Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon. Any original characters are mine, however.
Having Fun
Matt woke up groggily to the pleasant sound of birds chirping as well as the livestock. Cows and sheep mooed and baaed as they waited to be fed and brushed. Frisky, the farm dog, was barking at stray chickens, which clucked indignantly at being ordered about by a dog.
"Good morning Matt. Had a nice nap?" Andrew inquired.
"Hmm? Yawn…" Matt yawned widely and rubbed his sleepy eyes. His hair was messy and stuck out all over the place. "Good morning Uncle Andrew."
Andrew chuckled. "Best to be up early in the morning when Mother Nature is just waking up from her slumber than be a sleepyhead and miss all the joys Nature can offer. Get dressed and I'll show you around my farm."
Matt's eyes grew wide. "REALLY?" he exclaimed and hastened off to dress.
"Kids." Andrew shook his head.
….
"Whoa."
"Star's a beauty, isn't she?" Andrew said fondly as he patted the horse's back.
"Fancy a ride on her? Bareback, of course. Makes it more of a challenge."
Matt looked at the huge beast in awe. She could easily be five times his height. "Ride her?"
Andrew nodded. "Sure. If you want to, that is."
Matt's face spread into a big smile. "Of course I'd want to! Would Star mind taking both of us on her back?"
The old farmer dismissed the question.
"What a question! She's a farm horse, lad. Raised by me since she was weaned, no less. She's one of the strongest horses in the region. Not to mention the fastest, too," he said with a touch of pride.
"Come here, Matt. I'll lend you a hand." Andrew carried the boy and hoisted him onto Star's broad back. Matt gripped the horse's mane, sitting there unsteadily. The horse neighed and Matt nearly jumped out of his skin in fright. Andrew laughed loudly at Matt's antics.
"Scared of a horse neighing! Now that's something I've never heard before," he said between laughs. Matt turned red at this remark. Andrew noticed his downcast appearance.
"Don't get offended now. It's my nature to play jokes, you know. Come on, I'll give you a tour of Holly Farm. I think you'll like it."
….
Two hours later, Andrew had finished showing the younger kid around the farm. Andrew laughed softly to himself when he recalled the moments Matt was among the chickens. He was playing around with one that had escaped from the coop, scaring it almost out of its wits. Without warning, the whole flock of Andrew's chickens had flown around him and chased him quite some distance, too. Matt had screamed and hid behind Andrew's back.
Frisky had been a great sport. He had participated readily in a race against Matt. He won, of course. His amazing speed was demonstrated every time he managed to outrun the ball Matt threw. He would run ahead of the airborne ball, open his jaws wide and SNAP! The ball was lodged firmly in Frisky's jaws. Matt's reaction to this the first time he saw it sent Andrew into peals of laughter.
There was Milky, the cow, too. Matt had had tried to ride her as he did Star. He had clumsily clambered onto her and sat on her back proudly for a second before Milky had made up her mind to move. Matt had fallen to the barn floor with a nasty BUMP! Hearing the sound, the cow had turned around to look at Matt. Her soft brown eyes seemed to ask 'What happened?' Matt stuck out his tongue at the poor animal and ran off to check out the sheep. Poor Milky!
After the incident with Milky, there was a brief fright in store for Andrew, who suddenly realized that Matt was nowhere to be found. He had searched frantically everywhere around the farm, but Matt was not to be found. His dog had helped, too. Frisky came up to him and gently tugged at his master's overalls. The loyal dog led the old man into the barn. Andrew was puzzled. Hadn't he searched there already?
Frisky tugged impatiently at Andrew's overalls. Andrew followed his dog until he was in the midst of his sheep, which were lying down in a group. Frisky ploughed through the masses of wool until he reached the middle of the resting sheep. There, Andrew spotted Matt curled up against Wooly, Andrew's award-winning sheep. Andrew let out a sigh of relief and carefully carried the boy indoors to rest.
Matt woke up a short while later, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "What time is it, Uncle Andrew?" he yawned. Then he looked around. There was no one else in sight. "Uncle Andrew?"
He hurried outside after folding the blankets and grabbing a biscuit as a snack. A joyful bark and dozens of wet licks all over his face greeted him when he opened the door. "Oof!" was all he managed to say before the dog leaped at him, causing him to fall down.
"Hey Matt! Wanna play with me?" a bright voice enquired. Matt looked up beneath Frisky and saw Popuri looking down at him.
Matt groaned and tried to push the dog off. The dog refused to budge and resumed licking the boy. "Hahaha! It tickles! Get off, Frisky!" he squealed. Popuri giggled.
