AN: So here we are! Chapter 2!~ What does this chapter have in store for our protagonists and.. why in the world am I letting Amir give stuff to Sherry? I don't even know. It's just a crazy rollercoaster ride. ALSO! I'm horrible at writing fight scenes.. Geh..


She paused, frowning at the fact she couldn't participate in the festival. Watching Antoinette, Freya, Claire and Joan compete made her feel slightly out-of-place. Like she wasn't supposed to be watching but competing and making sure she brought home the prize. But, unfortunately, Sherry wouldn't allow her and she was forced to watch them all get judged by Pierre. It took them until 2PM to finish the festival and Sherry lead Aria back to the mayor's house for tea and snacks.

Aria remained silent, even when Lloyd and Felix joined them. She listened to them and just nodded when she was supposed to. Keeping quiet seemed to be the key to keeping herself calm and out of danger. A few times Sherry had to nudge her into speaking when asked about her current health, how the farm was doing and whatnot. It didn't do much to quell the worries that both Lloyd and Felix had. She'd keep her mouth shut, for as long as it took, until the day was over and she could lay in bed and go over what happened that day in her head.

She'd already decided she'd sell the ranch. She'd leave, and go back to being a wanderer. Tomorrow was the best day to do such a thing. No one would suspect her leaving during the bazaar. No one would see her leave with the crowds of people. She planned it out in silence and, when she was allowed to go home, Lloyd walked her home to make sure she didn't do anything.

"..You're an idiot." He stated. Aria shook her head and kept walking. Lloyd had to grab her by the arm and make her stop and look at him. His eyes seemed like they'd bore holes into her, and she backed off a bit, pulling her arm out of his grasp. Lloyd didn't grab her arm again and lead her home, intent on staying the night so he'd make sure that she didn't do anything drastic to herself at night.

Aria didn't sleep that night. Instead, she waited until Lloyd had fallen asleep near her to move and get out. No, she couldn't leave during the bazaar. She had to leave now and never come back. They'd find a better farmer, someone more competent than she. And that would mean they'd expand the bazaar further... and make it a lot better than what she had done. The animals would do without her.. and she was glad that Enrique hadn't gotten any pets for her to buy. She didn't want to leave her pets behind, no matter what she decided. So it was better this way.

Packing up some things as quietly as she could, she headed for the barn to leave that way. Lloyd would probably wake up and make her go back to bed. She didn't want that. She wanted the best for Zephyr Town and, if the best meant that she had to leave.. then so be it. Aria would leave and let a better farmer arrive. Continuing onward, Aria left the house and walked down the familiar beaten path. No one was out this late, which made it better.

The familiar path didn't do anything but lead her way to the entrance of Zephyr Town. To where the Bazaar was always held. She looked on with sorrow. This place she'd never return to. Aria knew that once she left, the Bazaar would never be the same. They'd get a new farmer, though, and they'd forget about her.

Just as she was about to leave through the town entrance, a voice rang out.

"What.. in the hell.. do you think you're doing, Aria?!"

Aria froze. Someone had seen her leave. Someone had seen her trying to leave and was trying to make her stay and ruin the town more. She didn't want that. She didn't want them to suffer because of her. She wanted them to have a better Bazaar, a nicer farmer.. Not her.

"I'm leaving." She stated firmly. Aria didn't turn to look at them. "They'll find a new farmer. I'm just holding them back from the greatness they rightfully deserve. It's not as if people will miss me."

"..You.. You fucking idiot, Aria.." Whoever it was.. they were seriously out of breath. Aria shook her head and started walking out of the town. She could hear footsteps and, whoever it was, grabbed her hard by the arm and refused to let go. Aria struggled until she was met with a warm embrace. Her struggling ceased and she stood there in shock.

"You're the most idiotic, selfish farmer I have ever met." Now that she was closer to the person who refused to let her go, she was able to recognize his voice. It was Lloyd. Lloyd.. had come to stop her from leaving Zephyr Town. Why had he? Didn't he want her to leave?

