The Grass is not always Greener: A Stardew Valley Saga:

Prologue

Author's note: For those who follow me for my Garridan MD story, I'm currently on hiatus about it, waiting for Ep 8 to air before I write another chapter. So, to fill the gap in the meantime, I decided to try a slice of life story of Stardew Valley, a game I'm very fond of. Hope you like it. Also, keep in mind this fic is actually going to be a collab one like my MD one, but a lot more frequent. For those curious, the other collab story is called The Rain whispers like Stardrops by my best friend thesparklymisfit on DA. Hers will cover her character River Rose while this one covers more of Johnny Greene, her stepbrother. Anyway, hope you like it.

Feedback is always welcome as long as its constructive.

As the bus continued towards its destination, A brown haired male wearing a green shirt and blue jeans by the name of Johnny Greene was in deep thought. He and his stepsister River Rose were traveling to a new destination called Stardew Valley to start a new life on a farm left to them by River's grandfather.

Deep down, Johnny was very uneasy about living on a farm, but after what happened between him and River back in the city, he knew he couldn't stay there any longer, especially after nearly getting arrested by the police.

Even now, Johnny couldn't stop thinking of that horrible day three months ago. He had come home from work, only to find a ghastly site. River's boyfriend or now ex-boyfriend had beaten her severely in their home.

As soon as Johnny saw what he had done to his stepsister, he completely lost his temper and thrashed him with his fists and knees. Johnny was so enraged in fact by his vile actions, he beat him to near unconsciousness. In fact, had it not been for seeing River bleeding profusely soon after in the bedroom, he might have gone so far as to kill him in his fury. To this day, Johnny couldn't deny he was angry enough to do it.

In a weird sort of way, seeing River dying stopped him cold in his tracks, instantly rushing to her aid, even calling for paramedics as soon as he saw how severe her wounds were.

"C'mon, stay with me, sis!" He pleaded in a panic after trying to stop the bleeding. "Don't die on me!"

To not be completely heartless, Johnny let the paramedics know two people needed to be taken to the hospital after seeing how battered and bruised River's abusive boyfriend was from his thrashing, though he called the police soon afterwards, telling them what he had done to her.

At first, the police didn't question Johnny on what he had done, considering it a case of self-defense. However, once they started looking more into the incident, they soon discovered Johnny had left the guy with serious injuries from his "self defense", ranging from broken ribs, a concussion as well as serious cuts to his face, chest and legs.

Once they got a full report of River's boyfriend when it came to his injuries, they sent two officers to arrest Johnny for assault. Not surprisingly, he was livid as soon as they told him he was going to be taken to the station to be questioned and even thrown into a jail cell.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" He shouted at them. "I was defending my sister from that monster!"

"Look, punk, don't make us add resisting arrest to your charges." The sergeant warned him. "Now either come quietly or we'll pin you to the ground to take you away if we have to."

Johnny though wasn't about to go quietly, demanding, "Talk to River about what happened! She'll vouch for me! I even called an ambulance for that creep too! I could have left him for dead if I really wanted to, but I didn't! I even called you guys about it as well! You think I would do all that if I was guilty of a crime?!"

Fortunately for Johnny, they decided to take him up on his suggestion, saying, "Very well then … we'll get the story from her and the 911 operator you called to verify if what you're saying is indeed true. Wait here."

Johnny didn't argue with them, but nodded his head. The cop in charge soon went to River's bedside, who was now conscious, asking her, "Miss Rose, we'd like to hear your side of the story. Is it true what your brother told us? Did your boyfriend beat you severely and Johnny came to your aid?"

River now began to tear up, replying with a sob, "Yes, it's all true, officer. Had he not been there, I would have died. I owe him my life. So please… go easy on him. He was only trying to protect me."

After hearing that, the officer was in deep thought, saying with a look of sympathy, "Thank you for your time, miss. We'll take what you said into consideration."

The officers then got the 911 operator's side of the story, where they heard the call and Johnny specifically calling an ambulance for two individuals. Once they heard that, they realized Johnny had indeed told them the truth.

"You think we still ought to arrest him, sergeant?" the other officer inquired.

The sergeant sighed heavily, answering, "No… we'll let him go. I mean, he did save his sister's life. Plus, I can tell she'll be needing someone to care for her anyway with how injured she is and all. I suppose it might as well be him."

"Very well then, sir."

The two officers then walked back to Johnny, with the sergeant saying, "Alright, we checked your story and… it appears everything you said was the truth. So… we'll let you off with a warning."

"Thank you, officer." Johnny said, deeply relieved.

"However, this had better never happen again!" The sergeant severely warned him. "Just because you were defending a family member doesn't give you the right to put the assailant in the hospital! So I suggest you tread lightly from this point on, son, because you're on thin ice! If we ever get another call like this, we'll put you behind bars regardless of the reason. We clear?"

