Lord of the Harvest

by Madame Joker

The Harvest King left after the deep betrayal that caused him so much torment. He slept, oblivious to the annoying Human who was attempting to summon him. Hikari is dedicated to the task. What will happen when the arrogant deity and prideful human meet?

31. Chapter Thirty One: Frustration

Chapter Thirty One: Frustration

I held my axe in front of me defensively. While the tool could indeed be used with deadly force, I held it to me as a child would a small doll for emotional comfort. The feel of the thick, polished wood of the handle that remained strong under the strain of my daily activities on the ranch did nothing to bring my mind back to some solid sense of thought. "What are you doing here?" I asked again. My mother continued to rub her neck, her small body the mirror of mine in everything but height. She stood a good four inches shorter than me. With a head full of copper brown hair that curled impossibly from root to tip, eyes like soft green grass, and pale skin that the moon would envy, she was nothing short but lovely. "I had no idea this was your ranch. I looked for you in that tiny town down by the pier, but an annoying boy at that Bar told me you didn't live there." She continued, ignoring my question. "I followed the signs and thought you might be near the Mines when I saw this lovely ranch. Do you work for the owner?" she asked me while meeting my gaze. Green eyes met brown and my mind snapped back into place. I stood straight, lowering the head of my axe till the flat of the curved blade rested against my calf while I placed one hand on my hip. "This ranch is mine and I don't tolerate trespassers." I snapped. "I'm your mother." She pointed out. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to voice how far she fell from the title of Mother. "Not even you Diane." I replied. "Oh Hikari won't you stop this? I don't want to fight." She pleaded, stepping forward to take my hand and her eyes moistening in the corners as they gazed into mine. I pulled my hand away before her slim fingers could grasp it, her hand falling back to her side and a single tear falling from the corner of one eye only to be dashed away in the next instant. "And after I came all the way here." She mumbled with a sniffle. "For what?" I asked for the third time. Diane looked away as if to hide her emotional expression. "I came to see my daughter, I came to see you." She answered.

"Bull shit." I answered instantly, acid dripping in my voice. "If you gave a damn about my welfare then I wouldn't be considering using this axe on you." I said while tapping the handle, Diane's eyes locking momentarily on the movement. "Now stop lying to me. Why are you here?" My mind was racing with ideas, but mostly questions. How did she find me? When I'd left nearly four years ago I left no trace of myself. I'd taken a bag of clothes and small amount of cash the moment I'd left my apartment. Leaving everything from my previous life behind to rot. "How do you know I'm lying?" she asked, the moisture in her eyes gone and replaced by a wicked gleam that reflected her inner thoughts. My mother in herself was a lie. Her words, her facial expressions, her body language. She could manipulate anyone into thinking what she wanted them to. By using her lovely face and falsely innocent demeanor my mother had even fooled the man who'd fathered me, drifting in an out of my life when it suited her. Manipulating the fragile hope of a young girl who sought to see only good in the woman who'd birthed her. I voiced none of this; I just kept my face impassive and waited for her to drop the facade. My mother was an actress to her core and she knew that when the audience was no longer captivated, if at all to begin with, then the need for a show was gone. "I just can't fool you can I?" she asked in amusement with a smile gracing the corner of her full mouth. "I'm here on business. This ranch was on my list of things to do and I came to talk to the owner. I did know that you lived here, but I never imagined that the person I needed to see would be you." She explained. A childish part of my heart cringed at those words. In just a few minutes the four years that had shaped me till this moment fell away and I felt like a wounded teenager needing to lash out at something. "I have no business interests with you. Now get off my ranch before I chop you into pieces and ship you out." I threatened.

"Must you always be dramatic?" she asked after walking past me, paying no mind to the fact I'd taken a defensive step back and raised my axe. I turned to see her drifting through my crop, one hand outstretched to absently pass over the stalks as she walked to where the buckwheat fell and gathered them up. "That's stealing!" I yelled as I headed toward her. Diane simply ignored me and carried on toward my barn while stashing buckwheat into her bag. "Stop right there!" I yelled while following her. I was powerless. Of course I wouldn't really use an axe on a woman I knew meant me no physical harm. And she was my mother. My dishonest, disinterested mother. Diane pulled open the barn door and headed inside. I silently followed after her and quickly shut the door so as not to disturb my animals. It was especially cold out this morning when I'd headed out for the day so I'd decided to wait till early afternoon when the sun was higher to let them out to graze in the pasture. "So many cows, how do you manage all of them?" she asked but continuing to walk away before I could answer. She headed to Lemon's stall and peered at the black cow, eyeing a small crown hanging on a hook near the wall. Lemon slowly woke, walking over to the door of the stall and giving a groggy moo. She raised her head toward Diane and shoved at her chest. Diane gave a shrill cry and leaped back, startling Lemon to wakefulness. The cow's nostrils flared as she realized Diane wasn't me and she began kicking at her stall door in rage. I shoved past my mother and moved to open the stall, "Are you insane? That thing will kill you!" she yelled. I turned on her. "Shut up!" I hissed before opening the stall and calling to Lemon softly. The cow instantly calmed down at the sound of my voice, butting her head against my leg until I scratched the back of her neck. I continued to pat Lemon's head and vigorously scratched her neck while speaking. "Leave my Ranch. I have no qualms over sending Lemon after you." I said. Diane opened her mouth to speak before she was cut off by a harsh cry. My heart nearly stopped as Garrett's cries echoed from the baby monitor, Lemon's ears moving back in discomfort from the loud noise. I quickly switched the monitor on my hip to off, not meeting Diane's gaze while closing the stall behind me.

"What was…?!" I cut her off when I grabbed her upper arm, dragging her from the barn and outside. "Let me go!" she yelled while tugging at my hand. I ignored her weak attempts at freedom and continued walking, through my fields and down to the split in the path that led across the island. I shoved her onto the small dirt trail. She stumbled and after regaining her balance turned to glare at me. "Was that a baby?!" she asked. "Leave!" I yelled back while holding my previously discarded axe and raising it. "But Hikari…!" she jumped out of the way as I raised the axe and brought it down on the ground where her foot had been. The blade sank into the frozen ground and the handle shook slightly in my grip with the force of the action. I ripped it from the ground and raised it again. "NOW!" all rational thought gone from my mind as soon as I realized that this woman may want a part in my son's life. "I have a right to know!" she squeaked while backing away. "You lost any right you had at all when it concerns me. Now get lost before I use this axe on your arm next!" Diane gulped but nodded her head, her small frame shaking with her fright. That I knew wasn't pretend. I watched her as she turned and ran as fast as she could through the thick snow, stumbling now and again as she lost her balance until out of sight. I dropped the axe to the ground in the same instant, my arms shaking as I tried to focus under the mixed emotions brought out by her sudden reappearance. If there was one person I didn't want in my life, this beautiful and utterly new life, it was her. I snapped to attention when Garrett's crying could now be heard from the house. I took a deep breath before grabbing my axe and heading back to the house. I walked inside and locked the door behind me before placing the axe in my baby-proof tool chest. Garrett's crying escalated when he heard me come inside. While walking to his crib I discarded my gloves and scarf onto the bed before reaching into his crib and picking him up. His small face was red from crying but I could tell it wasn't a fit. Streams of tears stained his plump cheeks and made his eyes nearly swollen shut.

My heart melted then and there, the tension leaving my body as I kissed his cheek and cradled him in my arms, resting his head in the dip of my shoulder and holding him in the crook of my arm. "What's wrong little man?" I cooed as I tried to calm him. Garrett's sobbing quickly subsided into small hiccupping and finally sniffling. His small fingers remained tight around my thumb as he began to relax. "I bet you're hungry." I told him while grabbing a small towel and sitting down on the sofa. I relaxed back into the couch and draped the blanket over my chest as he nursed; thinking to myself as I absently rubbed his back in small, soothing circles. My mother was here on "business" and she had a direct interest in my ranch. I clenched my hand into a fist. Garrett wiggled in my grasp until I continued rubbing his back. I had no idea exactly what that woman wanted, but she wouldn't come within a hundred feet of my baby ever again.

I cursed once again as the wind whipped my hair back into my face. It constantly changed direction on this horrible island! Oh sure it looked pretty with its scenic landscapes and sandy beaches. The town could even be called cute as long as you didn't visit a certain character in the bar, but that was for a tourist. The winds seemed to constantly change, snow that should have been frozen suddenly melted where I would step, small rocks and other debris would spring up along the path to trip me up. As if things couldn't get any worse, my own daughter chased me with an axe! The damn brat! Rubbing a finger under my nose as I sniffled, I wrapped my arms around my sides as a particularly cold wind seemed to penetrate the thick layers of my coat. I turned to glare at the path behind me, Hikari's ranch no longer in sight. Sloan had told me that Hikari had lived here, but he never told me that my business would have to be with her!

I stomped further up the path, nearly slipping on a thin sheet of ice as I crossed the bridge and passed the dinky little Photo Shop. This damn town was stupid, all of the shops were practically on top of each other and served as homes to! Not a single building was without an upstairs living area. I could understand maybe one or two, but all of them? I glanced back at the scenic views and the distant fields that were visible even from the town. Even the edge of a forest that must occupy a whole half of the island. There was so much room for development here, land to be utilized for commercial use! I cast my gaze to the large mountain that dominated the landscape. Its base was enormous, a foreboding mountain that led all the way up past the clouds. This island had mines for goodness sake! The gems that could lie underneath my very feet, or… I gazed back up at the mountain. Or within the very mountain itself. As I wandered deeper into my thoughts I felt my feet slide from underneath me. I went flying into a pile of half melted snow that smelled strange. Cursing out loud I pulled myself to my feet and tried in vain to brush a mixture of snow and mud from my ruined clothes and hair.

As I continued to curse this town, its people, and the damn elements for that matter, I heard an audible gasp from behind me. I turned to see drab girl with deep blue eyes and hair of the same disturbing shade. Did she dye it that way? "W-what happened?" she asked with concern, walking over to me with an uncertain expression. "I fell, what else does it look like?" I snapped. The blue haired girl winced and looked down at the ground. I gave myself a mental slap for letting my mask fall. Taking in a deep breath I allowed my voice to crack. "I-I'm so sorry it's just that I fell and I look a mess… I didn't mean to be so rude…" I looked away to hide my face in my hands, effectively dirtying my cheeks in the process. "You poor thing." I heard the girl say as she grasped one of my arms. "Look at you you're shaking." She said worriedly while pulling in the direction of a small pink shop. "Let's get you cleaned up and into some new clothes. My name is Candace." She said while hulling me toward her shop.

