Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon nor its characters.

It's Only Supernatural

"Do not try and act as though you are unaware of what you have done. I may have turned a blind eye to your behavior in the past..." She knew she was angry. She also knew that as a goddess, she should have been more calm even while faced with the situation at hand. After all, no good would come of her losing her temper when that was exactly what the other wanted, and yet... and yet she was having a very difficult time of reminding herself of that. "However, this time I will not be so forgiving."

"And what are you going to do? Drown me in that puddle of yours?" the witch laughed as her wild blonde hair danced about her shoulders. "All I did was make a little wind."

"Yes, and now all of Jack's crops have been blown away!"

"So what? You can't tell me that you actually care about that stupid farm of his, can you? It's not like he's the one doing any of the work with those sprites of yours taking care of everything for him." While she spoke, the blonde deliberately began to toy with the small skull that hung about her neck, and her ruby eyes laughed cruelly to see the spite in the deity's emerald gaze. "What about that girl down in the valley? Those three little idiots you have there keep telling you're asleep, but you're just too busy getting all doe-eyed over that worthless man to be bothered with her. Isn't that right?"

The goddess bristled then, her delicate hands becoming two tight fists held firmly at her side, but it did little to contain her fury. Though there had been a gentle breeze drifting throughout the forest not so long before, it had grown to a steady wind. It was not very strong yet, but she knew that if she did not calm herself down again, there would be yet another storm to come. Therefore, she thought of another way in which to win the argument.

"Then what of you?" she challenged, tossing her long green braid back over her shoulder. "Are you not married to Mark, and do you not use your powers to help him as well?"

It was the witch's turn to lose face then, for while she as known to be a trickster, she still was unable to lie. After all, even if the two had not seen each other in quite some time, it was an unspoken rule among immortals when it came to speaking to one another. One that even she was wary to break.

"He does all his work on his own," the blonde replied cooly. Of course... there were times when she would bring forth rains to quench the fields which may or may not have been the case of the violent winds that had swept over Mineral Town the night before. All the same, it was not as if her husband had asked her to so much as lift a magical finger on the property, and so at the very least, she was still being truthful. "That's more than I can say for that-"

It was then that the two were thrown upwards. By what, neither seemed to know, for they both gave a shout of surprise to be made airborne so suddenly. However, while being immortal, they were still female, and so they could not help but desperately pull at their dresses to keep them from floating up about their waists. A feat that proved to be no easy task given the speed at which they flew.

No sooner had they begun to flail about than they were brought back down on solid ground, or at the very least it was a firm place in which to settle their feet for a time. They said very little at first- aside from a curse which the witch muttered while trying to tame her wild curls once again. The goddess meanwhile felt no need to concern herself with her appearance and only turned her attention to the place surrounding them instead. A place which she then came to recognize.

"Why have we been brought to the Astral Plane?" she wondered aloud as she gazed at the stars that surrounded them. "Has something happened?"

"How am I supposed to know?" the other snapped back. "Maybe one of your sisters turned to rock again." Then, with a wicked sneer, she clasped her hands over her heart and began to speak in a mocking, sing-song tone of voice. "'Oh, poor little me... No one believes in the Harvest Goddess anymore... Guess I'll just turn into a lifeless brick to make them believe.' You'd never see me pulling a stupid stunt like that."

"Oh, of course," the goddess replied as she rolled her brilliant green eyes. "That is because you are far too busy turning me into stone to do it to yourself!"

"I told you that was an accident!" the blonde screeched. "All I wanted to do was to get you to stop saying 'Ta-da~' every single time you came out of that stupid swamp of yours. Why did you even start doing that anyway? Are you some old grandma trying to be young again or something?"

"Grandma? Well, let this grandma tell you something, Princess. I'm not the one who has to make beauty potions every month to keep from getting crow's feet!"

"Please, there is no reason for you to quarrel here..." The two beings turned to face the sudden new arrival. She, too, appeared to be a goddess, yet she could not have been any more different from her older sister. Her hair was not the same rich shade of green. Rather, it was a dark lavender held back in two thick braids, and while the other had the look of a graceful mermaid, she was blessed with the wings of a delicate fairy. However, though her voice was so soft as her appearance, she remained confident in her words. "This is place in which immortals such as ourselves may find peace."

