A/N: Thank you to everyone currently reading this story! Every review, follow, and favorite is very encouraging. I ended up splitting this chapter into two parts, as well, because it kept getting longer and longer, and I want to try and keep all my chapters around the same general word count. You can thank my OCD for that. Plus, this chapter is one of my longest so far.

-CCM

Chapter 9: Goddess Blessings

Claire awoke early on the first day of summer after a very restless night, full of fevered tossing and turning. Her uneasy slumber had been haunted by disturbing memories and nightmarish scenes, which flashed from one to another in quick succession – Ann's body lay bleeding on the street, her life draining away by the second; bright red blood splattered the walls of a chicken coop where Popuri sat crying, holding her head in her hands; a huge shadow with piercing eyes of gold followed Claire down the road, its pace steady and determined.

Claire struggled out of bed, trying to shake off her newly formed headache that only worsened with each excited bark from her dog, Bailey. She threw on some clothes and quickly brushed her hair, tying it up into a neat ponytail. It was only six thirty in the morning, but a very busy day for the young farmer – not only did she have her farm work to take care of, but it was the day of the Beach Festival as well.

Her mind was still moving at about a mile a minute, and Claire knew she had to clear her thoughts somehow. Perhaps this called for a relaxing horseback ride through the woods – back when Claire took riding lessons, that had always managed to calm her down. Hopefully it would work now.

After feeding her energetic puppy and preparing a quick and easy breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast for herself, Claire grabbed an apple from the fridge and headed outdoors. The young farmer completed a series of everyday chores – watering the plants, feeding and milking Clementine – before finally entering the stable. Wasting no time, as she had quite a long list of things to do for the day, Claire fed the apple to Thunder and attached his saddle and other riding gear, leading the young horse outside by a rope.

Hopping easily onto Thunder's back, Claire urged the horse to start moving, and directed him toward the path at the edge of her field that led out into the forest. Suppressing a flicker of doubt, Claire crossed the bridge into the woods before pausing in thought.

Which way now?

She could go down the road past Gotz's cabin, which she hesitated to do. Or she could go up the path to the mountain, which she definitely did not want to do – Goddess only knows what could be hiding up there. In the end, Claire decided to ride down a smaller third path that she hadn't really noticed upon first glance. She didn't know where it went, exactly, but it looked sunnier and much more inviting.

Claire rode on, but the path turned out to be very short – it ended in a sunny clearing, with a waterfall that splashed into a lovely pond to her right, and a small building of sorts at the far end – a Hot Spring. Taking in the picturesque scene and the peaceful sound of splashing water, Claire noticed with a jump that there was someone else in the clearing – someone who sat the edge of the pond, staring out into the water.

Claire knew that head of bright pink hair anywhere by now – it was Popuri.

"Popuri!" she called.

Glancing over her shoulder for the source of the voice, Popuri spotted Claire on her horse and motioned her over. The blonde girl dismounted Thunder and led him over to the pond, where she took a seat next to the pinkette, looking around.

"What is this place?"

Popuri looked out over the water again, at the elegant waterfall and smooth surface of the pond. When she spoke, her voice sounded different in a way, older somehow.

"It's the Goddess Pond. Legend says the Harvest Goddess lives here, at the base of the waterfall, where she can watch over all of Mineral Town, helping the villagers and granting her blessings in exchange for offerings of fruit and flowers. I was just offering the Goddess a bouquet of Pink Cat flowers, to pray for Ann." She pointed at the soggy pink flowers floating on the surface of the water. "I... I heard what happened to her."

She went silent, and Claire hesitated a moment. "That was... that was really thoughtful of you, Popuri. Are you still...?"

Popuri sighed. "It's been hard, Claire. I'll admit that. Yesterday I left another bouquet of flowers, in remembrance of my... of my chickens. The mayor and Officer Harris came in to investigate after it happened, but Rick, my brother, he asked them not to make a big deal of it. Didn't want some huge investigation at the farm. Better to just forget about the bad things and move on, I guess. They... they had it cleaned up, and now everyone's so focused on the attack on Ann..." She trailed off, and Claire finally opted to change the subject, for her sake.

"...Hey Popuri, where is Rick?"

The pink haired girl absentmindedly adjusted her headband as she spoke, her voice now back to its usual lively tone. "Rick's back at the farm with Mom." The look on her face brightened. "You could probably come stop by in a little bit! We could go to the festival together. It'll be fun! You know, if that's okay." She giggled. "I'm sure Rick wouldn't mind at all."

Claire smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great, Popuri. I'll see you guys later, then."

The blonde stood up and stretched, as her back was slightly stiff from sitting on the ground, before mounting her horse again. Popuri called after her as she rode off, "Bye, Claire! See you soon!"

