Lunaria Tsukano
Tiller
This is inspiration from a couple of Stardew Valley one shot fics, and a certain dialogue from the game itself. Also a few spoiler alerts for those who want to play the game. Also, TW: implements/mentions of CS, a little graphic gore (in part two), and some mentions of death.
—————————————
(Shane’s POV)
It was early morning at Goldhart Farm, Valor was first up followed by his husband, Shane, who woke up groggy. Shane looked at the farmer as he got his sword and pickax with a couple of food/snacks with him, this only meant one thing to him. Skull Cavern. It was a very grueling place to mine at in the Calico Desert, and even though Shane knew Valor was a tough cookie, he couldn’t help but worry about him.
“I’ll be fine, hun,” Valor reassured him. “Im gonna be there for iridium ore and of im lucky enough, the iridium bars so i can get that blueprint to make the Desert Totem instead having to pay 500g just for Pam to take me.”
Shane hugged him close, kissing his cheek, and spoke with a small smile “Just be careful out there. I don’t want you passing out in there only to find you in the hospital for the 20th time.”
Valor turned to look at him, “I’ll try my best, dear.”
“And don’t worry about the kids, I’ll take care them and farm while you’re out.”
The farmer kisses him bye, and leaves for Skull Cavern, while Shane got to work with caring for the kids and the animals, especially the chickens they have. By mid-day, Shane was done with the work, but his mind kept going to his husband, worried about them in there.
“It’s nothing new,” he spoke to himself, “he’s done this plenty of times in the mines up in the mountains. 120 floors. That’s a lot, and he’s glad the elevators and the mine carts are working again.”
Ever since the Community Center was repaired, things have been different. Pierre’s is open every day from 9-5, Sam and Shane don’t work for Joja Mart anymore, and on top of it, there’s been word that the mart will be a movie theater. He couldn’t help but smile as he was watching the two kids play. He remembers that day when he asked Valor if he wanted to adopt children, to which he said yes and now they have a son named Landen and a daughter named Lilac. Shane’s train of thought was interrupted by the sound of thunder in the longing distance.
“Here comes the summer storm,” he muttered, looking out the window.
It was close to the evening, and he asked his aunt Marnie to keep an eye on the kids, even though his goddaughter, Jas, protested, saying she was old enough to babysit.
“I understand, Jasmine, but you’re 7, I’ll feel better if Aunt Marnie was with you guys.” He looked at her after putting the kids to bed. The knock on the door grabbed his attention as he opened it to see Marnie. He also told her that he needed to see Harvey, one of his closest friends, in regards to his medication since Valor will kinda scold at him if he forgets it again. The aunt agrees and Shane left to town.
When he gets there, he sees Maru in the front counter, sorting out paperwork. She looks up to see him.
“Hi, Shane. Here for your meds?”
“Yes actually,” he nodded. “Don’t want to miss it again. Then be scolded about it for the 15th time.” He nervously chuckled.
Suddenly the front door slammed open, with Harvey in full on doctor mode with a patient in his arms rushing to the back part of the clinic. “MARU I NEED HELP!” Harvey exclaimed.
Shane got a glimpse of who the patient was, but his fears are now a reality. It was the farmer, Valor, who looked all banged up, scratched, and torn bloodied.
“VALOR!-“ he started but Maru stopped him.
“Wait out here. I’ll come get you after we fix up Valor. Ok?” She calmed him down just enough for him to process what’s happening. He stairs at her and just nods, and as soon as she was out of sight to help the only doctor in Pelican Town, Shane plopped onto a chair and tears wailed in his eyes.
“*How could i have let this happen?! I know he’s done this before, but is this what he gets himself into?!*” he thought to himself, his leg bouncing fast like an ADHD person who can’t sit still. Running his hands through his hair, he looks down, elbows propped on his legs, as the mermaid pendant hangs around his neck.
“You’re the one for me, Valor… You’ve always been there for me, even at my lowest.”
Then it felt like an eternity, he glanced at the clock to see it’s 9:30 pm. Valor mentioned that the time in skull cavern works a little differently, which could explain why sometimes he’d be gone for so long. He was snapped out a trance as the door was pushed open to see Maru standing there.
“Shane,” she started to speak, “You can come to the back now.”
Hearing her say those words made Shane leap out of the seat he was in and sped walked to the back, where he was hearing doctor Harvey kinda scolding at Valor.
“I had to perform emergency surgery! You need to be more careful next time.”
The farmer nodded a little, and looked at the door to see his husband.
“Sh-Shane? Why-“
“Don’t worry, my love. Aunt Marnie is with the kids. Are you ok?”
