Authors's Notes: I'm BAAACK. And I'm excited to continue this story once again! Jeez, it's been forever since my last update... Sorry! ^^;

I'd like to give a biiiig shout-out to Ruphira, who is the one you should really thank for this chapter. If it weren't for her fantastic motivation, this chapter might have taken much, much longer to complete. So thanks a bunch! YOU RULE~ :D

Also, I've recently posted a new poll on my profile pertaining to this fic. I'm debating whether to put some pairings for OC Claire in here or not, and I thought I might as well ask the wise readers of FF to give their imput! So! Should I give Claire a little fling on the side...? )

NOTE: I'm not aiming for a romance here so, even if I do decide on a pairing, it's not going to consume the whole fic or anything (good news for those who are against it!) And this SI is not an 'OMG! I'm totes gonna make the main character fall in love with the hottest bachelor!1! OC Claire and Vaughn 4evrr!' kind of thing.

No. Good god, nothing like that.

So I'd be really happy if you took the time out to vote on that! I'm hoping to get the pairing (if there is one) established soon, so I'll have more time to plan out how it's going to develop and such. Anyway, thanks a bunch for listening to my insanely long ramblings! ON WITH THE CHAPTER! XD

Disclaimer: Yep. I totally own Harvest Moon. And you know what else I own? An adorable sparkly fairy with butterscotch wings and a pink beret.

No, not really. I don't own any of that... :'(

The doctor grinned and, rising from his place next to me, grabbed the tissue box resting on the end table. He handed it to me and I took a few out of courtesy.

There was no longer a need for conversation. I had found what I wanted from him, and he from myself. I was tired. Not physically, but emotionally. And I think that he was probably just as confused as I was, if not more.

He was treating me like a child. But, I suppose I was a child in a lot of ways. An adult would keep a level head and figure this out on their own. An adult wouldn't start crying over a lost memory…

I attempted to rise from the bed, realizing for the first time that I was in a hospital gown. I sincerely hoped that the nurse was the one to blame for the outfit change…

The doctor noticed my discovery and blushed. "Elli is washing your clothes at the moment."

I nodded, and he hovered over me as I tried to stand, making sure that I wouldn't fall. My legs felt like jelly as they touched the cold, tiled floors. I wobbled clumsily until I finally decided to sit down again, unsure of my ability to stand any longer.

"Don't push yourself," he chided, "It's perfectly natural for your muscles to be weakened from lack of use."

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I replied, giving a reassuring smile.

He watched as I tried again, this time making sure to hold onto the bed for support. It felt good, being able to stand and walk around, despite the trouble. It felt like…like I was more independent. Like I didn't need anybody.

"Good work, Claire. Are you going to be all right alone? Okay, well I suppose I'll go get your clothes and call the mayor. I'm sure he will know what actions to take." Trent said, inching toward the door, "After all, you can't stay here forever."

"No…no, I guess I can't…" Where would I stay? Was there a hotel in town?

He nodded solemnly, finally opening the door and strolling into the hall. And, when he was at last gone, I felt a wave of relief crash over me. It had never felt so good to be alone. …Or had it? Ugh, this 'memory loss' thing sure was inconvenient.

The door closed, and I sat still for a moment, attempting unsuccessfully to recall the events leading up to this incident. It must have been at least another ten minutes before I could hear some activity, hushed voices coming from the other side of the door.

I stopped, contemplating eavesdropping before finally giving in to my curiosity. I wobbled toward the door, pressing both hands against the wall and straining my ears.

"-Some place called…Michigan?" muttered a deep, masculine voice. It sounded similar to the doctor's low tone.

"Hm…I've never heard of the place. Perhaps near the city?" inquired another, this time a bit higher. Squeakier.

"Ah…no, I don't think so, Mayor. I grew up in the city, you see, and I can safely say that there is no place called Michigan."

The mayor? My brow furrowed, and I was becoming bit confused as to why they were keeping things so secretive.

"Well, then… Is it possible that she is still delusional?"

