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It had been a slow night at the saloon. Shane was there, sitting at the bar like he did every night, so Emily had spent a lot of her downtime catching up with him. Tonight's special was Pepper Poppers, and he'd ordered a plate and several soda waters to wash them down.
Around nine or so, Sole came in. She quickly smiled at Emily and greeted her, and Emily felt as if an aura of light surrounded her.
"So, this is what I texted you about,” she said, sitting down at the bar next to Shane and pulling out something egg-shaped. It took a minute for Emily to realize that the egg-shaped thing that she had pulled out was, in fact, an egg. But it wasn't any type of egg she'd ever seen before: it was jet black, with ruby-red speckles.
Shane frowned as he took it and examined it. “Yeah… Looks like a Void Chicken.”
“A what kind of chicken?” Emily asked.
“Void Chicken,” Shane repeated, gently turning the egg over in his grasp. “I’ve only seen pictures of them on hobbyist forums.” He looked back up at Sole. “You said you just found this in your coop?”
Sole nodded. “I think one of my brown chickens laid it because I’m missing one of their eggs. It was probably Massie. She seemed all freaked out this morning.”
Shane raised an eyebrow. “You think she’s upset just because she laid something unusual?”
“Well, I heard noises last night,” Sole explained as she sat down in the seat, “so I think something happened to make her lay that egg.”
“I don’t think one night of being spooked is going to cause her to lay a completely different, unless she’s been stressed for a while.”
“No, she's been fine. It’s just…” Sole made eye contact with Emily. “It’s just that when you told me what it was, it reminded me of a story Grandpa used to tell me about people using magic to turn eggs black.”
Shane groaned. “Sole, don’t tell me you believe-” But he glanced over at Emily and changed his mind. “Look, the thing that bothers me is that people still believe the old wives' tale that the eggs attract goblins. People end up smashing the eggs, and because of that we still don’t know a lot about the breed.”
“I’m not going to do anything like that!” Sole insisted.
“I know you’re not, but-" Shane sighed and shook his head. "...Sorry. Anyway. They seem to come up randomly with other breeds, but Void Hens always produce Void Eggs, no matter what kind of rooster you have. So if you hatch it and it's a hen, you're only going to get those kinds of eggs."
"Is that a bad thing?" Emily asked.
"Not 'bad', but you're not going to get rich off them. They're rare and worth more than most eggs, but too many people are still too freaked out about them to want to try them. And the kind of mayonnaise they make isn't edible."
Sole grinned. "You say that, but anything can be edible if you-"
"It’s supposed to smell like burnt hair, but I guess if someone enjoyed something like that it’d probably be you,” Shane responded with a slight smile. “I’m serious, though. You'll probably get sick if you try it. It’s something about the way that kind of egg interacts with the oils when you process them.
Sole chuckled. Shane ate the last of the poppers on the plate and finished the bottle of soda water. "I'll be right back," he said. He got up from the bar and started walking toward the back hall.
Sole turned and looked at Emily. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, looking unsure.
"What's wrong?" Emily asked her.
"I have a feeling I know where this egg came from."
"You do?"
"...Around three a.m. or so, I heard what sounded like a swoop outside, and then cackling. Millie heard it too: you know she barks at everything, but last night she looked really freaked out. I think she was still awake even when I fell back asleep. And then with Massie acting spooked the next morning... I don't know."
Emily put down the glass she had picked up to wipe. "You think someone used magic on Massie? Who do you think would have done that?"
Oddly enough, the response seemed to make Sole more comfortable. "I don't know, and I don't know why, either."
Shane came back and sat himself back at the bar stool. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, just this whole thing is weird." She continued before anyone else could: "But I'm going to hatch the egg. I'm probably have to use the incubator since none of my hens are acting broody."
"Send me a picture of the little guy when he hatches!" Emily said.
"Same here," said Shane, opening a can of Joja Cola he'd apparently grabbed from the vending machine on the way back. "I don't have a lot of hands-on experience with this breed, but I can see what I can do if there’s a problem."
Sole grinned. "Thanks. I know you have my back." She looked at Emily. "Both of you."
