It might look like these two highlights are longer than the previous three, but...there's a couple of events that involved these couples that needed to be shown before the end of the story.
Aaaand...okay...I've decided to break the two couples highlights up into separate posts simply because of picture content. There's a lot! Enjoy the first! The next one will follow shortly! Pelican Town to Sims Town Continuation of Chapter 19
When Sebastian and Abigail weren’t doing band stuff with Sam, they’d play video games, “chillax,” sometimes attend the android’s plays at the theater, make-out backstage afterward, and go on long motorcycle rides. And of course they found plenty of ways to have fun with Abigail’s magic.
One time they were snickering about a dream Abigail recently had about “Toadifiying” Haley. Sebastian could just picture it…
As hilarious as that would’ve been to do to her a few months ago - heck, especially back in high school - Abigail expressed to Sebastian that she wouldn’t have the heart to do it to Haley now, even as a joke. Maybe someday, when everyone in Pelican Town was comfortable with magic again, she could prank Haley with it, with Sam on board, and the four of them would get a good laugh out of it; as best friends. All she had to do was start off by telling Haley she found a spell for an instant full body tan - which was true - and go from there. It would be a hoot!
One day when the weather felt warm enough, Sebastian and Abigail pulled out the “slip n slide;” it being a favorite pastime activity of theirs. In fact, it was the very activity that introduced them to each other as kids.
“Wee!” Abigail squealed, sliding on her belly the second time around.
Then there was an “Oof” as her head and shoulders crashed into Sebastian’s legs.
“SEB! What are you doing!?”
“Oh, sorry!” Sebastian grimaced down at her. “I was trying to get some water out of my ears.”
“Well you coulda moved over to the side to do that…”
“Well I didn’t know you were gonna slide that quickly after me…”
They might have engaged in a tiny little argument there, but made up rather quickly.
At the Spring Festival when they gave the “Love Inspector” a go, their result lit up the heart at the top.
Uncontrollable: Such raw energy - you remind Love Inspector of a beautiful, uninhibited night that Love Inspector shared with Claw Machine.
That made them burst out laughing. (Not really wanting to entertain any thoughts on that…) What an odd machine!
Sebastian couldn’t help demonstrating that “raw energy” in front of the Love Inspector by throwing his lips onto Abigail’s and gripping her buttcheek at the same time.
“Oooh!” Abigail squeaked for a second. “Control yourself Seb…,” she winked. “We’re in public.”
“You heard the Love Inspector, I can’t control it,” he playfully retorted.
Giggling, she kissed him again; maybe gripping his buttcheek in return.
And somehow the heart at the top lit up again.
The two engaged in most of the activities the other’s did, except for riding the mechanical bull. Sebastian always wanted to try that out and had a blast doing it! Even if Abigail watched with nervousness written all over her face.
And of course he got bucked off in the manner that she was afraid of.
“You okay?” she tenderly asked, carefully helping him up onto his feet.
“Yeeeah…I just need to sit down for a minute. Feeling kinda dizzy…”
“Guess now is the perfect time to grab some lunch, eh? Or maybe…no?”
“No, yeah. Lunch is good.” Comfort food sounded really good right about now.
After that the two goofed around in the giant water fountain for a bit before going home.
That evening, Abigail tossed and turned in her bed, in and out of consciousness.
She suddenly found herself inside the Wizard’s tower, standing a few feet away from him. Rasmodius turned from his bubbling cauldron, his cape swaying to the side from some mysterious force, and held a pleased look on his face.
Welcome back, my daughter. You have completed the quest.
Hearing him call her his daughter made Abigail’s heart swell with joy and love. She couldn't help running towards him and jumping right into his outstretched arms, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. As they held each other tightly for a few seconds, he whispered into her ear, “It's not time yet…”
Confused, she broke their embrace to look him in the eye, and once she did…he and the cauldron turned to smoke and vanished. She then found herself being thrown a hundred thousand miles an hour backward into…the stars? Oblivion?
Her racing heart awoke her with a start, her eyes darting around the room as her chest rose and fell. She recognized her surroundings instantly. It was her bedroom in Appaloosa. “We’re still here,” she whispered. Maru sleeping soundly in the bed next to her also confirmed it.
“We’re gonna return home soon,” she whispered again, contemplating the dream, with conflicting emotions, as her breathing slowed to a normal pace. “I can feel it.”
Because of that she felt to visit her dear ghostly, Appaloosian friend Donna one last time…to say goodbye.
Normally Abigail didn’t believe in “Goodbyes.” It was always, “See you later.” But in this case though, with Donna, there was no “see you later.” When they leave Appaloosa it will be for good, never to return. It was becoming a hard thing for Abigail to accept. She felt terrible for not visiting Donna in so long - pretty much since she hooked up with Sebastian - and she knew that if she didn’t take a moment to say goodbye she would painfully regret it forever when they did finally return home.
The following evening, Sebastian accompanied her to the graveyard so that he could meet Donna as she wished, before saying goodbye.
She placed a beautiful bouquet of fresh picked flowers on Donna’s grave just before sunset to help encourage her appearance. “Please come and see me Donna,” she implored, trying not to get too emotional. “I’ll be here, waiting for you.”
And that’s just what she and Sebastian did until it got dark.
Donna appeared about an hour after dusk and Abigail’s eyes lit up. Sebastian on the other hand, felt a bit creeped out. He’d never seen a ghost before.
Abigail comforted him as they stood up from the bench to greet Donna as she floated closer towards them.
“You came!” Abigail happily expressed, giving Donna a tight air hug.
“Of course,” Donna answered. “Your soul was pulling greatly at my spirit. It was a lovely surprise.”
Throwing her current thoughts on that aside for now, Abigail said, “There’s somebody I want you to meet,” and turned, beckoning a timid Sebastian forward. “My boyfriend and love of my life, Sebastian. He goes by Seb for short.”
Donna broadly smiled as she held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Seb.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too Donna,” Sebastian greeted in return, shaking her invisible hand. “Abby’s told me a lot about you.”
Donna swooned, giggling like the teenager that she was and turned towards Abigail whispering, “He’s cute! Way to go!”
“Thanks!”
Sebastian of course overheard and it made his cheeks blush.
The three talked together for a little bit, Donna mostly getting to know Sebastian.
Until Abigail kindly asked him if she could have a moment alone with Donna. He complied with a nod and stepped away to go check out the Mausoleum.
“I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a while,” Abigail finally expressed.
“It’s alright. Really,” Donna assured, feeling her emotions. “I can see why…” She smirked.
Abigail chuckled, but it soon faded. “So umm…How’ve you been?”
The girl shrugged. “Good, I guess. Same old, same old. Continually wondering when I’ll get to see my family’s posterity again.”
“Yeah about that…,” Abigail lowered her head, picking at a nail. “It might be pretty soon.”
“Oh?”
She raised her head. “I had this dream, or maybe it was a vision, who knows, about returning home and it just left me with this feeling like it’s going to happen soon. So, that’s why I wanted to see you. To say goodbye…”
Now Donna could really feel Abigail’s emotions, and there were many. "Abby..."
“I just wanted to say,” Abigail continued, with a hint of a choke, “thank you. Thank you for your encouragement in helping me discover my true self. For being there for me, when no one else was.”
“Oh Abby,” Donna began, getting emotional herself, “I really didn’t do much, but thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you’ve found yourself and your destiny here. And true love even,” she gestured her head towards Sebastian. “There’s no greater gift in all the universe. I am very happy for you.”
“Thank you,” she paused to wipe away the incoming tears. “You’re the most ‘unique’ friend I’ve ever had…and I’ll never forget you.”
“I’ll never forget you either Abby,” the girl soberly said, hugging Abigail again. A few tears were shed.
After the final “Goodbye” and Donna floated away, Abigail turned into Sebastian’s warm embrace and cried into his chest for a long moment as he caressed her back. He hadn’t seen her cry like this in a while, but it was understandable.
“I hate goodbyes…,” she sobbed.
“I know you do…,” he soothed.
“Is it wrong of me to not want to go home?”
Sebastian drew back and studied her face for a moment.
“I mean, yes, I miss my parents and I really want to see the Wizard again, but,” she emotionally swallowed, holding her hand to her chest, “the peace I’ve felt here…the freedom to be myself…I don’t want that to go away. Because it will when we return…”
Sebastian lowered his eyes. “For a time maybe, yes,” he sadly had to acknowledge, “but–”
“And then there’ll be the dilemma between my three parents and I just…,” she shook her head, “I dunno if I can handle the outcome if it’s not what I wish it to be.”
“I know,” he soothed again, wiping away one of her tears. “But remember, you’re not going to face all that alone. You’re going to have me. Right there beside you. Always.”
Abigail looked up at him with loving appreciation. It felt good to be reminded of when her fear would so often make her forget. “Still, part of me wishes we could stay here…just so we can avoid it all…”
“I have a feeling that our absence has caused some changes over there; changes for our benefit. And babe,” he added with a promising assurance, “It’ll become that same Pelican Town your real dad and mom fell in love in, especially with the trails you and I are going to be blazing.” He lovingly smiled. “Nothing’s gonna stop us. All will be made right. We’ll live out our life together, with little kids running rampant around the house that possess magic like their mom, without any fear. We'll have peace and happiness, for the rest of our lives. You'll see.”
“Yes!” Abigail sniffed with a bright grin, her faith renewed. “We will!” She threw her arms around him again and kissed him deeply. “Oh how I love you Sebby! That's exactly what I want! Thank you.”
@emorrill Happy to see another update!
Haley makes a great toad! Ribbit! Shame it wasn't for real.
Cute pictures of Abby and Sebastian on the water slide.
I don't think I ever got that comment from the love machine!
I love that bull riding machine! Seb looks cute riding it.
Great poses in the fountain.
Eek, what a strange nightmare/dream, but good it helped her remember to say goodbye to Donna.
Lovely words between her and Donna.
Even more lovely words between her and Seb. I love his support and that he didn't talk her out of her fear, just reminded her she's not alone anymore.
I wanna see all those little Abby and Seb's running around!
Awesome update.
Pelican Town to Sims Town Continuation of Chapter 19
Apart from being all over each other in their new relationship, Sam and Haley just did whatever they felt like doing each day, never making any plans, only making memories together.
One day they were feeling nostalgic…wishing to relive a moment in their Appaloosa past where the spark of their attraction for each other pretty much ignited.
Hand in hand they raced out the sliding glass door into the backyard garden area, heading straight for the sprinklers. They dorked and frolicked around them for a bit.
“You know,” Haley began to Sam, amidst all the fun, “I kinda miss that cute, ginchy boy you used to be.” She winked with a smirk.
“Really!?”
“Kinda.” She playfully joked, sticking her tongue out.
“So…,” Sam spread his arms out, “if I happen to lose this hot bod I worked so hard to gain…you’ll still love me?”
Haley paused for a moment, giving him a lovingly sincere expression. “Of course I will.”
“Yeah right…,” Sam dismissed, teasing her a little.
Haley huffed as her jaw dropped, playing along. “Excuse me? You don’t trust me!? I’m offended!”
“It has nothing to do with trust, I just know what you - former miss popular girl in high school - prefer in a guy.”
“Do you?” She folded her arms with a pointed look. “Do you really?”
He shrugged with a look of confidence.
“Maybe you should ask my sister, or even Penny, what I’ve said about your hot self in the past. Even before we came here.” She smirked again.
That threw Sam for a loop. “You had the hots for me back home!?” He widely grinned.
“Maaaybe,” she grinned back. “It was only you and Alex that I thought were hot though. All the other boys were eww!”
In a pleasurable surprise, the sp'iky-haired man placed his hands on his hips and gave her almost the same loving look she previously gave him. “Well I’ll be darned…”
Haley’s cheeks blushed brightly. “C'mon, let's get wet some more. I’m still expecting a hard, wet butt slap from you…maybe a few,” she bounced her eyebrows at him, her eyes gleaming with seduction.
“Oh you got it sexy babe!” Sam exclaimed, raising his palm at the ready.
“OOH!”
Lately the two had been performing songs together, one of them being a new one Sam wrote for the band. (With help from Haley actually.) Haley sang the lyrics for him, hoping she could one day be a part of the band in that regard.
I’m a nightmare,
A disaster,
That’s what they always said.
I’m a lost cause,
Not a hero,
But I’ll make it on my own.
I’m gonna prove them wrong!
Me against the world!*
As much as Sam tried to be encouraging and supportive towards her singing, it was, unfortunately, not her best talent. Grimaces slipped through his suppression attempts one too many times when she would hit certain notes. Haley obviously noticed.
However, it didn’t hurt her feelings too much. She knew she wasn’t the best singer, and as much as she was disappointed in not being able to be a part of her boyfriend’s band, she swiftly let it go. “At least I tried.” Sam was a much better singer anyway. Heck, he was the best at everything musical to her.
“Aww, sorry babe,” Sam expressed, taking her into a hug and giving her a sympathy kiss.
“It’s okay…,” she sighed. Then her eyes lit up, a brainwave sparking. “Wait! Maybe I can be a part of the band in another way! Like, be your PR Rep or something. I am a pretty good photographer after all…,” she trailed off with a proud look.
Sam’s smile widened. “That’s a fantastic idea! I dunno why I didn’t think of it before. You’d seriously be the perfect PR Rep with your skills and personality!”
“I know!”
“Then it’s official! You’re our PR Rep.”
She giggled. "I'll get your band in the limelight in no time...just you wait and see."
"Oh I don't doubt it!"
They kissed again.
When the two attended the Spring Festival it was their turn to try out the “Love Inspector.”
Hot Stuff: Please do not kiss near Love Inspector - Love Inspector was constructed from cheap, highly flammable materials.
“Umm…okay then,” Sam chuckled - along with Haley - at that last part; both not sure exactly what to think about it.
“I thought the results were gonna be super LAME!” Haley expressed. “But you sure are hot stuff…” She turned to him with that seductive look in her eye.
“No, you’re the hot one babe,” Sam corrected. “Wanna kiss in front of it to see if it will actually catch on fire from our burning love?” He grinned with bouncing eyebrows.
“Totally! But…maybe we should step away from it a little bit? Like this.” She didn’t want her hair, or rather them, getting singed.
“Gotcha.”
“Aww, it didn’t catch on fire…,” Haley moaned afterward.
“It’s all good,” Sam comforted. “It’s a stupid machine anyway…
…guess that didn’t make it catch on fire either.”
Once again he made Haley laugh, as he often did.
After that, they stumbled upon an odd looking contraption to which Sam offered to investigate first for safety. Some instructions were engraved on an inconspicuous part of it that were a little hard to read.
“Wow. Ok. So, it’s some kind of gravitational endurance thingy that spins you around one way and then the opposite and you have to try to keep your balance through it all. It's called a Gyroscopic Dance Sphere.”
“Okaaay?”
Sam then stepped into the sphere. “Man this is gonna be SICK!” he declared with excitement after getting his hands and feet in position and watching the metal rings close in around him.
“Be careful Sammy…”
“Don’t worry. I got this!”
For a good five minutes Sam managed to keep his grip and stay upright whichever way the sphere turned. (He set the speed to medium.) He attributed his stamina to all the strength training he had been doing in the past few months.
The electrical sparks that randomly flashed for no apparent reason might’ve made him and Haley feel a little nervous. But it was epically fun!
Until the moment Sam lost his grip and got fumbled around like a guinea pig inside its play ball rolling down a rocky hill before it finally stopped.
“That was…ow…not pleasant,” he groaned.
“OMG! Are you okay!?” Haley cried, racing to his aid.
Once she knew Sam was alright she insisted on trying out the "gyro-sphere" for herself. It looked like way too much fun not to, and she figured she might never get the chance to try something like it again. Sam didn’t think it was a good idea and cautioned her, but she assured him she’d be fine just as he did her. “I’ll set it to the slowest speed okay?”
“Okay…”
Haley seriously underestimated how hard it was to hang on and keep her balance.
But got the hang of it in no time.
"WOO HOO!" she cheered.
“Heeeey,” Sam greeted with bouncing eyebrows at her dangling breasts in the current position the sphere held her in. He was greatly hoping they would pop out of her top - oopsie! - but he wasn’t going to say it.
Eventually Haley’s poor limbs gave out and she crash landed almost as hard as Sam did. He did his best to stop the sphere before she got fumbled around too badly.
“Ugh…I think my back is broken,” she groaned, lying on the hard ground.
“You’re exaggerating right?” Sam asked with great concern. “Please tell me you’re exaggerating.”
“Of course I’m exaggerating Sam! Ohhhh, it just hurts to move a little…”
“It’s okay,” Sam soothed, crouching down to pick her up. “I gotcha.”
Haley’s heart swooned at the gesture.
He offered to carry her anywhere she wished, and do whatever she wished.
What she wished for was some shade and him…lying his head in her lap and playing songs on his guitar for her.
"You got it," he granted.
When the sun began to set on the day, for “funzies” Haley decided to take over the kissing booth for the males since the lady android left her post for whatever reason.
Of course Sam was the first to step forward and get a kiss from her.
Little did either of them know that someone was on his way to kiss the android woman at the booth, but halted when he saw it was Haley instead.
Haley instantly stopped the kiss when she noticed him, looking down in awkwardness. Sam turned his head to see why she had. Oh. Alex.
“Guess I should leave the booth now,” she whispered.
“Guess so,” Sam agreed. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
She gave him a questionable look, but he gestured with his head for her to go anyway. He would explain later.
Once Haley was gone, Sam slapped his hands into his pockets and blew out a breath as he turned towards the tall, ever muscular figure still standing behind him. He and Alex hadn't spoken a word to each other since the fight and he wondered if this was a good time to fix that. Only one way to find out.
“‘Sup Alex,” he casually asked while moseying forward. “Need something?”
“Not really,” came the reply. “Where’d that android chick go? I thought I’d come over and give her a kiss. She looked pretty cute.”
“Yeah she’s over there dancing by herself for some reason,” Sam answered, carefully approaching and stopping beside him.
“Hmm…guess I’ll catch her later then.”
An uncomfortable silence ensued, both distracting themselves from it by watching the lady android dance - her physique indeed fine to look at - with one expecting the other to walk away, but they didn’t. Perhaps Alex was feeling the same way he was, Sam thought.
