Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, in a kingdom nestled inside a bowl of arduous mountains, lived a beautiful Princess.

Or, this was how her story was supposed to be told. In truth, the Kingdom was surrounded by insurmountable mountains, with a mist that surrounded it. The only ones who could survive the mist turned into an animal form. Living in a world full of talking creatures, the Princess was desensitized to the antics of peasants scurrying about as mice or hopping through the market as a kangaroo; this world was one she was used to.

She longed for a life away from the right constraints of her kingdom. Away from the hysteria of the mist that kept her sheltered inside because she didn’t particularly care to be a creature, and it was a pain to remove the mist’s spell. Stories had been passed down for centuries of a place outside of the Kingdom, a world that lacked the mist, a world filled with humans and animals that were merely animals. She often wondered what they did there for entertainment, or how freeing it must be to be able to explore the rest of the world. Even if there were scattered oases from the mist outside the kingdom…her father would never let her leave here.

So she often sat in her windowed reading nook, daydreaming of the world beyond Prune Kingdom. Prune, not for the edible, but because the mountains allowed the mist to dissipate and pruned away the spell’s effects so humans would return to their original form. Her servants, the sprites, often regaled her with tales of how someone they knew snuck into this other world, but they never could understand the language that developed there. The sprites always built tunnels, they knew exactly how to escape to places far beyond her reach.

“I’m bored,” she declared one day to her sprite butler, chin in hand and eyes focused outside the window. A monkey was watering their garden just beyond the gate. Another one who tried going outside the Kingdom, apparently.

The sprite smiled as they handed the Princess a parfait and then replied cheerfully, “Ah, Princess. You should speak with Ben. He found a way to go to the special place. I had berries from there, they were so sweet! Very Berries, I believe…”

The purple haired Princess stared off at the monkey as it fumbled with a rake, and then turned her attention to the sprite as they headed for the door. “What did you say?”

The sprite bowed and then said in a lower tone, “When night falls, go to the cave that grows the strange herbs. There’s something there, deep inside, that will surprise you!” And off they went, leaving the Princess’ head filled with a mystery. Sneaking out past curfew…she didn’t care for rules in the first place, but she didn’t like consequences either. But if it was to that world she read about, the one where they had self moving carriages and the animals didn’t speak…her curiosity grew, and she dared to make a plan.

As the bell tower struck midnight, she cloaked herself with a peasant’s hooded garb to shield her rosy ensemble and her hair, which was adorned with a tiara. As if her feet moved by their own accord, she made her way to the cave’s entrance. The little white flowers that grew inside only appeared a few years before, and already the healers were using them in medicine. It had been long forgotten, as caves came and went with the mountains; only one remained open all the time as the exit to the mist, and that was usually kept shut unless they had business on the other side. She shimmied down abandoned shafts, slipping occasionally on wet stairs and finally made her way to a clearing within, where she was met with a pond. The water shimmered with an eerie gleam. “Hello?” She said out loud, and a tiny cough came from behind her.

“Hello Princess! Welcome, welcome…” The tiny creature hopped up on a rock near the water’s edge, a locket in his hand. “This water has a goddess in it. If you make a wish, you can be taken to the world with ordinary humans….I heard you had an interest in them.”

She blinked, completely bewildered by the concept of a goddess choosing to lurk in their mountains. “Really? Do it then. I want to go there right now!”

The sprite laughed nervously, but did as he was told. He tossed the locket in the water, and with a radiating bright light, a goddess adorned with beautiful pale teal garments appeared before the two of them. Her woven hair was the color of the sea, and her eyes were definitely inhuman. But her beauty was astonishing, and the Princess couldn’t take her eyes off of her. “Goddess…” She began, and then found her voice, her tone strengthening. “I want to go to the ordinary human world!”

The goddess smiled, and then stepped onto the rocks before the Princess. The height difference between the two was evident as she bent down to look at her. “Your wish is granted, but with one stipulation.”

She wanted to reprimand the other for giving her restrictions- who did she think she was, restricting the Princess? But she had never wanted something as badly as she wanted this adventure to the new world. “What is it?”

“Unfortunately, humans from this world going to the next cannot be visible to other humans who don’t have the gift of connection to the land. You will not be seen unless the rare chance someone with the gift appears…” She held out a hand to the Princess, and the Princess contemplated not accepting it. A world where she wasn’t visible? But she was the fairest in the world; it would be a tragedy her beauty couldn’t be seen!

Yet, the curiosity haunted her…and she found herself taking the Goddess’ hand. “I accept those terms.”

“Very well, then. Let’s go.” The other pulled the Princess forward, and her word was engulfed with a bright light as she fell forwards.

The Princess wasn't prepared for the world on the other side of the bright light that enveloped her.

The smells seemed stronger, and were those lights in the sky above? It was nighttime. The sound of quiet murmuring could be heard. Someone was just beyond the small clearing where the Goddess' Pond was located. And the Goddess - the Goddess was nowhere to be seen. The Princess looked around her, a bit fearful of the world she had just wandered into.

It occurred to her, however, that the people here would not see her, so she felt a bit safer as she drifted like a spirit through the trees towards the tiny wooden cabin nearby.

The tall woman stared at what seemed to be a few humans gathered around a river. She stayed just out of sight, so she could observe them.

"Jeez, you're going to break it, Gray," A redheaded girl with a loud voice exclaimed, snatching something from the hands of a hat-wearing fellow nearby.

The young man named Gray rolled his eyes.

"What are you wishing for, anyways?" the girl inquired.

"To win every race I enter this next year," Gray replied, and another young man- this time, lighter red-haired with a white headband- peeked over from where he was seated on the ground. He seemed to be crafting the tiny boats with some bamboo. An older man surveyed the group nearby just a bit away from the man toiling away over the little boats.

The white band-wearing young man smiled to himself, shaking his head with a humored look on his face. He seemed to complete his task, and he held it up. "Hey Uncle Hall, here's yours."

"Thanks, Rick," the old man replied gruffly as he approached him and retrieved the boat from his hands. "Make sure to make yourself one, too."

"Eh, it's not really my thing," Rick replied, but he began his crafting once again as the others went to the water.

She could hear from where she was positioned, as the old man walked nearer to her further down the river. He was probably trying to get away from the small group, but she felt anxious as he seemed to grow closer. He had some trouble kneeling down, but once he was in position he set the boat in the water and held onto the middle piece so it couldn't float away just yet.

