Gamer To Farmer

Chapter 23: A Farmer in Canada

A/N: The last week has been very hectic for me. New semester at school started and I've had so much homework for my new courses. I'm still thinking that I should have ended this story a few chapters ago. Almost all of the ideas that I have left have very little to do with the Harvest Moon world, so I'm thinking that it is time to begin the official wrap up. Three chapters left, counting this one.

By the way, the saying "time for the reckoning" comes from the play that I was part of. It means that it's time to deal with whatever problems that you are facing. So, in this case, it might be hinting that Tint might be having another run in with his mother.

(-)

"This is your pilot speaking. We are currently on our final approach to our destination. Please return your seats to their upright position and turn off all electronic equipment that may interfere with our instruments. Thank you for flying with us and welcome to Canada." The voice over the intercom came clearly even above the noise of the filled plane.

It hadn't taken much to convince Elli to come with us. She had some choice words that she wanted to say to my mother when they met again. This was Elli's first plane trip and it showed. Her white hands were clutched tightly to the armrests as the plane hit a small bit of turbulence. "I think I'm going to be sick." She stated.

Neil chuckled from his seat in the row ahead of us. "Is that because of the air pressure, the descent, or the in-flight movie?"

The entire family was aboard the plane. Elli and I sat together with the twins between us. Stu sat up with Neil and his girlfriend, Raven. The two of them had amazingly managed to push aside their differences and hatred for each other and rediscovered why they were in love in the first place. I never really did understand young love.

We had left the farm in the capable hands of Kai and Popuri. They were going to use the harsh task of farming as a test to see if their relationship had really become healed. I was expecting to see the aftermath of a nuclear explosion when I got back to Mage's Farm in a few weeks.

As soon as she had found out about my return, Raven had called up all of my old friends. They were all going to be waiting for us at the high school. They had organized a huge welcoming party to catch up on the old times. I wasn't sure how much Raven had told them about all that had happened since I had left. A smile crossed over my face as I remembered the good old times. All my cadet friends, my fellow video gamers, and everyone else that I knew would be there. All for me.

We had broken through the layer of clouds above the airport. I looked out the window and across the surroundings. "Welcome home, Tint." Raven stated.

I heard Elli grumble slightly at that remark. I shook my head, "This isn't my home anymore. I belong back in Mineral Town, on my farm with my family. I'm only doing this to say goodbye to everyone that I never had a chance to."

"Is there anything that can change your mind? It just isn't the same without you and Mage around anymore." Raven protested as the wheels of the plane contacted the ground.

"Mage's death forced me to review my live and figure out what I really wanted. I found everything I ever wanted and more then that in Mineral Town. There is nothing that you or anyone else can say that will change my mind." I replied coldly. Back then was high school and the carelessness of youth. Now, I had an amazing family and career. I had matured so much in that year and a half that I had spent in Mineral Town.

The plane had slowed to a crawl as it approached the terminal building. It was at that time that the color bean to return to Elli's face. "See, we made it and are back on the ground, safe and sound." I said soothingly as I placed my hand atop hers.

We disembarked from the plane and headed through customs. Everything actually went smoothly for once and we continued to the luggage retrieval. After collecting our suitcases we made our way to the lobby and greeting area. We had fallen behind the rest of the passengers, who had already made their way through the airport and outside. There was only one other person in the lobby when we got there. A man wearing a black suit and white gloves was holding up a sign. "Tint" was scrawled across the piece of cardboard in black marker.

The man extended his hand in greeting. "Master Tint, I presume. My name is Jeeves. The limo is waiting outside." Jeeves took control of the cart loaded with the suitcases and beckoned for us to follow him through the revolving door. Sure enough, a black stretch limousine was parked outside, waiting for us.

Jeeves had already popped the trunk and was just finishing loading the bags. By the time that I stepped up to the rear door, Jeeves had already moved to open it. Red leather seats lined the spacious interior, but it was who was seated inside that caught my attention. "Dad!" I exclaimed as I hurled myself towards my father, embracing him in a friendly hug.

My old man returned the embrace as the others filed inside. "Good to see you, my son." Dad exclaimed, heartily pounding me on the back. "And you too, little hellion." He exclaimed as he took hold of Neil. The two of us sat down on either side of our father, overjoyed at the reunion.

"How did you know we were coming?" I asked in amazement.

My father chuckled. "A little birdie told me." He replied sending a wink over to Raven. Next he looked over at Elli, with Jack and Mage. "And you must be Elli. I see that the quality of the women in Mineral Town hasn't declined in the slightest since my day. Wow, two children! Well done, Tint! Do my eyes deceive me or is that one a girl?"

"Yes dad, Mage is a girl. The other one is named Jack. The older boy is Stu. He's Elli's brother." I quickly introduced the young ones.

The limo had pulled away from the airport and was already speeding along the highway towards my hometown. My father scratched his beard thoughtfully. "I'll have to call up my brothers and tell them that the family bet has been won. First girl in five whole generations!"

I waited patiently as my dad called up his siblings on his cell phone. As soon as he had finished with his calls I spoke. "Dad, thanks for everything that you've done for me. You've been so helpful, yet you want to buy Mineral Town and demolish it. Why?"

My dad looked slightly nervous as he considered his answer. "Look, I'm not the one who wants Mineral Town destroyed. I love the place, but your mother… She's hated that place since the first time she laid eyes on it. If I want to keep everything that I have, I have to carry out my end of the contract."