“‘Dancin’ with myseeeelf…,’” Sam couldn’t help singing in regards to the female android. It made him happy that Alex chuckled at it.
“Terrible…”
“Seriously though! Who dances all by themselves, doing the same moves, on the same square, with a permanent smile on their face? I think she might be malfunctioning…”
Alex chuckled again.
“Well,” Sam sighed, somewhat extending an olive branch, “at least it’s nice to know that if you stay in the friendzone with Maru, there’s a pretty android you can hook up with when you feel lonely.”
“Shut up,” Alex uttered, playfully bumping Sam’s shoulder with his fist.
“I’m just sayin’! I sure didn’t think I had that luxury when Maru dissed me after our first kiss.”
“You were never meant to be with her,” Alex stated rather abruptly, which he honestly didn’t mean to do. He quickly composed himself. “Just like…I was never meant to be with Haley,” he concluded, finally turning to Sam with a meaningful look in his eye.
Sam met his gaze, giving a nod of acknowledgement, feeling the words he couldn’t speak.
They both turned their gaze back to the lady android again, noticing the android security guard joining her on the dance floor, but she paid him no mind.
“I still can’t believe you kicked my a$$ in that fight…”
“Me neither!” Sam laughed.
Alex sighed. “Guess it's because I deserved it…”
“Wellll…,” Sam hesitated to voice his agreement, digging at the ground with the tip of his shoe.
“Look, it's okay if you say it. We both know I did, and I was wrong, so…sorry for being a je'rk. We cool?”
Sam cracked a smile at him with gladness. “Yeah. We're cool.”
"Cool."
In the distance, Maru had been watching the two converse and her smile grew brighter and brighter at every interaction. She could see everything was good between them now and she couldn’t have been more proud of her two guy friends. Especially Alex.
****
Guess that just leaves...Maru and Alex now huh?
More to come later.
A/N: *The song Sam "wrote" was not written by me, it's a real song by Simple Plan. I could totally picture it being one Sam would write. 👍 If any of you recognized the song right away by reading the lyrics, you are awesome! Enjoy!
The results from the Love Inspector have been awesome to read and share in the story! I wasn't sure if the machine would catch fire if Sam and Haley kissed in front of it so of course I had to try it. Is it wrong of me that I was a little disappointed that it didn't? 🤪 Do any of y'all know if it sometimes will?
I didn't notice until it was too late that Sam and Alex are totally looking in the *wrong* direction of the dance floor during their chat - creating an inconsistency to the text, which I try my *very* best to avoid in my stories - but...oh well! In my haste to finish the story, "ain't nobody got time to fix that!"
Hey! No fair turning Haley into a toad. But I volunteer to kiss her back to human, warts and all.
Love Inspector phrases are great! Congrats to the programmer who did those.
I love the fountain poses.
Oooooh the Wizard welcoming her back. A dream or a foreshadowing???
Sad to see her have to say goodbye to Donna. Was she an android ghost or somehow a real sim that died there?
LOL Haley you tease, shaking that stuff in the sprinkler.
And you put her in that red top just for me, didn't you? Sam, I was thinking the same thing buddy.
More fun with the kissing booth. No super-hot kiss this time. Was it still Bekkasan's simself, and she wandered off on her own? Too funny! NPC's never do what they're supposed to do.
Uh oh, its Alex, time for drama! Good for them to work it out without incident. Alex has matured from the frat boy.
Can't wait to see Alex and Maru's story and interactions here.
I don't know the song, but it sounds good, I like rock music.
I'm a 48 year old married man, with a beautiful wife, a cat, and a simverted personality.My Sims 3 Pictures
The first part of the update wow!. gorgeous screenshots you are so much
better at taking them than I am, great job!
It was great seeing how fun they had, and a bit bittersweet when they met Donna.
They will prob miss the area when they do return home but feel good being back.
Lol at Abigail turning Hayley into a toad in her dream!
@emorrill Happy to see the next part of the update! Except, I wonder why Sam and silly Haley deserve a whole update to themselves and not Shane! Nevermind, I'm gonna load my game and ogle blond Shane
Cute pics of Haley and Sam playing in the water.
Well, I'm kinda glad Haley can't sing. Haley doesn't need to be joined at his hip by joining the band. I thought she was becoming her own woman? ok, I see she is gonna be a part by doing PR.
I had seen the hot stuff one. it's cool seeing how different they are for each couple. I've never seen the machine catch fire...but it would be easy to do.
I love the gyro!
hehe, android Bekkasan wandered off to dance on her own! I dunno if the real deal would do that...course the real deal wouldn't be at the kissing booth either. Well, 20 something S might have!
Good chat with Sam and Alex. I'm happy that Alex has come to terms with it. He deserves much happiness in his life and I hope he gets it. I will come out there and whoop you with hot noodles if he doesn't.
Looking forward to the next part, but not looking forward to the end.
@bekkasan It's been a joy to read your thoughts on these last two updates.
Haley makes a great toad! Ribbit! Shame it wasn't for real.
^Lol! I know...I wrote out Abby actually pranking her with it, but it just didn't feel right. I felt like it was killing the spirit I was portraying in the final highlights (and also the spirit between the group that I had portrayed previously). So yeah, I had to go with what felt right like we texted about. 👍
Lovely words between her and Donna.
Even more lovely words between her and Seb. I love his support and that he didn't talk her out of her fear, just reminded her she's not alone anymore.
^Thanks. Seb is a good one.
Oh I know you'd love to see little Abby and Seb's running around.
----
Except, I wonder why Sam and silly Haley deserve a whole update to themselves and not Shane! Nevermind, I'm gonna load my game and ogle blond Shane
^Lol! He and Emily did have the biggest highlight above with Harvey, Penny, Elliott and Leah. I still love how much you love blonde Shane.
Haley is becoming more independent, but she also wants to be around her man. Especially if he'll be touring around with his band.
I've never seen the machine catch fire...but it would be easy to do.
^LOL! Oh my gosh why didn't I think about using debug!? 🤦♀️ Oh well. (That would've been fun. )
Yep, your SS totally wandered off to dance by herself for HOURS! She later played horseshoes beside Emily and Shane. Gee, I wonder why? (You can see her in the background in one of the playing horseshoes pics. I dunno if you noticed earlier. )
I'm happy that Alex has come to terms with it. He deserves much happiness in his life and I hope he gets it. I will come out there and whoop you with hot noodles if he doesn't.
^Hot noodles?? Haven't heard that one before.
No worries. I know what I'm doing.
Oh yeah, Did you like that I wrote in Alex thinking your SS is pretty cute?
I'm so so excited to write the next part and I can't wait to share!
Thank you always for your sweet and humorous comments.
Hey! No fair turning Haley into a toad. But I volunteer to kiss her back to human, warts and all.
^Hee hee. 🥰
I actually had Sam kiss her and she changed back to her normal self.
Guess we'll see if the dream was a foreshadowing of what's to come when they return.
Sad to see her have to say goodbye to Donna. Was she an android ghost or somehow a real sim that died there?
^She's not an android ghost, she was a real Appaloosian resident that died and her spirit stayed on the world. Here's a little refresher for ya.
(I was gonna put it in a Spoiler, but others might like a refresher so I kept it open for all to view. )
Standing about four feet away from the spirit now, the girl turned and met eyes with Abigail without a single flinch at her sudden appearance. “Hello there,” she greeted.
“Hi,” Abigail greeted back.
Then the spirit girl’s eyebrows narrowed. “You can see me?”
“Yes!” came the emphatic reply. Abigail didn’t mean to sound so joyous, embarrassing herself, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Well,” the spirit smiled, “then you have the gift.” YEAH I do! Abigail cheerfully thought as she approached the spirit and held out her hand, even though she knew the girl couldn’t physically take it. “My name is Abigail and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The girl “shook” Abigail’s hand anyway. “I can see that. Normally most people scream and run away if they can see me. This is a welcoming and pleasurable change. My name is Donna Parr-Teague.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Abigail complimented, rubbing the chill from Donna’s hand out of her other hand. “I’ve always wanted to meet a spirit, for as long as I can remember. Now that I have, I’m not even sure where to begin with the questions!” She chuckled with glee.
Donna blushed, understanding.. “Well, I’m all ears. I’ve really got nothing better to do…”
Abigail’s smile faded. “Yeah…I guess not.”
“So what’s on your mind?”
“Well, for starters you’re much younger than the first spirit I always imagined meeting. If you don’t mind me asking…how old are you? And…how did you pass on?”
Donna lowered her transparent eyes for a moment. “I died when I was fifteen,” she somberly replied, “and mine and many other’s stories are ones you can read about in Appaloosa’s history books. My demise isn’t something I wish to discuss.”
Abigail’s eyebrows bounced for a moment at the vague reply. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“It’s alright. You didn’t know. You’re not from around here are you?”
“No,” she answered in surprise. “In fact, I come from an entirely different world; if you can believe that.”
“I can believe it,” Donna expressed. “Something crazy happened to this town a week ago and…it is not as it used to be.”
Abigail knew, but tilted her head at Donna, encouraging her to explain.
“The residents here disappeared in the blink of an eye by a powerful and foreign magic and now that magic resides in and envelops the town. I do not know where the residents went, but I know they are not dead…for if so I would’ve met with them on the other side.”
“Well THAT’S good to know!” Abigail expressed. “The only beings my friends found here were some weird, magical androids manning all the shops and businesses and they don’t say much. It’s really creepy.”
...But yeah there's that.
And you put her in that red top just for me, didn't you? Sam, I was thinking the same thing buddy.
^I might have. And yes, I knew you would be thinking the same.
Yes, the lady android was still Bekkasan's simself. She would not stay at her post long and it was getting annoying. I wonder if it's because I had her has a town resident and not an NPC that she was leaving it? 🤷♀️
Good for them to work it out without incident. Alex has matured from the frat boy.
^Yes. And he sure has.
I'm getting really excited to write the next part.
Thanks for the comments.
The first part of the update wow!. gorgeous screenshots you are so much better at taking them than I am, great job!
^Oh, I dunno about that. Your scenery pictures are pretty gorgeous, but thank you. You're sweet.
Yeah...I totally got teary-eyed writing Abby and Donna saying goodbye.
They will prob miss the area when they do return home but feel good being back.
^Yeah. 👍 They'll miss being HD-3D that's for sure!
Turning Haley into a toad was a hoot!
Thanks for the comments.
I meant to share this song previously when Alex and Haley had made things right between each other, but...I think it's good to insert here after his "we're cool" chat with Sam.
I legitimately created an account here just to comment in this thread 😆 I LOVE this story, I've played around with recreating the Stardew bachelors/bachelorettes as Sims before but I never got around to actually creating a story to go with them. You've captured their personalities so well while also putting such a unique spin on them (you did my girl Abigail justice and trust me, that is a high compliment coming from me 😉)
I did want to ask you something, too. Reading and rereading this over the past week or so has given me so much inspiration for a story with a similar premise, involving some of my OCs from a completely different game, and I wanted to check if you would mind me pursuing that idea or if that would feel too much like copying. Like I said, the characters and the source material are completely different - I just really love the whole "magically trapped in another world and being forced to work together" concept...(to be fair, knowing me, there's a good chance this story won't ever get out of the planning stage, but I wanted to check just in case).
I legitimately created an account here just to comment in this thread 😆 I LOVE this story, I've played around with recreating the Stardew bachelors/bachelorettes as Sims before but I never got around to actually creating a story to go with them. You've captured their personalities so well while also putting such a unique spin on them (you did my girl Abigail justice and trust me, that is a high compliment coming from me 😉)
Wow! I don't know what to say @whosesimisitanyway ... Other than, Thank you. 🥰 I appreciate the compliments (especially about Abby. ). Your post brightened my day. I'm so glad you've enjoyed reading the story.
I did want to ask you something, too. Reading and rereading this over the past week or so has given me so much inspiration for a story with a similar premise, involving some of my OCs from a completely different game, and I wanted to check if you would mind me pursuing that idea or if that would feel too much like copying.
^You're so sweet to ask. I don't mind at all.
(But I will say, when you publish said story and make millions on it, I hope you'll give my story a little shout out as the inspiration for it. Hee hee!)
Thanks again. I'm getting super excited - because I can't wait to share it with y'all - to roll out the 2 part finale!
@emorrill eep, thank you so much! Like I said, there's a good chance this won't get out of the early planning stage - and even then it probably won't be more than an extremely self-indulgent Sims story - but if/when I do get around to posting it I will absolutely give you a shout out <3 <3
I want to thank y'all so much for your patience as I've been working tirelessly for the past week and a half to write Part One of the finale. It still needs just a little more fine tuning cause it's gotta be perfect. I promise y'all won't be disappointed.
I hope to have it posted - possibly broken up into two posts, which I want to avoid, but we'll see - very very soon. I'm getting super excited to share!
Alrighty everyone. Buckle your seatbelts because...here's Part One of the Finale!!!
*sniff* I can't believe the end is here...such a bittersweet thing. I hope y'all will love it as much as I did writing it.
There's a lot to process here, especially towards the end, so...take it slow and enjoy. I also included a song to go with this post at the beginning because...it applies more than it does at the end.
(We left off on the couples highlights...there's 2 people left in the group to highlight. ) Pelican Town to Sims Town Chapter 19
Grand Finale - Part One
One clear, starry evening - not long after the sun went down - Alex lay on his bed, in his dimly lit room, with his hands behind his head, contemplating a few things.
All was quiet and peaceful in the guy’s house, which was becoming the new normal these days with all the couples continually pairing off and staying in whichever house they felt like for the night. In a way it made him feel somewhat lonely, but mostly he didn’t mind it. Mostly because it gave him all the more reason to hang out with Maru. Together they were helping each other get through the remainder of the mysterious quest, their friendship growing ever stronger in the process. He liked it. A lot. He wondered if it was just as quiet at the girl’s house right now where Maru was, doing whatever it was she was doing.
He smiled as his thoughts wandered back to a few particular moments they shared together, unable to keep his mind off her anymore.
One crisp morning he invited Maru to join him in a game of basketball as part of his “morning workout.” Before they started playing, Maru couldn’t help accusing him - teasing mostly - of being a “show off” for not wearing a shirt when it was a chilly Spring morning. It was so, typical Alex, she thought again. Guess some things about him would never change, but that was mostly alright with her.
“You could've thrown on at least a tank top or something…,” she muttered.
“Whatever, you know you enjoy looking at this,” he came back with, pointing at his incredibly ripped chest and six-pack with a proud smirk.
All Maru could do was shake her head, hiding a smile in the process. He was right; who was she kidding?
“Besides, once we get our heart rates up, we’re gonna warm up fast!”
The last time Maru played basketball was in high school PE and even then she hadn’t been very good at it. It was indeed difficult trying to snag the ball from Alex, but she was having fun. Bumping into his sweaty torso every so often wasn’t entirely an uncomfortable thing.
During an Alex suggested “free throw,” Maru missed the basket four times in a row.
“Wow,” Alex finally spoke, “with how good you are at making a goal in soccer, I figured you’d be just as good at making a basket in basketball. Not be as bad as Haley at it,” he teased.
“How about I smack you upside the head and call that making the basket?” she tartly threw back at him.
Alex’s eyes bugged out with a wide grin. “Oooh, feisty!” he said to her. It turned him on greatly.
The fourth time was the charm for Maru. Right afterward she threw out a proud grin at Alex as if to say, “Take that!” She was really beginning to enjoy their competitive moments together.
Later, Alex so swiftly stole the ball from Maru again that she stopped dead in her tracks and gave up, watching him make the glorious shot he was about to make.
He hung onto the rim after the ball went in, swinging and flashing his beautifully sculpted chest. Maru inadvertently rubbed at her collarbone as she watched and stared, getting a little turned on herself. For a moment it felt hotter outside.
“Guess that’s a wrap?” Alex asked her upon approach.
“After a finale like that, I think so,” she smiled.
Alex’s cheeks flushed behind his grin. “You know, you were pretty good out there. Definitely better than Haley,” he winked.
“Thank you.”
“You should join me every morning for a workout.”
“I thought Harvey and Shane joined you?”
“Sometimes they do, but not as much anymore. I think they’ve started doing their own thing which is all good. It’s hard keeping up with me…,” he smirked.
Maru shook her head again. “You’re always going to be that co’c’ky jock aren’t you?”
“Absolutely, one-hundred percent,” he continued to tease. “Besides, one should always take pride in their work,” he added, flexing his pectorals and making them pop out.
“Oh my gosh…,” she lowered her head into the palm of her hand with a laugh.
“I love it when you laugh,” he couldn’t help saying after she looked back up at him.
And Maru couldn’t help blushing either. He sure had a way of making her do both. Unlike anyone else in the universe.
Other times when they weren’t doing something sporty - as they previously agreed on - they did something more to Maru’s liking.
Most of the time Alex enjoyed the brainy activities, especially one time in particular when she performed a “stimulus response test” on him and he caught that rubber ducky like a boss!
Afterward, he wasn’t sure why she asked him to share what he thought a bunch of globs of ink on paper looked like…
…but it was a way for Maru to tap into his inner psyche. For…personal reasons. It was highly amusing, and indeed insightful.
“Okay, now my head hurts…,” Alex groaned afterward, rubbing his temples while Maru set the ink-blot test cards aside.
“Good!” she exclaimed. “It’s good to make your brain think!”
He shot her an unamused look.
“Hey, let’s play rock, paper, scissors!” He asked because one of those cards looked like two people doing that to him.
“I thought your head hurt?” She arched an eyebrow at him.
“Well, yeah, it does, but maybe it’ll hurt less if I’m actually doing something fun...”
“Ohhh, really?” she asked, playing to look insulted.
“Look, my head hurting creates an advantage for you, alright. Cause I’m the undefeated champ at rock, paper, scissors.” He smirked.
“You can’t be a champ at that game! It’s all luck based.”
“I’ll prove it,” he said with a look of certainty, and with challenge.
“Alright. Let’s do it!”
With all logic on her side, Maru clearly did not expect him to beat her at every attempt.
It irritated her so much that once he said, “See? I’m the champ, Brainiac,” she threw her hands into the air, curling her fingers like an angry bear, and roaringly growled at him.
