She appeared again that night– the dream woman in the mermaid tail dress. Glowing, blindingly, she emitted a white ring of light which seeped into the blackness, surrounding her much like a moon halo. Gazing at Akari, intently, the woman opened her mouth, flopping her thick, grass-like hair over her shoulders as she moved.

Akari could only stare back, perplexed. Who is this woman? Akari wondered; And why does she keep reappearing like this? Does this mean I'll die in seven days?

Pleadingly, the woman clenched her fists close, as if begging, and with a faint, harmonious voice, she tried to ask Akari for help: "... the Harvest Goddess... my... Please..."

Me? Akari asked, drifting away from the woman. But I'm very scrawny... I smell like a kappa and everyone knows I'm suspicious. You should... ask someone better.

Looking up, the woman gazed sympathetically at Akari– with gentle, crestfallen eyes.

Oh... don't feel sorry for me, Akari thought, touched by the woman's kindness. You're the one in trouble, right? You seem trapped. I'll try to help you. But... Where are we?

When Akari woke up that morning, drowsy and disconcerted, she wandered into the shop and found the mayor– chatting quietly with Ruth. When he saw Akari, he immediately asked her what was wrong, inviting her into a discussion about the mysterious glowing woman.

"Hm... Strange dream," the mayor said, holding his mouth in wonder. "Did she look like... like a goddess of some sort?"

"A goddess?" Akari repeated, certain that she remembered something about that. "Well. She– I mean–" Akari paused, distracted by the strange swaying movements that the short man was making. It almost seemed as if his entire body was a round coconut, trying to slosh its milk around. "Ah," she tried to continue; "There was–"

Instantly, the mayor's eyes bugged out– startling Akari about as much as he appeared to be. Ruth, standing nearby, curiously glance up from her flower-cutting table.

"By any chance... was she like..." Mayor Hamilton stopped, narrowing his eyes. "No, it can't be... That's not right... hmm."

"W-what?" Akari asked, unsettled by his secrecy.

Knowing that she was suspecting him, the mayor panicked accordingly, dabbing at the sweat beading off his face. "Well, let's forget about dreams for now, Akari!" he spouted; "Your house is completed!"

"It is?" Akari gasped ecstatically.

Hamilton chortled gleefully when he noticed how easily he had distracted her. "AND it's rent free!" he proclaimed, throwing up his arms. This got the girl even more excited, so much so, that he felt inclined to add that it was "even FURNISHED!"

Akari punched the air excitedly and sang inaudible music notes.

Hamilton had to ham it up even further, explaining how he was having a "MEGA RED TAG SALE" for this one house that Akari was already getting for free. It was unclear where the actual sale was, but she was pumped nonetheless.

"Just tell us where to put the house!" Hamilton said, making Akari wonder if the house was a moveable float.

"Right." Akari nodded, moving closer to personally ask him something: "Um... Which place..." She paused, dizzy with apprehension; "Which place would you say is the most isolated? You know. Furthest from... everyone?"

Hamilton squinted his eyes at her.

"N-not that I'm planning on being unsociable– or anything!" Akari blurted forcibly; "I just really want to develop an abandoned area! One with water nearby, hopefully. You know, urban development– man against nature... Go humans, go!"

"There IS the Hilltop Plot," Hamilton mentioned, holding his mouth thoughtfully and believing her bizarre excuse. "Two steps from the river and twenty steps to the sea! Why, I imagined you'd even wake up to the sound of the stream!"

"I'll take it," Akari cried deliriously, clasping her hands together. "Thank you. I owe you for life!"

"No no, it's rent free, remember?"

After he left, Ruth beckoned Akari to the flower-cutting table, congratulating her while ruminating over the fact that the girl would soon be leaving them.

"Oh, no... I'm not sad or anything..." Ruth said, frowning broodingly. In truth, she looked sadder than Akari had ever seen her before. (Amazing how that was even possible!)

"I'll come visit you soon!" Akari promised, wondering if such a simple thing could really console or make any person happy. Taking her by surprise, though, Ruth smiled brightly at the fact; every worried wrinkle smoothed on her face and she appeared as young as a child. For the first time, Akari felt welcomed in a home that was not her own.

Thanking her once more, Akari headed for the door, but stopped when Ruth called out in sudden realization: "I almost forgot! Hold on a moment!"

When they rejoined in the center of the shop, Ruth handed Akari two days worth of pay and a gift box of seeds.

"...My husband won't say it," Ruth explained; "but he was happy to have you here. You remind him of our son who's staying with some relatives in the city."

Akari already suspected that Craig didn't hate her after all, but hearing acknowledgment from his wife did away with any doubts.

Saying their goodbyes once more, Akari left, springing away with a lively step. I remind him of their son... She smiled to herself, leaving off down the mining district's dusty dirt road.

Their son.

Akari's limbs locked up when she finally realized the implications. So he thought I was a BOY? She held her face and nearly cried out, disturbed by the unglamorous notion.

Well. It wasn't anything new. Even Pascal, the captain of the boat which carried her to this island, had to ask her what gender she was. Sniffling dejectedly, she stopped and rubbed her eyes. At least she was warmly accepted now. I'll be grateful– who cares about such a small thing! Still, she was a little bit hurt.

Hearing quick footsteps from behind, Akari turned around, finding that farmer Craig was running straight for her.

