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Chapter Text

To Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town

Wedding officiation request

Hello Lewis,

We've been doing a lot of deliberating, and me and my long-time partner would like to have a wedding. 

I say 'have a wedding' and not 'get married' because we can't officially be married - I suppose you could call him a refugee, and he has no proof of identity or documents. Regardless, we would be honoured if you would officiate our mock-wedding.

It would obviously be helpful if you would meet my partner - I would be happy to arrange a meeting at the farmhouse whenever you're free to discuss things. I ask you don't tell anyone about this 'wedding,' or about my partner once you meet him. I'm sure you'll see why.

Kind regards,

Eden Fairchild of Fairchild Farm.

To Mr. Fairchild:

I would be delighted to officiate your wedding! To tell the truth, many of us in the town have been wondering when you'd 'put down roots,' so to speak. Not that you haven't done that already!

I must say I am highly curious about your wife husband partner (sorry), but I promise not to tell anyone. I'm available most of the next week, so perhaps 1:00 Tuesday or Wednesday would work for you?

Yours sincerely,

Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town.

To Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town

1:00 Tuesday would be great, thank you. We'll both be in the farmhouse. Please don't be afraid. To come over, that is.

Kind regards,

Eden Fairchild of Fairchild Farm.

As Lewis strolled up to the gates of Fairchild Farm, he couldn't help but be curious. Eden had visitors on the grounds, of course, but nobody had gone into the farmhouse for years - presumably since his partner had moved in. 

And what of the partner? He mentioned they were a refugee - were they from the Gotoro empire, or someplace more exotic? And why was he using the word 'partner' rather than 'wife' or even 'husband?'

All these questions buzzed through Lewis' mind as he rang the newly installed doorbell.

The door opened in an instant - he must have been watching. 

"Ah, Lewis! Come in, have a seat." The farmer let him in with what looked like forced confidence. Looking around, Lewis noticed the partner was nowhere to be found. 

"Good afternoon, Eden. I've brought the relevant paperwork and-"

"Splendid, splendid. Mayor Lewis." The farmer interrupted him and his face suddenly turned serious. "Right, um... My partner's a little unconventional."

"Okay," Lewis nodded. That was fine. He'd had interracial couples before. Robin and Demetrius got along fine with the townsfolk. "You mentioned they were a refugee - where are they from, then? The Fern Islands? The Gotoro Empire?"

The farmer was silent. "Have you heard of... Nevermind, let's just rip the bandage off. Please don't scream."

With those ominous words, he got up and stood in a doorway leading to a room veiled in shadow. "It's okay. You can come out now," he said to the void.

-

The void moved.

True to his word, Lewis tried not to scream as the shadows seemed to coalesce into a humanoid shape under the light, approaching him nervously on slightly bowed legs.

It was bizzare, and for a moment Lewis wondered if he had drunk too much whiskey and was starting to hallucinate, but the shadows moved like a real person, and even poured him a drink as if nothing was wrong.

"This is Krobus," said the farmer after a pause. "He's what you would call a void spirit - but not like the brutes you might've heard Marlon talk about. Krobus, this is Mayor Lewis. He's the one who might officiate our wedding."

The void spirit - Krobus, its name was - sat down in an armchair nearly twice its size and spoke in a hushed voice. "Hello, Lewis mayor. I'm Krobus, Eden farmer's partner. We hope you will officialise our wedding."

"Uh- hello... Krobus."

"Offici-ate, Krobie," whispered the farmer as he sat down beside his partner. "So," he said, turning back to Lewis. "I assume you have questions."

He sure as hell did. Managing to phrase it in a way that didn't sound too rude, Lewis asked "a... Void spirit?"

"Well, that's the English translation. Their language isn't pronounceable with human vocal chords."

"But... They're real?" 

"Oh! Oh, sorry, yes. Yes they are." After spending so long around spirits and oddities of all sorts, the farmer had forgotten that most people didn't even believe they existed. "Krobus is different from the ones you might encounter in the mines, however. He's friendly. He talks to humans and lots of other species."

"M-my name..." Krobus reformed his throat and tried again. "My name means 'bridge-crosser' in our language. It's meant to represent how I make other species and cultures closer together..." He tails off slightly, continuing after a pause. "...Like I have with humans."

"And you've done it so well," said Eden with a smile, running his fingers through the shadowy membrane - which Krobus seemed to like, if the quiet purr that came from somewhere within him was any indication. "I mean, look - four years ago you wouldn't even have let me in the sewers, and now you're talking to complete strangers. It's amazing how far you've come."

"Four years? You've been living here four years!?"

Krobus looked back at Lewis, seemingly now remembering his presence. "Yes. Eden farmer found me by accident when I was living in the sewers beneath the town, and was kind to me like no other human was. Eventually, he gave me what you would call the Void Ghost Pendant, and I came to live here."

Only now did Lewis notice the two pendants hanging on the wall - one the Mermaid's Pendant he had seen but never held, and one an odd black version with a red string, presumably the Void Ghost Pendant Krobus referred to. They were tied together, intertwined on the wall. Cohabitation and marriage. He's really serious about this, huh?

"Well..." Lewis began, shuffling the papers in his hands. "Here in the Valley, the minimum requirements to get married are that one partner has a consistent income - Eden, you're taking care of that-"

"-Oh, um..." Krobus interjected. "I run a shop. I-In the sewers. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course," said Lewis, noting down Krobus' business as "miscellaneous retail." While it wasn't strictly legal to run a shop in the sewers, Lewis couldn't find it in his heart to condemn the poor thing. He also realised he'd assumed the morass of shadow in front of him didn't have a job - a reasonable assumption until two hours ago.

"Anyway - you need a consistent income, which both of you have, and you... both need to consent. So could you both sign this for me?" He asked, sliding the form in front of them.

"So, hold on- This is just to have a wedding, right? Or will we legally be married?"

"You'll be married, but your marriage won't be valid outside of Stardew Valley." He turned to Krobus, "Since you don't have any ID."

Krobus looked at Eden quizzically. "You don't have a human passport or birth certificate - which you can't get without exposing yourself. So we can get married, but outside the valley we won't be considered married. But we'll probably never leave the valley-" here he laughed "- so I think we'll be okay."

"Okay," Krobus responded. "So... I just need to write my name here, and we can get married?" He gestured with a limb (where did that come from?) to the second line on the paperwork.

"Yup, that's it."

-

So they both signed it, Eden with a flourish and Krobus gripping the pen with all of his newly-formed fingers. Now it was in writing: Pelican Town's beloved farmer was marrying a non-human, and Lewis didn't know what to say.

"Thank you, Lewis," said the farmer as he gave Lewis back his pencil. "I suppose I don't need to clarify why this can't leave this room. You would be putting both me and Krobus in danger were you to tell anyone. Oh, other than the wizard. He probably already knows."

"Who?"

"Sorry, Rasmodius. You know him? Makes the Spirit's Eve maze every year. That guy."

"Oh, yes." So he did practice magic, as Lewis had heard. What else existed in this valley that he didn't know about? "What else is real?"

He smiled mischievously. "Creatures of every kind. Slimes, skeletons, serpents, lurkers..." A snap of his fingers and the fire blazed with a roar. "The fae. And, of course, void spirits!

"There are many things living in and around Town Pelican in particular - Rasmodius wizard says the area is on a ley-line, so lots of magical energy of all kinds comes together here. Hence the variety of creatures, including the colony I was born in," said the void spirit in question.

"Actually, you know what?" Eden reached up behind him, retrieving a book titled Myths and Legends of Stardew Valley, by one M. Jasper. "Take this with you, I have a spare. It should give you all the info you need. He is a bit prejudiced towards non-humans and magic users though, so take what he writes with a grain of salt."

"Oh, thank you very much," Lewis took the book in both hands - it was quite heavy, bound in leather and clearly pretty old. Perhaps older than Mayor Lewis himself, but he wouldn't hazard a guess. Certainly, he would be perusing this at a later date. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Well, me and Krobus might well be getting on, farm won't take care of itself and I'm sure you've got duties to attend to." (he did not) 

"Oh, yes, of course," Lewis stashed the book away for safekeeping, finding himself oddly entranced by its dark cover. "I'll be going then. Thank you for having me around, and Krobus, it was very nice to meet you."

"Good to meet you too, Lewis mayor." They shook hand and limb, man and shadow, one who had previously been oblivious now exposed to the light.

-

And that was that.

Lewis' head was reeling, having received so much new information in the span of an afternoon: Eden Fairchild was getting married, his partner was a void spirit, void spirits were real, and supposedly all manner of previously mythical beings were present in the Valley. He was careful to appreciate more the world around him on his way home, made even more magical by the presence of an extraordinary farmer and his extraordinary partner.

He tried to get into the book, but the words seemed to dance on the page, rendering themselves incomprehensible and arcane. He couldn't understand it at all. It seemed the next best thing to do was to consult the expert on the subject: Rasmodius, the magical resident of Cindersap forest. 

Chapter Text

Rasmodius was a harder man to track down than expected. His tower was visible enough, sticking out over the canopies of trees like a beacon. The wizard himself? Not so much.

He never answered the door, and rarely even looked out the windows. When he did, the moment he saw it was Lewis he backed away. They had had problems before: mostly founded out of concern about the great big tower that had appeared one night in a natural area. Whoever this man was, he had no building permits or contracts and was clearly violating a deforesting law! Probably. Lewis would have to check an old map and see if there were trees where he had built his stone cylinder. And where did he get the stone, anyway!?

Whatever. Water under the bridge. The point now was that the man wasn't answering the door because he thought Lewis was arguing about zoning laws again. There seemed to be no way to convince him that Lewis was there for another purpose entirely. 

So, without telling her his true motives (surely she would think him mad), he spoke to Marnie.

-

Ring-ring

"Oh- Eden?" Her voice came from the kitchen, where she was staring at her microwave in a catatonic state. "I'll be with you in a mo. More hay, dearie?"

"Oh, no, it's actually... It's actually me." Lewis poked his head around the corner, to Marnie's great surprise.

"Lewie! Oh, hello dear, I've missed you so much!" She air kissed him with joy and took his coat. "How are you doing!?"

"Oh, fine, fine, you know how it is, same as usual," he said, lying through his teeth. "Look, Marnie, I can't stay for too long, but can we talk in private?"

"Why, of course," said the rancher, leading him into her bedroom, which he had never seen in the light of day.

-

"What is it? You do look a bit haggard," she said with concern, holding his cheeks in a way that brought a ruddy flush to them.

"W-well, I... I've been trying to reach that man who lives in the tower, Rasmodius, do you know him?"

Her face turned pensive and she nodded. "Hmm. I do. He seems nice enough. He gave me a collar for one of my cows once, and he always helps me close the shop if there's a festival in the area." Suddenly she turned pleading. "Oh, Lewie, is this about building permits again? You must learn to let things go-"

"No, no, it's not about that," he cut in, waving away her concern. "It's just... A friend of mine has mailed me a book - an esoteric book, you know - that they'd like me to bring to him to appraise. Thing is, I can't get him to answer the door. He always backs off. I think he's afraid."