"Thank you." I added with a dramatic sniffle. She opened the door for me and ushering me inside. "Luna could you get the bath going? We have a guest!" she yelled while taking my coat, the shy demeanor of hers vanished as she entered the shop. An older woman walked over to me with a clean towel while a small girl ran into the back. "What's your name dear?" the woman asked me. I stared into her wrinkled face and rosy cheeks. Some found older women to be endearing, I found them repulsive. "Thank you, I'm Diane." I answered while forcing a smile. "You must be new in town, don't worry about the clothes dear. We'll have you as lovely as ever by the time my Candace is done." She shuffled into the back of the clothes shop. "Candace the bath is ready!" I heard an agitated voice call, probably the little pink haired creature I saw running to the back a moment ago. "Go make yourself at home, I'll have some towels and a change of clothes for you waiting." Candace said while ushering me toward the bathroom. I walked through the clothes shop somewhat appeased that I didn't have to go back to that Inn where Sloan insisted I check in with him every evening. "Would you like something to eat dear?" the old woman asked. "That would be lovely." I responded in passing, the heat from a surprisingly large bathroom beckoning me. Maybe there were one or two aspects of this town that weren't so disagreeable.

The Harvest Goddess gazed at me with startled green eyes. Her aura seemed to shudder as whatever crossed her mind disturbed her to some degree. "Others Brother? What are you talking about?" she asked with a false smile. "The others. The Elemental Gods are absent." I answered. The Goddess lowered her eyes for a moment, I knew that with each passing second she was seeking a way to answer my question. "What are you hiding?" I asked. Her eyes met mine again and any uncertainty I would have expected did not appear within her eyes or betray in her steady voice. "I am not hiding anything. I simply don't want to tell you." I raised one eyebrow, her attempts at sidelining the subject oddly similar to Hikari's when she wanted to avoid a touchy issue. "This is not a game. I cannot find or contact the other deities. I've been responsible for maintaining the world's elements since my return. Are you somehow blocking them? I can only sense you and The Source." I explained. Her eyes widened at my mentioning of the source of my power.

"Do not speak of that in my Spring." She snapped. "I only dare to do so because it is urgent. If you do not wish to draw his attention then we need to act quickly. I cannot pull so much power at one time when I am meant to maintain balance. I must share it equally, not control it all." I replied curtly, withholding my impatience. It would do no good to have my sister getting angry and ousting me from her Spring. Her green eyes left mine to wander to her hands which were ringing the edge of her gown in uncertainty. "Cephia." I said. Her eyes snapped to mine in the next instant, a hesitant recognition to her true name. Her hands dropped from her gown and she gave a small sigh of defeat. "That's not fair you know." She said while smiling. I gave into a small grin of my own before continuing. "Tell me what has happened." The Goddess sat down on the ground beside her tree, patting a space of lush grass beside her in invitation. I humored her and sat as well, pulling one leg up to rest my arm on. "It all changed once you left."

I left the Spring with thoughts weighing on my mind, what the Goddess had revealed could disrupt the balance of life beyond repair if allowed to… I stopped in my thoughts to find I had sent my energies to the house instead of my mountain. The room was dark save for a small lamp on the bedside table. Hikari laid on the couch with a blanket up to her chin asleep. I shook my head, bemused at my actions. I headed toward the crib to check on my son, but before I had walked half the distance my sight did not register the nearly invisible wisps of power that emanated from his small body. Startled, I searched about the room only to find that Garrett was with Hikari. Curious, I turned back toward the couch and stooped to inspect Hikari's sleeping form. The glow from my aura cast a warm light on her lightly tanned skin and her hair was sticking out slightly from its usual position framing her face. I smoothed down an errant lock with a finger before lifting the edge of the blanket closest to what I guessed was her arm. Garrett lay curled in a small ball against his mother's chest asleep with a tight grasp around her thumb. My smile faded to a scowl when my eyes caught the edge of the ridiculous hat that Hikari insistently put on Garrett's head. The damn thing had cat ears! Hardly dignified for the son of the Harvest King.

Garrett squirmed a bit as he read my negative emotional state. I lowered the edge of the blanket before placing my elbow on the arm of the couch beside Hikari's resting head. I rested my head in my hand and watched them for a moment, resisting the lull of sleep from Hikari's mind. Before I could enjoy the scene before me for much longer I felt her thoughts begin to stir as she became more alert. Her mind brushed against my own in a seeking mental touch that I knew was a subconscious urge at this point. My own mind met hers as our thoughts weaved together and the stress that weighted heavily on my mind vanished within an instant. I wouldn't push aside my responsibilities, but with Hikari I could at least find peace from my burdens. "Ignis." She complained softly as she cocked one eye open to adjust to the light of my aura. I smiled in amusement before weaving my fingers in the hand that peeked from under the blanket. "What time is it?" she asked tiredly. "About eleven in the evening. Why are you on the couch?" I asked while rubbing my thumb across the back of her hand. She stretched slightly still aware that Garrett still slept beside her. "Today has been a mess is all, I fell asleep while watching some TV. Trying to get my mind off it." She answered. "What happened?" I asked, attempting to probe her recent memories. She gave me a gentle mental push that was more chastising than actual rejection. "I can read your thoughts to you know. What's got you more of a grump than usual?" she countered. I felt my jaw clench slightly and her hand left mine to touch my cheek. "Forget it. Let's not talk about the bad stuff right now." Hikari's finger tapped the corner of my mouth before dropping back down to the couch.

"Are you sure that you…" she gave another mental push at my thoughts, this time irritated. "I'm not going to let anything, not even what happened today, ruin my time with you. These moments belong only to us and I will be damned if someone else gets even a little of them." Garrett whimpered from beneath the blanket and Hikari's eyes closed as she tried to calm down. "Let's get some sleep." She said while slowly getting up. I moved aside to give her room to shift on the couch, the blanket fell away to reveal Garrett clinging to her as she held him in one arm, the other pushing herself up from the couch that had a definite Hikari shaped dent in the cushions. I reached one hand outward to right her top before she stood up. "You don't seem to object to breastfeeding as much as you did." I observed. Her cheeks were a light shade of scarlet as she raised her nose in feigned arrogance. "Why would I? It's natural." I laughed and shifted to sit on the couch, watching her as walked over to the crib to place Garrett inside. Garrett, however, had other ideas. The babe quickly latched onto Hikari's clothes and began to sniffle. I knew that his cries would soon become unbearable if Hikari insisted on putting him in the crib. "Shall I try?" I asked while walking to her side. She cast me an irritated look. "Go ahead and try." She answered while holding Garrett out to me. "Garrett." I said gently while wrapping my hands around his small torso. He turned his head to cast a bright smile at me but didn't budge. I was quickly sent a wordless intent that he was not going in that crib.

Frowning slightly, I moved my hands and Hikari looked at me in confusion. "Well?" she asked. "He sleeps with you." I answered. Her eyebrow raised in question. "And how did you come to that conclusion?" she asked. "I didn't, Garrett doesn't want in that crib." Hikari looked from me to Garrett several times before opening her mouth in silent question. I held my hands out mockingly, as if I were powerless to alter the situation. She glared at me and turned on her heel, grabbing at the blanket usually kept in Garrett's crib while walking over to the bed. "Take him for a minute." She ordered while handing Garrett to me. "But he will…" her glare silenced me in an instant. "Well he always cries with me so maybe you can have that pleasure for once. I just need to change." She continued to mutter to herself while rummaging in the third drawer of her dresser for pajamas. Garrett wriggled in my arms to keep his eyes on Hikari. The longer she took the more his small grunts of displeasure increased before his face turned a telltale shade of red. "Um Hikari…." I said nervously as she pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. "I hear you I hear you." She answered before quickly taking Garrett from my hands and settling down on the bed. She slid under the blankets to her favored side of the bed and reached an arm out to scoot Garrett in with her. Hikari threw her head back on the pillow and sighed in content. "Good night Ignis." She said without opening her eyes. I smiled and turned to leave to my mountain and continue my search. Hikari would sleep soundly with Garrett and…

A mental knock on my mind had me turning to see her brown eyes soft and slightly amused. "Where are you going?" she asked teasingly. I cocked my head in confusion, suddenly realizing I mimicked the actions of a confused puppy and shifted my head. "You two rest I need to…" Another tap against my mind. "You need to be right here. Now get in this bed before tie you to it." Hikari threatened while pulling the blanket back. I caught a glimpse of Garrett sleeping with his head on Hikari's forearm, that ridiculous hat crooked on his head. I smiled to myself before climbing into the bed, Hikari shifting to accommodate my weight before lying back down. I turned my head to face her on the pillow and we stared at each other for a moment. "I wouldn't mind if you acted on that threat." I said. "Huh?" she asked. "Tying me to the bed. It might be fun." I laughed when she slapped my shoulder with her hand as she blushed from ear to ear. Garrett rolled about in Hikari's arms and we both peeked under the blanket to see him reaching for the edge of my robes. "Told you he prefers you." She grumbled. I didn't answer, because Garrett was making no attempts to move closer to me. I shifted closer to Hikari, wrapping one arm around her shoulder to pull her body closer to mine and settling my other arm around Garrett underneath the thick comforter. In this position Garrett's body rested between us snuggly before he fell off to sleep, one hand wrapped around Hikari's hand and the other resting on my arm. "He's too damn cute for his own good." Hikari whispered while aligning her legs with mine, sighing in content at the shared warmth. "This kind of reminds me of…" her words trailed off as she opened her eyes to meet mine. "It reminds of you of?" I asked, already guessing what memory she was recalling. I sent her a mental image of her sleeping in the bed with me, her back to my chest as she drifted off into sleep and our joined hands resting on her swollen stomach.

