Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon nor any of the characters. Also I haven't played Tree of Tranquility so I'm kind of improvising after getting hyped up and reading game summaries so any errors… were kind of planned for. I'm addicted to Harvest Moon games but I can't afford a wii.

I dusted the little fragments of bark dirt off of on my skirt and looked around. To my left it looked like the town just ended and wilderness began. A mischievous smile curved my lips and I ran off in that direction. Soon I on a little dirt path and out of sight from anyone who would pass by on the more beaten road that ran near to the town. I sighed and looked ahead of me making ready to probably get lost and be hiking for a while. My smile turned to a grin. I just couldn't help it. The thought of actually getting lost on this island was very wishful thinking. It was miniscule in comparison with the city Takeru and I had come from.

I walked for a good fifteen minutes before really taking in my surroundings. It looked like… not too far off either, in a clearing was a very large tree. What attracted my eyes in the direction was the voices I could hear. They sounded like whimpers and cries of pain or sorrow of some sort. The tree I could see as I got closer, was shriveled up and very pathetic looking though still ridiculously enormous. I still hadn't found the source of the voices though they sounded like children. I approached the tree and peaked around it gasping at what I saw. Teeny, tiny, weird looking little people were floating in the air, one of them bawling more obnoxiously than the others.

"Hey," one of them stated looking straight at me. "What's a human doing here in the forest?"

"What is it staring at?" another asked taking notice of me, though they talked as if I couldn't hear them. I backed up a step but didn't take my eyes off of them.

"Faries are real?" I whispered in disbelief.

"Fairies?" the smallest one stopped crying and gaped at me. "What are fairies?"

"Wait…" All three were silent for a moment before they started screaming hysterically. "IT CAN SEE US! WHAT DO WE DO? AHH!"

My eyes were probably as wide as dinner plates by this point before I burst into laughter at their antics. One had to admit, it was pretty cute even though I thought I was going crazy at the same time. They were zooming around in the air like drunken humming birds, bumping into each other randomly and still screaming though if these were attempts to flee they weren't getting anywhere.

"I have an idea!" the smallest one piped up suddenly screeching to a halt and causing another one to hit him and fall to the ground holding his head. "Human, you will help us!"

"I have a very active imagination," I muttered grinning at the three little enigmas before me. I still refused to believe they were actually real. No way.

"We are not in your imagination. See," the small one said coming over and slapping me on the face.

I sat silently for a moment as they watched me. "…ow." I stated at last and narrowed my eyes at the little creature.

He smirked and proclaimed once again, "Human, you will help us." I had never doubted my reflexes before and what with having just been smacked across the face I had a little built up energy. My arm flicked out and grabbed the little thing that was ordering me around and he let out the shrillest scream I've ever heard.

"What possessed you to think I would help you?" I muttered watching as the other two little guys picked up the rhythm of flying erratically through the air again at lack of ideas of how to save their comrade.

"You can see us. You have to help us! What other choice do we have?" he asked struggling to get free from my grasp. "The harvest goddess disappeared. We're afraid that she can't return because this big dried up tree is her home and it's always been so full of blooms and healthy until now."

"A… harvest goddess?" I stared at the tree a moment before shaking my head. "I'm really going crazy if figments of my mind are telling me some sort of higher power exists." I laughed.

"Just give up Jiji," one of the other creatures said to the one in my hand. "She's too stubborn to listen to us. We'll just have to figure out a way to help the harvest goddess on our own."

"So this harvest goddess was the girl in my dream," I murmured looking at the shriveled tree. "She's dead right? She was dead looking in my dream…"

"You had a dream about her!?" Suddenly the other two creatures were in my face a little too close for comfort. Jiji, the small one, had stopped struggling in my hand and come to the resolution of leaning his tiny little head on his arm while he waited for me to let him go. They didn't have wings so I wondered how they flew. "You must be destined to help us then," the two other's chirruped. I only rolled my eyes and batted them away with my free hand.

"I'm here to take care of my brother. That's all." Sighing I opened the hand that the smallest—Jiji—was trapped in and he flew at me immediately taking hold of my hair and pulling… hard. I screamed in protest as he yanked my head into the tree by the threads of my carefully washed, conditioned, and kept hair. I held the throbbing place near my temple and threw blind hits at the evil little thing. How dare he!

