Another Perfect Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or anything associated with the games and merchandise from Marvelous/Natsume. Otherwise this story is my original work and any similarities between it and any real people or events are coincidental. Please note that this story is based off of the Harvest Moon: Back to Nature and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town video game titles.

Chapter 1: Old Farm, New Life

"So he was into rock gardening or something...?" Jack looked at the sad, neglected field and wondered for the second time what the hell he had just gotten himself into. This was nothing like the tidy, yet somewhat lonely, little farm he remembered; the place was still lonely, but the field had more in common with a tornado hit-zone than the tiny and organized vegetable plots of a typical small-scale farm. "He really let himself slip, didn't he?"

The small man standing next to Jack shook his head slowly. "The past couple of years were hard on his body and he couldn't keep up with the farm anymore. First he had me sell his cows and sheep to the Yodel Ranch down the road, then he gave his remaining chickens to the Poultry Farm next door. He finally stopped tending the field, and now... Well, it's what you see." The little man turned to face Jack. "Once he started keeping to his house more, I made an effort to visit and check up on him every few days or so. All he ever talked about was you." The little man's eyes peered expectantly out from behind a pair of glasses.

Doesn't surprise me, even after we stopped writing each other. "Ben was great pen pal. Honestly, I'm the one who stopped writing him. Got too caught up in my own life." Jack sighed. "I guess this is my way of making it up to him..." Jack couldn't get his eyes off of the craggy stones puncturing the dusty earth and the assortment of decaying logs and rampant weeds lying in between the crags. Figures.

The little man, whose name was Thomas, had his own thoughts on the matter of Jack's inheriting the farm. He's dressed like a farmer, but you can tell he's too pale and skinny to have really worked a day in his life. And I don't like his attitude... just doesn't seem bright enough. But what do mayors know about farming? Nothing, nothing, and more nothing. "Ben had faith in you. He was never angry, I'll tell you that. Believe me, his spirit is already resting in peace just knowing that you're here."

In fact, Mayor Thomas knew that to be true. One of Ben's favorite topics in his last few weeks was how Jack would love coming back to the farm. "He needs it," Ben would say. "City-life is all wrong for him. He'll never find happiness there." He would tell countless tales about the week Jack spent on the farm when he ran away from his parents' vacation home nearby. How Jack would ride the cows, beat the chickens, scratch the old dog, fish in the sea on the nearby beach... He even spoke of the friends he made with the village children. And the letters! Although he seemed to forget about them towards the end, he would also speak forever about how proud he was that Jack graduated from high school, or how sad he was when he heard that Jack was having trouble making the right friends. He would always end with Jack belonging in Mineral Town, away from all of the business and stress of the city.

Jack was the son Ben never had: probably the reason why Ben had been so caring for such a cynical boy. It was tough for Thomas to see the qualities Ben had apparently seen in Jack, but what did mayors know about virtues needed to be a successful farmer?

Nothing, nothing, and more nothing.

"So you know where all of Ben's old tools are and you've had the grand tour of the town. Zack the shipper said he'd come by in the morning to tell you about shipping produce. I guess all that's left is to tell you about Mother Hill." Thomas pointed out into the distance beyond the field where a small bridge lay. "South of the bridge is a small forest path where Gotz, the wood cutter, lives. He'll handle any construction you might need for the ranch. A little northwest of that is a hot spring and mine, and uphill from that is a small lake. The summit is just a short hike from there. Got all that?"

"Sure." Jack couldn't stop considering the daunting task of clearing this woe-begotten field. There had to be some sort of bulldozer in this town...

"And if you're thinking of finding a bulldozer to clear the field, don't. There isn't a single motorized vehicle on the island. Well, good luck on restoring the… er, what did you call it again?"

"Call what?"

"The farm! What are you naming the farm?" Thomas was starting to shout, and jump a bit, in exasperation. He looked like a bouncing tomato.

"Oh. Doesn't it already have a name?" asked Jack, scratching his head.

I can't really tell him I forgot; the old man kept changing it every day once his health starting sliding downhill! thought the mayor feverously. "Well, since this is the start of a new age for the farm, why don't you give it a new name?"

Jack wasn't in the mood to play these cute little naming games. "I'm sorta hungry, so how about the Fajita Farm?"

Good Goddess, that's a stupid name. "That's a great name! I love it!" shouted the mayor enthusiastically, in complete contradiction to his own thoughts. "Well, good luck on restoring the Fajita Farm! And take good care of your new puppy!" he added, nodding towards the catatonic dog lying next to the little red-roofed dog house. In a fit of inspiration, Jack had named it Molly.

As soon as the mayor left, the puppy's little brown eyes shot open. It stood up and lifted a leg to relieve itself before pacing in a circle and sitting back down. The dog's obedience to nature, however, had quickly revealed Jack's error in determining its sex.

"Guess you're more of Timmy than a Molly, huh?" He scooped up the pup and carried it inside. "I'm really bad with animals. Timmy's not too bad of a name, though. Right?"

The pup, still undisturbed in sleep, twitched his leg dreamily.

Jack's Diary, Spring 2 of his first year on the farm

Work sucks. A lot. And so does this farm. It's going to keep sucking, too, unless someone changes something about and I the only guy who can do it. At least, that's what I've been telling myself. But jeez, there's a lot of work ahead of me.

I deserve it though. I should've come out here when I first got the letter about Grandpa Ben's death and will. I'm just glad I didn't throw the letter away or pawn it or something…

No, that part of my life is done. Buried and done. I'm just glad I'm here now.

You know, this place ( Mineral Town, ain't that a hick name?) seems to have some sort of power over me. Like, when I was getting off the ferry and walking across the beach, it was like some sort of weight was being taken off of me. Every step just gave me this sense of release… For my mind, soul, heart, everything! No doubt about it, this is where I need to be.

I haven't really met anyone new yet besides the Mayor, but he seemed like a pretty nice guy. I'll bet the rest of the villagers are the same, though, of course, I don't really know. I'll probably get a chance to really meet them tomorrow.

So yeah, there's still nobody here besides me (and Timmy, but I think he sleeps too much for a puppy; hope he's not dead…). But I don't feel alone anymore. No I feel content. That's right, I feel content! I've never felt like this before!

I know this probably sounds crazy, but I also feel like Grandpa Ben is here, too. Not like one of those horror movie ghosts, but I just get this feeling… It's the same feeling I got whenever I saw his return address on a newly-arrived envelope, like he's proud of me.

I think Grandpa Ben is watching me from Heaven, and he's proud of me. I need to work hard to deserve that sort of love.

AN: Well, there goes the first real chapter of the story. A bit different from the style and, erm, subject matter of the prologue, eh? Anyways, this one is more like the traditional Harvest Moon fic as it brings the story back on to the old stomping grounds of Mineral Town. I hope you have enjoyed it, and that you'll enjoy all of the chapters to come!