On Our Own

written by Shaun Garin

Harvest Moon Back to Nature and Save the Homeland is owned by Natsume
Entertainment. This is my take on Save the Homeland and Back to Nature,
which, in my opinion is a very good game, but could have slowed down the
passing of time and extended the length of time you need to conceivably save
the whole freaking town. Rated E for Everyone, Use of Alcohol.

I hold characterization nothing but sacred. I try to portray the
personalities true to both games as best as possible.

======================

Chapter 1 : The Letter

I remember the first time I set foot in the village... not Mineral Town, the
place where my heart will always be, but Steppes Shire, a small town just a
little way into the mainland. It all started that night, that night when
Zack came to my door, cheerful as ever even in the pouring rain as the
thunder roared overhead. I swear that guy could walk through a hurricane if
he set his mind to it, and he probably would do it too.

I'm getting off track. I guess, that day, everything changed, and for
once... I wouldn't want to change a thing now that I look back at it...

======================

The insistent rapping roused Jack from his slumber. Rubbing his eyes, he
grumbled, shrugging on his robe and trudging out of his bedroom to the front
door. After nearly stumbling over his dog, crashing into the counter and
stubbing his toe on the tool box, he yanked open the door and growled,
"WHAT?!"

Zack merely grinned back at him, chipper as ever. "Well aren't you the
little grumpy man in the morning."

Jack groaned as he allowed the large burly man inside. "It's three in the
morning, Zack. Can't this wait?"

"Fraid not." Thrusting a large brown envelope at him, the young farmer took
it, breaking the seal on it.

Scanning the first document, Jack blinked. "Who send this?"

"Not sure," Zack admitted, leaning on the wall. "Some guy dropped it off at
my house about a half hour ago. Said it was urgent that you get it. Does it
say who sent it?"

"Looks like.... from my grandpa Tony in Steppes Shire. Look at this. Deeds
to a farm, and a will, leaving everything to me." Pulling a yellowed paper
out from between the pages, Zack peered over. "Look at this. It's a letter
from my grandpa." Jack then set it aside as he began to peruse through the
rest of the stuff.

"How close were you to your grandfather?" inquired the large man as he sat
down across from Jack.

"Pretty close," Jack replied absently, flipping through the legal documents.
"I spent some time on his farm, a couple of years before I came here. Great
guy. Grandpa and Grandma were always nice to me, especially after grandpa
Leon died and gave me this farm."

"Heavy stuff," Zack admitted.

Jack flipped to one last page. As he read it, his face went ashen. "No
way..."

"I take it that's not a good thing," Zack said as Jack nodded.

"You've heard that Steppes Shire had fallen on hard times, right?" Jack
asked.

"Yeah, it was on the news. Some big wigs are trying to build some massive
resort on the property." Zack snorted. "Crazy bunch of loons, tearing up the
whole joint. There's too much farmland and the ground is rock hard in
places. It'll take them maybe a month to knock down the town and a good
several years to build a resort."

"Grandpa... wants me to save the whole town."

Zack collapsed from his chair, waking the dog. "Is he nuts?!" he cried
ignoring the whining and soft barking of the irate dog who's slumber he had
disturbed. "A farm I can see but a whole TOWN?!"

"Fraid not. Everyone had given up when the project was announced. He wants
me to do it. But.... I can't leave here. Not yet."

"Aw man," Zack swore under his breath. "When does the construction begin?"
Zack asked, righting himself.

"In one year, just a couple of months after the new year." Jack sighed as he
stood up, going over to the fridge. "I need something to drink. Something
like this isn't going to pass overnight."

"I think I'll join you," Zack said. "Ain't no way I'm leaving now, not that
you don't need sleep or nothing."

Jack smirked as he passed the burly man a bottle of Extra Large Turbojolt.
"Drink up. It'll keep us awake until tomorrow evening if drunk straight.
I'll ask the Harvest Sprites to cover for me while we sort things out."

"Cheers." The pair clinked glasses half heartedly as they drank and began to
go over the documents.

After a few hours, Zack sat upright, rubbing his eyes free of sleep.
"There's no way," he said. "I can think of a few things but we'd need to
check the place out. Something like this would probably only give the town a
couple of months extra."

"I know," Jack replied despondedly. "I think the worst thing has come to
pass."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Zack said, patting him on the shoulder. "So the
town'll take back the farm. I'm sure they can keep it running while you
leave."

