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AUTHOR'S NOTES
Before we begin, I would like to start by saying that this story was written in a Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town video game forum. The Harvest Moon series is geared towards younger children between the ages of 9 and 12 years old so this story is quite shallow and childish. I do not delve into the characters other than Fawna, Travis and Rose too much either because they are characters from the game or they are not significant to the story. However, I tried to incorporate some more mature elements into it and I hope readers of all ages can enjoy it. This entire story was written off the top of my head without any prior planning or thought so there are typos and small inconsistencies as well.

Chapter 1 - A Broken Heart

"I thought you loved me, Greg..." Fawna whispered, tears splashing her white stage dress, leaving dark droplets among the flashy sparkles of the garment. Her heart was being broken.

"Look doll face, a man like me needs... variety... spice, something you aint got, that's for sure." Greg said, taking another drag off his expensive foreign cigar. "Now pack your things and get outta my bar." he said coldly, flicking a fragment of lint off of his designer suit. Fawna left a pink mark on his cheek from where she slapped him.

"Fine! See how well your bar does without a singer!" she spat. "Go ahead, run your booze, you big dope... and I hope you drown in it!" she screamed, picking up her bag and heading out the door.

Now what? Fawna thought to herself. The apartment above the bar had been her home. The bar itself had been her job. Now she had neither. The bright city lights blinded her and she shielded her heavily made-up face from the glare. "That's it." she muttered determinedly to herself. "This dirty rathole has given me nothing but cheap booze and heartache. I'm going to make a new life for myself out in the country!" she said aloud as passersby on the street gave her strange looks. With the heels of her shoes clicking loudly on the sidewalk, but being drowned out by the sounds of the traffic, Fawna set off on her own.

Hailing a cab and climbing inside, she haded the driver 30G, wiping her eyes. "As far away from here as you can get." she told him. The cab driver nodded and began his journey. Fawna allowed her tears to dissolve the foundation on her face as she stared out at the dark sky that was lit with tjousands of city lights. The man she loved had turned out to be a concieted jerk. Those rich celebrity types were all the same. Fawna should have known better.

"Here ya go, missy." the cab driver said, stopping the vehicle. Fawna looked around in confusion. They were on a dark dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

"Where are we?" she asked, a little frightened. Maybe starting a new life on her own wasn't such a good idea after all. The cab driver chuckled.

"Far away from where you were. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" he asked. Fawna numbly grabbed her bag and climbed out of the cab. Before the door was fully shut, the cab driver sped away, his headlights fading away into the distance, leaving Fawna by herself in the middle of nowhere in complete darkness.

"Oh this is not good... this is really, really not good..." Fawna muttered fearfully to herself, finding it difficult to walk on this uneven road in her stiletto heels. Just when Fawna was sure she would die of fear alone, she spotted a faint glow in the distance. "Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you!" she cried happily, hoisting her bag over her shoulder and bounding as fast she could towards the source of the light.

Walking up the tiny trodden path towards the light, Fawna found that she had stumbled upon a run-down, seemingly vacant farm.

Chapter 2 - A New Life

Fawna kicked a nearby branch that had fallen off of a long dead tree, which caused the heel of her right shoe to snap. Stumbling slightly, she clutched her now sprained ankle in pain "Oh drat... drat, drat, drat!" she cursed herself angrily. "This was a stupid idea. I'm going home and begging Greg to take me back! Being his mindless trophy is better than dying out here in the middle of nowhere!" she shouted, turning around to go back, limping heavily due to her injured foot and the broken heel of her shoe.

"Tom! Tom, there's someone out there!" a wobbly old voice rang out from the tiny house with the light shining in the window. Before Fawna had a chance to do or say anything, two figures ran out of the house, one of them carrying a large axe. Fawna's irritation turned into blind fear and she screamed, desperately hoping someone would hear her and come to her aid. As the figures came nearer, Fawna dropped to her knees, crying for mercy.

"Please! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry for trespassing! I just want to go home!" she sobbed, cowering in fear. The figures stood over her and much to Fawna's surprise, they were an elderly couple. The woman was in a flowery night robe with hair curlers in her grey locks. The man was wearing a ratty old t-shirt and overalls. Scratching his stubbly chin, he seemed to ponder for a moment before helping Fawna to her feet.

"Well, Rita would ya take a look at this flashy gal." he chuckled, referring to Fawna's white glittery stage dress, her heavy makeup which was now streaming unattractively down her face from all the crying she had been doing, her perfectly styled hair and stiletto heels. The old woman named Rita gave a hearty giggle.

"She sure does look strange. What's your name there, deary?" she asked, leading Fawna into the tiny little house. Fawna cleared her throat nervously.

"Fawna. I'm from the city... I'm... I was, a bar singer." she told them in a faint, whispy thread of a voice. "I wanted to make a new life for myself out here, but now I'm thinking that it was a mistake. Is there a way I can get out of here?" she asked them. The old couple gave each other thoughtful looks before nodding as if they could read the other's thoughts. The old man scratched his chin again and leaned closer to Fawna.

"Well, just hold that thought for a moment, there." he told her. "Rita and I have run this here farm since we got married over fifty years ago. Our children never had an interest in farming and left to get jobs in the city. Now that we're old and feeble, we haven't been able to take care of things the way we used to. We had to sell all our animals and stop buying crop seeds. As you can see, the farm's fallen to pieces over the years." he sighed sadly. Rita patted his arm lovingly before continuing.

"Tom and I have been looking for someone to take this old farm off our hands, but it seems that farming just isn't something people want to do anymore and let's face it, who would want to take on this old dump?" she asked with a sigh. Fawna wasn't at all sure where these people were going with this sad story. She cocked her head to one side and pouted.

"That's very sad, but how is this sob story of yours going to help me get back home?" she asked, a little rudely. She was heartbroken, tired, injured and homesick and she was not at all in the mood to listen to the lamenting of two senile old coots. Tom's face brightened up immediately.

"Fawna, what would you say to making this your home?" he asked. "Rita and I want to retire, you want to start a new life here in Serenity Falls... what do you say?" he asked. Fawna jumped up in panic. Her? Run a farm and ruin her manicure? Scoop poop and be around smelly animals? How gross!

"Woah... wait a minute here!" she began, but before she had a chance to protest, the old couple had handed her the keys to the house and gathered up what little posessions they owned and were able to take with them. As they went to walk out the door, Rita turned back towards Fawna.

"Perfect! Good luck rebuilding this farm, deary!" she said before closing the door behind her. Fawna stumbled to the door and wrenched it open.