"Let go of me, Lloyd." Aria commanded, trying to push away from him. "Let me go. Zephyr Town doesn't need a terrible shopkeep in their Bazaar."

He kept his grip strong, refusing to let her go. Aria continued to struggle against him, instead trying to get him to let go of her and let her leave Zephyr Town. She wanted to go, she wanted to leave and never look back. It was about time for her to leave and make a new life somewhere else.

A wanderer never stayed in one place for too long, anyhow.

Lloyd refused to let go of her, causing her to struggle even more. She was a farmer in top shape and he was a former world traveller who probably let himself go after ending up here in Zephyr Town. And yet his grip was strong, as if he had never stopped making sure he was in shape for anything. Then again, ores were pretty heavy so maybe it was that. Aria didn't want to know, and she didn't really need to be fighting against Lloyd. She just wanted to leave, to go back to being a wanderer and never settling anywhere for more than a week. She'd gotten too comfortable, and they were growing sick of her.

Just like everyone else in her life.

She struggled harder, finally stomping on Lloyd's foot and causing him pain, which let him go as he let out a cry of pain. This was her chance. Immediately, she turned around and started to run, not caring that she was leaving behind someone that had found her and was trying to make her stay. She'd leave, and she'd never come back to Zephyr Town.

Ever.


Once the pain had subsided, Lloyd immediately headed back to town, not caring how winded he got from running. He was banging on the Mayor's door hard enough to bruise his hand but he didn't care. Lloyd wasn't about to let the best thing that had happened to this town just run away.

"Lloyd, it's midnight... Shouldn't you be in bed?" Sherry asked with a yawn.

"Not now." He pushed past her, making her eyes widen in shock. He'd never been this forceful in things before. Sherry wondered what had happened but it wasn't the time to ask. Instead, she allowed Lloyd to go upstairs and wake her father, wincing as he bellowed at him for the wake-up call. Lloyd must have said something to Felix, because he was barrelling downstairs in moments, halfway dressed in his clothes.

"Alert the town. We need to retrieve Aria." Felix said, his voice carrying a grave tone. "Lloyd just told me she ran off, intent on leaving. Go, and hurry!"

"Y-yes, Father!" Sherry gave a nod, turning on her heel and running outside, calling as loud as she could to rouse everyone from their sleep. About an hour later, the majority of the town was awake and in the square, looking bedraggled and tousled. Some even looked like they were upset from the rude awakening. Most of them were alert, however, when the Mayor arrived fully clothed and with a serious look on his face.

They had to go after Aria. To return her home. Felix split them into groups and, when they all were dressed as decently as they could be in a few minutes, the groups headed out of town and to the outside of Zephyr Town.


Angelo gave a yawn and closed his sketchbook. He'd lost track of time and had started drawing in the moonlight. He knew that it was bad to draw in the dark, so he had gotten up and put his sketchbook away, intent on returning to town to sleep. A rustle in the bushes stopped him from moving and he got on the defensive. Something rushed out at him and he barely had time to react, dodging to the side and turning around, pulling out a scalpel that he kept on his person for paint-related projects. It growled low, and Angelo had a moment of panic before steeling himself.

It wasn't unlike in the city slums, having to fight animals.. but those animals were in human clothing. Not animals. He wasn't scared, though. He wasn't going to let himself get scared over fighting a wolf. It lunged again and nearly tackled Angelo to the ground. Swiftly dodging again, he kicked the wolf in the side, hearing it whine and hit the ground. It was probably hungry, but Angelo wasn't about to be its next meal.

He attacked before it could, hearing the yelp and watching the shadow run off into the distance.

Giving a sigh, he cleaned off the scalpel and put it in his bag, turning around only to meet the gaze of Aria. She'd seen everything, and backed up. Giving a smile, he held out a hand.

"Don't worry, Aria. I won't hurt you."