A/N: No, I'm not dead. I was actually on holidays. I'm really super sorry about the delay but this is way longer than most chapters if that helps. Please R&R, it really helps!
Disclaimer: I do not own it.
Harvest moon is still not mine.
I made a haiku.
"When you said I was getting a badass disguise, I was expecting something... different." Angela admitted, afraid she would sound ungrateful. When Witch had assured her of the "badass-ness" of her disguise, she had not been expecting the two magic-users to appear at the back door with a massive pair of sunglasses and a straw hat and other items of clothing hidden in a paper bag from Sonata Tailoring. They had explained they would not conjure anything this time so that she could watch the fireworks.
She took a long, somewhat sheepish look in the mirror, unable to recognise herself. She wore a comfortable, white sundress with a blue hibiscus pattern that stretched down to just above her knees. Because the brunette was not used to sunglasses or the latest fashions, the pair were not as odd as she assumed, but large enough to cover a decent portion of her face. 'I look like I have fly-eyes...' She thought idly, tilting her hat back slightly. A straw hat with a pale blue ribbon covered most of her hair. She shifted uncomfortably on her white flip-flops and realised that they were definitely going to cause blisters.
Who needed shoes on the beach anyway? Not her!
Wizard gave a tiny smile behind her, his mismatched eyes twinkling. "You look ... very nice." He said in his quiet, somehow awkward way.
His grey-haired companion stood a few feet away, leaning against the wall with a smirk playing at her pale features. "Whaddya' think of the swimsuit I got you, Angie?" She asked, standing up straight. The rancher could see her eyes sparkling as she waited for her reaction. It was as if poor Angela's cheeks were more than happy to oblige.
The brunette looked down and scratched her elbow nervously, her face looked similar to a tomato. "Well..." She trailed off and mumbled an incoherent excuse under her breath. Her large, chocolate eyes glanced up sheepishly. She sighed when she noticed the annoyed look the older woman was giving her and gave in. "I, er... didn't try it on?" She said her excuse lamely, as if it were a question rather than a statement.
"And now you're going to." Witch said bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her chest and huffing.
Wizard took this as his cue to speak once more. "She ... doesn't have to. You cannot force her ... if she doesn't want to."
The fellow conjurer turned her bright, orange eyes to him and glared fiercely. Her face was inches away from his. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do." She whispered, her tone deadly. The tanned man gulped and nodded stiffly.
Suddenly, the idea of a swimsuit seemed pure genius to every person in the room!
As quick as it came, Witch's anger evaporated. She squealed happily and grabbed a skimpy, brown bikini from the bag and shoved it into Angela's reluctant hands. She turned and looked at her companion with an expectant look. After a moment, she sighed and put her hands on his shoulder blades. "C'mon perv! Give the girl some privacy!" She grinned like a madwoman and pushed the now red-faced man out of the room. She looked over her shoulder and smiled "By the way, I left some herbal tea for you on the table. I'll be very disappointed if I see even a drop left!"
X.X.X
"Father, why can't I wear this? It's what I usually wear."
"My point exactly, Gilligan. If you wear that, you won't get any girls, and more importantly: I won't get any grandbabies! No one wears a sweater-vest to the beach."
Gill banged his head off the wall in frustration.
X.X.X
'I can do this. It's going to be fun. I'm going to have a nice day on the beach and maybe watch some fireworks!' The brunette encouraged herself. She was beginning to become seriously fed up with her personality. It seemed that around some people she was fun and bubbly and around others quiet and shy. For today, she was determined to be the former. Looking back, she found it rather odd she had been so relaxed around that guy. If she had actually known he was the Prince, she would have completely avoided him! A little bit of frustration bubbled up inside her. 'He should have told me! I acted like an idiot! Just a simple "Oh, by the way, I happen to the sole heir to the kingdom. Cool, huh?" How hard would that have been? Well, I doubt he'd phrase it like that, but...'