The next hour or so passed uneventfully, with the three of them catching up. Another plate of poppers was ordered, which Shane and Sole shared, with Emily taking a bite or two. They were a little oily for her taste to eat a lot of, but a couple here and there was nice. But too soon Sole yawned and checked her watch.
“I’ve got a couple of things to do before I turn in,” she said. “But I’ll see you guys tomorrow, all right?”
They all said their goodbyes and Sole left the saloon. But Shane stayed almost until closing, like he did most every night. But eleven o'clock came and went, and Shane was cl
"…I should probably help you," he said, motioning to the multiple bottles of soda water and the one can of Joja Cola on the counter in front of him.
"Don't worry about it!" Emily responded, brightly. "Just throw those in the recycling bins and I'll take care of the rest."
Shane nodded and did as he was told. Emily took the empty plate, wiped off its grease and pepper stems over the trash, and then put the dish in the sink to soak. When she turned around, Shane was looking at her.
"What?" she asked.
"...Nothing."
"No, you look like you have something on your mind," she pressed, approaching the bar.
Shane sighed. "You know I don't like to pry into things like this, but...you and Sole."
Emily paused. "What about me and Sole?"
"Ever since you did the clothing therapy, you've been acting weird around her."
"Oh." Emily threw the dishtowel in her hands over her shoulder. "We're not fighting or anything like that."
"Yeah, I didn't get that impression that you were. It's just...do you want my opinion?"
"Go ahead."
"It just doesn't seem like you, to be so unsure what someone else thinks of you," he said. "...But maybe I'm wrong."
Emily wasn't sure what to make of that, and Shane looked immediately regretful.
"Sorry," he said.
"No, it's okay," Emily said. She turned her attention back to the back to the dishes. "This is just a different situation."
"Look…I know it’s hard to open up to people, but… If I'm right, I don’t think you have to worry about her. I think she cares about you a lot."
Emily looked back at him.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said. He turned and walked out the door. Since Gus was in the back room, she was left alone.
A different situation...
Emily had adjusted faster to valley life than Haley had, but originally, she wasn't thrilled to be leaving the city for Stardew Valley either. She was leaving behind a job she loved working in an occult shop, and she would also be moving away from the friends that had taken her years to find. She still kept in touch with them, but it wasn't the same. And with her parents moving to the family to such a small town... She'd heard horror stories about what happens to people there who don't fit in. But with no way to change the situation, she had done her best to feel positive.
Being positive had paid off: Pelican Town was really nice. Very different people from different parts of Ferngill had been drawn to Stardew Valley's natural beauty. Gus was kind, most of the patrons seemed to like her, and she enjoyed spending time with the other women on Tuesdays, even after aerobics had finished. And she had made wonderful friends.
But even in a place like Pelican Town, there was no one different quite in the way she was. That didn't bother her very much most of the time - she had long ago decided that she would like herself and who she was, regardless of whether anyone else did - but Sole...
When Sole first arrived in Pelican Town, Emily had dreamt of her. Dreams were always open to interpretation, but this one had felt so real, and Emily couldn't interpret it any other way than that they were going to be important to each other. And Sole was hardworking and open-minded, and - above all - kind. If Yoba had fated Emily to meet someone, she was glad it was someone like her. But what did Fate have in store for the both of them?
She and Gus finished the closing and duties and left the Stardrop Saloon, turning the lights out behind them.
---
The next day started out ordinary. Emily woke up a little before nine, took care of The Parrot, and did the rest of the chores around the house with him on her shoulder. She went to Pierre's to stock up for the week, only for Haley to tell her that Sole had stopped by while she was away. That wasn't unusual; Sole occasionally stopped by to chat if her work took her into town, and it was often the highlight of Emily's morning. At three-thirty, she set out from home toward the saloon.
What wasn't ordinary was that she met Penny and Maru, and Maru had a story: somebody had fixed the broken bridge to the quarry overnight, and nobody knew who or how.
"Mom says the craftsmanship's top-notch," Maru said. "She wants to meet whoever is responsible for it."
Emily had no time to check it out for herself before her shift, but plenty of patrons at the saloon were talking about it.
