Theme Song: It's a Beautiful Day - U2


She sighed and looked out across her front yard at the mess next to her small pond. That was her task for today… Clear that area as much as possible. She had spent the first part of the night stressing about falling asleep and having more nightmares, but when she had finally fallen asleep, it had been without incident. She was feeling fairly well rested.

Regardless, she ran out of energy fast. She managed to clear a sizable area of rocks, weeds, and branches, but couldn't bring herself to chop down the trees. She needed to take a break and go for a walk… But she also wanted to avoid talking with Dr. Harvey about her memories and asking about the city. She knew she needed the help, but she didn't want to bother him. She had seen that the bus was out of order, so she'd have to get a ride and… Maybe it just wasn't feasible. She'd just wait until she ran into him to ask.

Avoiding the clinic, she decided to see if she could find the path that led to Marnie's ranch. She had to climb around all sorts of boulders, stumps, and logs… But she did eventually find the other path, and a larger pond on the south end of her land. She was relieved to see that it did, in fact, go to a ranch that she assumed was Marnie's. She looked around to see if she could see anyone she recognized, and noticed a small girl jumping rope under a tree.

"Hello!" the farmer waved and started to walk over. The little girl started to look panicked, so she stopped.

"... hi," the child said quietly.

"Sorry," the farmer said gently. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm the new farmer. I live up that way. Are your parents home?"

"I don't have parents."

"O-oh…" she frowned.

"Aunt Marnie is probably in the house."

Ah. That was what she needed to know.

"Oh! You live with your aunt!"

The little girl nodded.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you! I'll see you around."

Marnie's ranch was built alongside a forest. The farmer had to calm her heart a little bit, but eventually she was able to convince herself to step further in the woods. It was day. If anyone were to attack her, she'd be heard calling for help. At least… She hoped.

There was a river with some bridges that led further into the trees. She took that path, hoping she'd be able to find her way back. She foraged along the way, picking a few flowers, and to her delight… She even found some onions buried in the ground. It was about noon when she stopped and ate the last of the bread she had bought from Gus before heading back the way she had come and walking into town.

You have to go get more seeds to plant if you want to start making more money. You can't avoid walking by the clinic forever.

As she walked through town, she was a little surprised at how few people there were out, especially after all the rain the day before. She didn't run into anyone until she saw Mayor Lewis standing outside the clinic and Pierre's shop.

"Hey Mayor!" she gave a friendly wave. "It's good to see you!"

"Ah! Farmer! Were you able to meet everyone yet?"

"Maybe? I'm not sure," she frowned. "I stopped by the saloon last night, but there wasn't anyone there that I hadn't already met."

"The saloon can get pretty lively at night. Sometimes we put a coin in the jukebox," he chuckled. "Everyone dances, but not very well."

"There wasn't any music last night, but that sounds fun…" she paused. "I did talk with a little girl this morning that I hadn't seen before though…"

"Ah, Marnie's niece. That's Jas. Sweet child," Mayor Lewis smiled.

"Yes! So… I guess there might be a few other people I haven't met yet."

"Well keep at it," the mayor said with a nod before heading towards his own residence.

Pierre barely looked up as she walked in and headed for the front. She was so focused on getting seeds, she almost missed the stranger browsing the shelves. Luckily, she looked over just in time to realize there was someone she hadn't met yet standing there. He looked up and made eye contact right as it registered in her mind.

"Ah! The new farmer we've all heard so much about… And whose arrival has sparked many a conversations."

"That's me, I guess," she said with a shy smile before approaching. "Sorry I don't really have a name to share."

"That's alright. I'm Elliott. I live in the little cabin by the beach."

"Yes! I was wondering when I'd finally get a chance to meet you. Your cabin looks so cozy!"

"Ah, thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you," he looked at his watch. "But I must get back. I have work to do. Very important."

"Sure. I probably need to get back as well. I just came to buy more seeds. I'll see you around!"

Elliott left the shop, and she approached the counter, counting out her few coins to buy 5 potato plant seeds. She really was starting to tire of living from day to day, but she wasn't going to be able to make money without spending some.

"Thanks for your business!" Pierre handed her the seed with a smile. "We always appreciate it. I know Joja Mart might be tempting for someone in your situation… With the cheaper prices and all."

"Oh," she frowned. "I've never been inside, to be honest."

"Ack," he said in a panic. "Please, forget I said anything then!"

She giggled, tucking the seeds away, "Don't worry. This store is closer and I'm sure the owner is much more friendly."

"We do our best."

She returned home after that to immediately make sure her seeds got in the ground. The sooner they grew, the better it would be for her. Once again satisfied with her farming work, and running low on energy once more, she decided to accomplish one last task, and headed up the mountain pass.

