Disclaimer: The day I own Harvest Moon, women will stop preferring Old Spice one bajillion times more than lady-scented body wash for their men. Never. (I also don't own old spice XD)

Once she had arrived home, Angela put the silkworms down in the back of the carriage while she dumped the empty crates around the back of the barn. She took Amber's harness off and led her back into the barn. Finally, she took a deep steadying breath and entered the farmhouse with her head held high, almost able to ignore the pain coming from her foot.

She found Lucinda in the sitting room pouring over a cheesy romance novel. Her confidence wavering slightly, the brunette stood before her stepmother and coughed lightly to get her attention.

The purple-haired woman slapped her book shut and looked up to at the rancher with bored cerulean eyes. "How did the market go?" She asked at last, clearly uninterested.

"Well, all my crops were sold out..." She gulped, "But, nobody wanted Sarah and Millie."

"Who?"

"The silkworms. No one wanted the silkworms." Angela repeated, turning her head away slightly and gritting her teeth on instinct.

"You mean you couldn't even sell those two little animals?" Her stepmother asked with a face red from increasing anger. The brunette sensed one of the woman's famous rants coming on as she stood up from her chair. "I give you one simple task and you couldn't even do it. One simple little task! Why do I even bother with you?" The purple-haired widow screeched, throwing her arms in the air. "The moment your father died I should have given you up to some orphanage! Can you get nothing right? Now I have to put up with those two ugly creatures squirming about my farm stinking up the place!"

"I-I'm sorry! I can't sell something if no one wants to buy it." The rancher explained stepping back from the furious woman before her. Unfortunately, her stepmother would not listen and dragged a squirming Angela by the ear to the kitchen. "I'm really sorry! No one wanted them. I-I couldn't-"

"I don't want excuses," Her elder spat out, grabbing a thick leather strap hanging from a nail by the door. It was old and the leather had countless marks and imperfections from years of use. She glared down at the brunette who stuck out her hand with a wince.

Smack!

Angela gasped in pain and clutched her red hand. "Ow, ow ow." She exclaimed hopping from foot to foot (which was not the smartest move, considering one of her feet was also hurt), shaking her crimson, stinging hand out in front of her. She remembered this feeling from so many days in her teens, of course there was at least a decent reason she got the strap back then. It felt like her hands were burning, but it slowly it would decrease into an almost pleasant feeling of warmth. Almost.

"Other hand." Lucinda commanded, straightening the strap in her bony hands.

X.X.X

"She didn't do that," Witch mumbled quietly to herself, staring into space in Wizard's home. "She did not just do that. She. Did. Not. Just. Do. That."

"Witch, I ... think you should-"

"SHE DID NOT JUST DO THAT!" Witch bellowed, springing to her feet. "Someone needs to show that ugly bag of bones her place!"

The tanned wizard snatched her wrist in one swift movement. "...You cannot do that. It will do ... more harm than good."

"Aren't those weird eyes of yours working?" She screamed, flailing her free arm wildly. "Angie didn't do anything wrong!"

Wizard sighed, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and sat her down gently. "...Two more weeks," He murmured soothingly in her ear. "Two more weeks and you can do ... whatever you like to her."

An evil smile spread across Vivi's pale face. "Oh, the moment Angela gets hitched, that old cow will get what's coming to her." She said menacingly, making Gale seriously regret his previous statement. Why couldn't he ever shut his big mouth?

X.X.X

Smack!

The process was repeated again and again until the purple-haired woman had unleashed her fury and Angela slunk outside to nurse her sore hands and think. In the end, she took refuge by the well at the edge of a field, soaking her hands in the cool crystal water to ease their pain. She wiped away a tear with the back of her wrist. 'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.' She repeated over and over in her mind, as if somehow the meaningless word, not directed at anyone or anything in particular could relieve her. She turned and forced a brave face when she saw Candace walking up to her.

"I'm sorry for what Mother did to you," She offered weakly, taking a seat next to her. Angela just nodded in understanding. "She doesn't..." She trailed off and hung her head. "Underneath it all, she just wants what she thinks is best."

"She has a strange idea of what's best." Angela muttered with clenched teeth as she flexed her hand.

"I know." The bluenette sighed wistfully. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, an awkward silence filling the air. Suddenly, Angela doe eyes widened and she asked,

"Would you tell Lucinda I have to deliver crops to the castle in a few days? It sort of slipped my mind." She smiled in embarrassment. Maybe if she had mentioned that first her hands wouldn't hurt so much... 'A few minutes alone wouldn't do me much harm either.' She thought.