There was silence again, and when the answer came, it was slow and unsure. "I don't- I don't know… I've never handled anything like this before." His tone turned aggravated, "I just feel so…useless. "

"Oh, Trent. You mustn't work yourself so hard! She's probably still a bit senseless after taking all those medications. Or perhaps her head injury was the cause, hm?"

"Y-yes…I suppose that would make sense…But…Ah, well."

I could hear the doorknob jiggle slightly and I scrambled back to my bed, pretending to be busy…looking out the window…

The doctor stepped through the door shortly after, a jolly little bald man- who I assumed was the mayor- trailing not far behind. I glanced down at his full arms as he struggled with a pile of clothes, my clothes, neatly folded and stacked.

I beamed, delighted to have some piece of my old identity, and rose hurriedly, which only succeeded in making me dizzy and uncoordinated as I walked over to the pair.

The doctor stopped, thrusting a hand out from his shaky pile as a signal to halt. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back on the bed, Claire."

I grimaced, looking back at the uncomfortable bed. My legs felt too jittery to be able to sit, and it felt awkward, me being the only person seated while talking.

I huffed when he continued to glare, finally resigning to his wishes and inching toward the bed.

He chuckled, and held out my clothes as I sat. "Hello, again. Let me introduce you to the mayor."

The doctor waved a hand toward the pudgy little man, the mayor giving a tip of his abnormally large top hat before holding out his hand. "Mayor Thomas, little lady. Welcome to Mineral Town!"

I glanced at his hand, still a bit taken aback by his height and frame. He was…just so small.

"Uh…" I took his hand, and he proceeded to shake it with great gusto. Wincing, I drew back my arm, caressing it gingerly as the mayor simply chuckled.

Trent stood a few feet away, giving me a 'don't be rude' kind of look as we stood in silence. But I wasn't trying to be rude… I glared back, matching his look with one of my own. He only rolled his eyes at my sad attempt of badassery.

The mayor, oblivious to our silent conversation, clapped his hands together in delight. "So! Since you are now an honorary member of our humble town, we will do all in our power to welcome you. That is, until you regain your memory, of course." He added the ending as an afterthought, hopping up and down and waving his arms in outrageous gestures to get the point across.

I scooted back a few feet.

"It seems you're well enough to be let out," informed the doctor, "Although I would have like to have you hospitalized for a bit longer…" He looked less than thrilled to let me go, although I would have to agree with him. If I was sick enough to be fabricating whole cities, then how could they possibly think that I would be well enough to walk around…?

"But we will be keeping an eye on you, understand?"

I nodded, still a bit shaken up by my recent discovery, "Seems fair, I guess…"

Trent muttered something under his breath, but the mayor continued to smile in his flamboyant way. "Fantastic! Oh, but you must also come for medications every Tuesday. Don't forget, now!"

I nodded along with him. Every Tuesday, huh? Yes, I suppose I could do that… It wasn't like I had anything else to do.

Trent and Thomas soon left, giving me a vague description of the town and leaving me some time to change before setting me out, and also placed a small amount of money onto my stack. The doctor had suggested looking for work sometime soon, as the town was already paying for all of my medications and inn's fees. Although the mayor had said that he would be happy to pay for as long as required, I felt needy when accepting someone's charity.

Remembering the generous donation, I looked down at the pile that they had handed me before leaving. The coins shimmered in the filtered light streaming through the nearby window, making me think that they could possibly be made out of real gold…how strange…

I shrugged, deciding that this must just be the norm here. Who was I to say that this was odd when I had lost my memory? But something just…didn't feel right…

I shuffled out of the tiny clinic, leaving time to shoot a grateful look to the nurse on the way out. She smiled back and waved me off as I walked out into the daytime air…

Everything in Mineral Town was so…bright. And colorful, too. The cobbled streets shone a vibrant tan, although I was debating whether to just call it gold, and the street lamps that littered the pathway seemed almost neon. Strange…

It took me a full minute to realize that I was blocking the entrance to the clinic, staring off into space. Someone cleared their throat nearby me, and I looked over to the neighboring bench where two teens- about my age- were gazing curiously.

The man, sporting thick glasses and an odd white headband, beckoned me to come over, while the girl simply gave an encouraging smile. I hobbled over to the pair, rubbing my arm in a nervous motion as they gave me a glance over.

