A/N: Hope you guys like this one! It may seem a little rushed BUT it's filled with fluffy-goodness-stuff! R&R please!
Disclaimer: SARCASM-MODE ACTIVATE! Yep, I own Harvest Moon. It's all mine.
"Mind if we join in?" Luna asked grumpily, not knowing she was speaking to her stepsister. Angela's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, making her seem like a fish. Snapping out of her shock, she nodded stiffly and turned away. 'Freak.' Luna thought as she scrutinised her teammate. With the sunglasses and hat on, she was unrecognisable. Unnoticeable. This comforted Luna slightly. 'She's probably ugly and has to cover it up.'
"Gilligan! Oh, it's wonderful to see you participating, son. Who is this lovely lady you have with you?" The short man, now revealed to be King Hamilton, said in an excited voice while waving his arms in every direction. He reminded Angela of a little kid. A little kid with absolute power over an entire kingdom... A rather worrying idea, but she ignored it. She was busy trying not to laugh. 'Gilligan! Oh that's rich! Have I heard that name somewhere before?' The brunette frowned and scratched her head as she racked her memory.
"I told you not to call me that!" Gill snapped, angrily. He sighed and continued. "And this is ... er ..."
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Er!" Hamilton grinned as he shook her hand enthusiastically.
The Pinkette faked a sweet smile and corrected him. "Actually, it's Luna. I think it must have just slipped Gilly's mind. I-"
"COMMANDER GILLIGAN!" Angela yelled suddenly, throwing her hands in the air and grinning like mad. The other three turned to her with confused looks. She smacked her hands over her mouth in realisation. She looked down and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "That's where I heard your name before. Commander Gilligan from Goddess Squadron Sprite Rangers..." She trailed off, feeling very stupid. 'Great now the Prince and King think I'm an idiot!' The creepy Witch voice returned and said 'The King isn't known for his logical thinking either you know.'
Hamilton clapped his hands together and grinned. "Oh yes! I remember that. Quite the show, don't you think? I think Space Devil Hamil should have gotten more screen time, though. A very handsome character he was."
"No way! He was so evil, I'm glad the harvest Sprites got him! Me and Da used to-"
"Father and I." Gill corrected automatically. It was a rather annoying (at least to other people) habit he had picked up over the years.
"Me and Da," Angela said again, stressing her terrible grammar purely because of the sour look on the blonde's face. "Used to get up early to watch that show every week. We'd always boo when Hamil came on!"
"Oh, no, no, no!" The King shook his head. "Space Devil Hamil was merely misunderstood. I'm sure he was a charming, handsome, dashing man once you got to know him."
"Are we playing this stupid sport or not?" Luna huffed, stamping her foot. She didn't like sports, in fact she hated sports, but she didn't like being ignored, especially by future in-laws.
The other woman scratched the back of her head and blushed in embarrassment. The King waved his hands around and grinned widely. "Yes, I'm sure we'll get enough players to start up in just a moment." Angela had a vague feeling that this would not end well...
X.X.X
As it turned out, they had enough players to play six-a-side. However, some were less enthusiastic than others.
Luna started off in the middle of the front row, she spent her time examining her nails and complaining loudly. The brunette with the large sunglasses was to her left, bouncing up and down in excitement. Behind her was Gill, participating but not very interested. To his right was Toby, who was already after nodding off because of the warm sun rays. To his right was Yolanda who appeared very determined to win and was shouting loud orders to her teammates. In front was Yolanda was Luke, cheering and yelling nonstop.
On the other team, Colleen and Jake stood in the front row, glancing at each other and smiling in their usual loving way. Maya stood next to them, looking as if she was about to get sick and glaring at the couple. Paolo, Chloe and Taylor stood in the back row laughing and chatting, but more often then not, complaining about how little they got the ball.
Many people had gathered around to watch the match. A lot of them were those annoying brides-to-be. Others were just around because of the amusing team members. Several men had even managed to tear their eyes away from the exotic dancer!
Hamilton was the referee, despite being unsure of the rules, but who refuses a King? He didn't seem at all put down by the lack of enthusiasm in the game and just smiled encouragingly to Gill every so often.
X.X.X
Vivi and Gale were both crouched in fatigue, panting hard. By this point they were too tired to bother glaring at each other. Gale was the first to recover. Glancing around the room, his mismatched eyes widened. The table was scorched and missing three legs, the counters seemed to be missing large chunks and one was oozing green slime. There was a hole in one wall the size of a chair and the others were covered in ice. The cooker was covered in water and the pots and pans surrounding it had been transformed into frogs. The charred remains of a rocking chair lay by the unhinged door.
"Goddess, what have we done!" Wizard gasped.