Sole came to the bar unusually late. Even Shane had already left for the evening.
"H!!" Emily beamed at her as she came in. "Sorry I missed you! Haley said you stopped by earlier."
"Yeah," Sole responded.
"This is actually my grocery day. I wanted to get it done before Pierre closes the shop tomorrow."
Sole nodded as she sat down at the bar, looking troubled.
"What's wrong?" Emily asked, coming over to where Sole sat.
"Nothing's 'wrong', but...I just wanted to talk you about something, and I'd rather do it in person."
Emily was taken aback for just a second. "Sure. Are you all right?"
"Yeah. Like I said, nothing's 'wrong', I just feel like it's something I need to talk about."
Emily nodded. "We're almost done closing up. We'll talk outside the saloon when I'm done, okay?"
"Okay."
---
"Emily, what do you think about the Juminos, and all the other magical beings that are supposed to live in the valley?"
Emily blinked. "Yes," she said honestly, "I do. I think they're all around us in this valley. I can feel their presence, even if I can't see them. Why?"
Sole seemed to visibly relax at that. "I sure wish I could make you see them, but it seems like I'm the only one that can. Because if you haven't seen them yet, then-"
"Sole!” Emily exclaimed. “The other world has let you in?”
Sole smiled sheepishly. "I wish you could see yourself and how big you're smiling. I shouldn't have worried that you would think I'm crazy. Maybe...well, if I can't show them to you, maybe I could show what they've done."
--
They came to the community center, its dilapidated and boarded-up facade looking even lonelier and sadder in the dead of night.
"Here?" Emily asked.
Sole nodded, and then looked around them. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and clenched her fist. Immediately, light burst out from that fist.
Emily gasped. Sole took her quietly glowing hand and placed it directly in Emily's sight. The light was coming from a ring on her hand.
"Magic," Sole said sheepishly.
I've heard about rings like that, but I've never seen one! You really are amazing!"
Even in the weak light, Sole was visibly blushing. "I'll have to take you inside the community to show you. I've never had an issue but, with the building being the way it is, it still could be dangerous. Do you still want to go in?"
Emily responded that she did.
Sole turned back to the community center and went through the hole in the boarded-up door. Carefully, Emily followed. When they got inside, Sole extended her glowing hand. Emily took it, and the two walked down the empty halls together. Emily thought she heard the movement of little feet, but when she turned to look there was nothing.
They went down a hallway that split in three directions. Sole led Emily down a couple of steps to enter a room on the left, and then she let go and walked into the center of room.
It was a crafts room. But instead of being empty and dilapidated, the shelves were stocked, new furniture was spread about, the wallpaper was fresh and new, and the carpet was complete and clean.
Emily turned back to look at Sole. "So the Juminos did this."
"I think so- No, they did. They definitely did."
"They fixed the bridge too, didn't they?"
"They must have. I don't know how else it could have gotten fixed overnight."
"Wow..." Emily stepped further in the room, a little further from Sole. The shelves were filled with materials that she hadn't seen since she had lived back in the city. And the sewing machine... No, it was actually a spinning wheel, just like in old books. But even in the shadows she could see the antique wheel was in perfect condition. It'd take a bit of practice, but Emily could probably use it to make something herself.
"When I visited Grandpa as a kid," Sole said, causing Emily to look back toward her, "he used to tell me all these stories about the magic in the valley. I believed in them then, but as I got older I thought it was all just a bunch of fairy tales to entertain a child. But when Mayor Lewis brought me in here to take a look, I saw little apple things scurrying by. He didn't see anything at all, so I thought that I was wrong. But the next morning I got a letter from the wizard telling me to come see him, and then things kept going."
Emily turned around. "He let you in his tower?" She'd only seen glimpses of the Wizard at festivals, but the tower was always locked. He never seemed to socialize with anyone in the village, except apparently Linus.
Sole nodded. "So he made me drink this potion - I forget what it's called - and now I can understand them."
"The Song of the Forest?"
Sole smiled. "Yeah, that sounds right. Anyway, there are tablets runes in the shape of different things with little numbers, and so I started bringing those things here."