Marnie pursed her (beautiful) lips in thought. "Hmm. He was like that with me once. Not on purpose, you understand, but he heard me knocking and used some very foul language, telling me to get out until he realised who it was. I was only giving him some flour as thanks for a favour! But anyway, he was very polite once he knew it was me. I think what you need to do is make it clear why you're there. Yell through the door, if you can. Demonstrate that you mean no harm."

He thought for a while, and nodded. Yes, honesty (within reason) and transparency was the best policy here. Once again, Marnie had pulled through for him. He would have to find a way to repay her one day. "Thank you, Marnie," he said, standing up and speaking all too loudly, "for the advice. I'll see you around!"

Leaning in close to whisper in her ear, he said "I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay, I'll leave the window unlocked. You're welcome, Lewis! Please remember to take your shorts this time. I'll see you in town!"

She let him out to a questioning look from Shane (already tipsy at 11 in the morning - bloody layabout) and held the door open for him gently, smiling warmly in a way that said you certainly will see me soon.

-

Lewis had barely made it five steps before he ran into the wizard himself, standing with his arms crossed in the grass.

"Oh, R-Rasmodius. Hello," stammered Lewis as the wizard stood there impassively. "You- did you hear what I said to Marnie?"

"I did," he responded. "I would've let you in if I'd known what you were here for. What book is this?"

Looking at the crooked wizards tower in the distance, and the rustic ranch with Marnie surely still listening, Lewis took the safer option. "Can I come in?"

-

It was bigger on the inside. On the left was a large cauldron, bubbling with some green, smokey concoction that made Lewis nervous. 

Just behind it was a strange purple altar, and to the right a staircase leading to a library doused in shadow (Lewis half expected Krobus to appear from the mist), a lit fireplace with no fuel in it, and what seemed to be a summoning circle with several red and blue candles adding to the smoky astrosphere. The whole place was populated with plants of every kind.

In the nearest corner was a table and chairs, which Lewis nervously perched himself on at the wizard's direction.

"So," he laced his hands together and leaned too far forward. "What book is this?"

"Well, it's not... I must confess, there's no friend interested in this book. I am interested in this book. I went to Farmer Eden's a few days ago..." He slid the book over to the wizard, who looked at it with a keen interest. "...and he gave me this, but the problem is I can't seem to read it. I swear the language is in English, but the words move about on the page..."

The wizard strolled to the corner, book in hand, to hold it properly under the light. Lewis saw that the words still swam like usual, but the wizard seemed immune as he read out a passage.

"'The Dwarves, or Smoluanu as they call themselves, are a strange people," he said, quoting the book. "They claim to come from the sky, yet live deep in the earth. Their diet mainly consists of bug meat and cave carrots, with many never emerging from their caves.' I seem to be able to read it just fine," the wizard remarked. "You say you got this from Mr. Fairchild?"

"Yes. Did-did you know he's getting married-

"-To the shadow Krobus, I've heard. I've only seen them together a few times, but they seem to have a special bond. Good for them." He flicked a few more pages, illuminated by a soft purple glow that seemed to come from nowhere. "There seems to be an occultatum charm on this book."

"A what?"

"A charm to hide the words from prying eyes," he explained. "I know Fairchild uses lots of them to protect his possessions - an understandable paranoia, given the number of secrets he keeps. He must've forgotten it was there.

I can cast a spell to make you immune to its properties; you should then be able to read the words. In exchange, promise you'll keep this book safe. He has another and so do I, but to have given this to you so freely he must think you need it."

Lewis nodded. His curiosity was growing by the moment: at this point, he'd probably do anything to be able to read the book and properly sink his teeth into this aspect of the valley he had no knowledge of. "Of course. I'll guard it with my life," he joked.

"Good. That may be nessesary. Close your eyes now." Lewis did as he was told.

∆

When he woke up, five minutes had passed. The book lay in front of him again open to the page for Dwarves, and suddenly the letters seemed to fall into place. Words aligned themselves on the page, paragraphs were clearly separated, and a picture had appeared showing a rodent-like creature three feet tall. It was, to all intents and purposes, a normal book.

The wizard stood there, too, now stirring that strange cauldron and looking over with a faint gleam in his eye. He let go of the spoon, which continued stirring.

"Good. You should now be immune to the charm on the book. Can you read the words?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Run along now. I must continue my studies."

∆

Alarmingly, Lewis had no memory of walking home. He found himself in his living room, book in hand, looking as if he had never left. 

A click of the door, and the farmer was approaching, suitably muddy and short of breath.

"Lewis!" He said with tired exhilaration, "There you are. I've been looking for you the whole day. "Here, have this."

He passed Lewis a small card and disappeared, off to continue his busy day. Looking down at the card, Lewis found it was half yellow and half purple, and had the following words:

~

To Mayor Lewis - for his eyes only!

You are joyfully invited to the wedding of

Eden & Krobus

In the Secret Woods, 13th of Summer from 6:30 PM

Gifts not expected but will be appreciated

~

---

Indeed! The date was the 11th of Spring - the wedding one month hence. Lewis would have to find a gift for the extraordinary couple, all while managing his own mayoral duties and his discovery of the magical world around him. It was proving to be quite a month.

Chapter Text

12th of Spring

Lewis slept deeply that night. He couldn't swear to it, but his body seemed heavier than usual, his brain slower and movement sluggish. Perhaps the wizard put some sort of sleeping spell on him, to ensure he wouldn't run off and tell the townsfolk what he had heard. Or perhaps he really was just tired.

Regardless, when he woke up at 9 o'clock the next morning, his brain was already hard at work. Now that he could read the book Eden had given him properly, he could discover all there was to know about the world around him beyond the physical. 

He turned to the page on shadow people: he'd met one of them before, after all, so it made the most sense to learn about them first. The page ran as follows: 

THE SHADOW FOLK

or SHADOW PEOPLE or VOID SPIRITS

The shadow folk predominantly live in dark caves and dungeons, and seem averse to the light. They compete with the Dwarves for food and resources, and all-out wars have been observed between Dwarf tribes and shadow colonies.

As they have no written language, there is no 'species-accurate' name for these people. They have been referred to 'shadow people' 'void spirits' or 'shadow folk' by anthropologists. I prefer the latter term. 

---

No written language? Lewis could hardly conceive of such a thing. If Krobus could read, it was a miracle he had learned both spoken and written English more or less from scratch.

Their society has a basic hierarchy, with 'shamans' being at the top and thus trained in magic and sorcery. Some have been seen wielding guns of unknown origin, and other shadow folk are subservient to them. 

Aggressiveness varies from colony to colony. Some, such as those living in the Volcanic Mines, will attack humans on sight. Others are willing to learn languages and communicate with other species, but there is no record of shadow folk and humans living together. 

The last sentence was crossed out in red pen, and the words 'until now!' written next to them. Lewis wondered if Krobus had come from an aggressive colony and so defied their values to marry a human, or if he was the product of a more peaceful society. He would certainly need to talk to the shadow more in future: he and Eden were the only two tangible links to the world beyond so far. Well, there was Rasmodius, but their relationship was quite uncertain at the moment. 

-

It was 4pm when Lewis next thought of his quest to gain knowledge of the local supernatural. He was generally a busy man, and his mayoral duties (that community centre had never looked better!) kept him occupied most of the day, and kept his mind off what was becoming an obsession.

What about the Adventures Guild? Once the thought had entered his head it couldn't leave. They regularly dove down into the mines in the north, bringing up all sorts of creatures and treasures. Surely they would provide him with the information he needed.

Mind made up, Mayor Lewis closed up shop for the day and trekked to the mountains. He had forgotten how steep they were: several times he had to stop for breath and watched the world go by, crickets getting their chirping in early while fish flashed their scales in the deep. He wondered if there would be anything to discover below the surface as well.

Finally arriving at the Adventures Guild, he found the door flung open to catch the beginnings of summer heat: Marlon sat behind the counter inspecting his latest trinket before he noticed Lewis' presence and sat up straight.

"Ah, Lewis. D' you have another task fer me? Or is it tax collection already?"

"Well, actually, I..." He approached, not nearly as nervous as he was with the wizard. "I do have a task, but this one doesn't involve diving down into the deep, you'll be glad to hear." Leaning over the desk with elbows below his face, Lewis asked, "What do you know about void spirits?"

-

"Void spirits? What do you- Ahh. You mean the shadow folk. Yes." Marlon considered this as he thumbed the trinket.

"The colonies we have in the mines 're aggressive, but really thas only 'cause so many people have hunted them fer their essence ov'r the years. When I lived in Castle Village-" here he indicated a spot on the large map behind him "-there w's an outpost nearby fer a colony of friendly shadow people. We traded wi' them and made friends - I distinctly remember one of 'em, Oldwin I believe was their name, made chicken-and-void egg omelettes for a potluck. They don't sound good, but they were good. I understan' acting in self-defence, but killing these people fer resources is just cruel. 

-Sorry. I do like to tell stories. P'rhaps I should write a memoir, ha!" So Marlon was sympathetic towards the shadow people as Eden was. The more Lewis thought about it, the more he leant towards their opinion. It was a shame the local colonies were aggressive, but if some shadow folk were willing to trade and integrate themselves into human society, they should be treated as more than mere monsters. Thankfully Lewis had a domestic shadow person living just west of the town centre.

"What else d' yer wanna know?"

"Do you know if there are any friendly shadow people living in and around the Valley?" A subtle way to test his knowledge of Krobus' existence - Lewis was quite proud of himself.

"Yer mean apart from Castle Village? Not that I know of. Although Farmer Eden's been in the mines more recently than I have, and ol' Gunther's got lotsa the books we used ter store here. Y' could ask them. They're both members of the Guild."

"Oh, are they?"

"Aye. Gunther's not been able ter do much adventurin' these days, and Eden's our most junior member by twenty years, but ter adventure's heart lives on in old an' young. Any other questions?"

"No, nothing else. Thanks for answering my questions, Marlon."

"Not a problem, Lewis. Say, what's gotten you so interested in the shadow folk?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, shrugging off the question. "Just an idle curiosity, is all."

"Good. Idle curiosities sharpen minds. I'll see you at the egg festival."

"Oh, yes, that's tomorrow, isn't it? I'll see you then." As Lewis left, he didn't see Marlon file away a letter with "To the Adventures Guild" written with a flourish on the front.

-

Lewis passed the entrance to the mines as he left, and could hardly resist taking a peek. He obviously didn't intend to go down to the depths, but merely knowing he was standing above a den of shadow folk sent a thrill through him. In he went.

"Hello? Echo!" He playfully cried, his call answered by a scurrying to his left. Looking around, to his astonishment he saw a rodent-like creature dart out, head covered in a long cowl, looking somehow even more shocked than him.

"Mμɑϝ ϝμԍ ɻncĸ¡ƾ" it said in a language Lewis didn't understand, stepping back on clawed feet.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here-" Lewis started to panic. The exit wasn't far, but this thing seemed quicker and more nimble than him.

"⅄on ɑʁԍ uoϝ ϝμԍ μnwɑu I ԍxbԍcϝԍq," it responded(?), now more placid as it realised Mayor Lewis was not a threat.