"But... I may not come back."

"Oh yeah, there's that too." Zack slumped in his chair. "Gah, I need some
sleep. Can I use your bed? Too tired to hoof it back home."

"Sure. There's an extra bed in the bedroom. I'm going to stay up for a bit
more, and then get some rest before I go over to the Harvest Sprites house."
Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly as he took another sip of Turbojolt.

"Right. Night." With that, the large man stumbled into the room and quickly,
the sound of snoring was heard in the house.

=====================

"The place is really jumping today." Ann jumped at least a foot off the
ground as she spun to see Karen standing behind her, smirking. "Gotcha."

"Geez," Ann sighed. "Stop doing that."

Peering over the railing, Karen counted the number of people standing or
sitting around the tables, waiting for someone. "Everyone's here today. It
looks like it's the whole town."

"Zack came by today and spoke to my dad at length about something," Ann
added. "I hope they're not planning something drastic."

"I don't see Jack anywhere," Karen said, looking over the railing. "Is he
here?"

"I saw him at Barleys' place while I passed by." The girls jumped as Popuri
joined the pair. "Hi."

"Is today the day we scare each other?" Ann grumbled, peeved about being
startled twice.

"Sorry." The pink haired girl leaned over the railing, looking over the
crowd. "All the adults are here, including my mom. I wonder what would be so
important as to bring her out? Normally, all the walking she does is to the
Clinic and back."

"This must be serious," Karen added, folding her arms. "If all the villagers
are gathering, then something must be up."

"But the guys aren't here," Ann pointed out. "I don't see any of them."

"Rick's back at the farm, and I saw Kai at the beach," Popuri put in. "They
said they would be coming in a bit."

"Grey and Cliff are at work as well," a soft voice put in, making the girls
jump slightly more higher than usual. "Sorry," Elli said, brushing her short
brown locks away from her face. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"We're almost used to it," Karen grumped.

"Then I had better not scare you all," Mary said, climbing the steps to
where the rest of the girls stood. "I do believe I saw the doctor at the
clinic as I passed by."

"Then that means, the adults are waiting for someone," Ann surmised. "But
who?"

In a single moment, a light dawned on them. "Jack," they chorused.

As if on cue, the doors swung open as Jack stepped into the room. The
clamor died down as the men and women of the village took their seats, Jack
stepping to the front table. "Thank you for coming," he said. In one hand,
he held a thick envelope, stuffed with paper. "As you all know, Zack and I
called you for this meeting, regarding my stay here in the village. The deal
was for me to get along with all of you, and bring the farm around in three
years. Well, I have most certainly dealt with the farm and everyone doesn't
seem to mind me around anymore." At this, there was a low ripple of
laughter.

Holding up a hand, Jack continued. "But now, something else has come up. It
is my sad duty, to hand over the farm to the village, in lieu of my
leave-taking." Collective gasps were heard as the girls atop the balcony
exchanged worried glances.

"He's leaving?!" Ann exclaimed in a barely controlled yell.

"Shh!" Karen cut her off. "I want to hear this."

"My grandfather Tony in Steppes Shire has christened me with a task, one
that I believe would be almost impossible even for me : Save a town from
being torn down. As you all know, Steppes Shire is being torn down in a year
when the deal of building a resort will be finalized. According to this
letter, all the townspeople have all given up hope of seeing their town
survive through winter. He wishes me to come to the farm, run it, and help
the townspeople save their homeland." At this, Jack sighed. "I would like
the Mayor to accept the keys to my home, and my livestock divided up amidst
the people. The farmland will go to the Harvest Sprites," at this, the girls
noticed the small little sprites sitting on a table, "and you may auction
off all the things I have no room to bring to the new home. Thank you for
your kindness, but it is with a heavy heart that I leave."

The room burst into a clamor as people spoke at long and short lengths to
Jack, wishing him a fond farewell, offering him a home and most of the time
asking him to stay which Jack politely turned down the offer.

======================

Jack packed up his bags as he squished down one last pair of overalls into
the suitcase. He sighed, locking the bag shut. "Well boy, its just you and
me again," he said, scratching the small dog on the head. It waggled it's
tail and panted, nuzzling his hand. "Just think. We'll be going to a new
home."

