Dead Roses, My Fanfic for "It's A Wonderful Life", love story...;) Options

[showchoirgirl]

Dead Roses
Please read and review this for me. If you see something is wrong with it, tell me! I want to know what you think as long as no flames or cussing is involved! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jack_wink.gif)
---Another thing is the simple fact I do not own any of these characters, places, or anything concerning Harvest Moon. That would be Natsume!:)


Chapter One: Loving is Letting Go, Sometimes...

[/indent]Staring out to the fields of flowers, I sat on the edge of the fence. Usually they didn't plant flowers. But this was for a special reason, more so a sad one. He had died. And he was her brother. And the other one's boyfriend. He had died of pneumonia. We were best friends, and he never told me what was really wrong with him. He didn't only have pneumonia, he had an immune system disease. That was what killed him. And nobody even knew, except her.

The 'her' I'm speaking of is Vesta, his sister. The 'other one' is Celia, his girlfriend til the day he died. Marlin was the one that died, but most of us felt like it was the other way around. He was not very well-known in the village or even well-liked, but some of us had managed to befriend him and were really close to him. I knew his girlfriend missed him most, Vesta next in line, and next came me. I missed Marlin like crazy. He was my best friend. Now he was gone.

"Tony... Are you ready?" Celia asked, inferring about my preparation for his funeral.

"As I'll ever be..." I got off the fence and dusted my dress pants.

She stood there, in her plain black dress, like a statue. Her dark hair blew listlessly in the wind. Her face looked the same as her hair. Before, she had seemed so full of life and was always so cheerful and polite. She seemed like she had lost her identity and had taken over Marlin's reclusive attitude when he had first arrived in the village. This would be the last way Marlin would want her to act in the event of his death.

"Celia, you know he'd want you to be happy, right? He'd want you to go on with your life..." I looked her in the eyes.

"You don't understand... Since I saw... Since I saw his lifeless body--- It'll never be the same... God, I loved him!" Celia fell into my arms and cried.

"Now, now---That's no way to act... If Vesta hears you cry, she'll cry, too!" I rubbed her back gently.

She calmed down after a few minutes and Vesta came out, also wearing a black dress. After we had gotten everything together, we led the long line of people up the hill toward Mineral Town, where Marlin was to be buried since he was a member of the Baptist Church there. Celia, him, and me went every Sunday. But Marlin really loved going there, I mean me and Celia liked going to church a lot, but Marlin? He loved going. I think he had some calling to be a preacher, but he got too sick before he could be ordained.

We arrived at the cemetary, and the funeral proceeded like all funerals. The only difference was the person. Despite the funeral's sameness, it was still Marlin's funeral. And I missed him even more. Celia couldn't look at the casket, and Vesta wouldn't talk to anyone. I tried my best to be friendly to people for them, but it was hard. The hardest part was facing Marlin and Vesta's mother, Nadia. I couldn't speak to her and if I did, I'd burst into tears. The lady was heartbroken over her dear Marlin.

I don't know for sure if I remember that day quite correctly, but it was a strange one. It felt like a part of me died with Marlin. Or maybe Marlin hadn't died. Maybe it was a figment of our imaginations. Marlin would still be there. Or maybe we just couldn't accept the truth. Our dearly beloved Marlin had left us for good on the Earth.

* * * --A Few Weeks Later...

Within two weeks, things had gotten worse. Celia wouldn't quit donning that danged black dress, Vesta let all her plants die, and I just didn't have any get-up-and-go. Losing Marlin had taken its toll on us. But we had to get over it. It wasn't right to keep doing this to ourselves. So I went to visit Vesta and Celia that day...

I walked down the dirt path and across the bridge to Vesta's farm. I walked in the door after knocking to see no one in the living room. I looked up into the loft and called for Celia, no answer, but I heard someone up there. So I climbed the steps that ascended to Celia's room.

"Celia?" I asked, once I had spotted her sitting on the side of her bed.

"What...?" she wouldn't look at me, but looked at something she was cradling in the apron of her dress.

I stepped closer to see what she was preoccupied with, "What's wrong?"

She looked me square in the eyes, "He was going to propose!"

I looked closer to see she was cradling a blue feather with a beautiful diamond ring. She had probably found those going through Marlin's old things. The old codger wanted to tie the knot with her. They would've been a nice couple, too. My question to myself was would it have been more painful for Celia to have married him and never found out he was sick until he was dying or just to have him die when she was dating him steady. Would it have been more painful to have married him and to come find out she was carrying his baby or to have never loved him as that?

"Celia... I know you loved him... But you have to know-- he was a sick man... What would you have done if he had married you and you ended up carrying his baby? What would you do if the baby had the same disease? You would've had to have gone through all this again with his child.--- Celia, you've just got to accept God's will, there's nothing more to it..." tears welled up in my eyes.

