EVERYONE: - Ongoing A New Horizon (A Harvest Moon story)

[Alolan Ninetales]

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Harvest Moon and everything that goes along with it belongs to Natsume.

I thank @Matsu for encouraging me to do this story. It means a lot.

Index:
Prologue
Chapter 1
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Introduction music: Boston- Augustana



Prologue​

It was a calm, tranquil, breezeless spring afternoon on the island of Castanet. There was a girl resting on a pile of hay that was being carried by a horse and wagon. Strands of loose hay were gripping onto her lengthy, chocolate colored locks. She yawned ever so slightly as she closed her mud brown eyes. She was wearing a simple pale yellow t-shirt, and a vibrant orange spaghetti strapped top that went over it. Her Black shorts were camouflaged by a brick red skirt that was at least 4 inches above the kneecap. Her light brown boots went up to the top of her calves, and had some aging on them. Some spots were darker than others, the laces seemed to be wearing thin, and a stain or two had made their way onto the footwear.

“So, it’s rare for a young person like you to want to become a farmer,” the wagon driver spoke, “Most people would rather be out in the city.”

The girl opened her eyes and sat up. She looked at the older man while she began stripping the hay strands away from her hair. She figured it would be nice and make conversation with the man.

“Well,” the girl answered, “I really wanted a change, and I think this would definitely be a change. Maybe a learning experience even.” the wagon driver laughed.

“Anyways, I’m Cain,” the man introduced, “I’m the owner of Horn Ranch. Now, tell me a little bit about yourself.” he laughed heartedly. The girl curved her lips into a slight smile as she sat down on the top of the hay stack.

“My name is Alice,” the girl replied, “My birthday is Winter 8, my favorite foods are mostly associated with dairy products, my favorite animal is a duck, my favorite season is fall, and my favorite flower is the Bluemist.” Cain nodded happily as he continued conversing with Alice until he reached a giant plot of land. The plot of land had a small house, a chicken coop in need of repair, a windmill, a barn, a hot spring, a water tower, and a tilled area of land where crops and trees were growing. Alice looked in amazement at the sight. Cain had the horse to stop at the house.

“This is it,” Cain announced, “I’m hoping you’ll enjoy living here in Castanet! Swing by Horn Ranch later! Goodbye!” he waved as his horse led the wagon away from the house, and out of sight. Alice looked around and just let reality sink in. It lasted for only a brief moment when a small elf like creature flew around Alice.

“Alice!” the creature squeaked, “We have to go see the Harvest Goddess! Remember?” Alice sighed as she looked at the small sprite. It had a orange outfit, and an orange hat that covered his dark green hair. Short, translucent wings kept him afloat, as he needed to fly, just to get near Alice’s face. Groaning, Alice grasped Fin into her hand. Of course, he wasn’t harmed or injured, but it prevented him from flying around.

“Look, after we get settled in, we’ll go see the Harvest Goddess, okay?” Alice spoke, “And also, can we not talk in public? I’m the only one who can see you, so it looks like I’m talking to myself.” with that being said, she released Fin to roam around. Fin buzzed around Alice once more before perching on the top of her head.

“I see someone coming!” He alerted Alice. Of course, the person coming towards Alice wasn’t someone who could easily be missed. An older gentleman, very heavy; obese. He had a very peculiar hairstyle as it resembled a toupee, in a sense. He wore a baby blue suit, but it barely fit his rather large body. Alice was afraid that it would just rip to shreds, leaving a nude man. A mental image that Alice did not want. The man “ran” his way up to Alice, and gave a bow.

“Hello!” the man spoke cheerfully, “I’m Mayor Hamilton, and welcome to Castanet! You’re Alice, correct?” Alice nodded. Mayor Hamilton smiled cheekily as he looked at the house.

“This house may look a bit rusty,” he explained, “But with a little tender love and care, I’m sure it will become a magnificent home!” Alice beamed as she imagined a rather fancy home standing in the place of the broken down house. Fin just sighed and shook his head.

“Snap out of it, Alice!” Fin squeaked in anger. Alice shook her head and looked at the mayor. The Mayor handed Alice the keys to the house.

