Aloha, everyone.
Ah, Pete and Claire... a very underrated pairing. Understandably, since they never interact in canon. When I searched this pairing on Google, there are barely any other stories. This ship needs more love!
Though I was pleasantly surprised to find even a few stories of them on FanFiction. I looked over some of them and I liked how most shared the inspiration of having Pete and Claire argue over the ownership of the farm initially. That's what I'm going for here, as well!
I'm drawing inspiration from "The Story of Pete and Claire: A Harvest Moon Fan Fiction" written by hmnoob a decade ago.
As a side note, Jack and Pete represent the same character. I'm using Pete since that's my preference.
Additionally, I'm heavily referencing both the boy and girl versions of Mineral Town. This story is more enjoyable if you've played the games (The Story of Seasons remake, included.)
Anyhow, I hope you'll enjoy my story of these two protagonists!
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Chapter 1: Six Months Later...
You're leaving already…? But that's so soon!
If you go, I'll be bored and lonely again… I'll have no one to play with!
You have to come back to me, okay? You'll return someday, right?
Promise me.
Promise me you'll return!
"Mnngh…?!"
His eyes shot open. He quickly raised his body from the bed and looked around. The light was shining through the cabin windows, signaling the start of a new day. He groaned, lazily stretching his arms upward.
Was that… a dream?
He scratched his hair and let out a deep sigh. What was that dream? It felt so familiar. So nostalgic. As if it transported him to his younger days as a little boy prancing in the meadows and gazing at the calm blue skies.
"Mr. Pete?" A man in a sailor uniform opened the door.
"A-Ah, yes?" Pete rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. He stood from his bed and turned to the man. I think I've got messy bed hair.
"We've arrived at our destination." The man informed.
"Oh, we're here already?" Pete ran his hand through his brown hair and wore his blue cap backward. "Sorry, I'll get my stuff ready and be out soon."
"No rush, Mr. Pete." The man nodded and left the cabin room.
Pete grabbed his red handkerchief and wrapped it around his neck. He quickly strapped on his orange backpack. All right, I don't think I've left anything behind. After one final check around his surroundings, he clapped his face to rile himself up. Let's move out!
Pete exited the cabin door and walked to the ship's deck. He was greeted by the crashing waves of the oceans, the quiet beach, and the calm breezy winds brushing against his bare arms. It sent little shivers through his spine. The Sun shone brightly in the skies, making him instinctively cover his eyes with his hand.
He stepped down to the wooden bridge, crossing over the dock. His eyes took in the grand sight of the blue oceans extending beyond the horizons. The sound of waves was pleasant to his waking ears.
"Thank you!" Pete waved at the sailor who waved back. "I'll be fine on my own!"
Pete stepped onto the sand, his feet gently pressing into them. He inhaled, taking in the fresh yet familiar scent. If memory served him correctly, this was the one and only beach.
Mineral Town. Pete grinned in relief. Haven't been here in a long while.
He whipped out a town map he had received on the way here. Let's see… how do I get there? There was only one reason why he came back to Mineral Town. There was someone he wanted to see. Someone he had grown close to in his childhood days. Someone who gave him fond memories to remember.
Wait for me!
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After some navigation with several wrong twists and turns, Pete arrived at the location he was searching for. I think this is the farm…? He took a few steps forward and looked around. There was a small home to his right. Something clicked in his mind as he lay his eyes on it. That has to be the house.
In front of him was a wide field. Rocks, branches, and weeds were scattered across the entire area. I… don't remember the field looking like this? The little boy in him remembered the diverse plants and lush blocks of greenery. Chickens and cows would be roaming around, feasting on breakfast and minding their business. But… I don't see any animals here, either.
Pete crossed his arms. The farm in front of his eyes was not matching up with the one in his memory. The farm in his childhood radiated with fun and excitement, full of vivid imagery. But now, it looks like… it's been abandoned. It seemed the farm wasn't being taken care of. What's going on here?
Realizing he wouldn't get any answers standing here, he turned to the small house. Maybe he's inside! Pete walked to the house, standing in front of the door.
"Hello!" He knocked on the door a few times. No response came from within.
"Hello?" He knocked again, a bit more aggressively. Still no response. Huh, maybe he's outside…?
Pete caught something moving in the corner of his eye. What's that sound? He swiftly turned around and heard little tippy-taps approaching him, prompting him to look down.
"Woof!" a little puppy approached him, visibly curious about the new visitor. The puppy was brown with long floppy ears.
"Oh, hello there!" Pete crouched down, his brows furrowing with interest. "Aren't you an adorable thing?"
"Woof, woof!" The puppy hopped around, its ears flopping with it.
There's a puppy here…? Pete gently reached out his hand. The puppy stared at his hand, wary. It took a few sniffs and walked to him. Its nose curiously poked his finger.
"Good boy…" Pete began patting the puppy. A smile adorned his lips. Maybe the owner is nearby? He noticed a red collar around its neck, but there was no name on it. "Are you alone here, buddy?" He asked naturally as if the puppy could understand him.
"Woof!" The puppy hopped again, its eyes beaming with intent. It ran to the side of the house.
"Where are you going, buddy?" Pete followed the puppy, curious. Does he want to lead me somewhere? Maybe it could understand him, after all!
The puppy stopped in front of a small red structure. It turned around and jumped in place. It playfully barked at him a few times.
Pete scratched his head. That's… a mailbox. He stood in front of it. He didn't understand why the puppy would lead him there. Maybe there's mail inside? He figured he shouldn't be snooping in someone's mail, but the puppy seemed adamant about it. I'm trusting you, puppy.
Pete opened the mailbox and many letters flew out, falling to the ground. Woah, that's a lot of letters! He turned his head left and right panickily. Can't be making a mess here! Gotta put them back in! He dropped to his knees and gathered the letters which struck him as… familiar.
Wait, these letters… I've seen them before.
Confused, Pete read one of the letters in closer detail. On the back was his name written on it. Hey, that's my name! A light bulb appeared above his head. Now he understood why these letters felt familiar. These are my letters. I wrote them!
Pete flipped through each letter, his eyes scanning each one briefly, especially the dates. Every single letter belonged to him, some dating from several months ago. Why was that the case? Were they just being gathered in the mailbox, only to be left to the dust? Did he… not read my letters? Did he not get them? A puzzled expression grew on his face.
After tossing the letters back in the mailbox, Pete stood in front of the fields, hands on his waist. As far as his eyes could see, it was only him, this puppy, and the mess of the fields. He assumed the owner would be nearby if there was a pet running around. But maybe this is a stray animal…?
Pete let out a deep sigh. What was going on? No one was answering his knocks, so the house might be empty. His mails were sealed and left in the mailbox, so they were neither opened nor read. The fields had no plants growing; there wasn't any tilled soil! It was like the farm from his childhood didn't even exist! What does this even mean…? As he pondered his mind and slowly pieced the puzzle together…
"Hey! What are you doing there?" shouted a voice from behind him.
"Hmmm…?" Pete turned around.
"The owner of this farm died a while back!"