"Are you going to play with me or not?" Popuri repeated her question a little impatiently.
"Sure, whatever you say, Popuri," he answered hastily and scrambled up. With help from the girl, he managed to stand upright. Frisky howled mournfully and pawed at Matt's legs. "Later, Frisky." He comforted the dog. "Can I tell Uncle Andrew first?" he asked Popuri.
"Sure!"
Matt ran off to find the old farmer. He found him behind a haystack, using a pitchfork to toss fodder into the cows' feedboxes. "Uncle Andrew," he began. Andrew turned around to face him.
"Yes?"
"Could I play with Popuri?"
Andrew nodded. "Sure. Run off now. Have fun!"
Matt grinned happily. "Thanks Uncle Andrew! Bye!" With that, he ran back to where Popuri stood waiting, tapping her foot.
"Well? Can you go?" she asked eagerly as soon as he appeared. Matt nodded happily. The latter's face split into a huge grin. "Let's go!" she squealed.
….
"Here we are, Matt. Welcome to the Goddess Pond." Popuri declared. Matt gaped at the scene. He was standing on a large field of lush green grass. A lake filled with crystal-clear water lay before him, fed by the waterfall crashing down from a tremendous roar, blending harmoniously with the water below. "Matt? Helllooo! Back to earth with Matt!" Popuri called, waving a hand in front of Matt's face, whose mouth was agape, fascinated by the beautiful scenery around him.
"H-Huh? What's going on?" he asked blankly. Popuri giggled.
"Heehee! Nothing's going on, Matt. We're here to play, remember?"
"Oh, right. What are we going to play?"
"That's right, I haven't thought about it yet. Hmm…." Popuri pondered.
Meanwhile, Matt looked over to the enclosed area where a lot of steam rose. Being the curious child he is, he wandered over to the enclosure. It was entirely surrounded by a tall fence except for a small opening facing the lake. Mystified, he extended a finger to touch the weird looking mist that hung heavy on the surface of a liquid.
"Hothothothot!" he yelped, shaking his finger.
SPLASH.
The moment he started shaking his hand, he had lost his footing on the rather slippery rock. He struggled to swim back to the side of this weird place full of hot water and steam. Lucky I learned how to swim on my own back in Kingstown, he thought.
Popuri ran towards the Hot Springs when she heard a loud splash and also when she realized that her companion was no longer in sight. She laughed loudly at the funny sight of the splashing boy in the water. "H-How d-di-d y-you ge-et in t-t-the-re?" she said between giggles as Matt hoisted himself onto the rock and scrambled over it, lying down on the firm ground.
"Fell in," he muttered gruffly, wringing his clothes and hair in the hopes of squeezing water out of them. "Why didn't you – tell – me t-that the water – was h-hot?" he shot at the giggling Popuri, shivering uncomfortably now he was out of the water.
"I thought it was funny," Popuri stuttered between giggles. Matt glared at her angrily before turning his back towards her to resume drying his drenched clothes. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked, cowering under Matt's glare.
Matt was shivering uncontrollably now. The wind had risen while the two children had talked, and it was howling around them like a predator hunting its prey. And Matt was its main target. "I-It's c-c-ol-ld h-here-e." he said between chattering teeth.
Popuri took pity on the small boy. "Come on, let's go to my place. Maybe Mom has some suitable clothes for you. Rick's cast-offs, maybe." She muttered thoughtfully. I wouldn't like wearing anything of his.
Still shivering, Mat nodded and followed Popuri down the steps, past the Woodcutter's house and down the lane. The sound the chicken's clucking greeted them as they neared the farm.
"Why are you all wet?" a boy wearing a bandanna around his head and a pair of spectacles asked disdainfully as he looked at Matt. He clearly didn't like him.
"He fell into the hot spring. So back off, Rick." Popuri retorted. Rick stared at her before laughing in scorn.
"He fell?" he repeated, tears coming into his eyes as a result of uncontrollable laughter. His sister ignored him and held Matt's hand, pulling him into the house.
"Come on, Matt. He's not worth listening to."
"HEY! I heard that!" her brother shouted angrily through the now shut door of the house. Rick grumbled incoherently and stamped off to visit his darling chickens.
"My, my. Now whom do we have here? Little Matt, is it?" a woman with shocking-pink hair not unlike Popuri's asked pleasantly. Matt took an instant liking to this woman. She wore a plain dress and had her hair tied up in two ponytails.
Popuri smiled widely and pointed at Matt, who was engrossed in staring at Popuri's mother. "Hi Mom! Matt fell into the hot spring; can you find some clothes for him? He's wet."