Hikari smiled slowly and closed her eyes as she relished the memory we both shared. "It's different though." She said quietly, her voice low as if she were afraid a mere sound would wake Garrett from his apparently deep rest. "How?" I asked mildly, feeling the edges of my mind go blurry as Hikari's sleepy mind beckoned to mine. "Go to sleep." She muttered. "You know that I can't." I answered while prodding her thoughts to wake her. "How is it different?" I asked again. For a moment Hikari refused to answer, probably pretending to be asleep. Finally, she opened her eyes and met mine, the depths of her brown hues filled with a warmth that humbled me. "It's much better," she reached one hand out to grasp at the arm I had wrapped around her shoulder. I felt her give Garrett's small form a light squeeze from underneath the blankets. "So much more." She mumbled before closing her eyes again and a yawn at the edge of her words. I felt Hikari open her mind to me and I welcomed the intimacy, pulling our thoughts together so that when I finally succumbed to sleep, we dreamed as one.

I stretched from within the confines of my blanket, the fabric surprisingly soft against my skin despite being hand-made from one of the Tailor shop women. The bed I had been sleeping in the past two nights was unusually small, the blue-haired woman named Candace had insisted I take her old bed. "It's not like it gets much use now anyway." She had chided when I had wanted to stay at the inn. I heard the younger sister… Lilly, Lupe? Anyway I heard her running about the room as she was getting ready for the day. I groaned from beneath the blankets. What time was it? "Look who decided to join the living!" Lupe said with an edge of acid in her voice. I knew the squirt didn't like me, probably had the scrutiny only few like Hikari were gifted with. "Good morning to you to Lupe." I muttered with feigned sweetness. "It's Luna." She snapped while dropping a pile of clean clothes on the bed at my feet. "Breakfast is in half an hour. Get cleaned up because the Mayor wants to meet you today." She said before turning toward the door. I scrambled upright while smoothing back my hair. "The Mayor?" I asked. It wasn't exactly a bad thing I suppose, I intended to meet the Mayor eventually, but I had wanted to scout out the rest of the island before making my business known to the townsfolk. I grabbed at the clothes and headed to the small bathroom in the back of the house. Showering quickly, I dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and calf-high brown boots that has some odd blue trip around the top. Pulling on a green blouse that hugged my skin but didn't show off my curves as much as I'd of liked, I stepped out of the bathroom and peered into the mirror as I brushed my wet hair. An image of myself looked back at me. Only I looked normal. No styled hair, make-up, or carefully chosen outfit. Once I finished brushing my hair I contemplated my image a bit longer.

I wasn't wholly disgusted at how I looked, I had a natural beauty after all, but without my usual efforts of presenting myself to others a felt I had a chink in my armor. I shrugged the feeling off. I would just need to be more careful, my looks just wouldn't have as profound an impact on others. I still had my voice, my curves even if half hidden, and my cunning. I curled my hands into fists. "I came here for a reason." I told my reflection. "And I will be damned if a lack of mascara will stop me." With that I turned from the mirror to see Luna standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame while eating toast smeared with jam. "What's the reason?" she asked casually. I passed by her, ignoring her look of anger at my dismissal of her question. I sat down in the quaint kitchen to have Shelly place a heaping plate of eggs and toast before me three seconds after. I nibbled a piece of toast and absently poked at my eggs with my fork. What I wouldn't give for some bacon… A knock at the door had Luna scurrying from her place at the table to the front of the shop. I heard a man's muffled voice and it grew clearer as they entered the room. "… and I was surprised to hear we had another visitor to our island!" A portly man dressed in a blue suit said while Luna smiled good naturedly beside him. "Good morning Mayor! Please have a seat, I will get you a plate here shortly." Shelly called from her place in front of the stove. "Diane dear?" she asked. "Yes?" I asked while turning to meet her eyes. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked while gesturing absently to a pot on the opposite counter. "Do you have tea?" I asked.

Shelly smiled in approval before answering. "Kettle is in the cabinet above the fridge, I'll get you the tea leaves." Shelly laid her spatula down beside the stove before reaching into a nearby cabinet and setting a canister on the counter. I stood and retrieved the kettle from above the fridge, filling it with water before Shelly placed it on a separate burner and tossed the green tea leaves in as it boiled. Hamilton sat at the table conversing with Luna before standing and making his way around the table to my chair after I sat back down. "Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Diane. I'm Mayor Hamilton and I wanted to give you a personal welcome to Castanet." Hamilton held his hand out to me and I took it, setting my features into a beatific smile to hide my revulsion. The man before me was most likely close to my age, if not a few years older, but he looked to be in his sixties instead. Short and stout with a strangely high curl in his silver-blue hair, the man was not impressive. His smile was good natured and his hand firm in my own, but when our eyes met I was mildly surprised.

His gaze was intent and thoughtful. Not rude or overbearing in their scrutiny, but I knew then that Mayor Hamilton was sharper than he let on. "Nice to meet you Mr. Hamilton." I answered back, smiling while smoothing an errant curl behind my ear to seem nervous. His eyes softened somewhat in their assessment of me and he patted my hand. "It's always a pleasure to meet new people. Now let's sit and eat some of Shelly's cooking!" Hamilton released my hand and I quickly sat back down, wiping my palm on my pants leg underneath the table. Shelly set a cup of green tea beside my plate before sitting opposite of Hamilton and Luna at the other end of the table. Hamilton set into his eggs and helped himself to another piece of toast before continuing the conversation. "So what brings you to Castanet, Diane, may I call you Diane? Yes, hmm, Shelly these eggs are wonderful." Hamilton said while smiling over to Shelly. She chuckled into her palm before eating her own breakfast. "Why are you here anyway?" Luna asked rather rudely. I glared at the young woman, her short stature not matching up to her big attitude.

"My reason for being on this island isn't to teach you manners that much is certain. If it was then my breakfast would be much more pleasant." I snapped back at her. Luna's bite of toast fell out of her mouth and back onto the plate, Shelly continued to eat, and Hamilton gave a hearty laugh. "Anyone who can mouth off to Luna like that is a friend of mine!" he bellowed. "Hamilton!" Luna protested rather petulantly. "Shush Luna, you have been rather rude to our guest." Shelly admonished. Luna sank down in her chair, glowering at me from across the table as she kept eating. Hamilton wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with one plump finger before continuing. "Ah but if you would tell us. It's unusual to get visitors to the island outside of festivals." Hamilton said after clearing his throat. I sighed forlornly while setting my fork on the table and folding my hands in my lap. "I'm visiting family." I answered. Hamilton nearly choked on his meal until Shelly got him a cup of tea to help him wash it down. "You have family here?" he asked while casting a wary look to Shelly and Luna. "Are you by chance related to Mira? She hasn't said much about her family in the years since…" Shelly's voice trailed off when I shook my head. "I'm here to see my daughter." I said while lowering my eyes to my hands. I caught Luna rolling her eyes while Shelly gave me a sad smile from across the table. Hamilton was obviously thinking about who it could be, despite the obvious answer, until Luna spoke up. "You mean your daughter is…?"

I opened my eyes when an ache began to build at the base of my skull. My close connection to Hikari's thoughts agitating that unknown pain. Hikari was still asleep with her arms curled around Garrett with her head tucked into my chest. Her legs tangled with mine in a mess of blankets and I could sense Iris on the corner of the bed. I briefly closed my eyes, a pale image of the energy plane came into view and I quickly surveyed the life energy that literally flowed from my essence. I frowned when my mind's gaze became somewhat hazy and the streams became distorted. A vicious stab of pain sent me back into my physical form and I raised a hand to rub at my eye. Hikari stretched within my arms and yawned. "Morning Ignis." She mumbled. I smiled and moved my hand to run a finger down her cheek. Hikari stretched upward to press a lazy kiss at my throat. Moving my hand to cup her jaw, I lowered my head to meet her lips, grazing her lower lip with my teeth before letting her go. "Not fair." She mumbled before settling back down in the bed. I lowered my head and forced her head back up. Hikari's protest was silenced when our lips met again. "I wasn't done with you." I said when she glared at me. "Nice wakeup call." She smiled before sitting up. Garrett clung to her side and Hikari hefted him up with her.

One sleepy yawn had his eyes fluttering open and a frown on his mouth. "That's an oddly familiar face." She commented when he squinted in anger. She only laughed before placing a kiss on his nose and handing him to me. I took Garrett with mild surprise before I realized what Hikari wanted. "You can't be serious." I said. "Oh but I am." She answered with a taunting smile. Rising from the bed, she made her way over to the bathroom. "Changing table is in the other room. Diapers and baby wipes are in the cabinet." She said before entering the bathroom and closing the door. I stared at Garrett for a few moments before I heard the shower running. A click of the door and Hikari poked her head out. I looked up and glimpsed a bare shoulder and her slightly concerned eyes. "Can you handle it?" Hikari asked. "Of course I can handle changing a diaper." I snapped before she laughed and closed the door again. I stood and entered the other room, placing Garrett on the changing table before going over to open the cabinet. Picking up some plastic package that said "Huggies" I pulled out one of the diapers and turned it over in my hand. How did this go on again?

I hopped out of the shower ten minutes later, quickly toweling myself off before grabbing my robe. Slipping it on and tying it shut I turned to the mirror to brush my hair. Quickly taming the short, wet mass I brushed my teeth and finished my primping. Folding the towels and placing them back on the rack I stopped on my way to grab the door to look in the mirror again. I raised one finger to my lower lip still slightly swollen from Ignis's bite. Blushing furiously I stepped out of the bathroom and made my way over to the dresser to get some clothes. Before I could grab a pair of clean underwear from the top drawer I heard Garrett's muffled laugh from the other room. Confused on how it took more than ten minutes to change a diaper, I walked to the door and opened it. I ducked as an unopened pack of diapers flew past my head along with an errant stool that flew by next. Ignis was quickly dodging furniture, books, baby wipes and now individual diapers as I walked in. "What the hell is going on in here?" I asked while using the door as a shield. All the contents of the room were swirling around in some weird dance while Garrett clapped and laughed from the changing table. "Hikari!" Ignis called before getting hit in the face by a diaper. "A little help?" he asked. "What? Just stop twirling stuff around the room!" I answered from behind the door. "It's not me!" he snapped. I turned my head and peered at Garrett more closely. A slightly orange glow surrounded his small body and when he raised his hands in the air the changing table rose off the wood floor. "Oh no you don't." I muttered before making my way over to the table, diving and dodging the various items flying through the room. When I saw the waste basket fly past I cast a wary glace around the spinning mass for dirty diapers. Grabbing Garrett from off the table, I pushed down on it and it slammed back onto the floor.

