Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

- - - - - Chapter 1: Downpour - - - - -

It was raining on my first day here in Flower Bud Village and I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. Even though the rain droplets were pelting me from up above, I stood there looking up at the sky, not even bothering to wince whenever a drop of water splashed into my eye.

It was the beginning of my new life, or rather; it was the beginning of the end as it had felt. I wasn’t entirely sure of why I decided to come here – it was on a quick whim to escape sunny California and my nagging home life. I hated the sun and heat more than anything, I much rather it to be cloudy with a plenty amount of rain.

Hell, I wasn’t even sure why someone like myself would even live in California in the first place – perhaps I was crazy or perhaps I was merely delusional. All in all, I’ve had enough and this was my only escape…

Oh, my sweet euphoria.

“Aaron…?” A small, shy voice called.

“Mmm…? What is it Reina?” I asked lazily, smiling sweetly towards my baby sister.

“Are you honestly… going to leave me here? Leave me here with her?” Reina asked with wide, upset eyes.

I looked at her intently with a sad smile. I heaved a heavy, yet gentle sigh and patted the empty spacing of the bed next to me for her to come and sit next to me. I watched her eagerly race towards me and plop besides me, grasping my arm tightly, refusing to let go.

I shifted my body to face her and I pressed my lips to her forehead as I stroked her long, ebony black hair. I heard her begin sniffling and I heard her tears drop onto the blanket on the bed.

It was heartbreaking – seeing my sister like this. Out of all the things in this world, she was the only thing that’s ever meant anything to me. I looked out for her and protected her constantly, but maybe, it was a fault on my part. I couldn’t protect my “baby” sister forever, and she would eventually have to face the world on her own. I couldn’t continue holding her hand for the rest of her life. I full out admitted that I had a sister complex and that I couldn’t bare the thought of her even having a boyfriend… Maybe some would call it “sick” but no, it’s simply love.

I was 17 when I decided to leave home. My mother never understood what was wrong with me; she claimed that I wasn’t her son – that she was disgusted by me. I couldn’t help with whatever it was that was wrong with me, I mean, I was born this way. I looked nothing like my parents, and when I was younger, my school mates often teased me about it, saying things like I was adopted or my real parents didn’t love me. But despite all their taunting, I didn’t remotely care of what they said. None of that mattered to me as long as I had Reina with me – my twin sister and my salvation. We did everything together, and even though I always teased her and called her my baby sister, we were as close as twins could possibly get.

I had abnormally pale, white skin. My eyes were very cat-like, and resembled the color of a Siberian tiger’s. They were a fascinating glowing color of honey, and were much darker around the rims of my pupils – a red-orange. I had neat, yet slightly messy, auburn colored hair that was fully natural – to everyone’s surprise. I was tall – 6’2 and weighed 150lbs. I had a muscular build, but not to the point where my muscles were bulging – they were smooth and happened to blend in with my body very well.

Reina, on the other hand, was the polar opposite of me. Despite us being twins, her and I shared nothing in common, except for our face structure. She did have pale skin, but not as ghastly pale as I did. She stood at 5’2 and weighed only 96lbs – a very petit girl. Her eyes were a smoky gray and near her pupils they were a dark onyx. She had long, layered, black hair. People of course were shocked to know that we were related – much more shocked to learn that we were actually twins. Reina’s physical features resembled how our parents looked, but no one ever understood or knew why I looked so foreign – so alien compared to my family.

Girls constantly swooned over me and were always calling the house for me or stalking me wherever I went. A normal, teenage boy’s ego would swell with this type of popularity – but I always thought it was nothing but a nuisance. Something that I constantly despised, each and everyday.

…I’ve never once had a girlfriend before, never once pressed my lips to another’s, never once pressed my body to another’s. I never really cared for it, as long as I had Reina, nothing else mattered to me.

I groaned as the sun started to stream through the glass windows, blinding me as I attempted to crack open my eyes. Yesterday, it was raining heavily and I wake up to blinding rays of sun? Awesome. I thought to myself, annoyed.

I continued to lie there in bed, burying my face in my pillow. I scratched my head, trying to get rid of an annoying itch that seemed to even bother me in my dreams. Sighing, I heaved myself out of bed.