Witch noted the shocked look on his face and looked around. She pointed a finger at him and said in an accusing tone. "This is all your fault!"
"...My fault?" Gale repeated angrily. "You did at least ... half of this!"
Vivi sulked and crossed her arms. She realised this method was not working. "Fine. I admit I did a teensy portion of this!" She grinned. "But, I bet my magic will clean this up waaaaay faster than yours!"
X.X.X
"Move over." A voice commanded Angela. She looked around, startled. She had been trying really hard to get the ball, but she had sort of zoned out for a moment there. She turned around and saw Gill tapping his foot impatiently.
"Why? You stand back there and I stand here, why do I have to move?"
He sighed and spoke as if he was explaining something complex to a small child. "Every time our team scores, we rotate."
"Why?" She asked with her turned to one side in curiosity.
"Because those are the rules."
"Why?" She asked again. She knew she was starting to get on his nerves. She was okay with that.
"I don't know they just are!"
She put her hands in the air to imply innocence and took a large step to the right. "Happy now, Sir Grumps?" His reply came in the form of a scowl. "Fine, fine. Prince Grumps." She conceded. The following moment, Angela later reflected, completely made her day. Gill stuck out his tongue. The brunette stared at him in joyous amazement for a moment. She opened her grinning mouth to say something, but was cut off by Yolanda.
"Get your heads in the game! We're still too far behind!" Toby yawned at her shouting and woke up, lazily dragging himself to his new position. The game continued on. Angela was confused but still was able to judge by Yolanda's yells what the scores were.
"Yeah, yeah, woo! I scored! I scored!" Luke yelled, pumping his fist high in the air.
Everyone rotated again. Luna was serving this time. The took the ball and sighed, clearly uninterested. Her cerulean eyes narrowed in anger when she noticed that woman from earlier and her future husband talking.
"I'm telling you," The brunette was saying, waving her hands around."With a bit of elbow grease I could have made the most awesome sandcastle ever."
"Sure you could, kid." The blonde man said patronisingly. He patted her on the head to add to the effect.
"Don't call me kid. I'm nearly as old as you!" She argued, shoving his hand off moodily. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I just ... have a youthful outlook on things."
"And you're not exactly the tallest girl in the kingdom either." Gill pitched in. Luna was scowling. Who did that little hussy think she was? Her grip on the ball tightened. That woman needed to be taken down a peg or two.
"Ahh!" Angela managed to exclaim before the momentum of the ball sent her into the ground. Her groan was muffled by the sand. A pair of hands pushed at her arm. Several people asked if she was alright. She waved her hand lazily and pushed herself up. "I'm fine. I'm fine." She assured them, before she had even opened her eyes. Gill was kneeling down next to her with his hand on her arm. Others had crowded around her in the matter of seconds. She rubbed the back of her head and readjusted her hat and sunglasses.
"Harvest Goddess, I'm so sorry!" Luna exclaimed rushing up to her. She was a good actress, Angela admitted. But the rancher had known her for long enough to know when she was faking. This was one of those times. "I didn't mean to hit you, honest!"
Angela faked a smile; two could play at this game. "Oh it's alright, really. No harm done. I just might sit the rest of the game out, though."
"I'll go with you." Gill added hastily. He didn't want to be left with Luna again. Also, a small part of him admitted that he wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with the brunette. The rest of him, however ignored this.
Luna frowned slightly. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was not supposed to happen! She stared after the two with a fire burning in her eyes. There was no way someone like that would keep her from her future husband.
X.X.X
Angela walked uneasily through the sand, heading in the direction of the pier. Contrary to her expectations, she wasn't forced to bend and weave her way through the crowd to anywhere. A perk of being in the company of royalty, she supposed. She placed a hand behind her head and frowned. There was a dull throbbing in that area that seemed unwilling to fade away. She had never anticipated Luna to be so tough, or with such good aim. She stored that piece of information in the back of her mind to be revisited later, providing she got around to it.
"Wanna go fishing?" She asked the blonde walking beside her. He shrugged.
"Where do we get the rods from?"
She grinned. "Ozzie sells them." Her grin changed into a smirk as the Witch voice gave some excellent advice. "He's right over there. You can go buy them." She said in such a way, that he could not refuse. He walked off grumbling about cheap women, but the brunette noticed a slight smile playing at his lips.
She continued onto the wooden pier, carefully avoiding the older planks that would be more likely to give her splinters on her bare feet. Smiling easily, she plopped down at the edge, her legs hanging loosely above the water. Toby was still playing volleyball (if you consider napping the same as playing) and Renee was watching, so the rancher had the pier all to herself for the time being. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the salty scent of the ocean. She wished she had more opportunities to just sit back and relax. 'Such is life,' She inwardly shrugged. 'Might as well enjoy it while I can.' She noticed the sound of footsteps gradually getting louder. She opened her chocolate eyes and turned her head around.