Garrett continued to laugh and the glow around him became a little brighter, a pale orange in color. "Hikari make him stop!" Ignis yelled. "How am I supposed to do that? Aren't you the Harvest King?" I asked. "Yes but I can't stop him from using his powers without hur…!" A bottle of baby powder hit him straight in the face. White powder spilled over his robes and hair and the rest of the contents spun with the rest of the room. I stared open mouthed at Ignis as he spit out powder and tried to wipe it off his face. I burst out laughing before a loud mental slap stopped me from going into a fit. "Stop laughing and help me!" he snapped. Getting serious, I thought for a moment. "Ignis! Get the rattle from the book shelf." Not even a moment after the words left my mouth the wooden rattle that Selena had gifted me at the baby shower appeared on the changing table. Grabbing it before it could join the circus of dancing furniture and diapers, I shook it in front of Garrett's face. The babe stopped his laughing and stared at the rattle as I shook it back and forth, his eyes following its movements.

Transfixed, Garrett kept staring at the rattle and the items in the room slowly stopped their spinning. Then they fell to the floor with a chorus of loud thuds. Ignis heaved a sigh of relief while dusting more powder off his robes. He quickly crossed the room, tendrils of his aura shot out from around him as furniture and diapers righted themselves. A neat pile of unpackaged diapers formed on the table as well as the questionable ones finding their way back into the wastebasket. "You couldn't manage one diaper?" I asked after the last of the furniture stood upright. Ignis, apparently fed up with dusting powder off himself, waved his hand and it disappeared. "I did, thank you. The moment I tried to teleport the dirty one into that waste canister Garret decided to… Play with the furniture." He explained to me.

My gaze wandered over to the small diaper bin and a thought struck me. "So you were using your powers for something?" I asked. Ignis rubbed his forehead in irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose in two fingers. "I just said that." He answered irritably. "Stop getting all huffy. Garrett suddenly used some sort of power after seeing you do something with your power right?" Ignis's head snapped up and his gaze locked on Garrett who was cooing over his rattle. Without warning the rattle disappeared from my grip with Ignis's signature flash of heat. Garrett's head swiveled around to see the rattle hovering above his father's open palm. With an angry grunt Garrett turned in my arms and stretched his hands toward the rattle, another moment and it was in his small grip. "Well this is just great." I muttered while taking the rattle and shaking it again. Ignis moved closer to my side. "It would seem he follows my example." He mused. Before I could think further on the matter my eyes glanced to the clock on the wall and I shoved Garrett into Ignis's arms. "It's already 7:30!" I yelled before running to the other room.

I heard the slamming of her dresser drawers and a curse as she dropped a tool from her tool box. I stared down at Garrett as he played with the rattle. What was I supposed to do now?

I'd already gotten a late start to the day and I had to harvest my remaining buckwheat before spring came. That also meant tearing up the roots and turning the soil with new fertilizer in preparation for spring crops. Not to mention tending to my animals, gathering eggs, changing out the hay my chickens used as nests, and I was beginning to think that Grape was coming down with a cold… "Oh Hikari!" I head a merry voice call from the distance. I'd already managed to clear one plot of buckwheat. I was bending at the stalks in my smaller plot closer to the pond to uproot them before raising up. Doing a quick three sixty to find the source of the voice, I shrugged before bending back down among my soon to be uprooted winter crops. Bending down to a particularly stubborn stalk I took out my sickle and poised it at the base of the plant. Suddenly the plants parted in front of me and a head of pink hair burst through. "BOO!" Luna yelled. I scrambled backward in a mess of dirt and bent over buckwheat plants. Luna stood up and started laughing, her pink pigtails bouncing up and down. "Luna!" I groaned while sitting upright. "What the heck?" I snapped while taking the hand she offered me. "I can't believe you didn't see me! I must be that sneaky!" she smirked while dusting some dirt off the edge of her skirt. "Or that the buckwheat are taller than you." I answered. Her face turned slightly red and he smile faded. "Ha-ha. I came here to tell you something." She said. "Hmm?" I pretended to be interested as I dusted off my pants.

"Your mom is staying with us at the Tailors." she continued. My head snapped up, now she had my attention. "What is that woman doing in your house?" I asked. Luna tossed her head to send a pigtail back over her shoulder. "That's what I came to ask you. I don't like that woman, I know she's your mom and all but…" Luna flew back as if I were going to hit her when I flung my sickle outward. Realizing the stupid move I lowered the point into the ground and turned the blade away from us both. "That… woman is not my mother. She never has been." I growled through clenched teeth. Luna pursed her lips, probably wondering what she could ask before I considered using my sickle on her. "Well whatever mommy problems you might have with her are all on you, but she is your family. So could you do me a favor and let her stay at your house?" she asked. "No." I snapped before bending back down and roughly ripping out a root. "Why the hell not? She's your family and quite frankly I'm tired of mine fawning over her like some…!" Luna jumped back when my sickle aimed for her foot. "She is not my family!" I yelled while jumping up. "Hikari I…" Luna raised her hands in a gesture of appeasement. "She has never been there when I needed her! Anytime she came around it was because she was after something! Or needed something! Or…" By this point I was waving my sickle around like a blood thirsty lunatic. Luna dodged a particularly wide swing that would have been fatal to one of her bouncing pink pigtails.

"Hikari!" Luna yelled in a voice more stern than I thought her capable of. "Put the sickle down, then continue like a raving lunatic!" she yelled. I lowered the tool again while taking deep breaths to steady my racing pulse. After a few moments of tense silence I heaved a great sigh. "Just put her up at the Inn if you get sick of her. I just… she can't be in my house Luna. It's my home and I can't have her ruining it." I said before turning and heading back toward the house. "Where are you going?" Luna called after me. "Inside, aren't you coming?" I asked over my shoulder. "Why do we have to in your house to talk?" she asked while catching up to me. "We don't, I just need to check on Garrett." I answered. "Who?" she asked while entering after me. "Um, my baby. You did notice that I'm not carrying a child in my body right?" I asked. Luna's mouth dropped before she turned around the room to locate the crib. I walked into the kitchen to get some glasses from the cupboard. "Just don't pick him up till I get there." I said while pouring two cocktails.

I left Hikari's house four grape and blueberry cocktails later. We'd talked about nonsense really. Farming at the beginning, a few vague answers to my questions about her husband, and lastly lots of cooing over Garrett. I thought back to that little scowl he had on his face when he first saw me. Definitely a brat, Hikari had her hands full. Yawning as the last few rays of sun peeped over the scenic ocean view from the town, I crossed the bridge and quickly made my way home. Oh I couldn't wait to tell Grandma about Hikari's new baby! No wonder she'd been hiding out all winter long. Probably didn't want all the fuss the neighbors would make while Garrett was still too small. I stopped walking for a moment. Didn't she get pregnant in late summer near the change of the seasons? Shrugging, I reached home and quickly walked in to escape the lingering chill of winter. I guess on an island this small months just seemed to blur together. I heard Shelly's voice call a greeting from the kitchen. I heard some voices and identified one as Candace. "Candace!" I called while racing to the back. "I just got back from Hikari's and she had…!" My words fell flat as I took in the scene before me. Candace was reclining in one of the dinner table chairs with a glass of steaming herbal tea in in hands. Diane sat across from her, leaning on the table with her own glass of herbal tea set off to the side. Candace looked up and smiled gently at me, her blue eyes warm as ever. "Hello Luna. I was just stopping by and talking with Diane." Candace said before sipping her tea. Diane turned her head of copper curls to meet my eyes, a question lurking in her light green hues. "What was it you were saying?" Candace asked me.

Swallowing down my contempt, I broke eye contact with Hikari's mother. "Oh I seem to have forgotten." I answered with a shrug. "You can be such an air head sometimes." Grandma teased from the kitchen. "You were saying something about Hikari?" Diane asked. Shit. "Oh yes that's what you were yelling about, and from how loud you were it must be very exciting news!" My sister raised one eyebrow, most likely aware of my news already. "Well out with it Luna what is it?" Grandma asked. Sighing, because she'd find out anyway, I answered while watching Diane. "Hikari had her baby."

I quickly made my way over to the hidden hot spring in the corner of my ranch. The ground was a bit muddy from the melting snow as it sloshed under my boots. I set my baby monitor up on a rock with the volume turned up but far enough from the pool of water that it wouldn't fall in. Kicking off my boots before discarding my clothes in an equally ungraceful manner I slowly dipped one foot into the steaming water. The familiar sting of heat sent shivers all the way up to my scalp before the soothing water beckoned me. I quickly slid in and sighed at the delicious heat of the spring. I made my way over to a familiar bit of rocks and settled my rump in the center. I arranged a spare towel for a makeshift pillow to lean my head against. Once I was fully situated I relaxed into the water and closed my eyes. Very few things could relax me, but a hot spring definitely did the trick. After a few tranquil moments I reached my mind out to Ignis, a tentative call due to the unusual way his body was reacting to our mental link. He answered quickly, a warm stream of thoughts pouring into my mind as his presence became stronger. How are you feeling? I asked him. Well enough now, I'm still having trouble finding out exactly what caused the dysfunction of my body.