"WAIT! COME BACK! YOU MISUNDERSTOOD!" she yelled, but the elderly couple was already disappearing into the distance. Cursing angrily under her breath, Fawna looked around at the tiny, one room home that was now apparantly hers. There was a small television, a single bed, a tiny bookshelf, a map and status book on a nightstand and a calendar. "Great, just fantastic!" she muttered to herself. Thinking of her old apartment above the bar that Greg owned, Fawna's eyes filled with tears. She had loved him, and he had used her like she was nothing. Peering out the window at the dark, run down farm, Fawna formed a wacky, strange idea. Maybe working on a farm is just the thing I need to take my mind off of Greg, she thought to herself. I'll prove to everyone that a girl like me can make it on her own! Then Greg will be sorry he ever took me for granted!

Unpacking some of her clothes (which were not fit for farmwork at all), she undressed and climbed into the small bed, completely exhausted.

Chapter 3 - Doubts

Sunlight streamed through the weak, tattered old curtains of the tiny farmhouse, but Fawna remained fast asleep. It wasn't until she felt wet kisses on her cheek that she roused from her slumber, giggling. "Greg, cut it out. I don't need to be up for another six hours..." she mumbled sleepily, reaching out to playfully bat him away, but to her surprise met fur instead of skin. Snapping her eyes open, she came face to face with a happy pooch, gleefully wagging his tail and licking her face.

"Woof woof!" Disgusted, Fawna shoved the dog off the bed and jumped out from under the covers, wiping her now slimy face. "GROSS! I HATE DOGS!" she screeched. She grabbed the puppy by the scruff of his neck and threw him outside, with her nose wrinkled. "Stay out there, you smelly mutt!" she said, closing the door in the poor puppy's face and taking out her clothes for the day.

Her only choices were a white tank top, a pair of designer denim jeans with embriodery and strappy sandals. She frowned, thinking hard. It would be impossible to do anything productive in this hick village in those clothes. She'd have to do some quick-thinking. "Well, I'm not about to look like a country bumpkin, either!" she sniffed loftily, crossing her arms. "If I'm going to farm, I may as well do it in style." she reasoned with herself. Tearing the jeans to create short denim shorts that were artfully frayed at the end, she tried them on and looked at herself in the reflection of the window glass, smiling. Work-worthy and quite attractive. She put on her tank-top and started looking around for something to alter it with. She came across an old plaid farmer's shirt that the old man had left and put that on over top, tying it in a knot at the front. The sandals were hopeless. Luckily, the man had left a pair of his work boots that almost reached to Fawna's knees. Tying her long black, slightly curled hair back with a blue bandana, Fawna looked like one very attractive farmer.

What am I supposed to do now? she wondered to herself. Well, first of all she would have to get used to the dog. She'd call him Mutt. Figuring that she would probably get some advice from the other people in Serenity Falls, Fawna headed out the door with the map the old couple had left.

As she walked down the main little road, people gave her strange stares and laughed at her with their friends. Who was this clueless city slicker trying to act like a local? Fawna smiled nonetheless and waved, batting her eyelashes at every young man she passed who all seemed to be quite interested in her. If only Greg could see her now! She stopped a tanned young man with a purple bandana. "Excuse me, but I'm the new owner of the farm here and I need to know how to get some seeds and animals." she said sweetly. The man began to laugh, but quickly stifled it.

"You? No offense, but you don't seem like the farming type? Is that a new manicure on your hands?" he asked sceptically, nodding at her slender, moisturized hands. Fawna pouted attractively and put her hands on her hips.

"Are you going to help me or not?" she asked in a whiny voice. The man laughed and nodded.

"Sure. You're standing in front of the Farmer's Shop." he told her. "The name's Kai by the way. You are?" he asked. Fawna giggled and blushed purposely. Being Greg's obediant little lapdog for so long had given her lots of practise.

"Oh how silly of me. I'm Fawna. Thank you so much Kai. You have a lovely name by the way." she flirted, not really intending to go anywhere with it. Flirting was her way of making herself feel better after being heartbroken and thrown out on the street like a piece of trash. Kai however, seemed VERY interested in Fawna.

"No problem. Call me sometime. I'm here every summer." he told her with a wink before heading off in the opposite direction, whistling to himself. Her mind already off of Kai, Fawna walked into the shop which smelled strongly of livestock. Fawna wrinkled her nose and sneezed. How did people live in this stench? A middle-aged man in overalls and a straw hat appeared, chewing on a toothpick. He too, seemed to enjoy having such an attractive newcomer in his shop.

"Hey there, pretty lady. What c'n I do fer ya today, hm?" he asked, leaning on the counter. Purposely blushing again, Fawna walked up to him and pointed to a shelf of seeds.

"I'll take whatever seeds you have... and how much is a, oh let's start with something small shall we? A chicken? I'm the new owner of the farm here." she said with a flirty smile. The man chuckled and shook his head.

"Sure ya are, sweetie pie. Did ya bring daddy's credit card with ya?" he joked. Fawna's cheeks flushed an angry shade of red and she cocked her hip to one side with another one of her infamous pouts.

"I'm being serious! You don't think I can do it! You're just like my ex. I'm going to prove to everyone that I can be successful on my own! Now, how much are those seeds and a chicken?" she demanded. The man shook his head and sighed.

"You city folk are all the same, but a bag of tomato seeds are 150G and a chicken is 1500G." he told her, still chomping on his toothpick. Fawna wanted to take that toothpick and shove it up his nose, but she restrained herself. Fishing through her pockets, she counted up what little money she had.

"Erm... just the seeds then." she mumbled, realizing a chicken was out of her price range. Still chuckling to himself, the man grabbed three bags of tomato seeds and handed them to her as she gave him the last of her money.

"Good luck getting that dump in order..." he snickered derisively, walking into the back room of his shop. Feeling hurt and belittled, Fawna sniffed and dashed a few tears from her eyes before stomping out of the shop herself to head back to the farm.

"I CAN do this. I'm not just a clueless bimbo! I'll prove everyone wrong and most of all, Greg!" she muttered determinedly to herself as she walked hurriedly down the dusty little dirt road that served as the main street of Serenity Falls.

Could she really do this? She talked big, but when it came down to it, Fawna was a city barsinger, not a farmer...

Chapter 4 - Dreaming of Home

"Okay... I can do this... oh drat, what on earth am I supposed to do?" Fawna asked herself with a disbelieving look at the completely overgrown field in front of her. Everywhere she looked, there were weeds, branches and stones all completely taking over the entire field. Sighing, Fawna looked at her bright red, freshly painted fingernails. "I'm going to ruin my manicure." she sulked unhappily. Blowing a strand of hair out of her face in exhasperation, Fawna got on her hands and knees to pull up weeds. Fawna had never even washed a dish before in her life, let alone did any sort of field work. By the end of it, Fawna was covered in dirt, her fingernails were chipped and cracked and her perfectly made up face was smeared. Fawna burst into tears.