"I-I'll leave, I'll leave..." Lewis put his hands up in a surrendering gesture, slowly moving towards the sunlight.

It looked at Lewis, then the exit, and presumably decided he wasn't worth the bother. "Mμo ϝμԍ μԍɼɼ ɑʁԍ λon. Ҽԍϝ onϝ¡." It dived back to wherever it came from.

Lewis ran home as fast as he could, and swore he heard rustling and footsteps later that night.

Chapter Text

---

~~~~

EGG FESTIVAL 13th of SPRING!

 

EGGS hidden around PELICAN TOWN

Find the most and WIN a STRAW HAT!

 

STRAWBERRY SEEDS and other DECORATIONS for sale

 

9 AM - 2 PM

~~~~

---

A few times a year, the people of Pelican Town put aside their differences to celebrate- what? The start of Spring? Maybe. The resurrection of Yoba? Lewis had to look that one up. No, the egg festival wasn't the ancient religious rite it was anymore. What it was, however, was a great way to get people together and make some extra cash.

"Hey there, Lewis!" A familiar voice called from Lewis' left as he watched over the crowd: Farmer Eden, approaching with a bright smile and wide waving gesture.

"Farmer Eden! Welcome to the Egg Festival," said Lewis jovially. "Do you think everyone's ready for the egg hunt yet?"

"No, no," he shook his head. "Let Abigail do some scouting first, ha!" He leaned against Harvey's clinic, voice dropping to a whisper as he fiddled with- hey, was that the same thing Marlon had been holding? "How're you getting on with the book I gave ya?"

"Oh, the myth book?" He asked, as if he didn't know. "Fine, fine. There's some very interesting parts, especially..." Lewis cut himself off to wave to Evelyn, standing with her husband and admiring the flowers. "...Especially the shadow people, I've been reading about them. And the Junimo." Lewis hoped this would entice the farmer into telling him more, and it worked.

"Oh, the Junimo? Well, I say," he said with a hint of glee. "You remember the community centre, before it was fixed up?"

"Yes?" He did, a little too well. 

"There were a bunch of Junimo living there. -I didn't kick them out, don't worry. They gave me a hand in renovating the building."

"Oh!" So that's how it was fixed up. Lewis did wonder how it was done so quickly. It made sense that the protectors of the forest had taken a shine to his little town. What other supernatural beings were focused on this place in particular?

Farmer Eden gazed upon the townsfolk with a watchful, protective eye. It was an old eye, much older than the body in which it resided, and in it were gleams of ancient things no longer remembered by the people around him. This was the eye of Farmer Eden.

Lewis had always had a strange feeling about Farmer Eden: many in the Valley had from the day he stepped off Pam's bus. It was hard to define: there always seemed to be something not quite right about him, like those flowers that mimic female insects to attract pollinators. Now, with his new knowledge of the otherworldly, that indefinable feeling started to make a little more sense, and numerous explanations began popping up in Lewis' mind.

Not that he would listen to them, of course. No, the farmer was just the farmer, and that was all he would ever be. Right?

"Mr. Mayor?" A voice that turned out to be Jas asked, standing at his feet. "When are we doing the egg hunt?"

The farmer smiled. "Hey, Jas. Yea, it's getting on a bit. Lewis here's just too caught up in his own head to see." He laughed almost mockingly, as if he knew exactly what Lewis was thinking. But he couldn't have done.

-

"It's time for the highlight of today's festivities... The Annual Spring Egg Hunt!" The little ones cheered, Abigail bracing herself for her inevitable win. 

"Calm down now, kiddos," said Lewis with a laugh. "You're going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize." Lewis hoped he was selling this correctly - even after twenty-five years, he still couldn't quite get the public speaking down pat.

"Now... Is everyone ready? Let the Egg Hunt begin! Lewis blew his whistle, and the contestants scurried off.

-

The Hunt went off largely without a hitch (Vincent and Jas argued about who found what egg, as usual), and as the contestants re-emerged from the bushes and trees, Abigail once again had the most eggs. He must think about changing the layout one of these days - he thought alternating them year by year would trip her up, but she was too smart for him.

"Good day, Lewis," said The Farmer, walking behind him. "Good work."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to y-" but he was gone. He hadn't just left the area, he had totally disappeared from sight, and Lewis was left standing in the plaza, alone, with the last snaps of winter cold seeping in.

-

After that encounter with the Dwarf (Lewis had since learned that's what it was,) Lewis was rather put off of further investigation into the unknown. He was interested, of course, but perhaps the best way to research was through books and advice rather than head-on. Why do the first-hand research if that had already been done and written down, after all?

So he was reading more of the book. In particular, he became interested in the Junimo: small protector spirits who, unlike most other species, were invariably friendly and sociable. It helped that they looked a-dor-a-ble - like tiny walking apples with cute faces on them. 

THE JUNIMO

The Junimo (the plural is sometimes written as 'Junimos', but this is grammatically incorrect) are the guardians of the forest. Although they have featured heavily in children's books, in the original mythology they were servants of Juni, god of the forest, farming, and witchcraft. A man named Marvin, who wishes to become a wizard, is tasked with bringing them 'bundles' of various items in return for help building his tower - this exchange of goods and services runs across many Junimo myths, and is also present in the stories of Analaise and Lantana.

However, the Junimo still exist in the modern day. Only practitioners of magic and non-humans can see them, unless they are wearing/carrying (with their small size it is often hard to tell) a vide charm. Recently they have been seen making nests in abandoned buildings, as rural and forested areas become slim and fields are overtaken by cities.

---

How bizzare. The thought of these (very sweet!) protectors of the forest having been displaced and forced into the cities by the shrinking forests and urban areas put a sadness in his heart, which mingled well with a growing sense of uncertainty and vague, indefinable dread.

Chapter Text

§

For reasons unknown to him, Lewis felt a renewed drive to talk to that dwarf who lived in the mines, and although he was uncertain of its kindness, he felt at least sure it wasn't immediately aggressive.

After all, he had practically barged into its den, a good reason for attacking if there ever was one, and instead of drawing a weapon it had begun speaking to him, albeit in a language he didn't understand. Granted, it could've just been afraid, but at least that ensured it saw him as more than simply prey that had fallen into its trap. That was something at least.

A shaky resolve, but resolve it was. Lewis would venture once again up the mountain and speak properly to the Dwarf. 

However, there was one obstacle Lewis didn't think he'd have to contend with: Gunther. 

-

"You want the Dwarvic Translation Guide!? Whatever for!?"

"I-" Lewis sighed, brows knit together in frustration. He (Gunther) was a member of the Adventurer's Guild, for Yoba's sake, surely he knew what Lewis wanted the guide for? "...Personal interest."

"Well, you can't have it. I only made one copy, and it's with Farmer Eden. Feel free to look at the guide if you want, but it does not leave this library."

Farmer Eden. Farmer Eden. It always came back to Farmer Eden. Just like his biblical namesake, all things seemed to spring from Farmer Eden.

"Well, can I at least look at it?"

"Yes you can. Second shelf down on the left."

Lewis hurried off, given this permission at least. He would copy as much as he could, maybe a few basic words like "hello" and "goodbye," and then work his way up from there. Even besides that, this Dwarf was an intelligent creature who spoke a complex language. Surely it'd understand a few gestures and drawings scribbled on walls. 

Upon closer inspection, the translation guide was essentially a whistle-stop tour of the Dwarvic language. It included a diagram of their alphabet next to the Arabic one, basic vocabulary, and conversion of speech to text. It was surprisingly comprehensive, and Lewis thought of Eden on the farm at night, slaving away over this 30-page booklet, trying to learn as much of the Dwarvic language as he could in order to commune with the unknown. The thought was almost romantic, and would fit right in in one of the stranger mystery novels which dotted the shelves of the library.

Speaking of the Library, its proprietor returned, looking sheepish and holding a letter in his hand, name signed with a flourish. "Ah, Lewis?"

"Mm?" The mayor purposefully ignored him, continuing to write down key points from the text.

"You can... You can have the guide. To take out with you."

"Oh," confused but pleased, Lewis stood up with the guide in hand. "Thank you. May I ask why the change of heart?"

"Oh, um..." Gunther fumbled and dodged the question. "Lewis, be careful with that guide. Frankly, I didn't let you take it at first because I'm worried about you. The Dwarves... They are a backwards, aggressive people, and to be honest I don't know why we didn't just kill them off years ago. You're clearly learning their language because you want to speak with one, and I can't pretend I don't know which one you're referring to." He paused for breath, unaccustomed to speaking for that long. "I have decided, however, to let you take it and do what you want with it. Keep it safe. I lied, it isn't the only copy, but they aren't easy to get your hands on. Keep yourself safe as well," he added, almost like an afterthought.

Choosing to ignore that Gunther somehow knew which Dwarf Lewis was going to talk to, he instead said, "You let Eden go out to the mines."

"-Yes, well, Eden has a three-foot-long sword and the upper body strength to use it. You, if you don't mind me saying, have neither of those," said Gunther in a sarcastic tone that turned lighter as he spoke. 

"Certainly not the sword," said Lewis with a laugh, grateful to have cleared the air between him and the eccentric librarian. "But anyway, I understand your concerns. I promise I'll be safe. Maybe I can borrow a sword from Marlon in case of any trouble." 

"Oh, actually, I have a sword of my own," said Gunther, already walking to the back room, from which he emerged with an impressive, practical-looking sword that was clearly well-maintained. Lewis couldn't imagine Gunther swinging a sword, but the notches on the handle attested to its usage. "You can borrow it - it's been in the back room for a long time. Keep it in one piece, though! It's only for emergencies."

Lewis was certainly surprised at the change of heart. Gunther had gone from an outright ban of the guide to letting Lewis borrow his sword - definitely his sword, not just a spare one from his days at the Adventures Guild - all because of what? The letter? Lewis tried to subtly get a better look at it, but all he saw was Gunther's name written in an oddly familiar hand.

"Well... There you go," said Gunther with a shrug. "Go and speak to the Dwarf, if that's what you want. Keep yourself in one piece and the things you're carrying. Best of luck!" 

-

Lewis wasn't sure he'd need the luck, but appreciated the sentiment anyway. Armed with Gunther's sword and the translation guide, Lewis once again made the trek up the mountain. This time, he wouldn't stop at Marlon's - good company as the man was, he didn't need twenty words where one would do. Before now, he wouldn't have guessed Marlon liked to ramble about his storied life - Lewis seemed to be learning more about his fellow valley-dwellers every day.

As he arrived at the cave, he made sure to say "Ҽʁԍԍϝᴉuმƨƾ," which he had learned was a common greeting amongst Dwarves. Hopefully that would put it at ease.

Surely enough, it emerged from its den with an inquisitive sniff, noticing Lewis and asking "⅄onˌʁԍ pɑcĸƾ You're back?"

[Note: From now on, you'll be reading rough translations]

Yes, I am. Today I have a translation guide.

Who are you?

L-E-W-I-S, (leader/head) of P-E-L-I-C-A-N (colony)

(Leader/head)? Are you going to expose me?

No. I am only (interested/curious) about you.

Okay. What I should say?

Can I ask question-s?

