Summary: Ever since Cliff's sudden disappearance, Ann of Mineral Town has fallen in a state of depression. Despite the town's efforts to move on, she could never return to her spunky self. Ann believed her life would go on in eternal misery until a mysterious stranger shows up at her doorstep...
Harvest Moon: FoMT
One Way Ticket
Fear. Abandonment. Emptiness.
These were the only feelings left in her heart since Cliff left.
More than two ago, a wandering traveler with a brown ponytail came into her life, and, although he did not reveal much about his life, ended up making her the happiest woman alive. To most, the differences in Ann's mood were subtle at best, but deep down she understood very well how her happiness varied. In contrast to her usual cheer, what she experienced was the closest thing to bliss she had ever known. It was her nirvana, and it was all thanks to the love she shared with this vagabond.
To most, he was shy and reluctant, but had a fortitude in him necessary for an adventurer. But what attracted most people to him was his earnest heart and his honesty. Ann loved all of this about him, and was able to enjoy the greatest year of her life thanks to him, but now he's gone.
She tried to find Cliff's home address, but there were no records of his family. She waited for a phone call every day from him, but there was no luck there. She even tested her patience by waiting for a letter, but none ever came. Eventually, the desperate red-head gave up.
"He's never coming back, is he? But I know we loved each other. What could've happened? What went wrong?" she thought.
One Year ago, Cliff had the opportunity of making a living working at the Aja wine. Duke had been in sudden need of employment, and the local Farmer, Jack, was more than happy to inform Cliff of this position. Although the vagabond looked ecstatic in the opportunity to make a living in the humble town, Cliff received a phone call and quickly had to leave it behind. On their last night together, Cliff and Ann embraced under the night stars, with tears of regret in their eyes. On that night, Ann received her last kiss from her beloved.
Since then, everyone tried to move on, and live with the happy memories Cliff left them. Some were all too confident that he was alive somewhere, and Jack, despite how much he despised Ann's company, worked up the tolerance to try and cheer her up. The one, who tried their hardest to have her move on, however, was her father Doug. At times, she wondered how her father could be so insensitive towards her feelings, or why he would try and make her give up her attachment to Cliff, but then she wound up being reminded that she was the only family left in Doug's life, and that he could not bear to see her upset.
Still, she always had a subtle feeling that her Dad was not telling her something, but then she would easily dismiss the thought, suspecting that she's becoming delusional with grief.
And so, she remained a mere shell of her formal self until one fateful Summer day...
As usual, Ann was busy cleaning up the Inn with the frown she became accustomed to since one year ago. The only thing that stood out was that her Dad was not there to tend the counter as usual, but she assumed that he went out to take care of other things. Instead of Ann's familiar enthusiasm, she instead perform her tasks like a depressed cleaning robot.
As she sighed once more at yet another Cliff-less day, the door swung open. For the first time since the days of her merriment, she actually felt startled.
Right at the entrance stood a notable young man. He wore a dark purple fedora with matching buttoned blazer, tie, and pants. His young face carefully looked around with sharp black eyes. But what stood out most of all was his short, striking, platinum-blonde hair.
"Hey!" he cried out while pointing a finger in the air, "Can I get some service in here?"
Ann stared intensely at the new stranger. His aura was really dynamic and confident. This strong contrast to Cliff's humble nature stirred up some suppressed frustration within her.
"I'm sorry." she answered in a harsh town, "I'm afraid the owner is out for a moment, so our Inn can only provide drinks, if that's okay with you."
The stranger nodded in satisfaction. "It's okay. I came here mostly for the drinks, with a side of food anyway." he grinned. He then made his way to the counter and looked back at the grumpy cleaning leaning. "So, what kinda alcohol you got here, anyway? Some Wine? Whisky? Brandy?" he asked frantically.
Ann groaned. "Great. Now we have another drunk like Karen in town..." she thought.
"No." she answered simply, "But we happen to have a winery near by if you're interested. All we have is water"
The stranger chuckled. "Ah, that's okay! I kinda like the atmosphere of this place, anyway! It's more spacious! And it reminds me of home!" he grinned.
"Sure, whatever..." she grumbled.
Ann then dropped her broom to grab a glass cup from the counter and filled it with water from the near by dispenser and pushed it neatly towards her customer.
The man in purple nodded happily as he took the glass of water and chugged it down. He then wiped his mouth and felt completely refreshed.
