Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be posted! And sorry this chapter is so short, but this is just the introduction into a new problem so there really isn't much to put in it. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise!

I don't own Harvest Moon.

Chapter 9

Jill/Mana's POV

I grumbled something under my breath as I twirled an object between my fingers. How would I go about doing this, exactly? I knew he loved me, but this...

Yesterday I had bought an item from the supermarket. I hoped that luck would be on my side when I gave it to Skye. I was pretty sure it was going to be. But how to ask him...?

I twirled the object again, its sleek blue color shining brilliantly at me. The blue feather. The item that was part of an old tradition. The item that you were supposed to give as a gift when you propose. The item that could either bond Skye to me forever, or break every single tie we had created. It seemed simple in my head. Just ask him to marry you and give him the blue feather. But I knew it was much harder than that. How should I sound when I ask him? Would he even accept?

I knew that he would accept. But there was just a small part of me that said that he wouldn't. Probably just my negativity. But how could I not be negative about this? I wasn't one hundred percent sure that he would say yes, so of course I had to be at least slightly negative so I could be sort of prepared if he refused.

But why would he refuse? I couldn't think of any reason, but still...

I jumped as my alarm clock sounded, high-pitched and annoying as usual. I had no clue that I had woken up before my alarm clock. I thought I had just slept through it. Again. As I started to get ready for yet another day, I sighed. Maybe I would get my head cleared before tonight, when I would hopefully be able to propose? I stuck the feather in a lock of my hair, as if it just being there while I did my work would make me less nervous. Maybe it would.

Later that night...

Worry clenched my stomach. Fog seemed to roll in on my brain. I barely felt my legs stiffly carrying me through the crisp, late autumn night. The stars seemed to shine as if they were cheering for me. I had a feeling that I would hate tonight. Somehow I would mess up, I just knew it. Something seemed to gnaw at my head ruthlessly, telling me I'm forgetting something. But I knew I wasn't. It was just nerves.

I sat down on the lush grass near the Goddess Pond and peered at my watch. It was almost near the time when Skye usually to come to the pond. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I tried to concentrate on how to say those words. I had spent an hour repeating the words over and over again in front of a mirror, trying to get the perfect tone and the perfect expression. Nothing really seemed to work.

The expression and the tone will come naturally, I hoped. But how to give him the feather...?

My heart stopped. The feather. I whipped my rucksack off of my back, digging into every pocket there was. It wasn't in any of them. I must have dropped it somewhere! Of all the things to drop, I had to drop the one thing that I needed to propose with! I glanced around, scanning every inch of grass. I didn't see it anywhere. Damn. Where could I have dropped it?

A touch on my shoulder made me scream. I whirled around to see Skye's sea green eyes gazing curiously at me. "Are you alright, Mana? What's the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, I think I lost something." I immediately wished I hadn't said that. He would probably offer to help me and then I'd have to tell him what it was.

"Really? I will be glad to help, if you want. What-" His eyes traveled slowly from my amethyst eyes to something that seemed to be slightly to the left of me. I glanced behind me, but nothing was there. As I looked back at Skye, I noticed his eyes were filled with pain. What was he looking at? I leaned to the right a tiny bit. His gaze seemed to follow slightly. Was there something in my hair?

I reached up, touching my hair. My hand also touched a satiny object. My eyes widened in horror and dismay. The blue feather.

No! I screamed and cursed myself in my head. This is not how this is supposed to go! Even more fog seemed to cloud my brain. "T-This is-" I stammered, trying to explain. How could I propose to him now? Everything was going all wrong. Maybe I could still propose, but the words didn't want to come. "I...you..." My mind whirled as Skye seemed to realize something terrible. His soft, pale face was lined with agony and surprise, with a small hint of what seemed like denial. He didn't want to believe whatever he was thinking. I wanted to figure out what it was that he was thinking, but my head was too cloudy to think of possibilities.

I looked away from his burning gaze. Stop it... Stop looking at me with those eyes of sadness. I can't think straight. "I-I have to go." I grabbed my rucksack, stood up abruptly, and ran past him, one hand on the blue feather still in my hair. Damn. How did it stay in my hair, all of this time? I think I'd rather have lost it. I sighed slightly in relief, as I no longer felt Skye's gaze burning into my back. As I opened the door to my house, realization sunk in. I knew what he was thinking.

I dropped my rucksack near my bed and flopped down onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Skye had thought that Rock had given me the feather, and I had accepted. I just knew that was what he had been thinking. I had screwed everything up again. How would I fix this?

Everything had just been building up inside of me. I was at my breaking point. I took in a deep breath and buried my face into my pillow, screaming. How would this be fixed? How could I explain? How could I ever face Skye again...?

Poor Mana... I wonder how this'll turn out?

And again, I promise that the next chapter will be longer. Until then... keep waiting for the next chapter!