[A/N]: Just an extra. It should be noted that extras will fall out of order sometimes because I mostly write them when I have writer's block. I just choose one I get an idea from and go with it. So, the story could be in winter, but the extra is in fall and so on. I hope it doesn't confuse anybody! xD;; Also, I'm happy everybody enjoyed the shipping in Harvest Moon.

Dedications

Kaia-Scythe, Anonymousgirl88, Misuno, AnimeObsessed98, lilyvioletheart, AquaticSilver, lilyvioletheart, and Omega VI

Thank you for reviews, favorites, and follows!

I deeply appreciate it~!

Edit: February 18, 2014

Beta: Lucy Kay. Thanks again!

Critter Catching Festival

"Target in sight," Rio crouched low into the field of wildflowers, careful not to directly crush any of them. It was a lovely summer day. The sky was a clear, light blue, and the sun was bright without being scalding hot. There was a gentle breeze that would roll over Rio every now and again. The perfect day to hunt for bugs, or critters, like the folks in these parts would say.

Rio had been stalking a brown large, winged creature. It was resting in the grass, taking flight to move only a few inches at a time. Rio suspected it was eating whatever bugs like that ate.

"Probably other bugs," she thought to herself. When she felt like she was close enough, she swung her small net and swooped the insect up. It buzzed angrily at being caught in the net, but Rio couldn't let it go yet. She wanted to win the contest. Whoever caught the most bugs would take the crown, and she thought she was doing pretty well.

"Let's see: you are a kah-, keh-, kay… kaempfer cicada," Rio badly pronounced, and most likely classified, the little bug's name as she flipped through the book of insects she had. Feeling that she named it right, she wrote the name on a small container and shimmied the cicada inside and stored it inside her rucksack. "Now to find you some friends."

She walked up a hill and crouched low again when she saw a leafy, dark green bush. It was of hefty size and looked like it could house plenty of critters. She duck-walked up to the bush. She pushed apart the branches as carefully as she could to look inside it without scaring any future prey away. She gulped and had just eyed a thick, brownish-yellow bug when she felt something move across her exposed ankle. She looked down to see a silver, black spotted creature move across her foot. Her eyes bugged out and yielded back, letting out a loud shriek. "Snake!" She lost her footing as she stumbled back and rolled down the hill she came up.

"Aah!" She tumbled ungracefully all the way back down, feeling herself crash harshly into another body. The person under her let out a series of curses that would put a sailor to shame.

"Get off me!" The strained voice of Neil said as he shoved Rio off of him; none to gently at that. "No matter where I go you're always causing problems."

"Well, I'm sorry, but there was a snake up there. Okay, I'm not some country bumpkin. I didn't have to worry about snakes in a third story apartment deep in the city," Rio brushed some grass off of her clothes and stood up. Neil's eyes narrowed at her stupidity.

"Yeah, I really feel bad for you now," he scoffed and stood up as well. He looked at the bush on the hill and walked up towards it. Rio saw him dig around in it before marching back the hill, the tiny snake in his hands. Rio took a few steps away from him when he came to stand in front of her.

"Calm down, it's a glass snake," he spoke, walking closer to Rio as she stepped back. Deep inside, he was glad that for once he could tease her.

"Yeah, a snake," Rio confirmed, ready to run screaming back into town.

"Glass snakes aren't real snakes. They're lizards without legs," Neil held the creature up to Rio, and she leaned away as it slithered in Neil's fingers.

"It looks like a snake to me. How can you tell the difference?" Rio looked the creature over as she tried to see any indication that this thing was a lizard. To her, lizards had four legs and other distinctive features.

"It can blink," Neil reported as if it were a common fact. Rio took a closer look at the animal and saw its small eyes blink up at her, a tiny tongue coming out to taste the air before going back in. Rio smiled.

"It's actually kind of cute," she pointed her index finger and slowly ran it over the scaled skin.

"Yeah, it is," Neil agreed, turning it in his hand. He felt something poke his cheek and smacked Rio's hand away. "Stop that!"

"Aw, but you're cute, too, especially when you smile," Rio grinned teasingly, and Neil flushed scarlet. Deeply flustered and feeling awkward, he thrust his hands forward towards Rio, glass snake in tow.

"Here, you want to hold it?" Rio immediately backed up and gulped.

"N-No!" She exclaimed as Neil smirked and walked closer to her.

"I thought you said it was cute."

"Doesn't mean I want to hold it! You better stay back, Neil!" Rio rushed past him, and Neil darted after her. "I mean it!"

Rio hid from Neil all afternoon, not realizing that he stopped chasing her halfway back or that her stumble down the hill had lost her half of her critters. They were already escaping back into the forest. No way was she going to win now, but there was always next year.