Hey world. 8D I'm back from the beach, and after a quick break, I actually have a new part. Yippee!
Anyways, this chapter is a bit different, again. The first half is Skye's POV, then when you see the familiar little...
-o-o-o-
...break, the POV switches to back to Holly. Fascinating, right? Yeah, not so much.
Anyways, another huge thanks for everyone who read and reviewed while I was away. It really does make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. However, I stress again that if you catch me doing anything wrong, I really would enjoy knowing about it. xD I may not put your names up here for the world to see, but I do reply to and greatly appreciate every review I receive.
In short, reviews and criticism are extremely welcome.
Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter! D
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters/settings/anything no matter how awesome it may be.
--
"What the hell am I doing?"
I could not help but ask the question to the night air surrounding me. Coincidentally, the wind suddenly picked up, tossing my silver hair into my eyes and across my face, as though giving me a reply. I quickly cleared my vision and sat down in frustration and annoyance; it seemed that even nature was confused at my thoughts and emotions. After all, I, the Phantom Thief Skye, had never been one to attach myself to anything or anyone.
But she was more than just anyone or anything…
I knew Holly's type; cold, unwelcoming, unwilling to let most people close to her. However, there I was, finding sanity and refuge in that same person.
She was cold, but at the same time, I had never felt such warmth.
Sure, I remembered my first heist; the adrenaline, the overwhelming high of success. I always believed that to be my proudest moment in my life, but really, even that could not compare to the tension and heat I felt in my chest.
My hands rested on the jagged rock below me. I was sitting against a mountain ledge, one leading out of Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was supposed to be trekking back to my 'home', per-say, but if the noises I heard the previous night were real, then I would have nothing to return to.
I only sighed at the realization; I had nothing material to lose anyways. I always buried my loot in various hiding places, ones I chose carefully for their inaccessibility, and that meant that my few other possessions were in my make-shift tent, along with my other homemade gadgetries. Early on in my career, I had discovered that homemade tools and accessories were generally a good decision because of one simple fact; you could always make them again.
Assuming I had nothing to return to, I turned my gaze upon the natural scenery around me. I had heard people say that everything looks different at night, and I would have to agree. However, as I narrowed my eyes, I found that in the dark of night, everything was simpler and more distinct. Decisions were easier to make in the night; do you go this way or that? Up or down? Do you hide here or there? Perhaps I only thought from my years of experience in the shadows, but that was my own opinion.
Try as hard as the moon and stars did, they only managed to illuminate the very tips of the trees below the mountain pass I was on. The forest was thick; I could not even spot the common roadway through the canopy of leaves and branches, even though I knew it was there.
My train of thought was again interrupted by a brief gust of wind, which, almost teasingly, shot my hair back into my face. I could not help but let a small groan escape as I unsuccessfully attempted to flick my hair out of the way. When that did not work, I used both of my hands to shake my hair rapidly into position. Well, a position that was not in my face, anyways. Truthfully, it was probably a mess, and the thought of that made me feel like twitching uncomfortably.
Frowning, I leaned backwards until I was lying on the rocky pathway entirely. I closed my eyes, re-living the evening I had just previously experienced; my second unsuccessful raid, the escape, our talk, and then, of course, the kiss.
It had almost been a truly wonderful night, a perfect night, even. But in the end, it had only left me with uncertainty, and a daunting sense of humility.
And again, those were two things that the Phantom Thief Skye never felt.
--
It was a few hours past midnight when I clambered, rather ungracefully, out of the river.
My hair fell knotted and in bunches in front of my eyes. For once, however, I barely noticed. Instead, I was exhilarated. I shoved my dull hair out of my face to find that Holly had already pulled herself out of the chilled waters. Even though I felt like an awkward teenager, her eyes latched onto mine as though I were the graceful, mysterious thief I made myself out to be. She removed the rubber band from her hair and it fell slightly past her shoulders in shimmering brown waves. Compared to the tired, disoriented girl I had first met, that night, Holly was a beautiful woman.
I began walking over to her, shedding my leopard-print shirt in the process. The water had destroyed the threading in the delicate fabric, so that was as fine a time to lose it as any. As I threw my soiled clothing on the ground, however, I found something; a damp wooden case was shimmering in the tall river weeds. Picking the container up, I realized that it practically radiated a sense of fragility. It was as though if I even tried to dry it off, whatever was inside would fall to a million pieces. Carefully opening the case, I could feel my eyes widen at the sight of its contents.
It was a blue feather.
"Oh!" Holly noticed what I was holding and quickly reached for it, "Sorry, but that's mine."
I could only stare at her in shock. The heat and excitement in my chest was extinguished immediately.
"A-Are you engaged?" I stuttered. So much of me dreaded the possible answer.
"No," her response was simple, as though she thought I could care less. She easily took the case from my unresponsive hands and carefully placed the feather into one of her pants pockets. Afterwards, her eyes turned to my face, and a large blush bloomed on her cheeks.
"Is… something wrong?" She asked. I finally noticed that my mouth had dropped open; yet another thing that the Phantom Thief Skye never did. Closing it quickly, I found myself blushing as well, possibly even more brightly than the woman standing across from me.
"Ah, no," I replied, forcing a smile, "Nothing at all."
Apparently my smile had been too forced, however, as Holly only continued to appear unconvinced.
"I should be going," I told her at last, breaking the awkward silence, "I believe I am the least welcome person in this Valley, after all, hehe…"
I managed a chuckle, which finally made Holly smile. Relief filled me at the sight of her satisfaction.
"Alright," Her response was simple, and it was all I wanted to hear. With that, I ran as fast as I could out of the Valley, hoping to get as far away as I could.