"Human!" he proclaimed appearing just in front of me so that I couldn't reach him without him having a chance of escape. "You are the chosen one. Wise up and get ready because you WILL be helping us."

"Damn it," I cursed. "That hurt!"

"Too bad," Jiji shot back with a serious expression that threatened to break into a grin. Little demon was like me way too much to make me comfortable.

"Geeze, fine." I massaged my head. "What do you want me to do?"

The grin came out naturally on his little face, the dark eyes sparkling as he did so. "Make rainbows."

Begrudgingly I sat at the table back in the Kirsh Inn glaring at my plate because if I glared at what I really wanted to glare at it could cause problems. What I wanted to glare at was sitting on my shoulder humming softly to himself in his little spritey voice. Jiji had accompanied me back.

"What crawled up your butt and died?" Takeru asked kicking me under the table. I tried my best to ignore him. The whole situation was not my cup of tea at all. Why me? Why couldn't they have picked someone else for this job? The simple breakdown of what I was expected to do was that I had to "do my best" so that I could make rainbows that would join the landmasses of the island and bring back the harvest goddess. Jiji had explained that he and the other two were "harvest sprites"—their clothing representing that they were not the colored harvest sprites but the ones that handled more important matters. Jiji, for instance, was dressed solely in black the other two one being white and the other grey.

"Fine be that way," Takeru grumbled.

"Your brother's not happy with you, you know. Why won't you talk to him?" Jiji sang tugging my hair lightly. I glared harder at the food in front of me.

"If you don't like this I can make you something else," I heard beside me. Looking up I saw Chihaya watching me with a concerned face though I could see underneath it he looked as irritated as I did. Did it bother him that much that I seemingly didn't like his food? Really it wasn't his food at all, it was Jiji's orders.

"Who is he?" Jiji asked and though I wasn't looking at him I knew there was an enormous grin on his face. "He likes to put on a mask huh?"

"It's not the food," I sighed eventually. "I'm just a little tired and stressed is all." Standing up I pushed my plate over to Takeru and walked toward the stairs. No one called after me to make me stop, so I didn't. I just continued up and into the bedroom where I buried myself beneath the blankets in the dark. Jiji somehow ended up under them with me… much to my dismay.

He curled up against my stomach seeing as I was laying down and began humming again before stopping and sitting silent a moment. "I really like you," he said finally running a tiny hand through his green hair. "You're the only human that I've really talked to much, but you're really not that bad deep down are you?"I huffed thinking how bad a judge of character the little guy was.

"Well, I don't like you." That said I grabbed him and set him outside of my cover tent.

"You're pretty cute human," he stated laughing from outside of the blankets. Soon I found he had crept back in with me. "If I were a human I would chase after you. But of course, I'm a sprite and sadly there are no female sprites. We can't love anyone but the harvest goddess." Once again he curled up against my stomach. I didn't protest, really I was lonely and I needed the company right now. "Goodnight cute human Arika."

"Night Jiji," I replied.

"Arika, Arika, wake up." Opening my eyes I was blinded by the light on the ceiling and the sun that streamed through our open door. Takeru stood over me with a rare grin. "The mayor said our house should be done soon."

I blinked. "Really? That's nice to know," I replied before a yawn escaped. I sat up having completely forgotten about the little black clad sprite, but not for long. Still crashed but cuddled in my lap was Jiji.

"Human," he muttered. "Go back to sleep, it's too early." I looked down to see him and was set in shocked silence for a moment before letting out my breath remembering the day before.

"Something wrong?" Takeru asked not failing to notice my gaze or the air around me. He couldn't see or hear the sprite like I could.

"Nothing," I smiled up at him. "What's on today's schedule?"

He sat beside me. "Well, I guessed that when I couldn't find you yesterday you went off exploring, so either you can show me around… or we can start working early." I stared at him blankly. Start working? "The mayor suggested we get a little money saved up so we can have crops."

Oh, yeah. The original purpose for moving here was to become farmers and live happily ever after off of hard work. I silently cursed in remembrance. I wanted to be an artist, but no. I had made a promise to Papa. I was a city rat not meant to do hard labor. Curse this crazy food obsessed town. Discretely I picked up Jiji being careful not to wake him up and grabbed a little purse that latched around my waist. Excusing myself to use the bathroom I stuffed toilet paper into my little bag and set the sprite carefully inside smiling as he emitted a cute little moan of protest from being moved.

