about to let everyone here think I live here for nothing."
"Heh, well I hope you have what it takes to live up to my apparent incredible talent then." He laughed. "After all, like you said everyone loves me."
"Hmmm, yeah…" Molly muttered as her tone shifted. "Everyone…"
It took Kasey a moment to register her hasty relapse back into disappointment. Slowly, he could feel as his smile disappeared.
"Please stay…" She begged in a near whisper. "For her…?"
Kasey shut his eyes and turned away from her.
"I… I can't… You know she hates me now…" He replied.
"But she doesn't!" She pleaded. "She doesn't hate you; she's just upset that you're leaving us and her… for her…"
"But she wants me back." He replied after a pause. "What am I supposed to do just tell her no?"
It took just about every fiber in her being for Molly to restrain herself from simply shouting 'yes' at him.
"You two seem so good for one another though. The way you helped each other grow and smile… Kasey… I never thought I could see two people so happy together."
Kasey remained silent.
"Why are you so afraid to be happy…?" Molly asked.
"Because Molly… anytime I find something that makes me happy it always ends up falling apart shortly after…" He confessed, his tone tired and defeated.
"So what, you're just going to end it yourself by running back to some place where you're just going to do the same song and dance? Is that what you're going to do?" She asked. She felt as though her questioning might have been too harsh but given that his happiness and potentially his heart hung in the balance she didn't feel like there was much of a choice.
"It's not that simple…" He began. "Don't you remember? Clara and I were the same the first time around… Super quiet… lonely… what if… what if I was the reason she changed? What if me helping her blossom is what caused her to become so…" He sighed. "I don't want the same thing to happen to Candace…"
"But Candace isn't like that!" She argued. "Even if she did start becoming more outgoing there's no way she'd end up like Clara. Besides, if you know she's no going to be no good for you why are you even bothering going back to try and 'patch things up?'"
Kasey's eyes glanced up at the water to meet the sight of Pascal's boat near the horizon as he sounded its horn. "I guess I just know what to expect there…"
Molly looked out to the group still off to the side and saw as they made their approach. "I know I sounded a little harsh just now but it's only because I want to see you choose what's best for you."
Kasey mumbled what might have been "Thanks."
"Well I guess this is it Kasey." Mayor Hamilton greeted as him and the group gathered around the pair. "I'd like to personally thank you before you go for everything you've done to help restore Castanet to its former glory."
"Hm, it was nothing really." Kasey shrugged. "You should thank Molly since she was the reason I came here in the first place."
He glanced over at her and smiled, causing her to smile back. At least he didn't seem to be upset with her.
"Well we appreciate your role in all of it." Hamilton specified. "You'll always be welcome here."
Paolo and Chloe then hurried up beside Hamilton and stared up at Kasey.
"Kasey! Kasey! Look what we got you!" Paolo exclaimed as he revealed the small spiral seashell in his hand to him. "We spent all morning looking for a going away present for you."
"Yeah! We thought we weren't going to make it in time." Chloe added.
Kasey took the shell from Paolo and examined it with notable interest.
"Wow, it's really pretty, thanks you two." He said.
"Do you really have to go?" Paolo whined.
The sense cheer faded from Kasey's face.
"You'll come back and play with us again soon right?" Chloe asked.
Kasey tried his hardest to smile as he crouched down before the duo. "Don't you guys worry, I'll be back again… probably." He muttered that last part quietly.
After a moment Kasey rose back up to his feet and looked among the group. The individual goodbyes they offered to him registered to his ears as nothing but white noise as he scanned the crowd in vain for any sign of Candace. Despite how much he tried to deny it to Molly just moments prior while his mind seemed set on returning to the city his heart had hopes to remain in Castanet with her. As strong as his feelings for her might have been it felt hopeless to try and act on them if she wasn't even going to fight for him to stay in Castanet herself.
A sound eventually did manage to attract his attention though it was only the sound of Pascal's horn going off again as he finally reached the docks
"I guess this is it…" He sighed as he tugged on the straps of his backpack.
