Gamer To Farmer
Chapter 20: The Spring of Epona
A/N: Not to worry! I might have scared some people when I said I might end this fic. I was seriously considering making this the final chapter, but I came to feel that would be cheating my readers out of so many more chapters of entertainment. Since most of the important events have already transpired the remainder of the story will not take as long as that first bit. I will be lowering the number of chapters per season down to two or three. On the bright side, I will most likely be writing longer chapters with more events. So, in the end, you'll still be getting the same amount of great entertainment. Enjoy, my good people!
P.S. As to a question, I have never played the Zelda games for GBC. I never actually had a GBC, going straight from the original to the GBASP. Not too sure about GBDS, though. There are way too many GB's…
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Two weeks had passed since I became a father. The two bundles of joy were snuggled comfortably away in their cribs. I felt so incredibly proud as I watched the sleeping babes. To think that I came to Mineral Town only a year ago. At the time, I was only a confused teenager, reeling from the loss of my best friend and only true love (at the time). Now, my farm included my brother, my beautiful wife, two wonderful children, an energetic brother-in-law, ten chickens, four cows, two sheep, a fully grown dog, and a young horse that was on the verge of becoming an adult.
The early morning sun beamed through the window. Outside, spring was just beginning to show itself after a cold winter. Today marked the second day of spring. I couldn't remember the first day of spring. Or the last day of winter. Stupid New Year's drinking celebrations.
Quite a lot had occurred in the second half of the winter season. Winter marked a season of changes for the people of Mineral Town. Little Jack and Mage were only the start of what had become a very memorable holidays.
The two couple who were engaged held a dual wedding on Christmas Day. The trend that Elli and I had started continued on with the joining of Mary and Gray as well as Cliff and Ann. The two happy couples were currently out of the country on their honeymoons. They weren't expected to be back until the tail end of spring.
Karen was finally able to forgive Rick for whatever the "incident" was that happened between the two of them. That same day, Rick proposed to Karen and she accepted. I learned later that day, during a drinking contest, the cause of their separation. I was surprised that I actually remembered something from one of those nights.
It turns out that Karen and Rick had the same incident that had occurred between myself and Elli. Karen forgave Rick only after she learned that she wasn't pregnant. Her night of drinking was a celebration of the good news.
Neil was still managing to handle his two girlfriends. I personally couldn't wait until they found out about each other. But, knowing my brother, he was going to see my premarital physical relationship which resulted in Elli's pregnancy and double that result with two pregnant girlfriends in a couple of years. I'm sure that somewhere in town people were taking bets on this event. Neil's secret love triangle was very public knowledge to everyone in both villages.
About the twentieth of the season, Neil and I went on a mining expedition. We had purchased a completely new set of tools from Siabara for Neil to use. We spent the entire day in the new mine that was in the middle of the lake. We ended up making enough money from the trip to upgrade every single tool that we owned up to the highest level. There was even enough money left over for Siabara to make a necklace for Elli.
For the people who can't count, I bought two cows and two sheep as celebration of the births of my children. I was leaving their names for the first words that left the mouths of the babies. For the moment, the animals were known as cow1, cow2, sheep1, and sheep2. I lost my creative touch from the blizzard that struck Mineral Town on the twenty-seventh of winter.
During the duration of the blizzard, the entire family had gathered inside of the main house. For two nights the snow plummeted and the wind howled. After the storm had subsided, Neil and I had searched the farm for damage. The animals had somehow been fed during the storm. There was a little note attached to the door to the chicken coop.
The note was from the Harvest Goddess. She had some free time during the storm and decided to help me out by doing some random good deeds. Apparently the trap that she had set for her sister had caused some serious damage. Imagine a combination of the paint can trap from Home Alone mixed with the Ewok's method of imploding an AT-ST's cockpit. In non nerd speech, this adds up to three heavy objects hitting something in the head at simultaneous moments from three different directions. I shuddered at the mental image that I created.