It frightened the hell out of the man. Mostly because it was so…unexpected. Especially from her.
It greatly surprised Maru even that she did something so brash and childish in response, but seriously, what were the odds!? She looked away from him in a terrible embarrassment.
“Da’mn…,” was all Alex could say.
“Look, let’s not speak about that ever again, okay?” She pinched at her forehead.
“You got it,” he chuckled. “So…what should we do now?”
“I dunno…”
Eventually they started talking about random stuff. Neither could remember exactly what prompted Maru to do a Harvey impression…
…but it was spot on and they got a huge kick out of it.
When the two attended the Spring Festival it was along with their friends, not with each other. However, just as their friends would always pair off with their significant other, they would once again find themselves wandering towards the other, sick and tired of being the third wheel.
“Hey,” Alex greeted her for the first time that day.
“Hey,” she greeted back, loving the way in which he said it.
“You uh…,” he began, teetering on his feet, “wanna go on an egg hunt?”
She smiled with warm cheeks. “Yeah.”
“Sweet.”
After egg hunting, they slipped into the photobooth thinking it was one of those you make goofy faces for, but unfortunately they discovered it was supposed to be a formal photo after it was too late.
When they stepped out of the other side of the booth, they found themselves standing face to face with the famed “Love Inspector” machine. For a moment they ignored looking at the silly picture they just took and stared up at it in thought.
“You really think that thing is as accurate as the others say it is?” Alex asked her.
“I don't know,” came the dry response. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.”
“Yeah. Maybe for fun we should try it out,” he suggested with a cracked grin and a shrug. “Just to see what it says.”
Maru’s cheeks naturally flushed at his suggestion. “Ohh I don't know…,” she uttered with a hint of shyness, brushing some hair behind her ear.
Her gesture shifted Alex’s attention. “I noticed your hair’s been growing longer and longer these days,” he said, leaning in slightly while adding, “It’s a great look for you. I really like it.” His heart couldn’t help wondering if she grew it out for him; maybe just a little?
“I know. You told me before,” she expressed, still blushing. “It grows fast.”
“How come it’s not all crimpy?” he asked, like it was back in their freshman year of high school.
“Cause I’ve been straightening it,” she replied. “The humidity here makes my natural waves look awful, though truth be told I’m sick of all the time it takes to straighten it in the morning…”
With an affectionate smile, Alex gazed into her eyes for a moment, wishing to say how beautiful he thought her long crimpy, wavy, or whatever hair was back then, but he wasn’t sure if it would make her feel uncomfortable. “Then don’t,” he simply suggested, stepping back a bit.
Maru’s heart fluttered as she quietly acknowledged.
“Just try out the Love Inspector with me. It might be hilarious!”
“Okay. Fine,” she gave in. Honestly she couldn’t deny being curious as to what it would say too.
The seconds it took for the machine to do the scan and come up with the result felt like an eternity to them both.
Naughty but Nice: Such vigorous passion - Could Love Inspector possibly interest you in the home version of Love Inspector?
“Whaaat?” Maru asked, feeling somewhat confused, but mostly disturbed by that last part.
“Yeeeah,” Alex agreed. “Meh. It’s really not that great.”
“Nope. I figured as much.”
Although, the two couldn’t stop thinking about the “vigorous passion” part as they continued on with the festival’s activities.
Maybe someday there could be some vigorous passion between us…, Alex dreamily thought with an aroused grin, still relaxing on his bed.
His thoughts then turned to an event that happened just two nights previously.
He had called Maru a little before dinnertime. “Hey. You wanna hit up the Bar with me tonight? I need to get out of the house. Too much romance going on…”
Maru chuckled, understanding. “Is this a date?” she playfully asked.
“If you want it to be…,” he playfully responded back.
She blushed. “I could go for a drink.” Even if it was just fancy juice.
“Great! I’ll pick you up.”
The two sat at the bar and drank as many juice concoctions as the android bartender could whip out, while eating dinner and talking and laughing for hours about anything and everything. They did gossip about the others and their relationships, but it was all in good fun.
It had been a lovely “date,” mostly because they continued to pleasurably discover how much they really did have in common for being opposites. Neither could ever remember feeling happier on the quest than they had in that vacant bar together.
It was just after 1 am when they decided it was time to head home, even though they were all hyped up on sugar from the juices and didn’t feel tired just yet.
Just before Alex was about to open the truck door for Maru, his eyes noticed something. “No way!” he exclaimed. “There’s a gridball, err, football, field right next to the bar and I didn’t even notice until now!?” Oh boy…, Maru thought with an eye-rolling sigh as she turned to see for herself. Sure enough…
“Hang tight for a second,” Alex asked her, running to the other side of the truck, opening the door, reaching behind the driver’s seat, and pulling out a ball.
Maru’s eyebrow arched at him. “Do you always keep a ball around with you?”
“Of course!” He slapped at it. “Don’t you know me at all?”
Maru shook her head at him with a smile.
“C’mon, let’s go check out that field! Maybe see if you can snag the ball from me before I reach the end zone!” He winked.
“Alex…it’s after one in the morning…”
“I know, but I’ve got a sugar rush going on. C’mon Maru, it’ll be good for both of us to get it out before bed, dontcha think?”
She shrugged.
“Come and get me!” Guess we’re doing this…
Maru didn’t try too hard to catch up to him.
Alex slammed the ball down at the ground underneath the end zone flags and cheered a loud “YEAH” while throwing his fists up into the sky. It felt good to experience a little gridball again. “Gridball captain, one. Brainiac, zero!” He playfully expressed with pointed fingers.
“Yep. It’s pretty clear that you’re generally better at sports than I am…,” Maru accepted, looking away with a sigh.
The tone in her voice tugged at Alex’s heartstrings and instantly made him feel bad about his silly gloating. Sometimes he would forget that Maru had pride too.
“Hey,” he tenderly addressed, coming to her and taking her hand in his, not even thinking twice about it. “You know I don’t mean to hurt your feelings saying stuff like that.”
“You don't hurt my feelings...,” she expressed, looking down at her hand in his with mixed emotions brewing.
He stroked her fingers as he continued. “It’s just…kinda nice feeling like I’m better than you at something. Because you’re better than me at like everything!” He affectionately smiled.
Maru returned one in appreciation. She really loved it when his sweetheart side came out.
“But if you want me to,” he paused, somehow reading her true thoughts and feelings, “I’ll quit all the bragging. Even as a joke." He began weaving his fingers together with hers. "I never wanna make you feel unhappy or annoyed. Like I always made you feel in high school…”
Maru’s heart fluttered at his words, despite the trace feelings of uneasiness working to overtake her. She wasn’t ready yet…and the reasons were so silly, really.
Struggling to meet his gaze, she carefully removed her hand from his woven grasp and tried to swallow the emotional lump in her throat.
“Sorry,” Alex expressed as his hand returned to his side. “Guess it’s still too soon for that…”
“No, you don’t have to apologize,” she consoled. “It’s not you Alex. It’s me.”
Gazing at her intently, he asked, “What’s wrong?” When her eyes fully met his, he added, “You can tell me.” And he wholly meant it. He could feel that something had been bothering her for a little while now, but of course she was keeping it deeply concealed like she always did; never wanting to appear weak. However, he hoped they were close enough now that she would feel comfortable opening up to him.
“I know,” she assured him. “I don't know, I’ve just been feeling a little off and…confused lately.”
Alex then co’ck’ed his head in question. “Confused?” His heart beat nervously.
“About me. About this quest,” she replied. “I feel like my brain hasn’t been functioning at its best for the past couple of months and I haven’t been able to figure out why! It’s been horribly frustrating.” Part of herself blamed it on spending too much time with Alex, but she didn’t want to believe that was it. “Maybe it’s burnout from all the medical stuff I’ve been working on or just,” she rubbed at her forehead, “growing ever tired of this silly quest that’s holding me back in life. Annoyed that I still haven’t been able to crack the mystery of it when,” she stopped, trying to hold back the tears, “I’m used to solving everything. For the first time in my life I’m feeling…inadequate. Weak.”
Alex nodded in understanding, feeling a lump form in his throat now. Seeing her eyes water up almost made his do the same.
“You’re not weak Maru,” he assured, “what you’re feeling is…normal.” He placed his hands on her shoulders for comfort while looking her straight in the eye and playfully adding, “as much as I know you can’t stand to be…”
It got a light chuckle out of her, which was good.
He continued on a more serious note, drawing from a very recent personal experience. “We’re not supposed to have all the answers to life’s mysteries, Maru. We just roll with it, take it as it comes. And yeah, sometimes we’re gonna feel weak throughout it all, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still strong. There’s always a reason things happen the way they do. Sometimes we learn the reasons, sometimes we don’t. But just remember that no matter what happens, you’ll always be that same, genius, awesome Maru. The girl that can do anything.” He grinned. “The most amazing girl I know.”
Smiling, she wiped at her eyes, appreciating his sweet and insightful words. They were just what her soul needed to hear, even if it was a little hard to accept.
“Plus I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.” He lowered his hands. “It’s like what we all discussed earlier when Abby told us about her dream…Maybe we’ve already completed the quest. Because,” he recounted what Harvey said by counting with his fingers, “we’ve become ‘enlightened’ in a lot of things, found ‘true happiness’ with each other, and our ‘hearts’ have come together as one, just like the Wizard counseled. So,” he shrugged, “it would seem our return is all in his timing now…when he feels like we’re truly ready to go home.”
“But Alex, that's not what he said,” she countered, “I mean, it is mostly, but his exact words were, ‘Once you have completed the quest, then will you return.’ To me that sounds immediate upon completion; I could sense it in the tone of his voice. So, if we’ve really completed the quest, we wouldn’t still be here right now. We would be home.”
Alex didn’t know what to say.
“So now the question is,” she sighed, gazing deeply into his eyes, yearning for an answer. Any answer. “What have we still not accomplished? What’s holding us back?”
Alex swallowed with emotion. Oh how much he wanted to hold her tightly in this moment and give her the perfect answer to all her vexing questions, but sadly…he didn’t have it.
“I dunno,” he regretfully admitted, “but I promise I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll figure it out together.” He vowed.
Nodding, Maru gave him a heartfelt smile. “Thank you Alex. And thanks for listening.”
“Always Maru. Anytime.”
Expelling a breath, Alex sat up from his bed and clasped his hands in his lap as he asked himself the same question he’d been asking over and over again for the past 48 hours. How in Stardew Valley am I going to help her figure out what’s holding us back on completing the quest when she hasn’t even been able to figure that out herself!? I’m not a genius! Not even close! He sighed again, feeling so pitiful. He had to try though! Oh how impressed she would be with him if he could…
Desperately he thought deeply about everything that happened to the twelve of them - and everything they accomplished - from the very beginning, as much as he could remember. Working to pick out any subtle clues in between; if there actually were any.
Most of the events that transpired during their time here, he never expected to happen. Never in a million years! Shane becoming sober and actually turning out to be a cool guy, Abigail revealing her magical powers, Haley rising above herself, and Sam toning up and kicking his butt in a fight, just to name a few. Even his own personal growth during this quest still amazed him.
Then his thoughts shifted a little…
The love that had developed within the group, becoming like one big, happy family, was truly beautiful. Honestly, it was the kind of loving family he always wished he had grown up in, but unfortunately didn’t, so he was very thankful for the opportunity to feel what it was like to have it. And it was exactly how he wanted his future family to be.
The couple relationships that formed, some predictable, others not, actually ended up being the perfect match ups, despite what all of them initially thought. Especially Sam and Haley. Who'da thunk it? He had to chuckle a little thinking about it. And now a door was opening to the possibility of him and Maru. When was that ever in the cards!? He had actually been pondering on that one for a while now. It still blew his mind and it made him shake his head in wonderment.
So after all that, why ARE we still here? He asked himself again. What IS holding us back?
He wondered if Maru was contemplating the same, in this very moment, on this clear, starry night.
“Maru…,” he whispered, his heart aching for her, longing to be in her presence again.
Why were they lonely on this beautiful night when they should be together? Everyone else was with someone.
“Wait a sec…,” he voiced out loud at the thought, an instant realization setting in. His eyes darted around as the gears turned within his mind. Could it really be that simple? His smile broadened.
“That’s it.”
****
Back at the ladies house, Maru was doing what she usually did whenever she felt stressed or needed to unwind. Stargaze. It was one of her favorite hobbies and tonight was the perfect night to do it.
There was always a certain peace and tranquility that came with stargazing for her. Perhaps because it was a pleasant distraction from everyday life that provided that quiet time to ponder on a lot of things about her life. And she would end up gaining incredible insight from doing so. If there ever was a time when she needed some insight, it was now.
“There you are,” she whispered, honing in on a constellation from the Simthaer star charts that had strangely become her favorite. It was called “Llama’s Head,” but mostly it just reminded her of “The Big Dipper.” It was a reminder of home.
Home, she sighed. If we ever actually make it back. She really did miss her mother, and father, despite how overbearing he always was. She couldn’t fathom the mental torment her and Sebastian’s disappearance had on them for the past ten months. It made her heart ache, especially with no way of letting them know that she and Sebastian were alright and well. Better than well, in fact. They were best brother/sister friends now. Oh how happy that would make them, especially momma, she thought. She could only hope the Wizard told them something, anything, in all this time to provide some comfort.
She then tittered with a smile. “It’s no surprise that Sebby and Abby finally hooked up during this quest. That would surely fill mom and dad with joy too.” They really seemed to like Abigail from what she could see, probably because she got Sebastian to come out of his bedroom. “Until,” she frowned, “they find out about Abby’s magic powers.” Which they surely would. She sighed, hoping greatly that upon their return her parents - and everyone else in Pelican Town - would look at the Wizard and his magic as something that really wasn’t evil after all. And they could all live in harmony again with the magic bearers as Sebastian and Abigail were dreaming of.
A shooting star shot across the sky and that, along with thinking about the Wizard’s magic, made Maru gasp. “Oh my gosh! Those magical stars I told Abby about!” she exclaimed.
Frantically she searched the sky with her naked eyes, trying to remember their location. “Geez. I can’t believe I’d forgotten to check on those things again!” Guess they lost importance to her in the grand scheme of things, but now, she was beginning to feel differently.
When she thought she found them she threw her eyeball onto the ocular part of the telescope to get a better look, adjusting the lens exponentially.
Sure enough, she was right on the money with their location. “Let’s see…”
There were five stars…along with what looked to be an empty hole in space at the end of them. Odd, I didn’t notice that before, but that was beside the point at the moment.
Five stars… Her brow furrowed as she pulled away from the telescope, numerous thoughts running rampant throughout her mind.
Last time she checked there were four stars in the mysterious new star belt, but during her and Abigail’s enlightening conversation months ago about why these uncharted stars had appeared one by one at various times - they being a magical symbol of the relationships that formed within the group, they deduced - she expressed to Abigail that she should’ve seen five stars then, because there were five couples. However, there were only four stars. Now there were five.
“Cause there’s five couples again!” she blurted out, but threw her eyes shut in correction, shaking her head. No Maru! That’s not it! The mystery here was, why would there be five stars now with five couples, when there were only four stars then with five couples? Her shoulders fell hard with a loud sigh as she continued on in deep thought about each and every couple.
She began to pace the roof a bit, gripping her chin as she did so.
At the time of her and Abigail’s conversation, Alex and Haley were a couple. Yet later the two broke up. “That’s probably why there wasn’t a fifth star,” she figured, “because they weren’t meant to be together, as we now know. Now Haley is with Sam so…,” she stopped and gazed back up at the belt, “their relationship created a fifth star.” Then a spark ignited in one of her brainwaves. “Because they are soulmates! ALL of them are!” She lowered her head. “A magical star is created when two soulmates find each other.” She shook her head in awe, not completely understanding it all, but the thought caused her lips to turn upward into a giant grin. “I KNEW it! I KNEW the Wizard had a hand in all this romance going on around here!” For a moment she felt an extreme sense of pride and it sure felt good. Finally she was getting somewhere in regards to this darn quest!
“But wait…,” she paused, quickly looking into the telescope again, focusing on the single, lone black hole next to the five stars, “that empty hole…If these stars are all related to us, in finding our soulmates, then…,” she lost a breath, the realization hitting instantly, causing her head to feel heavy and her eyes to widen. Her heart pounded against her chest as she wearily stepped away from the telescope, losing her footing for a second, working to process it all. Her body froze.
“What if…the quest…,” she struggled, holding her hand to her contracting chest, “is that…what it’s really all about? No,” she shook her perspiring head in disbelief. “It-it couldn’t be!” Surely she would’ve figured that out by now! But why didn’t she?
Because, she began to realize, it was always her mind and the dreams that came with it that she pursued in her life, not the desires of her heart. It seemed the more important thing to do. But maybe that’s what she was supposed to learn during the quest. Become ‘enlightened’ about. Following her heart. Opening her heart.
Her eyes stared forward at nothing, lost in dumbfoundedness. The other part of the Wizard’s final words to them as they were being sent away on the quest - which apparently were the most crucial - rang out in her mind:
...How long it takes to complete, will depend upon the hearts of each and every one of you…
Now it made sense. Once again it was something so, so simple.
She sighed as naturally all her thoughts swiftly turned to him; the man that had indubitably stolen her heart, she just wasn’t entirely sure if it was true. Or if it was right. Her soul feeling a little nervous to embrace it. Yet now…
“Alex…,” she breathed, suddenly wanting nothing more in her life than to be with him. She had to see him!
In that very moment she felt a presence, an ever familiar one. One she had pleasurably come to know for quite some time now and her soul instantly clung to it. Her heart skipped an excited beat as she gradually turned around to see…
And sure enough there he was.
The sight of him, wearing that gorgeous smile of his that she always loved, made her heart sing and her eyes well up with happy tears.
He gave her a slight shrug as if to say, “Well, here we are…as we should be.”
Her smile broadened and her heart fluttered rapidly, more than ever before, as they approached each other, their eyes locked together.
Alex spoke first.
“Hey you. I, uh, had this thought…that suddenly came to me. So I had to see you.”
“Oh?” Her anxious heart was dying to hear.
Nodding, he inched closer. “Do ya think…maybe we haven’t completed the quest yet because…it’s riding on the two of us?”