Molly wandered over to his side and brushed her hand against his. He turned to look over at her as she interlocked their fingers together. Her eyes pleaded for him to reconsider his decision one last time but he simply looked back at the crowd before lightly shaking his head. Whether she'd admit to it or not it was clear to him by their expressions that she had already gone over in full detail the reason for his departure, though the kind of tone she took when doing so was anyone's guess. He didn't doubt that they were all sad to see him go but couldn't help but suspect they might be playing up their sorrow to an extent.
None of that mattered though, not if Candace wasn't out there with them.
"Well, we leave whenever you're ready." Pascal told him, his tone noticeably disappointed.
Molly felt as Kasey slowly slid his hand out of her grip and stepped over towards the boat. He was just about to address Pascal when a voice shouting in the distance captured his attention.
"Kasey! Don't you dare get on that boat just yet!" It hollered.
He turned his attention back towards town and watched as Luna hurried over to him.
"L-Luna? What are you doing here?" He asked. He was admittedly disappointed that the voice that so forcefully called for him to stop wasn't Candace's but the surprise that came from it being that of her sister was even greater.
"Oh what, did you really think I didn't like you enough to come and say goodbye?" She huffed with an obvious sense of sarcasm.
Had the circumstances been different he would have likely engaged with her in a match of childish insults as was typical of them but this obviously wasn't the appropriate time.
"Really…?" He questioned with utmost sincerity.
"Well… well yeah." She answered, seeming to have expected him to give her at least some form of grief.
"Thanks… that means a lot…" He replied.
"Hmph, just don't let it get to your head." She smirked. "Even I can recognize when I need to put our petty difference aside."
Kasey simply smiled as the two entered in awkward silence as his stare at her seemed to indicate he was waiting for her to continue.
"Kasey… she's… she's not coming…" Luna finally spoke.
Kasey looked as though his heart had just begun to shatter.
"Luna… you… you can't be…?" He uttered.
"I'm sorry Kasey, I tried, I really did." She apologized as her view wandering over to Molly as if to address her more so than him.
Kasey's head sank. "But…"
"You're leaving us and her for some girl who's going to treat you like garbage, far worse than I ever could." Luna started to holler at him, unleashing the full might of the anger that had been forming within her for the past few weeks. "Why on earth would you even think for a moment that she believes you actually care about her?"
"But she's the one who ditched me once she found out I was leaving, not me!" Kasey argued back. Even he could admit that it was an incredibly shallow way to try and justify his feelings but he felt like he had to say something. "We could've… I don't know… we could have tried to make something work…"
"Don't you dare try to use that excuse!" Luna snapped. "You know full well how delicate Candace is! When I came back here from the city and saw what you were doing to her I'll admit that I thought you were up to something trying to get her to open up but even I came around to approving your 'friendship.' But if you think you can go and play with my sister's heart like that and just drop her when it's convenient for you you're going to have hell to pay!"
"Her… her heart…?" He said softly.
Luna took a deep breath to calm herself down. "She really did like you Kasey… She really did… then when she learned that she's just second-rate compared to your little princess back home she was completely devastated, you of all people should know that's how she'd react. She feels like these past few seasons have been a waste and has gone back to just locking herself away in the house…"
Kasey sunk even further into his position. He had tried his best to avoid considering her feelings but now that they were being revealed to him like this he felt like a complete monster. The rain continued to pummel against the back of his head for what felt like an eternity as he stood before everyone in silence. Slowly, he eventually raised his head and looked at Luna, then Molly, then Pascal. Each of them gave him a silent nod.
Down at Sonata Tailoring, Candace found herself staring out the window of her room at the rain that beat against it. Its rhythmic tapping helped keep her mind off of whatever scene could be taking place at the docks. The faster the day was over the sooner she could get back to her typical days of work and solitude.
"Luna's been gone for quite some time now." She heard Shelly say from the doorway.
She gripped the curtain at her side and quietly nodded without turning back.
"I hope she doesn't spend too long saying goodbye out there. I'd hate it for her to come down with something." She continued.
Candace tightened her grip on the fabric and clenched her eyes shut just as much.
"Y-Yeah…" She said back.
"Maybe you'd… like to bring her an umbrella?" Shelly suggested.
"N-No…" Candace answered. "I-If she decides to stay out t-then what would I use to get back h-home?"
Shelly let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright…"
As she turned to leave the room a knock at the door attracted her attention.
