A figure of a beautiful woman with lavender hair, adorned in a white, shimmering gown with translucent butterfly wings, smiled at her from somewhere in the darkness. Colorful gems dimly lit the corners of what seemed like a cavern, and the fairy-like woman hovered above a small spring of sparkling water, where a waterfall cascaded behind her.

Please… help me…

Kaname recognized the fairy woman as the Harvest Goddess. Even if she hadn't played Harvest Moon Magical Melody, she would know that chibi character from anywhere! Only… she wasn't a chibi, but a proportioned adult. She looked less like a cartoon character than she did a realistic person.

There's not much time left…

Not much time left? It'd been so long since she last played the game, so she wasn't entirely sure what problem ailed the Harvest Goddess. From the lineup of games she once played to the newer versions recently crafted, it usually had something to do with friendship, love, prayers, and harvesting enough crops.

But this was just a dream. An interesting dream. While enamored by her dream-like graphics of a favorite game from her past, she watched helplessly as the goddess became still and turned to stone. She was nothing more than a former statue of what she once was.

Please… before it's too late… Come to my spring.

Summer 16

Just as quickly as the dream came, it faded, and when Kaname opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar bed of an unfamiliar room. Baffled, she stared at the white curtain surrounding the metal frame bed, the sheets thin and white, but at least the pillow was comfortable. Was this place a clinic?

Sitting up, she touched her head and blinked several times. No, she wasn't dreaming. It seemed real and felt real, but why did everything look so… colorful? Brown eyes shifted to the various shelves littered with jars and books, to the instruments lying in the furthest corner behind the sheets, and then to the interior of the room. Brick walls and gray tiled flooring greeted her, and as her eyes strayed to the window beside her, she realized she wasn't in her apartment anymore. Kaname was on the second floor of this clinic, in a town that seemed awfully familiar to her.

Too familiar…

Again, she glanced around, and instead of lifting herself from the bed, she laid back down. I'm probably dreaming… This is so strange. While her thoughts urged her to stand up and explore this fascinating world, she couldn't find the strength to do so. For some unfathomable reason, she was dizzy, and her legs felt like jello. Maybe if she closed her eyes, she'd wake up in her bedroom like nothing happened? But before she could rid this world away, a figure pushed the sheets aside and stood beside her bed.

A young woman, adorned in a light blue dress and a white apron, with large round glasses, suddenly greeted her with a surprised gasp. As she cupped her mouth, her large brown eyes widening at the sight of her, Kaname almost fell out of her bed in surprise. She recognized this character in an instant! It was Gina! Everything from her gown, mannerisms and her signature pigtailed braids was a clear indicator that this was definitely a dream.

"Oh, goodness! You sure had us worried! How are you feeling, dear?"

There was no time for Kaname to ask who, what, when and how, and instead, she leaped out of the bed and grasped the young nurse by the shoulders and examined her from head to toe. Not only was she slightly taller than her, but the designs from her character in the game were exactly the same! Holy cow… this was the first time she'd ever dreamed of anything Harvest Moon related!

It was honestly cool!

Practically excited, she quickly maneuvered around the startled woman and explored the room, but just before Gina could reach out to stop her, Kaname ran down the stairs and into the main area of the clinic. As soon as she did, she nearly knocked into a young man with dark hair, dressed in a white lab coat.

"Oh my gosh! Alex!" Kaname said, gasping as she held onto the railings on the stairs.

The doctor staggered back and caught himself on the wall in time and tilted his head at the sight of her. In an instant, his Asian brown eyes widened, and he touched her shoulder worriedly. "What's this now? Are you all right? You shouldn't run down the stairs like that, Kaname."

"You even know my name?" No way…

The inquiry surprised the doctor, and he furrowed his brow. "Could it be you're still dizzy after that fall? Come, let us return you to bed—" But before he could finish, Kaname slipped out of his reach and descended the rest of the stairs and rounded the corner, only to knock into another person, this time someone dressed in blue denim overalls, scuffed boots and an elbow-length sleeved white shirt with a red scarf tied around his neck.

"Oh, excuse me! I'm sorry, but I'm in a rush!" Kaname said, trying to sidestep out of that person's path, but his strong arms held her still by the shoulders.

"Kaname!" A familiar voice said. "What are you doing out of bed? Are you feeling okay? You had me worried!"

The last thing she expected to see what the familiar face of her brother staring back at her, dressed in farmer's clothing. It was her twin brother, Michiru! Back from the dead and alive in her dream! The mere sight brought tears to her eyes, and she clutched onto his overalls tightly. Was it really him?

"Kaname? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost…" He said, touching his palm to her forehead.

Unable to hold back her tears, she flung her arms around his shoulders and embraced him tightly, fearful he might disappear once again. All the while, he held her close and patted her head, while the doctor and nurse descended the remaining steps to check on her. After all, she was supposedly a patient in their clinic, for whatever reason, and as she pulled away from Michiru, she wiped her tears.

"I never thought I'd see you again, Michiru. After what happened during that accident thirteen years ago, things haven't been the same."

Michiru blinked and shared a glance with Gina and Alex. "What are you talking about, Kaname? Why would you think you'd never see me again? We've been together since we were children… Don't you remember?"

She nodded. "Of course… but… that truck swerved on the bridge and knocked you into the river, and then mom and dad got a divorce and—"

Hearing this, he suddenly chuckled and pulled her into his arms. All the while, he rubbed her back affectionately. "It was only a dream, Kaname. Mom and dad aren't divorced and are living happily where we left them. As you can see, I'm standing before you alive and healthy."

A dream? How could it be a dream if this was a dream? Could it be dream-ception? None of this was real. Perhaps the only reason this happened was because she found that unfinished fanfic just before she went to sleep. Fear gnawed at her when she realized he might disappear forever after she woke up.

"I don't want this dream to end…"

Gina frowned and folded her arms in front of her. "On account of our recent patients, I'm not surprised. She fainted because of too much sun exposure, and it hasn't helped that it hasn't rained in many days. Perhaps she needs a little more rest."

Alex nodded. "I agree, but just in case, I want to ask you some questions, Kaname."

Pulling slightly away from her brother, but still clinging to his overalls, she slowly nodded. Just so long as they could make this quick, because she really wanted to spend more time with him and hopefully explore this place further. "What do you want to ask me?"

"What is your name, age, and birth?"

"Kaname Kururugi. Twenty-three years old, born on March 7th of 1981," She said, but from everyone's expressions, she faltered. Was it incorrect? "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Michiru took her by the shoulders once more and stared her directly in the eye. "Kaname… you're not twenty-three, you're seventeen this spring. Same as me," He said, but before Kaname could explain anything more, Alex continued.

"I'll continue then. Kaname, do you know the name of this town?"

If this was a dream, did it really matter? Couldn't she just make things up as she went? But judging by the serious expressions of everyone around her, that probably wasn't the case. Oh great… She couldn't remember. She hadn't touched any of her Harvest Moon games in so many years.

"Uh…" Was it Spring Meadows? Surely it's not Leaf Valley? Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Oh, how could she forget? "Flower Bud Village!" She said, positive she'd gotten it right, but one look at everyone's faces told her otherwise.

Gina frowned. "Well… not exactly. You're in Flower Leaf Village, in Forget-Me-Not-Valley. On Mineral Island, to be more specific."