She tentatively stepped onto the light sand. It was a very warm day today, almost hard to imagine it was actually autumn. The sun beat down on the earth, making the sand radiate some of its heat. She took a good look at her surroundings. Scattered around were tall, tiki torches, ready to be lit at sunset. Far down the beach, on her left was a large wooden stage. She could see a dark-skinned women in rather ... revealing clothing, twirling and dancing about on it. To her right, a pier jutted out into the water. She smiled as she recognised Renee and Toby sitting on the edge, fishing rods in hand. She had to reminder herself not to wave. Many people were already in the water, playing with rubber footballs or just having splash-wars. Many others seemed content to lie on the sand, seeming to do nothing at all. Angela raised an eyebrow at this.
She noticed there was one large group of people - practically a crowd - near enough to the stage. 'Ooh! I wonder what's going on?' Curious, she kicked off her annoying, uncomfortable flip-flops, carried them in her hands, and ran over to the crowd.
As she neared it, she slowed down to a jog and sighed angrily. It was just Mr. Not-gonna-tell-you-I'm-a-Prince-because-I'm-such-a-douche and his potential brides. She snickered at the new nickname she had concocted. Who did he think he was anyway? An annoying little voice that sounded creepily like Witch's piped up 'A Prince...' Angela scowled 'Shut up!'
Prince or not, he was getting a talking to. 'You're just doing this because you liiiiiiiike him!' the creepy Witch voice sang in glee. 'SHUT UP! He is getting a talking to!'
"Excuse me?" She said. However, the large group of women were too busy pushing and bashing each other to get closer to their 'precious Gilly' that they took no notice of her. She frowned as she listened to their fake laughter and saw the suggestive looks a few girls on the outside seemed to be practising. 'Disgusting, ain't it?' That little voice seemed to have something to say about everything...
"Oh, Prince Gilly! You're so funny. Do you come here often?" One girl, out of Angela's vision said. The rancher resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The others all chorused, "Yeah, Gilly, do you?" In excited voices. As they waited with bated breaths, she heard him groan in frustration. 'That's it,' Angela decided. 'I'm doing the lad a favour!'
"Hey Blondie!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Several blonde-haired women turned to her with confused looks. "Not ye." She sighed. They turned back and continued cooing over the Prince. 'Go on, you know you want to!' She forced her devious grin down and took a few steps back. Swing her arm back, she lobbed a flip-flop over the women's respective heads. It arched and fell right in the centre, causing several high-pitched screams and one annoyed grunt.
"What was that for?" The Prince's aggravated voice said as he emerged from the now depressed looking women. He was dressed in simple khaki shorts and a plain blue t-shirt. He held her flip-flop in one hand and was rubbing the top of his head with the other.
Angela sighed and shook her head. With the sandal she still had, she drew a large square in the crumbly, yellow sand. She reached out with her hand, turned an imaginary doorknob and opened an imaginary door. "Step into my office," She motioned to him with her hand. Giving her an odd look, he walked past her into the square. She followed in, closing the 'door' after her and went to the other side of the square. She sat with her legs tucked neatly beneath her. She put her loosely laced fingers out if front of her, as if they were resting on something, and said "Take a seat. What seems to be the problem?"
The blonde Prince sat down with a huff and explained dryly, "You threw a sandal at my head."
She shook her head. "Must have been my secretary. She's new, you'll have to forgive her." She raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "But, I hear you're after getting into a fist fight with some of your classmates. I'm sorry to say this, but you're getting a two-day suspension."
Gill stared at her for a moment with his mouth hanging open. "Wha-? But … you can't …"
"I'm accepting no excuses, young man!" She said sternly, before tsking sadly. "The youth of these days..."
Just then one of the baffled woman stepped through the square. She had long auburn hair tied in two low pigtails and was wearing a tight pink dress that barely covered her thighs. There was a look in her brown eyes that made it known that she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. "Gilly!" She whined "What are you doing? Come swimming with me instead."
Angela stood up, feigning great shock and anger. "Samantha! Flirting with a student! This is simply too much. Are there no decent secretaries anymore?"
Her eyebrows furrowed and she spoke slowly, as if not entirely sure. "But my name's not Saman-"
It seemed that by know Gill had regained his composure. He interrupted the girl by saying, "Not to mention she's broken through the wall."
