Chapter Text
Finally, she’d arrived in the Forgotten Valley. With a yawn, Pony hopped out of the cab and removed her suitcase from the trunk. As she waved to the driver, she recalled the circumstances that brought her to this place. Her father had left her the deed to his farm and told her that his good friend was still the caretaker of the property. She’d written to the man, Takakura, notifying him of her arrival, so she was expecting to meet him sometime today.
As the car disappeared back into the mountains surrounding the valley, she turned around to walk along the road until she reached her new farm. She followed signs to reach the Forgotten Valley, which appeared to be just past a place called “Vesta’s Farm” just a short way down the road. She filed that information away to save for later; perhaps she could get advice about farming from the people who worked there, since she wasn’t terribly experienced with working the land herself beyond owning a few houseplants for her apartment back in the city. Just past the farm was a bridge; the signpost showed her that there was a spring to the north and a construction site to the south. The town would be on the other side of the river, so she walked on.
Across the bridge, she spied several houses and wondered what kinds of people lived there. Were they kind hearted or judgmental? Would they treat her like an outsider, or would they welcome her with open arms? Were there any people around her age living there? She did her best not to dream too big with the sleepy-looking town, lest she find herself disappointed later on. As much as she wanted to see and meet people like herself, she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. City life was stressful, sure, but small towns had their own disadvantages, particularly if she wasn’t careful.
She hefted her backpack over her shoulders and secured her grip on her suitcase again and continued wandering through the town, looking for any signs that would lead her to her new property. About another block away, Pony could see the silhouettes of a few people near a crossing, chatting with each other. They were up early; it looked like there was a decent garden behind the fence. Someone must have been taking good care of it. As she approached, she could start making out a few of their words.
“... the one that’s supposed to be arriving today? I wonder when her taxi will drop her off. Do you know if she takes more after her father or her mother, Takakura-san?” a woman chattered away at a slouching man.
So he was Takakura, her father’s old friend. From her distance, Pony could see only a few details of his appearance: his posture was failing, though he must have been tall when he was younger; his hair was mostly still black and only starting to fade to grey on the sides; and a stern expression, for someone discussing the daughter of his dearest friend.
Curious as she was to find out what Takakura thought of her late father, Pony decided that she would interrupt their conversation and ask for directions to her new home. She quickened her steps as she came closer, only slowing when she was within conversational distance.
“Excuse me,” she interrupted, and Takakura and the woman both turned their heads toward her. “Are you Takakura-san? I’m Pony; I just arrived in town.”
Takakura nodded. “Yes, I’m Takakura. You must be tired after traveling such a long way,” he remarked. “I’ll show you your house; give me one moment here.” He turned and said farewell to the woman and gestured for Pony to follow. “It’s up this way, over the hill. Not too far.”
“Thank you,” Pony replied. “Do you live here in town, or…?”
“My house is near yours. When we get to the property, my house will be on the right, and yours is on the left,” he answered. “Your father probably would have wanted the fields better-kept, but there’s only so much one old man can do, you know?” He chuckled. “Since you’re here, I’m sure the farm will be up and running again soon.”
“I hope so,” Pony responded. “I’ll admit, I’m not really an expert with this sort of thing. But, I could tell that Dad had hopes for the place, and I want to see his wish through.”
Takakura nodded again. “I can teach you a few things to get you started,” he offered.
Pony opened her mouth to thank him as they crested the hill that led to her farm. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but the area looked pretty quaint, compared to the places she lived in the past. It was cute, though; cozy and homey in ways that her city apartments were not. As Takakura had described, there were two houses. The one on the right appeared to be in much better condition than the one on the left; it was obviously better-maintained. The house on the left must have been empty for years before she came to Forgotten Valley.
She had her work cut out for her.
“It’s not much,” Takakura commented, “but it’s home.” He smiled fondly down at the farmland. “Come, I’ll walk you to your door.”
“Thanks,” Pony answered, and they trekked downward to the house on the left. The paint was peeling off the siding in places, and a couple of roof tiles looked loose, but on closer inspection, the house would suit her needs well, especially considering that it was the beginning of Spring. She’d definitely want to fix a few things up before Winter hit, but she was satisfied for now.
When they reached the door, Takakura handed her the key to the house. “Take your time settling in tonight,” he said. “I’ll be around tomorrow morning to teach you about the farm. Until then.”
He left with a nod, and Pony waved after him.
“Alright,” she said to herself. “Time to see the inside!”