"I miss you, Dear," he muttered under his breath. The Princess leaned forwards, curious about what he was doing. "I'm keeping them safe," he continued with a bit of longing in his voice, "so you can keep resting peacefully. Every year...My wish is the same thing. Wherever you are, please rest easy knowing I'm taking care of everything. I love you."

His hand released the boat, and it floated off down the river. He smiled slightly, which was hard to observe in the darkness - his mustache protected the view of his mouth.

"Gray, quit it! Ooooooo, you jerk, you just ran yours into mine so it sank, didn't you!?" The redheaded girl wearing overalls stomped her foot, her hands balled into fists.

Gray laughed at her. "What, you worried your wish that someone would quit eating candy from your stash won't come true?"

"Wha-What candy stash! I don't have candy stashes!" The retort came in a less-than-authentic tone.

Meanwhile, the Princess had almost forgotten the boy by the river. She looked back at him, wondering what he was up to.

It came as a shock to find him staring directly at her, now that she was a bit further out in the clearing. She had stepped just into view when she was trying to eavesdrop on the older man. Was he...really staring at her?

The Princess panicked, and immediately fled the clearing. She rushed back to the Goddess' Pond, and then knelt down. "Take me back!"

As soon as she issued the command, she felt the same familiar light wrap around her and she was whisked away to her world.

Chapter Text

After his nineteenth birthday, Rick spent a lot of time to himself in his invention workshop.

The shelves were frequently covered in dust even when he tried to clean. The wood that built the workshop was near a hundred years old and smelled of vintage mildew. Despite his intention to keep the workshop pristine, it seemed unchangeable to the depreciation of time.

"There's where I put the pliers... now if I could only find that dremel," he muttered under his breath as he patted side to side underneath a dark shelf behind the counter. There was nothing but wood shavings and wrappers. Discouraged, the inventor resigned himself to the shelves with sell-able objects on them. Once in a while, he lurked over there in a daydream and accidentally set down the tools of his trade behind things. It happened so frequently that people stopped asking if a tool was for sale if they found one, because they knew Rick's old habits.

He heard the door hinges creak, and then a loud voice accompanied the shrill sound. "Rick! If you fix everything around town why don't you fix your door? You're going to wake up half of Flower Bud with these old hinges."

"If you haven't woken them up first," Rick joked, a half-smile on his face as he gave Ann a wave. Her momentary scowl was indicative that she didn't find his sense of humor endearing. "What's up, Cousin?"

"Dad asked me to give you this... oh."

She had pulled a sack of flour out of her bag, but she stopped midway as she spied a loaf of bread, half covered with a bread cloth, on the counter. "You already have food. He said you weren't eating because you're always goofing off with your inventions, so he asked me to make you bread. I burned it, so I brought you the leftover flour."

The red-headed inventor chuckled, and Ann rolled her eyes as she set the bag on a nearby table. "You don't take it seriously, do you?"

"Take what seriously?" Rick asked, his eyes drifting away from Ann to the flour. "Eating?"

"No, I mean your business. You're not taking it seriously." Ann insisted, hands retreating to her hips as she stared at the other. "You're always laughing and cheerful but you're not making ends meet. I don't know how you get supplies for anything."

"I make enough with my regular handiwork, things are always breaking. Don't worry about it," he insisted. "Why do you think I don't take this seriously? You know it's my dream..."

"To invent something amazing? Yeah, but it's not happened yet, and you're going to get old and never marry and be the weird guy with a bunch of junk stacked in a store like you're a hoarder. Rick, you really should...you know, go out more, make friends. Do the family thing."

"And you're going to do the family thing?" Rick asked immediately, and Ann's face turned bright red.

"I haven't found anyone yet, jeez! I gotta go, bye." She abruptly turned on her heel and left, the door slammed behind her and bounced open just a bit. He smiled as he walked over and shut it firmly, making sure the doorknob was securely set in its spot in the frame so it didn't blow open.

"It's not like..." Rick muttered, his gaze falling on the flour again. "I don't try, is it?"

He had toiled over several inventions: the lawn mower that powered itself, the hedge trimmer that could be pulled once and would finish trimming a bush, the balloon that never fell to name a few; but they always ended up in failure, and he shelved them. Sometimes he hit a home run, but then ran out of materials and ended up with a single prototype that worked and nothing to sell. In the location they lived, it was really hard to get materials to produce more of one invention if it was too big.

But...this land meant something to him. This was where his grandmother invented, toiling over her own inventions. She was his idol. As a kid, he spent hours looking at her blueprints she left, and he still kept them safe in a box near where he slept at night. He dreamed of making something that would make her proud, wherever she was. Even if it was hard to achieve his dream where he was, even if it would be easier elsewhere, he felt like this very town powered his imagination and helped him invent. He couldn't leave the source of his inspiration.

He sighed as he picked up the sack of flour Ann had left. It wasn't like he didn't have food, but sometimes he did run low. He would daydream during work that he shopped for groceries and then found out later it was a daydream. It was a bother, but it was just how he was, and he had grown used to stretching his food out so he could afford more tools and materials for his craft.

Maybe it was time to go out and do something that wasn't work or life goal related. Maybe...go back to the forest? He could've sworn he had seen a woman the night they went to launch their bamboo floats. Uncle Hall had done it every year since his marriage, and even after Rick’s aunt passed away soon after Ann was born, he continued taking the three of them down to the river with the permission of Rick's parents. And when his parents moved away to another town, Rick stayed behind and kept accompanying them. Some years he would wish for success with his inventions, others he wished simply for everyone in his family to be happy. He hadn't seen Uncle Hall smile for decades. His own father was distant, so Rick had found more of a fatherly figure in his uncle. His cousin Gray was only a year in age difference from him as well, so the two of them felt like brothers at times with how they were raised.

"Maybe I should go solve the mystery of the woman by the log cabin," Rick joked out loud to no one in particular. There weren't many women out in the forest, and certainly no one that tall or with that color of hair... She seemed so surreal. Everyone in town knew each other, so he was pretty sure it had to be someone in the area. Who else would travel out to the boonies?

He certainly didn't believe in ghosts either, so he couldn't have seen his departed aunt.

The inventor let another sigh pass his lips as he walked out of the shop, then locked up behind him. "Uncle Hall is probably right... I don't work when I'm working, and I daydream when I'm resting so I never get any friends... how can I do my work if I'm not in my head, though?"

But maybe being in his head was the real issue - if he never got out of his rumination over failed projects, how would he be driven for a new one that might work?

"I guess it's time to figure out a new game plan."

