Faye had been hard at work helping the townspeople, especially Jodi, repair and rebuild a nearly-leveled Stardew Valley. It had taken at least three days of rest before Faye was physically and mentally well enough to help out the town. Up until now, the only buildings left to rebuild were Elliott's cabin and Willy's store on the beach. As for replacing everyone's demolished furniture and belongings, it was needless to say that they all prized their lives and each other over the material things they lost. Everything would come back to them in due time.
"Wizard Rasmodius, I should have your head for this," Lewis scolded darkly from their position near the town square as The Wizard hung his head readily, "But you used your abilities to help save the town, and we are forever grateful. Is there anything we can do or present you with?" Marnie, Jas, Pierre, Harvey, Maru, and Demetrius looked on curiously while Caroline hung further behind them, wistfulness on her face. Her gaze met the Wizard's briefly before he returned to the mayor.
"Quiet isolation, just as before," the Wizard replied simply, "But thank you for your recognition."
The Wizard, since, had disappeared back into his tower, and the steady black steam of cauldron work reappeared. He seemed to have erected a barrier between his tower and the rest of the world, though he never denied Faye the chance to visit. Whenever she did, she was struck by how shockingly similar his and Abigail's hair were in terms of color. She thought of asking, but oftentimes decided against it.
The Stardrops also seemed to have disappeared, though Faye awoke from her recovery with a strange feeling of strength and energy that coursed through her veins. Day by day, her inner demons dulled until they were reduced to mere specks of memory that no longer held her back from life as much as they once did. Sure, flashbacks of what happened in the recesses of her mind would appear in dreams, but safety enveloped her each time she woke up, and peace would return.
Everybody was healing with each other's help. Robin and Clint willingly began to work overtime to supply the town with their repairs along with Alex's, Sam's, Elliott's, and Kent's extra help. Leah helped Evelyn and Caroline fix up the town's mussed gardens. Maru and Dr. Harvey had the hospital open on longer hours to assist in the ensuing health concerns stemming from the event's aftershocks and the fatigue everyone felt in the town rebuilding. Marlon, Gil, Linus, and Willy helped cleaned the town of monster debris, gathering resources and artifacts beneficial for all of them. Demetrius studied the surrounding plants and trees for any more of the lingering mist and their possible aftereffects. Abigail and Penny helped distract Vincent and Jas by taking them out of the town to continue their schooling. And three times a day, Gus, along with Emily, Marnie, and Pam, held communal meals for the entire town with Lewis's permission.
All the while, Faye, amidst helping between repairing buildings, donating survived crops, and cooking meals, had been badgered by the other townsfolk to share what happened while they were stationed in safety during the calamity. Sam, Sebastian, Penny, and Abigail had done what they could to alleviate the retelling after their shorter period of recovery following the incident. It was then that Faye resolved to record everything in writing and donate it to the library for everyone to read for their knowledge. Nonetheless, she had been hailed since as a hero.
However, it did not stop her and the others from telling some specifics to some of the townsfolk or checking up on them during the course of these events. Once or twice, they came across Elliott leaving his temporary residence at Mayor Lewis's home with a pensive look on his face, fingering his still-glorious but heavily-shortened chestnut locks.
"Don't worry about your hair, Elliott!" Abigail cheered, catching him by surprise, "It'll grow back soon enough!"
"I suppose. Your cut doesn't look all that bad either," Elliott returned, gesturing to Abigail's shortened purple tresses. She fingered them and scowled slightly.
"At least we can still take you seriously, Elliott," Sam grinned jokingly, "Abigail lost like five years. It's hard taking her seriously like this." He promptly received a smack to the arm.
One of their biggest hoots following an incident retelling came from Haley, who they told all about her episode following a full day of working out rebuilding Sebastian's home in the mountains. They had already amused themselves with Robin packing a lot of the heavy lifting on Sebastian's shoulders, which he accepted regretfully. Running into Haley at her home just added more to their laughs.
"You mean, I just took a knife and chopped my skin off in pieces?!" she shrieked hysterically, becoming visibly dazed. She frantically began running her hands all over her body as Sebastian and Abigail just snickered in their seats in her living room.
"Yeah, you were becoming like one of those slabs of meat you see hanging in a butcher store," Sam went on, smirking and relishing in Haley's discomfort. Even Penny was starting to look sick as Faye muffled her laughter.
Another moment was while walking around town after helping stock Pierre's store. They came across Shane sulking more than normal toward Marnie's barns. Following him quietly, they watched as he entered the chicken coop. They were still looking sick and beyond bloated, and Shane began tearing up.
Faye looked back at Sam, Sebastian, Abigail, and Penny with an assuring look on her face for them to stay put before she got out from their hiding spot and slowly approached Shane. She saw as Shane flinched at her approach before returning to the sick chickens again.
"What are you doing here, Faye?" he asked quietly. Faye reached down and began cuddling a chicken in her arms. "I'm just taking care of these chickens."
"Just wanted to let you know that what happened to them was not your fault," she answered simply, petting the compliant chicken gently. "Shit happened, and at the very least, they're still alive and they still love you."
A smile tugged on the sides of Shane's lips. "Thanks, Farmer." And thinking that not much more needed to be said, Faye set the chicken back down and walked out of the coop back towards the others.