"Man, that was a pretty good glass of water! Now if only I could try out the food here! The people around here have been telling me so much about it!" he exclaimed.
Ann sighed to herself. "It's... been awhile since the last time I cooked..." she thought.
"So... another city guy." she said as she pointed out his clearly urban attire. "Are you also here to start up a farm something?"
"Actually, I am going to start myself a farm, doll, just not here." he answered. "Ever heard of a place called Forget-Me-Not Valley? I'm taking the next boat there."
"It seems to be a common trend nowadays for city folk to start a humble living in the country for their own reasons..." she muttered aloud.
Again, she found herself thinking about Cliff. "Come to think of it, Cliff never did tell me where he came from. With the clothes he had on, I first thought that maybe he was born in some impoverished land, but there's still the chance that he could've been like Jack and this rude guest here, trying to escape the stress of urban life. But if THAT'S true, what would Cliff be running from?" she thought to herself. "And why did he have to face it again?"
"I suppose you can say that city life gets hard real fast." the stranger answered. "All the stress that comes from a profitable job, the competition that stands in your way. Sometimes it just makes you wanna run away from it all and take it easy. So that's exactly what I'm doing."
"Run away from your troubles..." she muttered sympathetically. "I see... I guess there are times I think the same thing."
"Then why don't you go ahead and do it? I'm sure there's always a place in this world that someone can call paradise!" he cried.
Ann groaned. "You don't understand... this isn't something I can escape from..." she barely uttered.
The stranger took quick notice of Ann's somber eyes and nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see... THAT kind of problem. Well, I guess there really is little you can do about that." he answered calmly.
Out of anger, Ann slammed her fists on the counter.
"WHY ARE YOU TREATING MY PROBLEM SO CASUALLY?" she yelled. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH?"
The stranger shrugged. "I'm sorry. My bad. Maybe I don't know what happened to you lately, but let me tell you that with the kind of work I'm involved in, I always have to assume the worst. Where I used to live, there were plenty of people sulking around like you." he explained.
"Oh. I'm sorry... I suppose I'd wanna leave a place like too if I were in your shoes..." she lamented.
The stranger nodded. "Yeah, well it isn't helping much that you're bringing the burden of my hometown to this place." he answered smartly.
Ann nodded as she muttered yet another apology before she picked up her broom once more and resumed cleaning.
For awhile, the pair waited patiently for Doug to return in silence. Despite the considerable length of time, the owner of the Inn had yet to return. Ann still moped the floor while the stranger drummed his fingers on the countertop, waiting for his meal.
"I guess... whatever it is that's keeping him preoccupied must be a really big issue..." she thought to herself.
Considerably bored from his wait, the stranger turned to the cleaning lady once again.
"So, my little red-head broad. I'm well aware that I'm making a big transition with my lifestyle here. I'm movin' on down from the big old city to wholesome country living. What do you think am I going to expect out of the country life from here on out?" he asked curiously.
Ann stopped moping as she lowered her head to go back on her memories of living in Mineral Town.
"I suppose... at first, you'll start enjoying all the simple things in life. If you start out with a positive outlook, you'll have an easy time finding many fun things to do. And sooner or later, when you realize that everyone in the community relies on each other in one way or another, you start to feel that you have this really big family around you, even if there is the occasional person that doesn't quite agree with you."
At this point in her speech, a picture of an aggravated Jack popped into her mind.
"As soon as you open your eyes to nature, you'll easily find yourself fascinated by its many splendid wonders, and it'll make you want to go outside more every day. Eventually, every single aspect of the rural life will start to grow on you. All the boring days will be gone, and every little thing that once bothered you will easily go away with a simple breath of good old country air. And... if you're lucky... you just mind find someone special to share it all with... and you'll finally... feel...whole..."
Warm tears streamed down from Ann's eyes as she started to recall the good times she had with Cliff.
"Okay, I think I get it now. It isn't worth making a pretty gal like you upset over this." he answered in an apologetic tone.
Ann was flattered, although not by much, by the stranger's compliment.
"You... you're too easygoing..." she whined with a hint of envy.
"I guess I am" the stranger agreed with little doubt. "But I have a strong feeling there was a time you were once the same way."
Ann immediately halted her cleaning to stare at him in shock.
"...How is it possible for this stranger from who-knows-where to see right through me like this?" she thought.