"Lucky you," I told him. "You get to sleep in."

"Ready," I said meeting Takeru downstairs for breakfast.

"Good," he smiled motioning to the food on the table. On my plate was another stack of the pancakes I had complimented the morning before. Chihaya watched me carefully from behind the bar in the kitchen. I'm sure he was afraid I would turn away his food again, but I practically attacked those little flapjacks. The relief was obvious on his face. I was starving from not eating the night before.

Mai approached our table timidly watching me as I devoured the last bites of buttery goodness. "You're scarier than me when I eat," she said and I heard a small chuckled from the kitchen. "Do you want any more?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine now."

"You're too skinny. Please eat more." Chihaya appeared out of nowhere placing another plate of pancakes in front of me.

I looked up at him with a hardened gaze. "I'm full," I stated. He recoiled a little but regained his composure and sighed.

"Intimidating girls are not very attractive," he muttered taking back the plate.

"What did you say?" I growled.

The fake smile plastered on his face again. "I had thought you were pretty cute, but not anymore."

My mouth hung slack. Did he have no dignity? Jerk. I seethed. "Never will I compliment a dish you make ever again."

"I know you like my pancakes regardless. It's a little too late for that," he stated walking back toward the kitchen.

I caught sight of Mai's face before she turned to follow him. Was that… nah. She wouldn't be upset because of that would she? Well, maybe she was. I had caught a little wind that she liked the young chef. Of course she could have him. I wasn't flirting, I was genuinely annoyed.

"You're charm never ceases to amaze me," Takeru said looking at me from across the table. "You always get so worked up."

"You're no better," I countered. "The infamously cold Takeru."

He raised a brow and grinned. "I'm flattered. Shall we go?"

"Sure." We both stood and exited the inn. "What kind of work will we be doing?"

Takeru walked with his hands shoved into his pockets. "Farm work."

If I could have I would have turned back and ran then. "Why?" I whined. "Why is life so cruel?"

"Such a crybaby," he grumbled.

Soon we were at the mayor's mansion. Takeru knocked on the door and not long after it opened to reveal a young man in ritzy clothing… good lord those shorts were hideous. I raised a brow at his sweater vest in distaste as well. Who wore that kind of thing?

"Can I help you?" he asked and what an arrogant air.

"Yeah actually," Takeru's face instantly morphed from polite to annoyed at the other boy's tone. "The mayor wanted to see us. If you're his secretary it would be good of you to show us in."

The boy frowned. "I'm his son."

I pushed past the boy tugging my brother behind me and walked down the hallway to a room where I could hear someone mumbling. The older man looked up as we entered. "Ah, you must be Miss Yumei. I met your brother earlier today at the inn," he said with a smile. "My name is Herbal, the mayor of Waffle Town." He stood reaching over his desk for my hand.

"I'm glad you arrived now," he stated shuffling his papers that strewn on his desk into an orderly pile. "I just finished. So now, I've got plenty of time to escort you two to the Souffle Farm."

I would have said what I thought, but I know it would have been rude so I kept the sarcastic phrase of "oh yay" to myself.

"I'm leaving now Father," the boy called from the foyer.

"Ah, have a good day at work Gil," Herbal called back with a wave. "Now, shall we be off?"

We followed the mayor across town until we had gotten to the outskirts of the little civilization and were standing in front of a rather homely looking building, fields of crops and grass stretching out past that. "Thank you sir," Takeru stated shaking the mayor's hand again.

"It's no problem at all. The owner's of Souffle Farm run this store this time of day. I'm sure they could use the help and this will be your homestay until your home is completed." Herbal smiled at me. "I'm sure they will enjoy having you both."

Enjoying having us was something I wondered about when we walked into the little shop.

"I told you it's not!" the woman shouted with a furious expression. The man behind the counter's face was burgundy.

"It is!" he argued.

Takeru coughed and both of them turned to look at us with surprised glances.

"Is there something you need?" the man asked somewhat rudely.

"Well, no. We—" I started to explain.

"Then go on. You're in the way here," the woman spat.