Joyfully, Maru wiped at the tear that escaped her eye as she nodded. “I think so. I literally just had a similar thought.” She chuckled within her smile.
Relief washed over Alex’s shining face as he stopped right before her and took her hand in his. When she squeezed it back, his soul rejoiced. He’d been dreaming of this moment for a while now and had a speech all written out in his mind for when it finally happened. He hoped he would deliver it right.
“Maru,” he began, gazing deeply into her eyes with a nervous, yet besotted heart, “I know a genius like you deserves so much better than a lowly guy like me.” Her instant facial expression told him otherwise, but he continued. “But if you’ll give me a chance,” he raised his other hand to stroke her cheek, “I’ll be everything you deserve.”
Maru then stroked his cheek. “I only want you to be you. No one else.”
“I know, but what I mean by saying that is…whatever you wanna do in your life, wherever your smarts take you, I’ll support you and be there beside you through it all. I promise. Cause I can’t live without you anymore, Maru. I’ll gladly take a backseat to your greatness, because I’ve fallen in lo–-”
Maru threw her lips upon his, unable to hold her feelings back any longer.
Throwing their arms around each other they kissed again, releasing all the romantic tension going on between them for the past few months, saying what words could never express before through every touch of their lips.
And all the while sparks were flying - literally - that they couldn’t see, forming into a star which circled around their heads before shooting up into the sky…taking its rightful place next to the five others. Now completed, the belt glowed, creating a ripple effect in the sky.
The two new lovers were too distracted to notice, or the shockwaves in the air that came from it.
“My gosh you look beautiful tonight,” Alex breathlessly expressed to her, running his fingers through her hair. “I see you didn’t straighten your hair today.”
“Nope. I just decided to let it go.”
He grinned. “Did you do that for me?” He couldn’t resist asking.
“Maaaybe,” she playfully replied. “I might’ve been letting it grow out for you too…”
“Oh yeah?” he smirked, leaning in again.
“Yeah,” she grinned. “But don’t get used to it. Because I like it better short.”
“That’s just fine…”
Their lips met again.
In the middle of the kiss they could see multiple flashes of lights occurring behind their closed eyelids, along with light, twinkling sounds singing in their ears. They opened their eyes and gasped in awe to find scads of magical stars floating all around them, raining from the sky above. The wind was picking up too.
“It’s happening…,” Alex whispered.
“The others!” Maru exclaimed. “We have to tell them–-” But she was interrupted by an abrupt beam of incredible light, shooting up from the ground below their feet and into the endless sky, causing her to scream and cling tightly to Alex.
Alex jumped in a startle himself, holding her in return. “It’s too late…I’m sure they already know. This is gotta be happening to them too.” I sure as hell hope so…
The light soon began to engulf and encircle them like fire and they could feel their bodies lifting off the ground.
“Alex…?”
“Hold onto me Maru…It’s gonna be okay.” His heart thumped nervously.
Back to wherever the others were at, they too discovered stars suddenly raining down all around them and quickly found and clung to their love in wonder. Thankfully all of them had stayed pretty close together on this night. Once joined together, a beam of light engulfed them too.
Was this it? The end of the quest? Were they finally going home?
Next thing they all knew they were being sucked through the beam that encircled them, shooting directly into the stars, losing consciousness for only but a moment…
When they opened their eyes, they took instant notice of each other, back in their previous forms, standing beside their loves in the middle of the room in the Wizard’s tower. Gasps filled the air.
They were home.
Standing directly before them, in front of the smoky cauldron with his pointed hat and long purple cape, flapping by some mysterious force, stood Rasmodius, wearing a look of pride and pleasure on his face.
“Welcome back,” he greeted them. “You have completed the quest."
**************
Of course I can't end the story there! Part Two will be coming as fast as I can get it written. Stay tuned!
@emorrill That was the most awesome chapter ever!! I loved every minute of it. I'm gonna miss them all so much...even the brat...Haley. Ok...I had to be silly to stop the tears from flowing. Loved it so much!
I'm starting to read from page 18, where I stopped reading last year. That screenshot of everyone standing in a circle around Abigail after she showed them her magic powers is so beautiful!
emorrill That was the most awesome chapter ever!! I loved every minute of it. I'm gonna miss them all so much...even the brat...Haley. Ok...I had to be silly to stop the tears from flowing. Loved it so much!
^Aww, thank you so much. (I got you teary-eyed? :'-) Means I did my job right. ) Believe me, I was shedding a tear or two while I was writing it. Especially this part in particular:
In that very moment she felt a presence, an ever familiar one. One she had pleasurably come to know for quite some time now and her soul instantly clung to it. Her heart skipped an excited beat as she gradually turned around to see…
And sure enough there he was.
^I finished typing that sentence and instantly my eyes welled up with tears. I had to pause for a few moments to compose myself.
Oh boy! Maru and Alex finally realized what was in front of them all this time. And then boom, the quest was over. Wow.
^Yep. And that's why I felt to show as many scenes as possible, without taking over the flow of the story, with Alex and Maru, so y'all could see how their relationship progressed into love because you sure wouldn't be able to see much of it after the big kiss. (Like you did with the others...)
Long hair does seem to fit Maru nicely huh?
Well, they're all going to be 16 bit, pixel people again. But yes, I am very excited to write out their reunion with their loved ones. I think it's what's going to make me cry the most. :'-)
Glad you enjoyed the sims world ending and thank you for the comments.
Seriously, after the story is finished, I'll get Haley sent over to you. (And Amber...once I recover her. I've gotta recover all of them and I'm kicking myself for not saving them to the Sim bin beforehand! )
This was a great part of the finale, I enjoyed reading it
a lot, it's so sad it is over soon though since we have read it for so long.
^I know...that's what gets to me the most. It's like the end of an era... It was the same way I felt after writing Sam (and Emma) Beckett's story cause I had been doing that one for 2 years as well.
Thanks for the compliments on my special effects. I'm glad they turned out as good as I was imagining.
@PalmArrow Hey lady! Glad to see you on here again and reading. Take your time catching up.
That screenshot of everyone standing in a circle around Abigail after she showed them her magic powers is so beautiful!
^Thank you. It's one of my favorite pictures in the whole story.
@ZhakiraP Hey there! I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the ending.
Well I sure need to get cracking on writing the last part don't I?
Hopefully I'll have the next part ready by the end of the week. 🤞 It might be a busy week with some house repairs possibly going on, but we'll see how it goes. 🤪
So Part 2 of the Finale is getting pretty long (since it's the end ) and I wanted to release a little bit of it before finishing up the rest of it. I just don't want to keep y'all waiting too long for more as the story is coming to a close. This section was a bit difficult to write so I hope it's understandable and makes sense. 👍
***I'd like to point out that since the gang is no longer in Appaloosa Plains, and back home in Pelican Town, I will be using character portraits from the Stardew Valley game (some have been altered a little by me for story purposes ) as pictures to go along with the story. Just for that realistic, concluding effect. So there will be no Sims pictures in these last two updates.***
I know, it's sad to not see them as Sims anymore. (At least not for a while) But it's okay. This is how it's supposed to be.
So without further adieu, enjoy the beginning of Part 2 everyone. We left off with them "leaping" home and landing inside the Wizard's tower. (Like how I did that? ) Pelican Town to Sims Town Chapter 19 - Grand Finale
Beginning of Part 2
Without a moment’s hesitation, Abigail immediately ran towards her biological father and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
It threw the great Wizard Marlin Rasmodius off guard for a second, but he had certainly been longing for this closeness with her ever since the moment he found out she was his daughter. He gradually wrapped his arms around her in return, smiling, and soon held her just as tightly. They stayed that way for a few seconds.
“Is this real?” Abigail tearfully whispered in his ear.
Rasmodius chuckled. “Yes. This is real,” he replied, breaking their embrace to look into her beautiful blue-green eyes. “My daughter…,” he expressed, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Welcome home.”
Grinning happily, she sniffed as she said, “Somehow I don’t think I would’ve made it back without you.”
He gave her a casual smirk as loving words, unspoken, were exchanged between them.
She hugged him again.
“ELLIOTT!” Leah cried out, suddenly remembering the life inside her womb and threw her hands on her belly, frantically pressing all over it, hoping that the baby was still there and well.
All eyes shot in her direction, their hearts stopping for a moment. Elliott placed his hands on her belly to feel too and Harvey rushed over to check as well.
“No harm should have befallen the child,” the Wizard informed.
Not hearing his words, the mother closed her eyes and cried out in relief, “Oh thank goodness! I feel some kicking! Oh thank you Lord!”
Feeling the kicking too, relief washed over the father’s and the doctor’s faces as well. Everyone else expressed sighs of great relief that echoed all throughout the room.
“Did you expect that one of us might get pregnant during the quest?” Abigail couldn’t help asking Rasmodius.
“The possibility had crossed my mind…,” came the simple response. Now all eyes turned towards him.
“So if Leah had the baby in Appaloosa, the baby would have come back with us, right?” She had to clarify the answer she felt from him before.
“Of course. I was prepared for all possibilities.”
“Even if she had suffered life threatening complications during the delivery?” Harvey asked in an unintended tone, feeling a bit emotionally charged at the moment. “We didn’t have the best medical equipment over there, nor a hospital. Sorry Leah…” He apologized for asking.
Leah shrugged; she was certainly curious too.
The Wizard looked Harvey straight in the eye while folding his arms. “My Abigail’s life once hung in the balance, as you may recall, and in a few fleeting moments I saved her. The same I would have done for Leah if need be. However, Doctor, I trusted in your abilities as a physician, and knew that you would educate yourself on the matter, so I did not worry too much about it.”
Harvey nodded with pursed lips, feeling somewhat chastened while Elliott muttered in a whisper to Leah, “Well that sure would’ve been good to know back there…”
“Alright so we completed the quest,” Sam rang in. “YAY! Awesome-sauce! But I think I speak for everyone when I ask," he sharply turned towards the Wizard, "what the HELL was it all about!?”
Most everyone nodded while Haley mumbled to her love, “Language babe…”
“Sorry, but in this case it’s warranted!”
The Wizard lowered his arms as a corner of his mouth quirked up, replying with, “I would think that since you are all here, you would have figured it out.”
“NO!” Sam yelled in objection.
“WE figured it out!” Maru chimed in, with her arm around Alex. Everyone gaped at them.
Alex gave them all a proud nod and smile in confirmation.
“YOU!?” Sebastian addressed Maru with a pointed finger. “Well, of course. And YOU!?” He pointed at Alex this time. “Together!? Together?” he asked again in a different tone with a different meaning.
“Chill out Sebby…,” Maru kindly insisted. “Yes. Together.” She pulled Alex closer to her to let him really know.
“Yeah chill out Sebby,” Abigail softly repeated in agreement, giving him a loving look at the same time.
“Hey, I’m chill. I’m not hatin,'” he said in defense, with his hands spread apart. “I’m just…confirming. My rematerialized brain still feels a bit jumbled right now...” He slipped his hands into his pockets and took a step back, lowering his head with a sigh; still unsure of how he felt about his sister hooking up with Alex, but that wasn’t important right now.
“Aww, you two are a couple now?” Penny asked with a light squeal of excitement for her best friend. She could hardly believe it.
The two nodded.
“Did you kiss yet?” She winked.
“Yep,” Alex answered this time. “And it was our kiss, well, more our hearts finally opening up to each other, that completed the quest. Next thing we knew we were being sucked through the cosmos and landing back here.”
“So that’s how it happened…,” Emily whispered, gaping in surprise.
“So…all of us falling in love and getting together…,” a thoughtful Harvey spoke, “was the key to completing the quest? And the purpose of it?”
“Bingo,” Maru confirmed. “I was just as surprised as you are right now when I found out.”
The Wizard mischievously rubbed at his beard as he exchanged glances between them.
“Wow…,” Harvey breathlessly said. “That is not what I ever expected it to be about.”
Penny however - ever the hopeless romantic - loved the heck out of the sentiment of the quest and kissed him on the cheek, physically expressing her feelings on the matter. Naturally they came as no surprise to Harvey. He lightly kissed her back.
“Okay, wait,” Haley stepped in, with half raised palms, “then what was all that mumbo jumbo you told us beforehand, about ‘becoming enlightened’ and all that jazz?” she asked the Wizard.
“That’s exactly what it was,” Shane now spoke, liking that she remembered his previous term for it, “'mumbo jumbo,' to distract us from the true purpose of the quest. To make it not so obvious and more challenging. Am I right?” he also asked the Wizard.
“Not entirely,” came Rasmodius’ response. “Everything I said was essential in order to complete the quest.”
Curious, everyone’s eyes fixated on his, urging him to go on.
“‘Once you allow yourself to become enlightened, then will you discover what will give you the greatest happiness in life,’” he quoted himself. “Becoming enlightened gives you knowledge. Life experiences give you wisdom. The quest was to provide a unique learning experience in your lives, one you surely would not have gained here in this town’s present state. The kind of experience that would necessitate the need to lean on someone to get through it. That’s how you would come to know who is your better half; your soulmate. And it is that person who would give you the greatest happiness in your life.”
“Ahhh,” they all lightly expressed with nods, realizing.
“I was kinda right about that,” Elliott expressed proudly. They all smiled at him.
“True I may have made it sound a little vague and mysterious,” Rasmodius continued, “but that was so all of you would gain as much from the experience as possible and have enough time to discover your true love. And once the twelve of you allowed your hearts to knit together as one, becoming six, you would return. That is why the completion of the quest ‘depended upon the hearts of each and every one of you.’” He quoted himself again.
Each couple nodded again and then turned their heads to smile at each other, eternally grateful for the grand adventure they just endured that brought them together.
“Okay I have to ask,” Leah addressed the Wizard, “why would you do something like that for us? Something so kind and selfless. We were always told that you...,” she hesitated, “...were a Wizard not to be trifled with. That magic is evil.”
“You were told wrong,” came the frank response.
“Well yeah, we all know that now, but still…Why? And why us?”
Everyone’s eyes fixated on the Wizard again, their hearts thumping in anticipation for the answer to the other greatest question in their minds.
Rasmodius sighed before speaking, shifting his stance. “Put simply, especially for the benefit of my daughter,” he gestured towards, “I wanted you all to find true love. Just as I had found before…but never got to keep…”
Their brows curiously furrowed - except for Sebastian and Abigail’s, who already knew the whole story - as they continued to listen.
“I have been watching the residents of Pelican Town since the day I was banished and there was something very distinct that I noticed happening since that time…a gradual disintegration of love and unity. Not love shared between two people with romantic feelings for each other, but love towards others. The town, and everyone in it, had grown reserved and became divided, just as horribly as I was divided from my one true love…” He noticed tears appear on Abigail’s eyelids when he said it, but he went on. “Twenty-three years ago the previous Mayor was murdered by his gold-digger wife, who was a witch in secret. She tried to make it look like a sudden medical event, but when it was proven otherwise she shouted from the rooftops that it had to have been done by magic, so she pointed the finger of blame on me, the one magic bearer in town that everyone knew of. It was her word against mine, so she fled with her fortune and I was unanimously deemed guilty. They were about to pass the death sentence, but by the grace of the new Mayor, Lewis, I was banished instead, never allowed to return or I would be killed."
"The townsfolk thought that by banishing me, and preaching that magic and anyone possessing it is 'evil,' would save and prevent them and their children from certain death or utter destruction. But what they really did, was bring about their own destruction. Because they allowed the spirit of fear to reign, which made it difficult for anyone to truly trust or love their neighbor again. Therefore, creating division. It has been…tragic...to witness all these years." He lowered his eyes. “Ever wonder why the Community Center permanently closed, now being consumed by nature and mysterious creatures?” He raised his eyes, no answer was necessary. "This once great town I grew up in that was so full of life because of love, unity, and diversity, was gradually crumbling to dust and why, you might be asking yourselves, did I even care? Especially after they turned such a blind eye and brutally betrayed me!?” He paused to swallow the emotional lump in his throat. “I cared…because of her. Caroline, my one true love. She was all that mattered to me, that kept me living. And then…one fateful night," he swallowed again, "I found out that her child…was also my own.”
Abigail closed her eyes, a few tears dropping as she did. That night I discovered my magic powers in the graveyard when I went to visit grandma. He felt it…That’s how he found out.
“Now there were two in that crumbling town that I loved. And I could not stand by and watch them live out their lives in that miserable and vain society any longer! Not when it meant my daughter, who is also a magic bearer, would surely suffer the same fate as me if she were discovered! Or worse..."
"It had to change.”
Emily nodded emphatically, not only in regards to Abigail, but because she shared having similar feelings about the rapid division occurring in town since her childhood with the others before, and it amazed her that the Wizard noticed the same.
Abigail wiped away the tears from her eyes and cheeks as she continued to listen.
“I was not sure how I was going to do it,” the Wizard continued, “but I was determined to use my powers to make a better life and future for the two people I loved…my family…and the people they loved. No matter what it took.”
Everyone stood motionless, letting everything Rasmodius said sink in.
“There was always something peculiar about the twelve of you. Pelican Town’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes; each with different personalities, gifts, and talents. Who didn’t always fall in line with the town's customs and false beliefs. I saw great potential in all of you because of that. I had often wondered why you six men and six ladies had not found interest in each other when you were so inherently compatible. Some of you explored the idea, but it did not work out or something always got in the way. The reason to me was simple: it was because of the division I spoke of. It was like a curse, hindering you from discovering your true companion and realizing the great potential I could see in you, at least,” he slightly chuckled, “what I was sure I could see.”
“So I came up with the quest, one of my greatest acts as a wizard, and probably one of my last.” He noticed Abigail frown. “I knew that if I thrust the twelve of you into a dreary situation where you would have to work together to get through it, finding love and unity amongst each other along the way, then perhaps you would bring that spirit back with you…and use it to unify Pelican Town again. To heal it. To bring it back to what it once was. A beautiful beach town, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, where all people can live together in harmony and peace.”
“Hell yeah,” Sebastian cheerfully agreed, putting his arm around his girl. “We had been planning on doing just that when we got back, Mister Rasmodius, Sir. The magic bearers will live in Pelican Town again and be free to express themselves without any fear.”
Abigail lovingly smiled at her man before giving him a kiss and then turned to her father. “We’ll make sure of it!”