With that, he was off towards Moon Mountain. Maybe he could find some inspiration there, where the woman had been sighted. He had wished for something different this year, after all; he wished he wasn't so lonely. It didn't hit him until a few years had passed from when his parents left him to man the shop. Even at sixteen, it was a large burden to work on his own with the guidance of Uncle Hall...and three years living alone made him realize he didn't like it.

But it was what it was.

The young fiery-haired inventor trekked to Moon Mountain. The route was a familiar one, as he had ventured there many times before. It was just past the woodcutter's cabin, through a thicket of foliage and tiny trees. Someone had tried keeping the area tended to, but it was just too lively with natural activity to ever keep it fully cleared. The tiny pond near the steep rock incline was pristine. Even in dim lighting, it sparkled with an iridescent sheen of cleanliness.

Rick often found his way to this spot. It wasn't a secret, he was fairly certain some of the other young folk in town liked going here too - because of its location, only young folk dared to go this far off the beaten path. Some rumors often were tossed around that in parts of the mountain, weird things happened. Rick could definitely envision something weird happening here, because the atmosphere contained a type of mythical buoyancy that one could feel as they stood there.

With a sigh, he knelt down by the beautiful little pond, staring down into the water. It was deep, but the bottom was visible and so was his reflection. He reached into his pocket, and then felt the tiny rock he had found a few weeks before nestled in the folds, deep down. With the rock in hand, he stayed where he knelt, his mind drifting off to a place where he often went when he was thinking of new inventions.

Ever since he turned eighteen, he had been going into the mines every winter. A lot of the materials he retrieved from the mines could be used in various trades. He usually gave the blue rock to Saibara, because it wasn't really useful for him unless he wanted to dabble in dying things blue. One evening, he had spent countless hours inside the mine and dug up something he knew had to be rare. Naturally, he dubbed it "Rare Metal". The object seemed to radiate light, just like the pond's surface. He tried to burn it, bend it, anything to make it change; nothing seemed to work, and he was still left wondering what he could do with this strange material. It had to have a purpose, right?

But maybe Uncle Hall was right. Maybe he spent too much time wondering what could be and didn't work hard enough towards what actually could happen if he put in more work. The inventor held the rock over the pond, and then let it drop into the water.

For a split second, the water radiated an eerie light and the bottom faded away. On the other side...a cave? Was that a cave he saw deep down? His heart skipped a beat as he reached for the water, but as soon as his hand touched the surface, the vision faded away.

Had it been his imagination again?

The revelation made him panic, and he stood to stare down at the now slightly eerie presence of the pond. "Am I okay?" He said out loud, his hand wandering to his forehead as he tried to tell if he was running a fever. No, he was pretty sure he had just witnessed some sort of...portal?

There was a lengthy pause as he stared, and finally he allowed himself to dare to dream again. That had to be a portal, he knew it. And he knew, deep down- that person he had seen in the woods, she had to be real. She was from that space. And the metal...the metal must have acted as some sort of conduit between the two places. That was why he couldn't work easily with it. This mountain was hiding mysteries, and he had just stumbled on one of the biggest ones.

"I'm going to get there," he muttered to himself. "I'm going to see that girl again, and figure out where she's from."

It would be the biggest discovery of his lifetime. Maybe his whole life had been leading up to this moment, finding that material in the mountain, and to build...a bridge between these two worlds.

Maybe his destiny was to meet that girl in the woods that night, so he would know what he saw in the pond wasn't just his imagination.

Chapter Text

For the next few years, Rick toiled away on his most prized and secret invention yet.

The teleportation device.

It was a complicated machine, one that took a lot of research and requests from townsfolk.

He had borrowed multiple books from Flower Bud Library from Maria, who had asked a few times what they were for. After one book came back with a singed cover, Maria had teared up and asked him to be more careful, so he was trying to keep books out of his workspace just because he felt so horrible for making her unhappy about his book borrowing etiquette.

Saibara had loaned him some tools he didn't have, because a few of the books required tools that weren't exactly easy to procure and hadn't been used in ages. Saibara knew of them, of course; he was the oldest person in Flower Bud Village at eighty years old, and he had been in his profession for a very long time. One of the tools was something he wasn't even sure had a name, and Saibara had forgotten it; a relic of an instrument leftover from the days when Saibara's father was working with crafts.

Even his cousin, Gray, had taken an interest in his project for a while. He didn't have a clue what Rick was doing, but when Rick requested his help in creating a horseshoe-like mechanism that had some flexible properties, he was down for holding some hot irons with tongs. It was better than listening to Ann go on about how she should go with him when he went to study horses on Waffle Island. It was a gig he was happy to complete, because he thought he was going to help them train the horses. Rick was pretty sure Gray didn't read the fine print, though - Uncle Hall never sent them on tasks that were fun, and he was pretty sure strings were attached.

Nevertheless, the two of them became a team for a while and a lot of progress was made on the teleportation device. Rick hadn't actually told anyone what it was. Maybe it was because Gray didn't do much talking on his own, but Rick finally opened up one day to the other about his goal with the device.

"You know, it would make travel a lot easier if there was a device that teleported us from one location to the other," Rick mused out loud, twisting another bolt firmly in place as he hooked the simple converter to the adapter he had finished assembling just a few weeks before. It was finally coming together, his little machine. Of course, it had two platforms, and the second would take some time to assemble even if it was a little easier because he had a prototype of the first. It just involved a bit of reverse engineering and adjusting the input and outputs to get it to receive the signals the other was sending off.

Gray hummed his response, his hands in his pockets as he stared at Rick. It seemed like a few minutes had passed before he said, "Are you wasting your time on this?"

Rick set down his screwdriver, and stood up. He dusted off his worn apron, and then shrugged. "Are you wasting time on horses?"

"Pshh." Gray grinned, something that Rick was used to seeing. "I hope this is a money generating machine or my dad is going to buy your shop out from under you as punishment for wasting a few years of productivity." He turned to leave, and then hesitated. "Did you hear the old man on the farm died?"

"What?" Rick asked, genuinely shocked. He had been in his own bubble for awhile, so he wasn't aware of what was going on in town or the surrounding areas if they weren't included on his radar. If they weren't helping him with his machine...unfortunately, he had tuned them out, accidentally. "How?"

"Old age. My dad says he's got a grandson or something who's gonna take over. He arrives a few months after I get back from my gig on Waffle Island." Gray opened the door. "By the way, the other side of the converter is uneven from where I was standing. You should probably have it level. See ya."

