Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters. I wish I
did. Mazrim is C to me however. Do not take credit for him if you wish to
live. No furry woodland mammals were harmed during the making of this
Fanfic. At times, flashy curse words may cause little children to go
insane. Because of this, this fanfic is rated R. Anyone under 13 must
stop reading under the penalty of death. This fanfic may cause seizures.
Please consult your doctor before reading this fanfic. This fanfic
contains .3245 grams of sodium. And for the love of God. It's just make
believe.
Chapter 2: Swords to Plowshares. Warrior turned Farmer?!
*****
"Are you by any chance Mazrim?" asked a short man with a ridiculous top hat and handlebar mustache.
Mazrim stood tall, steadying himself. "That is me. And you are?"
Smiling, the short man stuck out his hand. "My name is Mayor Thomas. I, of course, am the mayor of Mineral Village. I would like to be the first to welcome you to our fine town."
Something was wrong. I slowly reached out and shook his hand, but I still felt uneasy.
"I must say, for a while there I thought you weren't going to make it here in time. You got here without a minute to spare though. Now we must hurry. You have to sign the papers before the end of the day, otherwise, everything is forfeit." Grabbing my hand, he started pulling me toward the village.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" I yelled as he came to a halt. Turning my way, He gave me a disapproving look.
"We do not use that kind of language around this town young man."
Great. Just fucking great. That limit's half of my vocabulary right there.
"Okay, okay." I growled. He merely nodded his head in satisfaction. Growling once again, I turned back to the matter at hand. "What is going on? What am I here just in time for?"
"Didn't you read my letter?" asked the mayor, as he glanced at his pocket watch.
"Of course I did. Why else would I be here?"
"Did you read the back?"
Ugh. Of course. I was too shocked when I read it to check the back. Pulling it out of my pocket, I uncrumpled it and read it:
Ps. Your grandfather has left the farm to you in his will. If you wish to claim it, you must return in one month. If you are not back within one month, ownership will be transferred to the federal government.
Double ugh. So this is what was going on. They expect me to take my grandpa's place. I can't do something like that. I have no idea how to run a farm. I'm a soldier, not a fighter. I destroy things, not grow them.
"You now Mazrim," the mayor started, "your grandfather was a great man. He was very kind and generous to the town. The fact is, this town could not have survived without his farm. We depended mainly on the income he got from the crops he sold from his farm. Of course, we have things to sell as well, but for the most part, Jack would be the main source of income. His farm alone brings in more than 75% of the town's funds. I must admit. We did depend on him a bit too much. When he passed away, I was afraid you would refuse the offer. I don't know what we would do if the government took that land from us. We as a village could not survive without it. But I'm glad that you came."
Triple ugh. Damn these people. Why do they have to make things so difficult.
"I hate to tell you this, Mayor. I can't take care of the farm."
Instantly, his face fell. This was making me feel like crap.
"Oh. Well. I guess that is up to you to decide." I could see the tears he was holding back. Now I was getting depressed. "Can I ask you one thing, before you decide, Mazrim?"
"What do you plan to do with your life? I don't mean to pry into your own affairs, but from what your grandpa told me, you've had quite a tough time. I don't want to be rude about this. Ultimately, it is your decision alone to make. But I think you should take serious thought into this Mazrim. This is a chance that could turn your entire life around. You have until the end of the day to decide. So please, promise me. At least consider it."
I couldn't help but sigh. Damnit. "All right. I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up, mayor."
We shook hands, and were about to part ways. "Oh, and Mazrim? Remember, you must make your decision before the end of the day. At around 6pm, come down to the Town Inn. Do you remember where that is?"
How could I miss it. It was the only two-story building in the town.
"Yeah, I know where it is."
"Okay then. See you later, Mazrim." And with that, the mayor left to attend other matters.
"Ugh. How do I get into these messes?"
Sighing, I decided to wonder around. It was 12:00. I had six hours to kill. What to do?
Heading down the dirt path from the town square, I came to a small ranch. Pausing for a moment, I could see into the stables. A small girl with an old man were attending to some horses. I continued on, going straight down the path until I came across another small farm. I could here chickens, but as I walked by I could here shouts from inside. Sounded like an argument. Deciding now was not the time to get involved, I continued down the path until I hit a fork in the road. To the left, the path would lead to the farm.
