Chapter 12
Intangible Feelings
Ann and Popuri struggled to keep up with Althea's brisk pace. Honestly, was she so incapable that she could not have reported that... Thief to Harris? Instead she just smiled at the silly note he left.
"Dang, you're walking way too fast! I- we ran all the way out here!" Ann complained.
Althea laughed, "I'm a fast walker. You'll get used to it." Her mother always walked fast. She supposed she just picked up on the habit - and it did her well to get places quickly. "Besides, why did you ask me to come with you? Why not just get Claire to help?"
"We did!" Popuri whimpered.
Mm, yes, of course.
"We need all the help we can get!" Ann declared, "I heard about this guy from my friend in Forget-Me-Not Valley. She said that he would've stolen a ton of things if their farmer didn't stop him! This is serious!"
"How on earth can a theif who warns his victims get away with anything at all?" Althea questioned incredulously. "Kids these days," she scoffed under her breath. Skye was no kid, but anyone stole things sure did act like one. And he used winky faces. Winky faces were utterly juvenile.
"I have no idea!" Popuri wailed.
"Popuri," Althea stated, "calm down. We'll fix this, okay? Harris can patrol the town tonight, and Rick and... Hmm, Zack could stay up and guard the coop. We're not total victims, okay?"
"Wow! You're so smart! See? I told you she'd be helpful!" Ann hissed at Popuri.
The pinkette merely shrugged and sniffed, flicking a dainty finger across her face to vanquish an unruly tear.
Ann rolled her eyes as they marched into the farm.
Althea's foot caught on the fencing, sending her into the grass. A jolt of pain jerked up her wrist and instigated a cry of pain. Pah, curse her feeble body. And her clumsiness. And her failure to pay attention... Ugh, it was most certainly not a time to yield to self-pity.
"Woah, are you okay?" Ann shouted, zipping to her side in an instant.
Althea gripped Ann's offered forearm, using it as leverage to clamber to her feet. She planted both feet on the ground in a stable posture. "Yeah," she lied, trying not to wince at the prick of pain between her hand and forearm. "Why do you need me to come to the coop, anyway?" she inquired with the sudden realization that she hadn't the slightest clue why she was there.
"Well," Popuri managed in between sniffs, "we're gonna look for clues as to where Skye might be and figure out a plan to catch him." She continued past their house and approached the coop warily, as if it harbored a beast.
Ann pushed past her. "There's no time to waste!" she declared, marching inside.
The coop looked relatively normal, though an air of disclosure hung about. The chickens stooped their heads, as if to say, "Something's very wrong, here." Sacks of feed sat lined up against the wall to their immediate left.
Rick burst in with the most terrifying expression she'd ever seen on his face. "Quick, girls, you need to come see this!" he spat, darting away as speedily as he poked in.
Ann immediately sprinted after him, Popuri in tow.
Althea almost followed, but stopped herself, lingering awkwardly in the doorway. "I'll... Be... In here," she mumbled, though no one could hear. Except for the chickens. They could hear. Anyway, someone should stay and poke around more, and that someone would be her. Kill two birds with one stone! ... She cringed. Luckily they weren't around to hear that one.
A few birds strutted over and pecked at her feet, probably begging for a free meal. Did chickens even beg? She laughed and continued to the back of the coop, scanning the area for anything at all.
Suddenly, a chicken pecked her toe just a little too hard. "Ow!" she cried out and made a grab for her foot, only to look up and realize the chicken grew roughly five feet.
"Wah!" she squeaked, alarmed by the mousy tone of her voice. She grabbed her throat, then looked down at her clothing. Honestly, she forgot a lot of things, but she could at least remember what she dressed herself in. Then, the realization took hold like you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once. "Not again," she whimpered. Just to make sure, she tugged at her hair to confirm its dark green color.
The chickens poked their heads curiously at this new creature, their beady eyes unnerving and dull.
She shuffled backward, only to bump into more feathered animals. Oh goddess, I'm surrounded. Death by chickens. Is that your idea of a good joke, Goddess?
By some power of goodwill, the chickens cawed and dispersed.