Rick quickly bowed down again, and then realized Gray was right. With a fierce mutter, Rick plucked the abandoned screwdriver off the floor and went back to work.

It made him feel slightly bad that he hadn't really paid attention to anyone but those in his immediate bubble for the duration of his work. He did interact with his customers, but the regulars were just a handful of the villagers. He didn't really attend the festivals lately, mainly due to time being a bit hard for him to keep track of. His shop wasn't open on some days he was supposed to open it, and he accidentally opened it on an off day, and Uncle Hall had caught the sign and gave him a very stern scolding about keeping strict hours.

”It's better for business if people know what to expect from your establishment!” he had said, though Rick couldn't remember if he had used more...elaboration, with less acceptable adjectives.

In the time he took to build the machine, his mind kept returning to that night. It had become something of a memory that one would keep close to them, a memory that he had built somewhat of a shrine around mentally. The lighting had been so perfect, her hair seemed so ethereal...he was afraid to admit, even to himself, that the woman he had seen near the cabin had stolen his heart. He didn't even know her, or if she was a figment of his imagination...but he knew he loved her, deep down. Something about her inspired him to go above and beyond his skill set, to keep increasing his knowledge in the realm of engineering and metaphysics simply so he could transcend worlds and go see her. He wondered why he hadn't seen her since- was he just not looking hard enough? Every night, he returned to the river to wait.

Every lonely, quiet night, he knew she wasn't part of his imagination; his heart was so lonely he knew he would've seen a figment of his imagination by now just so he had company.

She had to be real.

The sound of tiny pieces of ice sifting over the frozen terrain broke the silence one winter. It had been extremely cold, as it always was this time of the season, and Rick had worn layers to get there. The beauty of the stillness mixed with the glow of the white blanket of snow on the ground gave the night a serene feeling, but again, that loneliness accompanied him to the same spot he had been so many nights before.

At least the craftsmen had quit asking why Rick liked this area. It had been embarrassing at first, but he grew used to giving the answer, "It's my thinking spot.” It wasn't a lie, truly; it was the spot that brought him the strongest inspiration.

Even though the ponds had frozen over with thick ice, the river still ran underneath the wooden bridge linking the two areas together between the craftsman's cabin and the local fisherman's tent. Greg left every winter, so the sound of his hand crank radio playing softly didn't break the silence. Rick shoved his mittened hands into his pockets, and then stared at the river and up the waterfall, the chilled air running past his face as the wind kicked up.

It was on this night that he finally heard a sound, one that was unfamiliar. It wasn't a small creature venturing out of the bare brush to scavenge. It definitely was the sound of a lean individual gracefully making their way through the snow. At first, Rick instinctively turned and expected his cousin Ann to greet him. Maybe she had grown lonely while her brother was out of town and she had followed him to Moon Mountain.

No, the person who stood there was a woman taller than he was, with hair the color of pale violet veryberries and eyes the shade of amethyst. Her dress hid her feet, and she seemed to be having difficulty making her way through the snow drifts.

He didn't say anything at first, he simply stared in awe.

She finally looked towards him, their eyes connecting for the first time in years. With an unsure tone, she finally said quietly, barely audible from how far off she was. "Can you... see me?"

Rick stared for a long while, and then replied, "Yes, I can see you. Welcome to Flower Bud Village."

Was it a joke? She didn't seem to be so sure about him, but she smiled when he responded to her. The taller woman made her way to Rick, and then huffed. "This weather is absolutely dreadful! How can you stand it? I can't walk through it. I would demand someone clear a path for me if anyone was here..."

"Someone? Like a servant?" Rick inquired, his curiosity piqued as he smiled. The smile on his lips was more than just a good-hearted reaction; it contained years of relief of finally being able to say she was real. But...maybe he had frozen out in the tundra, and she really wasn't there, he was just imagining her. Either way, he wanted to take this moment to enjoy finally getting to know the beautiful woman who had been spearheading his dreams these past years.

"Yes, I'm a princess, after all. I can't be walking through, what is this? Hard water?" she asked, motioning downwards. "I demand you tell me what this annoying stuff is."

"It's snow." He seemed content with answering any of her questions, which was only prompting her to complain more.

"Well, snow is annoying."

"Not many people like it, either," Rick mused out loud. "You're in good company here if you hate snow."

"Huh?" She looked around, and he shook his head.

"No," he explained, "I mean... a lot of people don't like snow because it causes problems. It can be pretty, though. Like, here...look over there. See that snow drift? See how the moon brightens it, compared to the snow behind the cabin?" He motioned over yonder, and she turned to take in the sight.

The silence that fell made Rick wonder if he had said something wrong, so he looked at her. In the moments that had passed, she had furrowed her brow and her arms were against her chest. The inventor quietly took off his jacket, and then put the garment around her shoulders as if it were a cape. "Here, this will help."

The princess seemed shocked that he would give her his own clothing, and then her angry scowl turned into a saddened gaze. "You're so nice... possibly, the nicest person I've ever met. No one would offer me their jacket unless I demanded it where I'm from..."

"You seemed cold." The redhead seemed unfazed by the random act of generosity. "It doesn't sound kind, where you're from..."

"It's fine, but not great. Too much responsibility there, but it's my world," She explained, even if she seemed as if she were hiding a bit more behind her words. "I'll not be able to give this back if I take it with me."

"Maybe I could go with you?" Rick offered, even though deep down he knew he would be rejected.

"You can't follow me," she responded, her words short.

The sharpness of her tone surprised him. "I can't follow you...?" he repeated, and then looked away. With just mittens on, he was feeling the chill of the weather at his very core, and he could feel shivers beginning in his upper arms. "What if I had a device? I'm working on a teleportation device, actually..."

"Even if you could, you're a commoner here, and you would be a stranger there... it would never be allowed." The authority behind her voice was reminiscent of his uncle's when he was being lectured, and he felt his explanation drift away into the awkward silence. It wasn't what the princess intended, clearly, because a moment later, she added; "But here... you're going to tell me about everything! I think we should spend far more time together. I have so many questions about why your town does the things they do. Some of them are so primitive, and at times... you build things out of simple objects, I find it fascinating. And the children, they're always coming up with such ridiculous stories! You must tell me more, commoner. Ah...that's probably not your name, is it?" she hesitated, her lips pursed.

He was about to tell her his name, when she looked at him with those startling eyes the color of a sunset falling into night, "Rick, is it? I believe that's what the others called you."

She had...remembered his name?