"Tony, you were his best friend. I know you loved him like a brother... but I loved him! He was the man I wanted to marry and wake up beside every morning! I wanted to have his baby! You don't understand! How could you understand?" she yelped painfully.

I didn't argue with her, but hugged her when she almost fell from bawling. She was right, I didn't know what it was like to lose someone I loved romantically. I did love Marlin like he was my brother, but Celia... she had lost the love of her life. So I held onto her for dear life and cried with her. We were aching on the inside for something. Some hope things would be normal again. Some hope that order would be restored.

So that's how we spent the next few weeks. Just in hope for something. A sign that would tell us that everything was going to be okay, but until that one day, we hadn't seen it. The day was Fall the 5th. It was the day Marlin so looked forward to, and also the day we had met. We weren't exactly friends then and he had responded to my presence almost coldly that first day. But we eventually and unexpectedly became like brothers. Anyway... The day was the Harvest Festival, a day to give thanks to God for the good harvests.

I arrived at the Inn and found that Celia had finally given up wearing black and had started wearing her green dress again. Vesta was about the same, still not talking much. A few other people had come to the Inn for the festival, but not many. Just a few of the old folks from the village and a few kids and people about my age. Beside the point... Celia was helping Ruby, the cook and co-owner of the Inn with her husband Tim, cook. She looked achingly at a finger sandwich in her hand as she assembled it. I tapped her on the shoulder, and she jumped like I had a gun to her back.

"Oh! Tony... Um... Hi!... I guess--" she hesitantly said.

"Celia, I'm sorry for scaring you... How're you doing?" I looked compassionately into her eyes.

She stared into my eyes as if looking into my thoughts, "Better, I guess... This festival won't be the same---"

I interrupted her, "Celia, you can't dwell in the past... As much as I hate to say it, you have to let him go to the point where he isn't stopping you from getting on with your life! You've had two months to mourn... Hasn't it been long enough? Hasn't the two months of pure torture to yourself been enough? Aren't you making yourself sick over this? Look... Come with me! Sorry, Ruby!" I whisked Celia away before she could object, Ruby smiled approvingly and said 'okay'.

By the time we had reached the lobby, music was playing. I danced with her to a few fast tunes. We were having so much fun. Spinning and stepping our way around the lobby. Finally, they put on a slow waltz for couples to dance to. I almost went to sit down, but Celia started to her position for the dance and put her hand on my shoulder and the other in my hand and I put my hand on her waist and gently grabbed her free hand. We stood a decent distance apart and danced around the room.

When the dance ended, it was time for dinner and every boy or man that had on a cap took it off and bowed their heads. A preacher from Mineral Town that had attended said the blessing over the food.We all got a plate with food and found our spots either in the kitchen, lobby, or outside. Celia and I went outside and sat on the bench under the veranda of the front of the Inn which also served as an awning to the ground floor. It wasn't terribly cool, but rather comfortable, so it was okay to eat there.

"So, do you feel any better now?" I asked her.

She laughed gently, "Oh, yes... Tony Vernon... You're the best thing that's happened to me since him. I appreciate you, a lot..."

"You're the best thing that God's given me..." I looked into her eyes and she looked into mine.

We both sat there, looking at each other until Celia broke the silence with a story of Marlin...

"Mmm... The wind is so... Nostalgic. It makes me think of when I was a child and I visited this place. Marlin was always my friend. Even when we lived in the city, we knew each other. I was about eighteen when I came to this place. Seems like forever ago, twelve years looking back. And I remember... I remember Vesta had broken down, crying for her brother. At that time, I had no idea that it was Marlin. And she was telling me about how... Marlin and his girlfriend had been in a bank that was being robbed. Marlin was badly beaten, but not dead. His girlfriend didn't fare as well... She was shot through her heart... She didn't live more than five minutes after it happened. And Marlin was heartbroken...

That was when Marlin came here. He was in pretty bad health. And he often grumbled to himself and wasn't very sociable. I guess you've heard that from many people, and that's why Marlin's never been well liked. But I knew him. I knew he was a gentle soul, from the ways he would act as we played together in the city.

One night, not long after he had arrived, I went downstairs when I thought everyone was sleeping to get a drink of water. As I stepped down from the loft, I heard a gentle mumbling. It was Marlin, praying to God. I could finally understand what he was saying, and he was bargaining with God for his girlfriend, fiancee I should say. He looked up to see me and grumbled angrilly to himself.

'You aren't supposed to bargain with God...' I had said. The tears he had been holding back for so long let loose, and he was crying on my shoulder. I led him outside, so as to not wake Vesta. He confessed to me he didn't think that he had a will to live without her. I told him that any person God leaves on this Earth has a pupose. He stopped crying, and we looked into each others' eyes... much like you and I did... and kissed." her voice was eased and at peace.