The most surprising event of the second half of winter ended up being the Christmas gift that Neil and I received from our father. There was a short letter saying that this was going to be the first holidays that he spent without either of us at home. Included with the letter was a check for ten thousand gold pieces. Needless to say, we were surprised by the generosity of our estranged father.
Neil and I had made plans for the course of today, since this was the first day of the season for new crops. Neil would be going over to the Supermarket and purchasing enough seeds for the entire field. Meanwhile, I would be taking care of the animals. By the time Neil got back the two of us, plus Stu, would plant the seeds.
Elli was still asleep. I couldn't blame her. Last night had been the first time the babies hadn't woke us up. I leaned over her sleeping form and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. A smile appeared on her face but she stayed asleep. I admired her beauty for a few seconds before heading down the stairs and out to the chicken coop.
The white feathered birds were happy to receive their daily refill of food. I then went around the coop, collecting the eggs. Five of the eggs were placed in the shipping bin. I was finished in here.
On the way past the house, I ducked inside, placing one of the eggs in the fridge. I deposited the remainder of the eggs over at Neil's house. Neil was already up and was making breakfast for himself and Stu. The two of them always had big breakfasts, mostly because they competed to see had the bigger stomach. "Remember to get the seeds today." I reminded Neil as I placed the eggs beside the waiting frying pan.
Neil stated off the list. "I won't. Equal amounts of every king of spring seeds. Plus, four bags of pineapple seeds for the hothouse. I can't believe we didn't think of putting pineapples in there before."
During the blizzard we had come up with the brainstorm idea of planting pineapples in the hothouse. They cost a lot and took a long time to grow, but they were well worth the wait because of the profit. But after one batch grew, pineapples grew again within a few days. Usually, there was only one or two harvests per season, but with the hothouse we would have huge profits coming in seven or eight times a season.
I said good morning to Stu as he came trudging out of his bedroom. The youth grunted a reply in return and collapsed at the table. Just like me and Neil when we were his age. We were being great role models for the young boy.
Homer trotted along with me as I entered the barn. I went about milking the cows and shearing the sheep. All of the products were added to the shipping bin. I then went to the feed spout at the back of the barn and collected six bundles of feed. The animals were a little pushy to get to the first feed box as I placed the food. I repeated this process for the other five animals.
My last stop was going to be the stable. Epona had been eagerly waiting for spring to arrive. She was quite disappointed when it rained yesterday. Stu had been taking care of her during the winter and I hadn't seen her in a week or so. You could imagine the surprise when I entered the stable and found a fully grown horse inside.
Epona pushed past me and out into the field. She looked incredibly majestic as she galloped through the dirt. Homer was hot on her heels, playfully chasing after the horse. "She is a fine animal." Someone commented from the farm's entrance.
I looked over and spotted Barley making his way towards me. I waved at the old man as I whistled for Epona. Epona immediately responded, turning to head towards me. "You're right. She is such an incredible beast. What was it that you came here for?" I asked once Epona came to a stop beside me.
Barley seemed to be having difficulty forming his response. I happily brushed away at Epona's coat, waiting for whatever it was that Barley had to say. I didn't have to wait much longer as Barley cleared his throat. "I've come to take Epona back."
I paused my brushing, thinking that I had misheard the old man. "Pardon?"
"I've come to take Epona back. I'm sure that I told you that you were only raising her, that she wasn't yours for keeps." Barley had gained some courage since his last statement.
"I don't think that is going to happen." I stated calmly as I put away my brush. I had grown attached to Epona and I wasn't about to give her up so easily. Without a word, I directed Epona in the direction of her stable.
Barley was determined to have his way, but he did appear to be attempting to find a reasonable compromise. "Tell you what. The local horse race is coming up on the fourteenth. If you enter Epona into the race as my horse and you win… I'll give the horse to you. Sound fair?"