Shaking my head, I went to the left. As I came to the farm, what I saw shocked me. Where bright red tomatoes, lush grass, and ripe vegetables grew, Weeds now dominated. What used to be a picket fence, was now nothing but a pile of broken wood. Rocks and boulders were all over the ground. The barn where cows and sheep used to be looked ready to collapse. The chicken coop had no roof. A huge pile of debris to the side appeared to have been a building of some sort before it had collapsed. The only structure that looked safe at all was the shack of a house that stood as solid as a rock. At least something was still standing.
"What the hell happened here?" I whispered. The place was nothing like I remembered.
"Pretty sad, ain't it?" someone said in an old raspy voice. Spinning around, I caught sight of the old man and girl I had seen from earlier.
"Name's Barley. This here young'n is May." The little girl smiled shyly as Barley turned back to me. "I own Yodel ranch."
"Mazrim." I said, as I turned back to the disaster of a farm. "What. happened here?"
"Summer of last year, a hurricane came by. Pretty bad'n, too. As you can see, it tore up everythin'." Barley shook his head sadly. "Jack was inside his shack. Heard the roof tear off his chicken coop. So, he went outside, durin' all the thunder an lightning. Went to the chicken coop and took all the chickens to the barn, one by one, all by himself. Well, after that, he caught a bad case of pneumonia. He kept on working, though, right up till he collapsed. Was bed-ridden for three months. Finally passed on durin' the forth one. He was a proud man. Of course, since he wasn't here, he couldn't take care of the farm, so all the weeds grew. The rocks you see were from an avalanche from the mountain side during the rain. Really sad, it was. Broke Jack's heart to see his prized farm reduced to such a state. By the way, if you don't mind my asking. Are you here to take up his farm in his stead?"
Son of a.
"Err, I'm kinda considering it at the moment. I'm not so sure about it just yet." This was starting to annoy me. I came here only because I thought it was the least I could do for not being there when Grandpa needed me. Now I was being hounded. Barley must have noticed, because he seemed to quite down a bit.
"Well, I better get May back inside before she catches a cold in this rain. You take good care of yerself, youngn'. It was good to meet you." He paused for one more moment. "Whatever you do, young man, know that ol Jack has always and will always be proud of you." And with that, Barley and May left.
Taking another look at the farm, I decided to get out of the rain. I walked up to the shack of a house, but paused just before heading in. Faintly, I could here a wimpering sound. Following it, I went around to the back of the house, and saw a small dog huddled under a box. It looked like it hadn't eaten for days. Suddenly, my conscience took control, and before I knew it, I was wiping a soaked mutt down inside the shack with an old towel. Shaking my head and muttering, I went to the cupboard to see if there was any food.
"Holy Sh.." It looked like mold. Maybe it was some sort of old rice ball or something. All I know is that whatever the hell it was, it was lunging towards me. It didn't look friendly either. With reflexes faster than the Flash himself, I drew the sword that was hanging on my back, and , with a fierce battle cry, vanquished the fowl creature with one mighty slash. The dog yipped in surprise as some sort of green liquid spilled onto the ground. Cautiously, I poked the thing with my sword, just to make sure it was dead. After further inspection, I came to a conclusion.
"Milk?! In a cupboard?! The expiration date is a year ago! And why the hell is it in a cupboard!! Haven't these people ever heard of refrigerators?!" After rummaging through the cupboards a little more, I realized that there was nothing edible here. I would have to get some food at the store.
Looking at my watch, it was already 3:00. The store should be open. Grabbing an umbrella, I went outside back into the rain and made my way to the General Store.
When I got in, the shop owner, another short man with a slick haircut and a mustache, greeted me. I gave him a small nod and went to look at the food aisle. After getting a few of the necessities and a bag of dog food, I went up to the owner and purchased the items. For some reason, he seemed very surprised when I paid with cash. After exchanging farewells, I paused at the exit. There was another customer in line, buying some stuff.
"Hey, put it on my tab, Jeff." Said the customer, and older man with streaks of gray in his hair. The owner seemed to be a little timid. "Uh, your tab? Well. I.. shouldn't you..?"
Immediately I knew what was going on. The prick was trying to cheat him.
"Shouldn't you pay for that?" I said, in a calm, even voice. The older man looked at me.
"Hey, your not from around here, are you. We can buy with credit here." Suddenly, he seemed to notice the sword on my back. He seemed a bit nervous.