As soon as Candace left, Angela saw a small figure appear through the autumnal mist so commonly present at dusk. The brunette raised her head to the dark blue sky and muttered. "Just had to mess with me, didn't you?"

"Angela! Angela!" A young boy's voice called out. The rancher squinted and smiled slightly. It was Taylor, a kid from Marimba farm. Whenever she referred to him as a kid though, he would indignantly proclaim he was twelve-and-a-half so he was 'pretty much a grown-up'. The young blonde was panting slightly when he reached her and stopped for a moment to adjust the goggles on his head. "I have super news!"

"You finally asked Chloe out?"

"Sh-shut up!" He said with red cheeks. "I'm working on it! But I've started a second business."

"Yeah? What are you selling?" She asked, genuinely curious. The kid had a good business selling seeds over the phone, even if his prices were outrageous.

"...WATER BALLOONS!" He revealed, doing jazz-hands for added effect. He reached into his satchel and took out several packets filled with twenty balloons each. The plastic crinkled in his hand as he waved them excitedly in his face. "I use them on my dad when he starts drinking again." He added in a whisper. It was no great secret that Craig liked the drink, but Taylor was dead set on getting him to quit. Angela thought it was fairly futile, but did not feel like crushing the boy's hopes.

"I'll take three." Angela grinned. Maybe she could plant one under Lucinda's pillow? She inwardly cackled evilly at the beautiful mental picture. Grumbling slightly as she noticed the price tag, she reached into her all-too-thin wallet and pulled out the money. She ruffled the boy's spiky blond hair, "You really know how to make a profit, huh?"

"You bet!" He gave her a toothy grin. "Here, since you're my first customer you get this free!" He pulled out a large watergun, the length of Angela's forearm and twice as thick, it was bright blue with crimson racing stripes.

"You're the best, Tay!" She yelled pulling the kid into a massive bear hug.

"Annnngggggeeeeellllllaaaa!" He whined, trying to escape. "I'm too old for hugs!"

X.X.X

The brunette rancher stood over the stove, watching with detachment as the potatoes boiled, steam escape from under the poorly-fitting lid and bubbles of boiling water build up until it brimming over the edge of the metal saucepan, spilling over the edge, causing the gas ring to hiss angrily. Snapping out of her daze, she turned the heat down on the pot and yawned. The ring of blue fire lowered, tips of the flames turning orange. Why did Luna have to have 'midnight munchies'? Why did her midnight munchies actually arrive at three in the morning? Why did her midnight munchies have to be in the form of a two course meal? She could hear the pinkette sitting at the table, making little squeaks of pleasure as she gazed into her handmirror. How did the girl stay so thin while eating this much? Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she agitated the steak on the frying pan. Medium rare, she reminded herself, well done is hard for Luna to chew.

Since the incident earlier, Lucinda had disappeared to her room, not returning even for dinner. Angela had a bad feeling about this, but figured enquiring would do more harm than good. Why go asking for trouble?

A few minutes later she set a plate down of steak, mash and vegetables in front of Luna. Her eyelids refused to stop drooping and her body suddenly felt so heavy. She plopped down on the chair opposite her stepsister and rested her head in her arms. 'Just dessert left,' She thought optimistically. 'Maybe she only wants a chocolate bar?' To be honest, though, being woken at this ungodly hour wasn't such a bad thing. She was having a ... confusing dream (featuring blonde hair and blue eyes) that was best forgotten.

"I'm coming with you to the castle." Luna stated suddenly, dabbing her mouth with a pink handkerchief.

The rancher's tired mind was slow to react. For a minute she simply sat there, staring at the pinkette with a vacant gaze, before letting out a stupid, "Whaaaa?"

"The delivery. I'm coming too." Luna said curtly.

"Oh okey-dokey!" The brunette smiled, not fully sure what she was agreeing to. "What'da want for dessert?"

"I am fine for tonight, thank you." Luna bit out, suddenly angry. The farmer's brain was still working well enough to know to leave the scene quickly. When her stepsister had left, the pinkette slouched, running fingers through her hair. "She wants to make me fat," She mumbled, clearly disturbed. "She wants him all to herself, but I won't let her. She won't take what's mine..."

A/N: OOOH! Luna's going bonkers! Sorry about how long this took (last-minute cramming to not fail my tests), but I've half the ball already written and the outline for the next chapter, so hopefully that makes up, right? Riiight?