I simply nodded to myself before sinking a bit deeper in the water. "And how are you feeling?" Ignis asked me. My eyes snapped open to see him standing at the water's edge and gazing down at me. I smiled before closing my eyes again. "I was feeling well enough till you showed up." I teased. He chuckled lightly to himself. I gasped when the water level suddenly rose. Ignis climbed in the pool with me, his robes vanishing through his aura like sparks flying from a fire. "What are you doing?" I asked stupidly. "Joining you." He answered. My eye wandered over his muscled form as he slid into the water. His long legs quickly dipped below the water, but it was just low enough to hide what no young girl should see. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked mildly. I stopped my perusal of muscled abdomen and the teasing way the water lapped against his skin. "Maybe." I answered smartly. "Well I'm glad." Ignis answered before settling down in the pool. He stretched his arms out across the rocks and let his hand move to rest against my arm. I wiggled away from him a bit, hard to do when your husband is nearly the size of the whole damn spring.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Nothing." I said while avoiding his gaze. Ignis moved closer to me, settling in my previous spot and stretching his legs out in the water. He was so close now that our thighs touched and I inched away from him. "Stop moving around like a nervous bug." Ignis growled. "I can't help it when… when you are…" My cheeks flamed a bright crimson. "What?" He asked. My gaze fell to the waters steaming surface and I found if I looked hard enough I could just make out…! "Ugh I can't do this!" I yelled before moving to get out. Ignis's strong arm encircled my waist and pulled me back against him. My back met the hard ridges of his chest as I scrambled to get free of him. "What's wrong with you?!" he asked before wrapping his other arm around me and pulling me back into the water. Losing my head for a moment, I twisted around in his grip so that I sat on his outstretched knees and banged my fists against his chest. "We are both butt-naked in a hot spring, what do you think is wrong?!" I yelled. My mouth dropped open at the evil way his slightly full upper lip curved into a bone-melting grin. His eyes were a molten gold as his hands opened to press his palms across my back. "I don't see anything wrong with it. The only thing that is wrong is that you are trying to get away." He said. "I…uh… it's just too embarrassing." I mumbled. He moved a bit, his legs shifting below my butt as he got more comfortable. My face turned even darker as I realized our positions. "What are you up to?" I asked.

"I think you know exactly what I'm up to." I answered. Hikari's brown eyes were looking anywhere but me, her cheeks a darker shade of red than I thought possible. I slid my hands down the damp skin of her back. "You are just mean." She grumbled. I answered by placing my lips on her own, biting on her lower lip before sampling her taste. Her hands relaxed from the tight fists she had them in before she gripped my shoulders. Hikari's nails dug a little into my skin as my lips traveled across her jaw line. "You're not in any pain are you?" she asked with a husky breath. I smiled against her skin before placing a hand on her hip to guide her body closer. "I find that any pain I might experience," I whispered before placing a kiss against her racing pulse, "I can bear if it means touching you." I finished. Hikari arched her neck to give me better access as my teeth lighting grazed her throat. "You're being a bully." She muttered. Frowning, I raised my head to meet her eyes.

"I don't see how." I replied. Her brown eyes met mine and she bit her already kiss swollen lips. "Surprising me by jumping in the hot spring stark naked." She answered. I raised one eyebrow. "You've seen me naked plenty of times. I fail to see your point." Both my hands gripped her hips by this point. Blowing damp hair out of her eyes she lightly smacked me on the arm. "You know just looking at you gets me riled up, so it's unfair to use it against me!" she snapped. I grinned at her then, just as all the color drained and rushed to her face in an instant. "I-I mean that…" I kissed her again, sending any protests she had back down her throat. I pulled away to let her catch her breath. "Just so you know, I'm wearing the proper swimming attire." Hikari glared at me and refused to say anything. "I'm not lying." I said. Still doubtful, Hikari slid a hand under the water and pressed her fingertips to my outer thigh. "Red?" she commented after glancing down. "What's wrong with red?" I asked a little offended by her tone. "Don't get angry, I wouldn't really go unclothed without warning you." I said with a smile. Her arms slid over my shoulders to loop around my neck. "Thanks for being a gentleman and wearing the swim trunks and all, but now I need you to take them off." Hikari said before pressing her lips to mine.

It wasn't long after that word quickly spread throughout the island. Luna had tried to keep it as quiet as she could, even Julius hadn't uttered a peep outside the confines of his house, but news spread all the same. It wasn't often that children were born on the island and when they were everyone had to know about it. So bright and early at 6:15 in the morning I heard what I thought to be voices outside my window. I raised up a little in bed, Ignis's arm weighing me down. Rubbing one of my eyes I peered outside the window closest to my door. After a moment I quickly dismissed any thoughts about strange noises and slumped back down into the bed. Ignis curled his other arm around my waist to be bring me closer to him. I tucked my legs in against his own and reached a hand up to stroke his jaw. "Good morning." I muttered sleepily. When he didn't answer I smiled and let my fingers travel upward to his fiery red hair and ran a lock between my fingers. He grunted at me until I stopped pulling at his hair, but I switched to running the tip of my finger down the side of his ear. The gold earrings adorning the pointed lobe jingled as I teased him. "Go back to sleep." He muttered with eyes still closed. "Nope." I replied before stretching in his arms. I sat up with a bit of difficulty as he refused to move his arms. "C'mon Ignis. I have spring crops to get in the ground and growing. Preferably before noon." When he again didn't answer me I shoved at his head. "I know you can't fall asleep on your own so there's no use pretending." I called to him. After another silent moment I pulled his hair. "Get up you big… oomph!"

Ignis quickly pulled me down and rolled me over onto my back. The spacious bed providing his much larger body ample room to surround mine. He placed both arms on either side of my body and braced himself up to peer down at me. Blowing a lock of hair out of my eyes I scowled at him. "I don't have time to play with you." I growled. Ignis stroked my cheek with the back of his hand before settling it on my shoulder, adding a bit of weight to pin me harder to the mattress. Gulping, I met his eyes and fought the urge to flee. They were an unusually sharp copper red that soon leaked into his aura, the metallic glint giving him an even more exotic appearance than usual. "Seriously no games right now I have to…" Ignis stole my next words by taking my mouth in a suddenly rough kiss, his teeth sinking into my lower lip just hard enough to cause a little pain before his tongue slipped in and met mine. The urgency in this kiss swept me away for a moment. I hooked my arms under his shoulders and let my hands grope the muscle along upper back. Our chests met and I could swear I felt his hammering heart beating against my own racing pulse. We broke away for a moment and panting. Ignis placed his hand against my cheek and brought my lips to his again, this time much gentler and slow. I sighed into his mouth and relaxed the fingers I had digging into his skin. "Should we be doing this… right now?" I asked out of breath.

"Garrett is with my sister and the sprites." He answered. Startled, I backed away from him a bit to peer over his shoulder. "Is he ok? What if he gets hungry and…?" My words trailed off as he showed me a quick mental image of the Harvest Goddess holding a sleeping Garrett, the sprites sitting up on the lower branches to peer down at him. "I will know if he needs tending to, but for the moment…" His hand slipped underneath my shirt, the heat of his palm sending shivers along my skin as his hand drifted to the middle of my back. He pulled me up closer to him, my night shirt rising as his hand slid higher. "Didn't you get enough last night?" I asked. "If by last night you mean Garrett waking up before anything could happen then no, I didn't. I didn't get anything at all last night." He growled. My mind quickly flashed to the previous evening. Just as things were getting hot and heavy the baby monitor nearly broke with the force of Garrett's cries. It had turned out that Raem had been growling in her sleep upstairs and scared him. I, being the fool I was, had leaped from the hot spring and ran stark naked and soaking wet back to the house. Ignis had gotten there before me as usual and was holding both Garrett and my discarded clothes.

Grumbling at the memory I jumped a bit when his teeth clamped down on the side of my neck. "You should be focusing on me right now." Ignis said before his teeth grazed the skin of my shoulder. "I don't have time to play." I muttered again, any protests I had forming in my thoughts were quickly evaporating. He raised up from me and I frowned at the loss of skin to skin contact before I realized what he was doing. Never moving his eyes from mine he quickly unsnapped the metal belt around his waist and it disappeared into particles of light similar to stoking a log fire. I raised up to tug his robes off his shoulders and splay my hands across his muscled chest. "I'm not playing with you this time Hikari." Ignis said heavily, the rough tone in his voice sending off all the right signals in my brain. Then it all clicked together. His even shorter fuse than normal and mood swings were all due to one thing. "You're sexually frustrated aren't you?" I asked.

I quite literally stopped thinking for a moment. Just as I'd been entertaining the thought of raising Hikari's shirt just a bit higher she had to go and say something so stupid. "Pardon?" I asked after a moment. She moved to tuck her legs underneath her, sitting up taller to meet my eyes. "The reason you've been so huffy lately. We haven't gotten down in dirty for a while so I can understand." She explained in a matter of fact tone before slipping my arms out of my robe. "If you could just move a bit I'll get the rest of this untied…" Shaking out of my reverie, I grabbed her by the shoulders and resisted the urge to shake her. "Now I know you're prone to speak your mind no matter the circumstance, but was now really a good time to say something so stupid?" I asked. She blew an errant lock of hair out of her eye, her head still a mess from sleep. "I was only stating the obvious, you've been trying to jump my bones for a while now and I just didn't realize why." I leaned back and rubbed my hand across my forehead. "You do realize, that in this moment, I was ready to ravish you. I believe you were eagerly awaiting such an exercise but I am clearly mistaken." I said before moving off the bed. Confusion echoed across our link as she scrambled out of the bed after me. Waving my hand, I righted my robes before contacting the Harvest Goddess to return Garrett before he woke.

"Now just a minute Ignis there isn't any reason we can't…" I cut her off before she could finish. "You've killed the mood with your unnecessary observations. Maybe another time." I snapped. She glared at me and crossed her arms. "Getting in the mood was never a problem before." She shot back. I turned to yell a response but halted in my tirade. Hikari stood still clad in her night shirt. I loose scrap of cotton that hung just below mid-thigh and drooped low upon her neck. "What are you looking at?" she snapped. She was clearly annoyed and didn't like me staring at her. "You can quit ogling because you can stay frustrated for today Mister, you aren't getting anything sweet from me." Hikari turned on her heel and made her way to the dresser, digging out clothes for the day. I continued to look her over, her short brown hair still a sleep tousled mess, her lips a bit swollen from my kissing a few moments ago. "I said quit staring at me!" she yelled before throwing a blouse my way. The clothing landed on my face and I calmly pulled it off, meeting her eyes as she raised another article of clothing to throw. She faltered when she met my gaze, her cheeks turning red as she nervously bit her kiss swollen lips. "Pervert." She muttered before dropping the clothes. "I can't stand the way you look at me sometimes." Hikari walked across the floor, stepping over shirts and pants before reaching me. I quickly hooked my arms around her waist and pulled her against me. "How so?" I asked roughly.