A vaguely uneasy feeling struck Claire. Popuri may have seemed relatively cheery at the pond just then, but Claire could tell it was just an act, and that the girl was hurting deep down. First, her beloved chickens had been slaughtered, and then one of her best friends was violently attacked... Claire couldn't blame her, but it made her feel uncomfortable knowing that Popuri may be much more depressed than she let on.

Shaking off these feelings, Claire pushed Thunder to ride faster. In the early morning, the forest didn't feel threatening at all, quite the contrary in fact. The sun beat down through the trees, and the woods were full of life – birds called, squirrels rustled in the trees and an occasional rabbit bounded through the grass, butterflies fluttered in patches of sunlight.

But Claire knew from experience that outward appearances weren't everything.

Nearly an hour later, Claire's leg muscles were aching from sitting on her horse in the riding position for so long, and the blonde prepared to turn back to the farm. However, upon reaching the path that led toward Gotz's cabin, she made an impulsive decision. Claire had always been an inquisitive sort – it occasionally got her into trouble. And spotting Gotz's house on the path ahead, Claire couldn't help but feel slightly adventurous.

Sliding off her horse, she led Thunder over to a tree and tied his rope around it before sneaking over to Gotz's cabin, pressing herself against the rough wooden wall. The window next to her was slightly ajar, and she could hear someone talking. Two voices.

Curiosity overcame her, and Claire prayed that nobody happened to be looking out the window at that time. Sucking in a deep breath, she took a chance and lifted her head to peer through the glass, where she could see everything inside quite clearly.

Gotz was sitting with Officer Harris at the dining table, both men looking very serious and vastly unaware of their eavesdropper. Claire strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"-unusual. I've been patrolling the streets for hours, ever since the attack on Ann, actually." Harris lowered his hand to his belt as he said this, and Claire noticed something black and metallic through his fingers. A gun.

Gotz noticed it too. With a hint of distaste, he said, "I see you've got a new weapon..."

The officer nodded. "Well, yes. This attacker means serious business. I mean, he very well could have killed Ann – really, it's only good luck that he didn't. And if it comes to having to fight fire with fire, I will. Though truthfully, this may be more for visual effect. I'm not the best with guns." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

The carpenter frowned. "All right, Harris, but please don't just go shooting at random. Only if you're absolutely sure of yourself." He shook his head. "I've been patrolling the mountain all night as well. Who knows what, or who, may be hiding out up there... though I haven't seen anything yet."

This time, it was the officer's turn to frown. "Perhaps it should be me patrolling the mountain..." he started, but fixed himself at the glare Gotz was giving him. "I mean, thanks for helping out, Gotz, but-"

Gotz interrupted him. "You know that I know the mountain much better than you. And you could use my help – one man can't patrol an entire town by himself. Besides, patrolling the mountain was my idea in the first place."

Harris grimaced. "It-it's been quite a while since... you know... I don't think-"

The larger man interrupted him, again. This time, tears shone in his eyes as he spoke. "My wife and daughter meant the world to me. I think, if I can prevent others from meeting that same fate... those two will rest a little more peacefully..."

Harris nodded quietly, looking solemn. "I think so, too... Well, I'll see you later, Gotz. Will you be participating in the festival?"

Gotz shook his head. "No... I'd prefer to stick around here. Not such a big fan of beaches."

"Oh, well, I understand. Beach Day isn't really my thing, either."

Harris stood up from his chair and began walking toward the door, and it took Claire a minute to process what was happening.

She took off through the trees as fast as she could. Officer Harris couldn't catch her spying on them.

"Thunder!" she hissed. The horse whinnied in response to her voice, somewhere to Claire's left, and she turned around a large pine to come face to face with her horse. She quickly untied him from his tree and jumped into the saddle, riding off in the direction of the bridge toward Sunshine Farm.

"Come on, boy... that's enough adventure for one day."

Plus, Claire had other plans to attend to before the festivities began.

Claire entered the Clinic to find it near empty and deathly silent. Elli was sitting at the front desk, sorting through papers, but she stood up as the blonde girl approached her.

"Hello, Claire... here to see Ann?"

Claire nodded, and the young nurse took her by the hand and led her to the door of Ann's room. "Doug and Cliff are inside... Ann hasn't waken up yet, but Doctor Trent cleaned out the wounds and gave her stitches." Elli grimaced. "That poor girl... those gashes were terribly deep. Trent said that they looked like claw marks... like something from a huge animal."

She shuddered. "But please, never mind that! Here, come in."

The brunette opened the door for Claire, and together they stepped inside. Cliff looked up as Claire approached and bobbed his head in greeting, but Doug ignored their presence completely. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and he kept his vision trained on his daughter's face. Claire cringed as her eyes swept over the scene – Ann's forehead was badly bruised, with an egg-sized bump just above her eye, and she was glad the rest of the girl was covered by a blanket.

I don't think I could stand to see Ann's injuries... but I might have to if I want to try and determine what attacked her for myself.

Elli's quiet voice interrupted Claire's thoughts. "Stay as long as you like, Claire. I'll be out at the front desk." She left, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her, and Claire tore her eyes from Ann to look at Cliff. She was shocked to see how empty he looked.