"Crystal, sir." Johnny answered, keeping a straight face. Deep down however, he was completely disgusted with them for chastising him for his actions.

"Alright, let's go." The sergeant said to the other officer.

And with that, the two of them left.

Once they were out of sight, Johnny shook his head, muttering under his breath, "What a lovely society we live in nowadays… they probably would have loved it if I didn't lay a hand on that creep! Ugh, whatever… it's all over with anyway. I better go tell River the good news."

He quickly went to her bedside to let her know he wouldn't be getting charged with a crime. Needless to say, she was deeply relieved, smiling soon afterwards, saying, "I'm so glad they didn't arrest you, bro."

"Yea, same here, sis…" Johnny replied, nodding his head. "I mean, I was only trying to save you is all. The fact they would even put me in the same boat as that creep is… is…"

Johnny could not finish that thought, as he began to break down into tears.

"What's wrong?" River asked him, deeply concerned.

"I… I should have done more to stop this from happening." Johnny told her with a sob. "I should have seen the warning signs ahead of time and…"

River lovingly shushed him soon afterwards, saying softly, "It's ok, bro, really. The fact you saved my life is more than I could have asked for." She then added looking away with sadness, "Let alone deserved…"

"Don't be silly, sis!" Johnny scolded her. "Of course you deserved to be saved from that creep! You're like family to me and that won't ever change!"

After hearing that, River now teared up as well, saying with a faint smile, "Thanks, bro. I really appreciate hearing that from you."

"You're more than welcome, sis." Johnny replied, smiling back at her. "And I just want you to know that I won't ever let this happen to you again, you hear me?!"

"Of course, bro." River answered with a nod. "Although, I think it's going to be awhile before I even think about dating again. That last experience nearly broke me, you know?"

"I understand." Johnny acknowledged with deep sympathy. "Well, if you need some time to deal with what you went through, then you do that." After a long pause, he added, "Still, I hope you won't give up on dating entirely since I do believe there is a nice guy out there for you. You're too sweet of a person to not get noticed by at least one of them."

Despite how touched she was by his words, River instead said while looking away saddened, "Anyway, um… let's talk about this another time. I could use some rest anyway."

"Of course, sis." Johnny replied with a nod. "If you need me for anything, don't hesitate to let me know, ok?"

"I'll be sure to do that, bro."

Johnny's mind now flashed back to the present, thinking to himself, I sure hope this valley will be good for the two of us. The last thing we need is another incident like in the city."

It was then he noticed the bus was no longer moving, muttering, "Lovely… I guess we'll be delayed for a bit."

Johnny soon learned of why the bus had stopped, where he decided to let River know the situation. However, when he went to her seat that was in front of him, he noticed her facial expressions were one of fear and sorrow. Not wanting to see her like that, he gently grabbed her shoulder, which snapped her to attention.

"River, are you okay?" He asked her deeply concerned while rubbing her shoulder. You're looking a little pale."

River nodded quickly, answering while stretching her arms, "Y-yeah sorry. It was just a dream…"

Johnny was tempted to ask her what she was dreaming, but before he could, she asked him instead after noticing the driver outside, "What's going on, are we there yet?"

Johnny shook his head, explaining "No, the bus is having engine troubles; they're going to figure it out and have us up and running in a few minutes."

"Surprised you haven't jumped in to help," She said, rooting through her bag, looking for her canteen. She soon added, "I know how mechanically inclined you are."

"Well… while I was tempted to do that, I opted to stick with you for the time being instead." Johnny said. "Besides, they seem to have it under control anyway from the looks of it."

"You don't need to constantly stick by me, bro." River said, trying to shrug it off. "I won't break."

Johnny however couldn't help but notice her wounds on her lower arms, asking her with a frown, "Are you sure about that?"

River soon noticed him looking at her scars, causing her to quickly pull her bandana back over them, muttering deeply embarrassed, "This is going to be different, ok? Stop being so paranoid about it."

"Look, I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject, sis." Johnny said sheepishly, leaning back in his seat. "It's just those scars of yours really scared me when I first saw them. I hope you can understand."

"I know…" River acknowledged. "I never want to put anyone through that again… least of all you, bro."

Trying to put on a brave face, he said to her with a faint smile, "This is going to be good for both of us, I know it."

Unknown to the blue haired female however, he only said that to try to cheer her up. Thankfully though, she didn't press him about it, saying with a chuckle, "If I know Papi...I know it will be too."

Moments later, the engines fired and the bus started moving again.

After a few minutes of silence, Johnny piped up again, asking her, "So…do you know anything about this farm we're moving to?"

"Not much." She shook her head, "Just that it's a decent bit of land Papi owned a long time ago. Supposed to be joined by a small town."