“Feel like **** after trying to avoid the mummies… then….” He paused for moment to yawn, “serpents came out of nowhere…”
Valor looked tired but he was wide awake.
“You could have been killed, then I’d have nothing left to live for” Shane almost choked on his words.
Valor slowly held his hand, “Shane. You have Jas, Marnie, the kids, Charlie, and Dudley. Promise me you’ll take care of them.”
He nods, tears streaming down his face, “If you hadn’t come to the cliffs that night…”
“Shane, i still have nightmares about it. About losing you. And now I understand why you were so worried about me. But im fine now.”
The farmer reassured him once again. Harvey comes back saying that Valor will be discharged in the morning but he can’t do any of the strenuous farm work. The two guys understood and Harvey walked out.
“I’ll stay here with you. Im sure Harvey won’t mind,” Shane whispered, kissing his cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” valor mumbled back before falling asleep, finally getting his rest.
Part 2:
Valor’s POV
———————
After saying his goodbyes to Shane, he grabbed his backpack and headed out to the bus stop to see Pam there earlier than normal.
“Thanks for doing this Pam,” he thanked her as he paid the 500g just to get to Calico Desert.
Pam took a glance at the farmer before getting onto the bus. “Back to skull cavern?” She asked.
Valor nodded and started rubbing on his mermaid pendant, helping him keep calm. The last few time he went there, he barely got out alive. He knew saving the Crystal berries from over the course of this past winter would help him, along with the 10 field snacks he made the day before.
The bus stopped, and Valor got off walking straight into the Caverns.
“I’ll be home before you know it Shane…” he speaks to himself before walking into desert mines.
— — — — —
*Floor 1*
There wasn’t many monsters. Just the occasional purple slimes, and he knew to avoid the armored bugs because for some reason they don’t take damage.
*Floor 3*
It was getting tough but he was doing his best. Slaying slime and a couple of serpents. He picked up the void essence from the defeated serpents and walked on, exploring the floor when he came across a hole in the ground.
“This has gotta lead somewhere,” he muttered, looking down into it and decided to jump into it going down 6 floors.
*Floor 9*
“WHOA! Oof! That was a hard landing.”
He stood next to the ladder and ate a couple of crystal berries to replenish his health and energy. Venturing deeper into the desert mines, he came across some mummies to which he avoided after slashing them to the ground. Following the tracks, he saw a cart with coal in it. When he got the coal, he saw a new monster.
“What the heck is that?!” He exclaimed as the dinosaur like monster looked at him and spat fire towards him, causing him 2nd to 3rd burns as he falls backwards, scrambling to get away.
“****! I gotta get the ores and out of this place before something else happens to me.”
He gets away from the dinosaur quickly, eating a high level crystal berry to regain more of his health, almost to full. Picking away at the rocks, he find another ladder descending deeper into the cavern.
*Floor 10*
He wrapped his arm up from the burn earlier but he gritted his teeth powering through the pain he’s enduring. He slayed a slime that dropped an Iridium bar.
“Bingo. Now i need a **** ton more iridium ores or bars, then I’ll be able to get the blueprints for the Desert Totem.” Valor kinda boasted for a second, continuing to get the ores and what not.
*Floor 11*
“Ok. Only 14 floors to go then I’ll be at level 25 in the caverns. Though i wish this one had elevators like the one back home.” He started talking to himself, like he always does when he’s mining alone. “I hope Shane isn’t worried about me.”
He broke some barrels and crates, getting cave carrots, and the likes, then he saw about three mummies coming after him.
“****! Now i wish I didn’t get rid of the slingshots! What if-“
He got interrupted as a flying serpent attacked him, he retaliated by swinging his sword at it as another one attacked him. He ran trying to get to the ladder but he forgot about the mummies and started swinging at them, while trying to watch his back of the serpents. Valor managed to get the mummies down with just enough time for the farmer to run away. Little did he know, the serpents were very fast and kept attacking him. Tearing away his clothes and whatever he had on him. He was bitten a couple of times, and the mummies were closing in on him.
Valor knew he was being bloodied and bruised as he quickly tried to crawl to the ladder only for the serpent to finish him off.
Valor’s vision started to blur, closing his eyes and a gush of wind blew back the monsters that surrounded him. He felt himself being picked up and carried off. But to where? He didn’t know. By the time he and his rescuer existed Skull Cavern, Valor fell unconscious, the numbing pain taking over.
———
(3rd person POV)
It was raining hard by the time they got back to Stardew Valley. Mr. Qi was carrying Valor into town when he saw Harvey. The doctor saw them and immediately took Valor into his arms, running towards the clinic at full speed.