"Oh I hate this!" she cried. "Farming is icky! I want to go back home, put on my stage outfit and sing in the spotlight." she sighed whistfully, remembering the glamour and adoration of her old life. Suddenly, she got an image of Greg in her head, laughing at her and the man from the shop who didn't believe she could handle a farm. Fawna's electric blue eyes flashed angrily and she wiped away her tears. No! I will make my own life on this farm! I'll prove to everyone in this town and to Greg that I'm not just a pretty face, she thought to herself.

Dusk was fast approaching and Fawna hadn't even started on breaking up the twigs and rocks that littered the field, but luckily she had cleared enough weeds to make room for her three bags of tomato seeds. Rummaging through the tiny shed with old rusty tools, she had no idea which tools were used for what. Most of them were items that Fawna had never even seen before. Deciding to take them all and drag them out to the field with her, she performed the highly scientific test of trial and error. After most of her energy had been depleted trying useless tools, she found one that broke up the ground. "Hmmm... that seems to have done something." she pondered to herself. "Maybe I can plant the seeds now." Again getting on her hands and knees, Fawna sowed the tomato seeds, packing them into the dry, nutrition depleted earth.

Now she was stuck. Was there anything else she needed to do? Sitting and staring at the dry seeds, she felt a muddy paw bat at her calf. Looking down, she saw Mutt dragging a watering can in his mouth. Too dirty already to care about a little extra mud on her calf, Fawna grinned and relieved the pup of his watering can, which seemed to already be filled with water. "Thanks Mutt." she told him, reluctantly patting his head. Once all the squares that she could reach were watered, Fawna yawned. It was completely dark now and she was exhausted.

Fawna walked into the tiny house, desperately in need of a shower and a potty-break. To her horror, the house contained no such thing. Scouting around the outside of the tiny home, Fawna came across a tiny shack with a hole in the ground and gagged. "An... outhouse?" she choked, absolutely revolted. "Those things still exist?" Mustering up her courage, Fawna braved the dismal privy and fished out a bar of soap from her bag in the house. The watering hole seemed to be the farm's only source of water. "Why me?" she groaned, scrubbing herself in the cold water and dashing back into the house for bed.

As she drifted off to sleep (she still wasn't about to let Mutt in the house), dreams of bathrooms, hot water, Greg and stage lights caressed her mind, easing her troubles as she slumbered.

Chapter 5 - An Unexpected Visit

A rapping on the door the next morning caused Fawna to sit bolt upright. Still in her pyjamas, Fawna climbed out of bed and dragged her feet to the door, rubbing her eyes sleepily. An old man with a hunchback and a little girl with dark brown braids stood there. Fawna raised her eyebrows at the little girl. She disliked children immensely. "May I help you?" she asked curtly to the old man. He smiled and reached out his hand for a handshake, and Fawna reluctantly took it.

"Hey there. My name's Barley and I run one of the ranches down in Mineral Town." he told her. "I heard that Serenity Falls' farm was handed to a new owner and I make a point of getting to know all my fellow farmers around these parts." he told her. Suddenly, he looked her up and down and chuckled. "Although I have to say that I wasn't expecting the new farmer to be someone like you, but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover, eh?" he told her. Fawna smiled in spite of herself. Here was someone who was willing to give her a chance. She decided she liked Barley. The little girl stepped forward with a small box.

"I baked some cookies." she said sweetly. "They're chocolate. I hope you like them." she told Fawna, handing her the box which Fawna had to admit smelled delicious. You couldn't get homemade fresh food in the city, that was for sure. Well, that's at least one upside to being here... the food's great but I shudder to think of the calorie count. she thought to herself as she accepted the gift.

"This is my granddaughter, May. Whenever you're in Mineral Town, stop by for a visit. Oh and I brought a gift for you too. He's out by the stable. Come and see." he told her. Fawna's slender black brow furrowed in confusion. Her gift had a gender? Something told her she wasn't going to be so fond of it, then. Sure enough, there was a big smelly animal standing there, munching on grass. A horse. "He's not doing so well on my farm, and Mineral Town's other farmer already has a full stable so I thought I'd bring him by here. If you can raise him well, I'd really appreciate it."

"Uhhh... I don't mean to be rude Barley, but I don't know the first thing about horses, and he's... smelly." she finished, plugging her nose in disgust. Barley laughed and clapped a strong hand on her shoulder which made Fawna stumble.

"You must be one of them pretty city slicker girls." he chuckled. "Not to worry, just have a little faith in yourself and you'll be just fine. There's nothing to it. Just brush him and talk to him every day and eventually you'll build a strong bond with him." he reassured her kindly. Fawna stuck her hip out and crossed her arms.

"I highly doubt that." she sniffed. Feeling May tug on her pyjama bottoms, she looked down.

"What'cha gonna call him, Big Sister" she asked. Fawna just stared at the little girl blankly.

"Erm, Big Sister?" she asked. May laughed and hugged Fawna around the waist as Fawna tried to pry the child off of her.

"Yes. I don't have a sister and I like you, so I'm calling you Big Sister!" she said happily with a childish giggle. Fawna smirked and awkwardly patted May on the head.

"Uh, that's... nice... I guess." she mumbled. Turning back towards the horse who was now shaking the flies off of his mane, Fawna frowned. "I really need a martini..." she sighed, remembering her favourite drink at Greg's bar back in the city. The horse suddenly perked up his ears and nudged Fawna's arm, getting his horse slobber all over it. Fawna jumped back in alarm and tried to wipe her goopy arm off on the stable's wall. "GROSS!!!" she screeched, absolutely disgusted, while Barley and May laughed pleasantly.

"I think you've found a name that he likes, there." Barley commented. Fawna gave the horse a blank look.

"Martini?" she asked uncertainly. The horse gave an excited whinny and pranced delicately on his hooves. Fawna grinned. "Martini." she said with more force. "I guess I can take him. I mean, I'm a farmer now and I guess every farmer needs a horse on their-" she turned around to look at Barley and May, but they had disappeared. Placing her hands on her hips, Fawna sighed in exasperation. "What is it with these country people?" she muttered, slightly miffed. Turning back to Martini, she patted his mane but sneezed when a cloud of dust came up from the contact. "You may be smelly and gross, but I guess you're mine now." she told him. "Go... be a horse... whatever it is horses do." she told him before going back inside her home, shaking her head.

Chapter 6 - The Last Straw

Fawna dressed in her farmer outfit she had created the day before and splashed her face in the watering hole to get ready for the day. As she looked overhead, the sky was a cloudless blue revealing the blistering sun that beat down mercilessly on the earth, causing small sweat droplets to break out along Fawna's neck and face. She walked around her field which was still littered with stones and branches. During the night a few more weeds had popped up. Sighing, Fawna got on her hands and knees again and pulled up whatever leftovers she could locate. Throwing the small pile of weeds at Martini's feet, she put her hands on her hips. "Well? Are you hungry or not?" she demanded.