"DUKE!" The voice startled both of us. Whirling around, I was caught off guard. She was like a goddess. She looked like she was about my age. Her long brown hair went down to her waist, and was tinted gold on the tips of the bangs that drifted gently over her beautiful green eyes. Eyes, which gleamed with more than displeasure. Her hands were on her hips. She was simply gorgeous. She was also very angry.
"YOU WERE TRYING TO BUY ON CREDIT AGAIN, WEREN"T YOU!!!" The old man who I now identified as Duke had the look of a deer caught in headlights. Sweat was pouring down his face.
"Err, Karen, I."
"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT DENYING IT!!! I HEARD EVERYTHING!!"
Duke seemed to shrink a little smaller.
"Why can't you be more like this young man here, huh?" she snapped, gently grabbing my arm. I felt like there were butterflies in my stomach. "At least he can pay his bills."
"Alright Karen, sheesh. You, I can't escape." Mumbling under his breath about how girls shouldn't act that way, Duke paid up and left.
"Dad, you shouldn't be so wishy-washy around guys like him."
I snapped out of it. Shaking my head, I looked at her. She was smiling.
"Thanks for the help back there. I heard everything that was happening. The men from this village tend to like to take advantage of my dad. Thanks for standing up for him. That was pretty cool." I felt my face heat up. All I could manage was a nod. She giggled.
"Say, are you Jack's grandson by any chance?"
Crap.
An hour had gone by. I had told her I was considering it, and she had left it at that. From that point, we had gone on to talk about life here, and life on the battlefield. We sat and swapped stories, laughing together. After another hour, she mentioned I should visit my grandfathers grave. I decided to do just that. At 5:00, I was standing over his grave.
"Here lies Jack Moonrake May his soul rest in everlasting peace."
It was hard, looking down at a piece of rock, and knowing your last family member was a mere six-feet under you. I had to struggle to keep my composure. In all my years as a soldier, I had lost many friends. I knew death pretty well. But this was different. It seemed like a piece of me had died with him as well. Never to return.
Never.
As I stood there in the rain, I began to think of all the times I had spent on the ranch. When I was a kid, I used to enjoy playing with the animals. I remembered the time when I had chased a chicken into the coop. and ended up getting chased back out by fifteen angry chickens. Another time, I was trying to ride a horse. I couldn't stay on at all, and kept falling off. Grandpa had seen me, and came to pick me up off the ground. I remember that I was so upset, and was crying. He told me not to give up. He then told me the old cliché that if you fall off a horse, there's nothing left to do but to just get back on again. Sure enough, the moment I got back on, I was able to stay on the horse. I was so happy, I raced him around the farm for a good two hours. I smiled sadly at the memory.
"That's a sad song you're playing there, young man." I suddenly became aware that I was playing Taps on my ocarina. Not wanting to spoil the moment, I continued the song slowly as I came to the end, letting the last few notes linger on as the other man stood respectfully quite. A few moments lasted before he spoke again.
"It's a sad song indeed. You must be Jack's grandson."
"Mazrim."
"Nice to meet you, Mazrim. My name is Carter. I am the Pastor of this church."
"Thanks for the moment of silence." I said, as a tear rolled down my cheek.
"Not a problem, Mazrim. But, if you don't mind my asking, why play such a sad song? If the dead could here you, they would weep."
"What the hell are you talking about!" I yelled. I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. I had lost my last living relative. I was now alone in this world. And here this guy wants me to lead the dead in a freaking tap dance of joy?!
"Mazrim. Has it ever occurred to you that death is not as bad as you think?"
Crackpot. He must be insane.
"Seriously. Your grandfather was a great man, and he had done many great things in his life. But he was tired, Mazrim. He knew his time was coming, as it does for all of us. He lived a long and fulfilling life. He died content with everything he had accomplished. If I may be so bold to ask, what have you decided to do about his farm?"
Crap. This again. I'm getting pretty damn tired of this subject.
"What the hell do you think I'm going to do!" I yelled. I was fed up with this crap. "There's no way in hell I can take care of the farm! I have no knowledge of how to do it! I'm tired of everyone asking me about it!"
"Then, let me ask you this. What do you feel is the right thing to do, Mazrim. Forget Mineral Village, forget everyone else. If it was just your grandfather and you, what would you tell him? What would you do?" Pastor Carter stood back and waited expectantly for a reply.
I had none.