“I know you will,” Rasmodius smiled too, feeling great pride in them.
“Wow. So there was so much more to the quest than us just simply finding our soulmate,” Harvey noted with a growing smile.
“Indeed, Doctor.” Rasmodius happily smirked.
“...Thank you,” Harvey felt to express with deep, heartfelt gratitude. “That experience, albeit challenging, was truly wonderful. I’ll never forget it. And what it’s blessed me with.” He kissed the top of Penny’s head.
“Yes thank you so much,” Emily sincerely added, pulling Shane in closer to her. "It was exactly what we all needed, in so many ways."
“It sure was a b***h to get through at times, especially for me,” Shane now expressed, “but…I’m a better man now because of it, and I have the most amazing woman by my side and new best friends in my life now because of it also…when I never thought I could ever have that again. So…thanks.”
Everyone else nodded their deepest appreciation to the Wizard as well.
“You are most welcome,” Rasmodius said with a light bow of his head.
“I have a quick question,” Maru spoke to the Wizard now. “Abigail once told me that love is too powerful of a force to control, but…based on the main purpose of the quest, it seems you found a way to control it?” She may not have liked the idea of being led to fall in love with Alex by some force other than her own heart’s.
“No; she is correct,” Rasmodius replied. “Love is a force all on its own, controlled by the souls of two individuals. I simply set up a spell to alert me when true love was found and expressed.”
“The stars.”
“Yes.”
She smiled with a satisfied nod. “Thank you.”
As everyone began randomly conversing with one another, Rasmodius turned away from them and closed his eyes; inhaling and exhaling lightly. After about a minute, he turned back around to face them.
“I have alerted the Mayor of your return,” he said, the room going silent again by the sound of his voice. “So he will be gathering up your loved ones and they will all be here shortly.”
Everyone smiled brightly. They couldn’t wait to see them! It had been so long.
“I told all of them about the purpose of the quest a few months past so…they know everything,” he emphasized, giving off a light smirk.
“Sweet!” he heard Sam quietly express.
“Expect nothing during your reunions, dear twelve friends. Allow your loved ones to speak, as I know they will allow you to speak.”
“They may not be the same people you knew before…Just as you are not the same people they knew before.”
He smiled in conclusion, knowing so much more than he revealed, but they would discover it soon.
****
I'll try to get the rest written out and concluded as soon as possible. Stay tuned everyone!
Hi, sorry I haven't been commenting on your updates lately, but I have been reading them . I've just been feeling down lately, so I
haven't felt like writing much .
I love the story though. And all your pictures! You've been doing an awesome job with them .
I'm sad your story is coming to an end now, but I've enjoyed it very much . It's been a long ride. I love how you put everything together
in the end, and they all ended up being happier and better people than they were before their journey to Appaloosa Plains started.
Poor Rasmodius. He's the one who never got what he really wanted . But he got some of it, and if the atmosphere in the town really has changed, he will be able to go back to live there among the other residents and get his life back, whether it includes the love of his life or not.
@emorrill I was happy to see the update yesterday morning. I had to leave early for a meeting at the office so didn't have time for comments.
I was happily reading it again this morning when I got the call to come get my grandson. Baby is coming, hopefully she won't have as long a labor as the last time. C is napping now so here ya go.
That was sweet how happy Abigail was seeing Rasmodius.
I'm definitely happy Leah and Elliott's baby is ok.
Sam's not to bright sometimes even if he is a good musician!
I loved how surprised the others were with Maru and Alex's new relationship.
Yeah, chill out Sebby!
It is sad that Rasmodius didn't get to keep his true love. I'm glad he didn't turn evil from it but instead wanted to help the younger generation realize magic was not bad.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the family members take the changes in their kids and loved ones.
@meerkattime Aww, that's ok girl. I'm happy to know you've still been reading it and have been enjoying it.
Thank you for the compliments.
I'm really sad the story is coming to a close too. I'm trying hard not to think too much about it... I'm definitely shedding tears writing this last part. (It's ok, it's happy tears. )
Yeah, poor Rasmodius. I can't even imagine...
But what you said was very insightful and...I guess you'll have to see what happens.
@bekkasan No worries. That was an exciting day! Still SO happy for you!
Thank you for the sweet comments. I knew you would say "chill out Sebby" too.
It is sad that Rasmodius didn't get to keep his true love. I'm glad he didn't turn evil from it but instead wanted to help the younger generation realize magic was not bad.
^Yep. Cause he very well could've gone dark side...and it almost would've been justified. But love conquered. As it always does.
I'm getting excited/sad to share the last part! Hopefully I can get it all written up and it'll be ready to post sometime late next week. 🤞
Comments
It might look like these two highlights are longer than the previous three, but...there's a couple of events that involved these couples that needed to be shown before the end of the story.
Aaaand...okay...I've decided to break the two couples highlights up into separate posts simply because of picture content. There's a lot!
Pelican Town to Sims Town
Continuation of Chapter 19
When Sebastian and Abigail weren’t doing band stuff with Sam, they’d play video games, “chillax,” sometimes attend the android’s plays at the theater, make-out backstage afterward, and go on long motorcycle rides. And of course they found plenty of ways to have fun with Abigail’s magic.
One time they were snickering about a dream Abigail recently had about “Toadifiying” Haley. Sebastian could just picture it…
As hilarious as that would’ve been to do to her a few months ago - heck, especially back in high school - Abigail expressed to Sebastian that she wouldn’t have the heart to do it to Haley now, even as a joke. Maybe someday, when everyone in Pelican Town was comfortable with magic again, she could prank Haley with it, with Sam on board, and the four of them would get a good laugh out of it; as best friends. All she had to do was start off by telling Haley she found a spell for an instant full body tan - which was true - and go from there. It would be a hoot!
One day when the weather felt warm enough, Sebastian and Abigail pulled out the “slip n slide;” it being a favorite pastime activity of theirs. In fact, it was the very activity that introduced them to each other as kids.
“Wee!” Abigail squealed, sliding on her belly the second time around.
Then there was an “Oof” as her head and shoulders crashed into Sebastian’s legs.
“SEB! What are you doing!?”
“Oh, sorry!” Sebastian grimaced down at her. “I was trying to get some water out of my ears.”
“Well you coulda moved over to the side to do that…”
“Well I didn’t know you were gonna slide that quickly after me…”
They might have engaged in a tiny little argument there, but made up rather quickly.
At the Spring Festival when they gave the “Love Inspector” a go, their result lit up the heart at the top.
Uncontrollable: Such raw energy - you remind Love Inspector of a beautiful, uninhibited night that Love Inspector shared with Claw Machine.
That made them burst out laughing. (Not really wanting to entertain any thoughts on that…) What an odd machine!
Sebastian couldn’t help demonstrating that “raw energy” in front of the Love Inspector by throwing his lips onto Abigail’s and gripping her buttcheek at the same time.
“Oooh!” Abigail squeaked for a second. “Control yourself Seb…,” she winked. “We’re in public.”
“You heard the Love Inspector, I can’t control it,” he playfully retorted.
Giggling, she kissed him again; maybe gripping his buttcheek in return.
And somehow the heart at the top lit up again.
The two engaged in most of the activities the other’s did, except for riding the mechanical bull. Sebastian always wanted to try that out and had a blast doing it! Even if Abigail watched with nervousness written all over her face.
And of course he got bucked off in the manner that she was afraid of.
“You okay?” she tenderly asked, carefully helping him up onto his feet.
“Yeeeah…I just need to sit down for a minute. Feeling kinda dizzy…”
“Guess now is the perfect time to grab some lunch, eh? Or maybe…no?”
“No, yeah. Lunch is good.” Comfort food sounded really good right about now.
After that the two goofed around in the giant water fountain for a bit before going home.
That evening, Abigail tossed and turned in her bed, in and out of consciousness.
She suddenly found herself inside the Wizard’s tower, standing a few feet away from him. Rasmodius turned from his bubbling cauldron, his cape swaying to the side from some mysterious force, and held a pleased look on his face.
Welcome back, my daughter. You have completed the quest.
Hearing him call her his daughter made Abigail’s heart swell with joy and love. She couldn't help running towards him and jumping right into his outstretched arms, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. As they held each other tightly for a few seconds, he whispered into her ear, “It's not time yet…”
Confused, she broke their embrace to look him in the eye, and once she did…he and the cauldron turned to smoke and vanished. She then found herself being thrown a hundred thousand miles an hour backward into…the stars? Oblivion?
Her racing heart awoke her with a start, her eyes darting around the room as her chest rose and fell. She recognized her surroundings instantly. It was her bedroom in Appaloosa. “We’re still here,” she whispered. Maru sleeping soundly in the bed next to her also confirmed it.
“We’re gonna return home soon,” she whispered again, contemplating the dream, with conflicting emotions, as her breathing slowed to a normal pace. “I can feel it.”
Because of that she felt to visit her dear ghostly, Appaloosian friend Donna one last time…to say goodbye.
Normally Abigail didn’t believe in “Goodbyes.” It was always, “See you later.” But in this case though, with Donna, there was no “see you later.” When they leave Appaloosa it will be for good, never to return. It was becoming a hard thing for Abigail to accept. She felt terrible for not visiting Donna in so long - pretty much since she hooked up with Sebastian - and she knew that if she didn’t take a moment to say goodbye she would painfully regret it forever when they did finally return home.
The following evening, Sebastian accompanied her to the graveyard so that he could meet Donna as she wished, before saying goodbye.
She placed a beautiful bouquet of fresh picked flowers on Donna’s grave just before sunset to help encourage her appearance. “Please come and see me Donna,” she implored, trying not to get too emotional. “I’ll be here, waiting for you.”
And that’s just what she and Sebastian did until it got dark.
Donna appeared about an hour after dusk and Abigail’s eyes lit up. Sebastian on the other hand, felt a bit creeped out. He’d never seen a ghost before.
Abigail comforted him as they stood up from the bench to greet Donna as she floated closer towards them.
“You came!” Abigail happily expressed, giving Donna a tight air hug.
“Of course,” Donna answered. “Your soul was pulling greatly at my spirit. It was a lovely surprise.”
Throwing her current thoughts on that aside for now, Abigail said, “There’s somebody I want you to meet,” and turned, beckoning a timid Sebastian forward. “My boyfriend and love of my life, Sebastian. He goes by Seb for short.”
Donna broadly smiled as she held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Seb.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too Donna,” Sebastian greeted in return, shaking her invisible hand. “Abby’s told me a lot about you.”
Donna swooned, giggling like the teenager that she was and turned towards Abigail whispering, “He’s cute! Way to go!”
“Thanks!”
Sebastian of course overheard and it made his cheeks blush.
The three talked together for a little bit, Donna mostly getting to know Sebastian.
Until Abigail kindly asked him if she could have a moment alone with Donna. He complied with a nod and stepped away to go check out the Mausoleum.
“I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a while,” Abigail finally expressed.
“It’s alright. Really,” Donna assured, feeling her emotions. “I can see why…” She smirked.
Abigail chuckled, but it soon faded. “So umm…How’ve you been?”
The girl shrugged. “Good, I guess. Same old, same old. Continually wondering when I’ll get to see my family’s posterity again.”
“Yeah about that…,” Abigail lowered her head, picking at a nail. “It might be pretty soon.”
“Oh?”
She raised her head. “I had this dream, or maybe it was a vision, who knows, about returning home and it just left me with this feeling like it’s going to happen soon. So, that’s why I wanted to see you. To say goodbye…”
Now Donna could really feel Abigail’s emotions, and there were many. "Abby..."
“I just wanted to say,” Abigail continued, with a hint of a choke, “thank you. Thank you for your encouragement in helping me discover my true self. For being there for me, when no one else was.”
“Oh Abby,” Donna began, getting emotional herself, “I really didn’t do much, but thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you’ve found yourself and your destiny here. And true love even,” she gestured her head towards Sebastian. “There’s no greater gift in all the universe. I am very happy for you.”
“Thank you,” she paused to wipe away the incoming tears. “You’re the most ‘unique’ friend I’ve ever had…and I’ll never forget you.”
“I’ll never forget you either Abby,” the girl soberly said, hugging Abigail again. A few tears were shed.
After the final “Goodbye” and Donna floated away, Abigail turned into Sebastian’s warm embrace and cried into his chest for a long moment as he caressed her back. He hadn’t seen her cry like this in a while, but it was understandable.
“I hate goodbyes…,” she sobbed.
“I know you do…,” he soothed.
“Is it wrong of me to not want to go home?”
Sebastian drew back and studied her face for a moment.
“I mean, yes, I miss my parents and I really want to see the Wizard again, but,” she emotionally swallowed, holding her hand to her chest, “the peace I’ve felt here…the freedom to be myself…I don’t want that to go away. Because it will when we return…”
Sebastian lowered his eyes. “For a time maybe, yes,” he sadly had to acknowledge, “but–”
“And then there’ll be the dilemma between my three parents and I just…,” she shook her head, “I dunno if I can handle the outcome if it’s not what I wish it to be.”
“I know,” he soothed again, wiping away one of her tears. “But remember, you’re not going to face all that alone. You’re going to have me. Right there beside you. Always.”
Abigail looked up at him with loving appreciation. It felt good to be reminded of when her fear would so often make her forget. “Still, part of me wishes we could stay here…just so we can avoid it all…”
“I have a feeling that our absence has caused some changes over there; changes for our benefit. And babe,” he added with a promising assurance, “It’ll become that same Pelican Town your real dad and mom fell in love in, especially with the trails you and I are going to be blazing.” He lovingly smiled. “Nothing’s gonna stop us. All will be made right. We’ll live out our life together, with little kids running rampant around the house that possess magic like their mom, without any fear. We'll have peace and happiness, for the rest of our lives. You'll see.”
“Yes!” Abigail sniffed with a bright grin, her faith renewed. “We will!” She threw her arms around him again and kissed him deeply. “Oh how I love you Sebby! That's exactly what I want! Thank you.”
@emorrill Happy to see another update!
Haley makes a great toad! Ribbit! Shame it wasn't for real.
Cute pictures of Abby and Sebastian on the water slide.
I don't think I ever got that comment from the love machine!
I love that bull riding machine! Seb looks cute riding it.
Great poses in the fountain.
Eek, what a strange nightmare/dream, but good it helped her remember to say goodbye to Donna.
Lovely words between her and Donna.
Even more lovely words between her and Seb.
I wanna see all those little Abby and Seb's running around!
Awesome update.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Continuation of Chapter 19
Apart from being all over each other in their new relationship, Sam and Haley just did whatever they felt like doing each day, never making any plans, only making memories together.
One day they were feeling nostalgic…wishing to relive a moment in their Appaloosa past where the spark of their attraction for each other pretty much ignited.
Hand in hand they raced out the sliding glass door into the backyard garden area, heading straight for the sprinklers. They dorked and frolicked around them for a bit.
“You know,” Haley began to Sam, amidst all the fun, “I kinda miss that cute, ginchy boy you used to be.” She winked with a smirk.
“Really!?”
“Kinda.” She playfully joked, sticking her tongue out.
“So…,” Sam spread his arms out, “if I happen to lose this hot bod I worked so hard to gain…you’ll still love me?”
Haley paused for a moment, giving him a lovingly sincere expression. “Of course I will.”
“Yeah right…,” Sam dismissed, teasing her a little.
Haley huffed as her jaw dropped, playing along. “Excuse me? You don’t trust me!? I’m offended!”
“It has nothing to do with trust, I just know what you - former miss popular girl in high school - prefer in a guy.”
“Do you?” She folded her arms with a pointed look. “Do you really?”
He shrugged with a look of confidence.
“Maybe you should ask my sister, or even Penny, what I’ve said about your hot self in the past. Even before we came here.” She smirked again.
That threw Sam for a loop. “You had the hots for me back home!?” He widely grinned.
“Maaaybe,” she grinned back. “It was only you and Alex that I thought were hot though. All the other boys were eww!”
In a pleasurable surprise, the sp'iky-haired man placed his hands on his hips and gave her almost the same loving look she previously gave him. “Well I’ll be darned…”
Haley’s cheeks blushed brightly. “C'mon, let's get wet some more. I’m still expecting a hard, wet butt slap from you…maybe a few,” she bounced her eyebrows at him, her eyes gleaming with seduction.
“Oh you got it sexy babe!” Sam exclaimed, raising his palm at the ready.
“OOH!”
Lately the two had been performing songs together, one of them being a new one Sam wrote for the band. (With help from Haley actually.) Haley sang the lyrics for him, hoping she could one day be a part of the band in that regard.
I’m a nightmare,
A disaster,
That’s what they always said.
I’m a lost cause,
Not a hero,
But I’ll make it on my own.
I’m gonna prove them wrong!
Me against the world!*
As much as Sam tried to be encouraging and supportive towards her singing, it was, unfortunately, not her best talent. Grimaces slipped through his suppression attempts one too many times when she would hit certain notes. Haley obviously noticed.
However, it didn’t hurt her feelings too much. She knew she wasn’t the best singer, and as much as she was disappointed in not being able to be a part of her boyfriend’s band, she swiftly let it go. “At least I tried.” Sam was a much better singer anyway. Heck, he was the best at everything musical to her.
“Aww, sorry babe,” Sam expressed, taking her into a hug and giving her a sympathy kiss.
“It’s okay…,” she sighed. Then her eyes lit up, a brainwave sparking. “Wait! Maybe I can be a part of the band in another way! Like, be your PR Rep or something. I am a pretty good photographer after all…,” she trailed off with a proud look.
Sam’s smile widened. “That’s a fantastic idea! I dunno why I didn’t think of it before. You’d seriously be the perfect PR Rep with your skills and personality!”
“I know!”
“Then it’s official! You’re our PR Rep.”
She giggled. "I'll get your band in the limelight in no time...just you wait and see."
"Oh I don't doubt it!"
They kissed again.
When the two attended the Spring Festival it was their turn to try out the “Love Inspector.”
Hot Stuff: Please do not kiss near Love Inspector - Love Inspector was constructed from cheap, highly flammable materials.
“Umm…okay then,” Sam chuckled - along with Haley - at that last part; both not sure exactly what to think about it.
