(Author's Note: I'm on a week break from teaching right now, so I'm trying to write as much as I can before I return on Monday. Your reviews feed my soul, so a very special thank you to those of you who have reached out with your thoughts. I appreciate it. If you hadn't realized it already, this is going to be a very slow burn... But hopefully it'll still be fun and entertaining. Thanks again for giving this a chance! I appreciate it. :) Now back to your regularly scheduled program...)


Theme Song: The Climb - Miley Cyrus


MISSING:

I lost my favorite Axe! If you find it, please return ASAP. I'm having a tough time without it. There's 250g in it for whoever finds the thing.

-Robin


She let out another cry of pain, desperately trying to pull her foot out of the sticky mess that surrounded her. She could see that the two slimes were getting ready to pounce again as she scrambled to pull herself free. Just when she thought she'd be okay, she realized her path was blocked by another boulder.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way!"

She smashed the rock over and over with her pickaxe until it broke to pieces just a moment too late. One of the slimes latched onto her shoulder while the other pressed against her skin with its acidic chemical skin. She let out another scream before hitting them away and finally dragging herself to her feet and taking off through the dimly lit mine. She was finally able to reach the ladder and crawl out of the hole, her limbs moving on pure adrenaline.

Nothing she had found was worth the pain she was in… She was fairly certain.

She'd been underground the entire morning, trying hard to find copper so she could ask Clint to upgrade her axe. Clearing her land would be so much easier with a more efficient tool… But as it was, she only had enough for two more copper bars. She needed five.

She'd also found a turquoise gem… She'd have to see how much she could get for it. For now, she was just glad that she could see sunlight as she emerged from the mine.

What a nightmare.

She limped her way down the mountain and into town. She was so tired… And it hurt so bad… She took a minute to sit on the stairs that led up to the Community Center to assess the damage. It hurt to breathe. She had several gashes on her arms and legs that she made were covered by Sebastian's hoodie and the legs of her pants, which were extremely dirty, but untorn.

I know it hurts, but you're not done. You still have to go see Dr. Harvey and see if he's found out how far you are from home… You can do it. Stand up, pretend like it's fine, and keep walking.

Luckily, she wasn't going straight to the clinic. She'd grab another cup of coffee as a thank you and test to see if she could pretend well enough in front of Gus. If she passed that, she'd be ready. The last thing she wanted was a doctor fussing over her health… It made her… anxious.

She felt even more anxious when Gus didn't seem to notice anything wrong at all after she pasted a smile on her face and ordered the coffee. He asked her about her own preference in beverage and she told him she was still trying to figure it out. He brightened a little and invited her to stop by later that evening, and he'd have something for her.

That was it. There were no more excuses or other errands to run. It was time to get some answers… And that terrified her.

When she entered the clinic, there was no one in sight. She was just about to walk out when Maru entered from the back, smiling when she saw the farmer.

"Oh good! You're here! Dr. Harvey is in the back with Jodi and Vincent for Vincent's checkup. He'll be done sometime around 4 o'clock, if you have any errands in town to run," the young nurse started going through some paperwork, mumbling under her breath to herself.

"I've taken care of everything, so… I guess I'll just wait here," the farmer said softly, aware that Maru probably couldn't hear.

Interesting… This plant is fake, but the other two near the counter aren't. I wonder if they haven't been able to trust having a live one out where people can touch it…

Finally, after waiting half an hour, Jodi and Vincent left right on time. Maru looked up as they left the clinic and smiled at the farmer, "You can probably head back there now. Take the first left and go to the end of the hallway."

"Hey," the farmer greeted Dr. Harvey softly as she pushed the door open. "Sorry, I know it's after closing and I should have come earlier…"

"Nonsense!" he was busy putting some tools away, very much in his element. "The early parts of the day are ideal for farming, and I knew I had an appointment when I asked you to stop by yesterday. They're fairly regular, the appointments. Anyway, I knew we'd be staying after hours…" He looked up and met her gaze, faltering slightly. "Are… You alright?"

"Yes, of course!" She did her best to smile and sat down. "Just anxious to hear what you found."

"You're shaking."