My eyes widened and I clutched Takeru's hand for comfort. He squeezed back. "The mayor sent us," he cut in. "We're here to work." Perhaps Takeru was better suited for places like this than me. He seemed completely at ease and not in the least bit intimidated.

"Oh," the woman sighed. "Good, then off to work with you. We have a lot of things that need to be done and the work won't do itself. The animals have been fed, but we have weeds in the crop field and need to cut grass. There's also some cleaning up that needs to be done in the barn and chicken coop, and the repairs." Chicken coop? Oh how disgusting. Also what experiences I had had with the birds before if not eating them were always unpleasant. They were mean. And there was so much to do. How would we ever finish it all?

"We'll talk over dinner and after then you can go retrieve your things from the inn. You'll be staying with us until your home construction is completed. For now, we need to start on the chores immediately. Come with me, I'll show you both what you'll be doing," the man called.

Takeru led me out the back door after the man trembling. I couldn't do anything like those things that rude woman had listed. I couldn't do manual labor. What had I gotten myself into? The man led us to a barn full of noisy animals. It stunk too. "These stalls need to be cleaned out and fresh hay put in. The horses need to be washed and brushed and the cows could use a good hosing off too. I'll leave you to that little one," he told me.

"Eh?!" I stared at him with wide eyes. "But I've never—"

"You'll do fine," the man interrupted before he and Takeru left me alone in that smelly place. Something rubbed against my leg and I jumped with a little shriek falling flat on my butt in the middle of the dirt floor. Sitting before me was a little black and white cat. It stared at me with wide golden eyes before uttering a little "mew."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I sighed. I opened my bag and looked inside. Good god was Jiji a heavy sleeper. "Hey, wake up. You have to help me."

"Human… no…" he groaned and I pulled him out.

"Jiji please," I said in a baby voice petting the little sprite's rabbit soft hair since his little hat had fallen off.

A large smile formed on his face. "Okay." He opened an eye to look at me. "But you owe me."

With Jiji's direction I was able to find a rake and shovel and begin cleaning the stalls. One by one I filled them each with fresh hay and then, one by one, I led out five horses by a halter and soaked them in shampoo and conditioner. It took me all day, but once it was dark I had brushed down the last dampened cow and set all the now less stinky animals back in their stalls. Of course being the nice person I was I hadn't forgotten to spray the cat with the water hose and then proceed to share a five minute laugh with Jiji as it hissed and shot off quicker than lightning. Problem was: Arika + farm work = Arika really needs to take a shower- also known as "Ew."

I met up with Takeru as I was heading back toward the lit building we had first come from, his shoes covered in dried crusting mud and grasses. "You smell worse than I do," I stated wrinkling my nose at his sweat soaked shirt. At least it was just a t-shirt.

"I was doing field work in the sun. What do you expect?" he replied too weary to point out I wasn't looking too hot myself. "How was your day?"

"I got kicked once," I admitted wincing at the thought of the bruise that I knew had been developing on my thigh. "Stupid cow. The horses weren't all that bad though and I cleaned their cat too." Jiji snickered on my shoulder.

Takeru laughed. "I'm sure it appreciated that."

"I want a long hot bath," I muttered.

"Ditto," my brother stated reaching for my hand as we came within three feet of the little store. So he didn't want to face those people anymore than I did eh? Made sense. They were not very nice to us earlier.

"We're done," Takeru called opening the door.

"Alright, head on back to the inn and get your things and I'll start making dinner," the woman stated. "Call me Rucola by the way. I'm sorry about this morning. We've just been rather stressed recently. We're really grateful for your help. Don't mind my husband though if his mood doesn't improve much."

"Thank you. I think that Arika and I were afraid you were truly in a serious fight," Takeru said honestly. "I'm happy to know you aren't and I can tell you're relieved too." He smiled at me.

"Go on and get your things and you can use our bath back at the house. The house is just past that hill behind you. I'll have dinner ready after you two are cleaned up." Rucola smiled warmly and shooed us off. Out of politeness we had never gone back into the store and the fall night chill was setting in on our walk back. I shivered and started trotting toward the inn once I could see it. I opened the door and poked my head in only a couple customers sat inside being waited on so Chihaya's and Mai's heads popped up when the bell rung.

"Arika?" Mai asked approaching me. Once she got a foot away she stopped. "Oh, you smell like you've worked hard today." I could see the distaste on her face although she tried to hide it.