“I welcome you to your new house!” he cheered, “Oh, and you can make your 5000G payment at the Town Hall! There’s no due date, so just pay whenever possible!” Alice sweat dropped as she reluctantly nodded. Fin just sighed with disappointment.

“This was too good to be true…” Fin whined as he crossed his arms, “You’re going to be down 5000G and stuck with a beyond repair of a house!” Alice used her “selective hearing” to ignore Fin and focus on what the Mayor was saying. Mayor Hamilton was explaining the facilities on the plot of land, where all of the businesses were located and so forth.

“Now,” said Mayor Hamilton, “What would you like to call this farm?”

“Hmm…” Alice thought out loud, “Moonbeam farm? Winter farm? Melancholy farm…hmm! I’ve got it! Reverie farm!” Mayor Hamilton began clapping as he nodded. Alice couldn’t help but to chuckle at the sight. To her, the mayor was clapping like a retarded seal. The nodding and cheeky grin plastered on his face only seemed to enhance the sight.

“Hooray! Hooray!” Mayor Hamilton cheered as he handed Alice a kit. “This is the Starter Kit. It comes with books about anything you would like to know about farming, ranching, mining, and so forth. It also comes with a Watering Can, Hoe, and Sickle. This should make cutting grass and harvesting crops a breeze!” the young farmer sweat dropped as she attempted to collect every little bit of information as it was being spoke to her. She finally sighed in relief as Hamilton finished speaking and departed from her. Gently grabbing Fin, Alice looked at the door to the house. It appeared to be around 6pm, so the sun was beginning to set.

“Fin,” Alice spoke, “I’m really exhausted from all of the traveling. I think we should just call it a night and go visit the Harvest Goddess tomorrow. Does that sound alright with you?” Fin was about to object when he heard his stomach grumble. Sighing in defeat, he simply nodded. Smiling, Alice unlocked the front door, and entered her new home. It was very small, and quaint. It was obvious that it hadn’t had any vacancy in many years. There was a bed placed in the back of the house. Next to the bed, there was a nightstand, a chest and a toolbox; both nearby for easy access. On the other side of the house, there was a small kitchen. It didn’t have much except a sink; nothing more. There was also a bookshelf and a dining table that acted as dividers between the two sections of the room. Much to Alice’s surprise, there wasn’t even a TV available. How else was she supposed to know about tomorrow’s weather? She sighed and sat down on her bed. Fin escaped her gentle grasp and flew around.

“Can we go to sleep now?” Fin asked, “I want to go see the Harvest Goddess as soon as possible! The longer we stay awake, the longer it will take for tomorrow to come!” Alice laughed slightly as she patted Fin’s head by using her index finger.

“I’ll get to sleep in a moment,” Alice answered, “I want to change into my pajamas and write in my new diary first.” Fin nodded as he landed on the headrest before drifting off into a vivid dream. Quietly, Alice changed into her purple, satin, night gown. It had spaghetti thin straps, and went 3 inches above her knee. It was perfect for a somewhat cool spring evening. She put her other clothes into a clothes hamper before crawling into bed. Grabbing the diary from the nightstand, she began writing about everything that had happened. From the wagon ride, to the mental images of an unclothed Mayor Hamilton. Once she finished writing, she put the diary away and turned off the lamp. As she was falling asleep, she thought about tomorrow, and what new adventures would await her. That left her with lucid dreams.

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I hope you all enjoy this! I appreciate criticism, as it helps me become a better writer. So, tell me what you guys think so far.

 

[Karamazov]

I liked it, actually. I really hope you keep going.

“My name is Alice,” the girl replied, “My birthday is Winter 8, my favorite foods are mostly associated with dairy products, my favorite animal is a duck, my favorite season is fall, and my favorite flower is the Bluemist.”

Line kind of bugs me, though. She just gives all this personal information to some stranger? Or is this something from the game?

 

[Alolan Ninetales]

I liked it, actually. I really hope you keep going.


Line kind of bugs me, though. She just gives all this personal information to some stranger? Or is this something from the game?

It's from the game.

 

[Karamazov]

Ah, that explains it. ^^

 

[Alolan Ninetales]

Yes. I wasn't intending to make that awkward or anything. No need to worry. XD

Anyways, I present to you...Chapter 1!
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Chapter 1 Music: Blackbird- Evan Rachel Wood (Cover)

Chapter 1​

It was morning, and Alice was in a peaceful slumber when the chirping had woken her up. She yawned as she looked at the small black clock, that was placed on the nightstand. It read ’6:00 a.m.’ Alice rubbed her eyes gently as she sat up. Fin yawned and stretched before he flew over to Alice.

