Chapter1

Introductions

"Wake up! Come on, time to get going!"

Jack's eyes slowly came into focus. There was a large shape, moving around and drumming on his head. Suddenly his body was exposed to the chill as his covers flew away.

"Fine, I'm up," he gasped, leaping through the air to the dresser for clothes. "Thanks for the reminder. I wouldn't've gotten dressed as fast as I have now."

"Oh, no problem," Takakura replied as he grabbed the sheets he had ripped off and began tucking them into their proper place. "I doubt I'll have to do that again – you'll get used to it pretty quickly."

A few minutes later, Jack stood in front of Takakura with his new clothes and old pack. The older man nodded encouragingly.

"Good, we'll get those dirty enough by the end of the day. Let's head over to the tool shed, and we'll get started."

The valley was still dark when they left the house. Only some dim lights attached to the barn illuminated the place. Both men crossed the darkness and turned into the smallest building, closing the door with a quiet snap.

"All we'll need right now is the milker and a few bottles," Takakura said as he walked past familiar tools and grabbed a strange device that Jack had never seen before in his life. A regular-looking bowl was connected to a solid pipe at the bottom that quickly rose and ended abruptly. Takakura pointed to the pile of milk bottles in the corner of the room. "Go ahead and grab three of them." Jack held his questions as Takakura opened the side door from the shed into the barn.

A musty smell entered Jack's nose – one that was foreign to him. It was everywhere in the air – it seemed entrenched into the straw on the ground, the walls, the rafters. Pieces of splintering wood lay abused on the floor. Jack knelt down and glanced through a hole in one of the stalls; he could feel a soft but cold breeze outside.

"I'm assuming we're going to fix this up as well?" He asked as he stood back up. Takakura nodded vigorously.

"This is absolutely the first thing to fix up. I've already ordered some of the wood – but this'll have to do for now. Now let's meet Clover," he smiled, and pointed to the pen in the far corner.

"The first thing to remember," Takakura said as he unlocked the gate and swung it gently open, "Is that the animals we're gonna have need to get used to change. Clover's gotten used to me, but she'll have to get used to you. Watch her carefully, and take a step."

Jack did as he was told. The cow chewed more food from its trough.

"Try another," Takakura suggested. Suddenly, the cow's entire stance stiffened as Jack stepped further onto the straw.

"Now, back up, back up slowly," the older man whispered. As the young man did so, the cow went back to eating its food.

"Y'see?" Takakura pointed to the creature. "I'll milk her today, but you'll be here to watch. We'll keep trying everyday until she feels like letting you close."

"Alright," Jack agreed quietly as he watched the animal with a guarded expression. He moved to the back as Takakura grabbed a stool hanging on the rack to sit down on.

"All right," he said, rolling up his sleeves determinedly. "You can milk her two ways – with the milker or with the bottles." He placed the bowl below Clover, connected a bottle to the other end of the rubber tube, and gave a short tug. A white liquid poured into the bucket.

"Using the milker usually cleans out whatever we don't want. Clover gave birth before I got her, so she'll be alright for a while. We can do it twice a day, unless she's sick."

"Okay," Jack nodded assuredly. After a few more minutes, Takakura handed three glass bottles filled with milk.

"Head to the Food Storage; I'm gonna take her out," he said while unlocking the gate once again. "Come on, girl, let's get you to the field…"

Jack smiled as he watched the reluctant creature plod out of her stall and into the dewy pasture.

"Should I take the milk out, too, while I'm at it?" Takakura called from behind the door. His attention broken, the young man hastily grabbed the containers. The rustling was mixed with an occasional slop before the large doors to the barn creaked as they swung open. Takakura smiled as he shook his head.

He's got a lot to learn.

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"Done. It's all written in," Jack stated eagerly as he stepped out of the building ten minutes later. "When will we ship them out?"

"Tomorrow," Takakura responded. "I'll go every other day – it's a long trip to take all the time, and you're gonna need the help on the farm."

"So milking is the first thing… What's next?" Jack asked as he wiped his hands on the shirt. The older man grinned as he turned and walked away.

