(A/N) A little bigger then the first, isn't it? I wanted to make sure I got as much into it as I could. It might just be me but it seems weird not to introduce Vaughn in the beginning but what can you do? What I enjoy the most is coming up with the titles. Too bad I come up with snazzy sayings before I even have the chapter! Maybe that's why I'm having trouble adding fillers or "sightings" of the soon-to-be love interest. But now I'm just rambling. Please read and tell me what you think. Reviews are nice, private messages with thoughts and idea are also loved. You know, the basic stuff. Until next time! Toodles.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Harvest Moon. I'm just a faithful fan. :'3

o2) Lady Goddess Luck

There was a definite lurch in the boat that aroused me from what had been a peaceful slumber lulled by what once was calm waters. Who knows how long the waves had been picking up in intensity. All that was known that on one such violent toss angled the boat tilted enough for me, who is a heavy sleeper mind you, to roll out of the bed. In the crossfire, I bonked my head on the dresser that was bolted to the floor.

"Ow! Owowowowowowie!" I yelped out of her sleepy stupor and rubbed my hurt head.

It took me awhile to realize that there was a commotion outside the door. I sat sprawled on the floor and kept my upper body up with my hands. There was very distinctive shouts outside. You would think that with a good week of a decent amount of peace and quiet, I would have noticed the volume close to that of a city. Maybe I had grown so used to it I blocked out everything close to it?

"Hurry! Hurry!" A rushed voice called from somewhere off in the distance. His voice was muffled by the walls around me. "It's taking on water!"

Wait, what? What was taking on water? What about water? Suddenly something cold touched my exposed feet and the smell of salt tickled my senses once more. Looking down, I found the source. Water was leaking from the crack between the door and the floor. Water was seeping in, filling the room with water. From the shock, I pressed my body further against the dresser that had once been my enemy. As the waves of water grew in quantity, I used the object to pull myself up to save myself from getting close.

My eyes, I was sure, were likely to be the size of quarters as I peered down at my feet. I had gone down for a nap, not realizing I had been so tired which was why I was out of my shoes but not my day clothes. I kept staring, watching the clear water creep closer over the dark wood, cover my feet, and retreat. Trance-like, I kept observing this pattern with intensity. It was the remembrance of those shouts combined with the new ones becoming higher in volume that brought me back.

The cabin was filling with water…the…boat…the boat was taking on water!

Another lurch and I lost my footing and stumbled forward. Not even halfway to the other side and the boat rocked back in a quick manner and I flew backwards. My back hit the wall, my already bruising head took yet another beating. More shouting from outside, some screams, rushing footsteps. Nothing like this had ever happened to me. It was only something I had seen in movies. However, survival instincts took over. I tore after the door right when the boat lunged again. I hit the wall.

If I was in the right state of mind, I would have laughed at this twist in fate. Going out for a relaxing vacation only to become part of a brand new version of Titanic only in a warmer climate. But with the crashing thunder now booming overhead and the thrashing boat acting like a kid during a temper-tantrum, I just couldn't do anything. In other words, I was scared. I had every right to be.

Outside of the cabin proved to be more chaotic than my own room. Many people were running about; most hoarding around what I guessed to be the many life rafts I saw earlier tha trip. By the way people were pushing it only validated my guess. Disorientated, I stumbled as I made my way over there. I remember I was hanging onto the railing, my arms more or less the ones keeping me from crashing onto the slippery floor. All I had to do was get over there. All I had to do was make it over there and everything would be taken care of. That's what my mind told me. My mind might have been right but it did not seem to be that easy. My footing was already compromised so when the boat tugged again, a found myself falling over the ledge and into the cold embrace of the water…

I was sinking and sinking fast. It weird how it took precious moment to realize the easiest of things. Like drowning. That's what I was doing, right? That's what was going to happen. I was going to drown. Wasn't I? The dark waters surrounded me and I could barely see a foot in front of me. The salt filled my screaming mouth and burned my eyes; I closed them. If I was going to die, at least it could be a little more comfortable and not taste so much salt. Ah, but again, I was asking too much.

My mind slowed in pace until I thought of nothing. Call it "making peace with my short life." There then was a giggle emerging from somewhere off in the distance. It was a low, hearty chuckle, uninterrupted by the water. Which was odd in itself. I opened my eyes, trying to ignore the stinging. In front of my eyes I could see my hair swirling in front of me. It was brown, I knew from memory. However, between the breaks in my hair I swore I saw something green whiz by, like that of a head of bleached seaweed and much more vibrant than my own hair. I might have been seeing things. That was the only thing I could think about.

"It's okay, dear," something spoke. It was a chiming voice. And there was that soft chuckle. "It's okay."