"Mazrim, believe it or not, your grandfather has a lot of faith in you. He wanted us to try to persuade you to take his farm, his life's work. He wants you to have it. He trusts you to carry on in his place. You just have to believe in yourself. You won't be alone; most people around here know a thing or two about farming. Don't throw away an opportunity like this, Mazrim. This is something that you won't have a second chance at. Besides, it's not like you have anything to lose."
I stood there, in the rain, soaking in everything I had just heard. Pastor Carter was right. I had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. But why me? Why couldn't he choose someone from the village? Surely someone else could run the farm better than me.
And then it hit me.
He wanted me because he knew I needed the chance.
He knew he was leaving me with nothing left. And he wanted me to make a life of my own. so I wouldn't miss him so much.
For the first time in a long time, I knew exactly what to do.
"I see you finally understand, Mazrim." I nodded slowly, gathering all my resolution. Pastor Carter smiled at me.
"That is good, because it is 5:58 right now. You need to run if your going to make it."
Crap.
I managed to get a quick thank-you out before bolting off like a bat out of hell. As I ran, I could here the church bells ding as 6:00 rolled around.
Just as I burst through the Inn's doors, soaking wet.
Mayor Thomas looked relieved to see me. There was another man there I had never seen, who looked like a lawyer.
"Well, looks like you have arrived just in time. Let's get down to business." Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the mayor wiping the sweat of his forehead.
For the next couple of hours, I filled out paperwork and legal documents. By 9:00, I was the legal owner of Moonrake Farm. After shaking hands with the lawyer and a relieved Mayor Thomas, I went to my new home. As I approached the house, the rain had stopped. Looking up, I took a moment to gaze at the stars through a clear patch of clouds before snapping back to reality. Inwardly, I smiled.
Grandpa was watching over me.
The small dog I had taken in greeted me at the door, yipping and waging it's tail happily as I came in with the food I had bought earlier. Taking a plate out of the cupboard, I dished out some dog food and watched as he eagerly dove into it headfirst. Amused, I watched him for a moment as I fixed something for myself.
"I suppose I should name you." I said, as I stared at him. Scratching my chin, I thought for a few minutes.
"I know! From this moment on, I'll call you Leno. What do you think, Leno?"
Leno yipped happily in response.
"I have a feeling you and I are going to get along just fine, boy."
*******
Howdy all, this is Froed the Battletoad. What do you all think So far? Not bad for a first time, eh? Anyways, please R&R. I want to know what you all think! I'm currently working on the next chapter. Mazrim's first day of farming! Well, until then, later all!
Chapter 2: Swords to Plowshares. Warrior turned Farmer?!
*****
"Are you by any chance Mazrim?" asked a short man with a ridiculous top hat and handlebar mustache.
Mazrim stood tall, steadying himself. "That is me. And you are?"
Smiling, the short man stuck out his hand. "My name is Mayor Thomas. I, of course, am the mayor of Mineral Village. I would like to be the first to welcome you to our fine town."
Something was wrong. I slowly reached out and shook his hand, but I still felt uneasy.
"I must say, for a while there I thought you weren't going to make it here in time. You got here without a minute to spare though. Now we must hurry. You have to sign the papers before the end of the day, otherwise, everything is forfeit." Grabbing my hand, he started pulling me toward the village.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" I yelled as he came to a halt. Turning my way, He gave me a disapproving look.
"We do not use that kind of language around this town young man."
Great. Just fucking great. That limit's half of my vocabulary right there.
"Okay, okay." I growled. He merely nodded his head in satisfaction. Growling once again, I turned back to the matter at hand. "What is going on? What am I here just in time for?"
"Didn't you read my letter?" asked the mayor, as he glanced at his pocket watch.
"Of course I did. Why else would I be here?"
"Did you read the back?"
Ugh. Of course. I was too shocked when I read it to check the back. Pulling it out of my pocket, I uncrumpled it and read it:
Ps. Your grandfather has left the farm to you in his will. If you wish to claim it, you must return in one month. If you are not back within one month, ownership will be transferred to the federal government.
Double ugh. So this is what was going on. They expect me to take my grandpa's place. I can't do something like that. I have no idea how to run a farm. I'm a soldier, not a fighter. I destroy things, not grow them.
"You now Mazrim," the mayor started, "your grandfather was a great man. He was very kind and generous to the town. The fact is, this town could not have survived without his farm. We depended mainly on the income he got from the crops he sold from his farm. Of course, we have things to sell as well, but for the most part, Jack would be the main source of income. His farm alone brings in more than 75% of the town's funds. I must admit. We did depend on him a bit too much. When he passed away, I was afraid you would refuse the offer. I don't know what we would do if the government took that land from us. We as a village could not survive without it. But I'm glad that you came."
