Ed: Well, here we are again.
Ageha: And someone reviewed!
Ed: Yes! Thank you to Kinnetik Ishisu for your review!
Ageha: Okay, I think it's time to get on with it.
Ace: Miss Ed doesn't own anything to do with Harvest Moon.
Ed: Well, I own AP, SI, and DSCute, but I don't really think that counts...
Ageha: No, it doesn't. But me and Ace are figments of her imagination!
Ed: True that. Without further ado, please enjoy the third chapter! *cues up Star Trek music again*
Ace and Ageha: Harvest Goddess, you're such a nerd...

Chapter 3: The Red Bell of Fire

"Ageha! Hey, Ageha!"

Ageha turned to see Heath, her best (male) friend, running up to her. "Morning, Heath," she said, yawning. "What's up? I was just about to go to the mine. Want to come?"

It was the day after Ageha's meeting with the Harvest Goddess. After returning home, Ageha hadn't gotten much sleep, but she'd made a promise to the Goddess, and when Ageha made a promise, you could bet your life she'd keep it.

Heath's bright green eyes shone. "Is it true that you're trying to ring the five bells and that your mom is the hero?"

Ageha sighed. Ever since they were children, Heath had been interested in adventuring and exploring. It was probably hereditary, since his father, Calvin, was an explorer, and his mom, Pheobe, loved mining and inventing things out of the things she found in the mines. Heath had also inherited his green hair and eyes from his mother, but his fashion sense (or lack thereof, Ageha sometimes argued) was something he`d definitely gotten from Calvin. He usually dressed like he was about to embark on an African safari or something, complete with hat. She wasn't sure how he'd heard about her 'quest,' as it were, but he had, and from experience, Ageha knew that he would worry at it like a dog on a bone.

She chewed the inside of her cheeks. "Yes, to both questions."

He jumped for joy. "I knew it! You`re so cool, Ageha! Which bell are you going to ring first?"

Ageha told him about the request that she ring the Red Bell first, and he grinned. "Oh, I can take you to it!"

"Really?"

"Sure! It's not that far down. It's only on the tenth floor. Come on!" He raced off towards the mine's entrance.

Ageha shook her head. He gets more and more ridiculous every time I see him, she thought as she followed, more slowly. You'd think it was him ringing the bells and not me!

Heath talked her ear off the entire way down. As annoying as he could be sometimes, Ageha couldn't help but laugh when he was around. He made her feel good. Understandable, since we're best friends and all, she thought.

A loud, "Here we are!" interrupted her thoughts. Heath was gesturing proudly to a red pedestal with a red bell hanging from it. "This is the Red Bell!" Suddenly a young man, about twenty, came around the other side of the bell. He had rusty red hair, narrow green eyes, and a solid, muscular build.

"Roy?" Ageha said, startled. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Blacksmith's?" Roy was studying under his father, Owen, to be a blacksmith.

Roy shrugged. "I'm taking a break. Can't a guy take a break every once in a while?"

Finn, who was circling Ageha's head, stopped and started waving his arms around, trying to get his charge's attention. "Earth to Ageha! Could you just ring the bell already so we can go see the Harvest King?"

"We're here to ring the bell!" Heath suddenly said proudly. Apparently, Roy had just asked why they were there.

"Well, I am anyway," Ageha added, approaching it. "Finn, what do I do?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

"The Harvest Goddess asked all the Sprites to return to their bells so they could ring them when the time comes. Alan is the Sprite for the Red Bell, so you'll need to call him out and ask him to ring the bell."

"And how do I—?"

Before she could finish her sentence, a tiny person, who looked a lot like Finn but with red clothes instead of orange, appeared suddenly. Ageha gasped. "What's wrong?" Heath and Roy asked at the same time.

Right, they can't see Harvest Sprites, Ageha thought.

"Hello! My name is Alan. I'm the Harvest Sprite of Fire!" The Sprite bowed. "Pleased to meet you!"

"Er, same here. Listen," she said quietly, "could you please ring your bell?"

"No problem! ཀྵ" Alan turned to the bell. "Oh, Bell of Fire! Play your melody! Let it ring across the land! Restore the Fire to Castanet!"

The bell began to swing back and forth. Ageha stepped away as a pretty five-note melody emanated from it. She could almost feel the power coming off the bell in waves; it was warm, but not unpleasant. Instinctively, she knew that kitchen stoves would start working, fires would start burning, and fire had returned to Castanet.

"Thank you, Ageha," Alan was saying. "I'm going to return to the Harvest Goddess now. Good luck!" And he disappeared.

Ageha turned to see Heath and Roy giving her a funny look. "What?" she asked, straightening.

"Did you just ring the bell?" Roy asked.

"Yup."

"Awesome!" Heath cheered. "You're so cool!"

"Uh, thank you," Ageha replied, feeling herself blush slightly at the praise. "Well, thanks for bringing me here, Heath. See you later, guys." She headed for the stairs to go out of the mine.

"Wait!" Ageha turned to see the boys following her. "Where are you going?"

"To the Harvest King's throne, at the top of the Upper Mine. Why?"

"I'll come with you!" Heath declared.