The dog whimpered and licked his hand. It's entreating big brown eyes looked
at him, jowls dropping in a classic dog expression. Jack chuckled as he
lifted him into his arms, carrying the dog into the living room, suitcase in
one hand, rucksack on his back, full of tools, seeds and a few things to eat
on the steamer trip there.

Jack sighed as he looked around the house. The walls were a solid
construction, the kitchen stocked with utensils and one of the best
refrigerators you could get outside the city. On the walls hung pictures
taken during the festivals and other assorted events. He smiled at one, a
picture of Karen beating the stuffing out of him that had begun as a mock
fight, the girls and guys cheering both on. Kai was the one who took the
picture, having brought a camera from where ever he lived.

A knock came from the door. Taking one last look around the house before he
left for good, he opened the door...

And fell on the ground, rubbing his bruised face as a glowing group of
teenagers scowled down on him.

"What was that for?" Jack demanded as Kai helped him up.

"That, was for leaving without us," Karen said, rubbing her bruised knuckles
gingerly, having struck quite a hard skull. "You have a hard head."

"Leaving without you?" Jack asked, mystified, rubbing his stinging cheek.
"Last I checked, I was leaving alone."

"And that's the problem," Rick said as the Doctor, a man of few words and
unknown name, tended to Jack's bruised face. "You need help, Jack.
Serious help."

"What he means is," Popuri said with a smile, "Is that this task is too big
of a job for just you to handle. You need some help."

"Friends don't abandon friends," Grey added with a wry grin. "Besides, we
owe you for helping this town."

"I... I don't know what to say," Jack said, surprised.

"Thank you would be nice," Mary said softly with a gentle smile.

"Thank you. Thank you all."

"Well that settles it!" Ann exclaimed happily. "We'll all set off for
Steppes Shire first thing tomorrow!"

"But... what will all you be doing?" Jack asked curiously. "You don't mean
you're all coming along, are you?"

"You betcha!" Cliff added, grinning widely. "Each of us are helping out in
different ways."

"I will be staying behind," the Doctor said, finishing with Jack's face.
"But Elli will be taking my place. You need a doctor to take care of you. A
town that small probably does not have a clinic and Elli is the best nurse
you can find." At this, Elli blushed.

"I'll be bringing you guys there, and transporting some things back and
forth from Mineral Town to Steppes Shire," Kai said, fishing around in
Jack's fridge for something the whole group could drink in celebration.
"I'll also be helping out around the farm and town as well."

"Ann and I will be helping around the farm, so that you can get to know the
other people," Popuri added. "I can help take care of the chickens, once I
learn how. Ann's dad is supplying a good month and a half of food stock
while mom is sending along eggs."

"I'll bring along a months worth of seeds, and make sure that Rick and I
will get the best prices for local livestock," Karen added.

"Grey and I will help out in the town, getting to know people, helping build
new homes, repairing them and helping improve the overall mood of the farm
and town," Cliff added. "We're good with our hands so we can build stuff
needed. And Grey's grandfather gave him a set of forging tools. Between
Jack's horde of ores, seeds and equipment, we can handle anything."

"I can help around the farm as well, and help forage some things to keep the
farm going," said Mary. "I've studied a lot of things and I'm sure we can
find some things to help the villagers accept the fact that we are there to
help."

"Found it!" Kai pulled himself out of the back of the fridge, bearing two
bottles each of Wine and Grape Juice. "For the drinkers and non-drinkers.
Fresh from Aja's Winery!"

"Rick, you okay with Kai hanging around us for a year?" Jack asked. It was
well known around the village that Rick didn't enjoy being around Kai. He
tolerated him but that was about it. The long haired blonde had a tendency
to rant about the purple bandanna clad southerner.

Rick nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Anyone who can drink me under the table has my
respect." He said the last part with a chuckle. Kai punched him on the
shoulder good naturedly as he handed Rick a cup of wine.

"So that's why Kai dragged you to our farm two nights ago," Popuri mused in
realization.

"Drink up!" Kai had finished pouring glasses as he raised his. "To Saving
the Homeland."

"Save the Homeland!" They clinked and drank.

=======================

"We were too optimistic," Rick said, staring at the mess. "We've got our
work cut out for us."

"C'mon, it's not that bad," Jack said, pushing the door of the small one
room house open. A large cloud of dust filled the air as the group
coughed as they dumped their things in the corner. Then, the door fell off
it's hinges. "Okay, I was mistaken."