Lillia glanced at Matt, from his flushed face to the puddle of water collected beneath him as a result of his wet clothes. "Follow me, Matt. I'll give you a towel to dry yourself while I find some dry clothes for you." Matt agreed heartily and followed her eagerly upstairs. There, she rummaged about in a closet and foraged for clothes for Matt.
"Eh? What's this?" she frowned. A small smile played on her lips as she replaced whatever she took and continued her hunt for clothes. Finally, she produced a shirt, a pair of shorts and other things Matt needed. They were in good condition, albeit the faded colour. "Will this do?"
"Thanks, Aunt…I'm sorry, but I do not know your name," Matt explained embarrassedly. Lillia smiled reassuringly.
"It's okay. I'm Lillia, by the way."
"Thanks Aunt Lillia! Where do I change?"
"Just change in here. I'll go out. Call me when you are done, okay?"
Matt nodded. Lillia walked out of the room and shut the door gently. Matt wasted no time in changing his clothes into the dry, more comfortable ones Lillia handed to him. Once finished, he knocked lightly on the door.
"I'm done," he said. Lillia heard him and opened the door.
"You sure change quickly," she said in a pleasant tone. "Now go downstairs. I'm sure Popuri would love to play with you."
Matt hurried down the stairs of the double-storied building, careful not to fall down. "Hey Popuri! Are you still there?" he shouted.
Popuri brightened up. "Oh, are you done already? Then let's play!"
Matt shook his head. He didn't like to disappoint the girl, his first friend for ages, yet he didn't have a choice. Popuri seemed close to tears.
"Why? Don't you like to play with me?" she sobbed.
Matt looked awkward. "No! I mean, yes, I do like playing with you, but it's raining outside. Are you sure you want to play in the rain?" he pointed out.
Popuri looked out of the window by climbing on a high stool. "You're right," she said, surprised. "What shall we do now?" she sighed. "We're stuck here in this house with nothing to do. I could die of boredom!"
"Well, I would like you to answer some questions, if you don't mind."
"Popuri, it's lunch time!" Lillia called from the kitchen.
"Coming Mom! Later, okay?" she told Matt. Matt shrugged and followed her to the kitchen.
"There's omelet today. Do you want some, Matt?" the woman enquired. Matt nodded. The aroma coming from the cooked eggs smelled wonderful. Matt licked his lips hungrily.
Lillia laughed. "I guess you do. Tuck in." With that, she heaped a generous amount of omelets onto a plate and handed it to Matt. Popuri's mouth watered.
"Why don't I have some too?" she pouted. Lillia laughed pleasantly and handed her a plate full of omelets.
"There. Happy now?" Popuri nodded, her mouth already stuffed full of omelet.
"Ish very nishe!" she said with her mouth full. Bits of egg sprayed over the table. Lillia looked at her daughter in disgust while Matt continued enjoying his omelet and pretended not to notice.
"Popuri! What did I tell you about talking with your mouth full?" she reprimanded Popuri. Popuri bowed her head and opened her mouth to speak.
"Talk after you swallow, dear," Lillia added hastily.
Popuri swallowed her food in too much of a hurry, proceeded to talk, and choked on her food. Matt looked at her in alarm.
"Popuri!" her mother cried out, distressed. She patted Popuri's back until Popuri stopped choking. "Now see what happened. Don't talk with your mouth full again, please."
"Yes Mom," Popuri said meekly. Lillia sighed in relief and turned towards Matt, who had cleaned his plate during the moment of panic between the mother and daughter.
"Finished already?" Lillia exclaimed, surprised. Matt nodded and walked over to the sink to wash his plate. "No, no. Let me do that." Lillia took the plate out of Matt's hands and placed them in the sink to clean later.
"Aunt Lillia?"
"Just call me Lillia, dear."
"Okay. But isn't it disrespectful?" Matt asked, frowning.
Lillia smiled. "It's okay. Everyone calls me by name here, with the exception of Rick and Popuri. You've seen Rick, I presume? The boy with messy straw coloured hair with a bandanna around his head and wearing spectacles?"
Matt nodded distastefully. "Yes, I met him outside earlier."
Lillia's face fell. "Don't you like him?" she asked mournfully.
"Not really." Matt confessed. "Who's their father?"
Lillia looked away from him. Matt was alarmed to see tears brimming in her eyes. He climbed down from the chair he was sitting on and clambered onto her lap.
