Breaking Away From Here-Harvest Moon Animal Parade Fan fiction

Aunt Haley's Gift

{--------------------------------------------------18 years into the future---------------------------------------------}

I cleaned the kitchen for Mother before she woke up. A grand breakfast was on the table ready for us to eat. At 6, she woke up. "Beatrice?" I gestured to the table. "You made breakfast?" I nodded. "Thank you." "Yes. I thought it would be good to get a head start on chores today." "Yeah. We have no idea when your aunt will be here." Aunt Haley was going to visit on her way to a distant land. She decided to move away from Castanet. I wondered why.

Taking a quick glance out the window, I could see Father doing morning chores. I still wanted to help him of course, but I would never ask them if I could ever again. Apparently I was just a "women" now... It was Winter. Spring was right around the corner.

Mother and I cleaned until Father came in from the work. We sat down and ate. "Are you excited to see your sister again?" Mother asked. "Kind of. She tends to be overly hyper, and with all her rebellious actions and such, it's hard to love her...," he trailed off kind of sadly. Aunt Haley is rebellious? I wondered. How come they never told me so? But I didn't dare ask. Asking questions only gets me into trouble. I learned that a long time ago.

Finn listened intently to their conversation while I tried to envision Aunt Haley as the rebellious type. All my life I'd imagined her calm. A seamstress actually, for some strange reason. But in truth, I don't actually remember her. I was only a baby the only time she saw me. It was obvious Father didn't get along with Aunt Haley. She wrote to him often, but he never wrote back. If I had a sibling, they would possibly be my second best friend. At least I have Finn to agree on how literally insane my parents are.

By 12:50, there was a knock on the door. Father had stayed home instead of going to Fallow Mines, so he was the one to answer the door. When he did, I saw an amazing sight. There she was, many rings on her fingers, bracelets on her arms, with a purple blouse, sandals, and jean shorts. Her hair was brown like the rest of ours, but she had a single fuchsia streak though it. Her smile was radiant and her eyebrows creased in a triumphant way. And all of that courageous women was on top of a black horse.

'Why didn't you get off the horse before you knock?!" "Because, I wanted Beatrice to get to see Fredrick! Knowing you, you probably trap her in the house like some fragile china!" Mother and Father frowned, but Finn and I smiled. She swung off the horse. "Don't you have to tie it up!? And where's the saddle!?" Father roared. "It is a he, and he doesn't need  a saddle or to be tied up! He's just that loyal."

Father huffed. I laughed. Mother glared at both Aunt Haley and I. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Beatrix!" "Beatrice," Mother growled. "I always told you guys Beatrix would suit her better. Hi!" She hugged me. I hugged back in awe. "My have you grown. I feel old, but my spirit has always been old, so I'm used to it!" We laughed together. Why haven't I met her before???

The day proceeded in mostly her telling me fun stories about Castanet. She ran a whole farm all by herself, and had tons of livestock, fished, mined, and cooked often. A busy woman. She used to have much livestock, and her early years in Castanet were very prosperous. But one day the Goddess tree wilted and the crops wouldn't grow properly, the water wouldn't cleanse, fire deserted the area, and the wind was absent. She was forced to sell everything and move. All too much she was convinced that every one else would move eventually also.

"We need to go to Castanet, Beatrice!" Finn exclaimed. Eventually it got really late. We ate a quick dinner and went to bed. I let Aunt Haley sleep on my bed while I slept on a feather mattress on the floor. In the middle of the night, she shook me awake. "Beatrix!" she rasped. I looked over at her. "I was waiting for your parents to fall asleep so I could tell you this." I nodded. "I was once just like you. Confined to the sexism of demanding parents. But if you want to break free, break away, you need to run away. You're eighteen now  and I see a certain spark in your eyes that I once saw in mine. Beatrix, here are some new clothes to wear to run away." She tried to hand them to me. I shook my head. "Take them! Take them in case you change your mind!" I took the clothes.

She smiled in the darkness. "You can do this, Beatrix. Go to Castanet, maybe. I'm retiring. You can buy the house I once lived in. I'm just not young enough to fight to keep the land well anymore. I believe in you." I nodded.

In the morning, she ate breakfast, and soon Fredrick and her rode away, earnestly leaving my parents home...