Triple ugh. Damn these people. Why do they have to make things so difficult.
"I hate to tell you this, Mayor. I can't take care of the farm."
Instantly, his face fell. This was making me feel like crap.
"Oh. Well. I guess that is up to you to decide." I could see the tears he was holding back. Now I was getting depressed. "Can I ask you one thing, before you decide, Mazrim?"
"What do you plan to do with your life? I don't mean to pry into your own affairs, but from what your grandpa told me, you've had quite a tough time. I don't want to be rude about this. Ultimately, it is your decision alone to make. But I think you should take serious thought into this Mazrim. This is a chance that could turn your entire life around. You have until the end of the day to decide. So please, promise me. At least consider it."
I couldn't help but sigh. Damnit. "All right. I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up, mayor."
We shook hands, and were about to part ways. "Oh, and Mazrim? Remember, you must make your decision before the end of the day. At around 6pm, come down to the Town Inn. Do you remember where that is?"
How could I miss it. It was the only two-story building in the town.
"Yeah, I know where it is."
"Okay then. See you later, Mazrim." And with that, the mayor left to attend other matters.
"Ugh. How do I get into these messes?"
Sighing, I decided to wonder around. It was 12:00. I had six hours to kill. What to do?
Heading down the dirt path from the town square, I came to a small ranch. Pausing for a moment, I could see into the stables. A small girl with an old man were attending to some horses. I continued on, going straight down the path until I came across another small farm. I could here chickens, but as I walked by I could here shouts from inside. Sounded like an argument. Deciding now was not the time to get involved, I continued down the path until I hit a fork in the road. To the left, the path would lead to the farm.
Shaking my head, I went to the left. As I came to the farm, what I saw shocked me. Where bright red tomatoes, lush grass, and ripe vegetables grew, Weeds now dominated. What used to be a picket fence, was now nothing but a pile of broken wood. Rocks and boulders were all over the ground. The barn where cows and sheep used to be looked ready to collapse. The chicken coop had no roof. A huge pile of debris to the side appeared to have been a building of some sort before it had collapsed. The only structure that looked safe at all was the shack of a house that stood as solid as a rock. At least something was still standing.
"What the hell happened here?" I whispered. The place was nothing like I remembered.
"Pretty sad, ain't it?" someone said in an old raspy voice. Spinning around, I caught sight of the old man and girl I had seen from earlier.
"Name's Barley. This here young'n is May." The little girl smiled shyly as Barley turned back to me. "I own Yodel ranch."
"Mazrim." I said, as I turned back to the disaster of a farm. "What. happened here?"
"Summer of last year, a hurricane came by. Pretty bad'n, too. As you can see, it tore up everythin'." Barley shook his head sadly. "Jack was inside his shack. Heard the roof tear off his chicken coop. So, he went outside, durin' all the thunder an lightning. Went to the chicken coop and took all the chickens to the barn, one by one, all by himself. Well, after that, he caught a bad case of pneumonia. He kept on working, though, right up till he collapsed. Was bed-ridden for three months. Finally passed on durin' the forth one. He was a proud man. Of course, since he wasn't here, he couldn't take care of the farm, so all the weeds grew. The rocks you see were from an avalanche from the mountain side during the rain. Really sad, it was. Broke Jack's heart to see his prized farm reduced to such a state. By the way, if you don't mind my asking. Are you here to take up his farm in his stead?"
Son of a.
"Err, I'm kinda considering it at the moment. I'm not so sure about it just yet." This was starting to annoy me. I came here only because I thought it was the least I could do for not being there when Grandpa needed me. Now I was being hounded. Barley must have noticed, because he seemed to quite down a bit.
"Well, I better get May back inside before she catches a cold in this rain. You take good care of yerself, youngn'. It was good to meet you." He paused for one more moment. "Whatever you do, young man, know that ol Jack has always and will always be proud of you." And with that, Barley and May left.
Taking another look at the farm, I decided to get out of the rain. I walked up to the shack of a house, but paused just before heading in. Faintly, I could here a wimpering sound. Following it, I went around to the back of the house, and saw a small dog huddled under a box. It looked like it hadn't eaten for days. Suddenly, my conscience took control, and before I knew it, I was wiping a soaked mutt down inside the shack with an old towel. Shaking my head and muttering, I went to the cupboard to see if there was any food.