His heart thumped in his chest as he nodded, and he felt his face burn. If it wasn't so cold, she would've caught his blush, he was sure, but the redness had spread across his nose bridge and cheeks long ago from the prickling cold.

"What should I call you?"

"Princess. ...Princess..." The Princess looked around, and then her eyes fell on that startling bright snow drift he had pointed out before. It did look like a vanilla treat, so her mind went immediately to vanilla. She couldn't use her royal name here in this world, it would be too dangerous if anyone ever discovered she had ventured off on her own. "Princess Vanilla."

"Well, Princess Vanilla, it's a pleasure to meet you. I would be happy to be your guide around Flower Bud Village," Rick accepted her request graciously and beamed as she nodded. The princess turned away, and began wandering off back towards the pond area just beyond the craftsman's cabin. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"It's late," she called, and then went off into the brush. "I have to get back! But I will return in a few month's time!" Of course, she failed to give him a specific time, and it could be anything really; considering how much time Rick had already spent waiting for her all of these years, it was why he slept in so late and always opened his shop far beyond any of the other shops opening times.

"But-"

"Bye!" She gave one final departing wave, and then she was gone.

Rick stood there, coat-less and mittened, his glasses foggy from the chatter.

Had it been real...?

He glanced down, and then looked around him. Well, his coat was definitely gone. It had to be real.

And Uncle Hall was going to be angry with him for losing his jacket.

Chapter Text

A few more months had passed before Rick finally saw his princess again. The inventor had salvaged an old jacket from one of Uncle Hall's collections. It smelled faintly of mildew and strongly of hay, but he didn't really have a choice. The other had been his father's, and he certainly wasn't going to admit to his father he had lost it while watching the shop he entrusted to him.

The family experienced a considerable scare when Gray returned. Irritated with Uncle Hall's attempt at making him a responsible and job-holding denizen, Gray had arrived back home with a vendetta. The gig on Waffle Island hadn't been what he was expecting, and after months of work and taming horses only to return after the horses were ready to ride, it was an all-around disappointment for him. In fact, he spent more time pondering the things he left in Flower Bud Village than he did actually committing himself to forming a work ethic.

With a sense of young disobedience inside of him, Gray entered one of the most competitive horse races a few towns over. The horse he took with him injured her leg just before the race, so he decided to borrow a horse from a local farm nearby. He made the mistake of thinking his horse whispering could extend to even the most untrained equines, and raced on a horse with very little track experience under its saddle. Of course, Gray didn't like wearing a helmet. How would people know who they were cheering for? The horse veered off the track and jumped the fence, and Gray went flying and hit his head hard as he landed on the ground. The impact knocked him out.

The damage to his head was extensive, and the doctor he saw in the town near the farm instructed him to never ride again. When he grew angry about the sentence of no more horseback riding, the doctor gave him the grim news: if he fell from a horse again, and hit his head, he would most likely die. It was the second time Rick had ever seen Uncle Hall so worried. The first had been after he lost his wife, and that memory was blurred by the passing of time.

And so, the endless potential Gray had as a horseback riding champion had dissipated at age twenty five, and that smirk Gray often wore when he teased someone else or told a good joke was now rarer than the metals Rick sought from Moon Mountain.

The outcome of the horrible event led to a work-focused Gray, and Rick had a lot less company around his shop. In fact, now he saw a lot more of Ann than he did Gray, which was a different kind of help. Ann talked more than Rick did, and he didn't really feel comfortable telling her about his adventures in Moon Mountain. Uncle Hall also was more work-focused, and Rick suspected there was some guilt behind his reaction; after all, it was due to horrible irony that Uncle Hall had intended for Gray to develop a strong work ethic from sending him away from Flower Bud Village, only to have his son get angry at the lack of excitement and take unnecessary risks to satisfy his desire for fun. And in the end, he got the hardworking son he wanted, and it cost something that was irreplaceable.

Rick let himself be preoccupied by his Princess Vanilla adventures once again. It was a relief to be away from the seriousness of the situation, even if the princess herself lamented about her royal task list, and how difficult her own life was. It seemed so magical and far away, that he could lose himself in the stories she told about her land. And he found endless entertainment as he introduced her to the world around him. It made him look at everything he took for granted in a new light.

He had to be careful, however: for some reason, no one else could see her. It made for some awkward situations if people found him mumbling to himself, out loud. Soon townsfolk were talking about Rick's daydreaming habits, and Uncle Hall was more disappointed than ever. Ann visited now and then to simply deliver the news in how he was disappointing his Uncle that day. Perhaps the departure of Gray's potential now made his Uncle focus on his, which wasn't great. Ann was the most suspicious of him talking to himself, and often he found himself face to face with an angry Ann.

She would demand to know what he was keeping from the family, and finally, with Princess Vanilla right by his side outside the church one night, he gave Ann a reasonable response. "I have a love interest in another town, and I talk out loud about things I might write to her."

The declaration made Princess Vanilla laugh, and it was such a vigorous laugh that she snorted. Ann accepted it, shockingly.

This led to a whole new bucket of problems though, and all of them had to do with Uncle Hall. He was now convinced Rick was avoiding 'real' women because he was scared of them, and that his 'pen pal' was fake. While he was right about the fake penpal, Rick's heart had been filled with real love for one individual woman: Princess Vanilla. So he endured the comments about his fake pen pal and lack of desire to do anything with his life. At the end of every day, he spent most of his evenings with the most amazing person he had ever met, the grandiose Princess from another world who fueled him with the desire to better his inventions, even if no one in his town knew what he was doing.

For the lack of a better way to describe him, he was becoming known as the daydreaming inventor. Rick preferred this as opposed to what it could be if they heard about his tales with the princess. He was pretty sure he would be something along the lines of a mad inventor if that ever emerged.

One dark evening in the springtime, he spotted a young man walking down the crossroads nearby town. Princess Vanilla was seated next to him by the river. "It's the new farmer," Rick explained, under his breath. Princess Vanilla was used to him talking to her in this fashion, as it didn't draw attention to himself and still helped her learn about her surroundings. The Princess smiled at the figure as they approached the pond near the fisherman's tent. The two of them went back to their chitchat by the stream.

"Is there anything else you're curious about?" Rick inquired gently, still keeping his voice dangerously low.

The princess shook her head. "Nothing that will happen soon. You have a festival I'm curious about, it has to do with the Goddess of the Spring. I would love to see it in person. You will take me, right?"

"Of course, but I won't be able to talk," Rick assured her. "I'll do my best to explain it after, so remember anything you have questions about."