It didn't take too long for her to find a leek this time. She knew what she was looking for now, and easily pulled it from the ground before heading in the direction of Linus' tent. Along the way, she found another leek and a horseradish that she'd be able to sell that night. Linus was standing outside by his fire when she approached, the leek held out in triumph.

"This is a great gift!" he said with a smile. "Thank you!"

"Figured I'd pay you back for letting me take the other one yesterday," she grinned. "George was really happy, so I think we'll get along a little better now."

"He's a tough one, that George."

They stood in silence, and she wondered if she should leave. Linus seemed to like his privacy. Why else would he live out here alone? But something nagged on the edges of her thoughts… And finally she decided it couldn't hurt to ask…

"Linus? Is there someone else who lives out in the wild like you do? But down in the woods?"

"Living off the land in a tent type of thing?" he asked curiously. "Not that I know of."

She thought back to the man from her dream. He had been big, but he definitely hadn't been Linus. That at least was comforting…

"There is another who lives out that way though. The townsfolk regard him as strange… Just like me. Why do you ask?"

The way Linus spoke made it seem like he might be friends with the man he had just told her about, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him about her suspicions that she had been attacked in the woods the night that Sebastian had found her.

"No reason, really," she said slowly. "I just thought I heard something last night and saw someone maybe walking through my fields. It was probably nothing."

"Ah. Alright then."

"Anyway… I'll get out of your hair. Thanks again for your help with George yesterday."

"T'wasn't nothing."

Though the double negative was confusing, Linus' tone made it clear he was trying to tell her it wasn't a problem. She waved goodbye and started to head down the mountain so she could walk through the town on her way home, and stop by the mountain lake to catch some more fish. They seemed to sell for a lot and she needed the money desperately.

She caught two fish, with another getting away before she realized she really didn't have the ability to carry anything else with her. The sun hadn't gone down yet and she had plenty of time, but the lack of space forced her to stop early. She slung the fishing pole over her shoulder and made for the path that led to town.

Along the way, she could see Robin and Demetrius standing near the edge of one of the cliffs, overlooking the valley. She waved, and Robin pulled her husband over to say hi.

"Have you met everyone in town yet?"

"I think so," the farmer wrinkled her nose. "Hard to know for sure though."

"That sounds exhausting!" the red-head said with sympathy. "Especially knowing who lives down there!"

"How's the farming business going?" Demetrius put his arm around Robin's shoulders with a smile. "It's parsnip season, isn't it?"

"Yep," the farmer nodded. "Got some of those planted, and I just planted some potatoes today as well."

"I can imagine it being pretty peaceful, working outdoors with plants all day…"

She paused. She hadn't really thought about it before, but now that he mentioned it… Her mornings were rather peaceful. It wasn't anything she had chosen for herself, but she had to admit… The circumstances weren't all that bad. She was feeling accomplished and successful, and other than a few nightmares, she'd had few problems.

But there was always the fear that she was missing something. Or that someone important was missing her… And she'd never know. That made her sad.

"It is," she nodded slowly. "It's… A nice way to spend my time while I try to remember and figure out how to recover my memories. If I can recover them…"

"We're all rooting for you!" Robin said, encouragingly. "Let us know if you need anything!"

"You as well," the farmer said with a nod. "If you have any specific requests for crops, let me know as well. I'm just kind of planting whatever I can afford at the moment… Anyway, have a good evening!"

"You as well!" Robin and Demetrius spoke in unison as the farmer walked away.

Such an odd family, she thought. I feel like Robin and Demetrius are on the same wavelength with each other… But the two families haven't quite blended yet. Not that it matters. Not my business…

"Hey farmer! Headed home for the night?"

She looked up and saw Maru approaching, a friendly smile plastered across the young woman's face.

"Yeah. It's a little early, but I'm tired, so…"

"Me too! I was working at the clinic today, and we don't usually have many sick people during the warmer months, but allergies are high right now and Harvey and I had to reorganize the inventory. I can't wait for the pollen to go away. I plan on spending a lot of time with my telescope this summer…" Maru prattled on and on, barely aware that the farmer was feeling completely bombarded with the conversation.

"Telescope?"

"Oh!" Maru stopped at the question, finally remembering she should stop to breathe. "I have a telescope at the house. I love studying space. Stars and planets are so cool! I love robotics as well. I guess I'm a little bit of a sci-fi nerd, but without the fiction part, because if you actually think about it, there's so much we haven't explored and accomplished yet, so who's to say that we can't do things or label them as fiction?"

"Er… Yeah," the farmer nodded, overwhelmed. Luckily, Maru seemed to notice this time.