"Neigh!" Martini snorted, dipping his long slender neck down to munch up the morning snack. Smiling in satisfaction, Fawna rubbed his forehead.

"Well at least feeding you doesn't cost money." she said, suppressing a giggle. "That's something I'm a little short on right now." she admitted, thinking forlorenly of all the splendour of the city and massive shopping malls where she could find any designer outfit she could possibly dream of. Once again, Fawna felt a muddy paw scratching against her leg. Frowning, she picked Mutt up by the scruff of the neck and scolded him. "Oh no you don't!" she said sternly. "I'm actually clean this morning and I would like to remain that way, thank you very much." she sniffed, before putting him down on the ground again.

"Woof woof!" he panted, prancing around the watering can and pawing at it. At first Fawna thought a big hairy spider was in there, so she kicked it across the field, not wanting it anywhere near her but when Mutt growled at her and pointedly began pawing at the watering can again, while running back and forth between her tomato sprouts and the tool, Fawna frowned and suddenly put two and two together. With a groan, Fawna walked over to the empty watering can and picked it up.

"I have to water them every day?" she whined. That was so much work! Mutt barked and bobbed his head up and down as his long droopy ears flopped into his eyes. Sighing, Fawna filled up the watering can and gave her seedlings a healthy dose of water. Patting Mutt on the head, she picked up an axe and began breaking up the branches in her field. She used the hammer to do the same thing with the stones. As she took the hammer to a larger stone, she found that no matter how hard she whacked it, it wouldn't break. Soon, her stamina and her patience were completely drained and she was smacking the stone over and over again with all her strength. "WHY... WON'T... THIS... STUPID... THING... BREAK?" she yelled angrily between high powered thumps.

"You're using an iron hammer. You need a silver hammer to break that stone." a male voice called out. Turning around, Fawna saw a sulky-looking man with a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes standing there.

"Who on earth are you?" she demanded huffily, blowing sticky hair out of her face from her sweat. The man didn't smile but just stood there staring at her for a moment before responding.

"I'm Grey. My grandfather Saibara is the blacksmith in Mineral Town. I'm his apprentice. So... you're the new farmer, huh?" he said with a trace of a sarcastic grin. Fawna pouted.

"Why is that so surprising to you?" she demanded, crossing her arms and trying to hold back tears. She was trying her best! Didn't that count for anything? Grey just shook his head, still grinning.

"No reason." he lied. "See ya." he told her simply before turning to walk away from the farm, slouched over with his hands in his pockets. Throwing her hammer to the ground in frustration, Fawna stomped away.

"Forget that." she muttered to herself, going to see Martini who was now trotting around aimlessly. "Okay, Barley said to brush you didn't he?" she murmered, looking around her tool shed for a brush. No such item existed in the shed. Stomping her foot angrily, Fawna walked back to the horse. "It looks like I'm going to have to visit the Farmer's Shop again." she sighed. Figuring she would get there faster if she rode, Fawna attempted to mount Martini, even though she had never so much as touched a horse before in her life back in the city. To her horror, Martini whinnied in protest and took off, bucking wildly with Fawna still clinging to his mane for dear life! Screaming her lungs out, Fawna closed her eyes tightly, hoping that she could hold on until Martini finally stopped. Well, Martini did stop, but he skidded to a dead halt from a full-out gallop in front of the Farmer's Shop. The sudden jolt sent Fawna flying off his back right into a mud puddle from a heavy rain a few days before. Before Fawna even opened her eyes, the cruel laughter of the villagers met her ears.

"That horse is still a youngin'. Didn't you know you can't ride foals, missy?" the owner of the shop called to her from the window, chuckling at her disheartened and filthy state.

"What a ditz..." one young woman giggled to her friend as they were passing by. "Imagine not knowing how to do something as simple as ride a horse..." Fawna's bottom lip trembled in humiliation and embarrassment, but this time she could not stem the fresh flow of salty tears that fiercely assaulted her burning cheeks. Who had she been trying to fool? Everyone was right about her all along. She was just a pretty air-head who belonged singing in bars for rich old men. To think otherwise had been foolish.

"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!" Fawna screamed, positively sobbing now as a crowd of jeering villagers looked on, pointing at her. She stood up, completely splattered in stinky mud and ran down the dusty main road out of SErenity Falls, crying her eyes out. The thought of Greg seeing her like this and her admitting that he had been right all along and begging him to take her back caused her stomach to convulse in protest, but that was all she had left. She would just go back to being his meaningless toy and singing in his bar. It was a sad life, but at least she was used it.

"Hey, wait!" a voice called out from behind her. Fawna felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, don't give up just yet. Are you really going to prove everyone right by running away?"

Chapter 7 - A New Friend

Fawna spun around and a brunette, slightly tanned guy stood there with a kind smile on his face. Tears still leaving messy streaks in the splatters of mud on her face, Fawna sniffled. "Who are you and why do you care what happens to me?" she asked defensively, her blue eyes guarded heavily. She had had enough of everyone in this village. The mystery guy ruffled his shaggy hair with his hand and gave a lopsided grin.

"I'm Travis and my dad, Barry runs the Farmer's Shop. I care, because I used to be a little bit like you." he informed her. Fawna scoffed, not believing him for a second. How could someone who's father ran a Farmer's Shop be anything like her? Travis noted the disbelieving look on her face and laughed heartily.

"I know it sounds weird, but it's true. Come back to the village with me and I'll see if I can help you out with your farm." he told her. Fawna reluctantly smiled, glad that she wouldn't have to go back to Greg after all. She nodded and wiped some of the tears and grime off of her cheeks.

"Thanks." she murmered weakly, following Travis back towards the village, her muddy boots leaving a faint trail of muck along the beaten path. Martini trotted up to them as they passed the shop. Most of the villagers who had crowded around her to point and laugh had disersed, going back to their regular daily activities. Slinging his arm over the foal's neck to keep him beside him, Travis patted his mane thoughtfully as Martini snorted happily, enjoying the affection. Arriving back at the farm, Travis took a look around Fawna's field and whistled.

"You sure got a lot done for only being here two days." he complimented her truthfully. Fawna raised her eyebrow and huffed, not believing him. If she had been doing such a good job, then why had the entire village gone out of their way to make her feel stupid? Travis heard her tiny "Hmph!" and shook his head. "I'm serious. You've got some crops planted and watered, all the weeds are gone along with the tiny stones and branches, all that's left is the big stuff like the boulders and tree stumps. It takes most people about a week to get as much done as you have." he praised kindly. Fawna smiled, feeling much better about herself.

"You mean it? You're not just trying to make me feel better?" she asked. When Travis shook his head, Fawna laughed as Mutt walked over to Travis barking excitedly, looking for a tummy rub, which Travis happily gave him. Fawna dried up her remaining tears and motioned for Travis to come inside her house.

