Revised to correct plot hole. I don't own HM.

Chapter 1: Inheritance

"I am glad that you decided to come and claim your inheritance, er...miss?", Mayor Hamilton turned around and faced the young woman. She is so young, he thought. He had hoped that she would stay and take over the farm, but he wasn't so sure now. She didn't seem like a farming type. She had a pale face with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her facial features were unremarkable, but for the huge, light amber eyes, framed by long, dark eyelashes. Although her slender figure didn't looked frail, she also did not look like a sturdy farm stock that Hamilton has hoped for.

"Sage. My name is Sage", the girl answered as she surveyed the farm. The farm had seen better days, she concluded. But, she thought, with some elbow grease, surely she could turn this farm around. She felt butterflies in her stomach. Her own farm. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. The spring air was fresh with light flowery scent. She stood there with her eyes closed for a second, afraid that the farm and the house would disappear if she opened her eyes, afraid that she would wake up and found that it was just a dream. But then she realized how ridiculous she must looked to Hamilton, standing there with her eyes closed, so she told herself to get a grip and opened her eyes.

"I am sorry to hear about your mother", Hamilton said. "I wish that I could have tracked you both sooner, after your father passed away. I was having a hard time tracking you down and I was about to give up after years of searching. It was just recently that I finally found a traveling merchant who knew where you were."

"I understand Mr. Hamilton. It's not your fault. My mother and I, we moved around a lot, you see", Sage smiled at Hamilton. Her smile was warm and with the sun over her face, her eyes seemed to glow golden. She detected some reluctance on the Mayor's part.

"But I assure you, I am not afraid of hard work. I have decided to stay and work this farm...", Sage said. Wait, she thought, what was that? She cocked her head towards the house. It was slight but she could definitely hear it.

"Well, than let me be the first to welcome you to Harmonica town. I am sure that you are tired and you need some time to settle down so I will take my leave. Please come and see me at the town hall and I would give you the deeds of the property", Hamilton shook the girl's hand. He turned around and started his path towards the town center. After a few steps, he looked back at the girl, the house and the dis-repaired farm, and waved.

Sage waved back at the kindly, old mayor and then turned her attention back at the house. There, she thought, near the barn, that was where the sobbing coming from. She didn't think the mayor could hear that quiet cry and she didn't want to alarm him. After all, this wouldn't be her first time hearing something that other people couldn't. Over the years, she had learned that some people would become less welcoming, to the point that some would try to hurt her, when they found out that she had magic coursing through her blood. Not that she agreed with them, but sometimes she could almost understand their point of view. Some magical creatures, be it fae, goblins or wizards, were known to wreak havoc and cause untold misery to humans.

Sage walked towards the barn and opened the barn door slowly. After her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the barn, she walked gingerly towards a stall and looked inside. On a little mound of old hay, on the stall floor, sat a small, sparkly fae. The creature was luminous, emitting soft, bluish aura. He...Sage was almost sure it was a he...was sobbing furiously into a tiny handkerchief.

"Ah, there you are...are...are you okay?" Sage said gently but kept her distance from the creature. Not all magical creatures were malevolent of course, but until you were sure, it was never a bad idea to keep your distance from them. She focused her will on the magic talisman wound around her left wrist and conjured an invisible, magical shield between her and the creature. It was never a bad idea to take an extra precaution, she thought.

"What? Who are you?...you could see me?" The fae shot up few inches in the air with surprise. His paper-thin, dragonfly wings fluttered.

"Yes, I can see you...my name is Sage. Are you okay?"

"Yes...I mean, no..no, I am not okay...I don't know what to do...I am so useless...poor Harvest Goddess...waahh!" the creature resumed his crying with gusto. Then he suddenly stopped.

"Wait, you can see me right? Are you the witch of Fugue forest? Are you the Tree Guardian?" the creature asked Sage, hopefully.

"Er...no, I am not", said Sage.

"Then we are all doomed!" the creature wailed, burying his face into his handkerchief. Sage covered her ears with her hands and looked at the tiny creature with awe. How did such a small body produce such a loud shriek, she wondered. She decided that the creature did not look evil and disbanded her magic shield.

"Okay, okay calm down. Everything will be fine. Why don't you tell me what happened to you? What's your name?" Sage said gently.

"My name is...is Finn...fpfft!" Finn blew his nose loudly into his kerchief and then sat down on the floor forlornly as he continued his tale.

"I am a harvest sprite. Fifteen years ago, a wicked and powerful witch destroyed our Goddess tree and imprisoned our queen, the Harvest Goddess, into another realm by a powerful spell. With the tree and Harvest Goddess gone, we the harvest sprites, fell into a deep sleep. Last night, the Goddess managed to break free from her prison for a moment and amassed enough magical energy to wake me up. She mentioned the witch of the Fugue forest and the Guardian, the Tree Guardian. So I think The Guardian or the witch ought to be able to destroy the spell and free her. I rushed here, where the Guardian used to live, only to find that he was long dead. I thought...I thought maybe you are the Witch since you can see me and you can help the Goddess but you are not. So we are doomed! It's over! We are all going to die!" Finn once again broke into an open-mouth wail. Giant teardrops burst out from his eyes.

"Guardian? But this...this was my father's farm. Are you saying that my father was the Tree Guardian?" Sage asked Finn. Fifteen years ago...she thought. That was exactly the time when her father has told her mother to take five-year old Sage and leave the house, never to return. She couldn't remember much of her father. However, the little memory she had seemed to tell her that he was a loving and kind father. All her life she was trying to understand why, one day, he decided to kick her and her mother out of the farm. Her mind was churning. One of the reasons why Sage had decided to return to Harmonica town was to find out why her father did what he did fifteen years ago. Why not, Sage shrugged. If it proved to be too much trouble, she would just move on, just as she had always done, she reasoned.

"Okay, Finn, there must be a reason why the Goddess chose to wake you, of all the sprites. And there is something that I really want to find out. I will do what I can to help you figure this out, to save the Goddess and revive the Tree. What do you say?" Sage said with what she hoped was her bravest and most confident smile.

Finn looked up at Sage. He didn't think they would have a chance in hell of saving the Goddess. A human girl and the youngest, smallest sprite of all harvest sprites? Nope, not a chance. But somehow, the idea gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Yes, yes...maybe, maybe we can. But we have to find the Witch of the Fugue forest. The Goddess said we have to find her" Finn, who was now excited by the idea of saving Harvest Goddess, flew around Sage leaving faint, chaotic trails of sparkles.

"Okay, I just have to unpack a few things in the house, and pick up some papers from the town hall", Sage started walking out of the barn and towards the house, with Finn fluttering behind her.

"Then we can try to find this witch", she added.

End of Chapter

Please review. English is not my first language so I apologize in advance if the grammar is incorrect, etc.