"Hey," said the boy, "Are you new here? I haven't seen you around."

I couldn't answer, my nervousness consuming me. "Uh…I- Well…"

The woman with the jean shorts snuck a quick hit onto the unsuspecting nerd, her face noticeably aggravated. "Rick, where are your manners? We should give our names before asking hers." She flipped her hair back, giving a roll of her flawless eyes.

"I'm Karen," she said, smiling up at me, "And this is Rick." Karen pointed a finger to the adjacent boy, who was still clutching the spot that the feisty young girl had taken a punch. He glanced up, giving me a quick grin before once again attending to his bruising arm.

"Um, hi. I'm…Claire…" I squeaked.

The girl nodded, her eyebrows raised, seemingly enthralled by my introduction. "Well hello, Claire! If you ever need something, don't be afraid to stop by. The Supermarket has all of the basic essentials." She sounded like a salesman, pitching their latest product to an unwilling customer.

Rick, having recovered from his latest injury, shook his head at the eager saleswoman but refused to say anything else on the subject.

"Uh…alright…" I said, slowly backing away from the pair. I didn't know why I was so nervous around the two. Maybe it was because they were my age, or perhaps it was because I knew they would want answers.

And what could I possibly tell them? That I had lost all memory of my friends and family? That I had a gash across the back of my head that no one can explain? Or maybe share with them my recently discovered fictional town?

No. They would think I was insane, wouldn't they?

"Don't be put off by Karen over here," drawled Rick, noting how I was gradually inching backward, "She doesn't mean anything by it."

Karen huffed, "What's that supposed to mean? I was only trying to be hospitable."

"Yeah, but you're scaring her away."

"Am not!"

"Are t- OW! Karen!"

"Oh, man up, Rick. Sheesh, you're almost as bad as Dad."

"Hey! Be lucky you have your dad! I had to… Hey, where is she going?"

I stopped, frozen in fear by the fact that I had been caught in the midst of my escape. "Ah! Well, I just…" Stiffening slightly, I took a moment to collect my thoughts before speaking.

Just say it! 'Where is there an inn?' It can't possibly be this hard. They're teenagers, not rabid dogs!

"D-do you happen to know if there's a… hotel in town?"

Both youths blinked, leaving me floundering for a few moments, but soon returned to their senses and were able to point me in the right direction. I immediately turned and continued down the path, ignoring the awkward glances I got from the pair as I sped to safety.

Just downward from the clinic, then straight to the right…or was it left? Bah, I'm sure it would all work out. At least I was able to escape that conversation…

I made my way down the road as Karen and Rick had shown me, hurrying up the path with my head held low. I felt as though I didn't belong in this relaxed little town, like I was a stranger among a close-knit family.

For the most part, I made sure to follow the route given but, somehow, I ended up hitting a dead end at what looked like a small chapel. I scratched my head as I gazed at the magnificent building, wondering how in the world I could have gotten so far off… I had followed their directions to the tee! At least, I thought I did…

The tower's stained glass windows were both comforting and at the same time imposing, and I hesitated in my resolve. Was anybody even there…? Maybe I should just go…

I turned to leave, not wanting to force myself into another awkward situation. I could find my way eventually… This was a small town, wasn't it?

"Miss…?"

I froze, whipping my head around, my eyes anxious. In front of the church stood a tall blonde man, his clothing suggesting he was some sort of religious official. His serene smile calmed my nerves a bit, but I was still a little jumpy.

"Can I help you with something?" He inched forward a bit, closing the grand oak doors behind him.

I looked around, trying to find a suitable spot to direct my eyes, preferably not to the spot the man was waiting intently for my response. "No, no! I'm… I'm fine, thanks."

Turning to leave, I heaved a heavy sigh and felt my flushed face with one hand.

"Well, if you're not doing anything," said the man hopefully, making me stop and twist my torso to face him, "I would be indeed grateful if you were to stay for my sermon. Sadly, not many folks in this town see the importance of devotion. But the Harvest Goddess plays a pivotal role in the balance of nature, you see."