"Yeah, because being stuck here with all you goody-two-shoes is real peaceful." It was at that moment that they were joined by yet another. This time the one who came was not so divine, yet it did little to please any of them. "Oh great, and now I have to deal with you, too. This is going to be just wonderful..."

"Hey, it's not like I want to be here, either, but you guys called me," the child spat back. It was at that same moment that two more guests appeared- one of whom seemed to be very out of place as he was the only man in attendance. Even so, when she saw him, the girl did not hesitate to run and greet him. "Wizard! You came, too?"

"Ah... Witchkins..." Though his voice was solemn, she still giggled to hear him speak to her, and she even went so far as to give him a hug. He only blinked at first as his eyes- one gold and one green- gazed down at her. Still, soon enough he managed to smile though it was nothing more than a mere ghost of what one should have been. "You have... gotten so much bigger... since we last... met..."

"Yeah, a bigger brat," the older blonde scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You still wear too much pink. No one's going to take you seriously like that, you know."

"No one asked you, Auntie!"

"Hey, that's 'Witch Princess' to you!" The two goddesses only sighed and shook their heads in unison while the wizard looked on with little interest. That is until his fellow silver-haired companion decided it was time for her to speak.

"That's strange," she mused with a cruel smirk. "I don't remember you over being the 'princess' of anything." When the other was left gasping for a reply, she only laughed and stomped her black heels on the starry sky. "You really are full of yourself these days, Loki. Just remember until you've beaten me, you're only as good as the rest of us."

"Well, if I remember right, I'm not the one who turned herself into a frog."

"You did that, Auntie Vivi?" the small girl asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. The two spell casters rolled their eyes, for if the tadpoles in her hair and her green rain boots were any indication, it was clear why she would suddenly be so interested in the argument at hand. "What was it like?"

"Horrible. I was covered in slime all day long, and then I had to eat flies. Flies." If she had hoped to disgust the child, she ultimately failed because the little witch could not help but smile to hear it. "Anyway... it wasn't my fault! It was him!" She pointed at the man. "Gale was the one who did it. It was his spell that turned me into that... that thing."

"I... apologized..."

"No, you didn't!" she screeched. "If it wasn't for Molly, I would've been a frog forever, and you know it as well as I do!" Upon hearing the woman's name, the wizard seemed to have been taken aback. But only slightly. After all, he was a solemn man by nature, and so he soon resumed his somber expression once again. "She was the one to ring that stupid bell!"

"Did you not wish for the Harvest King's return, Vivi?" Upon hearing the melodic voice, the others all turned to see the being that now stood among them. She, too, was garbed in white, yet though she was clearly a goddess the same as the other two who came to stand at her side, she seemed to possess a serenity that her fellows lacked. She was calm, unnervingly so, and her very presence quelled the tension within the space. "You know that without him being summoned, the island- your home the same as mine- would never have been restored."

"Sephia." The first goddess beamed upon seeing her, yet though her her expression was cheerful, her tone was much more jaded. "Were you the one to call us all here then?"

"I am very sorry if I disturbed you, Diana, yet I felt this was not a matter that should go without the attention of the Council," she explained. "I am sure you understand how important such a matter would be for me to call you all here." Then, turning to the others in attendance, she continued to speak in a soft, almost lofty voice. "I am pleased to see you all, however. Loki, Witchkins... I hope you have been in good spirits, and you as well Epiphany. It has been some time since we have been blessed to have you with us."

"Yes, I am very glad to be here," the young goddess assured her. "As you always told me, the fates brought me someone to free me from my own darkness." She blushed while she spoke, her wings fluttering slightly with embarrassment, yet soon enough she had composed herself once more. "Forgive me for being so forward, but could you please explain what has happened for you to call us all here at once?"

It was then that there came a blinding flash of light. While the goddesses turned away in reverence and the child shielded her eyes out of fear, the other three only looked on even as there came the sound of thunder. It was only then that the figure emerged, burning like the sun itself, and though they were all more than aware of who stood among them, none were able to speak.

He was an impressive being, standing high above all those who were before him, and even as the fierce light that surrounded him began to dim, his form was still one of raw power. He was well-built with deep, red eyes and a firm jaw, and he seemed to look far beyond any of them as he stared out onto the cosmos that surrounded the small gathering. However, it was the Witch Princess who broke the silence with a long whistle.