She felt her blood boil at the sight of one who she felt has been seen rougher times manage to retain his good cheer. There was just something about his smile that ticked him off, and yet all this time, he had been considerate towards her. She tried to suppress her anger, as well as her confusion to retain a calm atmosphere.
The young stranger eyed his empty glass and snatched it off the counter once more.
"Stillllllll... I wouldn't give up hope if I was you. There just might be something for you that's worth waiting for in the future!" he grinned. He then held up his glass as if he were toast, but Ann merely shook her head. "How about it, then? To our futures?"
Ann clutched her broom tighter as she tried to keep her body standing upright.
"What do I have look forward to in the future? A death to end my constant sorrow? Or a love less satisfying than Cliff? How can I be able to move on if don't even know what happened to Cliff? What if he abandoned me and found someone better than me?" she thought.
She then looked at the stranger's good cheer and wondered why he's so thrilled to start on the next chapter in his life. He just seemed way too relieved by his transition, and remembered how used to be able to bounce from one problem to another without anything putting her town.
Ann shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. At least you're having fun with this." she griped.
The stranger grinned like there was no problem. "Okay then! Cheers!" he cried as he tapped an imaginary glass and pretended to gulp down the best wine he's ever had.
Again, Ann bared witness to her customer's mirth. "Why is... he so happy, anyway?" she thought.
After doing more cleaning, Ann finally laid her broom aside and took a seat right next to the chuckling man.
"Is there something you want?" the stranger asked in a welcome tone.
"Yes. You've been in really good spirits since you arrived here, and I want to know why. Is there something you're looking forward to in Forget-Me-Not Valley?" she asked.
The stranger's smirk grew to incredible proportions. "Actually, yes I do. You see, there's this lovely broad I haven't seen in the longest time, and I'm finally going to meet up with her in Flower-Bud-Village. Yeah, we got a lot of history goin' on together that I hope the two of us can continue." he explained.
Ann nodded as she breathed a regretful sigh. "Really?"
She then turned away in self disgust. "So... he's finally going back to someone who's been waiting for him... she's lucky..."
The stranger noticed Ann's drop in morale and panicked slightly. "Ah, er, well... I didn't mean to rub it in your face like that. It's just... you asked, you know?"
Ann nodded silently. "Of course. I won't blame you."
The stranger looked away uncomfortably. "Yeah, many thanks." he uttered awkwardly.
He then put his glass down and rested his hands on the counter while facing straight ahead of him. "Listen. I've made it through a whole lot of catastrophes that hit me in the city. Hardships, betrayal, separation... I had to live through harsh environments, but I made it out okay! Don't throw in the towel just yet, kid!" he exclaimed.
"The city you come from sounds like a really bad place to live..." Ann answered.
"It is" he confirmed. "It has a pretty high crime rate, so it gets chaotic really fast."
"I see... well then, I'm glad you made it out okay." Ann uttered softly.
For a brief moment, the stranger stared at blank space. "Yeah... ain't I lucky one?" he said in a serious voice.
After drumming on the counter a little longer, the stranger finally stood up.
"Well, I think I better get going now. My patience is growing thin, and I doubt the owner will get here in time. Besides, my ride's scheduled to depart here soon." he sighed as he made his way towards the door.
Ann slowly lifted herself off her seat and bowed in apology. "I'm sorry you couldn't be served here today. Maybe you'll consider coming here again?" she asked.
The stranger halted in his tracks. "Maybe..."
He was just about to reach the door until curiosity got the hold of Ann again.
"Wait a minute! Sir!" Ann cried.
The stranger turned his head to face the emotionally wounded young girl.
"What is this time?" he answered back.
"I believe I haven't gotten your name yet! My name is Ann! What's yours?" she called out.
The stranger lowered the fedora closer to his eyes and gave a nod. "My name is Nicholas Nack Pattywack, but you can just call me Nack, kid."
Ann nodded silently as gesture of thanks and approached her mop. Afterwards, the stranger was just about to turn away again, but then he had an urge to continue the conversation for just a little bit longer.
"Alright, listen up, because I'm only going to say this once." he cried, which caught Ann's immediate attention. "I would just like to say... with all the crap life's givin' me for the past few years of my life, that I'm glad to receive a hint of hospitality in a quaint shack like this. It's really done me some good." he confessed.
Ann noticed a warm, grateful smile from Nack's face as he said those words. She wasn't sure why, but she regained part of her formal self at that time.