"There really IS nothing more to be said or done about this at all, is there?" Penny asked softly as they wandered away from the barns.
"None that I know of. You all FOUGHT my memories," Faye chuckled nervously, swallowing the growing lump in her throat, "I wish you didn't have to find out that way, though."
"It was definitely something," Sebastian smirked, "I can hang it over your head that you almost killed me." He laughed maniacally aloud as Penny and Sam immediately whacked him in the arms and Abigail got Faye in a protective hug.
"He doesn't mean that!" she said quickly, and Faye only grinned.
Between the five of them, they never talked much about what had happened in the final moments of the calamity, though Faye and Sam did retell to them the events that happened prior to freeing Penny, Sebastian, and Abigail. The feeling of thankfulness and eternal loyalty constantly emanated from Faye, and that was more than enough for gratitude.
"Penny! How would you feel losing Sam to our little farmer?" Sebastian joked as they waited for Faye to arrive one evening at the beach, grinning at her. Penny shoved him to the ground from their place in the sand.
"Not my place to say anything. He's a good friend," she sighed with a wistful smile, her face becoming slightly flushed, "But she is a good person."
"I heard that!" Sam called out exasperatedly from his position at the shore, the waves lapping peacefully over his and Abigail's feet. He received mischievous giggles in response.
"Hey! Banquet's tomorrow! Gonna just meet up there?" Abigail asked aloud, splashing Sebastian maliciously. He merely recoiled and hid behind an approaching Faye.
"Yeah. Whoever's there first saves the seats," she answered excitedly.
In place of what would have been the Spirit's Eve Festival, the town agreed on an outdoor banquet in the middle of the square for that year.
That day, having taken the day off as the townsfolk prepared, Faye was down at her chair in front of her laptop. Lewis had just come by to pick up a full morning of her contribution of banquet dishes for later. She leaned back in her seat, smiling to herself as she looked back at the last page of her testimony on recent events. Things were relatively back to normal now that she fixed up her farm and replenished her house supplies following the town's use for them.
Soon enough, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Oh! Hey Sam," she welcomed her guest.
"Hi Faye! Thought I'd get you on the way to the banquet," he said as Kovu ran up to meet him. A look of realization hit Faye.
"Good timing too. I mean to give you this." She whisked away back to her bedroom and reappeared with a brand new electric guitar. Sam's eyes widened as she handed it to him. "I owe you a new one since I, uh, bashed your old one."
"We can finally get on with band practice again," Sam said gleefully as he played a short riff, "Thanks for this. We can drop it off at my place before we head for town. Don't wanna scuff this up so soon."
After letting Kovu out in the farm for the evening, the two of them headed for Sam's house, where he invited Faye inside. She waited in the living room, where Jodi, Vincent, and Kent greeted her warmly before they headed out the door.
"Lock behind you, Sam!" Kent called out before leaving.
"Sure dad. Faye, can you come here real quick?"
Faye strode into Sam's room, where he was just rummaging around. "What's taking you so long, Sam?"
"I was hoping you'd accept these," he mumbled, turning to her. In his arms was a gorgeous bouquet of roses.
Faye jumped, and she could feel color rushing to her cheeks as much as there was on Sam's face. She had been told by Pierre before what a gift of a flower bouquet meant in Stardew Valley when he started carrying them in his store. She thought back to Sam kissing her sultry alter ego and the feeling that washed over her in that instant.
"R-really?" she stammered, walking closer to him, looking between the bouquet and his gaze. "Even after..?" She loathed the idea of her antics putting him or the others through any danger again.
"I thought we could try. We could take this at whatever pace you want," Sam said shyly, averting his gaze to the side, "I've fallen for you. You've been through a lot, and I just want to really be there for you."
Faye swallowed hard, working to keep down her creeping tears and butterfly swarms. She never really considered that all she wanted was somebody to take her as she was, dark past and all. Sam WAS the first she spilled to and he never left. He was such a dork sometimes, but he still followed her to the end of her sanity. Maybe it was time...
She bit back an undoubtedly idiotic grin as she scooped the bouquet into her arms, and in turn, he swept her into a kiss that had their hearts beating wildly against their chests. They had denied everything before, and now they melted together. And although Faye still needed time to pick up her own pieces, knowing Sam would be there made her feel, for the first time in a long time, no longer alone.
"Thank you, Sam," Faye murmured as he cupped her cheeks, both of them smiling as he gently wiped away stray tears, "I'd like that a lot."
She looked around and saw Sebastian along with Penny and Abigail grinning as they peeked through the bedroom window. He winked as he poked a finger through the circle his other hand made. Faye scoffed at him playfully and dashed out of Sam's house after him with Sam, Penny, and Abigail following hot on her heels and out into the town.
The banquet, complete with courses for hours, stories for days, and good times for forever, lasted well into the crisp, cool autumn night. Everyone was thankful. Everything was at peace.
A/N: And I dub this story COMPLETE :D Not sure if I'll ever write my own spin on these, but I totally touched on some existing Stardew Valley conspiracies throughout the whole thing ;] Thanks to everyone who followed this story from beginning to end and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.
Until next time, FwichPastilla signing off~:3