"What are they looking at?" A ginormous Popuri bounded over. Seeing her so... Large was absolutely terrifying, she realized.
Ann scoffed, "There's nothing there! Chickens are kinda stupid." She stuck her hands and her overall pockets.
"Hey!" Popuri protested, frowning at Ann.
"But where'd Althea go? We need to tell her about what we found," Ann announced, glancing around, her eyes narrowed in bewilderment.
Popuri shrugged, her curls bouncing. She gripped the folds of her dress, her eyes dancing with light. "Oh! What if she found a clue and ran to tell someone!" she theorized, turning to the door.
"No, I'm right here!" Althea barked. Was she that hard to miss? Or could they just not hear her...?
"That's it!" Ann agreed, a grin on her face as she slapped Popuri on the back and stalked away, pointing up and outward. "To Harris, first! We're gonna crack this case!" she declared.
"Yeah!" Popuri giggled, "Detective Ann and her lovely assistant, Popuri!" She immediately followed Ann out of sight, her poppy red skirt billowing playfully.
...
Invisible.
Perhaps, at times, she desperately wished to run, to hide, but she knew those wishes were all empty. But she never, ever wanted to feel so... See-through again. She sank to the wood floor.
Like I'm nothing.
It humbled her, to say the least. Another problem to add to the list, she supposed.
But... enough about that, what triggered the change? The first thing that happened was the obnoxious chicken pecking her foot. It jolted her; the action no doubt sent her three feet in the air. Perhaps a hefty shock transformed her? It made enough sense. Maybe the same method turned her back!
She scurried to the wall (the chickens giving her a respectable distance) and slammed her foot into it. "Ouch!" she screamed, opening her eyes to reveal more giant chickens. "Aw, dang it," she grumbled. Now her foot throbbed in protest. She reluctantly shuffled out of the coop and into the late summer heat, the sun's rays already dwindling into autumn. Not a single soul occupied the yard.
Well, might as well poke around town while no one could see her. However, she required utmost caution, lest she pop back into human form whilst sneaking about. And so, she hobbled away.
Well, seeing as her walking span dropped about two feet, short distances stretched to the equivalent of a moderate marathon. She barely arrived at the Winery when her form began huffing and sweating profusely. Luckily, her light garment was enough to shield from the sun but didn't trap in the dreaded heat. She leaned against the side of the housing, its surface warm against her skin.
Muffled yelling could be heard from inside.
On second thought, poking around in a house like that seemed... Perilous. Actually, the entire idea of spying on everyone was ridiculous. What was she thinking? With a dejected, huffing sigh, she pushed herself off the side of the house and stood in a patch of grass.
At times like these, even surrounded by people in houses and other places close by, she felt most alone. As everyone went about their daily business so cheerfully, she lingered in a tuft of grass in the hot sun. She stood by herself and wondered, honestly wondered, what to do next.
For one thing, her parents resided in an unreachable place beyond the living world; it was like standing in a boxing ring without anyone to back her up.
Claire... Well, she was human, too. It seemed unlikely that the farmer would see her... Well, the Goddess's purpose was to fix the relationship between her and Claire, right? So... Since she had to make it somewhat possible, Claire would see her, right?
But what if the farmer inquired after her new form? What would Althea say? What could she say? That the Goddess told her to forge a stronger bond with her? If Althea revealed the details of her predicament, Claire would only feel an obligation to be her friend in order to right the wrong. She refused to bind a person's heart in such a way.
So, the solitary sprite hid amongst the green blades. Then a thought popped in her head, a command, almost: Go to the church. She pondered the outcome of this for a moment, deciding that Carter would most likely welcome a Harvest Sprite if he saw one. If she remained invisible, well... Whatever. It would come as no shock.
She skittered exhaustingly across town, up past Elli's house and the General Store. Her feet seemed to superglue to the pavement as she arrived before the Clinic sign. The black, bolded letters printed on the front brought to mind ruffled coaldust hair. She quickly stifled a smile with a sobered expression, but she couldn't help herself after realizing the letters were in Times New Roman font. Of course. She shook her head and turned back to the street.