"Maybe there's still hope for me, after all..." Ann thought anxiously.
"Thank you... for your stay, I mean." she answered anxiously.
With that said, Nack turned away with feelings of relief.
But after the stranger from the city took one more step, a feeling of dread overcame Ann as she regained her sense of time.
"Dad!" she thought. "It's been far too long for him to be absent now. What happened to him? Where is he? I... I have to find him! He could be in trouble!"
Ann was just about to cut off Nack and rush out of the inn until something crumpled underneath her. Ann lifted a foot and discovered a folded up piece of paper by the counter. She carefully unraveled the paper until it revealed to be a list of some sort. Upon reading down items, what she discovered on the list ended up shocking her:
It had the names of many people, including three she knew very well. The names "Cliff" and "Doug" were crossed out by a red line, and the next person on the list was her own.
The panic-stricken girl gasped and trembled as she heard the glass cup shatter in an instant.
Nack clicked is tongue and snapped his finger as he held a pistol in his right hand.
"It's a shame you had to find that. I really wanted to do this in secret." Nack said in a taunting voice.
All of Ann's former depression faded away as it was immediately replaced with terror. With little courage left in her heart, she slowly turned the list towards the grinning stranger and rattled it about.
"Oh, of course you'd be interested in that list." Nack answered before he laughed in amusement. "You know, the CIA can be a pain in the ass sometimes. With your Daddy dear looking out for the rural community, I knew I had to take care of him first. I wouldn't worry, though. His body should be pretty clean because of where I sent it. Of course, all that salt could be an issue."
Upon hearing this bit of news, Ann started crying rivers. An inner fury surged up in her, and yet the sight of his gun still left her immobile.
"But I guess you're way more curious about that other guy I crossed of, right? Well, I had the pleasure of marking him off over a year ago." he teased. "That pest has been on my case for the longest time, and suddenly he thinks he can just abandon the chase, rotting away in some quiet community for a year?"
He stomped his foot upon the floor in an anger that surpassed Ann's.
"At least my latter wave of heists caught his department's attention and got him back to face me. It was a pleasure to finally settle that score. Thinking he could send me up the river for the rest of my life." he smiled with rabid joy.
Ann's eyes opened wide. Standing right before her was the very reason Cliff hadn't answered back in over a year. Her eyes wandered over to the gun, then to Nack's face, and to the gun again.
"I still remember it clearly to this day. It was one of the greatest heists I've ever pulled off, and then Cliff and his partner rushed in, with gunshots all over. Unfortunately for him, I was a pretty good shot on a regular basis, and that day happened to be my lucky day." he began.
His eyes then narrowed as he was caught up in nostalgia. "His last few moments caused a touching scene, I must admit. Even as he died in the arms of his lovely partner, all he asked was to see his precious Ann one more time. It was a shame to finally put an end to my foe's life like that, but at least I have the comfort in knowing he won't get in my away again."
"My Dad... and... Cliff... how could you...?" Ann barely uttered in her sorrow.
The sinister stranger was more than happy to answer. "It's because that's my way of life, kid.
The unfortunate young lady felt sick in her stomach.
Cliff was gone, and now her Dad. It's likely that her life will soon follow.
"Treachery..." she barely uttered as she gazed at Nack with regret. "Is this... it?"
Nack nodded silently. "Yup. This time it's for real." he confirmed.
Ann nodded slowly. The first time she felt betrayed, it was because she never heard from Cliff again. But know that she finally understood why so much time passed her by, a bittersweet relief washed over her.
"Everything... is... your fault..." Ann accused in a whimpering voice.
Again, Nack nodded in confirmation.
The past few hours flashed through Ann's mind. Nack's words of encouragement were distorted by his conflicting anger. Despite her betrayal, everything she was told still held significance to her.
"Why... did you say those things? What was the point?" she cried.
Nack remained silent as he kept his gun pointed at Ann.
"Why...?" Ann asked again.
Nack shook his head. "It's because I didn't know I would cause this, too..." he said in a remorseful tone.
Ann was taken by surprise by Nack's answer.
"That bastard always had that equally annoying partner at his side, and when I finally kill him I find out he has some long-distance girlfriend like I do..." he growled. "Which brings us back to this moment, where I knew you'd discover something eventually, whether or not it's because of your father. But it seems all the blame just goes back to me..."
