A/N: This is a short little friendship fic between Tori and Melody, two characters in Rune Factory. If you squint, you'll see hints of shoujo-ai, if you don't, than it's just admiration/friendship. Hope you enjoy!

"Tori! Earth to Tori!!"

"E-Eh?" Tori sputtered, coming to her senses.

Melody gave a wide grin. She tipped her scarlet witch hat up and gave a smirk. "So you're alive."

Tori glanced down at the book she had been reading. "O-Oh. I fell asleep?"

"Yes you did, Tori!" Melody shut the book abruptly. "Now come on. You promised you would come to my bath house today."

Tori glanced around the library. All the books in place...Russell quietly arranging the magic books, Ceci and Nicholas actually reading for once...

"But it's so early," Tori noted, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's only noon."

"It's my bath house," Melody scoffed. "Besides, it'll be just you and me, like old times."

"A-All ri--" Before Tori could even get the words out of her mouth, Melody had grabbed her hand and was pulling her out of the quiet library.

"Bye girls," Russell called, grinning.

"Aahh... This feels great..."

Tori stifled a giggle as her friend sunk lower and lower into the water. "It does," Tori agreed. "Remember when you didn't even like baths?"

"Blasphemy," Melody said, with a mock-shocked expression. "How dare you lie."

"You know you hated them," Tori grinned teasingly. "You said, 'Auntie Terma is wrong. Baths are icky!' You were just like Zavier."

"Auntie Terma is wrong! Baths are icky!"

Tori hid her face behind her mothers skirt as she heard the sounds of a struggle and splashes in the room just ahead. "Mommy...can we just go home?"

Ann laughed and patted her daughters head. "C'mon, sweetie; you don't want to turn into Zavier, do you?"

"I heard that!" Zavier shouted from the boys' section.

"Let's go in and meet her!" Ann said cheerfully.

Tori looked horrified. "B-But mommy! She's sounds so scary!"

Ann cocked an eyebrow, grinning. "Don't be silly."

The eight year old blonde found herself suddenly walking, her hand in her mothers. 'Oh no. Oh no,' she thought desperately. 'No no no no...'

When the two had entered the room, Tori found herself facing a surprisingly cute, but disgruntled pink-haired girl with crossed arms and an odd, red witch hat.

"How dare you compare me to your brother!" Melody gasped, the mock shock expression still rooted to her face. "I was an angel. I was a cherub. I was--"

"--against bathing," Tori teased.

Melody pouted. "But I don't go trying to kill myself in caves or flirting with Mist at every ample oppurtunity!"

"Oh really," Tori stated.

"Sheesh, Tori! You're so shy with everyone else, but you're always teasing me!" Melody whined.

"O-Oh. If you feel that way...I could stop..."

Melody stared at her for a few moments. Then she laughed. It was Tori's turn to stare.

"Wha--?"

"Ah ha ha! You-- ha! 'I could stop!' Ah ha ha!"

"YOWCH! HEY, KNOCK IT OFF!"

"I'M OUTTA HERE!"

"WHOA KID!!"

"Sounds like Zavier," Ann sighed.

"Need help?" a kind woman asked Ann. Apparently the woman was Auntie Terma; she beared a small resemblance to the little girl.

"I'd love it," Ann smiled.

With that, they were gone. Leaving Tori with the witch girl. 'Oh no.'

"Hiya." Suddenly the girl grinned cattily. Tori submerged herself in the hot water nervously.

"H-Hello..." Tori mumbled.

The girl frowned. "Do you hate baths too?"

"N-No," Tori answered.

"I hate 'em! I was studying! Then Auntie Terma said I needed a bath..."

Tori's interest was piqued. "Studying?"

"To be a witch!"

"S-Stop laughing!!" Tori exclaimed, blushing madly.

"Oh Tori." Melody was only giggling now. "I was kidding."

"K-Kidding?"

"Of course!" Melody said. "You wouldn't be the Tori I knew and loved without that devious side!"

Tori blushed harder. "R-Really?"

"Mm-hm!" Melody grinned. "Now as I was saying...uh...what was I saying?"

Tori smiled. "How you...act just like Zavier?"

Melody splashed the water at Tori.

"A...witch?"

"Yes! My name's Melody, and I'm gonna be a witch!" Melody grinned.

"B-But...I've only read about witches," Tori said. "You mean witches exist?"

"Anything is possible!" Melody exclaimed. "What's your name?"

"T-Tori..."

"Well, Tori! I say anything you read about can be done with magic! That's why I wanna be a witch," Melody said. Her eyes widened. "You know what would be cool?"

Tori couldn't help it; she was starting to like Melody; who else did she know who wanted to be a witch? "What?"

"When I get bigger, I'll make whatever you read about come true with my magic! As long as we can be friends!"

"I'd...I'd like that!" Tori grinned. "C-Can we be best friends?" For a moment she was worried; Tori didn't have many friends and didn't know if that was okay to ask. But her worries soon diminished.

"Yeah!" Melody smiled. "Now as my best friend, could you help me escape this bath house?"

"Melody?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember when we first met?" Tori asked.

Melody glanced at her bathhouse; it was almost three and soon a fair many people would arrive. "Uh-huh. You were crazy, Tori!"

"I was not!" Tori insisted. "You were the one who kept trying to use magic to make yourself invisible."

Melody ruffled Tori's hair. "Whatever you say," she grinned.

"H-Hey!"

"Come on; I'll walk with you back to the library," Melody said.

They began to walk, their steps in synch with each others. 'Melody...' Tori pondered. '...We're still so different. I'm still the one who watches, you're still the one who goes for anything...'

Melody felt Tori stare at her and grinned, though with a raised eyebrow. Tori turned red and looked in front of her.

'But you always tried to bring me with you, Melody, and that's what made you my best friend. You still study to be a witch; part of me thinks it's so silly and part of me admires you for it. I've always admired you, I guess... How bold you are...how you follow your dreams...how you make me feel like I can do anything...'

"Tell Russell I said hi!" Melody said cheerily.

"Um...Melody?" Tori asked, glancing at her feet.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being my best friend."

Melody looked taken aback. After a moment, her cheeks started to tint red. "You've read too many sappy romance novels, Tori!"

"I-I have not!"

Melody suddenly squeezed Tori's hand. "Ditto for me."

Tori blushed and looked at Melody's sunny face. Melody let go and trotted off.

"Bye Tori! Stay away from those sappy books!"

Tori giggled under her breath. 'I think I'll always admire you, Melody.'

A/N: I've always liked this couple, but I kept it sort of friendship/admiration, right? So you yuri haters (why would you hate yuri; it's so sweet!) can just interpret it as friendship. It's sappy, it's pointless, but it was fun to write! For the record, Auntie Terma was an OC. Anyways, hope you liked!