"Humpf. It's such a bother that others can't see me. I would win the competition."

"You would," Rick said before he could stop himself, and he blushed. The princess put one gloved hand over her mouth.

"Oh my, Mister Inventor! Have you fallen for me?" she teased, and he laughed as he shook his head.

"It's impossible not to. But I know, you don't date people who aren't from your world - too many complications." Rick seemed to have already accepted his disappointment. But deep down, he was still smitten with the otherworldly woman seated next to him.

He heard the footsteps behind him, so he turned. There stood the new farmer, Pete.

"Hey," Rick greeted him, and spotted Pete tucking his fishing pole in his rucksack. The farmer looked for a moment at Rick, and then... at Princess Vanilla. Rick looked towards his company, and the shock on her face was clearly indicative that she too noticed Pete's gaze.

"Hey, you two." Pete replied, and then looked at his wrist. There wasn't a watch there. "Oh, right. In the backwater town now. Forgot. Eh, see you guys later, I got stuff to water." He gave a half-wave at the two seated by the waterside, and then ambled back down the path.

Rick stared at Pete's retreating form, shocked.

"I...I think he can see you?"

"Oh wow," Princess Vanilla breathed with bated breath. "He's so handsome."

"Huh?" Rick hadn't expected her response to be anything remotely close to what he just heard. "Uh, what?"

"He's like a prince in a field of commoners, how did such a creature land here? He's new, is he? And he can... see me."

"Princess?" Rick tried to get her attention back, but he felt a little downtrodden, realizing the other was suddenly heart-struck by the newbie farmer.

She fanned herself playfully with her hand, and then sighed. "Ah, but he's just another one of you. I would try to bend the rules for that man, his eyes were like pools of liquid crystal...! That hair, those overalls... hoo, my imagination didn't have to come up with much, he had a fabulous shape!"

Ah, how he wished she was actually speaking about him. Rick looked away, giving up on trying to attain her attention.

"I'm sorry, it was just a shock he could see me! I'll have to visit him as well," she explained bluntly, clearly not picking up on the disappointed look on the inventor's face. "Now, I must go again, it's rather late. Remember, the festival is very close. I want you to be with me, otherwise I get angry at being ignored."

"I won't be able to talk, but...yeah, no problem," Rick said with a glance, and then sighed. "Night, Princess."

"Good night, Rick," She reached over and patted his head. As she stood, she took another glance at the path Pete had disappeared down and then promptly headed towards the Goddess Spring.

The inventor felt a sense of jealousy deep in his heart, but he knew that Pete wouldn't be able to woo her either. Still, to know she was more captivated by Pete...it hurt, but he knew it wasn't something he could prevent. After all, Pete was a good-looking guy, and Rick was fairly certain he was one of those guys who was cool so everyone wanted to be around him. The bad boy trying to be good type. Or at least, that was what Uncle Hall had said - his father had sent him to the farm to revitalize it as a punishment for being a hooligan.

Rick was just a nice person who helped her learn about the world, and Pete would be the one she fancied. He was okay with that, as long as they kept hanging out every night like they had been.

"Yeah," he muttered to himself, for once actually to himself and not to anyone in particular. "As long as I know her, I'm happy."

Chapter Text

It was a tricky thing to greet Princess Vanilla at the Flower Festival, but Rick managed to do it in the sneakiest fashion. When he saw her just beyond the statue, he reached up and adjusted his headband so it was as if he was waving to her halfway. No one would notice but the princess, and she smiled wide as she caught the gesture. He smiled back, and then went to stand near Basil's flower shop stand. It seemed interesting that there were different seeds there. Even one that he hadn't heard of before...interesting.

Princess Vanilla wandered over, and then spoke loudly as she stood next to Rick. "I want to know what these look like. Can you buy them?"

"Yeah," Pete replied, shoving his way up next to Rick unexpectedly. "Hey Basil. Can I have one of everything?"

"Sure thing!" Basil picked up a few bags, exchanged gold with the newbie farmer and then handed over the merchandise. Rick stood, dumbfounded, before he waited a bit for Pete to wander off, and then he followed him.

"Hey," Rick said, but his voice was low again. Princess Vanilla had followed the two, curious at what Rick was doing. Obviously, she hadn't seen the inventor engage with many people before, and this was out of the ordinary for the man she had been accompanying. "You're talking to the princess too, but no one else can see her, you know that right?"

Pete blinked, and then looked at Princess Vanilla. "But she's right there."

"I know that, you know that, but no one here knows that," Rick explained offhandedly, a little irate that the other had so flippantly stolen his thunder. Granted, Rick hadn't tried growing flowers before but he would've if the Princess wanted him to. "She's from another world."

"Oh, so like the harvest sprites?" The farmer reached up and tilted his hat, then nodded. "Got it. Thanks for letting me know dude, I really appreciate it."

"I-...you're welcome?" Rick slowly realized the other was being genuine in his responses. He seemed pretty laid back, not at all like the hooligan Uncle Hall had described to him.

With a thoughtful glance, Rick cast a quick gaze over to the girls walking in dressed as the goddess. Yet again, Karen had won, and did a twirl in her pretty dress. Ann looked a bit strange to Rick in the ornate outfit, but she seemed awkwardly happy, so he was happy for her. He looked back towards the farmer, who had also been watching the lovely ladies.

"You want to hang out sometime?"

"Sure," Pete grinned at Rick, and gave him a thumbs up with one hand. "Hey, does this mean I get a discount at your shop? Are we friends now?"

"Uh..." He really didn't want to give Pete a discount, but then again, the farmer now knew his secret. "Sure. You can have a discount."

"Sweet." The farmer seemed pleased. The two of them spent the rest of the festival, with Princess Vanilla nearby, talking about the town. When someone told Pete to pick a dance partner, Rick watched as the other took his cousin by the hand and danced his heart out - the moves on the other were seamless. He could tell the princess was fascinated by the farmer still, and his disappointment was even harder to hide.

A few evenings later, Rick had been preoccupied with reworking a part from the oven at the bakery. It was a difficult task, and he had become enamored by the mechanics of it. If it didn't heat up properly, the cakes would never bake, and Jeff would have a real issue making a living.

He had tarped the teleportation device. It had frustrated him ever since he learned the Princess had no interest in him, and only fawned after the farmer; even if they were still friends, he knew his teleportation device made no difference in their relationship now. It was pointless to go where no man had gone before if she would be angry at him for going there. He still was lonely on the evenings he didn't find her in the mountains, and the walk always filled him with an eerie sadness that he couldn't quite explain. As if a part of him left every time she disappeared into the brush.