I thought over the proposition for a few seconds. It sounded fair enough. I had witnessed the horse races last year and had thought that all of the horses had seemed so very slow. "I'll do it." I said as I extended my hand.
Barley clasped my hand and eagerly shook it. "See you at the races."
The Goddess Festival was completely different this year. I remembered that day the previous year. Stu pulling the late Elli towards the square and thrusting her among the other dancers. I remembered that it was this day that had caused me to fall for her. Truly, a very emotional day.
This year brought a whole lot of changes. Since both Mary and Ann were gone on their honeymoons, there were only three dancers. To make matters worse, Popuri was refusing to take part in the festival. She was still depressed about her argument with Kai.
Luckily, Jessica stepped forward and offered to take part in the festival. She had absolutely no knowledge about the dance or anything. Karen and Elli spent a lot of time teaching the young girl about the dance. By the day of the festival, Jessica was in top form.
We were all surprised when Jessica's mother presented her with a dress for the festival. "The village where I grew up in had a similar festival." She explained as she passed her own dress onto her daughter.
Everyone was gathered in the square. The festival was going to be starting very soon. "Have fun." I said to Elli, offering her a quick kiss before she ran off to join Karen and Jessica.
There was something new about Elli. I hadn't recognized the change throughout the year, but now it stood out clearly. She looked a lot more mature and grown up since I had watched her the year before. She still had that beauty and elegance that I had fallen in love with, but now there was also a hardened look that showed the trouble that she had gone through.
The music was just beginning to start when a voice called out from one of the entrances of the square, "Wait!"
Everyone turned to look at the new arrival. There was Popuri, dressed in her goddess dress, carefully making her way through the crowd. She joined the other three girls and nodded for the music to start.
The dance went along perfectly. Popuri managed to pull off the dance without having a single practice beforehand. Even Jessica did a wonderful job. After the music came to a stop, the girls received a much deserved round of applause and cheers.
Elli came up to me and pulled me into a warm embrace. "Let's go somewhere." She suggested.
I didn't bother trying to argue. The two of us went up the path and up Mother's Hill. The sun cast a gorgeous shimmer across the hilltop. Elli decided to stop at the side of the lake. She motioned for me to sit down beside her and I obeyed. "You look beautiful." I commented.
Elli blushed slightly because of my comment. "Is it the dress or do I always look beautiful?"
"The dress wouldn't look beautiful unless a beautiful person wore it." I took hold of her hand and smiled.
Once again Elli blushed. "You're so sweet. This reminds me of when my father took the family here after the goddess festival. My mother was the best dancer that this village ever had." Elli was looking longingly over the water. I think I even spotted a tear forming in the corners of her eyes.
"When do I get to meet your parents? I've never heard you mention them and they weren't at the wedding. Surely they can't be as bad as my parents are." I knew that I had said something wrong when Elli broke into tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I embraced her, holding her close against my chest.
Elli sobbed for a few minutes, trying to control the tears. When she finally managed to gain some control she spoke, "It's not your fault. I should have told you before. My parents… are dead. They were killed in an accident shortly after Stu was born."
I couldn't think of anything to say. Personally, I would be happy if my mother was dead, but Elli loved her parents. I decided that the best thing to do was hold on to her, showing my support. The sobbing stopped. Elli had fallen asleep in my arms. I carefully lifted her up off the ground and carried her home. Today, I learned that I wasn't the only one who had dealt with the pain of losing someone dear to them.
The day of the local horse race came faster then I had expected. I had dealt with the farm work half-heartedly, knowing that this important day was approaching. Every single day, I spent hour and hour riding Epona, pushing her to go faster. Nobody else knew about the stakes that were riding on this race.
As luck would have it, the weather decided to make today more troublesome. The rain fell like a waterfall. It didn't matter. I wasn't going to let some water get in the way of my victory.
"Tint, you don't have to race today. I doubt that anyone else will even show up." Elli tried persuading me.
I shrugged off her words. "Sorry. Epona needs me to race." With that I left the house.