"So... I know you're from the city and the whole farming thing is new to you, but I still don't know your name or what you did before this." he said to Fawna as he sat down on her bed for lack of extra seating. Fawna flopped down on a rather flat cushion beside the tiny coffee table and sighed. This guy had been kind enough to convince her to stay. She may as well tell him her own story.

"My name's Fawna and I used to be a barsinger in a really expensive, high-class bar. You know the kinds where fat, rich old men go to blow their extra money." she explained as Travis nodded. "My boyfriend, well... ex-boyfriend Greg owned the bar. Greg Werthson." she told him. Travis raised his eyebrows.

"Greg Werthson, the famous actor?" he asked. Fawna nodded and Travis whistled. "Wow... okay, go on." he encouraged her. Sucking in another deep breath, Fawna reluctantly continued.

"He gave me his really nice apartment above the bar to stay with him, and paid for everything. The rent, the food, my clothes, jewelry, makeup, nights out partying you name it. He bought me really expensive gifts and as long as I let him parade me around to all of his rich and famous friends, he kept paying attention to me." she sighed, realizing now just how much of a fool she had been to believe all of his sweet talk and expensive gestures. "Eventually, I fell in love with him and I thought we'd get married and be happy for the rest of our lives, but-"

"I take it things didn't work out." Travis guessed. Biting her lip, Fawna nodded. This was the hardest part of her story to tell but she knew Travis wanted to hear the rest so she gathered up her remaining courage and finished in a tiny thread of a voice just barely above a whisper that Travis had to strain himself in order to hear.

"He found another woman, someone prettier than I was and that was the end of me for him. He told me to pack my bags and get out, knowing that I had no money and no place to go. He just threw me out on the street without a second thought. I loved him and all I ever was to him was a convenient, mindless little lapdog." she finished, her voice wobbling dangerously. Travis looked at her sympathetically.

"He used you." Travis summed it up for her. Fawna nodded as a fresh wave of tears spilled from her eyes. Travis pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. Accepting it gratefully, Fawna dabbed at her eyes and wiped her nose as it had begun to drip a little bit. Leaning back with a frown, Travis sighed. "That must have hurt pretty bad. No wonder you wanted to get as far away from the city as you could. Did you plan on being a farmer when you left?" Despite her heartache, Fawna laughed.

"No way. I was scared because I was all by myself in the dark. I saw a light in the distance and ran towards it just to get out of the dark. It turned out to be this farm and the old couple who was here before basically just handed it to me without even asking if I wanted it. Now I'm stuck rebuilding this dump." she told him, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Travis laughed at this amusing bit of information and nodded.

"Yeah, Tom and Rita. I heard they were looking to sell, but I guess no one wanted it and they were so desperate they just handed it to the first person who stumbled into them." he chuckled. "I think you can rebuild this farm, so don't lose heart so easily okay? Mistakes are bound to happen, but keep your chin up. I have to get back to the store or my dad'll start berating me for being lazy. I'll stop by again to give you a hand." he offered, shaking her hand as he walked out of the tiny farmhouse. Fawna smiled, feeling much better and more confident than she had felt since she first arrived here.

"Well, at least I have one friend in Serenity Falls." she murmered to herself as she went to the watering hole to scrub the mud off of her, thinking that once she had the money she'd build a bathroom so she wouldn't have to bathe and relieve herself outside like a hobo.

Chapter 8 - A Helping Hand

Fawna woke up bright and early the next morning, filled with renewed confidence. She bounded out of her small, rickety bed and donned her clothes which she had scrubbed in the watering hole the day before. Walking outside, Mutt ambled up to her, his tail wagging excitedly. Normally, Fawna just scowled and shooed him away but this morning she laughed and picked up the scruffy dog in a big hug. "Morning, Mutt." she said before placing the puppy back down on the grass.

Just as she was about to grab her watering can to water her tomato sprouts, tiny droplets began to fall from the sky and speckle the ground in damp moisture. Fawna frowned. Rain meant that she didn't need to water her crops, but it also meant that it would be a very dreary day and Fawna had been planning on more field work. She always got tired more quickly in the rain, even back in the city. She also hadn't taken Martini or Mutt inside.

"Hey Fawna. Why are your animals out in this weather? Didn't you watch the forecast last night?" Travis' friendly voice rang out. Her confidence beginning to dwindle, Fawna spun around angrily, her hands placed defensively on her shapely hips.

"No. The sky looked clear when I went to bed." she argued lamely, knowing that she sounded ridiculous and not caring. Travis just chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, we should get them in now anyway." he told her, taking Martini's mane and gently coaxing the young foal into his stable. Fawna pouted and gathered Mutt into her arms to take him to his dog house. Mutt just stood there, looking at her, refusing to go inside.

"Come on... go on now. Go inside your house. Do you want to get all wet and muddy?" she asked him, slender eyebrows raised sternly. At the mention of mud, Mutt barked and pranced on his hind legs happily as his tail wagged from side to side. "Nevermind..." Fawna sighed exasperatedly. Travis walked over and put a hand on Fawna's shoulder.

"I don't think he likes his dog house. You should probably keep him in your house during bad weather from now on." he told her. Fawna's heart-shaped, naturally crimson lips curled in a frown and she shook her head vigorously.

"Nu-uh. No way! He's gross and smelly and he is NOT setting one filthy paw in my house!" she protested vehemently. Travis just gave her an exasperated look and nodded towards the little puppy, whose nose had begun to run from being outside so long in the rain. Despite Fawna's hatred for anything dirty, including dogs, there was no way she could leave a sick puppy out in the rain. As shallow and selfish as she may seem, Fawna still had a heart. "Oh alright, but ONLY when the weather's bad!" she warned the dog before picking him up and taking him inside the house.

Elated at being warm and dry again, Mutt jumped onto Fawna's bed and curled up for a nap. Fawna would have no part of that. "No! Bad dog! I don't want to sleep in a dirty bed! That's where you sleep!" she told him sternly, pointing to one of the flat cushions beside the coffee table. Growling temperamentally, Mutt reluctantly hopped down from Fawna's bed and curled up on the much less comfortable floor cushion.

"I brought my silver level hammer and axe so we can get rid of the big junk in your field." Travis told her, handing her the axe. "Once you get the ore and money, you can upgrade your tools too." he said. Fawna followed him outside and as Travis confidently took his hammer to the larger stones to break them up, Fawna hesitantly whacked a large tree stump, but it didn't break. She called out to him.

"I think your axe is broken." she said uncertainly, examining the axe herself, even though she wouldn't know even if there was something wrong with it. Travis just laughed and shook his head.

"I think your arms are broken." he teased in a friendly manner. "You have to charge it. Just hold it back for longer and then take a swing. You should be able to break it after a couple hard thunks." he informed her.