"Attempting to seduce a student and the destruction of school property! I'm very disappointed in you, Samantha. I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go."
"Let me go where?" She asked stupidly, but Gill had already opened the 'door' for her and motioned for her to leave. "Oh, okay!" She smiled and skipped out. Angela suddenly noticed how the other girls were all crowded around the square, glaring daggers at her. She suddenly felt like finding a corner to hide in. 'Ah, who cares what they think?' The creepy Witch voice asked. Angela was about to continue talking to him, but something she saw made her stop.
"Well, have fun. See you around, your highness. Bye!" She said suspiciously quickly as she spied a certain pinkette making her way towards them. Picking up her sandals, she hurriedly left.
X.X.X
"What was in ... that herbal tea?" Gale asked with an eyebrow raised, but his gaze was still locked on the glowing crystal ball.
The grey-haired woman sat in the chair next to him. She started examining her nails as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. "I have no idea what you mean."
"She's acting very ... unusual." Gale shrugged. His yellow and green eyes looked up to meet her pumpkin ones. "What did you do...?"
"Fine! In you must know I put one teensy, weensy, little potion into the tea." Vivi explained, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"What does … it do?"
"Haven't you figured it out already? Must be losing your touch." She taunted, sticking out her tongue. "After all those boring, stupid, old books you read you'd think you could figure it out!"
"There is nothing wrong … with trying to research spells properly so that … I don't get turned into a pink frog!"
"That was one time! And it was to help the Harvest Goddess while you were just sitting around with you're stupid books and ogling Molly!" Vivi's chair screeched as it was pushed roughly against the floor. Gale's chair soon followed. They both stood now, the sense of friendly teasing was gone.
"I did not ... ogle Molly!"
"Oh puh-lease! With the way you'd stare at her I thought you'd want help finding a blue feather!"
"You're one to talk. How many times have you ... put a love potion in some ... poor man's drink at the Brass Bar?"
"Poor? Poor! Any pathetic mortal would be lucky to have me." Vivi threw her head back and pouted. "And I'll have you know, I got plenty of offers. Unlike you Mister Anti-social!"
"You are just ... jealous because I ... am better with magic."
"I'll show you better!" She mumbled some words and suddenly a ball of bright cracking light seemed to gather from the air into her hand. She chucked it at him and sparks flew about the room as it rebounded off an invisible boundary directly in front of Gale. A small smirk was on his face. Vivi scowled and narrowed her orange eyes in concentration. Her hands were tense at her sides. She was just getting warmed up. Looking into his mismatched eyes, she could see he was thinking the same thing. This was going to be good, she could tell.
X.X.X
Luna smiled, but inside she was viciously ripping the head of that woman who seemed to have captured the Prince's attention. Was that the same person as last time? No, she couldn't be. Though, now that she thought about it, maybe it really was. She forced away the frown that was quickly forming as she approached the blonde man. That simply would not do! She was going to marry the Prince, not some delusional nobody with no fashion sense. She wasn't even wearing any shoes! She adjusted her heart-shaped sunglasses and blinked seductively as she stood before the Prince. "I thought she'd never leave!" She giggled, leaning closer to him.
She pretended not to notice the icy glare he shot her. She simply went on, unabashed. "Are you going to watch the fireworks with anyone?" She asked, twirling a strand of bubble-gum hair around her finger.
"No." He answered plainly, hoping she would take a hint. She realised this, but chose it ignore it.
"Great!" She latched onto his arm tightly. She was beaming with pure glee by this point. "Then you can watch them with me."
She heard him sigh with annoyance, but kept her rigid grip on his arm. She wasn't about to let him go. He was right where she wanted him. After today, he would be hers.
X.X.X
If there had been a table within a hundred metres of him, Gill would have been banging his head off of it. Repeatedly. Until he lost consciousness. So, as I am certain you have all guessed, he was not happy. He was inwardly cursing his father for putting him in this situation. He was also inwardly cursing all the women who made this situation. Why should he have to marry in the first place? It was not part of becoming a King! Well, actually producing heirs was believed to be important for a King, but...