The knock on the door startled him, and he looked up to find Pete holding what looked like a sandwich. Ah, it was a sandwich.

"Sandwich," Pete affirmed as he walked in, and set it down on the nearby counter. "What are you working on?"

"Ah, Jeff's new oven broke down, I'm trying to figure out how to get it to work again. He doesn't have time to order the part from out of town. It shouldn't be too much longer..." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "...wow, I sure lost track of time!...how did you know to stop by?"

"I've been hanging out at Green Ranch," Pete walked over to Rick, and then sat down on the floor. He clearly didn't mind the dirt. The farmer seemed to show some interest in the teleportation device, which was barely visible under the edge of the burlap tarp. "Ann mentioned you lose track of time and end up forgetting to eat, so I thought I'd drop something off. You never opened the shop today, by the way, the closed sign was up."

"Oh," Rick sighed, and stood up. "Sorry, I just...yeah, I really wanted to get it done."

"What's under the tarp?" Pete finally asked, like a child who couldn't keep from asking questions. "Looks cool."

"That's a..."

Well, this was a first - Rick could actually trust someone to know his secret, and knew Pete wouldn't judge because he could see her too. He had to be curious as well, right? "It's...a teleportation device. I was trying to build it to go see Princess Vanilla in her home world."

"Neat," Pete replied, and leaned over so he could tug the tarp off. "So it works?"

"It explodes everything I put through it," It was delivered with such brute honesty that Pete laughed.

"That's a pretty bad teleportation device, then," Pete observed, and Rick laughed too.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"Do you know how to fix it? Or how to get it to work properly?" Pete asked, as if it were an easy thing to resolve. Rick shook his head as he took a few steps closer, and then sat on the floor next to Pete.

"See this? It's sending off the signal to throw the object to the coordinates you specify. I think part of it is getting through to Princess Vanilla's world, but...the rest appears in a heap of mush on the other platform. So the only thing I can think of, it's missing some sort of conduit to get it to the next point. It's messing up somewhere between A and C. B is the missing link." Rick tapped a box underneath the platform's edge. "I thought maybe this would work but it's not strong enough. And no matter how I adjust the knobs, it's not picking up the right coordinates. My goal is to build two sets of these, and leave two with the Princess when she goes back, and then I can go there with her."

"You really like her, huh?" Pete asked, and it took Rick by surprise. He froze. Pete reached over and patted Rick's knee. "Don't worry, it's safe with me. I like someone else, so I know what you're going through."

"You haven't even been here that long, Pete," Rick said, and then laughed. "Yeah...guess it was obvious, huh?"

"Pretty obvious. And haven't you heard of love at first sight? For someone in love with someone no one else can see, you're judging me pretty hard right now, you know?" Pete joked as he nudged the other with his elbow. "So what's the special ingredient in this sandwich?"

"Special...what?"

"You tapped that box there, what's that metal?" Pete gestured at the box.

Rick put a hand on his chin, and then a revelation lit up his expression. "You're a genius, Pete. That's the rare metal I found in the mines on Moon Mountain. I know it has strange properties, it reacts to the water on Moon Mountain...and that's where she appears when she visits, so I think she's using a place there to enter our world! Pete, you madman, you're onto something!"

The vigor he originally felt when he started the contraption ran through him as he stood again. "If I could get more of it, I bet it would fix my problem! I bet it needs a whole casing of that rare metal, and then..."

"I'll get it."

"Huh?" Rick looked at Pete.

"I'll get it for you, don't worry about it." Pete stood up and shrugged. "Moon Mountain mines, right? I'll just break in, they're in off season but I think they have a key in their cabin and no one really pays attention around here."

"That's... I mean, we could wait until winter, but...that's really kind, Pete," Rick smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. But you have to do me a favor, too."

"What's that?" The inventor wasn't sure what Pete could possibly ask of him, and he waited for some extremely difficult request to be made.

"Tell me what Gray likes, because that guy is really hard to crack. I hand him stuff and he just stares at me like he's a mute. I actually thought he was a mute at first, but then he spoke when Ann asked him about me riding horses. I think he might just be a jerk." Pete frowned, arms crossed over his chest. "But yeah, tell me what he likes."

"Gray?...I think he likes flowers, and eggs," Rick said, and then he laughed. "He's kind of a pain to get to know, but...you know, he used to smile a lot more, before the accident."

"Accident?" Pete seemed keenly interested. "What accident?"

"He used to be really talented at riding horses...but his injury makes it so he can't ride anymore, or...well, he just can't ride. He's been sad for a long time."

"Bummer..." The brunette turned away, and then headed for the door. "Is that why he blocks his eyes? From looking at people? Because he doesn't want anyone to know he's sad?"

"I don't know...it could be?"

Pete nodded, and then pushed the door open and went out. The inventor watched him go, a smile on his face. He had misjudged the other, thinking he was some sort of hell raiser when he first arrived. And now...he was pretty sure he was helping the entire town, one person at a time.

Chapter Text

Almost bursting with excitement, Rick waited a few treacherous months for the mines to be opened. And then, only a few days into the snowy season, Pete showed up with a rucksack full of the rare metal. He continued to show up periodically with his bundle of goods, as if he had nothing else to do.

It took him a good month before the machine was encased by the rare metal. It was incredibly difficult to work with, and melding it to the already existing casing was a trial in itself. The inventor sweated so much he had to wear two headbands one day. And in the evening, he went on an adventure with Princess Vanilla; though she tried to visit less during winter, because she didn't particularly like 'hard water'.

Finally, the day to test the device for the first time came. He had Pete stand far away. The farmer set a tomato on one side. "Let's do this!" He encouraged Rick, and Rick grabbed the lever and pulled.

A flash of light burst upwards, and then on the other platform, the tomato appeared.

The two of them stared at the tomato, and then Pete let out a roar of victory, one so loud Rick was sure the neighboring farm probably heard it. He found himself frozen in place, overwhelmed by the fact it had finally, FINALLY worked, and he had just witnessed the birth of his most prized creation; the teleportation device. The device that would link him to Princess Vanilla, even if she didn't want to be with him. He would finally be able to visit her, just as she had been visiting him all of these years.