Okay.

Communication thus established, Lewis made himself reasonably comfortable on the hard stone floor and begun his questioning. Each word, sometimes each letter, had to be pointed out in the Guide that lay between them, making for a tedious but worthwhile experience. 

What should I (hail/call) you? Do you have a name?

(Just/only) call me Dwarf.

Okay. Why did you come here?

I wanted it. (Thought/was of the opinion that) it would be fun, and a new experience.

Where do you come from?

My tribe lives below, we hide ourselves from human eyes. Humans fear the unknown and sometimes attack. That you went and found a guide to speak to me proves you are trustworthy.

Thank you. What other humans have you spoken to?

I do not know names. The old men who live in the building nearby speak to me - they say they are members of some (clan/group), and they bring me food occasionally. A younger man also comes here, and buys things to help him in the caves. The humans up here are kinder than they used to be.

The younger man, is he a farmer?

I do not know what that is.

Okay.

Lewis considered what he had learnt as he wrote down some notes. Specifically, he compared the dwarf to Krobus: whereas Krobus seemed frightened of humans and had hid from them for a while before bonding with Eden, this Dwarf seemed reasonably confident around humans, even those it didn't know very well like Lewis. It was very intriguing, the differences in their confidence brought on by how their people had been treated. Perhaps Krobus and the Dwarf had different opinions than their colony or tribe, but it didn't seem that way.

Why are you so (cautious/careful) of humans? 

Some have attacked us before. Although those who are (friends/familiar) with the mines don't see us as a threat, humans from the surface have been aggressive when we have gone to the surface. 

I see. It was unfortunate - barring his initial impressions, Lewis and the dwarf seemed to be getting along well, and if it was possible to learn each others languages properly, perhaps humans and Dwarves could form an alliance if it weren't for the ignorance of his fellows.

What about the (Void Spirits/Shadow People?) 

The Dwarf went silent, fist clenching and unclenching in silent anger. Lewis wondered if he'd need Gunther's sword after all. It noticed his reaction and became sheepish.

(Apology/shame). I hate the shadow people. A war lasting one thousand (years) between them and us has recently ended. There is much lingering resentment on both sides. A local spellcaster made sure me and a nearby shadow person didn't fight anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't seethe over him. 

oom-reading was not one of Lewis' strong points, but even he knew when to drop a subject. He avoided asking about the war (despite his curiosity - maybe Krobus or Rasmodius would know?) and instead picked up another thread.

What do you think of the Dwarvish technology that has been (dug up/excavated)? Do you think your people came from (the sky/the beyond) as M J-A-S-P-E-R claims?

Who is this M J-A-S-P-E-R? I know nothing of him or what he claims. Nobody knows where our technology comes from, not even us. 

Interesting. So not even the Dwarves know where their own technology came from. Lewis made a note to find books on the Dwarves by M. Jasper soon - apparently he had written copiously on the subject, and if the Dwarf could read (which it seemed to be able to?) perhaps it could investigate the past of its own species.

At this juncture, Lewis realised he had been in the mines quite a while. The air was thick and dusty, and very little sunlight penetrated through, so neither of them had realised how late the day had gone. Saying his goodbyes to the Dwarf with promises to meet again soon, Lewis took the guide and Gunther's sword back to their owner and resolved to consolidate his findings into something more substantial very soon.

Chapter Text

To Eden and K Mr & Mx. Fairchild

Can I come over?

Hello Mr and Mx. Fairchild (can you believe that's the gender-neutral version of Mr?)

Would you mind me coming over to yours again? I have a few questions to ask you, unrelated to your wedding but to fulfill a private interest which I think you would know about. I understand if I can't come round, but let me know when you're free!

Yours sincerely,

Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town.

---

To Lewis mayor

Yes, you may come over. We would be happy to answer any questions you have and are free on the 14th, a Sunday, and the 18th, a Thursday. I am typing this letter on a type-writer because Eden farmer is away and I can't write anything other than my name yet. He has said to let you in any time you want to come over. We will see you on the 14th or 18th. Mx is fine.

Mx Fairchild 

---

To Mx Fairchild,

I'm very glad you've got yourself a typewriter! I was curious about your ability to write. Unfortunately I can't come over tomorrow because I have to help clean up after the Egg Festival (cleaning up the décor, finding the last eggs, etc.) but I would be happy to come on the 18th. I'll see you then!

Yours sincerely,

Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town.

---

The 18th of Spring

Surprisingly, it wasn't Eden who answered when Lewis knocked on the door. Not seeing anything for a moment, he looked down to find a bundle of shadow crouched at the doorknob.

"Sorry," Krobus whispered. "I have to do this to stay hidden and make sure I don't go into the sun. You can come in."

"Oh, of course," said Lewis as he walked in, watching Krobus push the door closed. "The sun is bad for you, then?"

"Yes. I get sun-sick very easily, and too much light hurts my eyes."

Hm. That explained the darkness and the closed curtains. Lewis wasn't sure what 'sun-sick' meant exactly, but it didn't sound pleasant - more like a mythical condition than an illness.

Emerging with mugs of cider for Lewis and some unknown black liquid for himself, Krobus settled in the opposite chair to Lewis. The room was as murkily lit as it had ever been, but at least now Lewis wasn't distracted he could make out details properly.

It was homely despite the strangeness. In a brighter-lit corner stood a desk and bookshelf littered with personal items and trinkets: a small card which seemed to be an admission key, a jar containing some pink and green substance, and a gold charm threaded on a red ribbon. Lewis was tempted to ask about them, but decided to hold his tongue until he had done what he came for.

The amulets were still there, with a rusty key hung besides them, looking rather out of place in an otherwise tidy and well-maintained room.

"Where's Eden?" Asked Mayor Lewis, seeing no trace of the farmer himself.

"It's rice day," said Krobus as an explanation, pointing to a calendar inundated with stickers and notes, the clutter of a busy mind. "He's on the other side of the farm harvesting the crops."

"Ah. I see." Lewis nodded in understanding. "So, Krobus, may I ask, where did you come from? I know your species has colonies - were you apart of an aggressive one or a peaceful one? How did you get from there to where you are today?"

Krobus reached for a table Lewis hadn't seen (proving this was his house as much as it was Eden's) and grabbed a teaspoon, stirring it within the mug and using it to take out a spoonful of the faintly petrol-smelling liquid, which seemed more solid by the second. "Well..."

-

"I cannot tell you what The Void was like, because I don’t remember it. They say it is the start and the end for all Shadow People – a world of nothing, of shadow and magic, with Yoba living in the centre. When a Shadow Person dies, they return to The Void and to Yoba, where their energy is used again for a new soul.

The reason I don’t remember The Void is because my colony was banished when I was small. The Dwarves – those disgusting ɘlqoɘq-ʇɒɿ – they banished us and took The Void for themselves. They also believe they go to The Void when they die – they don’t, they are not worthy – and wanted to prove their belief.

Anyway. My colony does not live in The Void anymore. We escaped to your dimension, to the Mines, because it was warm and dark like The Void was. It was comfortable. It never had the quiet and calm feeling of The Void, but still, it felt like home. For me, this dimension always felt like home.

That's not what the elders thought, though. They had grown up in The Void, and they longed for those quiet times, wanted to take back what was ours and should be ours. I can't say I blame them for that. If I was kicked out of where I grew up, I'd want it back too. But I grew up in this dimension, so I didn’t feel the same connection. My generation was not like the last – we didn’t miss a place we never knew.

We explored, we found secret tunnels and beautiful places, we learned about the people and things around us – sometimes we even saw the surface.

The surface was magical to me. The night sky, blooming with stars just as the ground bloomed with flowers - it was very cold, but that just made it all the more surreal. It felt forbidden, as if by just being here I was stepping on forbidden territory. I knew the elders wouldn't approve, but I didn't care. I loved it, and I wanted to be there as much as I could.

By the time I left the mines for good, I suppose I was the shadow-person equivalent of a human teenager." He laughs. "That's all I was! A rowdy, rebellious teenager who had grown bored with the world around him. I didn't even know where I was going.

I left through one of the side-tunnels and made my way through... Well, at the time I didn't know any names. I'll just say what you would call the places.

I made my way through the dense forest in the east, and reached the old JojaMart at around midnight. I raided it for my first taste of human food - everything was strange to me, and I was desperate to feel a part of something again. I ate a tortilla, which was fine, but what I really liked was some horseradish sauce. Not only was it mostly liquid like what we ate in the mines, but I loved the flavour of horseradish. It felt spicy, sharp, and alive, so unlike The Void or the mines had been.

-

As a matter of fact-" Here Krobus interrupted his story to move to the kitchen and open the fridge. On the bottom shelf was horseradish sauce, horseradish jam, and on one side slices of horseradish sitting in a jar. It seems Krobus really likes horseradish.

He takes out a slice and chews on it gently for a moment. Done with his recollection, he puts the radish down and continues.

-

"I knew I couldn't walk into a human's house or stay out in the cold, but I felt warm air coming from a door in the ground and went in without a second thought.

This was perfect. This strange, tunneled place was warm, the air felt humid against my skin, and there was no sound other than the rushing waters a few paces away. This was The Sewers. It sounds disgusting to you-" (he said this upon seeing Lewis' revolted face) "-but I was convinced this place was made for me, I was meant to be here. Until now I was unsure about leaving everything I knew for a world I didn’t understand, but now I knew: this was my home.

And I was correct. I carved shelves into the walls with whatever tools I could find, repurposing a concrete bollard into a front desk. I cast a seal to stop the nearby bugs getting in - they weren't edible, unfortunately. 

From then on I did business. There's not much to say about this part of my life - I bought, I sold, I traded, I bought, I sold, one of my customers was a sentient bug and gave me a void chicken which I kept as a pet, I bought, I sold.

All this to say that my life was quite stagnant for several years in the sewers. I didn't mind: the peace was reminiscent of The Void, and it's what I needed after the mines.

It couldn't be stagnant forever, of course...

-

"Bwah!"

"Eep!"

"Whoa- sɥᴉʇ, I didn't know you ƃnʎs were here too. Listen, I don't ʍɐuuɐ fight, I just-"

One day, there was an intruder in the sewers. In my sewers. I was shocked, but determined not to give up my chance to talk to a human.

"A human visitor? This is most unusual..."

"Oh. You can talk? Wait, is it just because of the pɹɐzᴉʍ that I can understand you, or are you speaking ɥsᴉlƃuƎ?"

I wasn't sure what to say so I just continued with my introduction. "I'm Krobus, merchant of rare and exotic goods."

"Merchant?" At this point I saw him looking at my wares - That’s one reason I made a shop here, hoping a human would be curious and come. It seemed like a silly idea before, but here I was proven correct.

"Please, don't be alarmed," I continued. "I am different than the others. I've spent a lot of time observing humans. I know you like to shop. Care to see my wares?" 

"-ʎɐʞO, sure. I'm Eden. I'm, uh, different from the others as well," he laughed and bought some Omni geodes.

Eden. Eden. Good; the first human I met had a simple name. It sounded fertile and earthy: it was only later I learned his namesake in the holy book of a foreign religion, but even before that it carried the same connotations in my mind.