"Thanks." She stood up and smiled sweetly as her new friend returned with two fishing rods in hand. He nodded and handed her one. She reached under her sunhat and pulled out a torn, old, orange wallet. "How much was mine?" She asked opening it and peering at its near bare insides. 'If only Lucinda didn't need her hair dyed every two weeks at the most expensive salon in town.' The brunette thought dryly.
"It's no problem, really." She raised an eyebrow at his. "Really." He repeated himself. She smiled and casted off.
"Thanks. I appreciate that." She mumbled, a faint pink dusting on her cheeks. The two stood in a comfortable silence. Angela smiled, finding it so easy to forget her worries in the tranquillity.
X.X.X
"Awwwwwwww!" Witch sighed happily. Her pumpkin eyes were glued on Wizard's crystal ball. It seemed as if they had completely gotten over their fight. "I hear wedding bells!"
"We really should fix the hole in the wall now..." Gale reminded her as a cow strolled through the gaping hole in the wall.
"Shush. Later!"
X.X.X
Candace smiled as she sat on the sand, her fingers intertwined with Julius'. The continued to chat aimlessly (meaning Julius would talk about fashion with Candace sporadically pitching in her own opinions on the topic).
"I mean, that bandanna he wears? It clashes with his hair! If he thinks that dancer-girl is going to look his way, he's got another thing coming." Julius exclaimed.
"I, um, think it looks … cute." The shy woman struggled to find the right word for it, but settled for 'cute'.
Julius, however, was not happy with her choice in words. Flustered, he jumped up and started waving his arms around wildly. He said in a crazed fashion, "He's not cute! I'm cute! See?" He pointed to his face as he flashed a smile. "I'm adorable!"
The blue-haired woman muffled her giggles behind her hand and patted the sand next to her. "Yes," She agreed with mirth. "Adorable."
The fabulous purple-haired jeweller pouted and sat down. "Fine, Sister, but Luke had better stay away from you, if he knows what's good for him." He flexed his nonexistent muscles which caused more laughs from his date.
X.X.X
Angela yawned. The orange sun was low in the horizon, painting the sky beautiful hues of gold and pink. The time flew by as they sat in silence, staring at the gentle, cerulean waves crashing against the old wooden pillars beneath them in mild interest. They rarely talked, but she did not mind. If she was not feeling dozens of women's eyes glaring at her with hatred, it would have been perfect. It was fairly close, as it was.
"It's a nice sunset, huh?" She commented idly, shifting the rod into one hand. "I like all the colours in the sky." She pointed lazily with her free hand and smiled at her companion.
"Very pretty." The blonde Prince responded with a faint smile. He gently took her hand in his and moved it down slightly so it was pointing just below the horizon. "I think it's best if you watch the water, though."
The brunette nodded dumbly; she was distracted by the larger hand still enveloping hers. Ignoring the blood rush to her cheeks, she took Gill's advice and shifted her gaze. Her mouth opened slightly. "Wow." She whispered. The reflected colours of the setting sun quivered with the movements of the sea. Gold, pink and purple danced gracefully with each other, circling around the crimson semi-circle sinking gradually into the painted ocean. "This is just..."
She paused mid-sentence. There was a small tugging on her rod. It grew stronger. She hopped up and proclaimed, "I think I've got something!" She started reeling it in, but the tugging was growing stronger and stronger. Her arms tensed and she pulled harder in an attempt to claim her catch. The tugging continued to build in strength. She slid a foot back to brace herself. 'I am getting this fish dammit!' There was a sudden, sharp pulling and she found herself stumbling. Barely able to keep herself upright, she said through clenched jaws. "Want to lend me a hand?"
The Prince complied, standing behind her and taking a grip slightly above hers on the rod. The rancher tried to remain focused when his body pressed against hers as they pulled with all their might. 'Get a hold of yourself,' She ordered herself. 'You sound like you're fourteen for Goddess' sake!' The Witch voice piped up again, but quieter this time, as if it were fading away. 'Admit it, you liiiiike him!' The brunette stumbled in shock at hearing the voice again for the first time in hours. This was all that was needed for one sharp pull to send both Gill and Angela tumbling into the water. She hardly heard the fangirls screams of horror.
When she surfaced, Angela's first thought was to reach to her eyes. She sighed in relief as she was stopped by the tinted glass. She glanced around, while trying to remain above the water. Her hat was float a few inches from her. She grabbed it and had just put in on when Gill emerged a few feet from her with a shocked expression on his face. The rancher doggy-paddled over to him. "Are you alright?" She asked. He nodded, spitting out seawater and the odd bit of seaweed. "Gross." She chuckled, earning a scowl from the blonde.