I took a long shower, enjoying the lukewarm water caressing every crevice on my body. I stood there motionless, my face facing the shower head. The soap suds slinked off of my skin slowly and disappeared down the drain, one by one… I watched each one of them disappear until there were none left.

I sighed, and shut my eyes tight. I missed her. I missed Reina terribly… I heaved a heavy sigh, and my body began shaking and shuddering with guilt.

How could I leave her behind with that woman?

I quickly got dressed, not paying any attention to myself in the mirror. I pulled on a pair of faded jeans with a bunch of rips and tears as well as a plain black beater – the first things that I could find, or rather the only things. I brushed my teeth slowly, without bothering to get anything to eat – figuring that the best thing to do at the moment was to go into town and to get familiar with the townsfolk as quick as possible. I scrambled around my new room, looking for a pair of socks before I slipped on my pair of chucks.

I heard girly giggling as soon as I stepped out of my new house. Shutting the door behind me, I gave a strange look to the two girls who were whispering to each other and giggling constantly as they seemed to “squee” with delight as soon as I came out.

One of the girls had short, hazelnut brown hair and she was holding something wrapped – food perhaps? She had large, wide brown eyes and a childish, yet very cute face. She didn’t look too tall – perhaps about 5’3 or 5’4. In her free hand, she was holding a younger girl’s hand that had even larger brown eyes and long black hair that was tied back into low pig tails. She looked to be at least 6 or 7.

I smiled shyly at the two girls and said: “Hello.”

“Hello! Welcome to Flower Bud Village, you’re Aaron right? I’m Elli,” the girl with short, brown hair said.

Her voice was a very soft and delicate and it was the sweetest thing I’ve heard in the past two weeks; very refreshing.

“Thank you Elli…” I trailed off, eyeing the younger girl who suddenly shied away to Elli’s side.

“Aww… May… Say hello to Aaron,” Elli urged gently, smiling down at the little girl.

“Hi,” May mumbled shyly, handing me a yellow flower.

I smiled down at her and leaned down, taking the flower from her small hands. It was a beautiful flower; it had long, sleek, yellow petals and a brilliant lime-green stem with three darker leaves clinging on. The smell was very subtle but very sweet and therapeutic.

“Thank you May,” I smiled at her.

She blushed and simply nodded her head. “Can we be friends?”

Still smiling, I nodded and told her I would love that.

I stood up straight again to face Elli who was grinning from ear to ear and handed me the thing she was holding that was wrapped in pink and white and tied neatly with a green ribbon.

“Here, these are for you. They’re caramel and white chocolate cookies.”

I took them gratefully from her and smiled, “Thanks a lot. Did you make these?”

Elli simply smiled and nodded and May blurted out: “I helped too!”

“I help run a bakery in town, I would love it if you stopped by occasionally,” Elli said, still grinning ear to ear with a faint blush etching across her features.

I nodded and smiled, telling her I’d definitely drop by.

I walked into town, eyeing everything around me. It was very quant, very slow paced. But something about this town washed relief over me and I felt so… oddly comfortable and at ease. That maybe finally, somewhere I would fit in without being judged. That maybe… finally, I would get to be accepted for who I am.

Still walking, I stopped abruptly as I eyed something very… pink in the corner of my eye. I turned my head slowly and watched a very petit girl watering a vast amount of flowers that was next to the florist shop. She had long, wavy pink hair and she was humming a melody that I wasn’t familiar of. She looked to be only 5’1 and I could only imagine what a pink-haired girl could possibly look like.

I walked up to her and tapped her shoulder gently and she spun around quickly, her eyes filled with surprise. I couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, enjoying her expression. Her face was quite pretty, she was very fair skinned and as pale as Reina. Her eyes were quite large and a beautiful emerald green. She had plump, soft pink lips that seemed to be shining in the light – the work of lip gloss no doubt, something that Reina often used.

I couldn’t help but blush as I stared at her; she was after all, beautiful. So beautiful that I actually felt… embarrassed.

She composed herself and giggled faintly, smiling up at me curiously. “You must be Aaron!” She said enthusiastically.

Her voice was very sweet, and it suited her perfectly. It wasn’t too high pitched, and it seemed to sing.

I nodded and smiled awkwardly, ruffling up my hair. “Yeah, I just moved in.”