"It's like you want to sink those teeth into me at any given moment. I feel like if I turn around you'll be at my back ready to tear my clothes off." She growled before reaching up to kiss me. "Exactly." I answered before meeting her lips. She guided me back toward the bed, ordering me in her mind to quickly "lose the toga." Hikari pulled away and landed heavily on the edge of the bed. I made sure to remove my robes slowly, enjoying the way her eyes narrowed as she examined me. "If you don't hurry up I'm going to tear your clothes off." She growled before hooking her fingers in my belt and unlatching it. I stopped her busy hands. "Lose the shirt." I said huskily, my own desire a heavy weight as it flooded my thoughts. Hikari smiled at me, a wicked tilt to her lips that gave her an incredibly sexy look as she hooked her hands underneath the cloth. Slowly raising it as she enjoyed tormenting me. I never was a patient man. Just as I moved down to run my hands down to her hips someone tapped on the door. "You've got to be shitting me" she hissed from between clenched teeth. "May I burn whoever it is now?" I asked with forced pleasantry. "Be my guest." Of course I wouldn't burn anybody… badly, but a sudden downpour did miracles to chase off any unwanted pests. Just as I was gathering the energy needed for such a weather change Hikari's sharp squeal broke my focus. "What is it?!" I asked in alarm. She quickly grabbed the blanket and covered herself. "Peeping toms!" she screamed while pointing to the window.

Three heads were visible from the two windows closest to the front door. I recognized Julius and his wife Candace, the other blond squirt was the Mayor's snobby son. And I quickly snapped. I heard Hikari call my name for a moment before I marched over to the door. I pulled it open to see seven more people from the town standing outside, trying to get a peek into the house. I blasted them back with a wave of power, sending the bumbling oaf of a Mayor straight onto his round hindquarters. "Damn you all! Can you foolish mortals not mind your own business for once in your miserable existence?!" The villagers all scrambled to their feet and were looking around with troubled gazes, asking each other what had just happened. Ignis calm down! Hikari yelled in my mind. I ignored her. I understood that humans were a bit dumb, curious to the point of risking their lives, but I would not tolerate anyone viewing my wife and me as if we were on public display. I quickly created a strong wind that began knocking the villagers off their feet, storm clouds quickly gathered in the sky and I briefly considered frying one of them with lightning. STOP IT. Hikari quickly wrapped her arms around me from behind. Immediately the winds I'd summoned died down and the clouds receded. I felt the sun quickly reappear as it shined down on the world. Honestly you foolish man. She sighed before hugging me tighter. I turned in her arms. You aren't angry? I asked bewildered.

She shook her head against my chest. All women love a chivalrous man, you defended my honor. She said with a hint of sarcasm. I smiled before returning my gaze to the villagers. They were dusting themselves off and Candace and the blond twerp were helping Hamilton up. I quickly realized that my outburst was ridiculous. The humans couldn't see me in my divine form. "I'll go back inside the house to shift, can't have these fools becoming even more frightened." I said to her before moving around her. "Who are you calling a fool?!" I turned to meet the angry voice. Julius started at me with his bright magenta eyes. His flamboyant outfit and hair a mess, but his face filled with worry and fear. "What are you?!" he yelled. The other villagers looked to Hikari, wondering what was going on. She cleared her throat while I dispersed my energy. He saw me.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Julius yelled so loudly my ears rang. I'd managed to get the other villagers to head back home, using the incident of the peeping toms as an excuse to shoo them off my land. Candace had headed back to town with the rest of the villagers after her attempts to console Julius failed. "Julius calm down!" I yelled back. We were in the other room adjacent to the main part of the house, Garrett was still with the Harvest Goddess but after a glance at my watch I could tell he'd be sent back any minute. "Don't tell ME to calm down Hikari! A glowing man was on top of you while you slept and then threw the others around like sacks of potatoes without lifting a finger!" Julius at this point was pacing back and forth across the room, his hands alternating between dramatic waves in the air and resting behind his back in a cliché lecturing father pose. And that's exactly how I felt, like a teenager being lectured by her father.

"It's not what you think Julius, that person was…!" I took a quick step back as he turned with such speed I'd expected him to collide with me. He was in my face the next instant. "Did you make a deal with some kind of foul spirit or demon? Are you conjuring something like that witch who lives in the forest?! WELL?" He yelled. "NO for goddess's sake Julius will you just…?" Once again interrupted, her turned from me and went into the other room, I had little choice but to follow him as he pointed to the bed. "I knew it! Some sort of foul magical thing has seduced you into believing everything it tells you!" He ranted and already began pacing around the room, making at least three rounds around the couch as more nonsense rang from his mouth. You could help a little here! I snapped at Ignis mentally as he stood atop his mountain. The silence that followed was wrong and I noticed the way Julius's eyes narrowed as he focused in on me. A brief hesitation, a sense of wonder coming through the bond. He saw me Hikari. Before I could further comment on that Julius was at it again. "Pay attention to me!" he yelled while shaking my shoulders. "What are you focusing on huh?!" Julius came to his own conclusion and wasn't far off base with it either. "That demon is in your head isn't it? Talking to you?!" Oh shit. I was then being dragged toward the door by my arms. "What are you doing?!" I yelled as I planted my feet solidly on the wooden floor.

"Taking you to the Wizard, I don't know what sort of things you've tampered with but he will know what to do!" Julius answered back and tugged on my arm again. I pulled against him, his grip surprisingly stronger than what I'd expected. Under that flamboyant exterior was a man's strength after all. "I'm not going!" I yelled while uselessly trying to pry his fingers off my wrist. "I'm not giving you a choice!" he yelled while jerking on my arm with vicious strength and the wrapping his other arm around my waist to hull me forward. I felt a sharp, jarring pain at his use of force that went straight to my shoulder. "You're hurting me!" I yelled while trying to hook one foot behind his knee to send him to the ground. He caught the action and quickly bent his leg the other way. Julius loosened his grip on my arm a bit but used no less strength in getting me to the door. While Julius yelled at my protests and Ignis remained dumb and stupid on his mountain, plenty of other noises were going on. I heard Raem growling from upstairs, pounding around the floor and most likely headed toward the stairs to get to me. Iris was hissing from underneath the kitchen table, stressed by all the yelling. Hefting open the door, Julius pulled me outside and closed it behind me. "You can fight all you want! I know your mind isn't your own right now so anything you do I already forgive you." Julius said while turning toward the path. He came nose to nose with a very angry cow.

Lemon's nostrils were flared to the max, her sides heaving with her heavy breathing and the whites of her large brown eyes in clear focus as she fixed her gaze on Julius. Remaining calm, Julius didn't look away from Lemon. "Hikari, call of your body guard bovine." I glared at him and met Lemon's gaze. I could tell the cow had been looking for a way to get in the house by the muddy hoof prints and broken hand rails of my wooden porch. "The only reason she's not stomped on you yet is because I'm right beside you." I answered. Lemon bellowed loudly and moved her head closer, breathing hot air from her nose straight into Julius's face. Swallowing loudly, Julius moved around Lemon and kept me close to his side. The cow mooed in outrage and moved around us, butting Julius with her head and careful to avoid hurting me. Frustration evident in her movements, Lemon couldn't figure out a way to gut Julius without hurting me. "That's it!" Not caring anymore, I grabbed the end of his multicolored mullet and pulled his head back, using my free arm to punch him straight in the throat. Julius fell backward and took me with him as he gasped for breath. I quickly freed myself from his grip and pushed Lemon back from the edge of her killing spree. Quicker than I thought, Julius recovered and grabbed my foot from the ground, we wrestled a bit and rolled around like toddlers fighting for a toy. Lemon danced around on heavy hooves to alternately stay close and avoid squashing us.

"I'm doing this for your own good Hikari! Just come with me to see the Wizard!" Julius managed to blurt out after I missed a punch to his jaw. "You're not listening! He's not an evil spirit or…!" Julius managed to pin me down and grab both of my arms and lock them to my chest. "What could he possibly be then?!" Julius asked breathlessly. His usually groomed hair a mess and his clothes stained with dirt and grass. "He's…!" My words stuck in my throat. I had to be careful, always careful about not revealing the truth. "What Hikari? WHAT? You always do that! You stop mid-sentence whenever you get close to something! Anytime someone asks you about King you get that same look in your eye and…!" Julius's eyes widened with realization. "You married an evil spirit?!" He asked incredulously. "Um excuse me?" A voice as smooth as running water spoke a slight distance away. I closed my eyes before turning my head. The Harvest Goddess stood a few feet away, her head cocked to the side as she tried to understand exactly what was going on.

"What's this about evil spirits? I haven't sensed anything malevolent in these lands for ages." The Goddess said with confusion. Julius gaped, his magenta eyes reflected the soft blue light emitted by the Harvest Goddess. Her green brows rose up in surprise. "Oh my, can you see me dear human?" she asked gently. Not waiting for Julius to answer I took advantage of his distraction and kneed him hard between the legs. He doubled over and I shoved him off me while dusting the grass and dirt from my clothes. I ignored Julius's groans of pain and his curses as I walked over to the Goddess. Garrett lied in her arms with his eyes half opened. I could see his cheeks were still a bit red and his eyes swollen from a recent fit of tears. "Was he crying?" I asked. At the sound of my voice Garrett came to full alert and struggled in the Goddess's arms. "He woke a short time ago and began to cry once he realized he wasn't home. I rather think he was scared not to see…" The Goddess trailed off as Garrett made his little grunting sounds and held his hands out to me. "Spoiled isn't he?" the Goddess asked with mild amusement. I only nodded and quickly picked Garrett up once his face began to turn red. "Did you miss me?" I baby talked to him while holding him in the air. A loud giggle escaped his tiny form before I pressed a kiss to his round cheek.