"Must be the nerves."

"Right…" he cleared his throat. "Well, I'm afraid I don't have much to share. I wasn't able to find much… Uhm… But I was looking in books and we have a limited library. Lots of the books are actually missing right now and-"

"It's okay," she cut him off, worried that he was the one about to have a psychotic break over it. "I've been thinking about it, and I might have some other options and avenues to try. I was planning on doing so as soon as I learned what you could find."

"That's… That's good," he visibly relaxed. "You'll let me know what you find out?"

"Of course, like you said… We're in this together."

He studied her for a few more moments, and then he put his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat again, "And you're sure you're doing alright? You seem… unwell."

She was trying so very hard to hide it, but he was right. She was getting more and more tired, and her wounds were feeling more and more serious as the day went on.

"Fine," she tried to chirp. "I just… Didn't eat breakfast. Or lunch… so I should probably get home and get something for dinner."

"Are you feeling faint?"

"A little," she answered truthfully.

"Perhaps you have a problem with low blood sugar," he mused as he grabbed a clipboard and began writing. "Nutrition is important, so make sure and eat well. Try to increase your vegetable intake! Home-cooked meals are best… Do you cook?" He looked back up at her over the top of his glasses.

"I uh… I'm not sure," she flushed with embarrassment. "I've really just been eating the food you bought, but…"

"Raw?"

"Yes."

"Nothing wrong with that," he went back to writing on his clipboard. "But that was almost a week ago. You probably don't have much left…"

"I was planning on getting more tomorrow," she said quickly, lest he get ideas about buying her food again. " It's just… I don't really have a kitchen."

"Right," he nodded. "I noticed that when I dropped the food off. Robin could probably help with that, but…"

"I'm still trying to get fully on my feet," the farmer finished for him. "I can't afford an upgrade right now. But it's alright! Raw fruits and veggies are really good. I'll make sure I eat them three times a day instead of just once."

"You can afford it?"

"Yes!" She felt quite exasperated. "I promise I'm not skipping meals to save money. I've just been really busy…"

"There's nothing else you'd like to tell me?"

Did he… know about the mines? Something in the way he was looking at her…

"Nope. But I'll keep you posted on my own research. Maybe… Maybe my addled brain has things messed up to the point that I'm thinking of a fictional land from a book or television show…" she shrugged. "But I should be able to find out."

He didn't believe her. She could tell… But he also didn't push for answers. Instead, he nodded his agreement and thanked her for stopping by, apologizing once more for not having more answers. It wasn't until she left the clinic that she felt like she could breathe again.

Right… She let out a sigh as soon as she was standing in the center of town once more. Time to pay a visit to the friendly neighborhood wizard. Hopefully he'll have some more substantial answers for me.


She was limping as she walked out.

Limps didn't come from missing a few meals.

"Did she seem alright to you?" Harvey asked Maru once the front door was closed.

"Who?"

"The farmer…"

"Yeah, why wouldn't she be?" Maru looked confused.

"She was limping."

"Probably strained an ankle running around," Maru shrugged. "You probably haven't noticed because you don't leave the clinic very often, but she gets around a lot. I swear one minute she's up on the mountain near the mines, and then I'll be walking to that bench in front of the saloon, and there she is. Rarely ever walks at a normal pace anywhere…"

"Wait… Say that again."

"Which part?"

"The part about the mines. You've seen her up at the mines?"

Maru looked at Harvey, and he could tell she felt slightly guilty for letting that slip. It was a well known fact that he did not feel any warm fuzzies about any of the townspeople entering that death trap…

"I think Clint offered to upgrade her tools if she could find the ore," Maru offered meekly. "He did the same thing to me when I needed some things for my robot project. He'll craft it, but you have to bring the material…"

Harvey pressed his fingertips together so his hands formed a steeple as he contemplated what to do. He couldn't just tell the farmer not to go up there… Better tools would probably help her conserve energy. He also couldn't get on Clint because gathering your own materials was a tradition in Pelican Town. He wasn't doing anything wrong…

"Maru," he finally stumbled on an answer. "When is my next free appointment?"