It became a regular thing with him. Twice a week, he would come down, buy something, and give me things – usually jam, sometimes void eggs. I started to like jam – the rebellious teenage spirit (here Krobus laughed at his own joke) the rebellious teenage spirit in me still took it as human food, food from the surface, and ate every drop.

He was my most regular customer, and as well as making me much richer in the currency you use, he also offered something else: a smiling face, a chance to practice my English, and companionship. He didn't flinch at the smells and sights of the sewers, and would tell me about his life above, his livelihood on the farm and interactions with his fellow humans. Fairchild Farm took on a sort of mythical aspect for me."

"So, how did it feel..." Lewis paused, not sure how to ask the question, "When Eden showed you the Void Ghost Pendant?" He thinks of dismay, of loss, of leaving behind another world, this time one he had made his. "Did it feel like you were leaving your home again?"

"No. It wasn't like that at all," answered Krobus with more conviction than Lewis had seen. "The Sewers were mine, but this is too. Besides, I never meant to stay there permanently - homey as it was, I always felt like it was just a stepping stone, like much more was waiting for me around the corner. I used to think that was Yoba guiding me to keep moving and discovering forever - little did I know, They were just guiding me towards my forever home." Krobus looks out towards the farm with love. Eden is just visible in the distance, a speck toiling away amongst the rice and the chickens. "My forever home," he repeats, almost too quiet to hear.

"And so I stayed. Do you have any other questions?" He turned back to Lewis, finishing off the liquid and looking expectantly.

"No," Lewis replied. "-Just one, actually - what convinced you that Eden was different from other humans?"

Krobus smiled, looking back at Lewis with a strange glint in his eye. "We were the same age."

"Huh?"

Chapter Text

The door opens with a groan, surprising both Krobus and Lewis, who look back with wide eyes - In Lewis' case, looking a bit guilty. The smell of soil and animals floats in, as well as the mud and wheat leaves.

"Krobie, I'm back!" Eden pulls off his work boots and drops them at the doorstep, freezing when he sees where Lewis sits, sheepishly shrinking into the armchair. Krobus has already gone to get more drinks.

"Oh. Hey there, Lewis. Did you...?"

"Um, we spoke a bit," Lewis responded. "I didn't bring anyone else, don't worry. Sorry for coming in without telling you."

"S'okay. Thank you, Krobus." Eden took his drink - tea, it looked like - and slumped down into the chair, tired but grateful. "How's your day?"

Lewis opened his mouth to respond, but Eden was only looking at Krobus. "Fine," he responded. "I cleaned the cabinets and-" a quick glance at Lewis, "-took care of the bugs. I also dusted the shelves!" He says this with an odd sort of pride. Lewis thinks of displacement, of not having a home - and finally being able to stay in one place long enough to worry about cleaning it.

"Good job, good job." Eden sips his tea, which surely should still be too hot, and turns to Lewis. "See, Krobus' the real driving force behind the farm. Place was a mess before he moved in. He's done so well cleaning it up." He says this with nothing but appreciation, but Lewis wonders if he's trying to justify his marriage to the mayor.

"The farm does look wonderful," Lewis agrees. And it really does - it's a virtual artwork of fruits and vegetables, resembling a pastoral village out of a painting more than a farm. "You must have a lot of experience farming," he continued, gently prying into Eden's story after he had heard Krobus.

"Ah, yea, farming's been in the family for generations. When I was a kid, we managed another farm near Ridgeside Village, and my grandfather taught me the trade."

"So, what about your f-"

"-Lewis mayor, how has your day been?" Krobus interjects, avoiding the question with the dexterity of a politician.

"Oh- well, fine, thank you Krobus. The morning wasn't very eventful, but sometimes it's nice to relax."

"Yes, it is," says Eden, but it comes out flat. There's no expression on his face. There's an awkward silence as Krobus fiddles with the seams of the chair, and an odd tension builds in the room that Lewis doesn't quite understand. The wind whistles unnaturally, and Krobus shoots a warning glance at his husband.

"Eh," Eden says quietly, looking around the room as if he's never been there before. "You and Krobus have been talking, then?"

"Yes," Lewis responds after a beat. "He's been telling me about where he came from, and how he moved from The Void to the mines to the sewers." He hopes he hasn't said too much.

Eden looks at his partner appraisingly. "Anything about me?" He says with a huff of breath that might have been a laugh.

"...Well, yes. Eden..."

"Yes?"

What are you? He doesn't say. What's wrong with you? He doesn't say. You're not normal.

"...I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me."

-

There's a moment of pause, of resignation, before Eden's face turns amused and he leans back, intertwining his fingertips just between his eyes and looking at Lewis with almost childish delight.

"You're right, I'm not normal. How much do you know, might I ask?"

Oh, he's being honest. Lewis decides to return the favour. He glances down at his hands, unaware of how tightly they were clasped. "Not so much. I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but there's something different about you that I can't quite name. You-you appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, you remember things you couldn't have been alive for, and I feel like you've been ten steps ahead of me since you gave me that book. I've been reading about the things living around here, and..." He stopped. Best not to play all his cards too early. "I'd just like to understand."

"Is that so?" His smile widened even further, if that was possible. "Well, you're more perceptive than I thought. Perhaps I shouldn't have given you that book." He laughs, with real mirth this time. "I’ll tell you if you want. Only if you promise not to run off screaming into the woods. I'd find you anyway.”

"Well, that's ominous." Lewis said with a nervous laugh. Then his expression turned serious. He knew something big was on the horizon, and if he blundered now he could lose it entirely. "But I won't run. Whatever it is-" (whatever you are) "-whatever it is, you're still a core member of the Pelican Town community. You've done so, so much for us, and I could not be more thankful for you. I promise, I won't run."

"Good. I'm not human."

-

"You're what?"

"Not human," said Eden again. "I'm a Fae. You don't know so much about the Fae, do you?"

Fae. He's heard that word before, spoken in hushed tones around card tables and hunting clubs. Luck of the Fae. The Fae trickster. Even Marlon had said it once, deep into his cups on a night in the saloon. He had been terrified. 

"No," he responded with caution. "What exactly... What exactly are the Fae?"

He paused, twiddling his fingers which were still interlocked in front of his nose, hiding most of his face. Then he blinked thoughtfully. "Turn to the thirteenth page of that book real quick."

"Which book?"

"Don't be silly, Mayor Lewis."

Feeling mildly affronted and yet mostly intrigued, Lewis took out the book from his bag (he still had it, just as Eden had predicted), and turned to the 13th page.

It was for the Fae, but what immediately caught his eye was a note, written with a flourish on a scrap of notebook paper:

Well, well, well, look who's been poking around. I knew you'd find this page eventually. Keep dreaming, Lewis. Sometimes your dreams do come true.

-E♡ 

"What!?" Lewis turned the book around in shock. He felt a curious mix of violation and awe at the sheer audacity of the thing. "You can't have put this in. When did you slip this?"

Eden just shrugs, smile never faltering, and Lewis can feel what was once a snap decision - Eden took the book off the shelf with an actually, you know what? - being recontextualised into something more. He meant for this to happen.

“Well, go on, read the page,” Eden says with a nonchalant gesture. “We don’t have all day.”

THE FAE

I must apologise to my readers. In my research, I have toiled to give the most accurate and comprehensive account of all magical creatures, using the best information available at the time.

However, I must confess that this is where my efforts fail. There is simply very little known about the Fae, and what is known is shrouded in mystery and protected by hidden pacts a thousand years old.

I can tell you this, however: You must not invoke the Fae. They are devious creatures, disguising themselves as men and women in order to blend in with our society where they do not belong. Take heed and never accept their bargains, or you may find the price is more than simple gold.

"You aren't the first human to read that page, you know," said Eden, eyes focused on the book. "It's nearly as old as I am, and in that time I've had a few humans get curious enough to ask me directly. Jasper does write with a bias. We aren't all malicious."

"You're not? I mean-" Lewis assumed Eden wasn't malicious, of course, but a lifetime of only hearing about the Fae in fearful whispers had made him wary. "-I a-assume you're not. But-"

"I want you to know," said Eden, cutting through Lewis' rambling, "that my intentions have always been for the good of this Valley. This Valley is my home, my origin point, it's what I live for. As Fae, we are bound to our origin point, as breath is bound to lungs. I am of this Valley. I am its breath. I will not fail it, Mayor Lewis."

So that's what it was. Eden wasn’t a man at all—not truly. He was a keeper, a thread woven into the fabric of the land. Lewis had read about such things in his childhood, guardians of the forest and guardians of the ocean and guardians of the desert. He believed in them in a vague, undefined way, but never thought he'd meet one of them in the flesh.

"Of this valley...." He repeated in breathy wonder. "What about your grandfather, then? Was he a Fae as well?"

"Oh yes," Eden chuckles. "You knew him, didn't you? Indeed, he was a Fae too. Grandad practically raised me, and with it he taught me my innate duty. He was a good man."

Lewis thinks back to Merlin Fairchild, the brightest spark, the lifeblood of whatever group he was in.

"Hey, Lewie! Long time no see. Well, relatively speaking."

"I love this valley. It's my home. My family has been here for thousands of years."

"You ever heard that Shakespeare quote? 'More things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy?' It's true, you know."

"This is Eden, he's my grandson. He'll have the farm one day. He's like me, you know."

A young boy with dark hair and unnatural eyes. Lewis had thought he was strange then. Now he doesn't know if he was five or fifty.

"Closer to fifty, I think," Eden responded with a laugh. "So, what else do you want to know?"

There were many things. The question was finding the most important matter. 

"Why are you... Why are you telling me this now?"

"You've been curious," he answered. "I knew that if Krobus and I were to be married - oh, he's not a Fae, by the way - some explaining would be done, and you were the only person qualified to officiate marriages in the valley. And you probably deserve to know anyway - you've dealt with three generations of Fairchildren, and that's more than most people make it!"

"Three generations... You've been keeping this secret from us for that long?"

"Three Fae generations, Lewie," he corrected with a wave of his hand. "That's a lot longer than three human ones. And we've been keeping it way before that."

Silence. Lewis digested what he had been told, and Eden just sat and watched another presence reform within the room.

"Lewis mayor?" Asked Krobus, appearing from the corner. "Eden guardian, is the wedding still on?"

"Wedding's still on, Krobus," responded the Fae. "Unless you'd like to back out, now you know the groom's a little... ancient?"

"-No, no, not at all," Lewis responded. Fae be damned, he was the mayor, and even if his duties weren't as ancient or instinctive as Eden's, they were still there. "What are you thinking?"

Chapter Text

Lewis stumbles into the Stardrop Saloon later that night, pale as a sheet, more nerve than man.

"Ah, Lewis!" Gus, ever the perceptive one, noticed him immediately and chuckled at his state. "Beer? You look like you need it."

"Uh- yea." Lewis fell into the stool, getting his bearings as he took out the cash. "Yea, I'd like a beer. Thanks."

"No problem." As Gus wound up the tap to serve yet another beer, he turned to Lewis with concern. "What's up with you today? Nobody's seen you in hours, and you look all spooked, like you've seen a ghost down on the highway." He chuckled, but Lewis knew he was sincere. That's one of the reasons he liked the man so much.