Holding Garret in one arm I headed back toward the house. Stopping by Julius I glared down at him. "Once you're done getting the family jewels in order come inside and we can talk this out." I snapped while heading inside, the Harvest Goddess following me while skirting around Julius's inert form. Two hours later and with bruised pride Julius sat opposite me at the kitchen table. His head was bent downward and his gaze drifted aimlessly into the swirls of the coffee I'd made him. I'd fed and changed Garrett before putting him down for a nap, the babe insistent that I held him every moment until he fell asleep. "So let me get this straight." Julius finally said, the Harvest Goddess looking up with me. "I'm sitting across from the Harvest Goddess, guardian deity to all of Castanet?" He asked. "Yep." I answered. "That would be me." The goddess answered with a slight pink blush. His eyes drifted back to me. "And one of my closest friends is not married and reproducing with an evil spirit demon or something, but in fact married to the Harvest King?" I could understand his skepticism, but when a glowing green immortal woman sat across from you sharing coffee it kind of blows any doubts out the window. "You bet." I answered. Julius cupped his head in his hands and went silent. "Julius I know this is hard to understand but…" he raised his head and I saw a huge grin on his face. "The Harvest King? So he's really real?" he asked excitedly. I met eyes with the Goddess, both of us a little taken aback by his reaction.

"I've always thought… but never actually you know could think… "Julius stood and took my hands in his own across the table. " This is just so wonderful! " He exclaimed l jumping around excitedly. "You're actually married the THE Harvest King! He's real and not just a short and forgotten children's story! And," he said while whirling to face the crib on the opposite side of the room, "he has children!" Julius went on and on like this for a few moments before the Goddess cleared her throat. Julius quickly calmed down and sat back in his chair. "I've just one thing to ask dear human..." Julius turned a deep shade of red. "Please call me Julius." He said with a smile. "Yes… Julius. How did you see my brother if you did not believe?" she asked. I wanted to know to and Julius became a little uncomfortable under both of our scrutiny. He hugged his mug of coffee and took a tentative sip before answered. "When the island was dying off a few years back, the forge no longer working, the waters becoming sick and plants stopped growing…" The Goddess grimaced at the reminder. "I thought fate was being cruel, that the island had enjoyed so many years of unusual prosperity and all of a sudden it was gone…" he briefly met the Goddess's eyes. "I'd thought you either died or left us."

The Harvest Goddess frowned. "Why would you think such a thing?" she asked with a bit of hurt in her lovely green eyes. "I would come to the spring sometimes. Your tree was dying and… I would sometimes pray to you. Silently, or out loud, and you never answered. The sweet song I could almost hear the land sing was then silent along with your Spring." The Harvest Goddess dashed a tear from the corner of her eye. "I apologize Julius. At the time I was to weak and needed help. I sent for Hikari here and she revived my power with the help of the Harvest King." She explained, Julius looked at me strangely. "You summoned the Harvest King and saved the entire island?" He asked. I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. "Indirectly, it was the Harvest King who truly saved everyone." I answered. Julius abruptly stood and bowed deeply to me. "I thank you Hikari, for saving my home." He said. I patted his hand, embarrassed. "Our home." I answered with a smile. After a moment he sat again. "You still didn't answer the question." The Goddess pointed out.

"Well a little over a year ago, that now not so strange musical phenomena that the whole island heard." He glanced my way with a sly smile. "I heard that melody, but it wasn't like your song Goddess. It was so different." Ignis had been silently listening at a distance in my mind, but now his attention came to full focus. "It was… full of so much wonder and warmth. I've never felt something so… caring before. In an odd way I suppose. I then went to the church and looked through the older books about the legends of the island. One book had a single illustration of you and the Harvest king, similar to the faded stained glass of the church." He explained. "The picture was of both of you standing back to back but with different backgrounds. You on one side had been drawn with plants and animals blooming and thriving under your touch. On the other the harvest king stood alone in a sky filled with the sun. He wasn't smiling… but he way the artist captured his gaze… it was like he was watching everyone and everything. That he cared more profoundly than legends depict. I felt the same kind of kindness from that illustration as I did the song. And I just knew." Ignis didn't say anything when I caressed my thoughts across his and tried to gauge his reaction. His mind was unusually calm like a still pond. I gently prodded him and smiled when he remained quiet. I love you. I whispered to him across the link. His thoughts rippled after a moment and he answered. And I you. I felt a light sensation of someone pressing their lips to mine, and he receded a little deeper into his own thoughts. "Are you alright Hikari?" Julius asked and snapped me back to attention. "Yeah I'm ok, why?" I asked. He smiled at me knowingly. "Because your face is red."

I watched through Hikari's mind, Julius sitting beside the Harvest Goddess and rambling on as if it were the most normal of things to do. Humans would never cease to amaze me. So dynamic these strange creatures. I contemplated this morning's events. Other than my attempt to blow half of the villagers into the ocean I still had a hard time grasping that one of them saw me. Amongst all of the commotion and confusion I'd somehow been seen. In my true immortal form while flaunting my power. An image of the last attempt I'd made to gain a humans attention came to mind. An old man who'd kept walking and his eyes not even passing over me. I felt I sharp spike of pain in my immortal heart. Before it could strike again like a vicious beast Hikari took quick action, although unintentional? I love you. Her words were like a buffer on my newly opened emotions. Although the pain from my experiences remained at the edge of my thoughts I couldn't feel them. I smiled to myself while reaching my thoughts out to her own. She met my seeking mental touch and I relished in the soft feeling of her thoughts mingled with mine. It was for reasons such as this that I made the decision to accept my emotions. I'd been frightened of what would happen to me if I let the chain around my emotions slip more than a fraction, as all other gods are frightened. Our powers are heavily influenced by emotion, and rigorous control was the best known way to handle such powers.

I thought back to our wedding night when the villagers had arrived and threw us a party. The impertinent Wizard nearly had his physical form turned to soil with the way he'd spoken to me. "You have… to stop this." He'd said with his bicolored eyes shining brightly in the shadow of Hikari's barn. "Not only for her well-being… but the world. If you should lose control… even once…" I had quickly lost my patience then, annoyed with his strained manner of speaking. "It is not your place to question or advise me on anything. You may be immortal young mage, but do not think you have the knowledge to back up any criticism that forms in your mind." I'd told him, the night air had been slightly chilly that evening and the wind that had whipped by caused a small shake in the Wizard's lean frame. "It is my duty to… question the gods. Only I..." Wizard gestured toward the house, "and a select few can even see you anymore. Who will speak for the mortals? The decisions… and folly of the god's demand… a high cost of those beneath them." He continued. Enraged at his words, I'd flared my power outward, my aura filled the cool air and fog had risen from the ground with the sharp change in temperature. "You think my decisions to be folly?! I've thought this through…!" Wizard had dared to interrupt me, his eyes faintly glowing in response to my power. "Even now… you lose control! Your emotions… are unstable and you can't understand them… who's to say if…" his eyes left mine for a moment, whatever he had really had to say not leaving his thoughts. "Your decisions are meant… to benefit the world. As its guardian you cannot be… selfish." No words left my mouth for several moments. "Selfish?" I'd said quietly. Wizard nodded, not backing down from his accusation. "Every decision I've made, since my energy formed into this…" I pressed my hands to my chest and held them there, "this body I've only ever thought of humans. This earth. While the other gods were able to coexist with the creatures we were meant to guide, I was left to simply watch. I always watched. I've always only thought of you creatures in any of my decisions. Of this world." Wizard cleared his throat, somehow uncomfortable to be hearing my innermost thoughts. "My… lord I merely…" I silenced him with a glare.

"When my emotions threatened to hurt those I cared for I locked away my heart. I may just be a sentient reservoir of energy Wizard, but if any in this world are more deserving than I I've yet to see them." Wizard moved closer to me, as if to place a hand on my shoulder before he hesitated and let his hand drop to his side. "It is not an easy burden to endure… my lord. I know this. But you must not… feel to this extent. Your duty is to the world first… and to yourself last." Wizard stepped back quickly when I snapped my head up, I stretched my arm outward and forced him closer so I could look him in the eye. He struggled under the flow of my power, briefly putting up resistance with his own before I snapped his connection to the life energy his magic relied on. I saw something go slack in his eyes for a moment before they focused on me. "Listen well Gale." He flinched at the sound of his true name, a name I'd learned as the price I'd demanded to let him live on this island. "I am the Harvest King. I have many responsibilities. The life energy, the humans, nature, the animals, all creatures that rely on the balance of power. But I have another duty now that far outweighs any task I've been called to do." Gale's eyes widened in shock but he remained silent. I could sense a ripple of fear emanate from him, but he did not flinch from my power or break away from my gaze. A strong man, worthy of the power given him at his birth.

I lowered him down slowly, releasing his body back to him and unblocking his connection to the life energy around him. His inhale was sharp as his body quickly absorbed what it needed. "My duty now lies with my wife. My heart is no longer my own Wizard. She holds it within her hands to do with as she wishes. Hikari could destroy me, or make something of this endless existence. I've found someone in all this time that was able to see me… able to care for me when I was beyond all concept of empathy. No… I will not lock my heart away anymore. I will see what this heart has to offer me. I will taste more than the pain I've endured for not giving myself what I've needed." I turned back toward the house, my energies flowing back around me to assume a mortal and visible form to those who couldn't truly see. "What you've needed?" Wizard asked quietly. I smiled without answering. "That is something you'll have to find out one day Wizard." I turned to him and gently touched his shoulder. He was shocked by the physical touch but didn't pull away. "It will hurt like hell and when you find it you'll sometimes think it's not worth chasing after. But it is. Believe me." With that I quickly walked back toward the house, Wizard following close behind. "My lord." He said quietly from behind me. We were nearly at the door before I looked back at him. "I understand your reasons… somewhat." I smiled and opened my mouth to thank him. "But… I will not change my position. I still think you're… a damn fool." With that he'd opened the door before I had the chance to set him on fire.

I snapped out of my reverie when I felt an odd presence at the base of my mountain. I peered through the cloud layer to see a familiar purple head. I must've been daydreaming longer than I thought. Julius was examining the glyphs on the farther side of the mine entrance. He pressed one hand to the stone and I smiled to myself. The glyphs would only answer to Hikari. Any mortal foolish enough to want to come up here would have to take the stairs. Are you being mean to Julius? Hikari asked me. I'm only watching him. Hikari grumbled in her mind at my response and returned to tending to her ranch. After a few more moments of prodding around the stone slab Julius reached into a large tote bag and pulled out a small wrapped object. He carefully set it down out of site behind a clump of bushes before heading off down the trail toward home. I waited till he crossed the bridge before porting the small object up to examine it. It was wrapped in a silly blue cloth with a daisy design on it. Frowning I unwrapped the cloth to reveal the glint of a gemstone. A small amethyst glowed up at me from the cloth. I turned it this way and that, admiring the gem before moving to wrap it back in the cloth.