Kai was the last one in and he sweatdropped. "My god. This place could
barely fit Jack than all of us. And I thought Jack's farm was bad in the
beginning of his first year."

"No running water, no kitchen, electricity at least...." Grey reported,
checking the fixings. "Broken door," he added, kicking the door into the
yard with a scowl.

"We have a well. At least that's something," Popuri said, looking out the
window.

=======================

It was then when I realized that everything I had built up to this point,
didn't mean squat. Everyone was talking around me, like this was their
problem as well. But they wanted to come here and help.

Also, the place brought back so many memories. Memories of long summer days,
the wind in my face, Grandma's cake that could bring a tear to even Karen's
sweet hating eye. I briefly wondered if Grandma left a recipe for that cake
as I ran my finger over the table, eyeing the layer of dust accumulated on
my
stained leather work gloves. I knew then, as I looked around the small
ranshackled hut that we definitely had our work cut out for us.

=======================

"The problem is sleeping quarters," Karen said, folding her arms. "We should
sort that out first."

"I think the girls should get the house," Cliff said, drawing looks from the
guys. "Us guys can use my tent."

"I hope it's a big tent," Rick grumbled as the boys trundled out to set up
Cliff's tent.

Jack was the last to leave as he looked at the pile of stuff. "I think, if
we move the table to the corner, we can give you girls enough room for your
bedrolls."

Elli shook her head. "First things first. We clean. It's too dusty in here.
We could suffocate."

Ann grasped the thick mattress off the bed and dragged it to the floor.
"Someone grab the other end. We'll beat the dust out outside."

"Hey, Jack! Little help here?" Rick called out as Jack quickly made his
exit.

=====================

"At least it's a big tent," Grey remarked as the finished unrolling their
bedrolls. "Sturdy stuff. What's it made out of?"

"The top shelter is a canvas like material that is protected against rain
staining and soakthrough, and the main tent itself is some sort of heavy
material. My dad made it for us. I came from a big family so we used this
tent during camping. When I left, I took it with me." The brown haired boy
emerged from the tent and closed up the flap. "There."

"Big family, sheah, okay," Kai remarked. "This thing looks like one of those
Middle East tents that people spend their whole life in."

"Well, that's where my dad said he got the inspiration to make it," Cliff
replied lamely.

"Need water, too exhausting," Rick droned as he stumbled over towards the
well, dunking his head into the water.

"Get him out of there. He'll poison the water," Kai joked as the guys
laughed.

"C'mon guys, it's our first day. Let's not get into ANOTHER fist fight like
last Sunday." The others sighed as Jack knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Opening the door, Jack whistled.

"You girls did a great job! I can see my face in that TV screen now!" Jack
exclaimed.

Rick popped his soaking wet head inside. "Nice," he said, grabbing a towel,
ignoring the squeak of protest from his sister. "Great job."

"Rick! That's my towel!"

"So it is," Rick said with a small infuriating grin. He ducked away as a
shoe impacted on the side of the wall.

"Us guys will grab our stuff now," Jack said hurriedly, grabbing two packs
and his large rucksack full of tools. He then made his escape as Popuri
calmed down.

=====================

"Wrench."

"Wrench." Grey caught it out of the air as he went to work on the hinges.

"Screwdriver."

"Screwdriver." Grey made a final adjustment to the door.

"Oil can."

"Oil can."

With a final click of the door, Grey stepped back, smiling to himself.
"There we go. One door all set up and ready to go."

"Great," Cliff said, standing up from where he was nailing a fresh set of
boards into the fence. "It's almost lunchtime."

"Ann's cooking so it should be good," Grey said, a low rumble from his
stomach agreeing with his statement.

Cliff laughed. "Yeah. She's the best cook, next to her dad."

Gathering up his tools, Grey opened the door, squinting at the sunlight.
"Hey!" he called out at Jack and Rick who were hacking away at the long
grasses in the pasture with Jack's Mysterile Sickles. "Where's Kai?"

"He went into town to find out whose selling what," Rick answered back.
"Mary
went with him."

Grey nodded as Cliff inhaled. "Ah, the sweet scent of food."

In the yard, Ann stirred a pot over a fire. "It'll be ready in about twenty
minutes," she said, sipping at the stew. Nearby, Karen chopped up
vegetables, handling the knife a little bit clumsily.