"Me too," Roy added.

"No way!" snapped Heath. "I want to go with her!"

"You're always hanging out with her!" Roy complained. "No one else ever gets a chance!"

"Will you two knock it off?!" screamed Ageha. "I'm not going to get anything done with you two around! Roy, you should be getting back to work. And Heath, go home."

"But—" they protested.

"NOW!" she roared, and they scampered off. Ageha sighed and turned to the entrance to the Garmon Upper Mine. "Hokay, that happened," she said, mounting the first step.

"Those two are weird; why are you friends with them?" Finn asked as she continued to climb.

"Because we've known each other since forever," answered the farmer. "In a town this small, it's hard not to get along with most people."

"They're still weird."

"This coming from a Harvest Sprite?"

"Good point."

Unwelcome thoughts entered her head. When Heath and Roy were arguing earlier, Roy said something about 'no one else gets a chance' or something. What did he mean? It's not like I can only hang out with one person all the time. Maybe I should read his heart later and find out what he's thinking...

Deep in her musings, Ageha didn't notice they'd reached the tenth floor until Finn pointed out a familiar shape was standing next to the stairs leading to the next floor.

"Ace?" Ageha asked, walking over to him. "What are you doing here?"

He turned to her and smiled. "Hello, Ageha. I'm...mining. What else...do you do in a mine? Why are...you here? Mining...was never your...thing."

Ageha explained everything, including the part about their mother being the hero in the Legend of the Bells. Ace looked surprised, but quickly shook it off.

"So you are going...to the top? I will come with you."

"Thanks, Ace, but I can do it myself."

"No, I wish to go also. I wanted to...go today anyway."

"Okay, thanks."

They traversed the mine in silence for a bit. Then Ageha asked what she'd been dying to ask since the Inn the day before. "So when are you and Dakota going stargazing?"

Even in the darkness of the mine, she could see her brother blushing. He practically glowed. "Tomorrow night..."

"Awwww, that's so cuuuuute!" she cooed, elbowing him playfully.

"Have I told you lately...how much I hate you?"

"No."

"Off topic, but...how is your love life going?"

Ageha's face went hot. "My what? I don't have a love life."

"That is because...you spend too much time...meddling in the love lives of others...to have one for yourself..."

"Oh, what do you know? I had to bully you into asking Dakota on a date! And bribe you with food!"

"We're here..."

And indeed they were. Ace showed her where to exit at the top to get to the Harvest King's throne, and they stepped outside.

"Brr, it's cold," Ageha said, rubbing her bare arms. "No wonder the Harvest King left. Is it, like, permanent winter up here or something?"

"Sort of..." He pointed up a set of very precarious-looking steps. "Up there...is his throne. If you wish to...find him, there may...be clues there."

"Thanks, Ace." She looked up the steps. "Geez, who built that thing? They could have at least put some railings or something. It's a five-hundred-million-gajillion mile drop to certain death if you fall!"

"That's not...a real number. And remembering that the Harvest King...doesn't need to walk?"

"He must be really anti-social. Doesn't like visitors." She drew in a deep breath. "Okay, here we go," she said, carefully shifting her weight onto the first step. When it didn't crumble, she continued with renewed courage. Ace watched her warily, and Finn buzzed along behind her, trying not to distract her. After all, she was Castanet's only hope and all. It wouldn't do to have her fall off a mountain.

After what seemed like forever for all three, she finally reached the throne. Ageha waved at Ace to make sure he knew she was okay, then started searching the barren rock that served as the Harvest King's 'home.'

"Rock, rock, and more rock," she muttered. "Oh, and snow. Cool. This would be a sucky place to live."

"Can we stick to the task at hand, please?"

"Don't rush me, Finn. I can only do so much at a time!" Something sparkly caught her eye. "What's that?" She headed towards it. It was a gorgeous diamond ring. Next to it was a piece of paper folded into the shape of a crane. Something was written on it, and Ageha unfolded it (with some difficulty) and read it aloud.

"To whomever finds this letter," it began. "I am the Harvest King. As you've probably figured out, I am not here. Personal matters dictated that I leave for a brief amount of time. Should my assistance be needed, please ring the five bells again and I'll be there in a flash (no pun intended). Also, this ring can be used to grant one wish to the hero who rings the bells, but only after they have been rung. Ever yours, The Harvest King."

"'Ever yours'? That's not really how I'd imagined a king signing a letter," Ageha muttered, subconsciously twirling the ring between her fingers. She glanced at it. I'll wear it for now, she thought, sliding it on her right ring finger. Maybe I'll pretend someone gave it to me...maybe Heath...wait, why Heath? Where did that come from? Whatever, I'd better head back or Ace will start worrying.

Sure enough, Ace's voice drifted up from where he was waiting. "Ageha? Are you...alright...up there? Do you need...my assistance?"

"Nope, I'm fine," she called back, heading back to the steps. "I'll be right down!"

She was nearly at the bottom of the steps when her mom's Klutz Gene decided to kick in. She tripped over her own two feet and started to pitch forward.

"Ageha!" Ace screamed, darting forward, but not quite fast enough. Someone else got to her first.