“I hope you enjoy it here. I was born here and I couldn’t imagine living in any other place. I’m Popuri,” she replied earnestly. “I’m glad to finally meet you!”

I was very close to her now and she was emitting a very luscious, seducing scent. I couldn’t quite place my finger on what it was but it made me think of the yellow flower May gave me today – yet it was much more concentrated and perfume-like.

“I’m sure I’ll like it here,” I smiled back at her.

I continued to wander around town absent minded, greeting each new face I came by. I started to feel a bit morose and I couldn’t exactly figure out why. The sun was high in the sky now, and it was beating down on me rather uncomfortably. I felt thirsty for rain, thirsty for the cool, pelting droplets of water.

But why? Why am I always so needy?

I sighed and looked down at my feet, lost in thought. My chucks were dirty and worn, and had I considered getting a new pair but it was much too late now – I don’t understand where these people get their shoes.

Groaning quietly, I craned my neck and I saw three girls talking softly to the side.

The tallest girl – I was guessing about 5’7, had dark, brown hair with blonde bangs. The length of her hair reached down to her lower back and I watched her play with a few dangling strands. Her eyes were a dark, deep green and her face was very sharp, very beautiful. She looked to be very mature and the type of girl that held her head high – very… sassy.

The girl standing next to her was about two inches shorter and she had a much more boyish look to her. Her orange hair was kept braided and tied with a white ribbon and she had shockingly bright, sky blue eyes. Her face wasn’t particularly pretty, but it had a certain charm to it I supposed.

The two of them seemed to be talking to a rather shy looking girl who also kept her hair braided in the back. It was filled with volume and was a dull, black. I couldn’t see her face since she was turned away but she looked to be the same height as the orange haired girl.

I had noticed that they were looking over at me constantly, peering before they would whisper more words and broken sentences. I wasn’t a stranger to this sort of treatment, since I often got it back home. I didn’t care that girls thought I was fascinating, more or less, I’d rather they didn’t. It was annoying and bothersome, but I could never voice my thoughts and I couldn’t help but be constantly polite – constantly fake.

This sucks.

The tallest girl walked over to me with a cat-like smile and stopped right in front of me. “Hi, you’re the new guy here, right? I’m Karen,” she said matter-of-factly – very boldly.

I couldn’t decipher whether or not she was being sincere, her voice had “know-it-all” suffocating it. I wouldn’t say that I disliked her, she was just very different compared to everyone I’ve met so far in this town.

I flashed a smile and gave her a slight nod. “Nice to meet you.”

The orange haired girl suddenly chimed in and introduced herself saying: “I’m Ann! I’m so glad that someone finally moved in to take over the farm. The place was so lonely and sad to look at…”

I continued wearing the same old smile and I watched as her face flushed an embarrassed rosy, pink. I didn’t really particularly care on what any of them had to say – it was all the same bullshit anyway.

I heard soft footsteps and turned slightly to face the girl that Ann and Karen were talking to just a few minutes ago.

Her face wasn’t that all attractive – she wore large, dark rimmed glasses and had abruptly large eyes. They were a smoky gray and she had “shy” written all over her. She had messy bangs that stopped right above her eyes and her lips were a pale pink.

Not one of the most attractive people in this town…

“It’s a p-pleasure to meet you…” her quiet voice trailed off. “I’m Maria,” she wore a faint smile and her face was increasing in color – embarrassment, perhaps? Because she was so shy.

I simply gave her a strained smile and nodded. “Nice to meet you Maria.”

“God, can you believe how gorgeous he is? I’ve never seen anyone with such a beautiful eye color!” Karen exclaimed dreamily, her face flushed bright pink.

“Shut up Karen. You don’t need to remind us, we all know that you’re going to be the one that he ends up falling in love with,” Ann replied.

She stared at her best friend with seething anger and envy. Ann then sighed and dropped her shoulders in mild defeat.

It’s not fair. Karen always gets the pick on everyone… Not that I ever even cared before – but still.

Karen continued droning on and on about Aaron and how beautiful he was. She commented on his messy, yet perfect hair, his pale skin, his seducing eyes… She paid no mind to Ann’s sulking as the two girls headed over to the vineyard.

- - - - - End: Downpour - - - - -

I’m aware that Popuri doesn’t have green eyes, but I wish she did. Characters will be OOC.

Review loveys!

- Tara