"...Here," he panted with forced grouchiness, readying a gift box; "it's nothing special, but I want you to have this." Despite his efforts to hide his good nature, it showed through with his faint smile.

Opening the box, and realizing what he had given her, Akari rocketed one meter into the air and unnecessarily proclaimed: "Got a 'hoe'!"

Craig was so confused, that all he could do was clap.

Saying their goodbyes, Akari left once more, but this time with the mayor, who was waiting for her at the end of the district road. Informing her that her house was complete, AGAIN, he led her way up to the north-east side of the island overlooking the river.

Dewy air, made cool by the adjacent river, peacefully swayed through the trees as Akari marveled at her new home. It was so new that she could still smell the crispness of its freshly cut pine and cedar wood.

"...Well," the mayor said; "I can see you're busy admiring your new home. It IS quite a beauty."

Akari would've answered Hamilton, but she was in so much of a daze that by the time she was ready, he was already talking again. "Right. Well, I should get back to work," he said, but with hesitance. "One more thing... The dream you said you had about that lady. Don't worry about it too much. Just focus on your new life here on the island."

Akari watched the plumply rotund man leave from the corner of her eye– certainly, he was hiding something. But being that it was such a pleasant afternoon, she decided to relax instead of questioning him and being rude. He had been very generous with her, after all.

Entering her house, Akari soaked in the warm and fuzzy light pouring in from the windows. Later, she would have to initiate her nearby river as her kappa water home. But first, she considered her ranch's name. Something... to go with the sweets theme of the town, she thought; and as homage to the river and waterfall nearby.

Akari right away knew what it would be. Caramel Ranch.

Later that day, when night had fallen and everyone was asleep in bed, Akari walked down from her farm's hill overlooking the water. Tired and covered in dirt, it had been hard to resist running and diving headfirst into the water all day– especially while watering her newly planted seeds. Because bathing in daylight is risky, she considered, flopping off her boots at the shore and entering ankle deep into the water. Especially in a place I'm not used to.

Looking around quickly and trusting the cover of darkness, Akari slipped off her shirt and kicked away her shorts. But it should be fine now! Bumpy green scales were already raising on her legs and soaking up water. Holding in a yelp of excitement, she cannon-balled in and grew alive as the water currents danced and tickled all around.

What was the ritual that Papa taught me, again? Akari thought carefully, managing to catch a glimpse of the peaking stars through the rippling clear water. Being only half kappa, she wasn't nearly strong enough to create her own magical domain, or even just a dimensional pocket, so she could only use a very simple method.

'No worries. Easy,' her father had told her; 'Kiss the stream. One can claim anything that way. Also works for humans, same way. Just not as strong.'

Closing her lips, tightly, Akari floated backwards, locking her mouth against the current and nearly inhaling it. For just a moment, she could feel the current grow warm and then almost hot. Floating under, she stayed there for a while, lulled almost to sleep by the warm, enveloping water. Before long, though, her lungs began to burn.

Blasting up to the surface, Akari gasped for breath. Though she was part kappa, she was part human. As such, she could only hold her breath for just awhile before feeling pain. After that, she would experience all the suffering of drowning, even remaining conscious throughout, enduring the agony of being human. It was unknown if she could ever truly drown, but she always heard the saying about how even kappas drown.

Hmm, the current's kind of strong, Akari thought, swimming far upstream. Climbing up on a low, rocky ledge near the base of the nearby waterfall, she panted quietly. "Whew," she gasped, drip-drying on the cold rock beneath her; she had already soaked her water reservoir to full capacity. "Getting tired..." Though she felt much better, being re-hydrated and all, swimming against the current had quite taken the life out of her. She was a good swimmer, as was due to her heritage, but even kappas get tired while swimming UPSTREAM.

Oh wait! Akari suddenly remembered something. What was it that Papa told me before I left?

'Stream is good,' the taciturn kappa had said to his daughter; 'Lake is better. Slow-moving waters? Best for baby kappa.'

"B-baby?" Akari sputtered, leaning on her hands and knees. That's right! I'm such an idiot! she realized– her head drooping in self-reproach; He was warning me about rough waters... He was telling me to claim something calm– like a pond. Why didn't I make a note of that? Her father had a strange way of speaking, true, but she still felt disappointed for not understanding him sooner. After all, he would speak to her more often than he'd even speak to her own mother. Always, he was watching Akari from mirrors and rain puddles, looking out for her while her mother was busy working. Sometimes, he would even speak to her when she was lonely.

And whenever the other kids bullied me, Akari looked down; he'd play tricks on them and make them go away...

That reminds me– Akari sat up, pulling her legs close. Mama used to get upset since he'd rarely visit her. She'd often ask 'why did he marry me?' But he told me himself, that sometimes she was a little too forceful and scary– that he didn't know how to properly voice his feelings to her. I'm sure of it, though; that he was always watching over her– just like how he was always watching over me.

"I hope," Akari said, looking into the water; "that they can finally express their feelings to each other now."

I'm really lonely without them... but I don't regret anything, Akari thought, looking down at the water; Because I don't want to regret anything anymore... She froze when a shadow fell over her. Looking up, petrified, Akari saw him.

A man shouldering a wide-brimmed hat was staring across at Akari from the other side of the riverbank.