"Hopefully it's a friendly one," He looked at her a little more sternly, reiterating "If anyone does give you a hard time there, I want you to please tell me."

"Johnny...let's...try to have a more positive outlook on this." River advised him with a sigh. She then turned to the window to look at the passing scenery, adding, "We don't know anyone who lives there yet, I'd like to think we're moving to a nice place."

"Well…I guess some optimism wouldn't hurt...still you-"

River groaned exasperated, shouting annoyed "I know, I know! I promise I'll be careful around everyone we meet, alright?!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh…" He held up his hands defensively, saying, "I just care about you is all. Can you really blame me for being a little uneasy here?"

"I suppose not, but that doesn't mean I want you to be so suspicious of everyone too, ok?" River retorted. "Whether you want to believe this or not, bro, there are still nice people in this world."

"Yea, I know…" Johnny acknowledged with a sigh. "Anyway, um… let's just...try to enjoy the rest of this ride..."

"Fine by me." River replied with a nod.

For the rest of the bus ride, the two siblings didn't say a word to each other, as each one was lost in their own thoughts.

I sure hope River knows what she's doing here. Johnny thought to himself with a frown. I know she's excited about this and all, but… there's no telling what we'll find in this valley. It could be something great for the two of us or a complete nightmare for all we know.

Not wanting to upset his stepsister about it any further, he deduced in his mind, Well, I'll give this place a chance just to make her happy, but if I swear this valley turns out to be a mistake, we're leaving the first chance we get!

A couple hours later the bus driver announced over the intercom, "Last stop Pelican Town!"

Well, this is it… Johnny thought to himself, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. Time to sink or swim…

Johnny then stood up and started readying their bags, asking his stepsister, "You ready for this?"

River exhaled tepidly, then nodded her head, "No going back now."

As they neared the stop, Johnny squinted his eyes a bit, pondering out loud, "Wait… is someone waiting at the stop for us?"

River peered out the window, and true to his word, she saw a red headed woman smiling and waving down the bus.

"Who in the- Agh!"

In her deep excitement, River pushed past Johnny, accidentally knocking him into the neighboring seat and made her way to the front of the bus in time for it to stop.

"Hey, careful, sis…" Johnny said to her slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, bro, but… I think she's here to greet us! Let's say hi to her!" The blue haired female exclaimed happily

Johnny let out a sigh, before replying softly, "Very well then…"

The door opened and River ran out to meet this woman, "Hello there!"

The woman smiled back, "Hello, You must be River. I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you to your new home."

"Well, it's nice to see the town mayor actually showing us some kindness out of the gate." Johnny commented under his breath, holding both of their bags. River meanwhile sheepishly took her bag from his hand moments after he said this.

Robin seemed surprised by the brown haired male next to her, but still maintained her cherry attitude, asking, "Oh, and who might you be?"

"Ah, I guess I didn't mention this before." River explained a little sheepishly, "Anyway, this is my step brother Johnny Greene. He came with me for… just as much of a fresh start as me."

"Well I'm sure Lewis will be just as happy to see both of you." Robin said with a smile. "He's at your new home right now tidying up for your arrival." The carpenter then began to walk towards the right, adding, "The farm's over here. Follow me."

Robin began to walk down a rugged looking path with the siblings following closely behind. River then looked to her right, whispering to her stepbrother, "We're off to a good start!"

"Let's not get too excited just yet, sis." Johnny cautioned her. "We haven't even seen the farm yet."

A minute later, Robin opened up a rickety looking wooden gate with River jogging up to catch up to her.

"Welcome to Stardrop Farm!" The red haired carpenter exclaimed with a beaming smile.

As soon as River saw the farmhouse, she smiled with a look of excitement, even running up to get a closer look, shouting happily, "Johnny! You have to see this, it's even better than I imagined!"

Her step brother eventually caught up to them, looking around the farmland with a heavy frown, retorting, "You must be joking, sis. Did you not see the area next to our homes? It looks like a tornado hit it."

River finally noticed the messy fields nearby, answering with a sheepish shrug, "Oh, uh… I guess I didn't see that before."

Trying to keep the mood light and cherry, Robin chuckled, commenting "Oh, sure it's a bit overgrown, but there's some good soil under that mess! With some dedication between you two, you should have it cleaned up in no time!"

Yea, that's easy for you to say… Johnny thought to himself, rolling his eyes. You're not the one who's got to clean up this mess.

River however was too happy by her farmhouse to care about that at the moment, trying to open the door to her new home.

Before she could do that however, the door to it opened abruptly, almost causing her to jump out of her skin. Within seconds, she saw an older male dressed rather sharply coming out of it.

"Ah, the new farmer!" The unknown male slowly walked up to her, smiling warmly, saying, "Welcome! I'm Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town."