"I need to give you something I found last night... I was cleaning out my sock drawer, looking for this," I held out a sealed envelope, "It's for you, from him. He told me to give it to you, if there should ever be a reason to. And I think it's perfect reason now."
[indent]

She looked hesitantly at the envelope. I had no idea why she wouldn't pick it up immediately. But she didn't. I guess maybe it was because she didn't want to have to remember being in love with him.

[showchoirgirl]

Sure thing. I think I've got it all planned out about how it'll end... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalasmile.gif)

Chapter Four: Convicted...

Claire and I walked to the church, talking all the way. The whole time, Muffy and Celia and how I had mistreated them were in the back of my mind. It was killing me, the guilt. Every five seconds, I had Takakura in my conscious scolding me for toying with these girls.

"Tony, you've gotten quiet. Is something the matter?" Claire begged of me as we neared the church.

"There is... Claire, I'm sorry, but I've got to run ahead and apologize to someone..." I took off for the church, leaving Claire far behind.

When I reached the doors, I could see the back of Celia's head, already sitting in a pew. I ran to the seat she had taken and begged her forgiveness.

"Celia, I need to talk to you outside," she looked at me like I was possessed, but still followed my lead to the graveyard beside the church.

"Tony, what is it? I don't want to be late..." she explained like she didn't even want to see me, which was understandable.

"I just want to apologize to you for all I've done... I've made a mess, and I'm trying to fix it. Please, forgive me?" I groveled.

She frowned a bit, "You know you already apologized. You owe me nothing. Now if you'll excuse me..."

I stopped her, "No. You deserve more than just an apology. Celia, if you ever need me, just ask. I'll do anything for you from now on. Don't be afraid to ask, either..."

A young man walked up beside Celia as I begged her forgiveness. She glanced at him and back at me. He gently grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers. In my foolishness, I had ignored the man she was sitting by.

She announced the news I already knew, "Tony, this is my boyfriend, Jack. Jack, this is a good friend of mine, Tony..."

Jack reached out to shake my hand, and I received it. I faked a smile. Celia had a boyfriend, she wouldn't need me anymore. If I confronted her about it, I'd sound like a little kid. I had no business hanging out around Celia anymore. The Harvest Festival and all the tender moments we'd shared before that meant nothing now. We would never actually be friends again. She would marry him and forget about me.

"Well, Tony, it was nice meeting you. Celia, we need to get back to our seats. The service is about to start..." he smiled.

I stood there, shell-shocked. My stillness was interrupted by a gentle tap on my shoulder and the screech of Claire's high voice. I felt like crying.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing..." I said as she headed into the church without me, "I just lost one of the best friends I ever had..."

I sat down beside Claire in the church and waited for Carter to start the service. I looked at the crosses and candelabras throughout the church. Finally the service began with piano music by the quite librarian. The song, "Surely the Prescence of the Lord is in this Place" reminded me of the time I went to a revival about three years back. It also spoke to me. I had been backsliding.

As I sat there, I did something I rarely ever did. Cry. The hot tears rain down my face and landed on the pages of the hymnal that was before me. Claire looked mysteriously at me. Celia looked back from her pew and saw my face. From what I could observe, she was crying, too.

I knew why for her. Marlin always went around humming this tune. It was almost like God was trying to remind us of why we were friends to begin with. Like he was scolding us for almost giving up one of his greatest gifts. Friendship.

I dried my eyes, hoping Celia would look back again. She did. But this time, she was smiling at me. I gave her my crooked smile and she almost laughed out loud during the sermon, but she was able to contain herself, and so was I.

Carter finished his sermon about thirty-minutes later. We were free to talk. I ran over to Celia when Jack finally departed from her side. She smiled at me as she had done during the service.

"Tony, I'm so sorry-- I..." I interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"No, it was my fault... I shouldn't have done that to you!" I cried, halfway.

Her eyes grew shimmery with tears, "Oh, Tony... I was childish. But it would be foolish to give up this great friendship God has given us!"

I laughed, "Yeah, we were almost too blind to see that!"

I hugged her, but immediately let go when Jack approached. His face showed mixed emotions. One of those emotions was anger.

"Celia, we've got to get going," he said coldly.

"Bye, Tony," she was still smiling.

I didn't exactly know what it was that triggered the feelings I had in the church, but they felt reassuring. First, I had been convicted for acting like a fool around Muffy and Celia. I had apologized to Celia, but I still owed Muffy one. But then some sort of hope came over me. Something telling me that everything was going to turn out okay, despite the mess I had made of things. I hoped so. I didn't want to leave Forget-Me-Not for good...

This post has been edited by showchoirgirl: Apr 14 2009, 08:39 PM