He stored the device away, and that night, he made his way through melting snow to the mountain. It was covered in new buds, with spring just being around the corner. The inventor was so pleased with himself he hadn't stopped smiling; he was actually experiencing a bit of pain from the display of happiness on his face. In the radiant moonlight, he found the Princess standing just by the entrance to Moon Mountain's cave. "Princess!"

"Rick, oh Rick!" she exclaimed, unusually distraught. She was always over-dramatic, but tonight something seemed to be overwhelming her. "I'm being forced to marry a Frog Prince! The neighboring kingdom... my father has no use for me unless I'm married, and can take over the kingdom, he's sentenced me to marry that...that Frog man!"

"Frog man?" Rick seemed perplexed, but he shook his head. "Princess, wait-"

"I don't want to end up married off! I was planning on ruling alone if I can't marry who I want!" She declared, fury etched into her pale features as her lip quivered, "Why is life so cruel to the beautiful-"

"Princess, please." Rick reached out, and put his hand on hers. She stopped mid sentence, eyes locked on Rick's blue ones. "I finished my device. I can teleport to your world now...so, I can visit you."

"You can..." The princess paused, realizing her words had been overwhelmingly self-centered, and here Rick was...he was telling her that he built a machine to transcend space and time to be with her. "But why?"

"Because when you're not here...Princess, when you leave, I...I feel incomplete, and want to go wherever you go, because you inspire me...to be better than I was the day before." He lifted her hand to his chest, holding it with both of his. "And when we're together, it's like the tribulations and trials of everyday life fade into the background, and I realize...what's important, is being with the ones you care about. Just being with them, nothing more, and you find your peaceful place. It's what I wished for all those years ago, to find a place where I felt at peace and not lonely. And that place, for me...is with you."

"I...Rick," Princess Vanilla leaned closer, a look of grave concern on her face. "I...I've felt the same way, but I didn't want to admit it. I already have learned everything I want to know about this world. I kept coming back, because...I wanted to be with you, and I didn't know why."

He gazed at her, wondering why she paused. Before he could speak, she continued.

"The reason is because even if you were the only one who could see me...you always smiled, you always waved. You embarrassed yourself in front of people you know just to make sure I felt welcome. You don't care if I'm a princess, you just want to spend time with me. You never push me to do things I don't want to do...Rick, you're the most reliable ambassador I've ever met, and I've fallen in love with you."

He laughed at being called an ambassador, even though deep down he knew it was what he was between the two worlds as he guided her around theirs. "Princess...as an Ambassador, can I marry into the royal family?"

A clever smile appeared, and then she whispered, "Why do you think I called you by that title?"

The world of Princess Vanilla was one that was reminiscent of fairy tales; with creatures that could speak, the strange magic mist looming just outside the mountain’s protective wall, and a Princess that seemed to be entirely kept away within her own quarters. The first time Rick arrived, he adorned a simple hooded robe and followed the Princess. It took a few hours, but it seemed as if the King didn’t care if she married him as long as he was of some importance from whence he came. Rick knew he didn’t hold any titles, but the Princess could convince a rock to swim with her skills in debate. He was an ambassador for humans, and carried the word of their world to his own, and he was gifted with sight of ethereal beings; all of which she spoke of in the highest regard, and proved her point that their marriage secured their realm’s existence by holding one thing above all other kingdoms: the unexpected assistance of humankind.

Well, if they knew their only assistance was from an up and coming farmer, they wouldn’t feel so threatened, but no one knew that was the actual situation.

The wedding in the world of Princess Vanilla was as extravagant as she was in personality. Endless flowers, creatures and humans alike gathered to offer their blessings, and gifts that Rick wasn’t even sure he knew the use for. It seemed like a beautiful dream as he held her hands underneath the decorated natural arbor, formed by the forest trees surrounding the area. The clearing was a blanket of ivy, laced with tiny delicate flowers. He wore his glasses, but she had insisted he wore the garments of their kingdom’s royalty for the occasion, which made him feel as if he were a rich man in the most prestigious event one could attend.

“I do,” he said without hesitation after repeating the vows of the land from their priest. “Princess… there is nowhere in this world or mine I would be happier to be, than by your side.”

“My clever inventor,” she whispered, but her voice was audible to those nearest to them. And, of course, it was audible to Rick. “If you ever break that promise, I will travel far and wide to find you. I don’t want you to ever be far away from my side.”

“That promise will be one I will always keep,” he assured her, an authentic smile spreading across his face. The King waved for the dancing to begin.

As Princess Vanilla leaned in, she mischievously whispered to Rick: “You can call me by my given name now. Nilla.”

Rick grinned. “Nilla…ah, I wouldn’t have guessed in a thousand years.”

When they arrived back in Flower Bud Village, the two were still in their festive garb; they exchanged an embrace unlike one they had entertained before. It was a dream to be so close. And soon, they were greeted by Pete and the Harvest Sprites. “Huh?” Rick seemed perplexed at the sudden appearance of their entourage, but his farmer friend eagerly waved him and his newly wedded wife to follow him.

“It’s not much,” Pete started to explain as they walked. Princess Vanilla was pleased that she was being given so much attention in this realm; it was rare that so many who could spend time with her did so all at once. The Harvest Sprites happily plodded along the rest. “The Harvest Sprites helped me with the work it took. See-”

Once they were through the gate, Rick knew what Pete was going on about was physical labor. His entire field was covered in pink cat flowers. “Princess Vanilla was going on about the flowers, so…I decided to plant a bunch of them for you two after putting in a special request with Basil. Oh, and Gray’s here- he gave me the idea, actually. He can’t see half of the party, but after hearing you got married…he’s going to support you telling your family that she actually does exist, even if no one can ever see her.” Pete smiled and threw his arms around Rick in a brotherly hug. “Congrats, man.”

“Thanks, Pete,” Rick said, the surprise in his voice evident. His eyes welled up with tears when he saw a hat-less Gray a few feet away as he leaned against one of Pete’s fences. The support from his cousin… It was something he didn’t expect again. Pete had really brought the joy back into this town. “You have no idea how much this means to me…”

“It’s so beautiful,” the Princess gasped as she rushed towards the flower-covered field. “Rick, come here! Let’s get married here too! Right in the middle. I want to be the most beautiful flower in the field!”

“There sure is a breeze,” Gray commented, his eyes on the flowers as the Princess raced through them; they bent and swayed with the disturbance.

Rick gave Pete one more firm clap on his shoulder in appreciation, and then followed his Princess to the center of the field. It would be difficult to share his joy with everyone, but… he knew it was possible with all of the joy Pete had already spread to make even the wildest dreams come true.