That difficult man... She smiled despite the recent argument. Why, though? Perhaps the heat and circumstances finally frazzled her brain enough to push her into insanity. Or maybe not. What else could force a smile upon her face, then? Her source of joy omitted negative dealings, such as the verbal slapfight with the town's doctor. A man of science. How ridiculous. Real science used to be great minds questioning the universe, digging into its mysteries to uncover their secrets. Trent's rejection of her existence was, in essence, the opposite of science.
She sighed, kicking at the pavement. Oh, whatever. He clearly never wanted to see her spritely form again, and she drew her own line just as boldly.
Her stomach churned irritatedly, and her body jittered excitedly - for no real reason, actually. The sun scorched her skin (and she was probably getting sunburnt. Can sprites get sunburnt?), and she inhabited this scrawny, weak, tiny little body, and honestly, what got her so worked up? Exhausted and excited seldom mixed well.
The last thing she thought about was... Was...
Oh no. No no no no no. Nononononono. Nope. Nope. She could seriously not feel anything like that for that ignorant, self-righteous, incredibly dense, surpisingly witty, charming... Oh my Harvest God. Get it together, girl, she reprimanded. Really, perhaps such a pleasant distraction would've been welcome, apart from all the drama she currently battled.
She furiously marched up to the Church's doors. The left door sat open, just a crack, giving a glimpse of the late afternoon's warm sunlight spilling in through the stained glass onto the floor.
Her feet suddenly refused to move as her thoughts of silly feelings melted away.
The door greeted her palm with a pleasant warmth. Her head spun lightly, the summer noise seeming to tune itself out, like she changed nature's radio station. Making herself scarce, Althea (Alto, she reminded herself) pressed her body against the door and slid into the chapel.
Carter, wearing a serene expression, cooly scanned his book whilst dutifully standing behind the podium. If he noticed her entry, he withheld recognition.
What use would it be to even try grabbing his attention? Huffing out of frustration or who-knows-what, her nails scraped against a pew as she clambered up the side and sat down. Her feet barely touched the edge of the bench seat.
At least her head lacked its usual racing thoughts. It sort of sat dormant, the few thoughts left in a lull; the church was the right place to go, she supposed. Peaceful and cool... Perhaps she should ponder the situation, then.
So... Claire. Fix things, the goddess instructed. The beautiful glass portrait of the supernatural being above Carter uncannily resembled her. How should I fix things, then? she asked it. Of course, expecting an answer turned out fruitless.
Well... What exactly did she mean by "fix things", anyway? Being besties with Claire again? Cutting off ties completely? Was she to fix herself? Fix Claire? Tch, see, the Goddess failed to provide a specific instruction.
She couldn't read minds. The fact that everyone expected such a thing made her want to scrape her nails against her face and pull her hair out. She sighed. Maybe if she could just calm down... And start at the beginning.
When had her friendship with Claire started? She still remembered way back when, in first grade, she and Claire played with some silly toy they both liked. From there, they remained steady friends through grade school and middle school... Well, in middle school, Claire became exceedingly jealous toward a girl with whom Althea grew closer to. Things never escalated, though.
In high school, things shifted. Althea met a sullen girl at a drama club; it took a while to prod her into giving a name, but eventually, her stubborn facade yielded. Her name was Akaya. Others often viewed the two as strange, but she never minded much.
Akaya suffered from depression. Now, having a friend with depression was... Difficult, to say the least. Akaya assumed the worst in everything, discredited compliments, questioned her friendship with Althea often (which, incidentally, was her only friendship at the time), and tended to push Althea away. She admitted to living in a tough family situation - Akaya grew up in the shadow of her older sibling, and refused to live her life how her parents wanted. She grew tired of feeling unwanted, so one day, in a heated rage after an argument with her mother, packed up and fled the house. She lived with her aunt ever since.
In a way, Althea related to that feeling of failing to rise to others' expectations. Her own parents always disliked her tendency towards the arts instead of a more stable profession, but they seldom (if ever) argued about it.