"It's... Well, it's nothing. Just a strange day is all." Lewis took a long draught of his beer, feeling it warm his insides.

Gus seemed to understand. He looked thoughtful. "Strange day, huh.... There's some folk here who know about strange days. Hey, Marlon!"

Lewis hadn't noticed the adventure in the corner, but there he was nursing an ale. He looked up, expression unreadable. Just like Eden's had been... He dismisses the thought.

"Lewis wants to talk," Gus continued. Then, in a quiet tone, he said to Lewis, "go and have a chat. I'm no expert in these sorts of things, and besides I've got a bar to tend to, but Marlon looks like 'e can sort you out."

How did he know? thought Lewis, but probably there was nothing out of the ordinary there. Just the compassion and perception of a good bartender.

-

"Well, hello again. I don't normally see yer twice in a week. What's got yer all twisted?"

"Can't you guess!?" Lewis snapped, turning a few heads around him. "Sorry, sorry. I am... at the end of my tether." He buried his face in his hands, trying to think of what to say next. "I did some more research, into what you told me the last time we spoke. And I spoke to Farmer Eden."

"Farmer Eden," Marlon repeated in understanding. "Farmer Eden. Yer spoke to 'im?"

"Yes. He's not normal, he's--" Lewis had to stop himself again. "He's not normal. He's not like us."

"Ain't that the truth?" Marlon slides him his beer. "Here, drink up. What's up with Farmer Eden, then?"

"Nothing- nothing I can name, but he's not right. He told me some things today that I don't think I'll ever be able to go back from."

"Is it-" Marlon spoke in hushed tones. "Did 'e tell yer about 'is wedding?"

Lewis nodded. It wasn't so far from the truth, after all.

"I'm sorry, Lewis. Really, I shoulda told yer. But that Krobus- whatever he is, he's a nice young man. A' least, I think 'es a man. Never been sure if they have men and women like we do. Point is, 'es good, and 'e really loves that farmer. Who am I to take that away from 'im?" He sips his ale in thought. "Are you goin' to the wedding?"

"Of course," Lewis answers immediately. That's the only thing he knows now. At the core of this mess is two people in love, and that love is deeper than any between humans.

"Good. I am too."

There's a silence as both men sip their drinks, Lewis' racing mind somewhat calmed by the presence of someone who understands, even if he can't tell Marlon everything he's found. He wonders who else knows of Eden's Fae nature, who he can share knowledge with or chat to without worrying about Eden's safety. The Wizard, perhaps? Maybe even the dwarf? The rain picks up for a moment, then stills.

Lewis stills with it. He still feels a bit lost, but at least he has this anchor point. Hm, anchor points. Eden knows something about anchor points.

"I'm just not sure what to do with it," he confesses.

"Not sure yer have to do something with it, Lewis," says Marlon. "Yer just roll with the punches and learn not to judge. That's what I did, even back in Castle Village. Here, I'll tell you another thing I did as well. Drink my feelings away." He chuckles warmly. Lewis feels his friendship with this once-reclusive man has evolved. "Gus, another round please."

-

One month later

The wedding day 

There are parts of the woods almost never seen by human eyes. Turn left at Marnie's Ranch, continue past the cherry blossom tree and the Travelling Cart and the Wizard's Tower, and you'll find the Secret Woods. The entrance to this grove is so heavily forested that most normal people turn around and abandon all hope of trying to enter.

Fortunately, Mayor Lewis is not a normal person. Brushing aside the branches, seemingly less thorny for this day only, he finds himself within the Secret Woods.

The usual claustrophobic atmosphere of the Secret Woods is softened, and gives way to chatter and laughter. Nestled among the evergreens is the wedding party, enmeshing well with the natural environment.

Looking around, Mayor Lewis can see Eden himself, engaged in lively conversation with Marlon and a young lady Lewis doesn't recognise. Gil is placidly observing, and next to him Krobus is showing Rasmodius (he was invited as well?) how to make a crown of the local wildflowers. Surprisingly, Gunther is there, obsessing over Eden's horse and a black chicken reminiscent of something Lewis saw in his myth book. Several others are there too, presumably friends or family of the other guests.

Perhaps the strangest of all, however, is a Junimo. The small round thing mingles amongst the groups, drawing delighted squeals and much attention wherever it goes. Lewis goes to see it up close when a pull at his trousers stops him.

It's another Junimo, this one looking adorable in a tiny waistcoat presumably made for it. An even smaller nametag reads "Janus"

"Haii!!" Says Janus in a high-pitched squeal. "Lewis?"

Lewis answers with a laugh. "Yes, that's me. Hello!" He crouches down to get to the Junimo's level. "You're Janus! Are you the usher?"

"Yah! Yah!" It answers both questions, then points to Eden, rushing along with Lewis following it.

Approaching the central party, it waves its tiny hands for attention and then says "Lewis!" triumphantly.

"Oh, Lewis!" says the groom, immediately turning his attention towards the newcomer. "So glad you could make it. Glad you found the place as well, ha! Lewis, this is Joy, my sister. Joy, this is Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town."

He shakes hands with the woman, who is apparently Eden's sister. She's dressed fashionably, in an off-the-shoulder yellow dress with a sparkly skirt. The resemblance is definitely there, but she doesn't have the same otherworldly sparkle in her eye that marks Eden out as one of the Fae. Lewis wonders how people of two different species can be related, but decides not to press the matter.

"Hey there, Lewis," says Joy cordially. "Good to meet you. I bought some snacks if we get hungry later."

"Joy!" Eden subtly elbows her, to her mock-outrage. "It's a wed-ding, girlie. It's my wedding. There's gonna be food. You didn't have to bring-" Eden makes a show of patting her pockets. "-whatever the hell you brought." He pulls out a Bounty bar, to his utter dismay. "A Bounty ba- what the hell is this!?" 

She laughs uproariously and snatches her snack before running away. "Your least favourite choccy!!" In a moment they're gone, Eden having disappeared into the forest.

Marlon huffs in amusement. "Kids, eh. D'you know, I've known 'im seven years, never knew 'e 'ad a sister. Lewis," he turns to Lewis with a not unkind expression on his face. "'ow're yer doing? We haven't talked since the night in the pub."

Lewis remembers the night in the pub all too well. He had stumbled in half-dead and told Marlon probably far too much - though, in Lewis' defence, Marlon had mentioned the wedding first. 

"I'm... better, thanks. I've been doing some more research into shadow people - and, um, and the Fae, but that's not related - and..." Lewis looks around, casting his eye for anything to mention, and finds two flower crowns: blue Hyacinths and tiny forget-me-nots interspersed between. They had a strong sweet smell, and were quite beautiful, but Lewis couldn't discern their purpose.

"Oh, those're a tradition where Eden's from," Marlon explained. "We all hafta wear flower crowns during the ceremony. Those're Eden and Krobus' ones."

"I see," said Lewis thoughtfully. That made sense. Fae were typically quite connected to the natural world, so it tracked that their weddings were as well. "How do you know that?"

"'e told me," replied Marlon, pointing to Krobus observing the Junimos flitter about. He caught Lewis' eye and waved joyfully, as happy as anyone should be on their wedding day.

"Looks like he wants yer," said Marlon with a laugh.

"Lewis mayor!!" exclaimed Krobus with bright eyes as Lewis approached. "Welcome! Eden spouse was worried you wouldn't come!"

"Hello there, Krobus!" Lewis replied, looking back at the flower crowns with curiosity. "What're the flower crowns for?"

"It's a-" Krobus did a 'come here' motion, and his voice dropped. "It's a Fae tradition. Each guest needs to wear a flower crown during the wedding ceremony to acknowledge and show their gratitude towards nature." Lewis wonders how Krobus knows words like 'acknowledge' and 'gratitude' but can't grasp human title usage. "I've been trying to learn Eden's culture. How am I doing?"

"I think we're all trying to learn Eden in some way, Krobus," Lewis says with a laugh. "What about you, then? What sort of culture do shadow people have around marriage?"

"Um..." Krobus hums thoughtfully, as if trying to remember where he came from. "A-after the ceremony, me and Eden spouse will paint on a canvas together. No matter what we paint, something we create together will represent the union of... It's meant to be two different colonies, but Eden spouse doesn't have a colony, so... Two different species. That's better. I think I'm going to paint a jar of honey."

"Oh, that's so sweet," says Lewis. And he means it - human declarations of love and cake-feeding seem paltry when he thinks about Eden and Krobus painting something together on their wedding day, maybe even hanging it up in the farmhouse for all to see, a stark and visible showcase of a love so often hidden from view.

"Thank you, Lewis mayor. Oh! And--" Krobus darts over to the aisle, above which is several objects hung on a string. The key Lewis saw on their wall, a purple sprinkler (huh??), a piece of amber, a book entitled The Shadow Folk with many bookmarks, a sprig of wheat, and finally a rolled-up piece of paper which Lewis recognises as the marriage certificate he had them both sign at the start of all this, tied up with a ribbon. It's a confusing display, and Lewis is about to ask why its purpose when Krobus speaks up.

"These are what we call memory threads," he explains. "In shadow person culture, it's common to collect objects associated with memories and display them at weddings and funerals. During the ceremony, we go through them and explain what each one means to us."

"Really?" Interrupts an unfamiliar voice - it's Gunther, dressed in his finest suit and brushing off hairs from his time with Eden's horse. Naturally, he was only drawn out by the discussion of shadow culture. "I've never heard of that before, is that a newer tradition?"

"Hello, Gunther librarian," Krobus greets him. "It is a newer tradition - it was invented when we came into the mines, and came across many things that were unfamiliar to us. Certain objects gained special meaning, and it became normal to display them at weddings - and at funerals - to share experiences with our loved ones."

"Fascinating," replies Gunther, clearly now thinking about how their displacement affected the shadow people's culture. "You'll have to let me interview you at some point. You have a unique young perspective on your culture I haven't seen in my books."

"I would love to," says Krobus with genuine happiness. "Both Lewis mayor and you have asked me about my culture in the last couple of weeks. I've never had so many humans to share it with!" He laughed gleefully.

After that, Lewis generally strolled, toured, or was pushed around the wedding guests, sharing some mead with Gil and apologising to Rasmodius, who showed him how to charm the horse and the void chicken Krobus had brought.

Joy and Eden had come back too, and when Lewis politely asked her what Eden's problem was with coconut chocolate, she responded "Oh, he hates coconut in everything. I think it's something to do with their fur? I've been tormenting him with them ever since. You want a Bounty?"

Lewis was still chomping on his coconut chocolate when he heard a gong, echoing through the forest clearing and reverberating in his bones.

"Everyone!" The Wizard announced, uncharacteristically loud. "Collect your flower crowns: it's time for the wedding ceremony of Krobus and Eden."

-

Lewis was shooed into his chair by a very busy Janus, who flapped arms and legs while moving around the place. He sat slightly uneven on the ground, but was comfortable enough that it didn't matter. Around him he saw Marlon and Gil, sat together as usual, Gunther preoccupied with the many objects on string, and five empty seats, presumably for the people involved in the ceremony.