“MARU I NEED HELP!”
—————————————
(Shane’s POV)
It was early morning at Goldhart Farm, Valor was first up followed by his husband, Shane, who woke up groggy. Shane looked at the farmer as he got his sword and pickax with a couple of food/snacks with him, this only meant one thing to him. Skull Cavern. It was a very grueling place to mine at in the Calico Desert, and even though Shane knew Valor was a tough cookie, he couldn’t help but worry about him.
“I’ll be fine, hun,” Valor reassured him. “Im gonna be there for iridium ore and of im lucky enough, the iridium bars so i can get that blueprint to make the Desert Totem instead having to pay 500g just for Pam to take me.”
Shane hugged him close, kissing his cheek, and spoke with a small smile “Just be careful out there. I don’t want you passing out in there only to find you in the hospital for the 20th time.”
Valor turned to look at him, “I’ll try my best, dear.”
“And don’t worry about the kids, I’ll take care them and farm while you’re out.”
The farmer kisses him bye, and leaves for Skull Cavern, while Shane got to work with caring for the kids and the animals, especially the chickens they have. By mid-day, Shane was done with the work, but his mind kept going to his husband, worried about them in there.
“It’s nothing new,” he spoke to himself, “he’s done this plenty of times in the mines up in the mountains. 120 floors. That’s a lot, and he’s glad the elevators and the mine carts are working again.”
Ever since the Community Center was repaired, things have been different. Pierre’s is open every day from 9-5, Sam and Shane don’t work for Joja Mart anymore, and on top of it, there’s been word that the mart will be a movie theater. He couldn’t help but smile as he was watching the two kids play. He remembers that day when he asked Valor if he wanted to adopt children, to which he said yes and now they have a son named Landen and a daughter named Lilac. Shane’s train of thought was interrupted by the sound of thunder in the longing distance.
“Here comes the summer storm,” he muttered, looking out the window.
It was close to the evening, and he asked his aunt Marnie to keep an eye on the kids, even though his goddaughter, Jas, protested, saying she was old enough to babysit.
“I understand, Jasmine, but you’re 7, I’ll feel better if Aunt Marnie was with you guys.” He looked at her after putting the kids to bed. The knock on the door grabbed his attention as he opened it to see Marnie. He also told her that he needed to see Harvey, one of his closest friends, in regards to his medication since Valor will kinda scold at him if he forgets it again. The aunt agrees and Shane left to town.
When he gets there, he sees Maru in the front counter, sorting out paperwork. She looks up to see him.
“Hi, Shane. Here for your meds?”
“Yes actually,” he nodded. “Don’t want to miss it again. Then be scolded about it for the 15th time.” He nervously chuckled.
Suddenly the front door slammed open, with Harvey in full on doctor mode with a patient in his arms rushing to the back part of the clinic. “MARU I NEED HELP!” Harvey exclaimed.
Shane got a glimpse of who the patient was, but his fears are now a reality. It was the farmer, Valor, who looked all banged up, scratched, and torn bloodied.
“VALOR!-“ he started but Maru stopped him.
“Wait out here. I’ll come get you after we fix up Valor. Ok?” She calmed him down just enough for him to process what’s happening. He stairs at her and just nods, and as soon as she was out of sight to help the only doctor in Pelican Town, Shane plopped onto a chair and tears wailed in his eyes.
“*How could i have let this happen?! I know he’s done this before, but is this what he gets himself into?!*” he thought to himself, his leg bouncing fast like an ADHD person who can’t sit still. Running his hands through his hair, he looks down, elbows propped on his legs, as the mermaid pendant hangs around his neck.
“You’re the one for me, Valor… You’ve always been there for me, even at my lowest.”
Then it felt like an eternity, he glanced at the clock to see it’s 9:30 pm. Valor mentioned that the time in skull cavern works a little differently, which could explain why sometimes he’d be gone for so long. He was snapped out a trance as the door was pushed open to see Maru standing there.
“Shane,” she started to speak, “You can come to the back now.”
Hearing her say those words made Shane leap out of the seat he was in and sped walked to the back, where he was hearing doctor Harvey kinda scolding at Valor.
“I had to perform emergency surgery! You need to be more careful next time.”
The farmer nodded a little, and looked at the door to see his husband.
“Sh-Shane? Why-“
“Don’t worry, my love. Aunt Marnie is with the kids. Are you ok?”
“Feel like **** after trying to avoid the mummies… then….” He paused for moment to yawn, “serpents came out of nowhere…”
Valor looked tired but he was wide awake.