"Why can't farming be as easy as singing?" she muttered to herself as she did what Travis told her. After a couple charged whacks, the stump crumbled into five pieces of wood. Travis saw that she had broken her first stump and walked over to her.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked. Fawna shook her head even though her arms were already aching. She had never lifted anything as heavy as an axe in her life, let alone swung it at a solid tree stump several times. "Now you can keep the leftover lumber for building extensions and fences." he said. "I think that's your lumber shed over there." he pointed out.

By the end of the day, all of the large stones and stumps in Fawna's field had been removed and Fawna had quite a bit of lumber stored in her shed. After Fawna once again picked out the few straggly weeds from the wet earth, her field was perfectly clear and her tomato sprouts seemed to flourish in the natural source of moisture. Ha ha, Greg! You were wrong! Fawna thought to herself, quite satisfied.

Chapter 9 - Greg Shows Up

The next week flew by quite quickly for Fawna and her tomato sprouts had grown into handsome vines that looked ready to be harvested any day now. She had started to become used to the farming lifestyle, however she still wished she could get a new manicure and wardrobe. Her and Travis had become quite good friends and hung out together every day.

This particular morning, as Fawna was dressing herself for the day, a rapping at the door caught her attention. Figuring that it was probably Travis since he usually stopped by at this time every morning, Fawna quickly finished dressing and opened the door. "Hey Tr-" she stopped dead in mid-sentence. Before her was a tall man with slicked back midnight hair in a very clean, expensive looking business suit, holding a very high-quality imported cigar in his right hand. As he put the cigar in his mouth to take a puff, Fawna stammered unintelligently. "Gr-Greg? Wh-what are y-you doing h-here?" she stuttered weakly. All of a sudden, she was VERY aware of her dusty shorts and workboots, her tattered old farmer's shirt, her unstyled hair and her makeup-less face. Greg took one look at her and chuckled.

"Well, look at you there, dollface." he muttered derisively, taking another drag off of his cigar. "Playing farmer for almost two weeks now. How cute, but it's time to get back to the real world now sweetcheeks. Pack your things, we're going home." he told her matter-of-factly, as if it was purely his decision and she had no say in the matter. For a moment, Fawna's eyes widened. The busting bar, her voice on stage, the people clapping for her, expensive shopping trips and late nights out partying. Could she really go back to all of that?

"H-home? You mean it, Greg?" she whispered. Greg nodded as he flicked his cigar to the ground, stamping it out with his polished black designer shoes. Fawna actually smiled. She could go home now! She was so happy, she didn't bother to question him about the other woman he had discarded her for or why he had gone out of his way to locate her again. She flung her arms around Greg's neck in her joy. "Oh, I love you so much Greg!" she cried happily as Greg shooed her off of him, not wanting her smelly farmer clothes to contaminate his pristine outfit.

"Yeah yeah, sugarplum." he said absent-mindedly. "Now hurry up or we'll miss the bus outta this dump." he grumbled. Nodding and bounding towards her suitcase, Fawna began haphazardly throwing everything she could into it. She was going home! Back where she belonged! As she zipped her suitcase shut, she heard footsteps walking into the house, but these footsteps did not make the same sophisticated clicking sound as Greg's shoes. These footsteps resounded as heavy thunks. Looking up, she saw Travis standing there. His expression was completely unreadable but it certainly was a step down from his usual, care-free grin. Fawna slowly stood up with her bag over her shoulder. Travis nodded outside to where Greg was waiting for her.

"So... that's Greg, huh?" he asked in a seemingly off-hand voice. Fawna nodded. "You're leaving?" he asked her pointedly, looking at her packed bag. Fawna nodded again, and for some reason she suddenly felt ashamed of herself, though she had no idea why. Without realizing it, Fawna found that she was explaining herself.

"Travis, he's taking me back to the city. Back home, where I belong!" she protested. "He wants me back and let's face it, I was never cut out for this kind of lifestyle. Thanks for everything, but it's time for me to go." she reasoned, moving past him to go outside, but Travis gently held her back.

"He doesn't deserve to have you back, Fawna. He's just going to use you again." Travis told her point-blank. Fawna wrenched her arm out of Travis' grip and glared angrily.

"No he's not! He loves me and you're just jealous!" she retorted in desperation, knowing perfectly well that nothing in that sentence was remotely true. Travis sighed.

"Fawna, you're a really nice girl and a great friend, but you're not my type. That doesn't change the fact that you deserve better than the slimeball standing outside. You're so blinded by your love for him that I bet you didn't even bother asking him about that other girl he ditched you for, or why he's suddenly come crawling back to you after almost two weeks." he accused, his arms now crossed in front of him. Fawna bit her lip and looked down at the floor. He was right, of course. She had been so glad to go back to her old life that she had completely forgotten about those gaping facts. Slowly, she put her bag down and walked outside to confront Greg.

"Where's your bag?" Greg asked impatiently, tapping his foot. "Time is money, babe. Have you forgotten that after living out here in the boonies?" he chuckled. Fawna looked him straight in the eye.

"What about her? The other girl?" Fawna whispered, trembling slightly. She had never stood up to Greg or questioned him before unless you count the outburst she had when he had thrown her out.

"She's history, blossom. Couldn't rake in enough clientelle at the bar. It's going downhill without entertainment now. That's why I need you to hurry and catch the bus with me so I can get you back on that stage." he told her with a smug, satisfied smirk. Fiera's heart felt like it had been smashed to pieces again after only part of it being glued back together.

"That's all I am to, aren't I? A way to make money. You never cared about me at all." she cried as tears started to spill from her eyes. She felt so worthless and used. Greg rolled his eyes in his annoyance.

"Look, I don't have time for your crazy antics, dollface. Now get moving!" he growled, gripping Fawna's arm quite hard and trying to drag her off. That's when Travis stepped in and wrenched Greg's hand off of her.

"Get your hands off her!" he growled just as menacingly. "And her name is Fawna! Not dollface, not sweetcheeks... FAWNA!" he said loudly and clearly. Greg's face flushed an angry crimson and he seemed about to throw a punch at Travis, but thought better of it at the last second. Bad publicity in the tabloids was not the thing a famous actor like him needed. Instead, he shoved a finger in Travis' chest.

"Look, you ignorant hicks don't know anything about the real world!" he shouted. Fawna jumped forward and shoved Greg hard in the chest, making him stumble backwards. Raising his hand to slap Fawna across the face, Travis gripped it before it he struck her and forced it down.

"Don't call him a hick!" Fawna told Greg crossly, glad that he hadn't been able to hit her "You can go back without me, because I'm tired of being taken for granted!". Stalking off furiously, Mutt chased after Greg, growling and barking aggressively.