Fully turning my body back to the blonde, I gave a faintly intrigued glance. "Harvest…Goddess…?"

His eyes shined, his look knowing. "You wouldn't happen to be that mystery girl that everyone's been buzzing about, would you? Come in for a bit! It's only me and Cliff in here, we don't bite."

I bit my lip, finally nodding my head grudgingly. I didn't really give a thought to religion, but perhaps this 'Harvest Goddess' could be the key to getting my life back. And this man had a very calming atmosphere.

"My name is Carter, by the way. I'm the pastor of this church." He said over his shoulder as we filed into the chapel. A young pony tailed boy twisted his head from his spot in the front pew, straining to get a good look. "Oh, and this is Cliff."

I didn't respond, too busy getting a good look at the beautiful décor that filled the small area. The furniture was used sparingly, the room mostly taken up by the deserted pews. Other than that, there were only a few doors in the back and an organ in the corner. And, of course, the small podium standing front and center, a book perched on the stand.

"Um…hello…" The depressing young lad muttered, standing up.

My eyes snapped to him, glancing over his form with muted interest. He looked kind of poor, like a woodsman, but his eyes held a bit of civil politeness that contradicted his fashion sense. Nice enough, I thought.

"Hi…" I noticed vaguely that he was about as awkward as I felt, us standing there watching each other.

Carter soon swooped in, saving us from speaking any longer. "Oh, Cliff! I've been working on a new analogy! This one's about a girl whose mother died. But the twist is, her father told her that she was only sleeping to make his daughter feel better."

Cliff looked up, giving a shy smile to the older man, "Sounds like a good one, Mr. Carter. Can't wait to hear it."

And so, we both sat down as Carter began his painfully long sermon. It had a good message, but I was getting increasingly confused as to how this related at all to the Harvest Goddess. Still, it was nice and quiet in the church, and I liked how I didn't feel forced to talk to the pair. Everything was mellow and relaxed…it calmed my nerves.

It wasn't long before Carter was wrapping up his speech. I had only heard bits and pieces… something about an alarm clock…?

But Cliff was wide-awake, standing up and thanking Carter profusely when the lesson had finally ended. He seemed happier than before… not as nervous.

"It really was fantastic," gushed Cliff, shaking the pastor's hand, "Oh! Three, already? Well, I must be getting back to the inn… Ann gets angry when I skip lunch."

He was a nice kid. Kind of jumpy, but— Wait… did he say inn?

"Inn? What inn?" I started.

Carter and the vagabond looked back, as if they had forgotten that I was there.

"Um… Ah, the inn that Ann and Doug run." Cliff stuttered, immediately losing the comfortable atmosphere he had adopted as he struggled to give me a reasonable answer.

Carter looked to me. "Do you need something at the inn? A place to stay, perhaps?"

"Yeah, that's right." I nodded in the affirmative.

His smile brightened, a scheming look adorning his cheerful face, "Well I'm sure Cliff would be delighted to escort a pretty lady home! Wouldn't you Cliff?"

We turned our attention to the timid young man, and his face flushed, "A-ah, well. I guess I could…"

"Very good then," the pastor nodded, ushering us out of the chapel, "It was very nice to meet you, Claire. Please stop by soon!"

"But I-"

"Bye bye!"

And, before either of us could get a word in, the grand doors of the church building slammed behind us, bringing a fierce gust of air to the back of our heads. I stood still for a moment, not quite understanding exactly what happened.

"Um… S-sorry about him. He's just worried, is all. I'm not exactly a ladies man, so…" The young boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, brushing a hand through his ponytail.

"Oh, that's alright. But…is it okay if I… followed you back? I have no clue how to get there."

He blinked then nodded hesitantly, "Yes…that would be fine…"

We began our walk to the inn shortly after, Cliff leading the way. He was silent for the most part, which made me a bit uncomfortable, but I didn't really have a problem with it… At least he wasn't asking any questions…

"So, um, what made you want to come to this town…?"

Shit.

"Ah, uh, well I…nothing, really…" I floundered for a few seconds, stuttering out half-witted answers. Why, why did he have to ask this question? Did the universe hate me?

Finally he looked back, seeing my flustered appearance and blushing.