"Where's Elli?" Cliff asked curiously.

"She's changing into some work clothes," Karen answered. "We're all going to
have to work on the farm, so we might as well dress in jeans and t-shirts."

"Speaking of which, have you seen this dirt?" Jack leaned on his sickle.
"It's so hard! Rick and I must have hacked at least for twenty minutes to
make those soft patches over there."

"Cliff and I will take over while you two can go into town and get some
seeds. We only brought enough seeds for two weeks." Grey's stomach growled.
"God I'm hungry."

"In a minute," Ann answered. "Besides, we need to wait for Kai and Mary to
return."

"Gah. Well, if we're going to just stand around here for about twenty
minutes, lets go explore. Cliff, you coming?"

"Naw," Cliff answered. "I'm too hungry to move. I think I'll sit by the well
and drink water to keep me from starving."

Grey snorted but headed off into the village. "I'll tell Kai and Mary to
head back when I see them," he called out as he clambered the small hill top
and disappeared on the other side.

====================

"Everyone seems so..."

"Depressed?" Kai offered helpfully.

"Yes." Adjusting her glasses, Mary pulled at her long braid in more of a
nervous habit than anything else. "The few people we see are just going
about their daily routines without trying to change a thing."

"I'm sure we can change that," Kai said reassuringly as they came to a fork
in the road. "Lets see.... Carpenter and a Cafe heading left, and the Tool
Shop and a Flower Shop?"

"Lets see the Carpenter. I'm sure there are some people there who could
help us. And maybe we can buy some wood so we do not have to spend our
supply of wood we brought with us." Mary adjusted the heavy jeans she wore
in place of her blouse, skirt and white shirt as the pair set off.

"Hey Fruit!" was the first thing Kai said as they came down from the
hilltop. Bounding over, Kai reached down to pick one up.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Kai jumped away as if scalded. A young girl, about their
age, dressed in brown working clothes, heavy boots, fingerless gloves, a red
tank top and blonde hair tied in a high ponytail stomped over, scowling at
him. "Those are not ripe yet," she said, eyebrows knitted with annoyance.
"Those Very Berries need another day to ripen and grow. Otherwise, you'll
disturb their growth by picking them too early!"

"Well geez, sorry," Kai shot back. "I didn't know, okay?"

The girl made a "Hmph" sound as Mary walked over. "I'm sorry for my friends
rashness," she said, bowing. "We didn't mean to pick them prematurely."

"Well, it's okay if you pick some every so often, but not all the time. The
forest is delicate even with all the tending we do to it. When I was
younger, people picked fruits and stuff all the time and never gave them a
chance to grow again." At this, the girl scowled.

"I see now," Kai said, nodding. "Sorry about that. I'm Kai, and this is
Mary."

"Gwen," she said, tossing her ponytail behind her head. "We don't get many
visitors around here. Where are you from?"

"Mineral Town, just an hours boat ride away," Mary said.

"We came here with a friend of ours named Jack. We're all staying at the
farm just outside of town. His grandpa left him a will."

"Oh, so he's the old man Tony's grandson." Gwen nodded. "Well, don't get too
comfortable. This place is doomed in a year."

"That's why we're here, to stop the developers and save this town," Mary
said.

Gwen barked in laughter. "You serious?" she exclaimed, laughing. "Well, be
our guest! If we can keep the Homeland from getting all dug up, I'm all for
it. Good luck." She left, laughing to herself.

"I don't think she believes we can do it," Mary said softly.

"No kidding," Kai said, scowling.

"Let's take this," Mary said, pulling up a herb that grew on the side of the
road. "Dad finds these all the time. They eliminate a small amount of
fatigue when eaten straight. And when ground up and boiled in water, it
makes for a good relaxation tea."

Kai nodded absently. "You know, I think I'm going to look around some more
herbs before we head back. Why don't you head back? I'll follow shortly."

"All right." Mary hurried off as Kai grinned, adjusting his bandanna.

"Gwen, eh?" he murmured to himself. "I like a challenge."

=====================

Ronald sighed to himself as he rang in the cash register, dumping the coins
into the well. "Thanks Louis," he said to the dark haired man.

Louis nodded. He was a tall man with messy black hair that went to his
shoulders, wide glasses, green shirt, red tie and wearing a white lab coat.
"Not a problem. I need to eat too."