“Good morning, Alice,” Fin spoke in a groggy tone, “We need to get ready, so we can visit the Harvest Goddess.” Alice groaned as she removed the covers from her body and she got out of bed. She walked over to her chest, and opened it. She was going to put her other clothes in it when she noticed there was a new outfit placed in there.

“Well, this is odd,” Alice thought out loud as she picked up the new outfit. To her surprise, it was in her size as well. She could only assume that it belonged to the previous owner and they had forgotten it. It was a maroon, collared, long sleeve shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. The jeans had clearly had been worn before as there was wearing and tearing at the hem, as loose threads were dangling about. She looked at the clothes for a few moments before deciding to put the outfit on.

Minutes later, Alice looked to Fin for an opinion. She couldn’t tell if it looked alright since this house didn’t supply a mirror either. Fin flew around Alice before making a decision.

“You look fine,” Fin cheered happily, “Now, let’s go to see the Harvest Goddess!” Alice sighed as she looked at Fin. She curved her lips into a small frown, and shook her head.

“We can’t go just yet, Fin,” Alice spoke with a stern yet gentle voice, “We have to get to work first. That means, we have to till the fields, plant and water the crops… wait…we have to go get Seeds first.” Fin let out an angry squeak as he glared daggers at Alice.

“But we HAVE to see her!” Fin shouted in his tiny chipmunk like voice, “We have to!” Alice had to be the bigger person, and ignore the tiny Harvest Sprite. She grabbed her tools in one hand, and headed out the door. Fin growled as he flew behind Alice. Alice looked around at her field, and saw some flowers that were fully grown. Red Tulips to be exact. Alice walked over and picked the plants before walking over to a giant bin. She put them in the container and shut it.

“Well, these won’t bring in much money,” Alice sighed, “But I suppose they’ll do. I have to get money somehow.” Fin nodded as he saw Alice turn around and begin tilling the fields. It wasn’t long before sweat began rolling down Alice’s fair skin. She simply wiped the secretion from her forehead before continuing to work. Fin frowned as he flew over to Alice.

“Maybe you should rest,” He spoke with a concerned tone, “It wouldn’t be good if you passed out. We can go to the Flute Fields and visit Horn Ranch. Maybe that Cain guy can tell us where we can buy seeds.” Putting down the hoe, Alice sighed and walked towards the exit of her Farm.

“Alright,” Alice spoke, “We’re going to Flute Fields! Come on!” Fin nodded excitedly as he flew onto Alice’s head.


Once they had arrived at Flute Fields, Alice and Fin noticed there was a fork in the road. The left path went up a small hill, and down towards an animal ranch. Alice figured that it was Horn Ranch. The other path led towards a shop. The shop was located next to a large plot, where crops were growing. However, these crops lacked life and seemed to struggle to even survive. Alice frowned as she looked at Fin.

“I suppose that’s where we can buy seeds,” Alice spoke with doubt, “Let’s go.” With that being said, she walked towards the path on the right. There was a house that was next to the shop, but Alice paid it no mind. Instead, she looked at the shop that was in front of her. It was a quaint little building that was characterized by a teal colored roof. Alice smiled as she headed for the door. Suddenly, she heard yelling. Fin’s eyes widened as he looked at Alice.

“M-m-maybe we should come back later?” Fin stuttered in fear. Alice was about to nod when the door was slammed open, and a small boy ran out of the door. He was in the age range of 8-10 years. He had spiky, light brown hair, which was accessorized by a pair of goggles. He had a blue T-shirt, and black shorts. Clearly the boy was very angry as he stormed out. He sighed and looked at Alice. Suddenly, his facial expressions softened and he became somewhat cheerful.

“Hey! You’re the newcomer aren’t you?” The boy spoke, “What’s your name?” Alice bowed before continuing the conversation.

“I’m Alice,” she replied sweetly, “And who am I speaking to?” The boy smiled a cheeky grin as he jumped up into the air.