"Do you mind to um… get our things from upstairs? They should be orderly and the suitcases closed, but we can't get them ourselves unless you want to clean up our trail of hard earned grime," I smiled meekly pleading with my eyes.

"Sure," Mai said cheerfully before heading up the steps and disappearing. Chihaya poked his curly haired head out of the kitchen.

"Nice hair Arika," he snickered. I glared wrapping my arms around myself as Takeru finally caught up and stood beside me on the stoop outside of the door. "You smell like wet dog too. So you won't be eating my pancakes in the morning tomorrow?" the waitor/chef asked with a cocky grin.

"Nope, thank goodness," I spat turning up my nose.

"Working girls are unattractive too," he said with that same grin. At least this grin was real, but I wasn't sure I liked it better than the fake one so I frowned at him and stuck out my tongue.

"Here," Mai said handing me the bags as she re-emerged and approached me not letting herself get too close. I sympathized, though my nose couldn't smell it anymore thank god.

"Thanks Mai," I said with a smile. "I'll come and visit you soon okay?"

"I'd like that," she said before a light blush appeared. "There's something I want to ask you when you do."

"Alright," I turned and handed off one of the suitcases to my brother. "Bye then." I gave a short wave and shut the door.

We made our way back to the Souffle Farm and over the little hill toward the house found our way to the bath first. (Author's Note: I'm going to make it similar to a traditional Japanese home where the bath is separate from the rest of the house. Improvising is wonderful.) Takeru and I walked in with his duffle bag slung over his shoulder and tossed it down on the wooden floor stripping off his shirt. I turned away ready for a good wait before I could get cleaned up myself.

"Let me see your leg," he said. I opened my eyes and turned my head to find him still in his boxers which was the same as when we had gone to the beach together in swim suits except after all those years of solitude he had paled up a lot. I tried to roll up my pant leg, but the capris wouldn't come up high enough. "Just take them off," he said.

"Takeru!" I exclaimed turning crimson immediately.

"I'm your brother dammit Arika! Jeeze, you're sick. Unless you aren't wearing underwear then I don't see the problem." I blushed deeper at even the thought but after a moment I complied and stripped off the pants.

"Wow," he whistled staring at my leg. "That thing is black."

I stared off in another direction not comfortable at all. "Are you done?" I asked.

"Ask that Rucola lady to help you treat that," Takeru ordered. Then he stood up from his kneeling position beside me and walked into the other room of the bath house. I could hear him splash through the water as he settled in and decided I would clean off his nasty shoes while I waited.

There was a hand pump for your feet in this room so I started it and filled a pan with water. Then I proceeded to scrub the grime off of his shoes while sitting on the step. "Mew," I heard. I looked up to see the black and white cat staring at me from about two feet away outside the door in the dark.

"Creepy cat," Jiji said on my shoulder still. He'd been so quiet I had almost forgotten he was there. "Why does it keep following you?" I shook my head. Jiji knew I was unable to answer since Takeru could hear me. But I agreed. It was creepy. "Hey get lost flea bag!" Jiji yelled making me giggle.

The cat's eyes moved and its tail flicked. "Demon cat," I muttered getting back to cleaning Takeru's shoes. "When I'm done if you're still there I'm going to dump this nasty water on you."

Jiji smirked. "Good idea," he praised.

"Mew," it replied watching us. Apparently the cat too could see Jiji.

"So are you going to visit your friends?" I whispered to Jiji. "While I take my bath I mean."

He shook his head with his usual smirk. "I have to get clean too." Nasty little…

"Not a chance," I said firmly.

"I told you already," Jiji sighed. "Harvest Sprites can only love the Harvest Goddess. We don't react like humans and how do you know that one of us hasn't seen you bare before? I've seen lots of human's come to the pond without clothes, you're no different so I know it won't be exciting."

"No."

Five minutes later I sat in the tub surrounded by steam using more soap than necessary to make enough bubbles to cover me because on my barely submerged shoulder sat Jiji. Our clothes in neat piles by the door and towels awaited us on a shelf near there. "I feel very awkward," I mumbled sinking a little lower in the water.