"Holy Sh.." It looked like mold. Maybe it was some sort of old rice ball or something. All I know is that whatever the hell it was, it was lunging towards me. It didn't look friendly either. With reflexes faster than the Flash himself, I drew the sword that was hanging on my back, and , with a fierce battle cry, vanquished the fowl creature with one mighty slash. The dog yipped in surprise as some sort of green liquid spilled onto the ground. Cautiously, I poked the thing with my sword, just to make sure it was dead. After further inspection, I came to a conclusion.
"Milk?! In a cupboard?! The expiration date is a year ago! And why the hell is it in a cupboard!! Haven't these people ever heard of refrigerators?!" After rummaging through the cupboards a little more, I realized that there was nothing edible here. I would have to get some food at the store.
Looking at my watch, it was already 3:00. The store should be open. Grabbing an umbrella, I went outside back into the rain and made my way to the General Store.
When I got in, the shop owner, another short man with a slick haircut and a mustache, greeted me. I gave him a small nod and went to look at the food aisle. After getting a few of the necessities and a bag of dog food, I went up to the owner and purchased the items. For some reason, he seemed very surprised when I paid with cash. After exchanging farewells, I paused at the exit. There was another customer in line, buying some stuff.
"Hey, put it on my tab, Jeff." Said the customer, and older man with streaks of gray in his hair. The owner seemed to be a little timid. "Uh, your tab? Well. I.. shouldn't you..?"
Immediately I knew what was going on. The prick was trying to cheat him.
"Shouldn't you pay for that?" I said, in a calm, even voice. The older man looked at me.
"Hey, your not from around here, are you. We can buy with credit here." Suddenly, he seemed to notice the sword on my back. He seemed a bit nervous.
"DUKE!" The voice startled both of us. Whirling around, I was caught off guard. She was like a goddess. She looked like she was about my age. Her long brown hair went down to her waist, and was tinted gold on the tips of the bangs that drifted gently over her beautiful green eyes. Eyes, which gleamed with more than displeasure. Her hands were on her hips. She was simply gorgeous. She was also very angry.
"YOU WERE TRYING TO BUY ON CREDIT AGAIN, WEREN"T YOU!!!" The old man who I now identified as Duke had the look of a deer caught in headlights. Sweat was pouring down his face.
"Err, Karen, I."
"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT DENYING IT!!! I HEARD EVERYTHING!!"
Duke seemed to shrink a little smaller.
"Why can't you be more like this young man here, huh?" she snapped, gently grabbing my arm. I felt like there were butterflies in my stomach. "At least he can pay his bills."
"Alright Karen, sheesh. You, I can't escape." Mumbling under his breath about how girls shouldn't act that way, Duke paid up and left.
"Dad, you shouldn't be so wishy-washy around guys like him."
I snapped out of it. Shaking my head, I looked at her. She was smiling.
"Thanks for the help back there. I heard everything that was happening. The men from this village tend to like to take advantage of my dad. Thanks for standing up for him. That was pretty cool." I felt my face heat up. All I could manage was a nod. She giggled.
"Say, are you Jack's grandson by any chance?"
Crap.
An hour had gone by. I had told her I was considering it, and she had left it at that. From that point, we had gone on to talk about life here, and life on the battlefield. We sat and swapped stories, laughing together. After another hour, she mentioned I should visit my grandfathers grave. I decided to do just that. At 5:00, I was standing over his grave.
"Here lies Jack Moonrake May his soul rest in everlasting peace."
It was hard, looking down at a piece of rock, and knowing your last family member was a mere six-feet under you. I had to struggle to keep my composure. In all my years as a soldier, I had lost many friends. I knew death pretty well. But this was different. It seemed like a piece of me had died with him as well. Never to return.
Never.
As I stood there in the rain, I began to think of all the times I had spent on the ranch. When I was a kid, I used to enjoy playing with the animals. I remembered the time when I had chased a chicken into the coop. and ended up getting chased back out by fifteen angry chickens. Another time, I was trying to ride a horse. I couldn't stay on at all, and kept falling off. Grandpa had seen me, and came to pick me up off the ground. I remember that I was so upset, and was crying. He told me not to give up. He then told me the old cliché that if you fall off a horse, there's nothing left to do but to just get back on again. Sure enough, the moment I got back on, I was able to stay on the horse. I was so happy, I raced him around the farm for a good two hours. I smiled sadly at the memory.