"I- I'm so sorry! I was just trying to- I mean, I…uh… Sorry?"

"No, no," I argued halfheartedly, "It's okay… Just a… really long story."

The vagabond stared back for a moment before finally nodding, still holding a bit of a perplexed expression. "I…understand."

We both were still for a second, the only sound coming from the soft footfalls of our shoes colliding with the pathway. It was peaceful but, for him, I could tell that it was also a bit awkward. I knew that he was likely just trying to create some conversation… After all, what else would you say to a new neighbor?

"Well, hello there! Welcome to the- Oh, Cliff! Hey!"

Cliff gave a curt nod to the optimistic redhead behind the counter, his face becoming flushed once again. "H-hey, Ann."

We got to the inn fairly quickly, only about a half an hour, and I grudgingly discovered that it was actually a pretty short distance from the hospital. I cursed my hopeless sense of direction, hoping that this would change when I found my memories.

Or maybe I should say if?

Ann smiled and jumped over the bar, where only a gruff young man was seated with his drink. The boy only gave an annoyed glance and reached up to fix his cap, before returning to his cocktail.

She seemed extremely energetic and bubbly, which heightened my impending sense of anxiety as she rushed over to us.

"Been at the church all day? You know, you should really find a hobby." The girl scolded lightly. She turned to me, first shock and then bemusement crossing her face. Tilting her head to the side, the innkeeper gave an appraising glance.

"Found yourself a girlfriend, Cliffy? She's pretty."

Cliff's look turned horrified…which was a bit of a blow to my confidence. "N-no!"

Ann only snorted, waving a hand at the adjacent drifter. "Kidding, kidding. But seriously, who is she?"

The man only turned in my direction, obviously not comfortable introducing me. Of course, I didn't really blame him… I didn't give him much to talk about.

"Hi, I'm Claire. Nice to meet you…"

Ann crossed her arms idly, her smile brightening. "Hello there, Claire! Welcome to the Inner Inn. So if you're not dating… are you and Cliff relatives, then…?"

Cliff seemed like he would start hyperventilating at any moment, so I chose to speak up. "No, we're not… He was just helping me find my way around."

"Ah, Cliff. Always the gentleman," she teased, "You two are just so much alike, I thought there must be some sort of relation. Ah, well. Come and take a load off! You must be hungry!"

Cliff smiled from beside me. "Ann makes the best food around."

The girl simply waved it off with a shake of her head, busy tying the back of her apron. "Pah! Don't make any promises I can't keep! It was my dad who won the cooking festival last year, anyway."

I gave a nervous grin, pulling out the spare change that the doctor had given me. "How much…?"

"Oh, put that away! First customers get a meal on the house!" Ann insisted as she pulled out a pan, "What would you like, hon?"

I shrugged, which I hoped would constitute as an 'I don't really care.' Apparently she didn't see it that way, because the redhead only frowned. "C'mon. There's gotta be something that you want! What's your favorite?"

"I don't…really know…" I muttered as I sat at the bar, only the man with the hat looking up at me. Cliff followed soon after, sitting on the opposite side of the mystery man.

Ann whipped her head to face me, her long orange braid swinging around as she turned. The man continued to stare, and I was getting a bit uncomfortable under his glare. "What's that, hon? Ya gotta speak up."

"Um, I… I don't know. You can just pick whatever."

The girl stopped to stare at the man, before snapping her eyes back to me and giving a tired shrug.

"Fine, fine. I'll make some eggs, all right? Oh, and Gray…" The man's glare switched its attention to an increasingly annoyed Ann, "Quit staring at her. It's starting to creep me out."

My attention perked up at the familiar name. Gray…? Gray?

"You gave Gray and Mary quite a scare on that mountain."

This was him…

"Gray carried you from the mountain."

The one that saw me up there, alone? Who carried me to the clinic? Who heard Eddie barking…?

"Y-you're…"

My eyes met his, and I could tell he knew exactly who I was.

"Gray. Pleasure to meet you…again."

Urgh. I think I definitely could have added more detail in there. Sorry about the crappy chapter... -_-; But thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! :D

Review...?