"We have to clear the fields of rocks and weeds before we can farm – but you can go get the seeds while I get the tools ready. You remember the farm we passed by when you first came?" Jack nodded. "That's where Vesta lives. She's the only person who runs another farm around here – and she sells the seeds that we'll use to plant. Here's…" Takakura ruffled through his pockets for a moment before pulling out a small piece of paper. " – a list of what we'll need to get started, along with the money." Jack grabbed the notes and began walking the path to the front of the farm.

"And don't be too long watching the plants grow!" Takakura shouted as the figure waved goodbye. "As if he'd be watching that," he murmured, turning to enter the tool shed.

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Jack quietly left the path from the farm, letting the urgency of his errand dissipate. His step dragged, kicking up dust in the process. The water rushed below the bridge as Jack quietly plodded on. He watched the upcoming farm with interest; he didn't have a good look at it when he arrived.

Two large wooden buildings stood by the far edge. Next to them two shiny greenhouses were reflecting the bright sunlight into his eyes. A few windmills near the back slowly rotated from the gentle breeze. What caught Jack's attention, however, were the two dark brown large fields and the one person inside them. A larger woman with red-orange hair turned from her work to spot the young man.

"Hey! You the new farmer?"

He hesitated for a moment before he opened his mouth suddenly. "Uh – yeah, that's me. I, uh… You're Vesta, right?"

The large woman smiled proudly. "The one and only! Here, come around the side so we can talk easier."

Jack hurried past the fence and rounded the corner of the first building. As he took his first step into the farm a brown blur suddenly separated itself from the building and –

Pow!

Jack backed away, his nose stinging from the unexpected pain. He could see his brown attacker retract into the building, revealing a man with combed black hair and a surprised expression.

Who're you?" the man asked abruptly, placing the crate he was carrying to the ground. "I haven't seen you before – " He watched Jack massage his nose with almost a look of boredom. "You okay?"

The victim nodded and blinked to focus his attention to the silent man. "I'm, uh… Jack, I live over there." He pointed to his left, hoping the stranger knew where he meant. The man's black eyebrows rose as he watched the newcomer.

"The old farm, with Takakura?" he asked. Jack nodded again.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Do I need to come over there myself, or are you going to introduce yourself to us?" the bravado voice of the woman ran out around the bend. The man took one last look at the farmer before he bent to lift the crate again and signaled for Jack to follow.

When Jack rounded the corner, he was attacked once again – now by a rather intense squeezing from the large woman.

"That's your official welcome to Forget-Me-Not valley!" She yelled heartily as she placed the terrified farmer onto solid ground again. "You Henry's kid?"

Jack nodded vigorously, still recovering from the shock he had experienced. Vesta sighed quietly as she watched the ground regretfully.

"Your pap was a good guy, boy, an' it was sad to see him go…" The woman sighed enormously, her entire body sinking with the release of breath. Then she looked back up at the young man hopefully. "But at least you're keeping on the family tradition! I'm Vesta, like you already know, an' that's my brother Marlin," she pointed as the black-haired man passed by with the crate.

"There's someone else here," she whispered deviously as she hurried into the nearest greenhouse. She came out a few moments later bearing a young woman in front of her.

"This is Celia," she announced proudly as she nudged her in front of Jack.

Her olive green apron quickly gained a brown tinge as she wiped her dirty hands on the clothing. She ran her fingers through her long brown hair to reveal her bright face. She timidly took a couple steps forward in front of the young man.

"Hello," she started with a small smile, "It's nice to meet you… um…?"

"Jack," he answered with his own smile. He extended his hand hesitantly, hoping that this introduction would at least be normal. A slightly calloused but still soft warm hand gripped his own.

"So are you excited about starting the farm?" She inquired curiously, her large brown eyes watching Jack. The new farmer shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly.

"Well, Takakura I haven't done much yet – but so far it's going okay…"

"Well, that's good. Are you thinking about staying here? We could always use some more people in the valley…"

Jack hesitated, looking down as his mouth hung open, searching for an answer. "…I… I don't know yet."