"Well... that was impressive," she mused with a smirk. "Why don't you make us some fireworks, too? You know, lighten this place up a little?"

"Do you dare mock me, witch?" he challenged. "I have warned you before that I would not tolerate your insolence any further. I am the Harvest King, and if you insist on speaking to me in such a disrespectful manner, I will have no choice but to-"

"Ignis, please... That is more than enough for now," his companion reprimanded him. Despite her scolding, however, her voice was as light as ever. "We are not here to be prideful. As I had told you, we are here to bring good news." She then brought her attention back to the witch. "And that good news is yours, my dear. Would you care to share it with the others?"

All eyes fell upon the princess, yet she could only stare back at them. "What are you talking about?"

"Your pregnancy, of course." As soon as the goddess has said it, the blonde's face became flushed a deep crimson. However, it was not long before she became all the more embarrassed. "Did you not know?"

"How could you not know?" the other witch demanded. "Aren't you supposed to get sick or fat or something?"

"Well, I don't know, Vivi," she snapped back. "It's not like I've ever been knocked up before. How am I supposed to know how this all works? I don't even know how she found out about it," she continued, pointing an accusing finger towards the head goddess. "None of you probably know how it even happens!"

"I... have read... about it..." the wizard murmured, more to himself than the others. "It is very... simple... really..."

"Okay, fine, so maybe this pervert knows," she sighed as she rolled her bright eyes, "but-"

"It is... a natural part... of life..." he insisted under his breath. It was clear that he was flustered by her comment- though only slightly as was in his nature- yet no one paid him much mind aside from the child who stood next to him. "You are married... after all..."

"So Auntie's going to have a baby?" Witchkins asked in disbelief, tugging on the wizard's cloak. "That's what happens after you get married, right?"

"Not always," Epiphany corrected her, "but, yes, that is usually how it happens... although I must admit I do not know how it all comes about myself. Nor do I particularly wish to."

"My only concern is for that poor child," Diana huffed. "The fates only know what a terror that will be."

"Oh, just listen to you, little Miss Perfect," her rival shot back. "If I remember right, you're the one who can't keep her own sprites under control half the time. I mean, what kind of mother would let a stupid farmer work her children from sun up to sun down?"

"And I'm not the one who sends them to another dimension!"

"Ladies. That is quite enough." The two blinked in surprise upon hearing the great goddess speak so forcefully, yet once she had their attention, she was serene yet again. "If I had wanted to have us bicker, I would have called the kappa here as well."

"Absolutely not," the Harvest King snarled. "I despise that foul creature."

"Yes, as you have often told me," she agreed with an understanding, almost tender, smile. "That is why I made it a point not to invite him to this gathering, for I was hoping that we may be able to have a civil discussion concerning this matter. After all, it has been many years since another immortal was born, and there has certainly never been born to one of us."

"How are we to know that it will even be one of us?" the youngest goddess asked doubtfully. "I mean... Witchkins was the last, and none of us really know how she came about."

"Well... I do suppose that is true..."

The group fell silent then, yet the Witch Princess soon found herself being studied once again by all those who stood there. Their heavy stares soon proved to be too much for her, however, and she quickly lost her temper once more. "Who the hell even cares if it is or isn't? Did you just tell us about this because you thought it was going to be another one of us?"

"No one is saying anything of the sort," the great goddess assured her. "Even if the child- your child, that is- is born as a mortal, it is still cause for celebration. Our congratulations to you and your husband for this joyous event comes first, of course. Even so... if it is a being such as ourselves, I cannot say that I am certain of what should be done, and that is why I have called us all here. After all, should the babe be anything besides a mortal, it is our responsibility to raise that child to its greatest potential."

Without another word to any of them, she turned her back the small crowd. All it took then was a snap of her fingers and a plume of purple smoke, and she was gone. However, it was not before she muttered one last remark to the great goddess herself.

"It's not for you to decide."

--

Upon opening her eyes again, the Witch Princess could only sigh. Whether it was out of frustration or relief, she was unable to say, but her heart felt lighter to see the familiar kitchen and the small living room beside it. After all, even if it did little to reflect her own personality- what with the yellow gingham curtains on the large, white windows and the rooster quilt draped on the arm of the overstuffed couch- it still assured her that she was indeed home.