"Cliff..."

He glanced up sadly. "Claire… Ann is... she's almost like a sister to me. I can't stand to see her hurt. I-I just hope she gets better, and soon."

Claire nodded. "I understand completely, Cliff. It's what we all wish." The blonde glanced back down at Ann, and that's when she noticed something different.

"Ann...?" Claire spoke up uncertainly. The girl's eyelids fluttered, and then her eyes opened, revealing pale blue irises. Her body shifted a few inches, and then she let out a faint moan of pain as if the slightest movement hurt her.

Immediately, Doug sprung into action. "Ann! Oh my Goddess, Ann, my daughter! This – this is a blessing from the Harvest Goddess herself! We need the Doctor – Cliff, I'll be right back, stay here!"

Claire snorted as he darted out of the room before glancing again at Ann in the bed. As if we would actually go anywhere now...

Just seconds later, Doctor Trent appeared in the room, trailed closely by a hopeful Doug. "So she's awake... we'll need to check on her injuries, quickly. Cliff, Claire, Doug, it's all right if you stay, but please sit down."

The three visitors took their seats in the gathering of wooden chairs beside the bed, and Trent lifted the covers off of Ann, revealing the striped knee-length nightgown she wore. Elli must have changed her clothes last night... there was no way they could leave her in what she had on. Claire winced as she remembered the way Ann had been discovered, her clothing shredded and stained with newly spilled blood.

Trent gently lifted the girl's pajamas, just enough to reveal the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around her body. Cliff immediately began to blush, and averted his eyes at the sight of Ann's bare legs, fixing his gaze upon the floorboards instead.

Claire, meanwhile, caught a glance at the girl's abdomen as the doctor carefully peeled away at her bandages, and wished she hadn't – at least three long gashes ran across her stomach from one side to the other, sewn up with noticeable black stitches but still oozing slightly. The entire area was a blueish shade, like an enormous bruise, matching the black and blue bump on her forehead. It didn't look good.

Trent began to clean the wounds and prepare fresh bandages for her. Ann seemed barely able to process what was happening, as her face was scrunched up in sheer pain. Claire finally looked away, feeling squeamish.

"Elli, go grab the pain medications, please. You know the ones. She'll be needing them, for sure."

Claire hadn't even noticed Elli enter the room, but she heard the door swing open as the nurse exited. The doctor sighed as he placed his final bandage on Ann.

"We need to bring Officer Harris in to interrogate her. I'm sorry, but you're all going to have to leave."

Doug's gaze hardened. "I'm not leaving. That's my daughter there, I can't leave her! She needs me."

Trent shook his head, knowing it was useless to argue with the man. "Fine, Doug, you may stay. But Claire, Cliff, I'm afraid you must go. Standard protocol."

Claire nodded – she didn't have the strength to protest. Doctor Trent led Cliff and Claire out into the main foyer, before turning back to Ann's room and calling out behind him, "Elli, could you please call the mayor's house for me?"

Elli nodded as she stepped forward to hand him a bottle of pain medication. "Of course, Doctor." She scurried back to her desk and lifted the phone as Claire turned to Cliff.

"Well, I guess we should go..."

Cliff merely shook his head, either refusing or unable to speak, Claire couldn't quite tell which. They waited for Elli to finish her call before Claire said her goodbyes to the girl.

"Bye, Claire! Maybe I'll see you at the Beach Festival later. I'm working now, obviously, but Trent might allow me to leave for a bit and join in the festivities." She frowned slightly. "I don't think he wants to go, he'd rather look after his patient, but truthfully, I could use a little break from all the... unhappiness."

Claire could not blame her one bit.

She and Cliff exited the Clinic together, and then simultaneously turned toward one another. "Cliff, I need to go grab some things for the festival from the farm, and then I'm going to meet Popuri and Rick at their house."

The young man nodded. "Sure... Um, I'm going back to Aja Winery for a bit... See you later, I guess."

"Bye, Cliff."

They went their separate ways, Claire heading back toward Sunshine Farm to grab her swimsuit, some shorts and a T-shirt, and her rucksack filled with various snacks and such. She hoped the festival would be fun – anything to get the image of Ann's injured body out of her mind, if only for a little bit. A wave of anger coursed through the farmer at the very thought.

How could anyone do such a terrible thing?

Claire wanted nothing more than to find the culprit and have them rightfully punished. Nobody would deserve it more...

A/N: Just something I thought might be interesting, the scene where Harris and Gotz are talking in Gotz's house in this chapter is largely based on a real event in the More Friends of Mineral Town game. I thought it fit in well with this story when I saw it, so I modified the scene a bit to fit the situation and wrote it in.

Thank you all for reading as usual! Don't be afraid to voice your thoughts – I like to know what people truly think of the story, especially as it's my first big fanfiction.

-CCM