"Greetings, all," said the Wizard as he got behind a sort of altar. "We are gathered beneath the stars today to celebrate the wedding of Krobus and Eden Fairchild. We will begin the ceremony with a prayer of thanks to the spirits, for providing us with life and love."

It's silent for a moment. Then the Wizard begins some sort of incantation in a language Lewis doesn't recognise, and to his shock the others join in. Gunther, Marlon, and Gil are all saying something in some language and Lewis really doesn't know how deep this runs-

"Hey." A young female voice comes from his left. It's Joy, peeking out from behind a tree and fixing her hair. "Breathe, okay? I can hear you panicking from here."

"What are they saying?" Lewis whisper-shouts, pointing to his fellow guests. "I didn't know they were..." Magical, involved in this, familiar with the incantation?

"They're praying. It's the traditional language of magic users. Just because they're not praying to Yoba doesn't mean you have to be afraid." They listen for a moment. "It's nearly done now. I'm gonna be leading Eden down the aisle in a mo - I'll see you then."

She disappears, vanishing into the trees as the wizard prepares to continue. 

"Thank you. Please keep quiet and respectful during the ceremony."

Flute music starts playing, seemingly from nowhere, and a Junimo with a 'Junie' nametag walks down the aisle. It scatters flower petals behind it and leads the horse from earlier, which has two flower crowns perched upon its head. 

Next, in comes Eden. He smiles and waves, Joy's hand upon his arm, both looking joyful but dignified as they walk down the aisle. They stop, Joy taking her seat beside Lewis and Eden bowing before the wizard. Rasmodius removes one flower crown from the horse and places it on Eden's head, leaving an identical one for Krobus. 

Then there was a short delay. Eden looked at the aisle with an expectant smile on his face, but nobody came. At first, Lewis thought this was part of the ceremony, but the slowly-growing worry on everyone's faces convinced him otherwise. 

"Um, where's...?" Eden looked to Rasmodius. 

"He should be here by now," the wizard replied. "Eden and I have to stay here, would anyone go and check on him-"

"I'll do it," replied Lewis and Joy almost at the same time. They looked at each other, shrugged, and went off to find Krobus on his wedding day.

-

He was sat in a bush just outside, his void chicken clucking nervously. He looked almost sick.

"Hey, Krobus? Time to... Time to go get married, buddy," she nudged him gently.

"What's wrong?" Asked Lewis.

"...nervous," the shadow person replied. "I don't know if I deserve this. What if he says no?"

"Kro-bus," said Joy, crouching down to his level, "Eden organised a whole wedding. He lived with you for four years. He even crawled down the stinky sewers every week just to talk to you. He cares about you more than anyone. Of course he won't say no."

"He wouldn't have put in all that effort just to leave you at the altar, would he?" Chimed in Lewis. "And- okay, admittedly I'm a bit of a newcomer to... everything, but I've seen how much Eden loves you. He wants to marry you, I can see it in his eyes." Lewis was surprised to find himself so earnest and honest, but he meant what he said. Every look, every word, every tiny gesture of Eden's screamed 'I love this person more than anything'.

"So true, Lewie." Joy looked back at Krobus, visibly reassured and slowly coming out of his crouching position. "Well, if you're ready, Eden is looking dashing and slightly impatient at that altar..." She took Krobus' hand with confidence, "and it's time to get you married."

Chapter Text

Krobus emerges with a wobbly smile on his face as Lewis and Joy retake their seats. He's clearly regained his calm, but there's just a hint of worry on his face as he walks down the carpet, chicken behind him. He receives just the same applause as Eden had, perhaps even more from Lewis and Joy, who know of his anxiety.

Eden looks noticeably relieved but also full of love, gently bending down to take Krobus' hands in one of his and lead him up to the altar. Any doubt or uncertainty disappears from Krobus' eyes.

Seeing this, Rasmodius smiles, looking more supportive and happy than Lewis has ever seen him. "Thank you, Krobus. Now we may begin the ceremony. Please stand opposite one another."

The couple take their places at the altar, waiting patiently for the wizard to speak.

First, he turns to Krobus: "Shadow Krobus, merchant and farmer of Fairchild Farm. Do you take Eden Fairchild to be your loyal husband?"

The shadows lengthen, the sun seemingly retreating behind clouds of shade. Now the trees create dark spots in the grass, spots that seem to grow, fuse, and encroach upon the guests. Krobus makes a choice, but a choice that he's always known he'd made.

"I do," says Krobus.

The wizard turns to Eden, seemingly unfazed by the change in atmosphere. "Eden Fairchild, farmer and guardian of Stardew Valley. Do you take the shadow Krobus to be your loyal spouse?"

Krobus notably twitches. As quickly as the darkness had appeared before, it retreats now. The wind can be heard whistling in the distance, leaves billowing about to form rings and spirals which encompass the shadows, not strangling, not imprisoning, but embracing.

"I do," says Eden Fairchild.

The wizard quietly exhales, grounding the environment and the people within it. "Then, by the powers vested in me by the spirits above, I now pronounce you married. You are Eden and Krobus Fairchild."

The usual quiet atmosphere of the forest lights up with cheer and applause. Junie jumps up and down (almost twice its height, which is very impressive,) and scatters petals around it. The horse whinnies, the guests clap, and through it all Krobus and Eden hold hands and look at each other like they're the best thing that's ever happened to them - which they are.

Lewis can tell that even the Wizard is touched by the quiet love between them, but he calls for silence with a wave. "Thank you very much. Now: behind me here are several objects. I will pass them to the husband and spouse and they will explain what each one means to them. This is an ancient shadow folk tradition, and I would ask that you remain quiet and respectful."

-

He reaches for the first object: the key Lewis had seen earlier hung on their wall.

"A rusty key."

"Oh, this- Gunther, you'll probably remember this-" Gunther gives a little wave with a smile, "-this is the sewer key Gunther gave me once I'd donated 60 objects to the museum. I found out it worked for the sewers, and that was how I first met Krobus."

"You frightened me," said Krobus without any bite.

"Well, I'm so-rry," Eden bent down a little to pat his head. "I didn't know anyone was down there."

The wizard gently cleared his throat, holding out the next object to Krobus. He snapped to attention and received it with both hands.

"A... Purple sprinkler."

"I never thought I'd see this again," began Krobus. "I sold this in my shop when I lived in the sewers. Eden spouse bought my entire stock!"

"I dunno, I needed them," Eden responded. "I didn't have any iridium, you can't blame me."

"I don't, Eden spouse."

They both chuckled.

"A book, entitled The Shadow Folk."

"Oh-" suddenly Eden gets a little choked up. "This is... I had this long before Krobus moved in. I wanted to learn about his culture, but the library didn't have any good books on them - sorry, Gunther - so I got this from Zuzu city."

"You went to City zuzu? For me?"

"Of course I did," he responded as though it was a proven fact. He whispered something inaudible to the guests, and as he did the wizard turned around with the next object, looking vaguely confused at what he held in his hands.

"A, uh... A sprig of wheat." He hands it to Krobus, who takes it delicately.

The shadow laughs, clear and high like the song of a bell. "We ran out of ideas for this. Eden spouse and I were up quite late thinking of things to do and this was the last thing we put in before going to bed."

"Oi! I farm wheat."

"It's from three months ago." 

"It counts!"

Rasmodius gently taps Eden on the shoulder, startling him a little and presenting him with the final object: a sheet of paper rolled up and tied with a ribbon.

"Krobus and Eden's wedding certificate!"

They both smile, Eden casting a sly glance at Lewis. "The reason our good mayor is here today."

"Lewis mayor had us both sign this in order to be married," Krobus continues. "It was a joyous day."

"It certainly was. Don't worry, it's not damaged. Need to preserve this," he says, putting it gently back on the string.

"Put it with your birth certificates," Krobus jokes.

"Ha! I will." Gently patting his partner's' head, Eden picks up the microphone (where had that come from?) and speaks to the guests. "Alright!" He says, chipper once again. "That's the boring stuff over. Junie, Janus? Help everyone put away their chairs. It's time to dance!" He laughs gleefully, and the Junimos are already flocking to the guests and their chairs.

-

Before long, the forest reverts to a scene more familiar to Lewis from his days of house parties and wedding receptions. He's never heard any of the music before, but he's certainly seen the dancing and the drinking and the joy. Speaking of the joy...

"So, it's like..." The young lady laughs screechingly, clearly having had more than enough wine. "I's hilarious, sorry- he's 'ad the farm since I was 14, right? And, like, this one time he came down to Zuzu for my 18th birthday, and we both had espresso martinis, and he at' the beans! And he was like 'ew this is so gross' and I asked him what he didn' like about it and he said the beans!!!!!" 

"The beans...?" Lewis replied in a hazy confusion.

"Yyer not meant to eat the beans," she replied. "Y'know what an espresso martini is? It's like a martini, but they put espresso in it, an' they put foam on it so it looks like an espresso, an' they put these three coffee beans on the top. Is like when they put a slice uf orange or lemon on other cocktails, ...an' you're not meant to eat the beans. But he did. It was really funny-" she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Lewis only understood about half the words in that paragraph (he was a few cups deep, and didn't know what an 'espresso' or a 'martini' were) but he did his best to respond. "You should do a speech," he chuckled. "I think we're missing a best man."

"Yah, I should," she agreed. But evidently something else had captured her attention, as she looked to her left and squealed "OH MY GOD!!!"

Startled, Lewis looked over - only to find Eden and Krobus, mid-waltz in the centre of the clearing. Eden glared, before seeing the wine in her hand and softening his face into a smile. Krobus hadn't noticed, and the two continued to turn.

"You're so adorable!!!" She continued, stepping slightly in their way and swaying back. "Eden, I didn't know you could dance!!"

"Krobus? Krobus." The shadow, absorbed in the lockstep, looked up with surprise and embarrassment before clearing his 'throat'. "Eden spouse calls it a Solar Waltz. He made it easier to do if you're short and your partner is tall," he explains, leaning back to reveal his feet firmly planted on Eden's shoes, making up a bit for the height difference and ensuring the two were locked in an embrace as they moved.

"Oh my god that's adorable. I love that. Do it again? I wanna see it properly. Can I record it!?" Without waiting for an answer, Joy took out her phone and flipped to the camera. Neither spouse tried to stop her, which she assumed was a yes.

The two danced surprisingly gracefully, moving together smoothly, Krobus almost seeming to fuse with Eden's suit. It was a dance of light and shadow, sun and moon. Both partners smiled warmly.

"I love that," Joy said genuinely, drunken chaos subdued for now.

-

"Uh, Eden?" A voice came from the bushes in the distance - Gunther's voice. "Sorry- sorry to interrupt, I just... Junie's just handed me a box that's addressed to you...?"

"Oh!!" Eden laughed warmly, stepping over to the box in question. "Sorry, I forgot about this. "This is the, uh..." He looks back at Krobus, who pretends not to hear. "The Dwarf who lives in the mines got me something. Them and Krobus really don't like each other, so I didn't want to say it aloud."