"I hope your bar goes bankrupt and you know how it feels to be tossed out on the street like a worthless piece of garbage!" Fawna screamed angrily after him. As his figure slowly faded down the road in the distance, Fawna wiped her eyes and smiled weakly at Travis. "Thanks... and I'm sorry for saying you were jealous." she mumbled, quite embarrassed over her actions. Travis just shrugged it off and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it." he reassured her. "You must be feeling pretty down after that. What do you say we grab a bite to eat at the bar after the chores are done here? My treat." he offered, that same lopsided grin back on his face. Fawna smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"As long as it's not Greg's bar." she joked, which got both of them laughing.

Chapter 10 - Travis' Story

After finishing up the farm chores, Fawna and Travis headed towards Serenity Falls' bar just as he had promised her. As they stepped in, a brunette woman in a red tanktop and old, torn up jeans walked over and beamed at them.

"Hey Travis, who's your friend?" she asked cheerfully. Fawna noticed that the look she gave Fawna was slightly suspicious and almost jealous but she was still very polite and friendly towards both of them. Travis smiled back and Fawna noticed his eyes were a lot brighter than they were before.

"Hi Rose, this is my friend Fawna I was telling you about. She's the new owner of Tom and Rita's old farm." he introduced her. Rose nodded and smiled.

"Travis has said a lot about you. You're exactly how I pictured you." she said with a kind laugh but Fawna stll couldn't help but wonder if her words really were meant as a compliment. "There's no one here right now, business has been pretty slow today so go sit down and I'll probably be able to get your order to you right away." she said with a wink.

"Thanks Rose." Travis smiled, leading Fawna to the table closest to where Rose was working behind the counter. As they waited for her to just finish up some dishes in the back room, Travis' eyes slid from the conversation he was having with Fawna to the back door every minute or so, with a hopeful look in his eye. Suddenly, it clicked and Fawna put two and two together. Leaning closer to him and whispering just in case Rose walked back out, Fawna voiced her hunch.

"Travis, do you like her?" she asked him, nodding her head towards the door where Rose was working behind. Travis chuckled weakly with a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's that obvious, huh?" he asked, looking a little embarrassed. Fawna raised her eyebrows and nodded as Travis sighed.

"You know, I think she likes you too. If you want, I can leave so you can talk to her alone." Fawna offered. Helping friends get dates had always been one of Fawna's favourite hobbies. Travis laughed and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm not that brave." he joked. "Besides, I promised you a meal, remember?" Fawna just shrugged.

"It can always wait, and you were brave when you were telling Greg off." she pointed out. Travis scowled at the mention of his name.

"Yeah well the jerk had it coming to him. Rose is definitely not Greg." he argued back defensively. Not being able to come up with an argument against this, Fawna just sighed and started tapping her scratched, paintless, chipped fingernails on the rough wooden table. A few seconds later, Rose came back out with a pad and pencil in her hand.

"Sorry about that. I couldn't remember where I had placed my notepad and pencil fr the life of me." she smiled. "Now, what is it you'd like?" Fawna tapped her finger against her chin thoughfully before answering.

"I don't suppose you have any martinis?" she asked. Rose laughed and shook her head.

"Sorry, nothing like that around here. We do have Farmer's Delight, though. I think the name fits, don't you?" she said airily. Fawna laughed and nodded.

"Okay, one of those then and... a salad?" she asked hopefully. Rose nodded and jotted down the order, then took Travis'. He had roasted fish and a fizzy raspberry drink.

Halfway through the meal, the conversation turned towards Travis. He knew quite a bit about her, but Fawna hardly knew anything about Travis other than his dad ran the Farmer's Shop and he was a nice guy. "You know, when I first met you, you told me that you cared because you used to be like me. What did you mean?" Fawna asked him, taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh that." he said, just remembering it now. "Well, I used to live in the city too. My parents divorced when I was three and my dad took off here, leaving me with my mom. I was too little to remember and my dad never talked to me again after that, so for the longest time I was under the impression that I didn't have a dad, because my mom never talked about him." Travis said this with such a casual tone that Fawna was surprised. If that had been her, she'd have been crying right now. "When I was fifteen, I found a really nasty letter under my mom's bed while I was cleaning her room. It was from my father and he was really mad because my mom hadn't let him see ot talk to me in twelve years."

"Wow..." Fawna whispered. "What did you do then?" She wanted to hear more. Travis took a sip of his drink before continuing.

"Well, I was so furious with my mom for not telling me about my dad and keeping him away from me. We had this huge fight and I ran away. The letter said that my dad lived in Serenity Falls and I had nowhere else to go, so I trecked over here on my own. I had no money for a cab or a bus."

"You walked all the way here from the city?" Fawna asked, completely aghast. Travis nodded.

"Yup. I arrived there the next day. I knew my dad's name was Eric from the letter so I asked around and the villagers sent me to the Farmer's Shop. I knocked on the door and at first my dad didn't recognize me because he hadn't seen me since I was three. I had to show him the letter and then he believed me. He offered me a job at his shop so I could earn my keep. He's pretty hard on me and I heard he wasn't much better to you your first day here, but he's really not that bad of a guy." Travis explained. One thing still confused Fawna, though.

"Don't you still talk to your mom, though?" Fawna asked after swallowing a mouthful of salad. Travis' eyes clouded over and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"She died a few months after I came here. We never got the chance to make up. I found out later that she'd had cancer for the last year and a half but never told me. She didn't want me to worry about her while I was there and after I left, she didn't want to force me to come home out of pity for her." he sighed sadly. Fawna bit her lip, feeling foolish for asking him to divulge this information. Travis noticed and forced a smile, patting her hand kindly.

"Don't feel bad about it, Fawna. That was ten years ago and it's not as hard to deal with now." he reassured her. "You see? I used to be like you because I left the city after being hurt by someone I loved and had a pretty hard time adjusting to the new lifestyle." he told her. Fawna smiled back and nodded.

By the end of Travis' tale, their plates had been cleaned and it was nearly one in the afternoon. Rose came up to them to clear their table. "Bye Travis. Stop by again soon." she told him sweetly, pointedly leaving Fawna out of the greeting. Travis went a little bit red at the back of his neck where Rose couldn't see and nodded. As they left the bar, Fawna turned around with a stern expression on her face and her hands placed on her hips.

"Alright, I can't watch this anymore. You need to march right back in there and ask that Rose woman out on a date with you. It's obvious you like each other." she told him matter-of-factly. Travis stared blankly at her.

"Rose? Like me?" he asked. Fawna laughed at how stupidly oblivious her friend could be.

"YES!" she yelled in exasperation. "Didn't you even notice how she kept trying to exclude me? She must have thought I was your girlfriend or something. Now get in there and convince her otherwise!" she insisted. Travis seemed very reluctant and Fawn used her last resort. She looked into his eyes sadly and pouted. "Don't you trust me? I thought I was your friend?" she asked him in a wobbly voice. Travis raised his eyebrows.