'ADOPTION!' Gill almost believed a lightbulb appeared over his head, but of course something that ridiculous couldn't possibly happen.'Why couldn't I just adopt? Father would have his grandchildren and I wouldn't have to wed.' He glanced over to the short pinkette clutching onto his arm. The idea of adoption seemed even better!
It wasn't that she was not pretty. She was very pretty – beautiful even, but she was about as interesting to him as drying paint. She was nattering on about ... he honestly did not know and did not plan on listening any time soon. Her high, squeaky voice was reminiscent of the sound of nails scratching against a blackboard to his unfortunate ears.
He looked around idly. Anything to focus on but the pink-haired banshee next to him. He raised an eyebrow in mild amusement when he noticed the woman from earlier making a sandcastle with varying amounts of success. He sighed. He remembered her from the previous ball. She was different. She always seemed so happy and crazy. Was she always like that?
The blonde remembered what she had said just over an hour ago. She had figured it out? He was surprised she had been so clueless in the first place. Or had she always known and just been pretending? He supposed that did not really matter. Pretending or not, she was better to be around than the rest of them.
He hadn't realised he was staring, until the pink-haired girl (Luna?) shook his arm. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, er, nothing." He replied, his cheeks faintly tinged with pink.
X.X.X
"Take this!" Witch cackled maniacally as a ball of fire, the size of a watermelon, zoomed across the room, narrowly missing Wizard's head. "I singed your braid!" She yelled in triumph.
Before she could celebrate further, a strong gust of wind pushed her back into the wall. In the blink of an eye, water from the air accumulated around her wrists and ankles, then froze, effectively trapping her against the wall. She cursed, but was not about to give in. Certainly not while her opponent had such a smug look on his face.
Muttering under her breath, she a stream of fire escaped her lips, melting the ice that held her. She darted to the shelter of table, which had been thrown on its side, before Gale could trap her again. When did he get so good? She was as old as the Harvest Goddess, she should be better than him by now! She was going to put him in his place. An idea sprang to her mind and she bit back a cackle. This would be excellent.
X.X.X
"Stay up!" Angela pleaded, desperately. However, the sand was not compact enough and crumbled like an earthquake had hit. The brunette was on her knees in the sand, staring at the crumbled heap that remained in sorrow. "Stupid sandcastle..." She mumbled, getting up and kicking it with her bare foot.
She looked around for something to do. Watching the dancer could be fun, she supposed. She walked over to the stage, ignoring some of the looks the women from earlier were giving her. Judging by their looks though, it was safe to assume they considered her insane. She was actually okay with that.
She reached the wooden stage where a small crowd of drooling men had gathered, their eyes locked on the exotic figure dancing elegantly on the stage. She wore very little clothing, revealing naturally tanned skin, hinting that she was originally from the tropic resort of Toucan Island. Silky, red hair was kept in a high bun and purple eyes winked seductively occasionally as she twirled gracefully. Angela felt the slightest twinge of envy. When was the last time a man drooled because of her? Never. A smile returned to her face as she noticed Luke was in the crowd. His normally yellow eyes, defying the laws of nature, had become pink hearts, his mouth was hanging by its hinges and drool poured out of it like a waterfall. She snickered into her hand. Where was a camera when you needed one?
The rancher glanced around. This was getting a bit boring... There had to be something fun to do. She didn't even think of swimming from fear of being seen in that bikini. She grinned when she noticed some short guy with odd grey hair trying to set up a volleyball net. Something to do!
She rushed across the beach, weaving between and occasionally jumping over sunbathers. "Want some help with that?" She panted.
X.X.X
"...Don't you think, Gilly?" Luna finished with a smile. He looked at her, startled. Until the last few words he had been drowning her out with counting. He had made it over one thousand.
He nodded, looking forward. It was the safest option for the time being. He saw his father and a woman had just finished pitching up a volleyball net. "Volleyball sounds enjoyable." He stated without emotion.
Luna sighed and let go of his arm. "Alright Gilly. We can play, but just until I get bored."
He had already stopped listening.
A/N: Okay this has gotten waaaaaay too long. I don't get it, the whole thing was supposed to be under 2000 words and now it's in two parts and the first one is over 3000!
