AN: I have been writing this story on and off (mostly off) for the past few months. I also write this in the late hours of the night, so that is why some of the story is crazier then most of my more awake, lucid stories. I hope you like this tale!

Mist's Birthday: Birthdayless

Mist's POV

I was so excited! Today was none other than the first of autumn, and anyone who knew me knew why that day was so important. It was my birthday! Did you know it's very lucky to be born on the first? Luck was with me that day when it came around.

First, Rosetta brought a turnip-shaped cake for me before she turned around to go run Materia. I had a small bite of the yummy cake before I heard Anette zoom to my house. I walked outside and saw her with a package and a few letters for me. She handed the mail to me and began talking.

"Happy birthday, Mist!" she said breathlessly. "Now I gotta get going, but I just wanted to say happy birthday!" Anette sped off, several Woolies following behind her.

I began to look through my birthday mail. I had received a letter from Zavier telling me that I simply must return to Kardia, especially since it was my birthday and he wanted to spend some time with me. I quickly wrote a response that told him that I had unfinished business in Trampoli, and it was such a nice place that I didn't want to leave. Then there was a note from Anette that read: "Happy Birthday! –Anette," and the package was also from her. I ripped apart the package and removed its contents. Inside was a turnip. I was so glad Anette had been thoughtful enough to take time out of her busy schedule to give me a birthday gift.

The final letter made my heart flutter. Raguna had given me a small note that said:

"Happy birthday, Mist. I have a surprise for you that I think you'll like. -Raguna"

Raguna. I first met him when he was near death in front of my house. After handing him gardening supplies and some water, he seemed to be fine. And after I had left Kardia, he followed me here to Trampoli, which was fine with me. When I had left, I missed him, but I had a good reason for leaving, so I was happy to be neighbors again.

Rosetta and Anette weren't the only ones to visit me on my special day. I had a lot of other people come bearing gifts. Eunice came, along with Lara, and some of the others as well.

I enjoyed their various turnip-related gifts, but one question continued to echo in my mind:

Where was Raguna?

Raguna's POV

I woke up at 6:00 AM as usual, and then I checked my calendar. Circled on the first day of Autumn was Mist's Birthday, and boy did I have a surprise for her.

I had given Anette a note to give to Mist, so that she'd get excited for a birthday present.

I began to sow the seeds I had retrieved from Erik and Rosetta the day before, but it was still tiring, and I still had something special to do.

After finishing up with my field, I went to water my crops in the Green Ruins, and receive the gift she had wanted so badly for an entire year. A single Emery Flower.

I went down into the darkest and lowest parts of the green ruins, watering all of my crops down there, until a Rune glowed in front of my Emery Flower patch, illuminating the flowers worth more than gold. I plucked the nine flowers and headed out to go to the Lava Ruins.

No POV (or 3rd person perspective)

Mist looked back toward Raguna's homestead, wondering where he went. The sun was already setting, and as Mist checked her clock, 6:00 was quickly fading to 7:00. He hadn't come back home for anything, and she hadn't seen him at all during the entire day. Mist would have been more worried, but this was Raguna. If he knocked himself out in a dungeon, he would come crawling back the next day. Sure, the surprise wouldn't be a birthday present, but she could wait.

Mist entered her house and locked the door. As the sun started to set, she began to set water to a boil and put a kettle on for tea. She didn't get very far in her cooking before a familiar knock –four brisk taps- hit her door.

"It's open," she said, before turning back to her cooking.

She heard both of the doors swing open as someone stepped inside. She watched the boiling water simmer and the tiny bubbles form and pop. Many might say that a watched pot doesn't boil, but Mist thought that watching water boil was fascinating.

Because of this fact, she was very annoyed when her surprise visitor covered her eyes with their hands.

"Guess who?" the mystery person asked in a muffled male voice.

Mist thought for a while, trying to figure out who it was. "Erik?"

"Huh?" The guy's hands fell from her eyes. Mist turned around.

Raguna stood in front of her with the mask he won from the Boat Races in his hand. He looked at her crossly, as if expecting more from her.

"What?" she asked.

"Do I really sound like Erik under the mask?" Raguna asked.

"Not really, but sort of," Mist shrugged, turning back to the water that already was boiling. She added two turnips to the steaming water.

After a short while of silence, Raguna began to speak. "I realized that it is a special day for you today."

"Where were you when I was outside? I was wondering where you vanished to."

"It's the first day of a new season, so I needed to get all of my crops planted."

"Oh, then I guess that makes sense." Mist paused. "What is that surprise you talked about in the note?" She tried to hide the excitement building up inside.

"Not much, just a personal favorite." Raguna began fishing out of the bottomless pit he called his rucksack. Mist turned back to the now-screeching kettle, but Raguna tapped her on the shoulder.