Ronald sighed, fingering the side of his mustache in thought. "We may be
loosing this place you know, with the developing deal being finalized."

"We have to stay a bit optimistic you know," Louis reminded the husky man.
"I'm sure something will turn up."

The door jangled as a young face poked his head in. "Hello? You open?"

"Hi there kid," Ronald said, mustering up his usual joviousness. "I haven't
seen you around here."

"I'm Grey, from Mineral Town. Nice to meet you." Grey stepped into the
supermarket, offering his hand.

Ronald took it as he gestured towards Louis. "That's Louis," Louis waved.
"And I'm Ronald. I own this supermarket. Louis here runs the tool store."

"I see," Grey said. "Hey, do you buy stuff?"

Ronald nodded. "Yeah. Eggs, Milk, Cheese, Yogurt... stuff like that."

"Good. A bunch of us landed yesterday at the docks. We're currently staying
over at the old farm just down the hill." Grey said, checking his bag of
money.

"Old Tony's farm?" Louis asked, surprised. "I thought no one was going to
come to take up the farm, with the construction in the following year."

"That's why were here," Grey said, putting down a half dozen coins for a
Rice Ball. "We're going to bring the farm back up to running order and help
save this town. Not sure how to do the second one but we're all farmers. I'm
a Blacksmith in training."

"You do realize you have a year to do this, and it is already late March,
right?" Ronald asked, skeptically. "Construction begins in the new year."

"I'm sure of it." Grey felt confident as the locals exchanged glances. "If
you want to come see how we're doing, just pop by sometime."

"We'll do that," Louis said as Grey thanked both of them, leaving with Rice
Ball in hand.

After a moments silence, Ronald shook his head. "Poor kid, throwing away a
year like that."

"Give him a break," Louis reprimanded. "Sure they could all be kids like
him, but we could always give them support. At least someone in this place
hasn't given up yet."

"We'll see," Ronald said, folding his arms.

======================

"There. All done." Elli stood up, brushing dust from her jeans as she put
the bag of potato seeds back into the rugsack that Jack had purchased for
everyone the day they left Mineral Town. Silently she wished that she could
wear her normal dress but it was not practical for working in the dirt.
Karen and Ann adjusted quite well, Karen having worn shorts and a white
t-shirt most of her teenage years and Ann always in a pair of overalls. Her,
Popuri and Mary were unaccustomed to jeans and shorts. Popuri had donned a
pair of shorts and one of Karen's t-shirts while Mary wore jeans and a heavy
denim work shirt. A red bandanna like Jack wore was tied around her neck.
Elli herself wore blue and white; blue jeans and a white heavy shirt. Her
short hair was tied up in a bandanna like Kai wore, it's color pink.

The boys had quickly adjusted to the work load of the first day. As Rick and
Jack, the two farming experts cut the very long grass in the pasture in
preparation for cows and sheep, Grey went about working at fixing the doors.
Ann had sent Karen and Cliff to go shopping for fruits and vegetables and
meet some of the local businessmen of the town. Kai had yet to return, off
presumably scouting the town to get the feel and layout down. Mary had
returned with quite a collection of ripe fruits, herbs and flowers, claiming
the fruits and herbs to be very edible and helpful for their stay in the
town. She had then sat down to pound a few herbs into fine crumbs for tea.
Popuri had left, looking for Kai since he had not returned for lunch.

Elle and Ann planted seeds and watered them since the morning as both Jack
and Rick had pounded out a place for crops with both hammer and hoe. Ann
stood up, stretching out her back. "God, I've gotten soft," she complained,
her back emitting a couple of sharp pops and cracks. "I guess I didn't
really get that much exercise every day. Look at Jack go." Elli looked over
to see Jack tirelessly hacking away at the grass as Rick took a breather.

"My goodness, such stamina," Elli said, surprised at the ease Jack moved.

"Stamina, heck," Rick snorted, walking over to where the girls worked at the
fields. His face was already drenched with sweat. "Do you know how many
Power Berries he's eaten?"

"That would explain something," Ann remarked as Jack spun around in a three
sixty arc for a good three seconds, grass around him in a twelve by twelve
foot circle was shedded by the force of his cut. "We should make him share
if he finds any more."

"Hey!" Jack called out. "Rick! You coming?"