"Oh, you were bringing them offerings..."
"I guess it's turned out that way. I should have had the tasks in this room done a couple months ago, but what they wanted me an offering of wild seasonal plants. And I when first got here last spring, I could barely keep anything straight back then, and by the time I realized what I needed to bring here those plants were already way out of season. I'm also waiting on some spring crops to mature for another offering."
"They wanted you to know this land and the bounty it provides throughout the year."
"Yeah," Sole glanced back down the dark hall. "This building's a sign of our community. I guess they'll fix it up if we can prove our community understands the land it sits on."
Emily stood back and gazed around the room again. "I wonder...what kind of things would they do for this town if we showed them how much we care about it?"
"I don't know, there's a lot around here that still needs to be done..."
As Emily looked around the room again, she realized that something was missing. "Where are those tablets you mentioned?"
"Oh! It kind of disappeared when I satisfied them."
"Oh... Really?" Emily said, turning back to Sole. "That's too bad."
"But there's another in a different room. Right across the hall, actually. Come on."
Emily took Sole's hand and they left the room and cross over into a decrepit-looking pantry. The shelves were bare and dusty, the only thing of interest being the cobwebs that caught the ring's light.
"Down there." She pointed at a square slab on the ground that somehow looked older than the community center around it. "What does it look like to you?"
"It's a tablet made of stone," Emily answered honestly. "It's old and worn, and the runes are barely readable." She looked back up at Sole. "Does it look different to you?"
Sole took a moment to answer. Finally, looking away, she admitted "yeah, it's glowing and gold to me. And the letters and symbols are as clear as day."
"Oh." Emily turned back to the rock, only remarkable in its apparent age.
"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here. I know how important this stuff is to you, why would I think you'd like-"
"No!" Emily stood up and spun around to face Sole. "No. I'm glad you brought me here. I'm glad you shared this with me."
Sole glanced back up at Emily.
"I would like to see the things you see, but even though I can't I still believe that it's true! It's wonderful that you've been chosen to see all these things."
"Why me, though? I was never more interested in things like this more than any other kid, and I barely knew what was
"Maybe it has something to do with your grandpa?" Emily said. When Sole looked confused, Emily continued. "I noticed when I came over that he had a Gateway Tomb. I didn't know about that."
"Is that what you call them?" Sole asked, fully focused on Emily now. "All I knew is that he went to a lot of trouble to get it made several years, even having a priestess of Yoba come all the way here and bless it. Why, what about that?"
"Those graves are supposed to have been made so that the departed can communicate with the living. It's said that wise men were buried in them, and that when the torch on the grave is lit, rulers would offer a diamond in exchange for counsel."
"So you're saying...!" Shock was all over Sole's face, but it soon faded into disappointment. "But I've never seen any of the torches lit."
Emily laid a hand on Sole's shoulder. "Maybe it's not time? It always seems to be up to the spirits when they want to communicate."
"Maybe." Sole looked away again, and then half-laughed, half-sighed.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I guess it's just... a lot to think about." She took a breath. "Let's go home. It's got to be close to one by now."
"Okay."
Emily took Sole's hand again as she led them out of the ruins of the community center, but even after they were outside with the moon, stars, and streetlamps, they still held hands as they moved in a faint halo of light. Emily had been moving them toward the bus station, thinking it was best if she saw Sole home instead of the other way around.
"This is good," Sole said, stopping them under a lamp light where the path split off towards her farm.
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry about it."
"All right, Well, good night. Don't push yourself too hard tomorrow."
Sole laughed weakly. "It's farm work, but I'll try."
"Your farm looks fine. I think you can afford to pace yourself."
"Okay, Mother. Good night."
"Good night."
They both turned in opposite directions. But after a few seconds, Sole called out.
"Wait!"
Emily turned back around just in time to see Sole running up to her.
"You should have this." Sole slipped the ring off her left hand and handed it to Emily, the light flickering.
"No! Sole, you have much more use for that-"
"I actually found a pair of them," Sole said. "Together in an old barrel. So, I can still carry a light with me, wherever I go. We'll each have one."