In his hands was the rarest flower in the world.

"An Emery Flower? For my birthday? Thank you, Raguna!" Mist did a half-twirl as she placed the flower into a small vase. "Would you like to have tea with me? To help celebrate my birthday?"

Raguna agreed. As he sat down in one of the chairs, Mist added the necessary and the secret ingredients to the tea, and placed two cups in front of him and her seat right across from his own.

Raguna took a hesitant sip of the tea, and pulled the cup away from his mouth in surprise. He set the cup back down on the table. He then cleared his throat.

"Um, Mist, why did you…?" He paused. "Why is the tea turnip flavored?"

"Because I love turnips. I'm surprised that you don't like the tea. It's my specialty, and I only make it on people's birthdays. Isn't it good?" Mist poured more Turnip Tea into her already empty cup.

"It's alright, it's just a little… surprising. Like if you tasted hot milk when you thought it was just milk."

Mist laughed. "Rosetta did that once, only that it was the opposite. It was kind of funny to watch her get angry about it, since her father didn't fix up the drink for her."

Raguna laughed. "I can see her doing that."

"Rosetta is a great friend," Mist said, and with that she got up and dished out the cooked turnips. They weren't freshly picked, —thank goodness—but they were warm and well-cooked. Mist took a fork and dug into them, but then realized she had company. She got another plate and served the other turnip to him.

"Yeah, I guess she is." Raguna looked down at the turnip and bit out a piece.

Mist paused, as if deep in thought. Then her eyes brightened, and she shouted. "Oh, Raguna, you don't have a birthday!"

Raguna shrugged. "I guess I don't. I don't remember anything about it."

Mist giggled.

Raguna looked up at her, and twirled another piece of the turnip with his fork. "What, did I do something?" he stuffed the large piece in his mouth.

"You know, since we haven't been counting your age," Mist said, with total innocence, "you could be a forty-year-old man!"

Raguna started coughing as that statement registered in his head. He tried to drink some of the tea, but he was coughing for a time, and Mist ran over and started patting his back.

After he stopped coughing, Mist asked the obvious question: "Are you okay?"

"I will be," Raguna answered. "You're statement just caught me a bit off guard. I'm pretty certain that I'm not forty. I'm not sure what my age might be, but maybe… early twenties? I don't know,"

"Maybe we could get you a birthday!" Mist suggested.

"'Get me a birthday?' How do you do that?"

"Just pick a day, and it can be your birthday, just like your name."

That's true. He had done worse, like pick his own name, among other things. Raguna guessed that picking a day wouldn't be too queer, considering what he had been through.

"I don't know what day to pick," he said finally.

"Can I pick one for you then?" Mist asked.

Raguna paused. "Why not?"

"Ok." Mist thought for a moment. "Autumn 1st."

"Isn't that today? Shouldn't I be able to pick a different day besides your birthday?"

"I want to share my birthday with you." Mist shouted joyfully.

"Really?"

"There's no one else I'd like to share it with more. You've been my best friend for such a long time, in Kardia and here in Trampoli, that I can't think of a better day for you to have a birthday."

Raguna thought on her comment. "Okay."

"You really want your birthday to be today?" Mist was slightly surprised.

"If it's that important to you then it's fine by me."

"Yes!" Mist jumped from her seat. "I have a present for you!"

Raguna stared at her like she had just said she fell from the sky. "Were you planning this?"

"No, I always give people presents on my birthday. That's what makes it fun." She placed a wrapped box on his lap.

Raguna ripped off the wrapping and took off the top of the box. He stared into the box and at its contents.

"I should have guessed." He pulled out a bag of turnip seeds.

"Do you like it?" Mist asked with pure innocence.

"Yeah. I do." He couldn't stop the sweat drop from appearing from the awkwardness of the situation.

"Isn't this one of your best birthdays ever?" Mist asked, sitting back down across from him.

"It's my only one." Raguna muttered.

"Did you say something?" Mist asked.

"No, but it is my best birthday yet. I'm glad I could spend it with you."

"I'm glad I could spend it with you, too. Happy Birthday, Raguna!"

"Happy Birthday, Mist."

--

AN: Now wasn't that cute! :3 I wrote half of this at 11:00 at night, so some of the humor was by delirium. Many thanks goes to AvaAva, who gave me the idea for the Birthday Parties, and to the fabulous QQ, who is now a betareader, who, like Pacman, ate away at all of my grammar errors. I thank you both. I want to do the birthdays in order coming from Autumn First, which means Selphy's will be next, most likely. I'm gonna have fun with her B-day! :D I might go out of order if I get a better idea for a birthday later in the year. Anyway, press the magic review button and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!

Fairy