Depression aside, on her best days, Akaya generally stuck by Althea's side during school. They whispered stupid things and doodled anime characters during class, somehow made good friends with their homeroom teacher, convinced their school to do a Disney "Frozen" musical, among several other ridiculous things. Actually, they tried out for that musical, and Akaya landed Elsa; somehow, Althea played Anna and apparently performed spectacularly. It took a while to convince Akaya to try out, but by the end of the opening night, a bright smile shone on her face.
Althea realized, at the moment, she wore a smile on her own face.
Where was Akaya now? Well, the last time they spoke in person, Althea was waving her off at the airport; Akaya, with her incredible singing voice and head full of music (and little else), went off to live a dream. She signed a record deal with a small company hoping to take her talent and make her into a star... Or something like that.
Althea almost made that deal; the violin was not her only area of musical expertise. But... It was around the time of her parents' accident, and she declined - only to direct them to Akaya, whom they practically ate up.
Her goofy smile dropped. If she accepted that deal, would she even have these problems? Would she have risen to the top? Earned that sought-after fame and glory? The thought of a full wallet, no, a hundred full wallets nearly burned in her throat. Images of vintage dresses and pearl necklaces and gold tubes of ruby red lipstick blazed in her head.
She shook her head vigorously to dispell her visions of grandeur. No, not like she deserved all that - it'd probably go to her head, and she'd become some big jerk or something, anyway. Whatever.
She still needed to think about Claire. How could she reconcile with her? In high school, Claire pulled away after her mother developed a brain tumor. Althea strove to be the best friend she could, but in some ways, Claire made it tough to do. Not to mention Claire usually made her feel guilty for paying more attention to Akaya. Claire and Akaya relentlessly sassed each other when in the same vicinity.
In the end, Akaya's friendship never felt toxic; while Akaya's depression made for a bumpy ride (she eventually sought help in order to heal), she still battled her feelings to support Althea, too. Claire's friendship... It ended up tapering into a single, disastrous end. Well, perhaps not disastrous. It fizzled out when Althea nearly metaphorically drowned in the midst of all her family troubles.
So was it worth fixing? Would it only end the same way? Had the Harvest Goddess doomed her to something terrible?
And now she missed Akaya like heck. Just fantastic. And... Not to mention all those other people who supported her in her time of need. Taku, Akaya, her other high school friends Vaughn, Rod, and Louis... And the others in Aoyama's music class, too, like Mikhail... She missed them all. How could she have left them behind?
Because she was selfish. Because her desperate urge to run away clouded her judgment. Because maybe, deep down, she harbored that awful need to know if anyone would miss her enough to... She didn't know, run after her or something.
Harvest Goddess? Do you hate me? she thought, looking to the portrait once again.
"Excuse me?" a soft male voice murmured in her ear.
She squeaked, eyes meeting kind, gentle ones, so thin they nearly looked closed. Carter. Wait, could he see her? She checked the pews around her to discover they seated no one.
He smiled further. "Yes, I can see you, little one," he assured her, as if reading her mind. His brow crinkled, the faintest of wrinkles denting the skin. "Actually, you're the first sprite I've seen in quite some time. You don't look like the other sprites who live here." He scratched his head.
She found her vocal cords refusing to function. He saw her?! Well, golly gee, it sure looked like the Harvest Goddess took a teensy tiny ounce of pity on her.
"Ah, I guess it doesn't matter much," he laughed, shrugging. Carter knelt down in order to face her at her level. "But, you do look rather troubled. ... I can't pretend to know about your situation, and I'm not quite sure what a sprite like you has endured to cause you grief, but..." He shut his mouth and swallowed, his eyes steady and peaceful. "Always remember who you are. No matter what, if you just hold on to that, you should know what to do," he murmured. He rose to his feet, patted her on the head, and turned and strolled over to the confessional.
The click of the confessional's door sliding into the lock echoed around the church.
Her body sat numbly for a while, soaking up his words and his presence. Remember who you are. She released a shaky, weary breath. She completely remembered her identity. What strange advice to give to a person he knew nothing about.
Feeling much too worn to even consider pondering further, she slid off the bench and trudged out of the church. Though she cringed at the wave of heat, she stumbled off onto the path.
