Story 1: The Merchant and the Fairy

Makoto Naegi was as plain as men came in the kingdom of Hope's Peak. He rose with the sun and worked on his small field of wheat. As the sun reached its peak, he was in the market selling his goods. And when the sun set, he was at home, preparing himself a pitiful meal of potatoes and carrots, purchased with the few coins he was able to earn throughout the day. He wished he had someone to share his life with, but as it was for the unlucky merchant, he was alone for the night yet again.

On one particular day, Makoto had earned enough to treat himself to a night at the local pub: a small, dirty building that reminded Makoto of the stables. He took a seat on one of the rickety stools and ordered himself a drink from the barkeeper. As the drink was set down on the greasy table in front of him, a man took a seat across from him.

"Greetings!" The man said to Makoto. Alcohol was on his breath. "Would you like your fortune told?" The man reached into his worn green cloak, pulling out a ball of misty glass. He set it on the table, and a pile of stained cards followed.

"No thank you." Makoto took a long drink from his wooden mug.

"Ah, well then, perhaps you'd like a glimpse into your love life? You seem like a charming young man. Your wife must be a lucky woman. But…" The man raised a brown eyebrow. "It seems as if some strife has come between you two. Have you come to this bar seeking another woman?"

Makoto's scowl was hidden by the edge of his mug. "No," he said plainly. "I have no wife. And I don't care much to find women in a place like this." He gestured around the musty room. The fortune teller seemed insulted.

"The women in this village aren't good enough for you then?" The fortune teller frowned before quickly looking down to his ball. He rubbed a hand over its surface. There was no change in its appearance. "I've figured it out, young sir! There is a woman waiting for you! But I'll need some payment if you desire to know where she is."

Makoto set his mug down. He looked down to his small coin purse. The drink hadn't cost much, and by the way the fortune teller was arranging his cards, it seemed his fate had already been decided. Three coins clattered onto the table, and the fortune teller grinned.

"Good choice, sir! The great fortune teller Yasuhiro Hagakure will now tell you the truth of your future wife!" A few groans echoed around the room, but Yasuhiro ignored them. "Alright, now listen closely." Yasuhiro grabbed Makoto's hands, moving them onto the glass ball, then closed his eyes. "I am seeing many visions…" Yashihiro's grip tightened. Makoto cringed, looking around the room at the critical gazes they were receiving. "Ah… yes! I see it clearly now!"

"I can tell you three things about your wife! One: She possesses hair as white as the snow in winter. Two: She is a pirate who has sailed the great sea. Three: She is trapped in an enchanted pool in the Greenwood Forest!" Yasuhiro's eyes sprung open. "Young man, you must hurry to save her! She is hoping for a strong man such as yourself to rescue her!"

Yasuhiro ushered Makoto to his feet and to the door of the pub. He found himself being shoved outside by the older man. "Run! But remember, the great fortune teller Yasuhiro's predictions are only one-third correct!"

With that, the fortune teller pulled the door closed, leaving Makoto on the dusty path leading to the bar. The stars and moon provided little light. Makoto stood, dusted himself off, and went along his way. He was in no rush to find a white-haired pirate in the forest. That woman surely didn't exist. She was a work of fiction in the drunken fortune teller's mind. Everyone in the village knew that fortune tellers only worked to swindle money off of desperate men and women.

Makoto arrived home and fell asleep quickly. He dreamt of a peaceful night of drinking in the pub, without any fortune tellers or strange women.

It was four days later when the young merchant took his horse, Clover, for a ride in the Greenwood Forest. The fortune teller's prediction had been long forgotten. They traveled along until they were in the deepest depths of the oak and maple woods. Makoto unfolded the map from his pocket. The plant he sought was supposedly near a large pond to the northeast. Makoto directed Clover in the right direction.

Redbells were in high demand from doctors and potion makers. Due to their newly found healing properties and multiple vitamins-

Makoto cried out as Clover threw him from her back. She raced off in a blur of brown, back the way they had come. Makoto's attention was quickly drawn up to see what had startled his horse.

Before him stood a pond as blue as he had ever seen. It held an ethereal glow beneath its surface. Several multicolored flowers floated on top of it. Lily pads and vines broke its otherwise pristine surface. Makoto approached the bank slowly. He peered down at the water, but was shocked to see no reflection. He could see directly to the bottom! Makoto gasped and took a step back. He had never seen a work of nature so beautiful.

Makoto gasped again when something touched his back. He whipped around, but nobody was there. Only a lone branch waving in the late afternoon wind. Makoto breathed a sigh of relief and pulled his boots off, then rolled up the cuffs of his pants. He waded into the water carefully, its chill stinging his bare calves.

There, on the surface of the water, was the red-colored, drooping flower he was looking for. He reached out a small hand towards it, but was stopped by a sudden splash of freezing water on his back. He cried out and nearly fell face-first into the pond. He turned again, but there was still no one. He swore he heard a faint giggle brush past his ear.

"Just the wind…or a fish," Makoto muttered to himself.

He turned back toward the flowers, but they were hidden behind a slim, pale figure. Makoto's eyes traveled slowly upwards, widening as they took in the girl floating before him. Her skin was as smooth as a porcelain doll's, and her hair blue like the berries which grew around the forest. Her face was like something out of a painter's or dollmaker's creation. She wore a blue and white outfit of silk, with pink ribbons weaving throughout it and her hair.

But most awe-inspiring of all were the deep blue wings which shimmered on her back.

"You're-" Makoto started.

"A fairy. I know," The fairy finished. A smile spread across her lips. "And you think I'm a very beautiful fairy. Thank you." She winked.

Makoto felt the blush creep across his cheeks. "I don't- I mean…"

"I guess you could say I'm psychic," the fairy giggled softly. She leaned down to be closer to the shorter boy. "My name is Sayaka. What's yours?"

"Makoto Naegi," the human said sheepishly.

Sayaka hummed. She looked down to the red flowers beneath her. "Do you need these?" She pointed a finger to them.

Makoto nodded. "They help us with healing," he explained.

"I see…" Sayaka drifted closer to the water's surface, being careful not to let her feet get wet. She ran a finger across the soft petals. "I'd be happy to let you take some, since I know you're not lying about that." She winked again. "Just promise not to get too greedy, alright?"

"Yes, of course," Makoto said. Sayaka watched as he carefully cut some of the petals of the flowers off, and placed them onto the bag strapped across his back. When he was done, he looked back up to her. "Thank you very much. I'm just surprised at seeing a fairy. I thought you were only in children's books."

"No, we really exist," Sayaka said with a smile. "Must you leave now?"

Makoto nodded. The sun would set in less than an hour, and he still needed to deliver the petals to the resident doctor before nightfall. It pained him to leave such a beautiful woman, even if she wasn't human. He was worried he would never see her again…

"Don't worry about that, Makoto," Sayaka said. "You can come back to visit any time you want."

Makoto blushed again. She could read every one of his thoughts, it seemed.

"Do you promise to visit me again soon?" Sayaka asked.

Makoto stared at her for a moment. "I promise," he answered.

Sayaka smiled until her cheeks turned pink. "Then…" Before Makoto could react, Sayaka floated forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her lips were on his before he could comprehend what was happening. Makoto tasted fruits of all flavors, and the sweetest honey, but only for a second, before Sayaka pulled away.

"I'll see you again soon!" Sayaka exclaimed. Then, a light glow engulfed her, and she was gone. Makoto stood there, rubbing his eyes, and staring at the spot where the fairy girl was.

Makoto slowly waded out of the pool, dried his feet on the grass, then pulled his boots back on. "Probably just a dream…" he whispered to himself.

But still, he would be back soon.