== Part One: Spring ==

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Marlin admired the neat rows of seeds before him. Spring was still in its early days, which meant that Vesta's farm was back and working in full force. The valley was exactly the same as it had been for the last two spring seasons. It was hard to believe that he'd been here for two years already. Time had passed and yet nothing seemed to change in Forget-Me-Not, everyone so settled into their routines that every day seemed exactly the same.

Five whole years, and he'd only seen minor improvements in his health. He was far from the strength he'd once possessed and taken for granted, a thought that consistently left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was thirty-two, though the constant nagging about his illness left him feeling Galen's age. He could handle himself, as he repeatedly told his sister and Celia, though they fell deaf to his insistence.

Gripping the metal hoe far harder than he needed to, he continued his work. If he could finish planting these tomatoes early, he might even be able to drop by the bar tonight.

Celia and Vesta had emerged from the shed, having completed their inventory counts for the day. Vesta gave him a hearty smack on the back as she complimented his work. Celia moved to stand to the other side of him, softly commenting something about how happy the seedlings would be. He continued to work, the thought of a cold glass of Moo Moo Milk the primary force propelling him.

The sound of distant chattering drew Vesta's attention to the corner of the field. Celia followed shortly behind her like a shadow. Marlin lifted the hoe and tilled the next section of the field, indifferent to whoever the visitor might be. He presumed it was Kassey or Ruby coming to chat about vegetables, but didn't dwell on it too much. He was a machine for the time being, with one task in mind.

Still, he couldn't help but overhear snippets of the exchange.

"Vesta also runs a farm here," he heard a gruff voice say. "And that's Celia. She helps out with their work."

He overheard Vesta making a cheery remark, welcoming the newcomer - he caught a name that sounded an awful lot like...Jim? - and she assured them that she could answer any questions about seeds and crops. He could barely hear the next part of the conversation, only catching a hint of what sounded like a feminine voice. Jim had a really high-pitched voice for a guy, he noted, though that was none of his business.

"Oh!" exclaimed Vesta. "That's my brother over there. Marlin, come over and introduce yourself!"

The raven-haired man cursed under his breath. Why did Vesta insist on putting him through this? He was sure that he'd never see the visitor again, so why even bother introducing himself?

He set the hoe down as he ran a hand through his hair. Turning to face the group, he could barely make out the figures behind his sister and Celia. Damn it, he'd have to come closer. He made his way over to the edge of the fence, a scowl planted on his face.

His features grew a bit more slack as he realized that Jim was probably not actually named Jim. Takakura loomed over the girl, his bulky shoulders a sharp contrast to her slim form. She was a bit taller than average, brown hair tied up in a ponytail that framed the gentle features of her face. Her purple eyes were wide with curiosity as he made himself more visible.

"Hi," she said, smiling. "I'm Jill."

He gave a slight nod. "Marlin." He was still coming to terms with the fact that Jill was, in fact, a woman, and a moderately attractive one at that. Not that he was looking, or anything.

For once, he was grateful for Vesta's outgoing personality. She filled the silence with loud banter, explaining to Marlin that Jill was taking over the old farm across the bridge.

Marlin's raised eyebrows betrayed his surprise. She was going to manage a farm all by herself? The old, dilapidated farm across the bridge, at that? That was no beginner's quest, and everyone knew it. He was willing to bet anything that she was a novice to farming - her eyes shone too brightly. A couple of days would wear her down, he was sure.

Jill seemed to recognize his doubtful expression, though she remained silent. Her attention turned to Celia, who was asking where she was from. Jill smiled as she responded that she had lived her entire life in the city with her mother, while her father had lived here and run the farm. His passing a couple of years back inspired her to think long and hard about what she truly wanted to do with her life, and she eventually resolved to come here and continue his legacy.

'Oh Goddess,' thought Marlin. 'This is a disaster waiting to happen.' He figured she'd last a season at most before fleeing. City girls tended to be that way - all talk and no work. Why come here willingly, anyway? Wrapped up in his thoughts as he placed bets on her success, he hardly noticed the rest of the conversation.

A couple of minutes later, they all said goodbye. Jill was excited to know them better, she said, and Vesta welcomed her to visit any time she pleased. Takakura nodded his goodbye as Jill waved at the others, thanking them once more.

"She seemed like a nice girl," said Vesta, and Celia chirpily agreed.

Marlin made no comment, heading back towards his tools and his task.

Not even a glass of Moo Moo Milk made him feel better that night. The Blue Bar had quite a few visitors, and each of them had only one conversation topic in mind. Every mention of the new farmer made him want to roll his eyes to the back of his head. Jill this, Jill that.