There was a long silence. Jack's eyes hesitantly crept upward. His feet… the ground… the other pair of feet… vaguely he continued until he ended the trip with her soft brown eyes and confused smile.

He felt the heat from his cheeks as his eyes embarrassingly sank back to their original destination, surprised that he had been watching her.

Celia's smile grew to a soft giggle as she backed away. "Well, I've got to get back to work, but come on by whenever, 'kay?"

Jack nodded and watched her walk back and close the greenhouse door with a snap. Vesta grinned as she came to Jack's side and followed his example. "Celia's a mighty fine girl, that's for sure. She's the right age, even."

Jack suddenly turned to face Vesta. Her eager face told him where this conversation would lead. "Uh – I actually need to head back pretty soon, Takakura's waiting for me – and I have a list somewhere in here –" He fumbled through his pockets. Vesta watched with interest as he handed her the list.

"Well, let's just step into my office and see if we can hook you up…"

The large woman turned around and grabbed a bag of seeds from one of the many crates scattered around the field.

"Let's teach you about the quality of seeds first…"

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So there you are!" Takakura exclaimed as Jack huffed past the barn. "Do I dare ask for the excuse?"

"Well, Vesta was giving a full-blown lecture on the moral philosophy of seeds," Jack grinned as he revealed a small bag inside his backpack. "So what do we do now?"

"We spend the rest of the day clearing the fields," Takakura said as he tossed a shovel to Jack. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Both men soon left the tool shed as they started to the edge of the farm. A short bark made Jack turn his head behind him – but before he could see where the puppy was, he felt the animal collide into his legs.

"Did you think of a name yet?" Takakura inquired as the young farmer bent down to scratch the dog's small head. Jack shrugged his shoulders while watching his pet slobber over his hand.

"What do you want to be called, buddy?" He asked the pet with a small smile. The puppy barked loudly before falling over on his back, stomach exposed.

"Well, it looks like he's decided for you," Takakura said cheerfully. "Here you go, Buddy!" He placed the pick on the ground and rubbed the dog until the creature's kicking was unstoppable. Satisfied, both farmers continued to the field, leaving the newly named puppy whimpering for his lost euphoria.

As they neared their destination, Jack saw an old, decrepit building standing near the edge of the farm. It had certainly not been used in a long time.

"What's that? You didn't mention that when I first came," Jack stated curiously while pointing to it. Takakura squinted for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno what it was, but your pa spent a lot of time in it when we were running this place last. He never told me what he did with it – and it was locked when I came back to fix up the place."

Jack's eyes watched the building with a new unease as they passed by. He forced himself to look forward at the rapidly approaching field, although his anxiety was not lessened. He mentally shook his head, telling himself to ignore its presence. Only when he tripped over a boulder in the road was the shack's presence driven from his mind.

"You okay?" Takakura asked warily, watching his companion turn away.

"Yeah, thanks…" Jack looked back to the rest of the farm and was surprised to discover how far away it was. Perhaps it was because the early-morning fog still hid much of it. Surrounding two of the sides of the field was a tall steep wall that was the beginning of the large mountain overlooking Forget-Me-Not valley.

"This was the only really good soil over here," Takakura answered as he swung the pick into the soil next to a large rock. "But once in a while, erosion pushes the dirt away, and we find one of these party poopers that we gotta move. Do you wanna stick your shovel in there, please?"

Jack obliged quickly. The two strained with some effort, and after a few minutes the stone rolled out of its resting place. Takakura gasped for breath as he grabbed the young farmer's shoulders. "Huh…Ho! I… haven't done something… like that… in…" he laughed exhaustively as he grabbed a weed from the ground. "I'll let you finish moving that guy," he chuckled good-naturedly. Jack sighed quickly before he set himself to his task.

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The pleasant cool of the morning dissipated as the sun rose higher in the sky. Jack fell to the ground, exhausted from his effort. He glanced at the hands; already they were raw from work. The shovel he had been using was too big for him to use, and his gloves couldn't prevent the jolt that pained his hands every time he dug into the ground. He was relieved when Takakura called for lunch and threw a sandwich to him.

