EPISODE FOUR

Eve looked up to see Lyla walk into the Moonlight Café. She started to welcome her, but her eyes fell on Nina, who Lyla was dragging behind her.

"Um…Lyla? Isn't she a little, you know, young to be drinking Soda?" Eve asked, referring to Nina as she raised an eyebrow.

Nina pulled out of Lyla's grip, looking away. "Hmph. I told you. I'm going home," she said, but Lyla took her arm gently.

"No, Nina, just stay for a little while, please? It'll help calm you down."

Nina rolled her eyes. Lyla had come by the Spring Farm as it neared six o'clock, and said that she should go to the Moonlight Café for a drink to ease her anger. She was probably a little too young for Soda, but Liz was out somewhere that night, so she'd never know.

"Fine. But just one," Nina said finally, sitting down at a stool at the counter. Lyla sat next to her, and Eve looked at Nina for another moment before turning to Lyla.

"Two Very Berry Sodas," Lyla said, before Eve could ask, and Eve nodded a little, turning to go to the liquor shelf to get the drinks. Lyla turned back to Nina now.

"Oh, Nina, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll make up with Maria soon," Lyla said, smiling a little. Nina just watched Eve rummage through the shelves.

"Shouldn't you be comforting her, and not me? I was the one who was mean, right?" Lyla's smile faded.

"Nina, I don't think it was a matter of being right and wrong, just a matter of beliefs," Lyla said quietly as Eve walked up to them.

"What's the problem, kid?" Eve asked, placing their Sodas on the counter, and Nina felt annoyed by the barmaid's nosiness, but also felt a little pleased that she would be able to share her news of the Harvest Goddess turning to stone.

"You know the Harvest Goddess Spring, right?" Nina said casually, and Eve nodded, seeming genuinely interested. Nina felt a little more excited and continued. "And the Harvest Goddess sleeps there, right?" Eve nodded again. "Well, I went on a walk there this morning, like I always do. And I saw that the flowers were like, gone. It was so weird. And anyway, when I got to the spring, there was this creepy feeling, like something was…gone. And then I turned and saw a creepy statue of the Harvest Goddess. But, there was something really weird about it, like the Harvest Goddess was trapped inside it or something."

Eve only nodded again, as if this were something she'd heard every day. "So you think that she's been turned to stone, huh? I thought I felt something strange this morning. Maybe it really is true, then. But how?"

---

Katie had gone to bed feeling a little mad. It had already been nearing two o'clock in the afternoon, so she'd been up over fifteen hours. She had wanted to stay awake a little longer to talk to Carl about the Harvest Goddess. Carl had insisted she go to bed when she'd gotten so tired she'd started putting Spinach into the Cake batter. Katie didn't see what the big deal was, but Carl had seemed really flustered about this.

Katie woke up a few hours later. She had a headache, and a backache (probably from the stiff bed that Carl had given her) and felt a little dizzy. She checked her watch. 5:57PM.

She yawned and stretched, still feeling irritated about Carl and Gwen, but told herself that the café would be closing in three minutes, so Carl would have to tell her about the Harvest Goddess.

The thought of finding out more about the Goddess cheered her up a bit, and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and, after resting a moment, stood and went to find her manager.

---

For once, Dia's slumber was dreamless. She felt exhausted and just relaxed in the black abyss, closing her eyes and welcoming the deep sleep that came.

However, it seemed just moments later that someone was calling her name, and she let out a quiet groan, opening her eyes to see a camouflage headband near her head.

As soon as Dia opened her eyes, the person moved away, and she saw it was Kurt. She remembered that it was Tuesday, Kurt's day off. She smiled faintly at him, but felt nauseous, and struggled not to close her eyes again.

"Dia, you're awake! Are you all right?" Although he sounded concerned, he looked happy that she had woken up.

Dia put a hand to her forehead. It felt hot and sweaty, and her hair was matted to her head. What was the last thing that had happened? She was at the spring, and then there was the Harvest Goddess…

"Dia?" Kurt looked worried again when Dia didn't respond.

Dia tried to smile wider. "I-I'm okay," she managed to say, her voice sounding scratchy. She had a bad sore throat, and she just wanted to go back to sleep.

"They couldn't do anything to wake you up. Doctor Alex said it was like you were dead," Kurt said quietly, his expression not leaving his face. "Are you really okay?"

Dia opened her mouth to answer, but just then Gina burst in, hurrying over to Dia. "Dia, how are you?" she asked briskly, putting a hand to Dia's forehead. "Oh my Goddess, you're burning up. You, go get the doctor." Kurt nodded and disappeared out the door. Gina looked back at Dia.

"G…Gina, you should try…t-to be a little more---" Dia broke off, coughing, and Gina frowned more. "Dia, what happened? Did you catch some kind of cold while you were out?"

Alex walked in now, Kurt following behind him. "Is she conscious, Gina?"

"Yes, Doctor." Gina moved to the side, and Alex looked at Dia closely. "Just…keep her fever down for now, and try to see if she can stay awake. I think that---"

"I'm awake," Dia said. She had suddenly got tense and alert as her head cleared and everything focused. "I would like to speak with Martha."

Alex looked a little surprised at this. "Well, you'll have to wait for a day or so. Martha is in Mineral Town, speaking with the Doctor at the Clinic there. But what is it that you need."

Dia sighed a little, knowing Alex wouldn't know the answer to her question. "I need to ask her if she knows a woman with long black hair."

---

Katie found Carl cleaning off the tables, and walked over to the stools at the counter, sitting down at one of them. Carl looked up as Katie sat down, and smiled a little. "Hello, Katie. I was just finishing. You want to practice baking?"

"Carl, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Harvest Goddess."

Carl stopped wiping and nodded a little. He abandoned his rag and went to sit next to her on the stool. Katie raised her eyebrows; she hadn't expected it to be this easy.

"I didn't want to say anything earlier, because some of the villagers are a little touchy about the Harvest Goddess," Carl said, keeping his voice low even though they were alone in the café. "People like Nina."

Katie nodded, but wanted more information. "But who is she? Do you believe in her?"

"The Harvest Goddess is, to these people, the thing that keeps everything balanced and alive. She is a divine being, and has supposedly saved people from death by giving them some of her life force. But, do I believe in her? I'm not really sure anymore. I moved her a year ago, and I've learned much about her, I've even taken walks to Harvest Goddess Spring. But I still haven't decided what is the truth, and I won't tell you what to believe, either."

Katie and Carl sat in silence for a moment, before Katie smiled a little. "Thanks for that, Carl. So…do you want to practice baking some Cakes?"

Carl smiled back, nodding. "Of course."

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