"Let's get back to shore."
Several minutes later the two swam back into their depths. Gill was the first to get out of the water and waited patiently for Angela to catch up (and was praying to the Goddess that she would get out before those fangirls arrived).
Unfortunately for her, as she began to wade through the the knee-deep water, she failed to notice a jagged rock sticking up in her path. She gasped in pain and her legs buckled beneath her. Grunting, she tried to stand up and fell back with a yelp. Gill was back with her by now and helped her up. "Are you okay?" He grimaced when he saw her expression. "Right. Stupid question, sorry." He crouched down and looked at her expectantly. "Get on." He said finally, realising she was not taking the (very obvious) hint.
'He's surprising strong for someone so ... lean.' Angela mused as he carried her over to where a bonfire was burning brightly. The sun had completely set now and the tiki torches were all lit. Angela shivered; she was only wearing a light, wet sundress and a dripping hat. 'My poor head,' She thought with mirth. First she had been hit in the head with volleyball and now it was covered by a sopping hat. 'More importantly though: my poor foot!' She grimaced as she looked at it over Gill's shoulder. There was a deep cut running along the edge of her foot and the adjacent side had been badly skinned. 'Stupid rock ... I wonder if Dr. Jin came tonight?'
"How're you holding up?" The blonde Prince asked her.
She grinned and shifted her arms draped loosely over Gill's neck. "I'll live." In the deepest recesses of Angela's mind the last effects of Witch's potion faded away, but not before it had joked: 'Hamilton will be getting his grandbabies soon!'
X.X.X
Everyone sat, huddled around the massive bonfire, finishing off the last of the ghost-stories.
"And then," Luke said slowly to add to the atmosphere. "She opened the cupboard and do you know what she saw?" He looked around at the people's expectant faces. He had a good feeling about this! "She saw ... An empty packet of PEANUTS!"
"That was just awful, man," Owen sighed, patting his disappointed friend on the back. The blue-haired carpenter mumbled something about scarring for life and sat down. Lucinda, who had been off working on her tan all day, looked at him in utter disdain.
Angela giggled at him from across the fire. It was almost impossible to see behind her sunglasses, but she still knew a couple people sitting close to her. Her foot had been disinfected and bandaged by Dr. Jin who had told her to stay off it for a few days, and now she was in a much better mood. She easily ignored the burning intensity of Luna's glare as she chatted with Gill.
"Do you want to watch the fireworks with me?" He asked somewhat awkwardly.
"Shouldn't you watch it with one of them?" She thumbed the general direction of his potential 'brides-to-be'. "I think they might be pretty mad if you don't." She warned.
"Ah, they'll live." He shrugged, getting up. He crouched down and she scrambled onto his back with a big grin plastered across her face. They sat down on a free area of sand (not that it would be hard to get one if you're in the company of royalty) and waited with anticipation. Many groups and couples had now down the same and the beach was covered with excited facing looking up at the sky.
When the first firework erupted in the sky, Angela nearly jumped in shock. She slid her sunglasses down until they were barely hanging off her nose. It was amazing, the loud bang and many colours bursting into existence in the night sky. Reds, blues, yellows, greens, purples, pinks, oranges, golds, silvers; Angela found herself overwhelmed by the range of colours. She watched with wide eyes as they popped and zoomed and exploded. "I-is this what it's like at the Summer Festival each year?" She asked, not even attempting to tear her eyes away from the wondrous sights.
"Yes." Gill replied with unease. "Have you never been to it?"
"When I was little I did, but I only remember making sandcastles with my da..." She trailed off, her eyes still focused on the heavens.
Gill shifted awkwardly. "Maybe I'll see you there next year."
"I'd like that."
X.X.X
"You fix the wall and I go get Angie, okay?" Vivi said hurridely, but before she could get a response continued, "'Kay, thanks, bye!" Gale stared blankly after her through the hole in the wall as she zoomed through the night sky. After a moment he snapped out of it and prepared a spell or two.
X.X.X
Angela limped back to where Witch had dropped her off with a dreamy look on her face. The magic-user smiled ruefully. "Have fun with your boyfriend?" She asked innocently and the brunette got onto the broom.
"Shut up." The rancher mumbled with red cheeks. "He's not my boyfriend!"
"Oh, my mistake!" Vivi apologised as they reached the farmhouse. "I mean, fiance."
Deciding to change the subject, Angela inquired. "What did you and Wizard do all day?"
"Oh, you know," Witch said nonchalantly as they walked through the door into a pristine kitchen. "Just the usual."