Honestly, I was fairly certain that Holly could sense my moments of weakness.
--
She has a blue feather.
I could be for me…
It isn't.
How do you know?
As I have lived alone, there have been a few times (very few), where I have felt the need to consult someone about an issue. In the end, I always found myself debating both sides in my head, weighing the options on my own. Really though, never before had there been a time that I missed having company as much as then.
Well, you are a bit full of yourself...
Though quite handsome.
There you go. Get some humility, Mr. "Phantom Thief".
Aw, you do not like the name? I'm crushed.
Just think about it; there are so many better options for Holly than you.
Name one.
What about that Elvis-guy?
I thought he was taken?
How about that archaeologist?
I take it as an insult that you believe he is a more suited bachelor.
He has more friends than you.
Dammit.
I was getting no where fast. If anything, I was sinking deeper into an already dismal pit. Slamming my head against the rock floor, I tried forcing my brain into action. I needed to think the situation through; what was causing my misery? The answer was obvious; Holly's feather. From there, I found that it was a simple matter of subtraction. If I took away the feather, I took away the problem.
You could get caught. The Valley is on full watch for you now, you know that. You shouldn't even be close to that place.
The opposing side of the argument was right; returning to Forget-Me-Not Valley now, so soon after the latest mob scene, would be suicide. But that blue feather, if Holly were to marry… what would I do then?
You can't do this! What about everything you have? Everything you've lived for? What about your freedom?!
…But what about Holly?
It was then that I realized that I had been wrong. The great Phantom Thief Skye had been wrong. I realized that almost everything in my life had been wrong.
I sat up and gazed into the oncoming dawn. With the breaching day, I realized what I had to do. Unfortunately, however, I did not have much time to do it.
Finally, I had discovered what was truly important to me.
There was one thing that I feared more than losing my precious freedom.
It was losing her.
-o-o-o-
I did not even remember walking home the previous night.
I felt like I was in a dream; a surreal, perfect world. The only thing that I could think about was Skye and the night we had. He had told me everything, trusted me, maybe more than he had trusted anyone before. So much of me could not believe what had happened.
And then that kiss…
I curled into a tight ball in happiness as I reminisced, but the sensation did not thrive long. The sun had barely climbed above the horizon when I heard Takakura's voice booming through the wooden walls.
"Holly!" he shouted, "The sun is about to rise! Get up!"
With a groan of laziness and fatigue, I sat myself up. It was time to return to the real world I lived in; one of work and tiring, long, hot days. Shoving the covers off of my body, I changed and prepared to deliver milk.
My mind gave me little peace that morning, however. Now that my little happy moment of bliss had ended, the doubt I experienced the day before returned with double the force.
"He probably does that with every girl he meets…" I pondered aloud, "And if he kissed me, I don't want to know how far he goes with the pretty ones."
My wagon bounced wildly over the rough, pebble-lined pathway as I tugged it behind me. I performed the route as usual, trying to keep my overwhelming feeling of worry out of my facial expression as I met people face-to-face. However, it was not long before I found myself unable to do so, and I began thinking aloud more and more the farther I led my wooden wagon.
"He's such a ladies man!" I did not even realize that I was almost shouting, "Why did I even fall for his tricks?! I'm such an idiot!"
"You're an idiot for shouting at six in the morning," Vesta's voice made me jump, "But other than that I haven't got the slightest clue what you're blabbering about."
I hung my head in embarrassment.
"You're a bit caught up in things, aren't ya?" She said. Her voice was sympathetic.
"Yeah, a bit," I confirmed unenthusiastically.
"Do you miss Celia?"
I stood frozen in my boots for a second. Celia, I had forgotten that she had even left.
"I do now," was my truthful reply. I realized that I needed my best friend then more than ever, but she had her own life to live.
With that, Vesta simply took her milk and went inside the house. The once frightening, respectful woman, I realized, was now hunched over, hanging in pain and loneliness. The farm had ended up being too much of a hassle for Vesta to manage every day. She cut her duties slightly, but she was losing her strength to a one-sided battle with age and depression. The few crops that the farm actually managed to produce were less firm and of lower quality. It was as though the life the farm once held left with the young newly weds.
After a final look, I could only look down at my shoes at what Celia and Marlin had left behind; a dying farm led by a broken woman.
--
When I finished my route, I packed everything away and stood in my grazing field, staring up at the sky.
Many things had changed in the year since I first encountered the Phantom Thief; some for the worse, some for the better.
Still I worried though, had he just been playing me the entire time? Could I have really been so stupid? So shallow not to see through his little spells and tricks?
I slammed the front door to my house in anger; of course my perfect little world could never exist. I would never deserve such a thing.
But then what did it mean when I found a certain piece of parchment folded on my dining table?
I stopped dead in my tracks when my eyes spotted it. I did not move. I did not want to move. In the end, however, I knew it was futile to resist. My curiosity, my infatuation, it was far too strong to put a wall up against.
Eagerly I opened the letter, and my eyes grew wide at what it said.
Dearest Holly,
I found myself with a bit of a problem last night, and it was that I did not know what was truly important to me. However, I have taken time to myself, and thought over everything that has held great meaning for me. It all led to one decision.
Tonight, I will let myself into your house to perform my final heist. At midnight, I will come to steal your heart.
Until then, have a pleasant day.
Love,
Skye
I grasped the note tightly in my hands; as though I was desperate to make sure it existed. My entire body was shaking, from what exactly, I was not entirely sure. I almost collapsed into the nearest dining chair. As I clasped onto the back of it with my hands, attempting to calm myself, I knew that only one thing was clear.
I had quite a decision to make.