When the Stars Fall (Stardew Valley Fanfic)

Dry Your Tears

"Have you seen me?"

Seeing the picture of Maru on the bulletin board outside of Pierre's General Store made Ardyce Holmes do a double-take. There was her best friend from high school, grinning out of the missing person's picture in all her glorious nerdiness while her red hair cascaded down around her brown facial features and glasses. Her stomach lurched, remembering she was the last person to see Maru as the raindrops ran down the window outside of the diner.

"Have you seen her?"

Of course, over the last month she'd felt as if she were the only one other than Maru's parents who'd not given up on finding out what happened to Maru, so seeing the question pop up in a message board frequented by those who attended and graduated from their high school – Ardyce wasn't sure whether it was an unwelcome surprise or an unwelcome shock. She didn't recognize the username drowningwizard either but doubted anyone else who used the message board knew who they were either.

They simply showed up one day, asking for information regarding Maru.

"Please. Have any of you seen Maru? Do any of you have any information regarding where she might be?"

Ardyce remembered doing that song and dance, having learned already that nobody in the forums had any further information regarding the girl many simply remembered as the red-haired Black girl who happened to graduate a year ago with the rest of them at age sixteen. Yet, despite not knowing her, so many made a great show of grieving the girl who went missing, not to mention putting forth the theories that Maru was unfortunately dead.

"Maru isn't dead. She wouldn't do that to her parents," the person calling themselves drowningwizard wrote.

"Bro, people don't choose to die," someone wrote, not that Ardyce paid this much attention.

"Someone must have seen her. Please? I need to find her."

"Why? Are you her lover boy?"

"No. That's disgusting."

"What? You wouldn't want to date a Black girl?"

"That's not what I said."

"So, you think that she's ugly."

"I didn't say that either. None of you are taking this seriously."

"You're the one who said being her lover boy was disgusting."

"What's disgusting is the fact you're joking about me being her lover despite not even knowing who I am and ignoring my questions about where she is."

"Lay off," Ardyce remembered writing. "It really isn't funny, teasing them about being her lover when they came looking for honest answers." She then wrote to the person in a private message, "Why do you think Maru's still alive?"

"Because she wouldn't do that to her parents."

"You said that already in the message board. That doesn't really answer my question, but I really don't think Maru wouldn't have gone off somewhere without telling her parents."

"Then you didn't really know Maru, did you. She's not the perfect little angel everyone makes her out to be." Which of course sounded cruel when Ardyce read those words, if not outright creepy. "Nobody is, to be honest, but I wouldn't blame her. Not when Demetrius would have put his foot down regarding any travel plans. If she told Robin, Robin would have told Demetrius."

"I see you didn't mention her brother." Ardyce was surprised the person didn't respond to that message. "Hello? If you don't think she's dead, what do you think she's doing?"

"Maru said something to Robin about meeting up with a friend from her high school." Which, it surprised Ardyce that this particular person knew this bit of information. "Her best friend from high school which is why Demetrius didn't object to them going off on a trip together."

"Dude. I am that best friend and I was the last person who saw her that day. It was the only day during this bloody drought that it rained, and only while we were meeting in the diner." As if, Ardyce remembered, someone was crying, but perhaps that was her projecting onto the raindrops on the diner window in hindsight.

Again, for a brief moment, the person didn't respond, but then they wrote out. "No. She can't be dead. Everybody in the valley loved her."

"Wait? You're from Stardew Valley?" There came no response and she typed another message. "That actually isn't true though, is it? Because if you knew Maru you would know that there is one person in Stardew Valley with whom she didn't have a good relationship with. Her older brother. Half-brother, I should say."

She'd not received a response from the person going by drowningwizard after that, but it certainly perked her interest. That was how she found herself here a week later, in Stardew Valley during a horrid drought that made the sun beat down miserably. Taking a deep breath, Ardyce pushed open the door of the general store, the bell jingling as she did so. She stepped into the place and saw a man with rather pale skin behind the counter. "Are you Pierre?"

"Yes? And you are?"

"Ardyce Holmes. I'm renting the apartment above your shop, but I was told that you would have the key to the apartment?"

"Yes, though you've got to go around back to get into the apartment. Let me show you." The man stepped out from behind the counter, calling out rather loudly. "Abigail!"

"What!" A girl with violet hair popped her head into the general store, her facial features twisting in irritation.

"Stop playing your video games and watch the counter for me while I take Ms. Holmes around back."

"Great." Abigail rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me like that young lady. Not if you want me to treat you like an adult," the man chided, yet from that Ardyce wondered if the girl was in fact the man's daughter. Shaking her head, she followed him behind the store to a set of steps where he unlocked the apartment and opened the door for her. "It's not much, but the rent I've been told is cheep."

She found herself heading straight for the balcony which overlooked the village center. Leaning over the railing, she asked "You don't own the place?"

"Just the store and place downstairs. The mayor is in charge of the apartment. What exactly brings you here to the valley?"

Ardyce turned, looking him in the eye. "I'm looking for a friend. A friend who went missing to be precise."

The man's eyes widened. "You mean Maru?" His eyes then narrowed. "Seriously, hasn't that family gone through enough pain?"

"Don't they deserve to know what happened?" She let out a sigh. "Look. I was the last person to see her that day, and if I'm looking for answers regarding what happened, then surely they are as well."

"Just tread lightly. They've enough problems as it is."

"You mean in regard to Maru's brother?"

"Yes. They've enough problems as it is with Sebastian. I'll leave you to get settled, but I'll leave the key right here." He set the key down on the counter and left, obviously far from pleased that she was here.

"What did you expect Ardyce," she muttered to herself. "A warm welcome when you're looking into whether someone here in the valley killed your best friend from high school?"