"You didn't fill it with white poison, did you?" He called as the older man grabbed his own food. Takakura smirked happily.

"You know, I don't honestly remember…"

Jack's eyebrows furrowed with suspicion; he split apart the slices of bread. He was relieved to find no mayonnaise spread across his meat and vegetables. Finally satisfied, he took a bite as Takakura sat down next to him in the shade.

"So what did you think of Vesta and everyone else?" he asked innocently. Jack paused a moment before he spoke.

"Well, Vesta seemed very happy, and she knew her job well…" He paused a moment. "The guy – Marlin, right? I didn't really talk to him, and he didn't really seem to be open with anything, so I dunno. And then Celia… seemed nice enough."

"Mmm-hmm." Takakura nodded quietly, looking off at the sky. Both men sat quietly for a moment, watching a dark cloud drifting lazily along. The older stood up, took one last drink and said, "Well, let's get back to work," before he left the younger alone with his thoughts.

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"You ready to try with Clover again?" Takakura asked as the two left their work behind and entered the decrepit barn. Jack nodded clumsily, stumbling behind as the blue in the sky began to morph into a mixture of light magenta and dark red. The hard earth had left his knees and feet sore; his back ached from bending over too many times; his hands were rubbed red from the sharp pricking of the weeds he had vanquished. After just one day, Jack was filled with more stinging than he had had in a long time. He was ready to take a long, hot shower in the small shack behind his house when all was done. But that moment had yet to arrive, as Takakura kept reminding.

"Alright, you know the drill. Try it on your own; pay attention to her stance. Go ahead."

Jack watched the cow intently as he took a large step in the pen. Instantly, the creature let out a loud "Mooo!" as it rose from her position. Startled, the young farmer leapt backward, the hair on his arms standing on end. Both animal and human stared at each other. Then, very gradually, Jack's feet back away from their spot. The tension dispelled into the air as Takakura stepped into the pen.

"Go ahead and head to bed, Jack," he sighed as he grabbed the stool and placed it on the ground. "It's been a long day – I'll finish up here."

Jack nodded agreeably and quickly opened the barn door, relieved that the day was finally done.

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Steam issued out of the separate lean-to behind his house as Jack exited the building with his towel wrapped around – still tired, but refreshed and rejuvenated. With one last breath of the humid air, the young man stepped outside into the chilly breeze – and was shocked at what he saw.

"Huh? A Harvest Sprite I have never seen before."

"Who is it? Who is it?"

"Who is it? There aren't any other Harvest Sprites besides us."

"Who is it? Who is it?"

Whatever these things were, Jack had never seen them before in his life. What looked like three miniscule people in bright-colored clothes bounced all over the place, still asking in high-pitched voices, "Who is it? Who is it?"

"Wait, hang on!" Jack yelled; the three creatures immediately ceased their antics and looked expectantly at the farmer.

"First of all, what are you?" He asked confusingly. One dressed in a red suit began bouncing again.

"We're Harvest Sprites! From the forest!"

"Okay, okay," Jack answered, although he still did not know what a Harvest Sprite was. "Well, I'm Jack, and… it's nice to meet you…?"

"I'm Nic!"

"I'm Nac!"

"I'm Flak!"

"Pleased to meetcha!" They shouted in unison. They continued to spring everywhere, never stopping to take a breath. Jack tried to follow their path as he continued to ask questions.

"So… do you guys live somewhere?" He asked dizzyingly. The three Sprites nodded, although Jack was not able to catch their action.

"We live up there, in the forest! You can eat the mushrooms, and you can visit us!" They cried, with alarming giddiness. Jack finally decided their energy was too much for him.

"Uh – Well, guys, it's nice to meet you, but I'm going to go ahead and go inside now…"

"See you soon!" They called again as he passed by them and quickly around the corner. He shook his head exasperatedly as he opened the door; his newly named puppy unexpectedly tackled him again.

"Hey, Buddy," he said tiredly as his hand became covered with saliva. "Thanks for the gift on my hand." He sighed enormously as he sank into the mattress and looked at his journal on the desk. Smiling slightly, he grabbed the pen on the side and opened to a fresh page.