I was planning to write another JillxSkye oneshot, but I decided to write a multi-chapter fic. Hopefully it isn't too bad. ;^;
Disclaimer : I don't own the Harvest Moon franchise or Harvest Moon DS Cute, along with its characters.
A Perfect Sky
Prologue
It was dark and clear on that Wednesday, and Jill had to constantly remind herself why she was roaming the Valley so late at night.
The farmer had been awoken by her phone's violent ringing, and she was surprised to hear that Lumina had lost her precious kitten. Eager to aid the young woman, Jill rushed out of bed and towards the large mansion in the very outskirts, hoping that she could find the cat before the clock hit midnight.
A sharp 'meow' pierced through Jill's ears; she quickly jerked around to find the source of the sound, but was disappointed when she saw that her own cat had followed her outside of the Ranch. Gesturing for Crescent to return home, she continued down the road that led to Lumina's home, only guided by the moonlight that shone above her. It was so late that the Blue Bar was getting ready to close, which gave Jill even more incentive to finish her favor as soon as she could. The eerie, shadowed look of the town sent shivers down her spine, and her pace quickened with every creak or shutter that she heard.
For some unknown reason, the mansion was unnaturally quiet when she finally reached it; Jill expected to hear the piano being played or Romana watching her classic soap operas, but the entire area was silent, save for a sharp squeak that hit the air at the same time that Jill reached the mansion's doors. The situation became even more mysterious when a gray-haired man exited the house with a parcel of some sorts in his arms, his eyebrows perked at the sight of Jill standing in front of the entrance.
"... Hmm?" the boy inquired, clutching the parcel tighter as Jill's gaze failed to leave his. The boy was way too young to be affiliated with Romana in any sort ... maybe he was a second cousin? The last time she checked, gray hair didn't run in the family, though. Or maybe Lumina called him to aid in the search for her cat? Even though it was obvious that he didn't live anywhere in the valley ...
"Get back here!" a shrill voice exclaimed, prompting Jill to cut the eye contact which she previously shared with the young male. He cocked his head to the side, seemingly soaking in the farmer's features as he began to slowly walk away from the house.
"Why, hello beautiful," he cooed, now standing exactly across from Jill, "What brings you here in the middle of the night?"
The girl could feel a slight blush creep on her cheeks; it wasn't every day that a random man bluntly complimented her. She could tell that he wanted a reply, but her absence of words prompted him to continue his rambles. "Why that blank look? I thought that you would at least enjoy my presence. I am a prince of the stars." He ended his last word with a chuckle, repositioning his grasp on the parcel so he could move his bangs from his face. Jill could feel green orbs cross her brown ones, yet again giving birth to an awkward exchange of eye contact.
"D-do you live nearby?" Jill began, biting her lip at her spoken words, "I mean, I've never seen you around before. I thought that I got to know all of the Valley's residents ..." The young woman couldn't help but to trail off at her sentence; she was never much of a talker, especially when it came to speaking with strangers. The boy laughed once again, positioning himself under the moonlight.
"I'm ... a visitor, to say the least. I'm not really know around these parts, but you can call me—"
The male was suddenly cut off by the sound of fiercely opened door, revealing none other but a furious Lumina behind its shadow. The brunet's teeth were clenched, and Jill could tell that she was shaking as she raised her finger to the young adult who stood before her. "You ... you thief!"
The boy's expression spontaneously turned lucid and dry as he swiftly broke his eyes from Jill's, strengthening his hold on the parcel and pacing towards the mansion's exit. "I'm in a hurry, young maiden. We can continue our conversation some other time," he whispered, shooting a glare at Lumina before he quickened his steps. The teenager flailed her arms, raising her voice to an unnaturally high pitch.
"Damn thief! How dare you!!" she screamed; Romana wouldn't approve of her language, but Lumina couldn't care less. The 'thief' was getting away, but the girl increased the volume of her exclamations. "... Wait!"
"Hold up, beautiful," he spoke, stopping for a split moment — Jill could of sworn that he looked at her when he uttered his sentence. "Don't let such raw anger steal away your beauty. We'll see each other some other time, kay?"
Lumina's face turned a bright, beet red, and she mentally cursed herself for being attracted in the slightest to the Phantom Thief that sped away. While she was concentrating her gaze on the running man, Jill's sight was glazed on the folded note that he had left behind in his haste. During the dead silence that lingered between the two girls, an orange and white kitten emerged from behind some bushes, mewling at its fuming owner.
"At ... at least we found the cat," Jill finally said, sighing as she scooped the calico in her arms. Lumina nodded at her friend's words, and they both concentrated on the moonlight that shone above them. ... And then it hit her.
She didn't know the thief's name.