"It's not for a while," Maru looked over the schedule on her clipboard. "Why?"

"Go ahead and pencil in the farmer for that day. I need to assess where she is healthwise after her accident anyway. If it's still bothering her, I can care for her limp without forcing her to come to me."

"Isn't it still forcing her if you're scheduling an appointment without her permission?"

"I can't force her to come…"

"Alright…" Maru wrote it down. "You're the doctor."

Yes. Yes he was. And he was going to do his job and he was going to do it right… No matter how stubborn the farmer was. George could attest to it… When it came to the health of his town, he took it very, very seriously. He'd do the same for anyone…

Even if she wasn't just anyone.


"There's actually a lot of food in this area, if you know where to look. I've been having fresh salads almost every day," Leah smiled as she pointed out another horseradish to the farmer.

"I bet you save a ton of money that way," the farmer responded, actually grateful she'd unexpectedly run into the artist. "Which is just what I need right now."

Leah nodded, "Starting a new life can be hard. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know!"

"Of course. Thank you, again!"

They waved farewell to each other, and the farmer continued through Cindersap Forest, determined to speak with Rasmodius. She didn't bother knocking on the door when she did reach his tower. Though she'd only had one brief encounter with him, she was certain he'd already know she was coming.

"Hello?"

"Ah. A stray farmer seeking answers as to her homeland."

Yep. He knew.

She sighed, "Any chance you can help me?"

She noticed that he hesitated, as if he was choosing his words carefully before speaking, "There are many mysteries around us. You must be patient if you wish to discover them."

"You do know something."

"I didn't say that."

"Your tone of voice and hesitation in answering me did… As well as the vague riddle speak…"

"She certainly is a feisty one," he muttered under his breath before heaving a sigh. "Very well. You and the young doctor are correct in assuming that your lack of memories regarding the Republic and the Empire mean you aren't from here. When I first sensed you were in trouble, you were… distant. I… I brought you here to save you."

"You… Brought me here?"

"I'm a wizard!" he reminded her. "I can do many extraordinary things."

"Right… Where did you bring me from?"

"The place that you remember being from, of course!"

"How very… vague of you," she was much less than enthused. "And rather convenient."

"Doesn't make it any less true," he shrugged.

"Why doesn't Harvey recognize it?"

"There are many mysteries around u-"

"Around us, be patient. Yes… You already said that. But I could really use some answers now! What if my family is missing me? What if there was something important going on? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that you plucked me out of danger…" she thought back to her nightmares. His answer certainly tracked with that.

"Have the junimos not helped?" he asked after muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

"I mean… I remembered a little. But it's been days since I've had even the slightest hint as to who I am, and apparently it isn't just one scroll. There are three now, and there's so much work that it's going to take ages to finish…" she sighed. "Can't you just… talk with them? Magic being to magic being? Tell them it's important!"

"I already told you that they won't talk to me."

"This sucks," she whispered after a few moments of silence, tears beginning to fill her eyes. "This really sucks."

"Child, if everything came to us instantly, when we wanted it to, we'd never learn and grow…"

"Haven't I done enough learning and growing this week?" her frustration bubbled over, and she started to cry. The wizard simply stared at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"If you want my advice, spend the day doing something you enjoy. Go mingle with the people of Pelican Town, enjoy their company… Then go home and get some rest. These things always seem much better when you aren't exhausted…"

She nodded with a sigh, "You're right… But at least I know that my instinct is fairly sharp. I can trust my gut when it tells me things about myself."

"Yeah," he didn't sound as supportive or excited as she really expected, but she let it go.

It hadn't been a very enlightening visit, but after she left the tower, she had to admit that she was feeling better. She decided to follow the wizard's advice… She'd do some fishing, then head to the saloon to see what was going on before calling it a night.


Rasmodius shook his head after the girl left, "She's still searching for answers. This could be very bad…"

The junimos all began squeaking at once, and Rasmodius nodded, "Yes… Perhaps. Go and delay the carpenter's son. If that doesn't deter them, we may have to resort to keeping them apart. Her, the son, and the doctor. Perhaps we can move her towards one of the other bachelors in town. Romance would certainly take her mind off of it…"

One of the junimos squeaked again, seeming rather upset and agitated at that idea.