"You shouldn't," Jiji chuckled. Then he leapt off of my shoulder and dove into the water making me more than nervous. He resurfaced on the opposite side of the tub and waved at me. I released the breath I'd been holding, but couldn't get rid of my blush. I would never get used to this. He began the breast stroke as he swam back toward me gracefully though I could barely make out his head through the bubbles. "How much longer?" he asked.

"I still need to wash my hair," I answered grabbing my special shampoo and conditioner and working both into my hair at the same time.

"Can I use some?" Jiji asked.

"What difference would it make?" I inquired closing one eye to keep the drip from getting in and making it hurt. "Your hair is so soft anyway."

"So what," Jiji replied floating up to my head and taking a handful of the thick lather and working it into his own hair. "Maybe then you'll fall in love with me."

"Hah, hah," I grumbled. "In what universe?"

That smirk again. "Hopefully not this one. The Harvest Goddess would rip my arms off."

Soon Jiji, Takeru, and myself all sat at the table in the kitchen. Jiji of course was on my shoulder as usual and he smelled just like my mint shampoo which didn't bother me at all. The meal before us was wonderful, though I couldn't stomach as much of it as my mouth wanted to. It was too delicious. Jiji of course snuck some of the small pieces off of my plate at times as he had with all the meals I had had before.

"So you two did good jobs today," the man who had yet to introduce himself stated. "But the horses weren't quiet as shiny as I've seen them before and some of the grass wasn't fully grown but somehow ended up being cut."

"Dear, that's very rude," Rucola snapped over at him. "Sorry for him. So how about an introduction now?"

"I'm Takeru and this is my sister Arika," Takeru stated with a polite smile.

"My name is Cresson," the man stated through a mouthful of food.

"And my name is Taylor," I heard someone say behind us in the direction of the front door. "Why are we introducing ourselves?" A man poked his head into the room and looked around seeing us. "Ah, new workers?"

"Yes honey. Dinner is in the kitchen on the stove. Go and fix yourself a plate," Rucola told him in a way that made me suspect that Taylor was their child… well, fully grown child.

"Sure thing ma," he said coming back into the dining room with a plate piled so high I just about fell out of my seat.

"Hello there. I'm glad to know there are two of you," Taylor stated cheerfully as he began to cut his fish. "Next thing you know though, you guys will have your own farm to take care of."

"It will be nice," Takeru commented continuing to eat. I didn't know if he was crazy or if he was just saying that, but I definitely did NOT think it would be nice.

"What about you little one?" Taylor asked looking at me. What was with everyone calling me little? "Do you think you will like having a farm?"

"If Takeru's healthy and having a social life, then I suppose I'll go along with it," I muttered and my brother's sideways glare at me did not go unnoticed. "I'm into more adventurous things than farming."

"Eh, well I guess it can get a little monotonous, but it keeps a roof over our heads." This Taylor guy was really optimistic. "I think you'll grow out of that phase and want to settle down soon. Maybe you'll meet the right guy in Waffle Town. Who knows."

I shrugged though inwardly I was screaming that I would never date any of these second-rate losers. From what I'd seen, the guys here were not charming at all. Especially not Chihaya. Jerk. "I've never had much luck with boyfriends," I admitted giving him a false smile to try and keep the air light. There was no point in bringing everyone else in the room down with me on my mood spiral.

"You're wearing a mask now too, ne?" Jiji stated. Sadly he seemed to notice more than my own twin which made me wonder how much I didn't see in Takeru. Hopefully it was just that my brother was dense and not me as well.

"I'm going to go on to bed please," I said and Rucola and Cresson nodded. "Thank you. Excuse me."

I walked tiredly up the steps of the Souffle Farms owners and collapsed on the bed in the room they had let me use. Apparently it was their daughter's but she was gone on a trip somewhere, which was fine by me. The pastels weren't my thing though. Either something so bright it made sleep impossible or so dark you were uncomfortable. Pastels were too blah.

I could hear their muffled voices downstairs. Really after the first day it was as though Takeru and I had switched roles. I wonder what Papa would think if he saw me now, the one who was trying to keep everyone out, uncomfortable and lonely. All the while his once unsociable son was making friends with everyone in town and laughing over dinner about something I had no idea about. I used to be the responsible one. "What happened?" I whispered.

"To what?" Jiji chimed laying on my stomach. "Are you upset?"

I just yawned and shut my eyes. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."