Chapter 4: True Blue Hue

"I'm not sure if it will grow here, but I think the soft soil near the Goddess's pond in the mountain might be conducive to its growth," says a man, tanned by many years of sun exposure, to his wife whose skin is as pale as an albino rabbit, "it's bloom will be massive and blue, or so I was told. That's really rare, just like you, my sweet Lillia!"

"Oh my! That is so interesting, Basil! A big, blue flower…"

"Why is it so rare?" asks their daughter, Popuri, who looks just the way her mother would have at her age, as she sweeps the wooden floors of the flower shop. For as long as she can remember, her parents had always loved plants and together they owned the only flower and seed shop in town.

"Ah, my little Poppy seed, have you ever seen a truly blue flower?"

"Yes!" she replies, perceiving the question as offensive, "I actually just saw one yesterday!"

"Hm, indeed you may have, Poppy, but I'm sure if you looked closely there were spots of red in it which gave it a purple hue. You see, insects and birds are not drawn to blue like they are to bright colors. The majority of flowers are full of genetic material that will produce yellow, red, or many combinations of these two colors, so finding a purely blue flower with no hint of red in it is rare. In that way, it is even more delicate than any other flower."

In an attempt to prove her father wrong, Popuri stomps outside to confirm the color of the flower she saw last night. Just as she finds the small blossom, a foot comes crashing down right on top of it, flattening its teeny petals on the rocks and revealing their periwinkle pigment.

"Nooooooooo!"

Ann stares at her in shock and slight pain since her shriek was loud enough to call attention to everyone who was outside. Unknowingly, she takes another step forward, further destroying the delicate flower. Popuri begins to cry as she attempts to pick the flower's petals off of the cobblestone.

"Oh my Goddess, are you kidding me?" her tone reveals no sympathy, "you're freaking crying over a flower?" Popuri sniffles and cups the flower remains in her hands.

"Yes I am." Her sad expression strikes a chord with Ann.

"Well, geez, I'm sorry it's not like I meant to ya know," she puts her hand behind her head, "hey you want to come help, I'm going to plant some grass seed at the ranch with Dad and Gray."

After somewhat regaining her composure, Popuri walks with Ann down the familiar dirt path lined with a tunnel of trees, their various shades of vibrant green melt together as their branches intertwine beyond distinction. Both of the girls, though quite contrary in their appearances, find similar interest in the upcoming Goddess Festival and the dresses they will be wearing.

"I may be a tomboy but I still like to feel pretty sometimes..." says Ann with a dreamy glaze over her eyes that mirror the bright, blue sky of late spring. Her face is pale and freckled, but her lips are full and of a warm shade of amaranth. Her thoughts of romance drift over to the farm they pass by, not her beloved home the Green Ranch, but the neighboring Aurora Farm where many of her childhood memories were made. She hopes to make many more memories there, perhaps even live there with the boy whom she has loved since she was a little girl, but she does not express these musings to her companion.

As they pass the old oak tree they each jump up to touch one of its many dripping branches, a ritual that they always performed before making their way into the vast, open fields of the Green Ranch. The horses roam in the distance while the cows and sheep stay close to the barn, speaking to each other in soft hums and murmurs only comprehensible to their animal ears. The two girls hurry along only to notice something very different.

"Such beautiful blooms!" exclaims the girl with the fluffy locks similar in color to a pink carnation, "did you grow them?"

The redhead purses her lips while her hands rest on her hips, "No my brother did. He babies them, though you wouldn't guess from looking at him."

"Don't say that. Looks have nothing to do with growing flowers!" replies the girl with the pale pink hair, her small frame bent over to take a closer look at the myriad of golden blooms.

"Yea, but he always has such a scary face when he's working with the flowers," says Ann, finishing the sentence abruptly as she sees the flower-growing culprit drawing near.

"Well, that's your brother..." Popuri ends her statement with a feminine giggle, one Ann had always been envious of. The redheaded siblings watch the girl, both envious of what they cannot have.

After helping Ann and her brother, Gray, plant the grass seed with their father, Popuri makes her way towards the path leading back to town only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey..." the voice is low, yet recognizable to her. She turns; her smile radiant, her demeanor ever sweet and non-assuming. She makes no judgment on his lack of confidence or his abrasive manner, or perhaps she doesn't notice. He pauses before continuing, jutting his hands into his pockets and hiding in the shade cast by his ball-cap.

"I was, uh, wondering... would you go to the Goddess Festival with me?"

Without realizing the magnitude of the question and the amount of courage it took the boy to ask, she replies honestly and without hesitation.

"Oh, I'm sorry Gray but I've already told Jack I'd go with him!" sensing the silence, she adds, "maybe next year!"

And with that she waves goodbye to the boy whose heart she had just unknowingly broken. His hands, still in his pockets, are clenched in silent rage as he once again loses to a boy who wasn't even aware that they were competing against one another.