"Keep your pants on, Mr. I-Eaten-Power-Berries!" Rick called out, leaping
over the fence. "God, not everyone has eaten as much as you have." With
that, he slashed at a random bunch of grass and out popped a huge red berry,
it's healthy skin gleaming in the light. It was at least the size of Rick's
head and probably full of juice and energy. Rick picked it up, grunting at
the weight. "My god, look at this thing!" he exclaimed as the girls ran over
to bring it to the folding table they had set up.

With an audible thump, Rick set it on the table. "Bright red, green stem,
smooth skin, and looks like a strawberry on steroids."

"Well," Jack said with a grin. "You were griping about me sharing Power
Berries, right? That's a Power Berry."

"A really big one," Rick exclaimed, wide eyed. "Don't they grow to maybe
fist sized?"

"Not this one," Ann said, poking at it. "Looks like it's been growing for
ages."

"You know, I did find one Power Berry in the mine... since there doesn't
seem to be a mine here, we could always dig in the fields..." Without
another word, Ann had grabbed a hoe as with Rick as the pair started to hack
away at the fields.

Mary turned to Jack, perturbed at his grin. "You shouldn't lie like that,"
she admonished.

"Who said anything about lying?" Jack replied innocently. "I DID find a
berry in the mine behind the Goddess Fountain. I'm sure there could be more
buried deep in the ground."

"Weren't you given some of them?" Elli asked curiously.

"Well, I bought one from the Shopping Channel, and then when I tried to cut
down a tree on Mothers Hill, the Tree gave me one.... and then there was the
Kappa who gave me that special berry that keeps me from getting sick during
rainy days... and then there was Anna who gave me a Berry for plundering my
Magic Red Flowers last Fall.... yeah, I was given a lot." Elli sighed as
Mary giggled.

Elli put her hands on her hips. "That's it. We're having Power Berry for
dinner. And none for you." At this, Jack's face fell.

"Elleeeeeeee! But I LIKE Power Berry!" Jack whined. "Do you know how hard to
come by those things are?"

"Tough," Rick said with a wide and slightly evil grin as he and Ann carried
over to the table a huge Power Berry, one twice the height and width. "Look
at this! It must have been growing in the dirt for AGES! Grab a bucket cause
we're going to wash it off and eat it!"

"You are so dead if you don't give me some of that," Jack mock threatened as
Ann stuck her tongue out at him.

"I guess we could give him a piece, but ONLY a piece." Ann washed her hands
with a bucket of water drawn from the rather full well. "Everyone needs as
much Power Berry as possible to increase our stamina."

"Mind you they don't keep once the skin is broken," Mary interjected. "Once
a Power Berry's skin is broken, it will decay in two days."

"Then we eat it as soon as everyone gets back." Rick said, checking the size
for proper divisions of the ripe fruit.

"Hey, it's getting late," Jack pointed out. "Shouldn't we go looking for
them?"

"Too late. Here they come." The others looked over to where they carried Kai
who sported a rather lovely shiner. Grey and Cliff supported him while the
girls carried a few random things bought at the store. Karen was smirking
while Popuri was giving the dark skinned boy a stern talking to. "What
happened to Kai?" Ann asked.

"He," Popuri smacked him on the head, "was chatting up a girl."

"I knew it," Mary sighed as she shook her head. "There was this girl named
Gwen that we met in the forest near a woodcutters house. I think Kai was
trying to become friends with her."

"She didn't like me, and said so with a punch," Kai said with a grin that
made him wince as his eye began to swell.

"Geez. Leave you alone for a day and look what happens," Popuri grumbled,
wringing out a cold compress, slapping it onto Kai's eye a bit roughly,
making him wince. "What were you thinking? This is NOT how we want to get
along with our neighbors."

"I couldn't help it," Kai said, earning a few rolled eyes. "But hey, I
learned a few things about this place during my talk with Gwen."

"Well, we'd better eat first," Ann said, gesturing towards the Power Berry.
Mary had taken it already and begun to divide it up into equal shares. Jack
noticed, a bit sourly, that his slice was a bit smaller. "Everyone's got to
eat tonight."

"What the heck is that?" Grey asked.

"Looks like a strawberry on steroids," Cliff said, earning a snicker from
Rick.

"That's what I said," Rick put in. "It's a Power Berry. A big one no less.
It should increase our physical strength and stamina so we can work longer."

Karen made a face. "I don't like sweet things, you know that."