"Sorry, I guess I got a little over-excited…"

"It's fine. Being passionate about something is really admirable. I'd love to do some stargazing through your telescope sometime though. It sounds fun!"

Maru clapped her hands together, excited, "Let's do it! Summer is the best time, and I want your first experience to be the best… So it might be awhile."

"That's fine."

"Awesome! I'll plan on it then! Have a good night!"

"Good night…"

And just like that, Maru was gone as quickly as she'd come, leaving the farmer to walk home alone with her thoughts once more… For a short while, anyway. Alex was standing out by the dog house as she passed by, so she gave him a friendly wave as well.

"The air's starting to warm up… I'm feeling pumped!" he said with a large grin. "You still planning on hanging at the beach when that happens?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "I am still looking forward to it. I'll have to make sure I obtain some beach gear, but…"

She was surprised at how naturally the sentence came out, and she even added a wink on the end, which caused Alex to laugh.

"A bikini?"

"Probably not," she chuckled. "But I'll find something suitable for swimming."

"That's too bad. You'd probably look really nice."

"I'll look nice no matter what!" She pretended to pout.

"O-oh… I mean, of course. I didn't mean-" it was Alex's turn to be flustered as she laughed.

"It'll be a fun day. I also promised Maru to do some stargazing with her telescope this summer, so I guess that's the busiest time for everyone…"

"Yeah, I work at the ice cream stand during the summer," Alex threw the ball he always carried with him in the air. "The valley really comes alive."

"Something to look forward to, then."

"It really is. I'd better get going before my grandparents start to worry. You should come by earlier in the day to hang out next time."

She laughed, "I'll plan on it, one of these days. Mornings are when I usually try to get work done, before it heats up… But my afternoons are usually open."

"Alright. Hopefully I'll see you again soon. Have a good night!"

"You too!"

She watched Alex walk into his home, part of her just wanting to make sure he was able to make it inside okay as the light was rapidly fading. Even though he probably didn't worry about things like that.

Apparently she did.

She turned to walk home, only to have someone bump into her and fall to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" she quickly reached out a hand to help Penny back to her feet.

"It's my fault. I should have been watching where I was going, but I was reading this book and the light was getting bad…"

"I turned too quickly, so don't worry about it," the farmer helped dust some of the dust off the ginger girl, picked the book off the ground and handed it over.

"We're lucky to have a library in such a small town," Penny clutched the book to her chest. "When you're lost in a book, it's easy to forget the realities of your life. Maybe that's why I like reading so much…" she trailed off, blushing. "Sorry, I got carried away there."

"Being passionate isn't something to apologize for," the words tumbled out of the farmer's mouth, as if she'd spoken them numerous times before. The conversation felt disturbingly similar to her earlier one with Maru.

To be honest, I wish I could remember what I was passionate about…

"Books are really important to me," Penny nodded.

"Well…" the farmer thought back to what she had said about escaping the realities of life. "I'm sure books are a great escape…" She was surprised at how accurate the statement seemed to feel. Had she read lots of books before? "But if you ever need someone to just… I don't know… Talk to… I'm always here."

Penny's eyes seemed to fill with tears. It was hard to tell in the dark… But her voice was full of appreciation, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll let you go inside where the light is a little better for reading, until then," the farmer said kindly. "I hope you have a good night!"

"You too!" Penny scurried away, and the farmer smiled. She felt an odd kinship with the other young woman…

Penny reminds me of… myself? In a weird… Not entirely sure how or why way.

Shaking her head, the farmer continued on her way home. As she passed the bus stop, she saw a few items she could forage and toss in the shipping box before going to bed, but she was still carrying a bunch of stuff from earlier. In the end, since she was desperate for as much money as possible, she had to walk to the farm, drop off what she had, and then come back to pick the other items.

The shipping container had quite a bit in it when she finally turned in for the night. The two fish, the horseradish, leek, and onions, plus another leek and some daffodils from the bus stop. She felt fairly proud, an emotion that swelled when she turned on the TV and the Living Off the Land program talked about where to find onions in Stardew Valley. She was so good, she was a step ahead.

The last of the sun's light disappearing, and exhausted from the day, she tucked into bed. She didn't even think about the nightmares, and was able to fall asleep almost instantly.


He nodded at the junimos. The time had come for them to reveal themselves. She had proven to be exactly the kind of person they needed to save the valley. She was kind, considerate… But determined and headstrong. He'd been worried that the loss of her memory would prove problematic when he'd found out about it… But it seemed her personality was still intact, though she may not realize it.

"Keep her busy. If she goes to the city, we might lose her. She'll quickly realize the truth. And remember, not a word about where she comes from. Not even a hint."

The junimos all bounced up and down with excitement. Tomorrow, everything would change.