“Alice, huh?” He spoke eagerly, “Well, I’m Taylor. It’s nice to meet you. The people you heard fighting are my mom and dad. Their names are Ruth and Craig.” then, a look of disgust appeared on his face. Alice frowned as she gave a sympathetic look towards the boy. He sighed as he looked at the crop field. “The soil has been pretty lousy these days. It’s tough to grow crops, let alone decent ones. My dad’s been pretty depressed about it…so, that’s why I’m going off to buy seeds!”

“Buy seeds?” Alice asked with a pique of interest in her voice. Eagerly, Taylor nodded before he let out a depressing sigh.

“My big sister, Anissa, left to go find seeds that would grow here…” Taylor’s voice trailed off, “But she hasn’t came back yet…so, I want to see if there’s anything I can do…” Alice gave an understanding nod before patting Taylor on the back. She ensured her gesture with a genuine smile.

“Well, that’s great that you’re going to help your family,” Alice replied honestly. Taylor smiled and on impulse, hugged Alice.

“Thank you!” He cheered, “I appreciate the support. Here, take these seeds I’ve been holding onto.” He handed Alice a few bags of Cabbage Seeds before departing. Alice sighed and said a simple prayer for the boy. A prayer that he would return home, safe and sound. Then, Alice made her way into the shop. A woman was tending to the cash register. Short brown hair, dull brown eyes, and a face that’s showing signs of aging. She tried to put a smile on her face, but she sighed before resuming her normal frown.

“Hello,” Alice greeted, “I’m here to buy some seeds.” the woman simply nodded as she began to show Alice what seeds were available.

“I’m Ruth,” the woman spoke simply, “If you need anything, feel free to tell me.” Alice looked for a few moments before deciding to buy some Turnip seeds, Cabbage Seeds, Lettuce Seeds, Strawberry Seeds, and an actual strawberry. She thanked Ruth before walking towards the exit. Out of the corner of her eye, Alice noticed a middle aged man sitting at a coffee table. He wore an orange flat cap, and wore typical farmer clothes; nothing special. He appeared to be mumbling and grumbling with anger. Alice frowned as she hurried out of the farm. Fin crawled down onto Alice’s shoulder.

“What are we gonna do next?” Fin asked. Alice turned her attention to her Harvest Sprite companion.

“Well,” she started, “We’re going to make a trip over to Horn Ranch, then, we’ll decide from there.” Fin nodded, but decided to remind Alice about going to see the Harvest Goddess. Alice groaned and assured him that they would visit her soon.


Later that evening, Alice and Fin had finally returned to their humble abode. They had went to Horn Ranch, where Cain had given Alice a free calf! Alice named the chocolate colored calf, Cocoa. She also had received a brush to groom the animal. Aside from the free calf, Alice got to meet Cain’s family and get acquainted with them. Renee, Cain’s daughter, seemed to be very sweet and kind. Her love for animals definitely stemmed from both her mother and father. Her mother is Hanna. Hanna is in charge of the Horn Ranch while Cain and Renee go out to take care of their own livestock. Hanna looked a lot less youthful than her husband, but still had a young-at-heart charm about her. A very loving family indeed. Alice had headed back to Reverie Farm, where she planted her new crops and watered them. A tedious task all on it’s own, but with Alice being exhausted from tilling the fields, it was double the strain on her body. Fin’s concern for his friend’s health had grown tremendously as he begged her to stop for the day. It was only when she got to the point of collapsing that she decided to stop.

“Please, get inside and get some rest,” Fin pleaded, “You’re not well, Alice! You’re about to faint.”

“I know, I know,” Alice answered, but in a rather annoyed tone. She stood up and slowly walked into her house. Without thinking, she immediately undressed and put on a pair of pajamas. She threw the ‘work’ clothes into a laundry bin, so they wouldn’t be lying on the floor. The young woman crawled into bed and gently closed her eyes. She was too exhausted to think about anything else. All she wanted right now was sleep. No food, no water, just sleep. Fin plopped onto the pillow beside of Alice. He yawned softly before falling asleep as well. That night, Alice’s dreams were filled with being a successful rancher and a prize winning farmer. Of course, it’s only just a dream.

 

[Dolce]

I'm loving it so far! :3 But when are you going to see the harvest goddess? xD