Neil was waiting for me in the stable. He had Epona prepped for the race. "I'll feed the animals before bringing the family to watch the races." Neil told me as I mounted Epona. I nodded in response, motioning for him to move aside to let me ride off.
The rain didn't seem to bother Epona. She proudly trotted through the mud and over to the village square. Barley and Thomas were already there, talking to two other riders with their horses. The track had been set up the night before.
I recognized one of the other racers as Jack. He waved for me to join him with the others. "Glad you could join us Tint." Thomas stated as he wiped some water from his eyes.
Jack nodded his head in agreement. "It wouldn't be much fun with only two racers."
"So this is everyone?" I asked, looking over the other rider. He had long black hair and a sharp pointed nose. Quite a few scars ran across his face giving him a sinister appearance.
"Yup. Nobody else could make it in this weather." Barley explained. "We'll have to run the race with only three entrants. I might as well explain the rules beforehand. Wait for the gunshot, then go. First to reach the end wins. Simple."
Villagers were beginning to arrive in the square. They seemed dismayed about the weather and became slightly upset when they saw only three horses. Thomas and Barley went through the crowd explaining the circumstances of the race and taking bets. According to the odds, I was the favorite to win, but the evil guy was a close second. Jack was nearly a hundred to one underdog.
I waved to my family as they came into the square. The lot of them waved heartily as they claimed a spot to watch the race. "A shame that your family came here to watch you lose." The new guy stated in a raspy voice.
I faced the newcomer, staring him down. "I have too much riding on this race to lose." I stated calmly, guiding Epona to the start gate. My heart was pounding as I set myself into my start position. I leaned over Epona's neck, whispering in her ear, "Come on girl, show me what you've got."
The new guy took his spot to my right. On the other side of the dark haired rider was Jack. All three of us focused of the end of the track as Barley began the introductions. "In lane one, we have Jack and Speedy from Forget-Me-Not Valley. Lane two is Tom and his horse, Shadow Rush. He is the brother of the late Doctor Tim from this very village. And in lane number three is Tint and Epona from right here in Mineral Town!"
The crowd cheered excitedly, but I suddenly became a whole lot more nervous. Was this Tom guy actually related to Tim? If so, he might be here to get revenge for his brother's death. Elli and some of the other villagers appeared to be having the same thought as me. That was when I noticed her.
Standing among the trees behind the square was the Witch. She had an evil grin, barely visible through the bandages that covered her head. I looked desperately around the square, hoping to see the Harvest Goddess somewhere. My protector was nowhere to be seen.
I gulped nervously as Barley came over the megaphone. "Let's have a good race, gentlemen. On your marks!"
"Just focus on wining." I told myself and Epona.
"Get set!" I hunched even lower against Epona, preparing to surge forward.
A gun fired into the air from somewhere nearby. The gates immediately swung open in response to the starting gunshot. The race was on. All three horses burst forwards, churning up the mud underneath them.
Everything seemed to be going on in slow motion. Time had practically stopped for me. The three horses were neck and neck for the first ten or so steps. At this point, Jack began to slip a little bit behind myself and Tom. Another dozen paces and I realized that Tom and Shadow Rush were slowly beginning to pull ahead. The race was only a quarter done.
"Come on! A little faster, Epona!" I yelled out, urging her ahead. My calls seemed to have a reverse effect. Instead of gaining ground on the dark horse ahead, we seemed to fall further behind. The half way marker passed briefly at trackside.
Epona took notice of the black horse up ahead. Just the sight of the other horse seemed to spur Epona to go faster. The distance between the two riders steadily decreased. The three quarters marker passed by as the two horses matched each other, stride for stride.
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that something was happening with Tom. I risked a glance over, only to see that his horse was edging closer to Epona's side. Suddenly Tom produced a club in his hand and lashed out with a low swing aimed at Epona's legs. I watched in horror as the stick connected with her front right leg.