Why did her body feel so... Heavy...? Her feet scraped against the ground. She struggled to keep her eyelids from dropping too far down, and required several stops to steady herself. The sky seemed to roll across her vision. Had her knees just hit something? She swore someone brought a wooden mallet to her head, or something. "Agh..." Grey dots swarmed the corners of her vision, moving like storm clouds and filling in everything in sight.
Someone's face... Akaya? Akaya, is that you? It's been a while, you nerd.
Vaughn? You too? ... Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just hug me or something already, dork.
Haha... Yeah, you too.
The moment her eyes met the stark white ceiling, she panicked. Althea sat upright in a flash - she laid on a... Hospital bed?
Pain pulsed through her skull, forcing her to recline once more. Her hands gingerly gripped her forehead, fingertips crossing the line of her scalp, chest heaving for oxygen. When her breathing finally calmed, she carefully removed her hands and laid them at her sides. She passed out. Right... How stupid.
She laughed despite herself. "Stupid". Funny how she thought that word in Vaughn's brusque, gruff voice.
"I wouldn't be laughing, if I were you."
She twitched.
A familiar dark pair of eyes and tousled mop of dark hair walked into view.
Well, shoot, she thought.
He stood and fixed her with a disappointed, stern stare, one she thought only parents capable of. He shook his head.
She left him speechless? Well, not a difficult task, she supposed. Not to mention she had that effect on people, anyway. "Well, if I can't laugh about the bad things, what can I laugh about, anyway?" she murmured. If he thought it sulky or melodramatic... Well, too bad. He would deal with it.
He tsked, releasing a sigh. "Fair enough," he agreed, surprisingly. "How do you feel?" He swiftly changed the topic to her health, of course, stuffing his hands in his pockets. His hair stuck up messier than usual.
When was the last time he actually touched his hair, anyways? Well, besides washing it in the shower or something. Or running his hand through it, like he did so often. Okay, well, when was the last time he actually cared about his hair? Not that it looked terrible; in fact, it suited him well.
He cleared his throat.
"Uh, um," she stammered. Right - health, not hair. Even if the hair was fabulous. Focus! "Well, my head still hurts, and I feel like I've been run over by a truck, Doctor," she admitted. She supposed calling him "Doctor" in the workplace made him feel "official" or whatever. He showcased a dislike of being called by his given name, an she saw no point in making him uncomfortable while he did his job.
He grabbed a clipboard off the counter and jotted something down with a ballpoint pen. How'd he get that, anyway? They used ballpoint pens in the middle of nowhere, apparently. "Hm, that's normal after fainting," he remarked.
"Good, so I'm not going to die," she started to say.
His head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "Wait, did you say you 'still have a headache'? What do you mean?" His dark brows pressed toward each other, his bottom lip protruding, just a bit.
She bit her lip, accidentally splitting the parched skin and spilling blood into her mouth. "Well," she articulated, her lip protesting, "just before I passed out, my head started... Uh, spinning, and it was throbbing, too." She emphasized "throbbing"; it wasn't a commonly used word, after all.
He nodded. "Alright. Did you experience any unusual changes in mood?"
"N...Not that I know of," she sighed. They communicated so peacefully, for once. The calm atmosphere almost unnerved her.
Trent bobbed his head once more. "It's rather hot out today," he commented, "so I'm only mildly surprised this happened." He looked up from his clipboard. "However, you can only put so much blame on the weather. You should be drinking water throughout the day, and make sure you don't overwork yourself on days like this, alright?"
"Yes, but-" She clamped her mouth shut. Ah, Goddess, she missed those days when she thought before opening her mouth. "Alright," she sighed. Wait, was that it? A lecture and a check-up? Was she free? Well... relatively speaking.
"I want you to stay and rest here today," he stated blandly.
"What? Why?" she blurted, brushing aside the miffed feeling of losing freedom. She had things to do, places to go, friendships to repair so she wouldn't be stuck as a six-inch-tall magical being for eternity. Okay, so perhaps mentioning that last one was less than ideal, but... Whatever.
His countenance remained cold and steady. "Ah, no need to be concerned, Elli will take care of you, and I do this every time someone collapses in this town."
"That doesn't answer my question. I asked 'why'," she pressed. Doctors, she droned inwardly.