"Because, my small friend," Rasmodius looked around at the forest spirits with a sense of hopelessness. He knew what he was doing wasn't right for her… But it was right for the valley. The needs of the many over the needs of the one… "If she realizes that she's not from this world… That there is no way for her to return home… There won't be anything keeping her in Stardew Valley. She'll leave, and everything we've worked for…. None of it will matter. No. We're in it too deep. She has to stay…"

And I'm willing to do whatever I need to to make sure that happens.


She entered the saloon, feeling satisfied after dropping off a bream for the junimos that she had caught. Her spirits soared when Gus waved her over with a smile and held up a mug.

"Hey! You look like you could use a beverage!"

"What's this?" she grinned, taking a seat at the bar.

"Well, you don't drink anything with alcohol in it… You said no to coffee and tea… So I came up with something else. Everyone has a signature drink… So I'm hoping this will be the Farmer's Signature Brew."

"What's in it?" she asked, sniffing the contents of the mug suspiciously.

"Nothing you've said no to," he crossed his heart. "Taste it!"

She tried it. She had to admit, it was pretty good. It tasted like some sort of hot cocoa… But it was warm and she really hadn't taken to drinking warm beverages when the temperature warmer.

"It's good," she nodded her head. "But I don't think it's right for my go-to drink. I wouldn't mind it when it's cold out, but everyday… Eh…"

Gus, surprisingly, didn't look the least bit deterred. "Try this one then!" He slapped another cup on the table.

"O-oh," she said, surprised. "There's more?"

"He's been at it all afternoon since you left earlier," Emily chuckled. "Even if you find one you do like, he's going to make you try them all, so buckle in."

She did eventually find a drink that she enjoyed. It was very sweet, but had a slight hint of spice to it… Meant to be drunk cold… It was perfect.

"We'll call it the Farmer's Draft," Gus proclaimed proudly.

"It was very sweet of you to create something for me," the farmer smiled. "Thank you."

However, the entire time, she was also very aware of Shane watching from his usual spot. He didn't say anything. He didn't even scowl at her… Maybe he was embarrassed about spilling his guts to her the other night? She wanted to say something to him…

"Here," she held out a cup of the concoction Gus had made to him. "Would you like to try it?"

He turned his head away with a sniff, "No. If you like it, it's probably trash."

Her jaw dropped open and she stepped back, a little hurt. She had thought that after sharing his personal thoughts, maybe he would start being a little nicer… But…

"Look," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I appreciate what you're doing… Trying to be nice and be a bigger person… But I just don't care for it."

"I mean… I am trying to be nice," the farmer tried to keep the quiver out of her voice. "But it's not to be the bigger person or anything… I just thought…"

"Thought what? That we could be friends?"

"Yes?"

Shane sighed and shook his head, "You really are so stupid."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Never mind. Look, I'm sorry for all the things I said the other night. I'm just glad that you got home safe and you're doing better," he started to walk away.

"What do you mean 'doing better'? You're the one who was talking about depressing things…" she started after him, anger rising in her chest.

"Yeah," he snorted as he left the saloon. "I was the one who was a mess… Sure."

"Hey!" she chased after him, leaving a bewildered Gus and Emily behind. "Don't walk away from me! What are you talking about?"

Finally he turned and looked at her, but instead of the anger she was expecting, she only saw hurt pity, "Just remember the promise you made. The next time you're hurt… Don't turn to a drink to fix it. I'll see you around, Farmer."

"Wha-"

But he didn't turn around to explain further. He just kept walking into the darkness, leaving her by herself in the middle of the town, utterly flabbergasted.

My promise? I promised not to drink anymore? When did I do that?

In the end though, she decided it didn't matter. She'd already decided to not drink anymore, and maybe Shane was just referring back to when he'd told her she still had a life to look forward to and yada yada… Either way, it was harmless to keep the supposed promise when she'd already resolved to do so.

Of course, she was no stranger to missing memories. That had happened before she'd even met Shane.

Still… Why did it feel like she was forgetting something important?