“I thought the results were gonna be super LAME!” Haley expressed. “But you sure are hot stuff…” She turned to him with that seductive look in her eye.
“No, you’re the hot one babe,” Sam corrected. “Wanna kiss in front of it to see if it will actually catch on fire from our burning love?” He grinned with bouncing eyebrows.
“Totally! But…maybe we should step away from it a little bit? Like this.” She didn’t want her hair, or rather them, getting singed.
“Gotcha.”
“Aww, it didn’t catch on fire…,” Haley moaned afterward.
“It’s all good,” Sam comforted. “It’s a stupid machine anyway…
…guess that didn’t make it catch on fire either.”
Once again he made Haley laugh, as he often did.
After that, they stumbled upon an odd looking contraption to which Sam offered to investigate first for safety. Some instructions were engraved on an inconspicuous part of it that were a little hard to read.
“Wow. Ok. So, it’s some kind of gravitational endurance thingy that spins you around one way and then the opposite and you have to try to keep your balance through it all. It's called a Gyroscopic Dance Sphere.”
“Okaaay?”
Sam then stepped into the sphere. “Man this is gonna be SICK!” he declared with excitement after getting his hands and feet in position and watching the metal rings close in around him.
“Be careful Sammy…”
“Don’t worry. I got this!”
For a good five minutes Sam managed to keep his grip and stay upright whichever way the sphere turned. (He set the speed to medium.) He attributed his stamina to all the strength training he had been doing in the past few months.
The electrical sparks that randomly flashed for no apparent reason might’ve made him and Haley feel a little nervous. But it was epically fun!
Until the moment Sam lost his grip and got fumbled around like a guinea pig inside its play ball rolling down a rocky hill before it finally stopped.
“That was…ow…not pleasant,” he groaned.
“OMG! Are you okay!?” Haley cried, racing to his aid.
Once she knew Sam was alright she insisted on trying out the "gyro-sphere" for herself. It looked like way too much fun not to, and she figured she might never get the chance to try something like it again. Sam didn’t think it was a good idea and cautioned her, but she assured him she’d be fine just as he did her. “I’ll set it to the slowest speed okay?”
“Okay…”
Haley seriously underestimated how hard it was to hang on and keep her balance.
But got the hang of it in no time.
"WOO HOO!" she cheered.
“Heeeey,” Sam greeted with bouncing eyebrows at her dangling breasts in the current position the sphere held her in. He was greatly hoping they would pop out of her top - oopsie! - but he wasn’t going to say it.
Eventually Haley’s poor limbs gave out and she crash landed almost as hard as Sam did. He did his best to stop the sphere before she got fumbled around too badly.
“Ugh…I think my back is broken,” she groaned, lying on the hard ground.
“You’re exaggerating right?” Sam asked with great concern. “Please tell me you’re exaggerating.”
“Of course I’m exaggerating Sam! Ohhhh, it just hurts to move a little…”
“It’s okay,” Sam soothed, crouching down to pick her up. “I gotcha.”
Haley’s heart swooned at the gesture.
He offered to carry her anywhere she wished, and do whatever she wished.
What she wished for was some shade and him…lying his head in her lap and playing songs on his guitar for her.
"You got it," he granted.
When the sun began to set on the day, for “funzies” Haley decided to take over the kissing booth for the males since the lady android left her post for whatever reason.
Of course Sam was the first to step forward and get a kiss from her.
Little did either of them know that someone was on his way to kiss the android woman at the booth, but halted when he saw it was Haley instead.
Haley instantly stopped the kiss when she noticed him, looking down in awkwardness. Sam turned his head to see why she had. Oh. Alex.
“Guess I should leave the booth now,” she whispered.
“Guess so,” Sam agreed. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
She gave him a questionable look, but he gestured with his head for her to go anyway. He would explain later.
Once Haley was gone, Sam slapped his hands into his pockets and blew out a breath as he turned towards the tall, ever muscular figure still standing behind him. He and Alex hadn't spoken a word to each other since the fight and he wondered if this was a good time to fix that. Only one way to find out.
“‘Sup Alex,” he casually asked while moseying forward. “Need something?”
“Not really,” came the reply. “Where’d that android chick go? I thought I’d come over and give her a kiss. She looked pretty cute.”
“Yeah she’s over there dancing by herself for some reason,” Sam answered, carefully approaching and stopping beside him.
“Hmm…guess I’ll catch her later then.”
An uncomfortable silence ensued, both distracting themselves from it by watching the lady android dance - her physique indeed fine to look at - with one expecting the other to walk away, but they didn’t. Perhaps Alex was feeling the same way he was, Sam thought.
“‘Dancin’ with myseeeelf…,’” Sam couldn’t help singing in regards to the female android. It made him happy that Alex chuckled at it.
“Terrible…”
“Seriously though! Who dances all by themselves, doing the same moves, on the same square, with a permanent smile on their face? I think she might be malfunctioning…”
Alex chuckled again.
“Well,” Sam sighed, somewhat extending an olive branch, “at least it’s nice to know that if you stay in the friendzone with Maru, there’s a pretty android you can hook up with when you feel lonely.”
“Shut up,” Alex uttered, playfully bumping Sam’s shoulder with his fist.
“I’m just sayin’! I sure didn’t think I had that luxury when Maru dissed me after our first kiss.”
“You were never meant to be with her,” Alex stated rather abruptly, which he honestly didn’t mean to do. He quickly composed himself. “Just like…I was never meant to be with Haley,” he concluded, finally turning to Sam with a meaningful look in his eye.
Sam met his gaze, giving a nod of acknowledgement, feeling the words he couldn’t speak.
They both turned their gaze back to the lady android again, noticing the android security guard joining her on the dance floor, but she paid him no mind.
“I still can’t believe you kicked my a$$ in that fight…”
“Me neither!” Sam laughed.
Alex sighed. “Guess it's because I deserved it…”
“Wellll…,” Sam hesitated to voice his agreement, digging at the ground with the tip of his shoe.
“Look, it's okay if you say it. We both know I did, and I was wrong, so…sorry for being a je'rk. We cool?”
Sam cracked a smile at him with gladness. “Yeah. We're cool.”
"Cool."
In the distance, Maru had been watching the two converse and her smile grew brighter and brighter at every interaction. She could see everything was good between them now and she couldn’t have been more proud of her two guy friends. Especially Alex.
Guess that just leaves...Maru and Alex now huh?
More to come later.
A/N: *The song Sam "wrote" was not written by me, it's a real song by Simple Plan.
The results from the Love Inspector have been awesome to read and share in the story!
I didn't notice until it was too late that Sam and Alex are totally looking in the *wrong* direction of the dance floor during their chat - creating an inconsistency to the text, which I try my *very* best to avoid in my stories - but...oh well!
Love Inspector phrases are great! Congrats to the programmer who did those.
I love the fountain poses.
Oooooh the Wizard welcoming her back. A dream or a foreshadowing???
Sad to see her have to say goodbye to Donna. Was she an android ghost or somehow a real sim that died there?
LOL Haley you tease, shaking that stuff in the sprinkler.
And you put her in that red top just for me, didn't you?
More fun with the kissing booth. No super-hot kiss this time. Was it still Bekkasan's simself, and she wandered off on her own? Too funny! NPC's never do what they're supposed to do.
Uh oh, its Alex, time for drama! Good for them to work it out without incident. Alex has matured from the frat boy.
Can't wait to see Alex and Maru's story and interactions here.
I don't know the song, but it sounds good, I like rock music.
The first part of the update wow!. gorgeous screenshots you are so much
better at taking them than I am, great job!
It was great seeing how fun they had, and a bit bittersweet when they met Donna.
They will prob miss the area when they do return home but feel good being back.
Lol at Abigail turning Hayley into a toad in her dream!
Hayley and Sam seemed to enjoy their time as well
I enjoyed the update!
@emorrill Happy to see the next part of the update!
Cute pics of Haley and Sam playing in the water.
Well, I'm kinda glad Haley can't sing. Haley doesn't need to be joined at his hip by joining the band. I thought she was becoming her own woman? ok, I see she is gonna be a part by doing PR.
I had seen the hot stuff one. it's cool seeing how different they are for each couple. I've never seen the machine catch fire...but it would be easy to do.
I love the gyro!
hehe, android Bekkasan wandered off to dance on her own!
Good chat with Sam and Alex. I'm happy that Alex has come to terms with it. He deserves much happiness in his life and I hope he gets it. I will come out there and whoop you with hot noodles if he doesn't.
Looking forward to the next part, but not looking forward to the end.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Oh I know you'd love to see little Abby and Seb's running around.
---- ^Lol!
Haley is becoming more independent, but she also wants to be around her man.
Yep, your SS totally wandered off to dance by herself for HOURS!
No worries. I know what I'm doing.
Oh yeah, Did you like that I wrote in Alex thinking your SS is pretty cute?
I'm so so excited to write the next part and I can't wait to share!
Thank you always for your sweet and humorous comments.
@KevinL5275 ^Hee hee. 🥰
I actually had Sam kiss her and she changed back to her normal self.
Guess we'll see if the dream was a foreshadowing of what's to come when they return.
(I was gonna put it in a Spoiler, but others might like a refresher so I kept it open for all to view.
...But yeah there's that.
^I might have.
Yes, the lady android was still Bekkasan's simself. She would not stay at her post long and it was getting annoying. I wonder if it's because I had her has a town resident and not an NPC that she was leaving it? 🤷♀️ ^Yes. And he sure has.
I'm getting really excited to write the next part.
Thanks for the comments.
@Silverofdreams30 ^Oh, I dunno about that. Your scenery pictures are pretty gorgeous, but thank you.
Yeah...I totally got teary-eyed writing Abby and Donna saying goodbye.
Turning Haley into a toad was a hoot!
Thanks for the comments.
I meant to share this song previously when Alex and Haley had made things right between each other, but...I think it's good to insert here after his "we're cool" chat with Sam.
But yes, he's finally over Haley.
Enjoy!
I have trouble with NPC's leaving their jobs too, even with Nraas Register installed. Its just a quirk of the game.
@emorrill DAUGHTRY!!!!
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Yep, the Wizard is indeed a powerful one.
@bekkasan ^Yeah I knew you would like that.
I did want to ask you something, too. Reading and rereading this over the past week or so has given me so much inspiration for a story with a similar premise, involving some of my OCs from a completely different game, and I wanted to check if you would mind me pursuing that idea or if that would feel too much like copying. Like I said, the characters and the source material are completely different - I just really love the whole "magically trapped in another world and being forced to work together" concept...(to be fair, knowing me, there's a good chance this story won't ever get out of the planning stage, but I wanted to check just in case).
Wow! I don't know what to say @whosesimisitanyway ... Other than, Thank you. 🥰 I appreciate the compliments (especially about Abby.
^You're so sweet to ask. I don't mind at all.
(But I will say, when you publish said story and make millions on it, I hope you'll give my story a little shout out as the inspiration for it.
Thanks again.
(also I am super excited for the finale!)
I want to thank y'all so much for your patience as I've been working tirelessly for the past week and a half to write Part One of the finale.
I hope to have it posted - possibly broken up into two posts, which I want to avoid, but we'll see - very very soon. I'm getting super excited to share!
Stay tuned!
*sniff* I can't believe the end is here...such a bittersweet thing.
There's a lot to process here, especially towards the end, so...take it slow and enjoy.
(We left off on the couples highlights...there's 2 people left in the group to highlight.
Pelican Town to Sims Town
Chapter 19
Grand Finale - Part One
One clear, starry evening - not long after the sun went down - Alex lay on his bed, in his dimly lit room, with his hands behind his head, contemplating a few things.
All was quiet and peaceful in the guy’s house, which was becoming the new normal these days with all the couples continually pairing off and staying in whichever house they felt like for the night. In a way it made him feel somewhat lonely, but mostly he didn’t mind it. Mostly because it gave him all the more reason to hang out with Maru. Together they were helping each other get through the remainder of the mysterious quest, their friendship growing ever stronger in the process. He liked it. A lot. He wondered if it was just as quiet at the girl’s house right now where Maru was, doing whatever it was she was doing.
He smiled as his thoughts wandered back to a few particular moments they shared together, unable to keep his mind off her anymore.
One crisp morning he invited Maru to join him in a game of basketball as part of his “morning workout.” Before they started playing, Maru couldn’t help accusing him - teasing mostly - of being a “show off” for not wearing a shirt when it was a chilly Spring morning. It was so, typical Alex, she thought again. Guess some things about him would never change, but that was mostly alright with her.
“You could've thrown on at least a tank top or something…,” she muttered.
“Whatever, you know you enjoy looking at this,” he came back with, pointing at his incredibly ripped chest and six-pack with a proud smirk.
All Maru could do was shake her head, hiding a smile in the process. He was right; who was she kidding?
“Besides, once we get our heart rates up, we’re gonna warm up fast!”
The last time Maru played basketball was in high school PE and even then she hadn’t been very good at it. It was indeed difficult trying to snag the ball from Alex, but she was having fun. Bumping into his sweaty torso every so often wasn’t entirely an uncomfortable thing.
During an Alex suggested “free throw,” Maru missed the basket four times in a row.
“Wow,” Alex finally spoke, “with how good you are at making a goal in soccer, I figured you’d be just as good at making a basket in basketball. Not be as bad as Haley at it,” he teased.
“How about I smack you upside the head and call that making the basket?” she tartly threw back at him.
Alex’s eyes bugged out with a wide grin. “Oooh, feisty!” he said to her. It turned him on greatly.
The fourth time was the charm for Maru. Right afterward she threw out a proud grin at Alex as if to say, “Take that!” She was really beginning to enjoy their competitive moments together.
Later, Alex so swiftly stole the ball from Maru again that she stopped dead in her tracks and gave up, watching him make the glorious shot he was about to make.
He hung onto the rim after the ball went in, swinging and flashing his beautifully sculpted chest. Maru inadvertently rubbed at her collarbone as she watched and stared, getting a little turned on herself. For a moment it felt hotter outside.
“Guess that’s a wrap?” Alex asked her upon approach.
“After a finale like that, I think so,” she smiled.
Alex’s cheeks flushed behind his grin. “You know, you were pretty good out there. Definitely better than Haley,” he winked.
“Thank you.”
“You should join me every morning for a workout.”
“I thought Harvey and Shane joined you?”
“Sometimes they do, but not as much anymore. I think they’ve started doing their own thing which is all good. It’s hard keeping up with me…,” he smirked.
Maru shook her head again. “You’re always going to be that co’c’ky jock aren’t you?”
“Absolutely, one-hundred percent,” he continued to tease. “Besides, one should always take pride in their work,” he added, flexing his pectorals and making them pop out.
“Oh my gosh…,” she lowered her head into the palm of her hand with a laugh.
“I love it when you laugh,” he couldn’t help saying after she looked back up at him.
And Maru couldn’t help blushing either. He sure had a way of making her do both. Unlike anyone else in the universe.
Other times when they weren’t doing something sporty - as they previously agreed on - they did something more to Maru’s liking.
Most of the time Alex enjoyed the brainy activities, especially one time in particular when she performed a “stimulus response test” on him and he caught that rubber ducky like a boss!
Afterward, he wasn’t sure why she asked him to share what he thought a bunch of globs of ink on paper looked like…
…but it was a way for Maru to tap into his inner psyche. For…personal reasons. It was highly amusing, and indeed insightful.
“Okay, now my head hurts…,” Alex groaned afterward, rubbing his temples while Maru set the ink-blot test cards aside.
“Good!” she exclaimed. “It’s good to make your brain think!”
He shot her an unamused look.
“Hey, let’s play rock, paper, scissors!” He asked because one of those cards looked like two people doing that to him.
“I thought your head hurt?” She arched an eyebrow at him.
“Well, yeah, it does, but maybe it’ll hurt less if I’m actually doing something fun...”
“Ohhh, really?” she asked, playing to look insulted.
“Look, my head hurting creates an advantage for you, alright. Cause I’m the undefeated champ at rock, paper, scissors.” He smirked.
“You can’t be a champ at that game! It’s all luck based.”
“I’ll prove it,” he said with a look of certainty, and with challenge.
“Alright. Let’s do it!”
With all logic on her side, Maru clearly did not expect him to beat her at every attempt.
It irritated her so much that once he said, “See? I’m the champ, Brainiac,” she threw her hands into the air, curling her fingers like an angry bear, and roaringly growled at him.
It frightened the hell out of the man. Mostly because it was so…unexpected. Especially from her.
It greatly surprised Maru even that she did something so brash and childish in response, but seriously, what were the odds!? She looked away from him in a terrible embarrassment.
“Da’mn…,” was all Alex could say.
“Look, let’s not speak about that ever again, okay?” She pinched at her forehead.
“You got it,” he chuckled. “So…what should we do now?”
“I dunno…”
Eventually they started talking about random stuff. Neither could remember exactly what prompted Maru to do a Harvey impression…
…but it was spot on and they got a huge kick out of it.
When the two attended the Spring Festival it was along with their friends, not with each other. However, just as their friends would always pair off with their significant other, they would once again find themselves wandering towards the other, sick and tired of being the third wheel.
“Hey,” Alex greeted her for the first time that day.
“Hey,” she greeted back, loving the way in which he said it.
“You uh…,” he began, teetering on his feet, “wanna go on an egg hunt?”
She smiled with warm cheeks. “Yeah.”
“Sweet.”
After egg hunting, they slipped into the photobooth thinking it was one of those you make goofy faces for, but unfortunately they discovered it was supposed to be a formal photo after it was too late.
When they stepped out of the other side of the booth, they found themselves standing face to face with the famed “Love Inspector” machine. For a moment they ignored looking at the silly picture they just took and stared up at it in thought.
“You really think that thing is as accurate as the others say it is?” Alex asked her.
“I don't know,” came the dry response. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.”
“Yeah. Maybe for fun we should try it out,” he suggested with a cracked grin and a shrug. “Just to see what it says.”
Maru’s cheeks naturally flushed at his suggestion. “Ohh I don't know…,” she uttered with a hint of shyness, brushing some hair behind her ear.
Her gesture shifted Alex’s attention. “I noticed your hair’s been growing longer and longer these days,” he said, leaning in slightly while adding, “It’s a great look for you. I really like it.” His heart couldn’t help wondering if she grew it out for him; maybe just a little?