I remembered Barley explaining the contract to me during the reconstruction of my farm. He had said that in order for my dad to become the rightful heir of my mother's family company, he would have to carry out their wish list of town demolition. I couldn't understand why we never had any of this money from when I was growing up. Maybe my mother didn't want me to be able to have any of her family's fortune.

We spent the rest of the trip telling tales about what had been going on since I left. My father had asked how well my farm was going and if I was going to meet his requirements. I was quick to brag, claiming that Mage's Farm was doing so well that it would pass inspection at this very moment. That prompted my dad to declare that he was pushing the inspection date ahead to the tenth of Fall of this year. He wanted to get everything done and over with as soon as possible. I couldn't agree with him better.

"Now arriving in Wetaskiwin." Jeeves announced as the limo began to slow down. I looked out the tinted window and, sure enough, a sign on the roadside declared that we were entering my hometown. I had a bundle of mixed emotions swirling through my head, ranging from nostalgia to disgust. I'm not going to lie; but Wetaskiwin isn't really a jewel of a town. I can sum that up in one simple statistic. Wetaskiwin has the third highest ratio of pawn shops per person. The only two cities that top us are New York and Las Vegas. Now, that's a bad sign.

Jeeves made a couple of turns through the busy city streets. The streetlights were just beginning to flicker to life, casting a haunting glow over the town as the sky darkened towards night. My father was eagerly pointing out which buildings he owned and which ones he was in the process of buying.

A couple of spotlights, a rare sight in this trashy place, directed us towards the high school. Apparently, everyone was making a huge deal out of something as simple as a former citizen coming home. I could understand it being an important event in a small place like Mineral Town, but in a city… There had to be something else that was being planned for my arrival that I was unaware of.

The high school came into view. A dreary looking red brick box with no features that made it special. It was nothing more than the cheapest government founded excuse for a youth prison. It looked almost exactly the way it had the day I left it, except for one thing. Herded at the front door was a swarm of news reporters and cameras, which was quite funny. Our town didn't have any television channels.

"Dad, what is going on here?" I asked, suddenly becoming slightly worried at the amount of attention that was going to be heaped on me.

The limo pulled to a stop before the front doors, drawing the news people in like a swarm of mosquitoes to a blood banquette. Jeeves got out and was making his way around the car to open up the door. "Your mother has twisted your story into a cruel tale. She's made the media think that you were the reason that Mage died in the hospital. Then you fled the country to avoid being arrested. They're out for justice." My father explained nervously.

"Thanks for turning my welcoming party into a manhunt." I commented sarcastically as Jeeves pulled open the door. I was greeted with a wave of offensive remarks and questions from the media personnel as I stepped out into the night air. "How does it feel to get away with murder?" One reporter asked, shoving a microphone into my face.

"You people sicken me." I stated bluntly. "You are always ready to take any shots that you can at someone. Believing false stories of blasphemy and using someone's personnel life as your grounds for improving ratings. You are blaming me for killing one of my best friends and you do not feel guilty at all about it, do you?"

A few of the reporters lowered their mikes and cameras, taking a step back. They were right to be ashamed. But, those were only a small percentage of those who were gathered. Another microphone was shoved viciously into my face. "Do you like taking advantage of dying girls?"

My mother had obviously taught these reporters what to say to tick me off. The reporter who had asked the violating question realized his mistake, soon after being on the receiving end of a retaliating punch. The media cameras still rolling were sure to catch that. I pushed past the remaining reporters to join my family at the school entrance. We quickly ducked inside and out of the range of the prying media.

"Everyone's inside the gym." My father explained, leading us through the hallways. The sounds of people celebrating echoed through the empty hallways, growing louder as we neared the gym. I recognized so many of the voices as people who had changed my life from when I was younger.

We rounded a final corner. The doors to the gym were right there but they were being blocked by an older couple who I instantly recognized. They were Mage's parents. They spotted me as soon as I came around the corner. This was going to be a difficult conversation. I opened my mouth to begin an apology, but I was quickly interrupted.

"We don't believe those rumors. We know that you cared for our daughter and treated her so well during her final few months. We never did get the opportunity to thank you for easing her suffering. Thank you so very much." Mage's mother said amid tears.

I was taken aback by the gentleness and understanding that her parents were showing me. I was expecting them to rip my head off. I fell to my knees before them, not ashamed of the tears in my own eyes. I was honestly speechless.

Elli took a few steps forward and cleared her throat. Mage's parents gasped when they saw her, clearly taken aback by the similarities between my wife and their daughter. "Tint has told me so much about your daughter and not a single word of it wasn't praise. I have grown to respect Mage for the fight that she put up. To honor her, we decided to name our baby girl after your daughter." Elli handed little Mage over to Mage's mother, who's weeping had now turned into tears of joy.

The joyful meeting was interrupted by my father. He was standing near the door and had pulled it open. "Tint, your friends are waiting." He exclaimed.

I proudly stepped inside the gymnasium and found myself face to face with my mother. The door was slammed shut behind me. I looked around and found that I was alone with my mother and two policemen. There was no party, no friends, just betrayal. The two policemen approached me, one stating, "You are under arrest for the murder of the girl called Mage." I got one good look at my mother before I was turned to face the wall as a pair of handcuffs were placed around my wrists. She was smiling.

(-)

A/N: Now that is harsh. Poor Tint, thinking that he was going back home for a reunion with his friends. He ended up being betrayed by so many people: his father, Raven, even Mage's parents had a small part to do with it. Will Tint be able to prove his innocence or will his mother succeed in destroying his life? Find out next time as I will bring you the second last chapter.