"Hi, Lewis." River greeted, shaking his hand, "Glad to finally meet you, and not over the phone."

"You know...everyone's been asking about you." He said. "It's not every day someone new moves in, let alone two people!"

She turned and gestured over to her brother, "I hope you don't mind but…my Step brother insisted on coming along with me."

Not wanting to be rude, Johnny waved at the mayor once he saw him. Lewis meanwhile let out a chuckle, replying to the blue haired female, "Of course not! Me and your grandfather actually started work on a guest home relatively nearby. Not too long ago, we had Robin finish construction on it!"

Robin now began to smirk with pride, as Lewis gestured to a smaller freshly built wooden building.

"As for you…" He added, turning back to the older building, "I suppose you are moving into your grandfather's old cottage. It's a good house, very….rustic."

Robin snorted a bit, "Rustic's one way to put it, Crusty might be a little more apt though."

Well, it's nice to know even Robin admits this place is going to need some major work. Johnny thought to himself slightly annoyed.

Lewis then shook his head as she laughed at her own comment, saying, "Oh pay her no mind, River. She's just trying to dissuade you so you buy one of her house upgrades."

Robin looked momentarily flustered by the mayor's words before clearing her throat in an attempt to save face. Johnny though rolled his eyes again after hearing this, even shaking his head while River giggled.

"Anyway…" Lewis continued, "I'm sure you two must be tired from your journey, so why don't you get a feel for the place and get some rest."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Johnny muttered, picking up his bags.

"Wait, bro!" River said to him in protest. "I want to see a little more of the valley first."

"Don't worry, my dear." The mayor reassured her. "I'm sure exploring will be a lot easier for you once you get your batteries recharged, it'll still be here for you tomorrow."

"But… I…"

"Sis, c'mon, I'm beat." Johnny told her with a frown. "That bus ride was very long and tiring. Can't it wait until we both get settled in our new home first?"

After hearing that, River finally sighed in defeat, replying, "Oh, very well then…"

"Wonderful! I know the townspeople will be really happy to see you two whenever you're ready." The mayor said with a smile. "Anyway, I'll let you two have some privacy. See you both later."

And with that, the mayor and Robin walked away.

After they were out of sight, River turned towards Johnny, asking him deeply curious, "So, what do you think, bro?"

"I think…we've got a long road ahead of us." He answered, stretching his arms, "Plus, I'm not too sure how to feel about that mayor guy. I mean, he seems harmless and all, but something about him rubs me the wrong way."

"Oh, c'mon, bro, stop being so judgmental." River told him with a frown. "We barely even know the guy. Shouldn't we give him a chance first before assuming the worst?"

"Alright, alright, fine…" Johnny conceded. "All I'm saying is that we should watch our step here. Who knows what could happen next?"

A plank then fell off the side of the big cottage, making him frown again, adding, "Such as that for example…"

"Yes, I agree we got a lot of work ahead of us." River acknowledged. "Still, I'm going to have a good attitude about it and I strongly suggest you do as well, bro. We made a commitment to this place and need to make the best of it."

"Yea, yea, I know…" Johnny replied, rolling his eyes a third time. "You don't have to remind me, sis."

Seconds later, River began to walk up the creaky stairs, and tepidly pushed the door open. Greeting her was the sight of what looked like a small living room, a brick fireplace accompanied by an old armchair was sitting in the far right corner, on the left was an old fashioned oak table adorned by a fresh pot of flowers, and by the door a freshly made bed.

"Well, at least it looks cozy…" Johnny commented from behind.

River couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but decided to not press the issue.

The blue haired female then walked over, dropping her bag right next to her bed as he asked her with concern, "You going to be okay spending the night by yourself?"

River slowly nodded in response, answering him uneasily, "Well, I'm going to need to eventually anyway, so might as well be tonight."

"Well.. if you're certain, I'll let you do that then." Johnny said. "As for me, I'm going to see what the damage is for my place."

"Ok then." River replied.

Johnny was about to leave, but realizing his stepsister needed some emotional support at the moment, he instead walked over to give her a warm hug, where she soon returned his embrace.

"Try to get some sleep if you can, sis." Johnny told her with a faint smile. "If you need me, I'm right next door."

"Thanks, bro. I appreciate it." River said, smiling back at him.

Johnny then walked away and closed the door to give his stepsister some privacy.

After he left the room, he let out a sigh, thinking to himself, I sure hope River will be able to cope on her own. It's been really rough for her these past three months. All the therapists she's gone to and stuff… I wonder if she'll ever be able to overcome what that monster did to her.

Deep down, Johnny had no idea how to help River overcome her emotional trauma, but he was determined to be there for her whenever possible.

No matter what happens; I won't let her face it alone. We're in this together and come hell or high water, no one is stopping me from doing what is necessary to see my sister well again.

To be continued...