A small finger wiped away the lone tear that fell down her face. Lillia looked down in surprise. Matt had climbed onto her lap without her noticing and had wiped the tear away. Now, he placed his arms round the woman and hugged her.
"Don't cry, Lillia. I'm sorry," he wailed. Lillia patted his head.
"It's all right. It's nothing really…. my husband went out of Mineral Town to do some business outside. In a place called the Bejeweled City. It was rumoured to be a beautiful place," she said, imagining.
"Bejeweled City?" Matt asked. He had been there before, he knew.
"Yes. He has been there for two months now. During that time, I never heard from him." She whispered sadly. Matt reached out to touch her face. She was surprised.
"Never mind, Lillia. Popuri and I are here," he tried to comfort her. Lillia laughed softly. A smile spread on her face.
"Yes, you're right." She wiped the remaining tears away and stood up. Matt fell to the floor, unprepared for the fall. He quickly stood up on his feet beside Lillia.
"The rain has stopped," she observed. Matt tried to look out too, but saw nothing except for brown wood. Lillia carried him up onto the windowsill where he could see the weather.
"So it has," he said, surprised.
"Yay! Let's go and play now, Matt!" Popuri exclaimed happily. "Go and play, go and play, go and play…." She chanted.
"Wow, a rainbow!" Matt stared blissfully at the seven-coloured arch that seemed to stretch to the end of the world. Popuri stopped her chanting and came over to look. Lillia came over as well to see the beautiful scene.
"A rainbow. And a beautiful one at that," she said, smiling happily. Popuri nodded and pulled Matt's arm.
"Let's see it outside! I'm sure it'll be much more beautiful from there!" she said confidently.
"Wha – whoa!" Matt exclaimed as he lost his balance and began to fall down. Lillia caught him just in the nick of time. Matt was breathless at the near escape.
"Don't do that. Popuri! Matt could have been hurt!" Lillia cried exasperatedly.
"I'm sorry, Matt! I didn't mean to," Popuri whimpered, staring into Matt's face, which was pale from fright. Matt shook his head.
"It's okay. You wanted to go out, right?" he asked shakily. "Let's go."
Popuri nodded and led him out of the front door. Lillia shook her head, amused. "What a pair."
"Why are you wearing my clothes, Matt?" Rick asked accusingly.
"I, uh," Matt stammered.
"He was wet so Mom dressed him up in your old clothes," Popuri said sourly as she stood behind Matt.
"But why? I could still wear them!" Rick argued.
"Now, now. What's the cause of the commotion here?" Lillia asked, coming out from the hall. Rick scowled.
"Mom! Why did you dress this jerk up in my clothes?" he yelled. Lillia flinched.
"You couldn't wear them anyway." Popuri stuck out her tongue. Rick stuck his tongue out too.
"Whatever. Why do you have a picture of Karen in your cupboard, Rick?" Lillia asked. Rick turned a violent shade of red.
"YOU LOOKED INTO MY CUPBOARD?" he screamed.
"Yes. Most interesting, that picture," Lillia said, keeping her cool. Rick growled and rushed into the house. The remaining three outside heard him climbing up the stairs loudly in a rage. Lillia sighed.
"Well, that's over and done with."
Popuri nodded in agreement.
"Popuri, why don't you show Matt around our chicken farm? I'm sure he'll like it," Lillia suggested. Popuri agreed wholeheartedly.
"Okay! Come on, Matt!" she screamed. Matt followed her, left without a choice since Popuri was dragging him along. Popuri showed him around the farm until the last rays of sun rested in the horizon.
"I have to go now, Popuri." Matt said firmly for the umpteenth time.
"Aww. Don't go," Popuri pleaded.
"But I must. It's late. I don't want Uncle Andrew to worry." Matt said and pulled his arm out of her grasp.
Popuri looked downcast but finally understood. "Okay. I don't want Uncle Andrew to worry either. Bye Matt."
Matt nodded. "Goodbye Popuri, it was fun sight-seeing Poultry Farm."
….
"Well, you're back at last. Had a nice day?" Andrew asked. He had been sitting on a stool outside, smoking his pipe while awaiting the boy's return.
Matt nodded happily. "I had lots of fun today, Uncle Andrew! Popuri showed me around her mother's, uh, Poultry Farm. It was nice."
"Good, because now is your bedtime. Get in, have a bath, eat your dinner then sleep, okay?"
"Okay!" Matt yawned; today had been a long day indeed.
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Hi! I would like to thank rosebabykiss, DarklightZERO and Tiger-Cub684 for reviewing, it is very much appreciated. I'll try to update as soon as possible, okay? Bye now!