Tom smiled as he watched Epona's legs buckled beneath her. I felt myself coming out of the saddle and through the air. The crowd gasped in surprise, but soon their emotions turned to anger and worry. I landed roughly into the mud and skidded to a stop. I managed to lift my head in time to see Tom cross the finish line, his arms raised triumphantly.
I carefully picked myself up out of the mud and looked back at Epona. Even with her obviously broken leg, the brave horse was trying desperately to get back on her feet. Jack had pulled to a stop and had dismounted. He was trying to stop Epona from causing herself any more pain.
The crowd had come onto the track and were surrounding Epona. Most of the people were looking away, not able to witness the hopeless struggle. I could feel tears in my eyes and my blood beginning to boil. I took another look at the finishing line. Only Tom was at that end, celebrating his undeserved victory.
I began to make my way towards the man. A few people checked on me to see if I was alright, but I shrugged them off. My eyes were locked on Tom. He was going to pay for what he did to Epona.
The black haired racer awaited my arrival with a smug look on his face. "Consider it revenge for Tim!" He called out to me. Then the coward climbed back onto his horse and headed towards me. I was between him and safety.
I reached out at him as he rode past. I felt my hand grab hold of his arm and tugged. The horse continued, without its rider, back along the track. I hauled Tom to his feet only to strike him back down with a punch. I was about to deliver a second attack when I felt someone stop me. I looked over my shoulder into Neil's tear filled eyes. "Don't do it." He said.
I considered what he had said. True enough, Tom deserved what I wanted to give him. "Consider it revenge for Epona." I stated as I turned my back on him. A few seconds later, Tom let out a loud groan. I turned back to see Neil pull his foot away from Tom's stomach. Soon enough, the rest of the town had joined in on the beating. Mineral Town was really one strong family when you looked carefully.
I thought back to that day shortly after I had come to Mineral Town. Barley and May had brought Epona over as a late welcoming gift. Epona was full of fighting spirit, just as she was showing now. She had shrugged off the people who were holding her down and climbed to her three remaining good legs. Her determination was bringing the crowd to tears as she hobbled her way towards the finishing line.
I walked up beside Epona, taking hold of her reins. "You did good today," I whispered into her ear. Epona snorted in agreement, letting me lead her to her goal. The crowd gave a half hearted cheer as the two of us crossed the finishing line. Epona had done enough and had collapsed onto her side. The pain was obviously unbearable for her.
"Her racing days are over." Barley commented as he approached, "I'm sorry for putting you through this. I should have let you keep her instead of forcing you into this race."
"Don't blame yourself. I was going to enter her in the races today no matter what. If you want to blame somebody, blame him." I pointed along the track to where Officer Harris was "helping" Tom into a pair of handcuffs.
"We might have to put her down." Jack stated as he carefully examined the broken leg.
"Hell no! There is no way that anyone is killing Epona! She's still a good horse. Just give her some pain killers and put her leg in a cast! Anything but killing her." I was practically begging as I knelt beside Epona.
Elli handed the children off to Neil and Stu before kneeling beside me. She put her arms around me and buried her face into my shoulder. "I love Epona as much as you do. I don't want to let her go, but it's for her own good. Just look at the pain that she's in."
I looked over at Epona. Her breathing had grown unstable, but her eyes held a look that showed her understanding. This was the hardest decision I had ever had to make. "Ok." I finally stated.
The crowd began to disperse. Nobody wanted to witness the sight any longer. "You sure?" Somebody asked, producing a gun. I merely nodded my head as I turned away. Today was one of the worst days that I had had in Mineral Town. It only became worse as a gunshot echoed through the square.
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A/N: I am so sorry that I did that. It was really hard for me to put it into writing. It probably wasn't the right thing to do, but I thought that the story needed a proper emotional twist. But, that doesn't mean that I enjoyed doing it. That was the second hardest part of this story to write. The first occurred at the end of the first chapter and you can guess why that upset me. Now, go read something cheerful.