"Oh, maybe that's her." She remarked as she went to go answer it.
Candace brought the curtain in her hand up to her face and began to quietly sob as she heard her grandmother open the door and speak with whoever had arrived.
"Just a few more hours…" She thought to herself.
"Candace…?" Some said from behind, startling her.
She let out an audible gasp and quickly turned to spot Kasey standing about halfway in the room.
Tears continued to gently cascade down her cheeks as she stared at him with her mouth agape.
"K-Kasey…?" She said back.
The room fell silent as the two looked upon each other. Neither was sure how to start.
"Luna came to see me off…" Kasey finally spoke. "She… she told me you'd be here…"
Candace shut her eyes and turned back to the window. "I-I have w-work I need to d-do today… I… I don't w-want to k-keep you…"
"No, Candace, I… I'm not sure…" He paused. He didn't want to outright say he was no longer going back home since in what felt like the high chance she considered them irreconcilable he planned on making a hasty retreat back to the city, yet he didn't intend to leave without making a serious attempt to patch things up. "I just wanted to… … I really screwed up."
She remained unmoved.
"I… I didn't mean to hurt you Candace… I didn't mean to lead you on… I… I didn't mean to do a lot of things…" She continued to look away from him. "I didn't mean to make you feel so insignificant…"
"N-No… it's f… f…" She couldn't finish the thought. "Kasey, I… I really… L-L-Li… L-Liked… you meant a lot to me…"
"You meant a lot to me too… no, mean, a lot to me Candace…" He said as he drew closer to her. "I don't want you to feel like your second best compared to someone else… you're not, it's just… I'm afraid…"
She looked back at him and wiped away the tears in her eyes, though it didn't completely stop the waterworks. "A-Afraid…?"
"Candace I've been down that road before… getting to know someone… feeling happy… and well… if it doesn't work out it… it hurts… a lot…" He explained.
"S-So… you g-got to that o-outcome faster…?" She asked.
He hung his head in shame. There was no reason for him to have even thought she wasn't smart enough to see that.
"Candace I… I don't want to go…" He admitted. "I don't want go if it means that everything's going to go back to how it was before I came here…"
"Then d-don't…" She replied.
"But I just… I don't want to stay here if it means knowing you'll hate me while I do…" He finished.
Candace took a moment before replying.
"K-Kasey I… I don't hate you… a-and I w-won't… I… I just… Things don't have to restart w-whether you stay or go… I… I just d-don't know if we can ever g-go back to the way we were…"
Kasey gave a light smile. Despite her apparent return back to her isolated self he was happy to see she was still more than capable of giving a voice to her inner most feelings.
"So… if I stay… you wouldn't want to even be friends…?" He asked.
"I-It really hurt to f-find out why you were leaving… I guess it also h-hurt to realize what you did…" She replied.
Kasey softly nodded.
"I don't think it would h-hurt if… if we tried to make t-things easier by not avoiding each other…" She answered.
The pair looked at each other through tear stained eyes and smiled at one another. Slowly Candace crept from her spot at the window and walked up to Kasey before wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm so so sorry Candace…" He apologized.
He felt her tighten her grip around him.
"I'm… I'm going to stay… For you, for Molly, for everyone… I'll stay…" He nearly wept.
"T-Thank you Kasey…" She sniveled. "Thank you…"
The two continued their embrace until a rumble of thunder came from the window. Given the weather's earlier ability to match up with the mood Kasey would've expected the sun to have shined through instead.
"Hm, I should probably let everyone back at the dock know so they can finally get out of the rain." He jokingly remarked.
Candace detached herself from him and turned back to the window.
"Luna… Luna was kind of mad at me before I came over here…" Kasey confessed. "Think maybe you can come with me and show her were okay so she doesn't try to kill me?"
Candace looked back at him. "I can t-try." She smiled.
As the pair readied themselves to return to the dock Kasey found himself unable to remove the smile on his face. Just this morning he had felt that happiness was something to run away from but now it was clear that happiness, though sometimes fleeting, could endure if he fought for it. Sure, his potential future with Candace was up in the air but having that chance was a lot better than the alternative of nothing.
Inspired by the by the song of the very same title, "Don't Walk Away" by ELO if you couldn't guess.