"That's a sad song you're playing there, young man." I suddenly became aware that I was playing Taps on my ocarina. Not wanting to spoil the moment, I continued the song slowly as I came to the end, letting the last few notes linger on as the other man stood respectfully quite. A few moments lasted before he spoke again.
"It's a sad song indeed. You must be Jack's grandson."
"Mazrim."
"Nice to meet you, Mazrim. My name is Carter. I am the Pastor of this church."
"Thanks for the moment of silence." I said, as a tear rolled down my cheek.
"Not a problem, Mazrim. But, if you don't mind my asking, why play such a sad song? If the dead could here you, they would weep."
"What the hell are you talking about!" I yelled. I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. I had lost my last living relative. I was now alone in this world. And here this guy wants me to lead the dead in a freaking tap dance of joy?!
"Mazrim. Has it ever occurred to you that death is not as bad as you think?"
Crackpot. He must be insane.
"Seriously. Your grandfather was a great man, and he had done many great things in his life. But he was tired, Mazrim. He knew his time was coming, as it does for all of us. He lived a long and fulfilling life. He died content with everything he had accomplished. If I may be so bold to ask, what have you decided to do about his farm?"
Crap. This again. I'm getting pretty damn tired of this subject.
"What the hell do you think I'm going to do!" I yelled. I was fed up with this crap. "There's no way in hell I can take care of the farm! I have no knowledge of how to do it! I'm tired of everyone asking me about it!"
"Then, let me ask you this. What do you feel is the right thing to do, Mazrim. Forget Mineral Village, forget everyone else. If it was just your grandfather and you, what would you tell him? What would you do?" Pastor Carter stood back and waited expectantly for a reply.
I had none.
"Mazrim, believe it or not, your grandfather has a lot of faith in you. He wanted us to try to persuade you to take his farm, his life's work. He wants you to have it. He trusts you to carry on in his place. You just have to believe in yourself. You won't be alone; most people around here know a thing or two about farming. Don't throw away an opportunity like this, Mazrim. This is something that you won't have a second chance at. Besides, it's not like you have anything to lose."
I stood there, in the rain, soaking in everything I had just heard. Pastor Carter was right. I had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. But why me? Why couldn't he choose someone from the village? Surely someone else could run the farm better than me.
And then it hit me.
He wanted me because he knew I needed the chance.
He knew he was leaving me with nothing left. And he wanted me to make a life of my own. so I wouldn't miss him so much.
For the first time in a long time, I knew exactly what to do.
"I see you finally understand, Mazrim." I nodded slowly, gathering all my resolution. Pastor Carter smiled at me.
"That is good, because it is 5:58 right now. You need to run if your going to make it."
Crap.
I managed to get a quick thank-you out before bolting off like a bat out of hell. As I ran, I could here the church bells ding as 6:00 rolled around.
Just as I burst through the Inn's doors, soaking wet.
Mayor Thomas looked relieved to see me. There was another man there I had never seen, who looked like a lawyer.
"Well, looks like you have arrived just in time. Let's get down to business." Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the mayor wiping the sweat of his forehead.
For the next couple of hours, I filled out paperwork and legal documents. By 9:00, I was the legal owner of Moonrake Farm. After shaking hands with the lawyer and a relieved Mayor Thomas, I went to my new home. As I approached the house, the rain had stopped. Looking up, I took a moment to gaze at the stars through a clear patch of clouds before snapping back to reality. Inwardly, I smiled.
Grandpa was watching over me.
The small dog I had taken in greeted me at the door, yipping and waging it's tail happily as I came in with the food I had bought earlier. Taking a plate out of the cupboard, I dished out some dog food and watched as he eagerly dove into it headfirst. Amused, I watched him for a moment as I fixed something for myself.
"I suppose I should name you." I said, as I stared at him. Scratching my chin, I thought for a few minutes.
"I know! From this moment on, I'll call you Leno. What do you think, Leno?"
Leno yipped happily in response.
"I have a feeling you and I are going to get along just fine, boy."
*******
Howdy all, this is Froed the Battletoad. What do you all think So far? Not bad for a first time, eh? Anyways, please R&R. I want to know what you all think! I'm currently working on the next chapter. Mazrim's first day of farming! Well, until then, later all!