Gesturing to Griffin, he ordered another drink, hoping that the buzz would make him just a bit more oblivious to the discussions around him. Living in a small town was a curse - news spread quicker than you could spit it out, and it festered for weeks. Was there really nothing else to talk about? Why did everyone care so much?

"I heard that she's Takakura's goddaughter!" Muffy said to Patrick as they chatted. "I wonder why she never visited him and her father though..."

"Jack Roman had gone through a rough divorce," noted Griffin, who had lived in the village long enough to remember the old farmer. "He visited the bar pretty often after that."

What was it about Jill Roman that irked him, exactly?

He was not opening that can of worms tonight. Chugging down the rest of the liquid in his glass, he signaled Griffin for another one.

Jill looked at the bare walls of her cabin, wondering how her father lived in a house filled with such unexciting colors. She certainly didn't have the funds to address the decorating situation right now, but she could still muse about how the cabin would look someday. A nice rug over there, maybe some colored wallpaper...

Finn yapped at her feet as she pondered, drawing her out of her trance. She picked him up, petting his head gently. The odd coincidence of finding a stray dog on her first day was not lost on her, but she wrote it off as destiny. She was glad Takakura had been willing to take in the other stray pup. He even named the pointy-eared canine Cherry, which she found adorable. Finn's floppy ears complimented the pink tongue that hung out of his mouth as he basked in the attention. She was lucky to have him as a faithful companion - he made the house feel less dull.

Smiling, she reflected further on the events of the day. Finding Finn had been destiny, sure, but seeing three Harvest Sprites appear in front of her? She wrote that off to being overly tired. Surely there weren't any magical forces at play in Forget-Me-Not Valley, she told herself, though a small part of her wanted to believe in the mystique of her new home.

The townsfolk had been remarkably kind, offering their support and wishes of good luck to her. Restoring the farm was going to be an obstacle-filled path, she knew, but she was ready and willing to give it her best shot. Of course, there were some that seemed to doubt her intentions. She thought of the dark-haired man from the other farm, who had made no effort to disguise his skepticism. His eyes were intense, an electric blue that contrasted with his pitch-black mane. A typically pleasing combination, aesthetically, though she was having none of it - his indifference peeved her.

Shaking her head, she brought her mind back to the farm. She had something bigger to focus on now.

Setting her beloved Finny down at the foot of the bed, she made her way to the bookshelf at the other side of the room. Takakura had mentioned leaving notes there for her...

Pulling out a dusty binder full of farming tips and advice, she sighed a bit. It was going to be a long night of reading.

Jill rubbed the sleep from her eyes before checking the clock on her bedside table. 4:43 AM.

Groaning inwardly, she willed herself to get up and seize the day. This was part of the job description, after all.

Redoing her ponytail in the mirror, she did her best to ignore the puffy bags under her eyes. Late night reading probably wasn't the best idea, but she had managed to absorb quite a bit of the information. She set about planning her day as she changed into a fresh pair of clothes, determining that it'd be a good idea to purchase some seeds and get her fields going.

After giving her sleeping pup a gentle pat on the head, she stepped out into the brisk morning air, taking a deep breath as she took in the expanse of the farm. Her farm, now.

It was too early to wake up the cow, she reasoned, so she decided to begin by tilling the field directly adjacent to her home. Sifting a handful of dirt with her glove, she noted the poor soil quality. The fields hadn't been used in years, so she'd have to purchase some fertilizer to revive them. Grabbing the unreasonably heavy hoe from her tool shed, she set out to work, the early morning light slowly illuminating the valley.

Exhausted but satisfied with the results of her tilling, Jill checked her watch. It was half past seven, which meant that she could go check up on her livestock. Inside the barn, she nuzzled Maggie's black and white snout, showering her with affection. The cow mooed gladly as she was brushed, and was more than happy to comply with Jill's attempt to milk her. Letting the heifer out into the pasture, she watched as the only inhabitant of the barn happily strode around, munching on the fresh grass.

Not a bad start, Jill though. It was time to go get some seeds.

Vesta led Jill to the shed, making pleasant small talk as they entered. Jill grinned, impressed by the sheer amount of information the bigger woman could divulge in such a short span of time. Surveying the room, Jill didn't see anything but crates and bags of seeds. The room smelled like damp dirt mixed with a sort of pine aroma, a surprisingly comforting combination.

