Harvest Moon: Magical Memories

Chapter Three:

Luna spent some time to herself. She sat under a tree, staring up at the crystalline sky, then closing her eyes as a breeze caught the edge of her chin, lifting her head up toward the sunlight. She breathed deep the lukewarm air, feeling alive but in a strange way, like living through someone else. She opened her eyes and let out a yelp.

"Wha-! Ack! Geez..."

"Sorry if I scared you." The friendly face smiled, offering his hand.

"Ray. I thought you were at the lake?"

"What? Lake? How'd you know...?"

"Oh. I err... someone said they saw you there. You scared me!" At this he seemed to pause and consider the information he'd been given. Then a smile washed over his face, withdrawing his previously outstretched hand.

"I- sorry. I was just wondering if you fished." He said, still cheery. He was holding up a right decent fishing rod although it did seemed overly used and quite ancient, as though someone elderly had made it and passed it on through generations of over-excited fishermen.

"No. Not particularly..." Luna had never really liked guys with pony tails. She was warming up to him though and finally, she stood, brushing dirt and dust off the butt of her pants and finally said with a sigh, "...but I'll give it a try."

"Great! Fish are amazing. I mean, living isn't worth it if you can't do it fishing, right?" He chuckled and walked over to the river.

"Hey Ray-"

"Wait! You didn't tell me your name!"

"Oh. Right. Luna. So anyway-"

"Ok so you just cast like this-"

"Have you ever heard of Skittles?"

"Wha-? Like a Snapper? Skittles... is it bait?" Luna frowned and looked at her shoes, her hand stuffed into her pocket, fist wrapped around a purple Skittle.

"Never mind..." she mumbled.

"Now about casting off..."

A few hours later, twilight settled upon the small town, mediocre in farming plots but making up for lack-there-of with gorgeous sites and kind people. Luna was sitting on the dock, fondly petting a dolphin.

"You'll never do it, you know." The hairs on Luna's neck stood up as she heard the low, threatening voice. "You'll never win." She didn't want to turn, afraid of her already aching leg hurting her further. But something had to make her look, she had to face him. Had to turn her head...

The moment she did she wished she hadn't. She cried out in pain, clutching her leg and wincing.

"You're weak." He laughed and stalked off the beach. She heard something like the word "pathetic" as he trudged through the sand, purple hair waving like a banner.

She pulled out her Skittle and let it slip between her fingers, letting it glide down to the ocean floor.

It was midnight. Confusion of the day, lost between light and dark, created a kind of fushion of the opposites. The humans that were lurking about, usually so strong and in-tune with the bounty that they thought was theirs to behold, slunk off into the darkness. The real creatures of the night, sensing their lack of strength, climbed and writhed out from their dark fortitudes, howling and jittering in a language too quiet for mortal ears, too sinister for daytime, and in a language all their own.

It was this particular time that Luna lay on her back on the moutainside. She felt the world slip momentarily from beneath her as she faded in and out of reality. Am I ok? What's going on? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Who have I become? She felt so utterly alone. So lost and deprived of something that had been hers for so long. But what had been mine for so long? What was it...? A tear lapsed down her cheek and she shut her eyes to the world and to her thoughts.

Dear Diary,

I've decided I'm getting a chicken. Yes, you should be proud of me. My very own squaking bird to call my own. I haven't got a clue what I'll call it. Probably just Cluck or Eggie or something stupid like that. I really have to practice my naming considering I'm a rancher now. Now. But what was I doing before? What did I do- drop out of the sky?... It's going to rain tomorrow. I think I'm a boring diary writer so I'm probably just going to go to sleep now. Actually, I hate writing in these things. Sucks to be you, diary. Goodnight.

Luna slapped the diary's covers together and with that, shoved it where the television stand met the wall. She glanced at the clock. 3:20 in the morning. She had trudged down the mountain, covered in dirt and aching all over from laying on rocks for an hour. After taking one final glance at the Rival's house, she had tugged open the door to her own house and walked inside.

Skruskru yipped quietly, dreaming about a stranger at the door.