Chapter Fourteen: Separation

I did this everyday. The routine I used to look so forward to holds no meaning for me now. I woke up each day feeling hollow and lifeless; the drive I once possessed was ripped from me along with him. At first my stubbornness and pride held me through, holding off the pain that slowly gnawed its way through my heart. But soon those reserves ran dry, and it came like a wave. But after so long I had grown numb to it. That's why I'm like this now. But still, the pain twisted its hateful words around my brain like ivy. Creeping and lurking around my thoughts.

I stepped outside to feel cold air bite my cheeks. Time had passed since then. The hot sun of summer gave way to the chill of autumn. The trees of my orchard stopped bearing fruit and their leaves turned brilliant shades of red and orange. Yet another bitter reminder of something I couldn't see again. Into the routine I had felt no energy to do. Water, feed, milk, and gather. It was tiring. Chase came by now and then, but even a pessimist couldn't be around my zombie self for to long. I had become a shut in. Doing what I needed, but other than that I stayed inside. I missed the summer festival, and the Theodore's circus. Oh well.

As I made my way to go back inside, spending yet another day locked up, Chase called my name from down the road. I turned to see him, so there was no pretending I hadn't heard him and shutting my door. He walked up to my porch, eyeing me wearily. "You need to stop this Hikari." He said. I just blinked; not feeling compelled to answer him. "That! All you do is gaze at people with those lifeless eyes and go in your house. Everyone is worried about you Hikari… I'm worried about you." "And?" I asked. "AND? Is that all you can say?" he asked angrily. I shrugged. "I'm really not in the mood for this Chase, can you just leave now?" I asked, getting slightly irritated.

"You're coming with me to the Moon Festival tomorrow." He said. I crossed my arms. "And how do you intend to get me to do this?" Chase let his arms fall to his sides. "Hikari, please come. Do it for me." I sighed, rubbing my eyes in frustration. "Fine!" I yelled in defeat. His face lit into a smile that would have made me squint with its brightness. "Alright! Meet me there at seven!" I closed my door in his face, not bothering to say goodbye. Was it really the thirteenth already? I checked my calendar. Yep. Mentally exhausted, I plopped on my couch and flipped through the meager channels of my TV.

Tomorrow came all too quickly. I checked my watch as I finished harvesting my yams. I walked over to the large bell and rang it. My animals filed out slowly, confused. It had been a long time since I'd let them out. I walked inside and threw on a casual yellow shirt, instinctively avoiding anything red. No point in putting extra effort into my appearance. I let Lemon graze; the cow looked at me with pity filled eyes. Biting my lip I walked down the road to Flute Fields. The sun was nearly set by the time I crossed the bridge and rounded the corner. Crap. The entire town was here, save for wizard. I tried to sneak away but Chase called out my name. Everyone turned to stare at me, pinning me with a dozen different gazes, all questioning. If ever I needed a place to hide, now would be it.

I walked over, staring at the ground and muttering greetings to anyone I passed. Chase was there, sitting on a blanket. Beside him sat Anissa and Jin. Anissa's worried eyes transformed into a warm smile of welcome, thawing my cold heart a bit. "Hikari." She said, her voice clearly expressing her relief. "How is Van?" I asked. She silently handed me with babe, who gazed up at me through a thick blanket. His brown eyes brightened at a new face and he smiled. "He's grown since last I saw him." Anissa nodded as she gazed down at her child. "They grow up fast." Jin said from behind Anissa.

I gazed down at Van, smiling like a fool at the adorable thing. "Hikari." Anissa said. I raised my head, knowing what was coming. "What has been going on since last I saw you? We've been so worried." My shoulder slumped, how do explain to a person that a God basically twisted her heart and tore it to shreds? "I can't explain it Anissa… I'll be alright." Anissa placed her hand on mine. "Whatever it is, remember we are here for you Hikari, your like family to us." I smiled slightly, not completely trusting her words. She noticed this and squeezed my hand. "Don't you ever think that you are alone Hikari, everyone here loves you, even if some don't express it as well as others." Chase placed a hand on my shoulder. "The entire town came here for you Hikari. They all have been worried." I glanced up to see the proof.

Everyone was smiling at me with happy eyes. Even Gill was glancing furtively my way. Realization struck my like a boulder. It felt like I'd just been kicked in the head by Lemon. I'm never alone, but he is. I carefully placed Van in Anissa's arms and stood. "I have to go." I said. I smiled reassuringly at Anissa, actually smiling for real this time. "Thank you Anissa, I'm going to better from now on." Anissa released me and let her hand fall to Jin's. Chase grabbed my hand before I could go. "Where are you going?" he asked. I met his violet eyes; they burned with worry, and some other emotion I couldn't quite name. "I have to see him, I'll visit you soon Chase, I promise." He frowned and turned away from me. "Go then." And I did, not noticing the way his shoulders hunched or how he glared at the ground he stood on. As I ran I let out a shrill whistle. Soon the distant sound of hooves echoed in my ears. It wasn't Lemon though.

