Chapter Three:

***Harvest God***

It was years after I put life into Melody's great-granddaughter.

It was dark, cold and snowy.

I sat on my mountian-top, in isolation, as I always have.

And for the first time in a long time, I was taken by surprise.

I was looking out on the iced-over landscape when I heard coughing.

I turned around and looked torward the entrance to the upper Garmon Mine, only to see a small girl dragging a hammer stumble out and crash near the hot springs.

I made my way down the steps to see exactly who had intruded on my solitude.

I turned the small human over on it's back, it was completely unconsious.

She appeared on the younger side, about 8 or 9 years old.

What was such a young girl doing by herself in the mines so late at night?

To be honest, I really didn't care. But I couldn't just let the child die.

I picked her up and carried her like an infant, keeping her warm.

My godly awesomeness started to wear off on her, giving her health.

She was shockingly fragile and petite, I wondered if she ever ate. Her hair was dark with a bright silver streak running though it on the right side of her face.

As a result of my godly awesomeness, the child opened it's eyes still very weak and groggy.

She squinted up at me, hey irises were a storm grey.

I recognized her instantly, this was the child who's life I saved.

She gave me a bewildered look, which I don't blame her for. It's not everyday you wake up to find a highly powerful, glowing deity with amazing hair saving your life... For the second time. She was probobly in awe, or trying to find a proper way to thank me.

She squinted and scutinized me.

Then poked me in the face, twisting her finger into my cheek expirimentevly.

"Aghhhh" I winced. And shooed her hand away... As gently as I could.

She then fell back into unconsiousness.

Well... At least I knew where she belonged now, so I could dump this nusience of a child off at her home. Where I'm sure her parents were exploding with worry.

I teleported myself to the bottom of the mine, and began to carry her home.

It was a long walk to Melody's ranch, but I enjoyed winter.

I soon found myself directly in front of Melody's former home.

I remember the last time I was here... vividly. The shame and hurt washed over me, as it does everytime I think about it.

The young human stirred in my arms, stretching and making those groggy noises humans make when they wake up. She opened her eyes and looked around, obviously in shock.

"Wha-?" She started in a quiet, but high-pitched voice, her eyes wide and clouded with fear.

"Shhhh" I said as comfortingly as I could. "You're home now, you're safe."

I looked at the giant house and saw that all the lights were off. I opened the door, keeping the child cradled in one arm. (She was about the size of my forearm)

The inside of the house was plain, but well furnished. Pretty typical in appearance.

Everything was dark, so my red aura made everything look... Well, red.

The poor child must be terrified.

"Am I dead?" She asked innocently.

"No, no." I tried my best to sound soothing.

No one was home, her family must be out looking for her.

I put her on a cot on the eat side of the main room. And took my leave.

I was just about to exit, when something caught my eye.

It was a picture on the wall.

Of Melody.

The frame was elegant, but the picture itself was showing it's age.

She was standing in her field petting a horse, one hand on her hip. She was smiling that beautiful smile of hers.

I didn't realize I was staring until the little girl called out in a tiny voice;

"Thank you, sir."

I turned around and smiled a reflectice, ancient smile.

"Your welcome, human." I replied.

"I have a name." She said, getting up. "It's Kyoko."

She was quite dignified for a kid.

"That's nice." I replied, obviously uninterested, trying to leave.

"Wait-!" She called out running torwards me. "Don't you have one?"

"A what?" I asked, really just wanting to leave.

"A name." She explained slowly, as if explaining something to an imbecile.

Little brat...

"No." I replied shortly.

"Oh, well then thank you anyway stranger." She grinned at me.

I heared voices coming torwards the house, it must be her family. I teleported myself out, back to my mountian-top.

I gazed in on the girl, to make sure she was ok. Her mother and father and what appeared to be her older brother surrounded her.

"Oh Kyoko!" They would say, "Thank the GODDESS!"

Wrong deity... But whatever.

I looked up at the dark winter sky.

"I hope I am a little closer to repaying you Melody..."

***Kyoko***

I woke up, startled. I had that dream again.

Ever since he saved me so long ago when I got lost in the mines one day, I always dream of the glowing red man with no name.

I've had that same dream every night for 8 years.

Goddess knows, I've forgotten what he really looks like over the years. But he was surely not human.

My mother interrupted my thoughts by rapping on the door of my room.

"Kyoko! Wake up! Wake UP! You have chores, young lady!"

"Yeah, ok mom!" I yelled back. Yeesh.

I never told anyone how I found my way home that night, not even my brother, Yuki.

They'd think I was a loon.

I cleaned myself up and went out to the main room of the house to get assigned my chores.

"Kyoko, I need you to water. Yuki, we're going to upgrade some tools, so if you'd be so kind. I need you to do some mining." My mother ordered.

"Yes m'am!" Yuki exclaimed preparing to set out.

"Mom, why don't you let me do the mining?" I asked, challengingly.

The woman hesitated.

"Kyoko, you know why I can't let you do that. You're so frail... and the last time your father talked me into letting you give it a go..." A pained expression took hold of her face.

When I was born, I was really weak. I crawled until I was like, 4. And everyone's been holding that against me my whole life.

"Mom, I was eight! I haven't been to the mines since then! I think I can handle it!" I argued, knowing I would lose.

"Go water the crops, Kyoko."

"Bu-"

"Go."

And that was that

Yuki gave me an apologetic look.

So I went to go and water the stupid crops.

Buckwheat.

Super.

What the hell do you even DO with buckwheat?

Stupid, useless buckwheat...

I took a moment from my pity-party to look up at the mountian where I met the magic stranger.

I'll bet if my parents would just let me go, I could find him again...

I looked down and saw I had drowned a plot of buckwheat. Looks like I dazed off too long.

Oh well, stupid buckwheat. It deserved it.