It was at that same moment she heard a door open, and while she had no reason to doubt who had come, she found herself hoping it was not her fellows having come to follow her. To her relief, though, it was only her husband. "Welcome home, pet."

"Ah, so you are here." The young man spoke with a smile as he stepped in from the rain, his rubber boots and his overalls caked with wet mud, but even though he was such a mess, she blushed all the same to see him. It still baffled her as to how someone like him could affect her, the most powerful witch of all, in such a simple way, but she had learned long before not to question it too deeply. She was only in love, nothing more. "How was your day?"

"Tiring," she replied, her own smile faltering. "I do have some good news, though... Well, it should be anyway, but I guess that's up to you."

"Is that right?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he began to undress himself of his wet things by the door, but after lifting his damp bangs out of his face, he frowned to see his wife seemingly concerned. It was strange for him to see her without her usual confidence, and so it left him feeling uneasy as well. "Did you and the Harvest Goddess have another fight?"

"Not really." It was a lie, of course, but being as Mark was thankfully a mortal, she figured she could get away with it. Besides, she preferred for her husband to know little of her more supernatural affairs. Knowing she was a witch was one thing, but she had no desire to speak of the others. It was far too complicated. "It's about us," she explained. "I think some things are going to be changing around here in the next few months."

"Oh?" he asked doubtfully. "And why might that be?"

The Witch Princess could only sigh and shake her head. She was known to be a straight forward being, so why was she so unwilling to tell him the truth? What was there to be so afraid of? She was just pregnant, after all. He would be happy to hear it just as any other man would... Of course, not every other man had a wife who was at least five centuries older than him and looked not to be a day over twenty, either.

"Princess?"

"I'm pregnant." Mark blinked, being at a sudden loss for words, yet soon enough he began to smile even wider than before. "I just found out today, so... I don't really know what it's going to be yet. For all I know, we might be having a demon or something."

"Well, that would be interesting!" he laughed. "I don't think we need to worry about that, though..." When he realized his wife did not share in his good humor, the man fell silent. He studied her for a moment, his green eyes questioning her with no reply, but at last he came to join her where she stood and took her hands in his. "Are you really that worried?"

"Aren't you?" the woman asked as she narrowed her gaze. "It's going to be hard enough with me being the way us having another one. I know you don't think it's a problem right now, but-"

"It's never going to be," he assured her with a kiss on her forehead. "You and I both knew this is how things were going to be... and even if our baby is a witch or a wizard or whatever, that means you won't have to be alone when I'm gone." It was a topic they rarely spoke of although both knew it was a part of the inevitable, and to hear him say it, she had to wonder- for the first time- if she had made a mistake by marrying him. "It might actually be for the best, you know."

"But you've seen Witchkins," she sighed, resting her head on his chest. Not that she had wanted him to, of course, but it was hard to hide her niece when the two lived in the same house by order of the Harvest Goddess. By Sephia, not Diana, since the latter had thought she had more than enough trouble with one witch without another to join her. "She's almost twelve, but she still looks like she's six!"

"So I'll have more time to see our child grow," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulders. "My mother always said she wished I would go back to being her little boy, so then she could watch me grow up all over again."

"Your whole family must be a butch of idiots..." the witch muttered. "Who'd want to deal with all that crying and carrying on more than once?"

"Someone like me and her, I guess," he chuckled before kissing her once more. "So... are you going to tell the Goddess then, or does she already know?" Making a face, the Witch Princess only shook her head with a wicked smile. She had had enough with all that supernatural nonsense for one day. If anything, she wished she could be like the man who stood there holding her. Someone who was made of flesh and blood, not spells and curses like herself.

If only she was natural.

--

Author's Note: Not sure what I was hoping to achieve with this story, really, since it all just started with me wanting to write all of the mystical beings talking with one another over something trivial. The only problem was I didn't realize I would be writing for eight characters until I had them all there.

As for why I decided to end this story with the moment between the WP and Mark, I can't honestly say why I felt it needed to be there, and I don't even know if it was a good idea to keep it. I just didn't know how else to finish this without making a longer story out of it.

Curse you contests for giving me such inspiration!