Something dull echoed in the back of my memory. I long faded moment coming to the surface. "Why do we leave things here mother?" A small child dressed in worn brown clothing asked. His mother slowly raised up from her kneeling position. She dusted off her apron before taking her sons hand. "It's important to remember those who take care of us. Not many practice the old ways my sweet and it doesn't hurt to let them know we appreciate them." The boy didn't look entirely convinced. "How about we go home and I make you something tasty?" The boy delightedly pulled his mother along a hidden trail of greenery that engulfed an unknown valley on the upper parts of the island. Ignis? My mind came back to the present and I stared down at the stone, dumbfounded. What's wrong? She asked. Clearing my head I answered. I do believe I was just left an offering.

I snuck my way down the trail toward Hikari's ranch. It had taken forever for that insolent brat to fall asleep. Her pink pig tails sagging as she watched me from her side of the room. Finally she'd dozed off and I'd quietly slipped out of the Tailor shop. The night wind blew by and chilled me to the bone. I lifted the collar of my coat just a bit higher before picking up the pace. I saw lights in the distance before I saw her house. I begrudgingly admired its make. A sea slate colored roof with elegant Victorian style and high windows with a porch that slid in front of the entire house. Her barn and coop complimented the house not in style but their sturdy and well made structures. I passed by her crops with little interest. I could get to those later. What really grabbed my attention was the rumor of a baby that seemed to spread like wildfire. I gave her fields a once over before sneaking to the nearest window. I peeped up just enough to see Hikari leaning over her bed, her back to the window. She leaned over and was doing something with her hands. A loud series of baby talk followed as she lifted a red haired baby into the air and raised him up and down. Each time he came down she pressed a kiss to one of his round cheeks. The baby laughed loudly and batted her face with his chubby hands. I gazed in wonder at the sight. Hikari's eyes were glowing with a warmth I hadn't seen since… the memory of another warm brown gaze filled my mind. I shook my head to rid myself of the memory before returning my gaze to Hikari. She held the baby gently in her arms before settling in a chair by the crib. She leaned back at an angle where I couldn't see more than the side of her face but I had a full view of the baby.

He wore a silly cat hat over a head I knew would be full of bright red hair like the locks that peeked out of the edges. His skin glowed with a healthy gold that spoke of lightly touched by the sun despite it still being winter. His eyes matched his hair and they quickly closed as Hikari rocked him in her arms. I assumed she was singing a lullaby to lure him to sleep. After a moment she stood up and instead of going to the crib headed for her bed close by. The babe was soon snuggled in beside her and lightly tucked under the blanket out of sight. I drank in the sight till Hikari turned off the light. I lowered down and sat on the damp grass while leaning my head back against the house. She was happy here on this island. Before I could contemplate further I felt a cold nose touch my face. I barely suppressed my startled cry to find a large black cow sniffing at my hair. She took a lock in her mouth and chewed on it. I angrily slapped her nose and pulled my now drool covered hair from her mouth. "Annoying beast." I whispered. The cow cocked its head to the side similar to a confused dog before shoving her nose in my face again. I stood angrily and shoved the large head off of me. The cow followed me a bit as I stormed off down the trail only stopping at the farthest edge of the ranch. I turned back to see her watching me with large brown eyes and she looked strangely forlorn. Bah! I turned back sharply toward the town and left my daughters ranch.

I met back with Sloan at the Inn, sitting in a chair as I waited for him to come out of his room. He quickly sauntered down the hallway and took the seat opposite of me. His ice blue eyes peering at me. "Well?" he asked. "I've gotten the reports back from HQ and they said something is up with this island." I whispered. "What are you talking about?" he asked with his own voice lowering. "They said that all the samples we sent were in perfect condition. They'd shown no signs of decay even after being plucked from the stem. No signs of parasites, harmful bacteria, deformities, nothing. The things grown on this island, or Hikari's crops in particular, are pristine and perfect." The reports had been unusual. Every place I'd scouted for the company had yet to yield such promising results. "That's impossible." He whispered, his head of blond hair shaking back and forth. "That's all I've got so far." I said before reaching for my bag, I'd have to get back to the Tailor shop soon. "And what about convincing that brat?" he asked suddenly. I stopped and glanced at him. "What are you talking about?" I asked quietly. "You know perfectly well. I'm sure I can convince that old man across the island to give up his land, but that Hikari woman is stubborn. She won't even let me near her ranch." He explained. I raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps because you're an asshole?" I asked sweetly. "Now you sound like her." He grunted. His eyes narrowed as he watched me get up to leave and as I passed by he grabbed my wrist. "Do you have any other ties to this island other than the job?" he asked suspiciously.

I remained calm, keeping my eyes clean of any trace that he'd hit the nail on the head. I smiled sweetly at him. "You know I'm all about the job." I answered before snatching my wrist away and walking out of the inn. I hugged my coat to me as a gust of cold wind blew by. I knew what needed to be done and I wasn't going to mess this chance up. Not on Hikari or anything else. Making my way back into the tailor shop, I sneaked back into the room and tossed my coat on the back of the bed before curling into it. Luna remained asleep on her side of the room, her mouth hanging open at an odd angle. I peered at her while lying down. Her bed was a mess of pink polka dotted blankets with lacey trim, animals littered the floor around her as well as small toys hanging from shelves on the walls. She groaned in her sleep, turning over and tossing the blankets about. I sat up quietly and made my way across the room, dodging stuffed animals that threatened to trip me.

Goodness the child was a slob. Waiting till she settled her flailing limbs, I pulled the blankets around her and tucked them into the sides of the mattress to keep away the cold. Not really thinking I grabbed a random stuffed animal from the floor, a small purple rabbit, and placed it in the space between her arms. Luna quickly curled into a ball around it and smiled in her sleep before her mouth fell open again. I couldn't help some sort of softness chipping away at the edges of my heart, followed by a sharp taint of regret that nearly had me in tears. Taking a deep breath, I centered myself before making my way back to my own bed. It was too late for regrets and Hikari had made that perfectly clear.

I appeared before my wife hardly believing the sight that met my eyes. The house was blanketed in darkness save for a few candles lighting the room in a warm glow. My eyes roamed to the bed to find Hikari perched upon it. She'd replaced the bed coverings for a blanket of rich red with gold trim, the pillows matching the spread and I smiled at her choice. Hikari however... she leaned on both hands back on the bed with her long legs spread over each other. Hikari wore sort of small black dress that barely came past her thigh. A sheer material that revealed her red laced undergarments perfectly. "Good evening." she said with a husky laugh. My throat felt dry as I took some time taking my eyes off her form to meet her gaze. "This is quite a welcome." I managed to say. Hikari's eyes lowered to half mast as she leaned forward and beckoned me with one curled finger. "I thought I could spoil you for once." she said sweetly as I quickly crossed the distance and stood before her, my robes brushing her knees. I cupped the side of her face, my fingers curling into her neck as I bent and pressed a kiss to her upturned lips. "I'm afraid if you spoil more than once, I should find myself happy as a contented house cat." Hikari made swift work of removing the belt around my waist, it clinked to the floor before vanishing. "Well I have a weakness for spoiling the things I love." Hikari curled her legs underneath her as she made room for me on the bed. My knee dipped the mattress as I leaned into her embrace, placing feather-light kisses along her exposed shoulder line.

"I must admit I love the change to your attire." I fingered the thin strap of her small dress and tugged it down over her shoulder to graze my teeth along the spot. Hikari trembled slightly before laughing softly. "In that case I should show you the red and blue set I bought along with this one." My mind flashed briefly to the flattering colors. "I think that can wait for another night. Right now I'm focused on your current color choice." With that my hand wandered down to the edge of the black cloth before tugging it upward. A soft rapping at the door caught our attention."Must everyone curse my sex life?!" she yelled loud enough to be heard from outside the door. She pulled on long shirt before making her way to the front of the house and ripping the door open. "All of you GO AWAY." Her voice held such a commanding tone even I was impressed. Hikari seemed unnerved as she looked around and realized no one was outside. Dismissing it, she closed the door and dead-bolted it. She then went around the whole house and began checking the window locks and drawing the blinds and curtains closed. She turned her heated gaze back to me and sauntered over to the bed. Leaning on one knee she brushed my bare shoulder with a fingertip. "Now are you going to strip what little you have left, or do I need to do it myself?" she smiled seductively as a hint of color warmed my face. Another knock on the door. A soft and repeated sound that wouldn't stop after a few moments. Hikari calmed me with a peck of her lips, a teasing glint in her eye. "I'll scare them away." She made her way over to her tool chest, swiftly unlocked it, and pulled out her axe. I stared at her with silent amusement as she answered the door. She lowered the axe slowly and stepped outside, her thoughts casting about in confusion. "Well?" I asked impatiently. "Other than a snowman, no one is here." She answered.

Before she could close the door a branch hooked itself inside. "How incredibly rude!" came an offended voice. My whole body went rigid as Hikari slowly opened the door and stared, dumbfounded, at the source of the voice. I quickly walked over to her side while straightening my robes. "You fail to recognize me and then shut the door in my face? I thought we were friends!" I stared with equal amazement as a snowman formed words out of a mouth made of stones. He sported a scarf and top hat and a large, decaying carrot for a nose. His button eyes seemed to impossibly widen as he tilted his head in a slight bow toward me. "A fine night Harvest King!" I frowned at this, wondering if my sister were playing a prank. "I am not amused by this foolishness." I raised my hand as heat built in the center of my palm. The snowman slid a distance back across the ground. "Wait!" he cried fearfully. Suddenly the snow around him swirled into a gust of flakes as a small whirlwind surrounded him. Glints of blue light flashed and dispersed, leaving a man the same shade of cerulean in its wake. He gave an elegant dip of his head. He stood shoulder height to me. His skin a light shade of blue and eyes that glinted like gems in water. His hair was chopped short and white as snow, sticking up in all different directions as if the wind had tousled it all day. The large carrot was tied on a string around his neck. "I've come a bit early, but I can at least be the first to wish you a Happy New Year my King!"

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Holy baked potato! She updated! Please leave me a nice review of what you think and how best to skin me for taking so long.