The glow disappeared as Sole set it in Emily's hand, but under the lamp light, Emily could see the ring clear as day: a crystal-clear glass ball set on a gold band carved with runes.
"Even if it doesn't... Well.... It's a token of..."
"I understand," Emily said. She closed her finger around the ring. "I'll treasure it."
Relieved, Sole nodded. "Okay. Good night, Emily. And...thank you."
--
A few days passed. One morning as Emily was at work on her design for a black shirt with red dots, she got a text. It was from Sole. There was no text, just a picture: a tiny little bird with the shell of the void egg around it, with red eyes and damp black down pressed against its body in a way that almost looked like hair. It was a different type of chicken than anything she'd ever seen at Marnie's farm, but it did kind of look like the picture that Shane sent her. And it was still clearly a chicken.
She felt the parrot land on her shoulder and scooch closer to her neck. He leaned in to take a look at the screen. Emily tapped the photo to make it fullscreen and held the phone closer so he could see.
"What do you think?" she asked.
The parrot squawked and bobbed his head in approval.
Emily smiled. "I think so, too."
She exited fullscreen and typed "CUTE!!!" in response. Then, after a second, she added "the parrot thinks so too".
A small ellipsis appeared in the right-hand corner of the screen, and then another message from Sole appeared: "You can come see him before work if you like. I'm going to be mainly on the farm property all day."
Emily's smile widened as she felt her heart lift. "i'll be there", she replied.
---
Sole's spaniel mix, Millie, barked and ran over to Emily at the gate. When she jumped, Emily turned away from the dog, feeling her paws land on her lower back. Only when she heard Sole cry out "Millie, get down!" did she turn back and pet the dog, who gave a nice sit when told to.
"Good girl!" Sole said, as she approached the two. With one hand patting Millie's head, she turned to Emily. "Thank you, Emily. The little one is in the coop."
Millie at their side, the two of them walked over to the coop, past the pen where Sole's chickens and two rabbits were grazing. They entered the coop, where the incubator light was on. Instead, a red light was on over a brooder. The chick is there, with paper towel bedding, some feed, a shallow water dish, a thermometer under the light.
"So yeah... Void Chicken," Sole said.
The void chick peeped.
"It seems like a regular chick," Emily said. "Just black and red."
"It acts like a normal baby," Sole said. "We'll have to wait until it's older before trying out any of those eggs, to see what they really taste like. The eggs themselves are supposed to be fine, it's just when you turn them into mayonnaise that they become bad for you. It's just however they interact with the oil or the acid or something, we don't know. Even Shane says that. He's coming to look tomorrow." Sole looked thoughtful. "Grandpa actually told me that the black eggs were actually a little healthier than normal eggs." She closed her eyes. "Maybe...someday I could talk to him again and ask him about all those old tales."
"I hope so too. I can give you a diamond in my collection if-"
"What? No!" Sole's eyes snapped open, and she turned to Emily. "No... Emily, I couldn't ask you to do that for me. And I can probably get one myself if I keep looking in the mines. I just...I just hope he's proud of what I've been doing here."
"I don't know why he wouldn't be," Emily said. "You make Stardew Valley better just by being here."
Sole blushed and looked away.
"You know, Sole, I had a dream about you when you first came here. I didn't know what it meant, but I've always felt I was being told that we'd become important to each other."
Much to Emily's own surprise, when Sole met her gaze again, she didn't seem fazed at all.
"I knew that already," Sole said. "I don't know how I did, but I did. And I think, too."
They said nothing for several seconds more, just staring at each other. Finally, swallowing all her nerves, Emily closed her eyes and kissed Sole. And Sole...kissed her right back.
After a few blissful moments, a vibration and a gentle chime came from Emily's pocket. She frowned as she pulled back from Sole. “Sorry," she said. "Reminder of when to start heading out to Gus's. That completely ruined the mood."
Sole laughed. "Well, work is important!"
"All work and no play doesn't make for a very balanced or healthy lifestyle," Emily teased. They both laughed.
"It's okay," Sole said. "You go on ahead. I'll be there tonight anyway."
Emily beamed. "I look forward to it."