"The Dwarf?" Lewis couldn't imagine Eden Fairchild and the rodent-like person in the caves to be connected. "Really? And were we meant to give gifts? Sorry, I didn't think-"

"Lewis, dear, your presence is gift enough. Now let's see what the Dwarf got me, in lieu of being here today." Landing cross-legged on the grass, he unwrapped the very tightly secured box and opened the flaps to reveal a note.

"Hello, human," he began,

"One of the members of the Adventures Guild is helping me write this letter. I hear you are partaking in a ceremony called a Wedding, and that this is an important event for humans. 

I know nothing of this Wedding, but in Dwarf culture it is typical to get gifts for people going through significant events in their lives. Please write back if this gift is not appropriate. You mean a lot to me as a person and I appreciate your visits. I am sorry I cannot tell you this more often. 

From your friend, the Dwarf."

"Aw!" Eden says with affection. "That's sweet. The Dwarf isn't exactly one for hugs and puppies, but, y'know, it's nice to know people care. And look at this!"

It's a well-cut Amazonite, possibly something the Dwarf would've found in the mines. Natural strips of blue and green are visible in the rock, which fits well in Eden's hand.

"Here, feel this. It's really cool," the farmer says, passing it to Lewis with a curious expression. It's smooth - yet a slight pattern is felt on its surface, small ridges and bumps invisible to the naked eye, yet easily felt with the fingertips.

"That's brilliant," said Lewis as he handed it back. 

"It is! Great colouring, wonder which part of the mines they found it in. I think I'll show it to Clint later, see how much he knows. Poor guy has his faults, but really he's..."

The joy disappears from his face. His eyes dilate uncannily, pupils darting from side-to-side. He assumes an expression of nervousness, but when Lewis opens his mouth to speak he holds up a finger, standing up slowly.

The human guests continue like nothings wrong, but Krobus freezes and there's a tension around Rasmodius' face that wasn't there before. Even the Junimos pause, looking around with a mix of fear and morbid curiosity.

"What... what is it?" Lewis asks, ashamed to notice the tremor in his voice.

Eden seems to look through him, finally focusing on something far behind. Lewis turns around to see a new guest, dressed all in black with a wide-brimmed hat. His cloak seems to hold the stars, capturing the very galaxy within its folds. Somehow, his skin is blue.

-

"Well, hello there, farmer Eden," he begins in an unnaturally calm voice. "What a charming little arrangement you have here. It's your wedding day, right?"

For once, Eden has no words. He takes a while to muster his voice, and once he does it is almost silent. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Qi," says Krobus, tone flat but clearly nervous.

The intruder turns slowly, meeting Krobus' eye. "Yes, that's me. And you must be Krobus, the shadow. How pleasant to meet you. I've always been curious about the one who managed to cap-ture the young man's heart." He speaks with a strange intonation, an unknown accent - Lewis tries to place it. French, maybe?

As Lewis wonders why he's not more intimidated by this stranger, Eden acts. Vines seem to circle his hand, and something appears in his clutches - the three-foot-long of sword Gunther had mentioned. "Krobus," he says, "You might want to evacuate the humans. Can you handle the evening sun? Maybe take them to Cindersap or the wizard's tower-"

"Ah-ah-a-h!" The man interrupts Eden with a waving finger. "Not today, kid. I'm not here for war. In fact, I'm here to bring you something..." 

He held out his hands, and in them appeared a small black box. It was about the size of a tissue box, but the surface was completely smooth, and hardly reflected any light.

Eden hesitates, not withdrawing his sword. Krobus steps back into a protective gesture, ready to evacuate just as Eden had said if things got ugly.

"Well, go on, take it," said the stranger. "We don't have all day."

He steps forward, then again, then again. Almost like he was still waltzing, he stepped and stepped and finally took the box in uncertain hands.

"...This won't kill me, will it?" He joked nervously, trying to shed a little light on the situation.

"Of course not," the stranger responded. "Even I wouldn't see fit to ruin your special day."

"I think you've already done tha-"

"See you around. Best of luck with that, by the way - it does tend to get feisty."

He disappeared as suddenly as he came. The box stayed.

"...Eden?" Joy finally said after a prolonged silence. "Who was that?"

Eden was silent for a long time, staring at the box in his hands like it was an unexploded bomb. "It's warm. Why does it have to be warm?"

Finally, he gently put it down on the nearest table.

"Ask me later..." He said, "When I've had something to drink." With that, he cracked a bottle of something and called for the music to be resumed.

-

Lewis looked to Krobus, always the grounding force in times like this, who in turn was looking towards Eden with concern.

"Who was that?" Asked Lewis, seeing the shadow turn around.

"His name is Qi," replied Krobus. "Eden spouse has told me about him, but that was the first time I've seen him in person. Eden spouse says Qi puts him on tasks - once, he made him place an essence of the sun in the mouth of a lizard skeleton in Desert calico. Eden spouse calls him a puppeteer."

As Krobus' chilling words sunk in, Lewis began to wonder just how deep these layers of smoke and mirrors in the Valley really went. If Eden wasn't the controller, the be-all and end-all of its magic, then who was?

"I need to make sure Eden spouse doesn't drink too much," remarked Krobus, pushing himself off the bench and walking to Eden, already in the process of pouring a very full glass. Lewis followed, for lack of anything better to do.

"Don't drink too much," Krobus admonished lightly. "I'm not sure I can carry you again."

"You su-pported me, Krobus," Eden replied, continuing to drink. "You didn't carry me."

"Still," he replied, watching Eden carefully. "Be careful."

Taking a closer look at Eden's glass, to Lewis' surprise he sees a clear green liquid that catches the light and scatters it in every direction, like sunlight in a glass.

"Is that... Absinthe?" Lewis remembers drinking that a bit when he was younger - with some friends, in that trendy hipster bar he never liked but went to anyway. He never imagined Eden would be into the stuff, but it would be stupid to say the man doesn't have secrets.

"Oh, yea," he blinks, as if only just realising Lewis was there. "Um, Fae stuff. Wine and beer n' all that doesn't work on me. Only this does." He inclined the glass and took another sip.

"How much do you intend to drink?" Lewis asks with a hint of wariness.

"Oi!" Eden knocks his shoulder into the older man with uncharacteristic sharpness. "Let a man get drunk on his wedding day. You're as bad as Krobus. Oh hey, there's Joy." He turns his head to Joy, where the young woman is doting over the void chicken, clearly having drunk some alcohol of her own. "I swear, she tries to feed that thing a bounty bar, I'll hit her over the head. Fuckin' hate the things."

"I'm... aware." Lewis politely nods. "Can I have some absinthe too?"

"Yea, of course," Eden pours some of his into Lewis' glass, missing a little but not noticing. "There's more on the left table there. Knock yourself out. I probably will."

He laughs, seemingly fully recovered, and prepares to drink himself and everyone else into a haze.

-

Much later

"I am... old, Lewis," his voice breaks on a laugh. "I remember when you w're young." Now he's lying fully on the grass, spilling his absinthe but not caring. "Y'were quite... quite a charming boy. Very opinionionated too. Mayor material right from the start, tha's what you were." He sighs happily, still with that dopey smile on his face. "But you didn't know me then. That's alright. You weren't meant to." 

Brushing the grass and his hair, he tilts his head to Krobus, who is sitting with the Junimos, presumably having decided Eden's drunkenness was a lost cause. He didn't seem affected by the alcohol he had drunk, Lewis noticed.

"You know, this is the first time I've been married. I know it sounds stupid, guy like me should'a been married six, seven times already, however often you humans do it, but..." 

He sighed, face turning wistful. "'ve never wan'ed it before. Never wan'ed the commitment, especially not with a human who, le's face it, would never outlive me. But now?"

He smiles drunkenly at Krobus, who smiles back but with a hint of wariness, like he's afraid he'll have to carry his husband home at the end of the night. 

"I love him," Eden continues. "Hey, Krobie!" Krobus turns back. "I love you."

Krobus' smile turns genuine, and he takes another look at the Junimos before leaving them to their own devices, returning to his husband and the centre of his universe.

"I love you too," he says, sitting down next to him before being pulled with a squeak to rest on the ground.

The two of them looked at each other with affection, momentarily forgetting the world around them. Sensing the shift from supporting to intruding, Lewis backed away and left the two to their love.

-

Lewis remembers very little about the rest of that night. Not much survived the haze of wine and absinthe, and frankly by the end of the day he wasn't much better off than Eden in terms of alcohol.

What he does know, is that by 11:00 PM it was time to leave; The Wizard had gone home, the animals were all fast asleep, and the Junimos had all vanished to wherever they came.

All that was left were the regular guests, and the less-drunk of them were helping pile up chairs and collect objects when Eden exclaimed behind them.

"Oh, shit," he slurred, gesturing to the box which was still laid on the table. "Forgot about that."

"I can take it if you want-"

"No, no, Krobus," he shook his head. "I think this one was meant for me," he said, picking it up. "Huh. It's heavy." Tilting it around, he noticed something sliding within, hitting the sides with low thumps. "Odd."

"Welp," he continued, clumsily tucking it under his arm, "guess I'll take this home. It was addressed to me, 'ffter all. Krobie? You wanna go back home?"

"Gladly," Krobus said with feeling. As the two of them walked off into the night, Lewis appreciated how two so mismatched souls could unite in such a perfect and loving harmony.

Chapter Text

Lewis didn't know if he was allowed to explain, or even if he could explain, what he had seen. He felt older, but not in a bad way. Like old wisdom had been planted into a mind far younger than it.

He stayed at Marnie's that night. All she knew is that he had attended the wedding of an acquaintance of his outside of town, which was technically true, and blessedly only asked questions which he could answer. 

"How was it?"

"It was great, thank you."

"Was there any drama?"

"Well, someone the groom knew and nobody else did showed up, but all they did was leave a gift and go."

"What food did you have?"

"Um, I didn't know the names of lots of things, but there were lots of cakes and biscuits and the like, and regular buffet food of course. Lots of absinthe."

"Absinthe?" She laughed. "Sounds like an unconventional wedding."

"You could say that."

Placing a cup of tea in front of him, the most normal thing he had drunk for 24 hours, Marnie landed in the opposite chair.

"So," she began, stirring her cup, "Who was getting married?"

"Oh, an old friend of mine from the city. You wouldn't know him." Not really. 

"Did they look happy together?"

"Yes, certainly."

"Good! You'll pass my goodwill onto the newlyweds, won't you?"

"Of course I will, Marnie." He sipped his tea calmly, noticing the growing dawn outside.

"Do you mind if I go for a walk?" He asked, already getting up. "Need to walk off the absinthe."

"Oh- yes, certainly. You'll be back soon, right?"

"I will," he promised as he stepped out to the sunlight.

She would never know. And yet, maybe she would figure it out - she was often shrewder than Lewis gave her credit for.

He walked out to the pastures, soft grass beneath his feet and a sleepy cow nuzzling at his hand. Green, natural grass, and a mundane cow. It's not that Lewis didn't like what he had discovered - but it was always nice to return home after going somewhere new. The sky was a smooth blue, the air crisp on his face. Home.

Finally, he gazed through the tunnel of trees that led to Fairchild Farm, the sun rising over two figures in the distance, living and working together, in love.