The voice still continued to penetrate the water. I concluded that it must have been a voice of my head, maybe my subconscious was trying to comfort me in the death that would follow; to make the transition easier. Well, whatever it was, I submitted and let the darkness take over. The last thing I remembered was the feel of hands or something wrap around me…

- - -

My throat was so sore. I coughed and a bunch of water gushed out which only made the burning worse. Something or someone moved me onto my side and I felt it pat my back. The water continued to come out and it was then that I could hear my own cough. It sounded horse and insistent. Even I was getting annoyed with it. However, whoever (or whatever) was patting my back did not let up and continued to console me until, finally, it stopped.

"There, there," said a kind voice.

I groaned, moving my hand to my head and pulling my wet brown hair from my face. With my face free from those blasted clumps, I turned to the source of the noise. Even with my eyes opened, my vision was botched. But I could see the outline of a cheery face framed with a color of pink. My eyes soon adjusted to the bright color with every blink. My senses returned and thereafter noticed the sensation against my skin - a warmth of the sun. Good, so the light wasn't the path to heaven. I groaned again, looking again to the figure who was resting my head on their lap. This time I could see, looking down at me, a very relieved woman. With further scrutiny, I realized that I recognized her; she had been the mother of the two by the railing of the boat. They had been on the boat too. Oh!

"I'm so glad to see you've come to, we were all worried." When I tried to lurch up, she gently nudged me down. "There, there - you must take it easy, hmm?"

I still felt like I couldn't talk, so I obliged her with only a nod and my gaze moved elsewhere.

"How is she?" After a moment of resting, I soon heard yet another voice coming somewhere above my head. This time it was a low male's voice. My eyes moved up. Huh, the old guy. Where was the rest?

"Fine," the pink haired lady said like I wasn't still there, "she just woke up...coughed up a lot of water...her throat's pretty sore. Where's Natalie and Elliot?"

Either she was drifting out of her words, or I was the one drifting out of focus and only hearing bits and peices of her words.

The man moved closer, his feet crunching on the sand. He had shoes on; I wiggled my toes - barefoot. "I had Natalie scope out the parts of the island that are easily accessible. There seems to be about three decaying homes right off the beach. It seems like there are other areas to the left and right but you can't get to them. Natalie went to check up farther. I sent Elliot to find some wood. With the storm, it'll be hard to find anything that had time to dry." After his explanation, he kneeled down close to me. It made me feel uneasy but I felt too weak to push myself up. "How are ya feeling?"

Gazing over to the pink haired lady, she smiled. After a pause, I swallowed, looked back at him, and went about trying to speak. "A…a…a…l-ittle s-sore."

Despite how scary I found this situation, you know the whole almost dying thing, he chuckled a bit. "I bet! You seem to have taken a beating from the boat and the waves. You're lucky, you know? You just popped out from the waves next to the plank of wood we were floating on. The Goddess must have been smiling fairly upon you."

I stared blankly at him and turned my blue eyes to the girl whose lap I still used as a pillow. She nodded in confirmation. "You were very lucky, dear."

At that moment, the other pink haired girl, the one that had been chastising the boy suffering from sea sickness walked up. Behind her, another head rounded a corner. It was none other than the boy from the railing. He had glasses, I saw now that I got a good look at his face. The boy I knew to be Elliot was carrying an armful of twigs. He was having trouble, though, because some of the smaller ones kept finding an exit out and he would jumble the rest in his arms trying to catch it. Whenever one would fall, she'd curse something about how useless he was and pick it up and carrying it. When they reached us, he dropped the lumber into a pile before looking over at me and smiled. He had a comforting smile, it was a shy, sort of book-wormy way. "Ah, I see. You're awake. We were worried for a while there."

"Yeah," the sister said before turning to the older gentleman (their grandfather maybe?), "so that one road? Yeah, it's to some kind of farm."

The man brightened. It was hard to see, what with the mustache and his face having what seemed like a variation of the same one expression, but it was there. "Ah, it brings me back…I'll have to see it," he trailed off but soon grew quiet, looking around. "It seems like we'll be stuck here for awhile. Maybe we'll be able to use the homes for shelter. But it seems like there's only one house that would be strong enough. One storm and I think the others would collapse."

Still keeping me out of the discussion, the sister nodded. "I checked out the farm. That one home, though small, might be suitable. If we just spruce up the two, it'll be able to sustain."

I felt now that I could hold my own weight. With little strain, I pulled myself into a seating position. It was than that they seemed to notice me once more. I put on a smile. "I'll take the farm. It's smaller, right? You have four people. It's just me so I'll take the smaller shelter." I would have felt weird staying with them, anyways. Though, I'd never tell them that. "I'm Emma by the way." It dawned on me that I didn't know anyone but Elliot, and even then I only knew because of the encounter the day before.

"Emma? What a wonderful name," the mother cooed. She seemed to be the loving motherly type.

"I'm Taro and this is my family. My daughter, Felicia," he pointed to the "mother," "and my grandchildren: Elliot and Natalie. Why don't we head over to the homes and see what we can do to fix them up tonight."

I nodded and in that moment, I smiled. Lady Luck, whoever she was, had smiled kindly upon me. I was alive.