A/N: What's a plot?

The thought of love, though distracting at the café, didn't deter Lillian's work that night or the morning after. Barely 10am on a dreary grey Friday morning and Lillian already found herself wiping her brow with an old rag stuffed in her skirt pocket. She thought that she'd be completely used to the everyday labor by then, but considering the great shape of her farm, she concluded that it would be better to sweat and have happy animals than to be relaxed and have a poor farm. She leaned on the fence post of her pasture, resting for a minute while her cows, sheep and alpaca grazed lazily behind her, or were chased around by a couple of friendly, albeit hyperactive, puppy dogs.

After a minute of listening to barking dogs and watching the hens in their pen, Lillian remembered to check the time. She uncovered her watch, hidden by her sleeve, and read the face of the ticking watch.

It was already 10:05 am, and Lillian realized if she didn't pick up the pace she'd be late with her deliveries!

Lillian scrambled to the stables on the old farm, and she picked out her strongest and most faithful stallion, Duke. She (gently) rushed him into the tack room to prepare him for going out and pulling her cart. Ten minutes later, Duke was all ready to go out, and Lillian led him out to the cart. Along the way, Lillian clumsily almost stepped on one of her dogs while distracted, and then she almost tripped when she turned to look at her whinnying pony, Milou. Frustrated, Lillian attached Duke to the cart and got on his saddle. She groaned, hoping the rest of her day would be better than the morning.

Lillian and Duke headed out, and as per usual, they went up the mountain to head to the neighboring village of Konohana first. Konohana was unusual compared to Bluebell (though Bluebell was equally unusual compared to Konohana), as although the two towns were only separated by a mountain, they grew to have two completely different lifestyles.

With Bluebell, Lillian had noted that it seemed to be very European-based. Whether it was founded by a European man, Lillian did not know, but she did notice that most of the residents did seem to have more than just Japanese blood in them. Obviously, Enrique and his brothers were the most different in the area.

But then there was Konohana, a town that was a lot more traditionally Japanese. Traditional probably being an understatement, because even if Bluebell wasn't too technologically advanced, Lillian had yet to see as much as a modernized telephone there.

Lillian grimaced as she went up the mountain. She worried that she might have been a bit too insensitive. Whatever Konohana was comfortable with was none of her business.

Suddenly, Lillian felt inclined to stop.

She looked around, paying attention to where she was. It was the top of the mountain, overlooking the towns to the west and east, the forest to the south, and the valleys in the north. Lillian felt glad that Duke knew the path to the other town and didn't lead her off the edge of the mountain... That would have been... Unpleasant.

Yikes.

But the nagging feeling to get off her horse still tore at Lillian. So reluctantly, she did. Duke snorted and shook his head, Lillian figured that that was his way of telling her that she was stupid. She sighed and rubbed Duke's neck before leaving him on the path and going to the large area to the north, where the cooking festivals and sometimes even marriages were held. Lillian thought that it was a beautiful area, especially for a wedding, as it overlooked the gorgeous valley to the north. It was perfect for watching the stars as well. With a pleasant hum, Lillian remembered her first Starry Night festival with the rest of Bluebell's residents just the winter prior.

Eileen had told her that it was supposed to be a romantic festival, emphasizing by wiggling her eyebrows. Lillian just laughed, why did it have to be romantic? In the end, Lillian, Laney and Georgia ended up going to the mountain together to have a girls night out. The three sat together to joke and gossip like girls do. The whole town was around them, watching the stars, and it was gorgeous. Eileen and Rose and Howard and everyone, even Cam and Ash were there, sitting off to the side and doing their own thing. In the end, the three girls had a sleepover at Lillian's and it was the most fun Lillian had in a while.

But instead of going to the festival area, Lillian unconsciously led herself to the right! She looked at the area, a little confused, but then realization struck her and she sighed.

She was at the Harvest Goddess' pond.

But unfortunately, the Harvest Goddess was not her friend. Checking the time, Lillian found that it was 10:45am. If being late wasn't bad enough…

"Ta-daa!" The sing-song voice emanating from all around Lillian made her visibly cringe. "Did you miss me?" The voice then gained form as a smiling woman with blue-green braids and delicate clothing flowing above the pond. This was obviously the majestic pain herself, the Harvest Goddess: Ruler of all things that grow from dirt and then some. Lillian, not wishing to be too rude, shook her head in response to the Goddess' question. The first time the Harvest Goddess came to Lillian, she almost had a heart attack. The actual Harvest Goddess came to her. Lillian was amazed by her at first, and she felt like the luckiest person on Earth to be meeting her, but those first impressions died when Miss H.G. informed her that no, Lillian wasn't actually that special, because apparently the Goddess visits a lot of people. And then everything started going downhill from there.