“I know. You told me before,” she expressed, still blushing. “It grows fast.”
“How come it’s not all crimpy?” he asked, like it was back in their freshman year of high school.
“Cause I’ve been straightening it,” she replied. “The humidity here makes my natural waves look awful, though truth be told I’m sick of all the time it takes to straighten it in the morning…”
With an affectionate smile, Alex gazed into her eyes for a moment, wishing to say how beautiful he thought her long crimpy, wavy, or whatever hair was back then, but he wasn’t sure if it would make her feel uncomfortable. “Then don’t,” he simply suggested, stepping back a bit.
Maru’s heart fluttered as she quietly acknowledged.
“Just try out the Love Inspector with me. It might be hilarious!”
“Okay. Fine,” she gave in. Honestly she couldn’t deny being curious as to what it would say too.
The seconds it took for the machine to do the scan and come up with the result felt like an eternity to them both.
Naughty but Nice: Such vigorous passion - Could Love Inspector possibly interest you in the home version of Love Inspector?
“Whaaat?” Maru asked, feeling somewhat confused, but mostly disturbed by that last part.
“Yeeeah,” Alex agreed. “Meh. It’s really not that great.”
“Nope. I figured as much.”
Although, the two couldn’t stop thinking about the “vigorous passion” part as they continued on with the festival’s activities.
Maybe someday there could be some vigorous passion between us…, Alex dreamily thought with an aroused grin, still relaxing on his bed.
His thoughts then turned to an event that happened just two nights previously.
He had called Maru a little before dinnertime. “Hey. You wanna hit up the Bar with me tonight? I need to get out of the house. Too much romance going on…”
Maru chuckled, understanding. “Is this a date?” she playfully asked.
“If you want it to be…,” he playfully responded back.
She blushed. “I could go for a drink.” Even if it was just fancy juice.
“Great! I’ll pick you up.”
The two sat at the bar and drank as many juice concoctions as the android bartender could whip out, while eating dinner and talking and laughing for hours about anything and everything. They did gossip about the others and their relationships, but it was all in good fun.
It had been a lovely “date,” mostly because they continued to pleasurably discover how much they really did have in common for being opposites. Neither could ever remember feeling happier on the quest than they had in that vacant bar together.
It was just after 1 am when they decided it was time to head home, even though they were all hyped up on sugar from the juices and didn’t feel tired just yet.
Just before Alex was about to open the truck door for Maru, his eyes noticed something. “No way!” he exclaimed. “There’s a gridball, err, football, field right next to the bar and I didn’t even notice until now!?”
Oh boy…, Maru thought with an eye-rolling sigh as she turned to see for herself. Sure enough…
“Hang tight for a second,” Alex asked her, running to the other side of the truck, opening the door, reaching behind the driver’s seat, and pulling out a ball.
Maru’s eyebrow arched at him. “Do you always keep a ball around with you?”
“Of course!” He slapped at it. “Don’t you know me at all?”
Maru shook her head at him with a smile.
“C’mon, let’s go check out that field! Maybe see if you can snag the ball from me before I reach the end zone!” He winked.
“Alex…it’s after one in the morning…”
“I know, but I’ve got a sugar rush going on. C’mon Maru, it’ll be good for both of us to get it out before bed, dontcha think?”
She shrugged.
“Come and get me!”
Guess we’re doing this…
Maru didn’t try too hard to catch up to him.
Alex slammed the ball down at the ground underneath the end zone flags and cheered a loud “YEAH” while throwing his fists up into the sky. It felt good to experience a little gridball again. “Gridball captain, one. Brainiac, zero!” He playfully expressed with pointed fingers.
“Yep. It’s pretty clear that you’re generally better at sports than I am…,” Maru accepted, looking away with a sigh.
The tone in her voice tugged at Alex’s heartstrings and instantly made him feel bad about his silly gloating. Sometimes he would forget that Maru had pride too.
“Hey,” he tenderly addressed, coming to her and taking her hand in his, not even thinking twice about it. “You know I don’t mean to hurt your feelings saying stuff like that.”
“You don't hurt my feelings...,” she expressed, looking down at her hand in his with mixed emotions brewing.
He stroked her fingers as he continued. “It’s just…kinda nice feeling like I’m better than you at something. Because you’re better than me at like everything!” He affectionately smiled.
Maru returned one in appreciation. She really loved it when his sweetheart side came out.
“But if you want me to,” he paused, somehow reading her true thoughts and feelings, “I’ll quit all the bragging. Even as a joke." He began weaving his fingers together with hers. "I never wanna make you feel unhappy or annoyed. Like I always made you feel in high school…”
Maru’s heart fluttered at his words, despite the trace feelings of uneasiness working to overtake her. She wasn’t ready yet…and the reasons were so silly, really.
Struggling to meet his gaze, she carefully removed her hand from his woven grasp and tried to swallow the emotional lump in her throat.
“Sorry,” Alex expressed as his hand returned to his side. “Guess it’s still too soon for that…”
“No, you don’t have to apologize,” she consoled. “It’s not you Alex. It’s me.”
Gazing at her intently, he asked, “What’s wrong?” When her eyes fully met his, he added, “You can tell me.” And he wholly meant it. He could feel that something had been bothering her for a little while now, but of course she was keeping it deeply concealed like she always did; never wanting to appear weak. However, he hoped they were close enough now that she would feel comfortable opening up to him.
“I know,” she assured him. “I don't know, I’ve just been feeling a little off and…confused lately.”
Alex then co’ck’ed his head in question. “Confused?” His heart beat nervously.
“About me. About this quest,” she replied. “I feel like my brain hasn’t been functioning at its best for the past couple of months and I haven’t been able to figure out why! It’s been horribly frustrating.” Part of herself blamed it on spending too much time with Alex, but she didn’t want to believe that was it. “Maybe it’s burnout from all the medical stuff I’ve been working on or just,” she rubbed at her forehead, “growing ever tired of this silly quest that’s holding me back in life. Annoyed that I still haven’t been able to crack the mystery of it when,” she stopped, trying to hold back the tears, “I’m used to solving everything. For the first time in my life I’m feeling…inadequate. Weak.”
Alex nodded in understanding, feeling a lump form in his throat now. Seeing her eyes water up almost made his do the same.
“You’re not weak Maru,” he assured, “what you’re feeling is…normal.” He placed his hands on her shoulders for comfort while looking her straight in the eye and playfully adding, “as much as I know you can’t stand to be…”
It got a light chuckle out of her, which was good.
He continued on a more serious note, drawing from a very recent personal experience. “We’re not supposed to have all the answers to life’s mysteries, Maru. We just roll with it, take it as it comes. And yeah, sometimes we’re gonna feel weak throughout it all, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still strong. There’s always a reason things happen the way they do. Sometimes we learn the reasons, sometimes we don’t. But just remember that no matter what happens, you’ll always be that same, genius, awesome Maru. The girl that can do anything.” He grinned. “The most amazing girl I know.”
Smiling, she wiped at her eyes, appreciating his sweet and insightful words. They were just what her soul needed to hear, even if it was a little hard to accept.
“Plus I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.” He lowered his hands. “It’s like what we all discussed earlier when Abby told us about her dream…Maybe we’ve already completed the quest. Because,” he recounted what Harvey said by counting with his fingers, “we’ve become ‘enlightened’ in a lot of things, found ‘true happiness’ with each other, and our ‘hearts’ have come together as one, just like the Wizard counseled. So,” he shrugged, “it would seem our return is all in his timing now…when he feels like we’re truly ready to go home.”
“But Alex, that's not what he said,” she countered, “I mean, it is mostly, but his exact words were, ‘Once you have completed the quest, then will you return.’ To me that sounds immediate upon completion; I could sense it in the tone of his voice. So, if we’ve really completed the quest, we wouldn’t still be here right now. We would be home.”
Alex didn’t know what to say.
“So now the question is,” she sighed, gazing deeply into his eyes, yearning for an answer. Any answer. “What have we still not accomplished? What’s holding us back?”
Alex swallowed with emotion. Oh how much he wanted to hold her tightly in this moment and give her the perfect answer to all her vexing questions, but sadly…he didn’t have it.
“I dunno,” he regretfully admitted, “but I promise I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll figure it out together.” He vowed.
Nodding, Maru gave him a heartfelt smile. “Thank you Alex. And thanks for listening.”
“Always Maru. Anytime.”
Expelling a breath, Alex sat up from his bed and clasped his hands in his lap as he asked himself the same question he’d been asking over and over again for the past 48 hours. How in Stardew Valley am I going to help her figure out what’s holding us back on completing the quest when she hasn’t even been able to figure that out herself!? I’m not a genius! Not even close! He sighed again, feeling so pitiful. He had to try though! Oh how impressed she would be with him if he could…
Desperately he thought deeply about everything that happened to the twelve of them - and everything they accomplished - from the very beginning, as much as he could remember. Working to pick out any subtle clues in between; if there actually were any.
Most of the events that transpired during their time here, he never expected to happen. Never in a million years! Shane becoming sober and actually turning out to be a cool guy, Abigail revealing her magical powers, Haley rising above herself, and Sam toning up and kicking his butt in a fight, just to name a few. Even his own personal growth during this quest still amazed him.
Then his thoughts shifted a little…
The love that had developed within the group, becoming like one big, happy family, was truly beautiful. Honestly, it was the kind of loving family he always wished he had grown up in, but unfortunately didn’t, so he was very thankful for the opportunity to feel what it was like to have it. And it was exactly how he wanted his future family to be.
The couple relationships that formed, some predictable, others not, actually ended up being the perfect match ups, despite what all of them initially thought. Especially Sam and Haley. Who'da thunk it? He had to chuckle a little thinking about it. And now a door was opening to the possibility of him and Maru. When was that ever in the cards!? He had actually been pondering on that one for a while now. It still blew his mind and it made him shake his head in wonderment.
So after all that, why ARE we still here? He asked himself again. What IS holding us back?
He wondered if Maru was contemplating the same, in this very moment, on this clear, starry night.
“Maru…,” he whispered, his heart aching for her, longing to be in her presence again.
Why were they lonely on this beautiful night when they should be together? Everyone else was with someone.
“Wait a sec…,” he voiced out loud at the thought, an instant realization setting in. His eyes darted around as the gears turned within his mind. Could it really be that simple? His smile broadened.
“That’s it.”
Back at the ladies house, Maru was doing what she usually did whenever she felt stressed or needed to unwind. Stargaze. It was one of her favorite hobbies and tonight was the perfect night to do it.
There was always a certain peace and tranquility that came with stargazing for her. Perhaps because it was a pleasant distraction from everyday life that provided that quiet time to ponder on a lot of things about her life. And she would end up gaining incredible insight from doing so. If there ever was a time when she needed some insight, it was now.
“There you are,” she whispered, honing in on a constellation from the Simthaer star charts that had strangely become her favorite. It was called “Llama’s Head,” but mostly it just reminded her of “The Big Dipper.” It was a reminder of home.
Home, she sighed. If we ever actually make it back. She really did miss her mother, and father, despite how overbearing he always was. She couldn’t fathom the mental torment her and Sebastian’s disappearance had on them for the past ten months. It made her heart ache, especially with no way of letting them know that she and Sebastian were alright and well. Better than well, in fact. They were best brother/sister friends now. Oh how happy that would make them, especially momma, she thought. She could only hope the Wizard told them something, anything, in all this time to provide some comfort.
She then tittered with a smile. “It’s no surprise that Sebby and Abby finally hooked up during this quest. That would surely fill mom and dad with joy too.” They really seemed to like Abigail from what she could see, probably because she got Sebastian to come out of his bedroom. “Until,” she frowned, “they find out about Abby’s magic powers.” Which they surely would. She sighed, hoping greatly that upon their return her parents - and everyone else in Pelican Town - would look at the Wizard and his magic as something that really wasn’t evil after all. And they could all live in harmony again with the magic bearers as Sebastian and Abigail were dreaming of.
A shooting star shot across the sky and that, along with thinking about the Wizard’s magic, made Maru gasp. “Oh my gosh! Those magical stars I told Abby about!” she exclaimed.
Frantically she searched the sky with her naked eyes, trying to remember their location. “Geez. I can’t believe I’d forgotten to check on those things again!” Guess they lost importance to her in the grand scheme of things, but now, she was beginning to feel differently.
When she thought she found them she threw her eyeball onto the ocular part of the telescope to get a better look, adjusting the lens exponentially.
Sure enough, she was right on the money with their location. “Let’s see…”
There were five stars…along with what looked to be an empty hole in space at the end of them. Odd, I didn’t notice that before, but that was beside the point at the moment.
Five stars… Her brow furrowed as she pulled away from the telescope, numerous thoughts running rampant throughout her mind.
Last time she checked there were four stars in the mysterious new star belt, but during her and Abigail’s enlightening conversation months ago about why these uncharted stars had appeared one by one at various times - they being a magical symbol of the relationships that formed within the group, they deduced - she expressed to Abigail that she should’ve seen five stars then, because there were five couples. However, there were only four stars. Now there were five.
“Cause there’s five couples again!” she blurted out, but threw her eyes shut in correction, shaking her head. No Maru! That’s not it! The mystery here was, why would there be five stars now with five couples, when there were only four stars then with five couples? Her shoulders fell hard with a loud sigh as she continued on in deep thought about each and every couple.
She began to pace the roof a bit, gripping her chin as she did so.
At the time of her and Abigail’s conversation, Alex and Haley were a couple. Yet later the two broke up. “That’s probably why there wasn’t a fifth star,” she figured, “because they weren’t meant to be together, as we now know. Now Haley is with Sam so…,” she stopped and gazed back up at the belt, “their relationship created a fifth star.” Then a spark ignited in one of her brainwaves. “Because they are soulmates! ALL of them are!” She lowered her head. “A magical star is created when two soulmates find each other.” She shook her head in awe, not completely understanding it all, but the thought caused her lips to turn upward into a giant grin. “I KNEW it! I KNEW the Wizard had a hand in all this romance going on around here!” For a moment she felt an extreme sense of pride and it sure felt good. Finally she was getting somewhere in regards to this darn quest!
“But wait…,” she paused, quickly looking into the telescope again, focusing on the single, lone black hole next to the five stars, “that empty hole…If these stars are all related to us, in finding our soulmates, then…,” she lost a breath, the realization hitting instantly, causing her head to feel heavy and her eyes to widen. Her heart pounded against her chest as she wearily stepped away from the telescope, losing her footing for a second, working to process it all. Her body froze.
“What if…the quest…,” she struggled, holding her hand to her contracting chest, “is that…what it’s really all about? No,” she shook her perspiring head in disbelief. “It-it couldn’t be!” Surely she would’ve figured that out by now! But why didn’t she?
Because, she began to realize, it was always her mind and the dreams that came with it that she pursued in her life, not the desires of her heart. It seemed the more important thing to do. But maybe that’s what she was supposed to learn during the quest. Become ‘enlightened’ about. Following her heart. Opening her heart.
Her eyes stared forward at nothing, lost in dumbfoundedness. The other part of the Wizard’s final words to them as they were being sent away on the quest - which apparently were the most crucial - rang out in her mind:
...How long it takes to complete, will depend upon the hearts of each and every one of you…
Now it made sense. Once again it was something so, so simple.
She sighed as naturally all her thoughts swiftly turned to him; the man that had indubitably stolen her heart, she just wasn’t entirely sure if it was true. Or if it was right. Her soul feeling a little nervous to embrace it. Yet now…
“Alex…,” she breathed, suddenly wanting nothing more in her life than to be with him. She had to see him!
In that very moment she felt a presence, an ever familiar one. One she had pleasurably come to know for quite some time now and her soul instantly clung to it. Her heart skipped an excited beat as she gradually turned around to see…
And sure enough there he was.
The sight of him, wearing that gorgeous smile of his that she always loved, made her heart sing and her eyes well up with happy tears.
He gave her a slight shrug as if to say, “Well, here we are…as we should be.”
Her smile broadened and her heart fluttered rapidly, more than ever before, as they approached each other, their eyes locked together.
Alex spoke first.
“Hey you. I, uh, had this thought…that suddenly came to me. So I had to see you.”
“Oh?” Her anxious heart was dying to hear.
Nodding, he inched closer. “Do ya think…maybe we haven’t completed the quest yet because…it’s riding on the two of us?”
Joyfully, Maru wiped at the tear that escaped her eye as she nodded. “I think so. I literally just had a similar thought.” She chuckled within her smile.
Relief washed over Alex’s shining face as he stopped right before her and took her hand in his. When she squeezed it back, his soul rejoiced. He’d been dreaming of this moment for a while now and had a speech all written out in his mind for when it finally happened. He hoped he would deliver it right.
“Maru,” he began, gazing deeply into her eyes with a nervous, yet besotted heart, “I know a genius like you deserves so much better than a lowly guy like me.” Her instant facial expression told him otherwise, but he continued. “But if you’ll give me a chance,” he raised his other hand to stroke her cheek, “I’ll be everything you deserve.”
Maru then stroked his cheek. “I only want you to be you. No one else.”
“I know, but what I mean by saying that is…whatever you wanna do in your life, wherever your smarts take you, I’ll support you and be there beside you through it all. I promise. Cause I can’t live without you anymore, Maru. I’ll gladly take a backseat to your greatness, because I’ve fallen in lo–-”
Maru threw her lips upon his, unable to hold her feelings back any longer.
Afterward, seeing Alex’s pleasurably surprised grin, she told him, “Me too.”
Now Alex’s heart sang.
Throwing their arms around each other they kissed again, releasing all the romantic tension going on between them for the past few months, saying what words could never express before through every touch of their lips.
And all the while sparks were flying - literally - that they couldn’t see, forming into a star which circled around their heads before shooting up into the sky…taking its rightful place next to the five others. Now completed, the belt glowed, creating a ripple effect in the sky.
The two new lovers were too distracted to notice, or the shockwaves in the air that came from it.
“My gosh you look beautiful tonight,” Alex breathlessly expressed to her, running his fingers through her hair. “I see you didn’t straighten your hair today.”
“Nope. I just decided to let it go.”
He grinned. “Did you do that for me?” He couldn’t resist asking.