"It's necessary if you want to work longer," Jack said. "When I first
started on the farm, I could barely water a quarter of what I do in two
hours. Trust me, Karen, you won't regret it."

"A little natural sugar won't kill you," Ann put in.

"And we've all seen what they did to Jack," Elli finished.

Karen threw up her arms. "All right! I'll eat it! But just this once, okay?"

"Actually, we have another Power Berry," Mary put in, but shrunk back from
Karen's glare. "But it'll keep for a good long while as long as someone
doesn't break the skin."

"Ugh.... I'll need a good long drink after this." Karen took a bite of the
sweet fruit and admitted silently to herself that it was incredibly good,
and a surge of strength coursed through her tired body. Devouring it
quickly, she helped herself to one of the bottles of Wine Mana and Duke had
given the small party.

"Hey, go easy," Rick said as Karen poured herself a drink, downed it and
poured another. "We only have enough for two weeks."

Karen glared balefully at him as she corked the bottle. "Fine. Have it your
way."

"Eat up," Elli said cheerfully as she handed Karen another piece. "We have
to finish the fruit or it will go bad in a couple of days."

"Joy." Biting into the fruit, Karen chewed silently, admitting to herself
that she could get used to the taste and freshness of Power Berries. It
wasn't that she despised sweet things like cookies, cakes and stuff like
that, she just didn't like to indulge in them. But given any time of day,
she would gladly drink than eat sweets like her parents enjoyed.

"Well, it's the first day here," Jack said, "And we've gotten a lot of
things done. Kai, when do you think you can bring over Bill?"

Kai paused in thought. "My ship should be large enough to bring over Bill.
It's not far, only an hour. At the most, I'll have to have him sent
professionally instead of bringing him over on a small boat."

"You named your pony, Bill?" Popuri asked, enchanted. "That is so cute!"

Jack blushed. "Well, it was named after Bill the Pony from Lord of the
Rings. Anyway, we should get some more work done tonight before we head to
bed. Tomorrow, we see about getting some livestock and more chicken feed."

Rick nodded. "I'll work on that in the morning. Popuri, you coming?"

Popuri nodded. "Yeah, I'll come."

"The rest of us will either scout around the village looking for work and
stuff, meeting the people and such." Kai put in. "And whoever is left will
help with the farm work."

"I vote we leave Jack on the farm," Cliff said with a grin.

"Oh sure, leave me alone while the rest of you decide to go gallivanting
around the town," Jack grumbled, reaching for another slice of Power Berry.

"I can help him," Elli said, wiping her fingers on a paper towel. "I'm sure
between Jack and myself, we can finish up the daily chores."

"I'll stay too," Ann put in. "Someone has to cook and help out on the farm."

"Well that settles it," Karen said, finishing off her Power Berry and
starting in on the stew that had been growing cold with every passing
moment. "We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."

As the small group of Mineral Town Villagers ate and drank, three little
figures peered out from behind the henhouse. They were tiny, with colorful
clothing of red, blue and yellow. "What do you think about these people,
Nic?" the yellow one said.

"They look all right, Flak," Nic said. "You think you'll be okay with them,
Nak?"

Nak, the littlest one with blue sleeves that went over his hands nodded. "If
they're going to save the homeland, we should bring them to the Harvest
Goddess tomorrow morning."

"Exactly," Nic said, rubbing his hairless chin. "All right, that's settled.
We'll bring them there first thing tomorrow morning."

The three left, as Jack's dog looked at them curiously before wagging it's
tail and scampering over to it's food dish.

=================

Laying there that night, made me reflect on a few things. About grandpa
Tony, my friends who had laid down their old lives to come and help me here,
and the people who were counting on us to save this town. I can't let them
down, as much as I want to. Everyone's helping in their own way, and I'm
glad they're here. I'm certain that I couldn't have done it without them,
and for once, I was right.

Laying there, just made me realize how important things were to them, our
friendships that helped. We just never knew how much we would go through for
the entire year. I distinctly remember my last thought, an old piece of
advice Grandpa Tony used to say.

"It's a dangerous world, Jack, stepping out your door. You step onto the
road, and if you don't keep your wits about, there's no telling where you
might end up. So buck up, keep your chin high, and lean on your friends when
times seem desperate. And that, my boy, is how you'll get through each day."

And you know what? He was right.

=================

End Chapter 1