"You must be serious if you're willing to pull that ridiculous stunt on me." he laughed. "Alright, I'll do it but if I make a fool of myself you're doing your farm chores on your own for a week." he threatened. Fawna shooed him off into the bar and waited for a few minutes. Travis walked back out looking very down and for a moment, Fawna thought she had been wrong after all.

"Well?" she asked hesitantly. Travis sighed and crossed his arms.

"I hate it when you're right." he told her simply. Fawna broke out laughing and patted him on the back in congratulations.

"So, when are you two going out?" she asked him. With a sheepish grin, Travis mumbled the answer.

"Tomorrow night at the waterfall." he revealed. Smiling and still laughing at her success, her and Travis began walking back to the farm.

"See, what would you do without me?" she asked him, reveling in her moment of glory. Travis playfully shoved her in the arm.

"Don't make me deflate your head with a hoofpick." he said solemnly, but the grin that broke across his face afterwards said plainly that he was just as happy as she was, if not more.

Chapter 11 - One Eventful Night

Travis stood on Fawna's doorstep the next night, looking extremely antsy and nervous. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt underneath a white dress shirt with the top three buttons undone to reveal the collar of his t-shirt. He had a pair of rather nice jeans on with clean blue and white sneakers. His hair was combed a lot mre carefully than usual.

"Well? How do I look?" he asked her. Fawna laughed and nodded.

"Dashing Travis. Shouldn't you get going?" she asked him, looking down at her watch. Travis nodded and flattened the collar of his dress shirt.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure I didn't have toilet paper hanging from my butt or something, so I came here first." he told her, which got Fawna laughing again.

"Well, you don't have toilet paper hanging from your butt, but your shoe, now that's a different story." she said teasingly, with her arms crossed. Travis rolled his eyes and kicked her playfully in the shins.

"You're hilarious." he told her sarcastically, before heading off towards the waterfall for his picnic with Rose. Sighing from sudden boredom, Fawna decided to wander around Sernity Falls that evening with Mutt. Grabbing an old rope from the shed, Fawna fastened it to her puppy's bandana to act as a leash.

"Come on boy, let's go for a walk." she told him, leading the scruffy dog off the property. Barking excitedly and wagging his tail, Mutt happily padded alongside Fawna down the dusty street. The sun was beginning to fade in the distance and there were no lights on the main street of Serenity Falls, so Fawna had to be careful not to trip over any debris or uneven footing along the path. Suddeny, Mutt stood stock still and began barking and growling menacingly. Fawna immediately became frightened. "W-what is it Mutt?" she said tentatively. Her dog continued to growl into the darkness ahead. Trying to peer into the pitch black, Fawna could just make out a figure coming towards her. Fawna's eyes widened and she clapped a hand to her mouth in terror! A mugger!

"CLUCK CLUCK!!!" a very loud, squacky sound rang out and suddenly, the figure was bounding towards her, chasing what looked to be a very feathery monster!

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" Fawna screamed for her life as both figures collided with her, knocking her and Mutt to the ground. Fawna's eyes snapped shut and she sat there, very still hoping that the mugger would just take what he wanted quickly and not hurt her, but a voice made her open her eyes.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there in the dark. My chicken must have run right into you." Fawna looked up to see a rather awkward-looking guy with glasses and a visor standing over her. He ent down to help Fawna to her feet and Fawna stared numbly at him.

"I- I thought you were a mugger..." she mumbled, going red from embarrassment. The man laughed and shook his head.

"Mugger? There's no muggers way out here in Serenity Falls. You must be that city-slicker who took over the farm. You're the talk of the town, Fawna is it?" he asked as Fawna numbly nodded again. "I'm Rick, by the way. I run the Poultry Farm in Mineral Town with my mom and little sister. She was the one who left the gate open and the chicken escaped." he explained, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Suddenly, he looked around and frowned. "Hey, where did Alice go?" he asked, obviously refering to the chicken. Fawna looked around as well and sighed.

"Mutt's gone, too! He must have chased Alice." she told Rick. Rick shook his head and grabbed Fawna's wrist to pull her along.

"Come on, we have to find them, before your dog eats my chicken!" he exclaimed. Nodding and running after Rick, they began to search all over Serenity Falls. Dawn arrived and there was still no sign of Alice or Mutt. They arrived back at Fawna's farm, quite upset. Fawna was crying and Rick was sniffling a little.

"P-poor Mutt." she sobbed. "I was m-mean to him and I w-wouldn't let him sleep o-on my bed and now he's g-gone and I m-miss him!" she wailed helplessly. Rick shook his head.

"My mom is going to be so angry with me for losing Alice... she came from the egg my dad gave her before he left." he sighed sadly. The two saddened pet owners trudged into the house to mourn their loss together when a very happy sight met their eyes.

Mutt and Alice were sleeping side-by-side on the little cushion beside Fawna's coffee table. It seemed as if Mutt hadn't eaten Alice after all. He had made a new friend! Fawna squealed in delight and scooped her puppy up in a big hug. "Mutt! I'm so glad you're safe! I promise I'll never be mean to you again!" she told him, as Mutt barked happily and accepted an ear scratch from his mistress. Rick was stroking Alice lovingly.

"Mom will be so happy to see you back home." he told her. Standing up, he extended a hand to Fawna and she shook it. "Bye. I'll see you around Fawna." he told her kindly and Fawna smiled. "Hey Travis." he said as he walked out the door. Travis had just shown up.

"Morning Rick." he said with a wave. Walking into the house, Travis wore a look of minor confusion. "I didn't know you knew Rick." he said mildly. Fawna shook her head.

"I didn't until last night." she replied, and she told Travis the entire story of what had happened and how she had lost Mutt and Rick and her had searched all night long. When she was finished, Travis was gaping.

"Well, it seems you had an eventful night." he chuckled. Fawna nodded, but remembered something and snapped her fingers.

"Speaking of that... how did your date with Rose go?" she asked him. Travis chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It was... nice." he told her evasively, doing a terrible job of hiding a broad grin. Fawna laughed and sat down on the bed.

"So?" she asked with her arms crossed. Travis looked puzzled.

"So what?" he asked. Fawna sighed and shook her head. Travis really was dumb when it came to stuff like this.

"Did you kiss her?" she asked, as if that had been the most obvious question in the world and Travis must be rattled in the head for not cluing in. He rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"Geez, what is it with girls and wanting to know these kinds of details?" he sighed, but then he smiled slyly. "For the record, yes." he told her. Fawna clapped her hands excitedly, but then remembered how tired she was from not seeping the previous night and yawned. Travis laughed and shook his head.

"Go to bed, I'll take care of your farm for you today. Otherwise, you'll probably collapse in the middle of your field and squish all of your tomatoes." he joked.

Fawna thanked him and quickly took the opportunity to reclaim some well-needed rest. As she slept, faint images of Rick floated through her mind, puzzling her.