"But it's been a while!" The deity exclaimed. It hadn't been a while, actually. "When's the last time you even brought an offering to my pond?" Around the beginning of Lillian's first autumn there. Lillian didn't say anything, but the Goddess kept grinning anyway.

"Is there something you want from me?" Lillian asked, maybe a bit bitterly. She had already brought the towns together as per the Goddess' request, since watching the two towns feud was apparently boring and Lillian was the perfect puppet for her plan.

"Well, yes!" The Goddess answered, purposely not noticing Lillian's aggravation. The woman clasped her hands together and her smile grew even bigger. "Lillian, you were such a big help in bringing the two towns together, imagine what everyone will be like once the tunnel is rebuilt!" Lillian raised a brow, noting that the Harvest Goddess seemed really happy, too happy? "Everyone will really meet and friends will be made, and who knows… maybe some hearts will find love!" The Goddess sighed wistfully and put her arms at her sides, straightening out her skirt and dropping a bit, standing on the surface of the pond instead of a foot above it.

"Maybe," Lillian agreed quietly, tired of this conversation already. She hoped that the Goddess' rant wouldn't be about lovey dovey romantic soulmate stuff. Lillian already had to take that stuff from Laney, she didn't feel too keen about others nagging her on about it. But, with Lillian's luck, she was sure that the Goddess would talk exactly about love.

She was right.

"Maybe, definitely!" The Goddess uncharacteristically twirled on her spot, not bothering the water somehow, but her light clothes descended around her. "Lillian, I love love!" Lillian cringed. "I want you to know something: I met someone!" The Harvest Goddess giggled, since when did she ever giggle? "I mean I already knew him, he's actually kind of like me? But I finally got to know him, and…Oh, Lillian. He's handsome and powerful, long red hair like a cascade of fire, and a personality to match," The Harvest Goddess gave a wink. Okay, cool, the Goddess likes redheads. The next time Lillian ever wanted to see the Goddess so smitten, she'd bring Eileen. "I don't know his name," Lillian almost scoffed, "but that's a common thing with deities, he doesn't know mine either. Yet. But you never will," the Goddess said with another small giggle. Lillian thought that that sounded a bit… cruel...

"I have another quest for you," The Harvest Goddess said, interrupting Lillian's thoughts of poor Eileen having to deal with the Goddess.

"Another?" Lillian asked, almost choking on air. Oh Goddess no…

"Another! Yes!" The Goddess hummed gleefully. She walked from the middle to the pond to the shore, in front of Lillian. Regaining her regal stature, the Goddess straightened up and looked down at the puny mortal in front of her. "Lillian, I want you to be happy, happy as me. I want you to find love, Lillian." Lillian was sure she grew pale. "Oh, come on! Lilly, my girl, there are so many eligible people here. Love can be so strange, just think about who you'd like. Or, you can do what I did, and fell in love with the most beautiful ginger…"

"A ginger?" Lillian asked under her breath. Lillian's thoughts went back to Eileen. Okay, wow. Maybe but most likely not…

Sadly.

"Ginger! Raven! Whatever! Just find love," the Goddess poked Lillian's chest with a dainty finger, "preferably soon, though. And hey, if you do, and if- when the King and I get married, we'll save you and your 'friend' a seat at the ceremony." Sheesh, she was determined. "That's all I want you to do. So much simpler than getting two whole towns to like each other again, right?" Wrong.

"I guess." What I guess is that you're never going to stop tormenting me, Lillian thought with a small pout.

"Super duper." With a wink and a few steps back, the Goddess stepped onto the surface of her pond and vanished in a flash of sparkles and magical glitter stuff, whatever.

Aggravated, Lillian walked back to Duke from the pond, where he stood proudly, waiting for the girl. Before climbing back on, she checked the time. It was still 10:45am.

At least the Goddess was good for something.

A/N: Everyone always seems to hate the Harvest Goddess? She's not always bad! Though I guess she is in this story.