Fiddling a bit with the key, she unlocked the door, turned the knob, and pushed.
The inside was really nothing impressive. The space was fitted out like a studio apartment, with a bed in a private corner and a restroom just past the “bedroom”. The only walls were the exterior walls; nothing internal to separate out the living space from anything other than the bathroom. There was a dining table with a couple of chairs and a plate of food set–likely for her first night in town; she’d have to find a way to fend for herself, as her house had no kitchen that she could see. Turning to her bedroom, she noticed she had a dresser for her clothing and a diary on the bedside table. She set her suitcase next to her bed and continued to look around.
On the far side from the door was a clock and a bookshelf, containing several volumes she was sure to find useful while she was learning to work the land. Pony would probably entertain herself with one of these while she ate dinner, though she also had a TV set and a radio. She’d still be able to keep up with the dramas she enjoyed, if she had satellite service for the TV, but she had a feeling that she wouldn’t really need it, with all the work that she had to do in order to revitalize the farm.
With a sigh, she turned to the table and stepped toward it to unwrap the food that someone had been generous enough to leave for her. She noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under the plate; it looked like a note, possibly from Takakura.
“Pony,
Welcome to Forgotten Valley. I’ve attached
a map of the town to this note, and pointed
out some of the local businesses you’ll want
to check out when starting your farm. There
are some old tools in the toolbox by your
door, as well as some seeds to get you started.
–Takakura”
Pony smiled. She would have to thank Takakura in the morning for the food and the note with the map. Her seeds and tools would have to wait for the morning. For now, she decided to eat, unpack her things, and introduce herself to her new neighbors. If she had time, she would be sure to check out a few of the places marked on the map.
With food in her belly, she was once again ready to take on the task of unpacking, and she emptied her bags so that she could sort her clothing into her drawers. She set her toiletries in the small bathroom and the few mementos she brought with her on the shelves. Satisfied for the time being, she was still itching to move and nowhere near ready for sleep. So, she put her shoes back on and opened the door to step outside once again.
The air was fresh and clear as the sun descended below the horizon. Pony didn’t bring much with her, so unpacking didn’t take long, though it seemed that settling into her new home still took more time than expected. She wondered if she really should be introducing herself to the neighbors this late; most of them were probably winding down to get ready for bed right about now. Still, she was used to her life in the city, which wouldn’t let her sleep until later at night. A walk would tire her out a bit more and allow her to sleep peacefully.
When Pony reached the little town adjacent to her farm, she noticed that there was a building up ahead that seemed somewhat lively, though the rest of the homes in the area looked relatively quiet, even with the lights shining through their windows. Light poured from the windows up ahead, and she could faintly hear the strumming of a guitar and singing voices. Curious, she decided to investigate the source of the light and music.
Apparently, the hamlet of Forgotten Valley had a bar, among the little rural homes surrounding it. Inside, people were laughing, singing, and a couple of people were even dancing while a man played the guitar. The patrons were mostly men, some of them at Pony's age, but there were a few ladies present, as well, most notably the one mixing the drinks.
She was absolutely stunning.
She had long, wavy blonde hair, mischievously sparkling eyes, and a red dress covered somewhat by a soft blue cardigan. Pony felt her mouth go dry and her heart begin to race.
As much as she didn’t want to stand outside, she couldn’t very well go in and make a fool of herself (again, like with the last girl she asked out). No, she had to be calm and cool, like the proverbial cucumber.
Against her better judgment, she swung the door open and stepped inside.
A few heads turned when she entered the bar, but most of them carried on with their conversations or songs. Without much fanfare, Pony mosied over to the bar, the faint scent of alcohol in the air. She took a seat and waved to the intimidatingly pretty bartender.
“Hi,” she greeted, “I’m Pony. I just moved here.”
“Hi Pony,” the bartender echoed with a cheeky smile. “My name’s Muffy. What can I get for you?”
A phone number would be nice; any chance to talk outside of work, really. The bartender–Muffy–was even prettier up close.
“Whatever’s on tap is fine,” Pony answered instead, heat flooding her cheeks. At least she answered clearly enough. Stuttering in front of a girl she just met was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Sure thing, doll,” Muffy replied, and Pony’s heart stuttered instead of her tongue. “Coming right up.”
When Muffy handed Pony her beer, Pony thanked her and changed tactics to people-watching while she finished her drink. And if she snuck a few glances at Muffy while watching people ask her for another drink, she really couldn’t be blamed for it.