Cherry trotted up to me, the large mare skittered to stop and nickered in greeting. I patted her shoulder and hoisted myself up onto her back. I held onto the reigns and she kicked off into a full gallop. I crossed the bridge and passed a startled Phoebe and Calvin, who were having a romantic evening gazing at the moon from the Accessory Store porch. I jumped off of Cherry's back and slammed my palm down on the runes, which flared brilliantly, as if welcoming my return.

I gazed at the full moon that lit my mountain throne. It's brilliant, pale light illuminated the sky and the vast ocean of clouds before me, making them glow a pearly white. It held no beauty for me. Ever since then I was able to completely ignore her. I denied the urge to go to her, to watch her from afar, even to glance at her aura on the energy plane. But even so she haunted my thoughts. I couldn't shake the image of her tears as she left my mountain top or the feeling of her fingers on my cheek.

When the wind howled I heard her voice fill my ears. I had become way too fond of her. When she was with me I felt… happy. Her company made me feel warmth I hadn't felt in a long time. But with her gone, not even the flames of my aura could thaw the icy sting of pain that lanced through me every second. She was an infuriating human. She was prideful, angry, stubborn, and disrespectful. I turned as a flash of light came from behind me, beyond the steps of my throne. What in the world? I felt her aura. One time I had watched her aura after she'd left. It had become a sickly shade of gray, withered like the Harvest Tree used to be. But now it blazed like it used to. Its brilliant blue flared with the strength of her spirit. She was here. Why?

I felt the world whirl around me and then solidified into stone. The air bit my cheeks and froze my lungs with cold. I gazed wearily at the high stairway that led to him. Did he know I was here? Would he ignore me again? He doesn't care about you. You are insignificant, a plain girl who means nothing to him. The voice said, biting into my mind and whispering its poison. I shook out the thoughts. SHUTUP! I yelled silently in my mind. I would not be overcome by doubt. I reached for a large rock and tested its weight in my hand. Its sharp edge seemed to glare at me in defiance.

She was coming up the steps. I heard the soft thumps of her footsteps as she ascended them. I turned back to world below. Just ignore her. It was better this way. She was beside me now; I felt the warmth of her aura as it flared beside my own blazing red one. "Hey Harvest King!" She said. I kept my eyes fixed on the horizon. I heard the slicing of air before I felt it. Something hard and sharp hit my cheek, glancing across my head and causing me to stagger back. After one second of confusion I regained my balance and felt my cheek. I hissed in pain and my hand came back wet with blood. I looked up at her, consumed in my fury. She was holding a sharp edged rock, wet with my blood. I caught her in my power and pulled her toward me. "You wretched little…" The infuriating human was smiling at me. I almost killed her then and there, only a shred of my sanity holding me back. She dropped the rock and it clattered on the ground. "Look whose not ignoring me."

My jaw almost dropped open in shock. I was so surprised that my hold on her lifted and she nearly fell as gravity took hold once more. She stepped back and clutched her side awkwardly. She met my eyes, the brown orbs blazing with defiance. "Now look here. If you keep ignoring me I'm going to keep hitting you with the rocks you love to stare at so much. So either you talk to me or you get hit by rocks, or you can just kill me and solve the whole problem, which will it be?" I rubbed my sore, but already healed jaw. "You are crazy. Do you not realize that you are undeniably the most masculine woman I have ever seen? You have the flesh of a woman but the strength of a man." She smiled at me again, and I couldn't help to smile myself. Her flaws once again ran through my mind, but so did her perfections. Bold, confident, fiery, and loyal. Crazy to.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a shining apple. It gleamed up at me. I rolled my eyes and took the gift. A crazy, crazy woman. "Now that that's settled I have to get going." She said. I grabbed her arm and turned her towards me. Her eyes widened in shock as I pulled her into my arms.

Ok so things had become pretty random. I was expecting him to kill me, a big mental phew that he didn't. Then I expected to give him the apple and be on my cheery cherry way with a, "See you later!" Instead I was grabbed and hugged by the most gorgeous man I had ever known. So of course my stomach flipped and my heart nearly stopped! But now it was beating so loudly I'm sure even he could hear it. "Hikari." He whispered in my ear, sending shivers all the way to my toes. The sane half of my brain was yelling, "Push him away and punch him! And being the brilliant person I am I reached my arms up and clutched him to me. Silent tears fell from my eyes, tears that I'd held back and buried deep all this time. "Harvest King…" I said with a sob, my fingers clutching his robes as if my life depended on it. "Harvest King I…"

Special thanks to ScarfAdd for giving me the "cheery cherry way" idea for the last paragraph.

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