Ann then balled her hands into a fist.
"This stranger... he took everything away from me..." she thought.
The desperate innkeeper's mind then contemplated her need of survival. She knew it was a slim chance, but she had to live on for the sake of Cliff and her Dad.
At that moment, Ann spied the broom on her side.
"It's my only hope!" she concluded.
"At the very least, you can look forward to seeing Cliff again this way, right?" Nack said in a pseudo-friendly voice.
Ann decided it was the moment of truth. She dove straight towards the broom and got back up with her weapon of choice in hand. Ann's eyes burned with previously untapped fury.
Once more, Nack shook his head in disgust. "Useless..." he muttered to himself.
At that moment, Nack and Ann stared each other down for their showdown.
"I hope your reunion is a good one." he called out.
Unable to stand the murderer's words any longer, Ann charged forth with her broom in both hands, and then Nack raised his pistol.
It was over in an instant. The very heart that Cupid pierced two years was pierced once again by a lethal bullet. Ann's life was fading from her body, and yet, with her dying breath, she managed one last smile. She recalled all the happy moments in her life, especially time she had the chance to be with Cliff.
As her body collapsed lifelessly to the floor, her final thoughts passed through her mind:
"He never abandoned me. Cliff always loved me..."
Nack gazed solemnly at the body that laid before him. Her lifeless blue eyes were filled with eternal tears of joy.
He then raised the fedora above his platinum-blonde eyebrows and slowly approached body. He carefully picked it up, and made sure it was hid somewhere carefully before wiping off the blood with the mop of the woman he killed. After finishing this task, Nack made his way towards the door and gave a two-fingered salute before he abandoned the girl.
"Good luck, darling. I hope you're livin' it up in the afterlife." he lamented before making his getaway.
Fortunately for him, no one else was outside to witness any part of the murder. Nack carefully placed his pistol in a hidden handle and smoothly walked away from the crime scene, right towards the beach where his practical escape boat waited for him.
For a brief moment, Nack turned his head towards the in and let out a deep sigh before clicking his tongue again.
"In the end, killing off Cliff's girlfriend is just going increase Nami's efforts at finding my hide. If I'm not careful, going to be facing down one pissed off ex-partner" he groaned.
He then turned his head forward as walked on with a skip in his step. "I guess I'll be sharing a similar experience with my old adversary. Cliff will be meeting up with his broad on the other side, and I'll be meeting up with my broad Muffy in Forget-Me-Not Valley. In a sense, everybody wins!" he rationalized with a devious smirk.
When he finally made it to the beach, Nack spotted the bandana-wearing Kai as he patiently waited for a passenger to arrive.
"Looks like my ride's here!"
Author's Note: After all the kooky stories with happy endings, and the occasional thought provoker, I figured I might as well try out one where somebody dies. I already contemplated doing a oneshot called "Alternate", where Magical Melody's Jill finally goes off the deep end since Ray couldn't return his feelings, and Jamie never confessed his. I thought that for the moment, it's a little too heavy on one side, and a way too early for the other side. In my mind, I haven't quite worked up efficient fanfic history that would lead to Jill's self destruction, so then I decided to kill of Ann.
The funny part is, after finding her annyoing for so long, the one thing that convinces me to write this story is the beginning of a very well-written Jack X Ann-ish story. I don't know why, but that's how it worked. Despite my gripes with Ann, I still enjoy the Cliff X Ann relationship, since they fit well together. I found it awkward working on this story midway, because I actually felt myself starting to cry when it came time to kill off the aggravating red-head. Is it guilt, or is it just an expected grieving human hart? I dunno...
Finally, I got to bust out my favorite Mafia Anti-Hero, Nack! I felt his previous story on hiatus, "Guns and Dolls", was neglected, and so this awesome badass got neglected as well, but here he is, killing Cliff in the past, while taking care of Doug and Ann on the same day. I seriously hope I find the opportunity to continue using him, and I hope you guys find some twisted appeal to his madness.
So yeah, this oneshot is merely a prequel to "Guns and Dolls", the Mafia take on the Harvest Moon Universe set in HM DS' Forget-Me-Not-Valley. If you want more of this, look it up and read the first chapter. Then wait a bit for the next Chapter to come up, cuz' I'm still busy with yet another (sadly ignored) fanfiction.
...Although, should I be surprised if this one is stuck with 2 Reviews or less after a month? Probably not...