“You could have been killed, then I’d have nothing left to live for” Shane almost choked on his words.
Valor slowly held his hand, “Shane. You have Jas, Marnie, the kids, Charlie, and Dudley. Promise me you’ll take care of them.”
He nods, tears streaming down his face, “If you hadn’t come to the cliffs that night…”
“Shane, i still have nightmares about it. About losing you. And now I understand why you were so worried about me. But im fine now.”
The farmer reassured him once again. Harvey comes back saying that Valor will be discharged in the morning but he can’t do any of the strenuous farm work. The two guys understood and Harvey walked out.
“I’ll stay here with you. Im sure Harvey won’t mind,” Shane whispered, kissing his cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” valor mumbled back before falling asleep, finally getting his rest.
Part 2:
Valor’s POV
———————
After saying his goodbyes to Shane, he grabbed his backpack and headed out to the bus stop to see Pam there earlier than normal.
“Thanks for doing this Pam,” he thanked her as he paid the 500g just to get to Calico Desert.
Pam took a glance at the farmer before getting onto the bus. “Back to skull cavern?” She asked.
Valor nodded and started rubbing on his mermaid pendant, helping him keep calm. The last few time he went there, he barely got out alive. He knew saving the Crystal berries from over the course of this past winter would help him, along with the 10 field snacks he made the day before.
The bus stopped, and Valor got off walking straight into the Caverns.
“I’ll be home before you know it Shane…” he speaks to himself before walking into desert mines.
— — — — —
*Floor 1*
There wasn’t many monsters. Just the occasional purple slimes, and he knew to avoid the armored bugs because for some reason they don’t take damage.
*Floor 3*
It was getting tough but he was doing his best. Slaying slime and a couple of serpents. He picked up the void essence from the defeated serpents and walked on, exploring the floor when he came across a hole in the ground.
“This has gotta lead somewhere,” he muttered, looking down into it and decided to jump into it going down 6 floors.
*Floor 9*
“WHOA! Oof! That was a hard landing.”
He stood next to the ladder and ate a couple of crystal berries to replenish his health and energy. Venturing deeper into the desert mines, he came across some mummies to which he avoided after slashing them to the ground. Following the tracks, he saw a cart with coal in it. When he got the coal, he saw a new monster.
“What the heck is that?!” He exclaimed as the dinosaur like monster looked at him and spat fire towards him, causing him 2nd to 3rd burns as he falls backwards, scrambling to get away.
“****! I gotta get the ores and out of this place before something else happens to me.”
He gets away from the dinosaur quickly, eating a high level crystal berry to regain more of his health, almost to full. Picking away at the rocks, he find another ladder descending deeper into the cavern.
*Floor 10*
He wrapped his arm up from the burn earlier but he gritted his teeth powering through the pain he’s enduring. He slayed a slime that dropped an Iridium bar.
“Bingo. Now i need a **** ton more iridium ores or bars, then I’ll be able to get the blueprints for the Desert Totem.” Valor kinda boasted for a second, continuing to get the ores and what not.
*Floor 11*
“Ok. Only 14 floors to go then I’ll be at level 25 in the caverns. Though i wish this one had elevators like the one back home.” He started talking to himself, like he always does when he’s mining alone. “I hope Shane isn’t worried about me.”
He broke some barrels and crates, getting cave carrots, and the likes, then he saw about three mummies coming after him.
“****! Now i wish I didn’t get rid of the slingshots! What if-“
He got interrupted as a flying serpent attacked him, he retaliated by swinging his sword at it as another one attacked him. He ran trying to get to the ladder but he forgot about the mummies and started swinging at them, while trying to watch his back of the serpents. Valor managed to get the mummies down with just enough time for the farmer to run away. Little did he know, the serpents were very fast and kept attacking him. Tearing away his clothes and whatever he had on him. He was bitten a couple of times, and the mummies were closing in on him.
Valor knew he was being bloodied and bruised as he quickly tried to crawl to the ladder only for the serpent to finish him off.
Valor’s vision started to blur, closing his eyes and a gush of wind blew back the monsters that surrounded him. He felt himself being picked up and carried off. But to where? He didn’t know. By the time he and his rescuer existed Skull Cavern, Valor fell unconscious, the numbing pain taking over.
———
(3rd person POV)
It was raining hard by the time they got back to Stardew Valley. Mr. Qi was carrying Valor into town when he saw Harvey. The doctor saw them and immediately took Valor into his arms, running towards the clinic at full speed.
“MARU I NEED HELP!”
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