Suddenly, a raven-haired man emerged from behind some boxes, startling Jill half out of her wits as she let out a small squeak. Though she quickly composed herself, she was embarrassed at her show of fear.

Vesta scowled, telling Marlin that he shouldn't be frightening valuable customers. Her powerful voice filled the small storage room, and Jill could have sworn she felt the ground rumbling beneath her.

Marlin frowned at his sister. "I was just doing my job, Vesta. It's not my fault she flinched."

Vesta opened her mouth to reply, but Jill chimed in first. "It's alright, Vesta. I didn't mean to jump like that." Jill rubbed her arm sheepishly. She didn't normally spook that easily.

Vesta seemed like she had more to say, but Celia walked in at that moment, turning to Vesta and announcing that her agricultural partner from Mineral Town had just arrived and wanted to speak.

"Fine," said Vesta. "Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes." She looked at Marlin now. "You attend to Jill - she's looking to buy some seeds."

Before Marlin could protest, his sister was out the door and he was left alone with the amateur farmer. It was silent for a few seconds. Marlin let out a quiet huff, while Jill crossed her arms over her chest, reading labels on some nearby crates that had suddenly grown very interesting to her. She hadn't meant to cause a rift between the two siblings...

"Did you..." he started, slowly. "...want to buy something?" His expression was cold, his shoulders hunched in and his hands buried in his pockets.

She nodded, ignoring his tone for the time being. "I was thinking of growing some tomatoes this season, and some fertilizer would be useful." Her eyes returned to his visage, scanning for any noticeable change.

"How many bags would you like?" He inquired, turning to a crate on his right. "Or did you not think that far ahead?" He lightly sorted through the packets of seeds with his hand.

"40 should be alright for now," she replied, maintaining her composure. "And 40 units of fertilizer, please."

Silence fell over them once again as he organized her purchase on the countertop. He was surprised to see her purchasing so many seeds in her first season, though his face showed no signs of this.

Gruffly, he told her what the total amount would be, and she opened her rucksack to remove her wallet, lips sealed. She was here to buy seeds, not start a fight.

A flash of light drew his eye to the rucksack's contents. Marlin noticed multiple metallic canisters nestled in the backpack, reflecting the rays of sun coming in through the window. He wondered when she'd had the time to purchase a cow.

Having located a sufficient amount of funds in her wallet, Jill gingerly held the gold towards him, noticing that his eyes were shifting away from her backpack and to her hand. She wondered what he'd been observing.

Vesta had mentioned something in passing about Marlin's likes...

He collected the money from her, moving to store it in a box underneath the counter. She put away the seeds and fertilizer she'd just purchased, seemingly defying all logic with how much her backpack could fit. As Marlin was organizing the contents of the small box, he heard a metallic clank against the wooden surface of the counter. Glancing upwards, he found a jug of milk sitting before him.

Their gazes met.

"...what is this?" He asked, unsure of what her intentions were.

To his bewilderment, she smiled. "I caught you staring."

She grinned internally - his frosty facade was faltering, the faintest hint of surprise in his eyes. He restored his normal expression almost immediately, closing the box and shoving his hands back in his pockets.

She continued on, "I heard that you liked dairy, so consider it a gift." Her eyes were teasing him, and he was completely aware of it.

He shook his head. "I'll pass for now," he replied icily. He absolutely despised Vesta's chatterbox nature. He firmly refused to accept the present, vowing never to even taste it.

She gave a half-shrug, gracefully pivoting and heading for the door. Wait, what?

"Bye, Marlin!" she called cheerily as she exited, and he felt his blood boil. Who did she think she was?

His gaze eventually returned to the cold jar of milk she'd left behind on the counter. He couldn't just let that fresh milk go to waste, could he? He should, he thought. It would serve her right. He'd vowed not to taste it...

The day continued.

The prospect of a fresh glass of milk tantalized him. He watched yet another tormenting drop of condensation run down the side of the bottle. He could give it away, he thought, but doing so would run the risk of someone seeing him with it outside, and that was bound to raise questions...

He was crumbling.

Eyes scanning the room to make sure he was alone, he cautiously picked up the canister. A single taste wouldn't hurt...just one sip...

A moment later and the deed was done. He blinked. One, two, three times. He ran a hand through his raven hair, eyeing the jug in his other hand.

The milk was actually half-decent. He exhaled. This was very, very, very not good. She had recognized him as her enemy and was sending out the forces. And, well, he was going to lose if she kept it up.

Jill Roman was a dangerous woman, he realized. Already she had broken down some of his resolve, despite his best efforts...

Still, he reached for another sip of the milk.