". . . Wake up."

My eyes pop open as a harsh voice disrupts me from my sleep. My vision is slightly blurry but, after a few seconds, focus on none other than the Witch Princess.

"Ugh, what?" I asked her grouchily. How dare she interrupt my sleep, no one invited her inside my house. I was having such a nice dream too…

"Oh good, you're awake." A wicked smile crossed her lips and she holds out a piece of paper to me. I throw the covers off my body and stretch, before snatching the paper from her hands. "You have a letter from the Harvest King." She explains before I could ask. "Read it."

The Harvest King? Shit.

Well, that definitely woke me up. All my previous anger drains away immediately, replaced by an onslaught of nervousness as I unfold the letter, and I feel the Witch Princess' eyes on me as I started to read.

"Hello, this is the Harvest King.

The Harvest Goddess and the Harvest Sprites were punished because YOU didn't work.

They've been sent away to another world.

If you work hard and achieve your goals, I will return the Harvest Sprites and the Harvest Goddess to this world.

Do you understand?

The two Harvest Sprites at the Harvest Sprite Station, and Guts at Harvest Sprite, Inc. are still in this world, so they should be able to help you get started.

Well, do your best.

Sincerely,

the Harvest King"

". . .," My mouth is too dry. I can't bring myself to speak.

The Witch Princess sighs too loudly and I don't even bother to keep myself from glaring at her.

"It's going to be lonely now that I have nobody to argue with," She murmurs to herself, then she turns her attention back to me and pats me on the back in a fashion I could almost interpret as reassuring, if it hadn't been coming from her. "Well, work very hard. I'm counting on you."

And then she disappeared without a trace to suggest she'd even been there. But the paper in my hand confirms that this is really happening...

I could hardly touch my breakfast; I hadn't even thought to put milk in my cereal. The dry flakes were just staring me in the face.

I didn't think my laziness was that big of a deal?

I understand that my taking over the ranch was my father's dying wish... But, damn it, I didn't ask for the job.

I didn't mean for the Harvest Goddess and the Harvest Sprites to get in trouble for my actions. Now, I have to make the ranch a success again, like when dad ran it. Not just for him, but to get the Harvest Sprites and Goddess back to this world. I… I don't have a choice. Starting now, everything HAS to change. I have to…

My train of thought goes astray as I look up and see what looks like... no, they definitely are a pair of turquoise eyes staring back at me through my window. I blink and they're gone. There's no way I just imagined them. I scramble ungracefully to my feet, knocking over my cereal in the process and burst out the door.

I'm met by my dog, Reilly, tail wagging and yipping happily. I bend down and scratch her between her ears, but I'm not really paying attention to her as I look around for any sign of that turquoise eyed stranger.

Of course, nothing.

I know I didn't make them up. They're burning into the back of my mind. The curiosity in them, the brilliant color…

I think I have a new favorite color.