“Maaaybe,” she playfully replied. “I might’ve been letting it grow out for you too…”
“Oh yeah?” he smirked, leaning in again.
“Yeah,” she grinned. “But don’t get used to it. Because I like it better short.”
“That’s just fine…”
Their lips met again.
In the middle of the kiss they could see multiple flashes of lights occurring behind their closed eyelids, along with light, twinkling sounds singing in their ears. They opened their eyes and gasped in awe to find scads of magical stars floating all around them, raining from the sky above. The wind was picking up too.
“It’s happening…,” Alex whispered.
“The others!” Maru exclaimed. “We have to tell them–-” But she was interrupted by an abrupt beam of incredible light, shooting up from the ground below their feet and into the endless sky, causing her to scream and cling tightly to Alex.
Alex jumped in a startle himself, holding her in return. “It’s too late…I’m sure they already know. This is gotta be happening to them too.” I sure as hell hope so…
The light soon began to engulf and encircle them like fire and they could feel their bodies lifting off the ground.
“Alex…?”
“Hold onto me Maru…It’s gonna be okay.” His heart thumped nervously.
Back to wherever the others were at, they too discovered stars suddenly raining down all around them and quickly found and clung to their love in wonder. Thankfully all of them had stayed pretty close together on this night. Once joined together, a beam of light engulfed them too.
Was this it? The end of the quest? Were they finally going home?
Next thing they all knew they were being sucked through the beam that encircled them, shooting directly into the stars, losing consciousness for only but a moment…
When they opened their eyes, they took instant notice of each other, back in their previous forms, standing beside their loves in the middle of the room in the Wizard’s tower. Gasps filled the air.
They were home.
Standing directly before them, in front of the smoky cauldron with his pointed hat and long purple cape, flapping by some mysterious force, stood Rasmodius, wearing a look of pride and pleasure on his face.
“Welcome back,” he greeted them. “You have completed the quest."
Of course I can't end the story there!
@emorrill That was the most awesome chapter ever!! I loved every minute of it. I'm gonna miss them all so much...even the brat...Haley.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
I like Maru's longer hair too.
I wonder what they're going to look like and how their families are going to react. Can't wait for the rest.
a lot, it's so sad it is over soon though since we have read it for so long.
I love that Maru and Alex finally decided they belong together, and those effects in the end was
really cool, great job!
I am very excited to read the ending!
@bekkasan FIRST!
And I love that you'll miss Haley too.
@KevinL5275 ^Yep.
Long hair does seem to fit Maru nicely huh?
Well, they're all going to be 16 bit, pixel people again.
Glad you enjoyed the sims world ending and thank you for the comments.
Seriously, after the story is finished, I'll get Haley sent over to you.
@Silverofdreams30 ^I know...that's what gets to me the most. It's like the end of an era...
Thanks for the compliments on my special effects.
@PalmArrow Hey lady!
@ZhakiraP Hey there!
Well I sure need to get cracking on writing the last part don't I?
Hopefully I'll have the next part ready by the end of the week. 🤞 It might be a busy week with some house repairs possibly going on, but we'll see how it goes. 🤪
Thank you again everyone. 💜💙💜💙
So Part 2 of the Finale is getting pretty long (since it's the end
***I'd like to point out that since the gang is no longer in Appaloosa Plains, and back home in Pelican Town, I will be using character portraits from the Stardew Valley game (some have been altered a little by me for story purposes
I know, it's sad to not see them as Sims anymore.
So without further adieu, enjoy the beginning of Part 2 everyone.
Pelican Town to Sims Town
Chapter 19 - Grand Finale
Beginning of Part 2
Without a moment’s hesitation, Abigail immediately ran towards her biological father and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
It threw the great Wizard Marlin Rasmodius off guard for a second, but he had certainly been longing for this closeness with her ever since the moment he found out she was his daughter. He gradually wrapped his arms around her in return, smiling, and soon held her just as tightly. They stayed that way for a few seconds.
“Is this real?” Abigail tearfully whispered in his ear.
Rasmodius chuckled. “Yes. This is real,” he replied, breaking their embrace to look into her beautiful blue-green eyes. “My daughter…,” he expressed, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Welcome home.”
Grinning happily, she sniffed as she said, “Somehow I don’t think I would’ve made it back without you.”
He gave her a casual smirk as loving words, unspoken, were exchanged between them.
She hugged him again.
“ELLIOTT!” Leah cried out, suddenly remembering the life inside her womb and threw her hands on her belly, frantically pressing all over it, hoping that the baby was still there and well.
All eyes shot in her direction, their hearts stopping for a moment. Elliott placed his hands on her belly to feel too and Harvey rushed over to check as well.
“No harm should have befallen the child,” the Wizard informed.
Not hearing his words, the mother closed her eyes and cried out in relief, “Oh thank goodness! I feel some kicking! Oh thank you Lord!”
Feeling the kicking too, relief washed over the father’s and the doctor’s faces as well. Everyone else expressed sighs of great relief that echoed all throughout the room.
“Did you expect that one of us might get pregnant during the quest?” Abigail couldn’t help asking Rasmodius.
“The possibility had crossed my mind…,” came the simple response. Now all eyes turned towards him.
“So if Leah had the baby in Appaloosa, the baby would have come back with us, right?” She had to clarify the answer she felt from him before.
“Of course. I was prepared for all possibilities.”
“Even if she had suffered life threatening complications during the delivery?” Harvey asked in an unintended tone, feeling a bit emotionally charged at the moment. “We didn’t have the best medical equipment over there, nor a hospital. Sorry Leah…” He apologized for asking.
Leah shrugged; she was certainly curious too.
The Wizard looked Harvey straight in the eye while folding his arms. “My Abigail’s life once hung in the balance, as you may recall, and in a few fleeting moments I saved her. The same I would have done for Leah if need be. However, Doctor, I trusted in your abilities as a physician, and knew that you would educate yourself on the matter, so I did not worry too much about it.”
Harvey nodded with pursed lips, feeling somewhat chastened while Elliott muttered in a whisper to Leah, “Well that sure would’ve been good to know back there…”
“Alright so we completed the quest,” Sam rang in. “YAY! Awesome-sauce! But I think I speak for everyone when I ask," he sharply turned towards the Wizard, "what the HELL was it all about!?”
Most everyone nodded while Haley mumbled to her love, “Language babe…”
“Sorry, but in this case it’s warranted!”
The Wizard lowered his arms as a corner of his mouth quirked up, replying with, “I would think that since you are all here, you would have figured it out.”
“NO!” Sam yelled in objection.
“WE figured it out!” Maru chimed in, with her arm around Alex. Everyone gaped at them.
Alex gave them all a proud nod and smile in confirmation.
“YOU!?” Sebastian addressed Maru with a pointed finger. “Well, of course. And YOU!?” He pointed at Alex this time. “Together!? Together?” he asked again in a different tone with a different meaning.
“Chill out Sebby…,” Maru kindly insisted. “Yes. Together.” She pulled Alex closer to her to let him really know.
“Yeah chill out Sebby,” Abigail softly repeated in agreement, giving him a loving look at the same time.
“Hey, I’m chill. I’m not hatin,'” he said in defense, with his hands spread apart. “I’m just…confirming. My rematerialized brain still feels a bit jumbled right now...” He slipped his hands into his pockets and took a step back, lowering his head with a sigh; still unsure of how he felt about his sister hooking up with Alex, but that wasn’t important right now.
“Aww, you two are a couple now?” Penny asked with a light squeal of excitement for her best friend. She could hardly believe it.
The two nodded.
“Did you kiss yet?” She winked.
“Yep,” Alex answered this time. “And it was our kiss, well, more our hearts finally opening up to each other, that completed the quest. Next thing we knew we were being sucked through the cosmos and landing back here.”
“So that’s how it happened…,” Emily whispered, gaping in surprise.
“So…all of us falling in love and getting together…,” a thoughtful Harvey spoke, “was the key to completing the quest? And the purpose of it?”
“Bingo,” Maru confirmed. “I was just as surprised as you are right now when I found out.”
The Wizard mischievously rubbed at his beard as he exchanged glances between them.
“Wow…,” Harvey breathlessly said. “That is not what I ever expected it to be about.”
Penny however - ever the hopeless romantic - loved the heck out of the sentiment of the quest and kissed him on the cheek, physically expressing her feelings on the matter. Naturally they came as no surprise to Harvey. He lightly kissed her back.
“Okay, wait,” Haley stepped in, with half raised palms, “then what was all that mumbo jumbo you told us beforehand, about ‘becoming enlightened’ and all that jazz?” she asked the Wizard.
“That’s exactly what it was,” Shane now spoke, liking that she remembered his previous term for it, “'mumbo jumbo,' to distract us from the true purpose of the quest. To make it not so obvious and more challenging. Am I right?” he also asked the Wizard.
“Not entirely,” came Rasmodius’ response. “Everything I said was essential in order to complete the quest.”
Curious, everyone’s eyes fixated on his, urging him to go on.
“‘Once you allow yourself to become enlightened, then will you discover what will give you the greatest happiness in life,’” he quoted himself. “Becoming enlightened gives you knowledge. Life experiences give you wisdom. The quest was to provide a unique learning experience in your lives, one you surely would not have gained here in this town’s present state. The kind of experience that would necessitate the need to lean on someone to get through it. That’s how you would come to know who is your better half; your soulmate. And it is that person who would give you the greatest happiness in your life.”
“Ahhh,” they all lightly expressed with nods, realizing.
“I was kinda right about that,” Elliott expressed proudly. They all smiled at him.
“True I may have made it sound a little vague and mysterious,” Rasmodius continued, “but that was so all of you would gain as much from the experience as possible and have enough time to discover your true love. And once the twelve of you allowed your hearts to knit together as one, becoming six, you would return. That is why the completion of the quest ‘depended upon the hearts of each and every one of you.’” He quoted himself again.
Each couple nodded again and then turned their heads to smile at each other, eternally grateful for the grand adventure they just endured that brought them together.
“Okay I have to ask,” Leah addressed the Wizard, “why would you do something like that for us? Something so kind and selfless. We were always told that you...,” she hesitated, “...were a Wizard not to be trifled with. That magic is evil.”
“You were told wrong,” came the frank response.
“Well yeah, we all know that now, but still…Why? And why us?”
Everyone’s eyes fixated on the Wizard again, their hearts thumping in anticipation for the answer to the other greatest question in their minds.
Rasmodius sighed before speaking, shifting his stance. “Put simply, especially for the benefit of my daughter,” he gestured towards, “I wanted you all to find true love. Just as I had found before…but never got to keep…”
Their brows curiously furrowed - except for Sebastian and Abigail’s, who already knew the whole story - as they continued to listen.
“I have been watching the residents of Pelican Town since the day I was banished and there was something very distinct that I noticed happening since that time…a gradual disintegration of love and unity. Not love shared between two people with romantic feelings for each other, but love towards others. The town, and everyone in it, had grown reserved and became divided, just as horribly as I was divided from my one true love…” He noticed tears appear on Abigail’s eyelids when he said it, but he went on. “Twenty-three years ago the previous Mayor was murdered by his gold-digger wife, who was a witch in secret. She tried to make it look like a sudden medical event, but when it was proven otherwise she shouted from the rooftops that it had to have been done by magic, so she pointed the finger of blame on me, the one magic bearer in town that everyone knew of. It was her word against mine, so she fled with her fortune and I was unanimously deemed guilty. They were about to pass the death sentence, but by the grace of the new Mayor, Lewis, I was banished instead, never allowed to return or I would be killed."
"The townsfolk thought that by banishing me, and preaching that magic and anyone possessing it is 'evil,' would save and prevent them and their children from certain death or utter destruction. But what they really did, was bring about their own destruction. Because they allowed the spirit of fear to reign, which made it difficult for anyone to truly trust or love their neighbor again. Therefore, creating division. It has been…tragic...to witness all these years." He lowered his eyes. “Ever wonder why the Community Center permanently closed, now being consumed by nature and mysterious creatures?” He raised his eyes, no answer was necessary. "This once great town I grew up in that was so full of life because of love, unity, and diversity, was gradually crumbling to dust and why, you might be asking yourselves, did I even care? Especially after they turned such a blind eye and brutally betrayed me!?” He paused to swallow the emotional lump in his throat. “I cared…because of her. Caroline, my one true love. She was all that mattered to me, that kept me living. And then…one fateful night," he swallowed again, "I found out that her child…was also my own.”
Abigail closed her eyes, a few tears dropping as she did. That night I discovered my magic powers in the graveyard when I went to visit grandma. He felt it…That’s how he found out.
“Now there were two in that crumbling town that I loved. And I could not stand by and watch them live out their lives in that miserable and vain society any longer! Not when it meant my daughter, who is also a magic bearer, would surely suffer the same fate as me if she were discovered! Or worse..."
"It had to change.”
Emily nodded emphatically, not only in regards to Abigail, but because she shared having similar feelings about the rapid division occurring in town since her childhood with the others before, and it amazed her that the Wizard noticed the same.
Abigail wiped away the tears from her eyes and cheeks as she continued to listen.
“I was not sure how I was going to do it,” the Wizard continued, “but I was determined to use my powers to make a better life and future for the two people I loved…my family…and the people they loved. No matter what it took.”
Everyone stood motionless, letting everything Rasmodius said sink in.
“There was always something peculiar about the twelve of you. Pelican Town’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes; each with different personalities, gifts, and talents. Who didn’t always fall in line with the town's customs and false beliefs. I saw great potential in all of you because of that. I had often wondered why you six men and six ladies had not found interest in each other when you were so inherently compatible. Some of you explored the idea, but it did not work out or something always got in the way. The reason to me was simple: it was because of the division I spoke of. It was like a curse, hindering you from discovering your true companion and realizing the great potential I could see in you, at least,” he slightly chuckled, “what I was sure I could see.”
“So I came up with the quest, one of my greatest acts as a wizard, and probably one of my last.” He noticed Abigail frown. “I knew that if I thrust the twelve of you into a dreary situation where you would have to work together to get through it, finding love and unity amongst each other along the way, then perhaps you would bring that spirit back with you…and use it to unify Pelican Town again. To heal it. To bring it back to what it once was. A beautiful beach town, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, where all people can live together in harmony and peace.”
“Hell yeah,” Sebastian cheerfully agreed, putting his arm around his girl. “We had been planning on doing just that when we got back, Mister Rasmodius, Sir. The magic bearers will live in Pelican Town again and be free to express themselves without any fear.”
Abigail lovingly smiled at her man before giving him a kiss and then turned to her father. “We’ll make sure of it!”
“I know you will,” Rasmodius smiled too, feeling great pride in them.
“Wow. So there was so much more to the quest than us just simply finding our soulmate,” Harvey noted with a growing smile.
“Indeed, Doctor.” Rasmodius happily smirked.
“...Thank you,” Harvey felt to express with deep, heartfelt gratitude. “That experience, albeit challenging, was truly wonderful. I’ll never forget it. And what it’s blessed me with.” He kissed the top of Penny’s head.
“Yes thank you so much,” Emily sincerely added, pulling Shane in closer to her. "It was exactly what we all needed, in so many ways."
“It sure was a b***h to get through at times, especially for me,” Shane now expressed, “but…I’m a better man now because of it, and I have the most amazing woman by my side and new best friends in my life now because of it also…when I never thought I could ever have that again. So…thanks.”
Everyone else nodded their deepest appreciation to the Wizard as well.
“You are most welcome,” Rasmodius said with a light bow of his head.
“I have a quick question,” Maru spoke to the Wizard now. “Abigail once told me that love is too powerful of a force to control, but…based on the main purpose of the quest, it seems you found a way to control it?” She may not have liked the idea of being led to fall in love with Alex by some force other than her own heart’s.
“No; she is correct,” Rasmodius replied. “Love is a force all on its own, controlled by the souls of two individuals. I simply set up a spell to alert me when true love was found and expressed.”
“The stars.”
“Yes.”
She smiled with a satisfied nod. “Thank you.”
As everyone began randomly conversing with one another, Rasmodius turned away from them and closed his eyes; inhaling and exhaling lightly. After about a minute, he turned back around to face them.
“I have alerted the Mayor of your return,” he said, the room going silent again by the sound of his voice. “So he will be gathering up your loved ones and they will all be here shortly.”
Everyone smiled brightly. They couldn’t wait to see them! It had been so long.
“I told all of them about the purpose of the quest a few months past so…they know everything,” he emphasized, giving off a light smirk.
“Sweet!” he heard Sam quietly express.
“Expect nothing during your reunions, dear twelve friends. Allow your loved ones to speak, as I know they will allow you to speak.”
“They may not be the same people you knew before…Just as you are not the same people they knew before.”
He smiled in conclusion, knowing so much more than he revealed, but they would discover it soon.
I'll try to get the rest written out and concluded as soon as possible.
Hi, sorry I haven't been commenting on your updates lately, but I have been reading them
haven't felt like writing much
I love the story though. And all your pictures! You've been doing an awesome job with them
I'm sad your story is coming to an end now, but I've enjoyed it very much
in the end, and they all ended up being happier and better people than they were before their journey to Appaloosa Plains started.
Poor Rasmodius. He's the one who never got what he really wanted
Looking forward to the next part
@emorrill I was happy to see the update yesterday morning. I had to leave early for a meeting at the office so didn't have time for comments.
I was happily reading it again this morning when I got the call to come get my grandson. Baby is coming, hopefully she won't have as long a labor as the last time.
That was sweet how happy Abigail was seeing Rasmodius.
I'm definitely happy Leah and Elliott's baby is ok.
Sam's not to bright sometimes even if he is a good musician!
I loved how surprised the others were with Maru and Alex's new relationship.
Yeah, chill out Sebby!
It is sad that Rasmodius didn't get to keep his true love. I'm glad he didn't turn evil from it but instead wanted to help the younger generation realize magic was not bad.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the family members take the changes in their kids and loved ones.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Thank you for the compliments.
I'm really sad the story is coming to a close too. I'm trying hard not to think too much about it... I'm definitely shedding tears writing this last part.
Yeah, poor Rasmodius.
But what you said was very insightful and...I guess you'll have to see what happens.
@bekkasan No worries.
Thank you for the sweet comments.
^Yep.
I'm getting excited/sad to share the last part!