He blinked for a second, that iron look in his eyes wavering for a second. "Well..." he began, "I suppose it's to keep you from running off and further harming yourself." With that, he turned and swept the clipboard off the counter.
Wow. Ouch. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?" she interrogated. Geez, he didn't have the right to go around and call people out on their life decisions. ... Even if said life decisions were, for lack of a better word, crappy. But still, he treated her as a disobedient child.
"One that doesn't take proper care of herself," he volleyed smoothly, scribbling another note.
"I- well- how would you know about my health habits?" She frowned, her lips pursing. Seriously, he didn't seem like a stalker. In fact, he holed himself up in his office almost twenty-four seven. Talk about unhealthy mental habits.
His lips bore the faintest trace of a sly grin. Oh, wasn't he so proud of himself. "I do overhear Elli chatting with the other villagers, you know. Even a guy like me hears things," he replied calmly. "Besides, you have yet to come in for an official check-up."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever," she huffed, "just don't poke me with needles when I'm asleep or something." She slowly released tension in her muscles, relaxing them one at a time and sinking into the Clinic's bed.
He pointedly directed an incredulous gaze into her eyes. "Wh... What? Why would I do that?" he questioned.
"I was making a joke," she admitted, "but whatever." She released a breath through her nose.
"Er... Alright," he muttered awkwardly. He continued glancing her way and writing things on the papers in his hands.
Well, whatever momentum they had going just died. She let a yawn loose and reached her arms upward in a gentle stretch. "Y'know," she muttered, figuring the timing served her well to convey a sudden thought, "even if you lectured me... Uh, this probably won't be the last time I'll end up like this." Probably? Well, she knew she would collapse again. Loath she was to admit, her heat drained her body like nothing else. Actually, only intense heat or prolonged socializing sapped her energy.
His dark eyes drilled into her skull. "Perhaps I should purchase a second bed for the Clinic, then," he sighed, his stony expression (or lack thereof) returning.
She frowned. "Really? Why?" she queried, her head lolling to the side in order to keep her head facing him.
He shook his head. "Between you and Claire, I'm not sure just one bed will do, anymore..." With that phrase, he stalked away, a faint smile pulling at his face. He slid the light switch down halfway (ooh, fancy light switch) and closed the door, leaving it open just a tiny crack.
Though his rock hard facade put off notions of kindness, he really cared about people, she realized. He was a doctor, after all. She recalled that radiant smile of his the night of the fireworks show. It would've been nice to watch it with him. O-Oh, but that would've meant they were dating or something stupid like that. Dumb gossips. Can't go anywhere with them around.
She sighed, this time in something like contentment. Perhaps she could've fretted over more silly troubles. But for now... Rest. She needed rest.
5000 words?! Whoop. I'm actually typing this in the car on the way to a weekend vacation, so I'll be busy the next few days. c;
I set up a poll on my profile with a handful of story ideas. I'd appreciate it if y'all could hop over there and vote really quick :D
So about the references to all those other HM characters; I actually have a bit of a headcanon about her highschool life. Also, Akaya has been in my head for a long time. I feel bad about throwing OCs in your faces... But I honestly only really like a few Mineral Town characters. One of my story ideas is to write about Althea's highschool adventures with aforementioned HM characters ;)
As for Althea collapsing, I kept wondering how she and Trent could willingly interacf without making them out-of-character, because (for different reasons) neither would seek the other out unless forced to do so, aha. Then I remembered my headcanon about Althea not ever taking care of herself /shot
And so...
What will happen when she confronts Phantom Skye? Will she even wake up in time? Will Trent have to hunt her down and drag her back to the Clinic? :0 See what happens next time! :D
Lilybud: :D First of all, thank you for the input! It was very helpful, and it aided me in making this a better story.
I'm really, super happy you like their interactions! And I agree that the first draft of that scene wasn't done as well. At any rate, it's awesome that I was able to rewrite it into something plausible. I'm also glad you find Althea's interactions believable - honestly, I've tried so hard to keep her off the Mary-Sue path, haha. If I stray, be sure to tell me :')
Thank you for all the support! I really appreciate it :)