Momo: A Jinx in Pure Heart

Chapter 1: Advent of the Harvest Moon

The sun was setting in Pure Heart Valley, and down in the streets of the town area's main plaza, the Sheriff's Department was standing watch over the various decorations being set up for their annual Harvest Moon Festival. As the three of them observed, Sweetypies were hanging up and setting in place props of all kinds, meant to emulate the theme of the fall season. Some were hung over the windowsills or on lampposts, while others that were bigger and heavier were set on the ground. On all accounts, it was going to be fun...and yummy too.

"Man, I'm still wondering how that pumpkin pie's gonna look," Badgerclops mused out loud.

He was immediately joined by Adorabat swooping over his head and plopping right onto his shoulder. "Well, I wanna see if Mao Mao can get me one of Muffins's candy apples more."

"Well, sure," Badgerclops replied, "but I still think the pumpkin pie's the number one sweety treat for Harvest Moon. It's made from Farmer Bun's prize pumpkin, that's most important."

Simultaneously, Mao Mao was busy getting on the case of Gary and Slim Pigguns having a questionable choice of how vendor tents were set up. "No, no, no! Tent tops are always higher up than the poles, not the other way around!" Gary and Slim just looked at him like he said the most random thing ever, prompting the sheriff to just turn around and leave, storming off in the best growl of frustration he could make obvious to the Sweetypies.

Badgerclops and Adorabat saw him walk up to where they were, as he meant to regroup. "Hey Mao," the badger greeted first. "How's the setup going along?"

Mao Mao made another audible growl. "Don't get me started. How exactly do these dummies even get these celebrations off the ground without us?" He didn't turn around, but Adorabat and Badgerclops looked past Mao Mao to observe the two Sweetypies taking pride in the inverse tent they set up, though they then descended into light arguing about whether or not to position the tent itself into a square or diamond position.

"Hey, just chill," Badgerclops said to the black cat reassuringly. "This only happens for one day a year and everyone's gonna be out having fun. I'm sure it won't matter that much."

"Easy for you to say," Mao Mao crossed his arms and snorted in response. But his ear twitched at the sound of someone calling to him. "Hi again, Mr. Mao Mao!" the voice said in a youthful feminine tone.

To his surprise, Mao Mao turned to notice from the corner of his eye that a small trio of Sweetypies were prancing down the plaza in his direction. Mao Mao observed two of the three considering of a tiny food and a green frog, but his eyes widened upon recognizing the third person: a female black cat significantly younger and smaller than him, having a pair of ears and yellow eyes that were round in contrast to the sheriff's sharp-looking ones. Apart from what she wore, Mao Mao recognized that little cat all too well. He had first met the little cat a long while back when he and his friends went to a school for magic users as part of some endorsement tour. The moment they crossed paths, they were accosted by an attempted invasion by a horde of ghosts, and they both joined forces to stop the threat. It was not the conventional first meeting one would expect when making a new friend, but Mao Mao and the little black cat girl bonded closely because of the incident; it definitely suited the sheriff that he would create and solidify a friendship with a fellow cat through a trial-by-fire.

"Ms. Momo!" he answered her warmly. He waited until she stopped right in front of him, exchanging a smile with her as he looked her over. "You seem ready for the Harvest Moon to start."

Momo nodded energetically as she fiddled with the pumpkin-like basket in her hands. Mao Mao also noticed that the girl looked different as well. The last time he had met Momo, she wore a simple dark grey robe that was the standard uniform for the magic school she attended. But now, Momo was wearing a bright yellow robe, with a pointy yellow hat on her head, to boot. "I can't wait to get started on the fun part with my other friends. I just love the taste of other people's homemade candy!"

"Homemade candy? You go around and people give you those?" Badgerclops butted in at hearing such words. "Can I come with you?"

Mao Mao rolled his eyes. "Badgerclops, don't be silly. We're sheriffs, alright?"

"But we still get candy after we're done, right?" asked Adorabat after observing Badgerclops's moment of displeasure. "I like candy too."

Mao Mao flicked his cape. "Of course, my little deputy. But only after we finish our work of keeping watch over the festivities." Ignoring the little huff Badgerclops made, he took a step closer to Momo. "So what are you dressed up as tonight?"

Momo looked down at her outfit when she heard the sheriff's question. "Oh, this? I'm actually dressed up as Honey. I just think she's the coolest." She ended her statement with a wink.

"Hmm?" Mao Mao raised an eye ridge. "And why's that?"

"Well, when I first went to the school, I heard stories about her after she graduated," said Momo. "They always talk about how she was the best student for years before. Along with her being good enough to be in the king's palace, I thought she really was cool enough to dress up as this year." She then sighed, "It really would be even cooler if she saw me now."

Mao Mao smiled jauntily at Momo's youthful sense of admiration. "Well, I'm sure if Honey were here right now, she'd be flattered." He saw Momo giggle in response. For a moment, he took comfort in how nostalgic the other cat's joy was making him feel, how it reminded him of his own innocence, his once-childlike passions for anything and anyone, no matter how small (not that he would admit to smallness, anyway). Mao Mao cleared his throat. "Well, the decorations and tents for the festival are...almost done. I probably shouldn't keep you long if you have other things to do. I guess I'll see you later?"

Momo looked confused for a second, but immediately caught on to what the sheriff said to her. "Alright then, Mr. Mao Mao," she told him with a renewed smile, "I'll see you later." She and her friends moved to go past the three members of the Sheriff's Department, but before they went far, Momo stopped to face Mao Mao one more time. "Let's all have fun together, okay?" she asked him innocently.

Mao Mao answered her with a smile of his own, his heart feeling warmed even more as he took in the sight of this little cat who was all set to enjoy herself for this festival. After all, this was the same cat who singlehandedly fought off swarms of ghosts with a magic wand and did so alongside a hero who lived for the fight, yet still had time and room in her own heart to appreciate the joys of living, to see the value in the quieter parts of life. He continued to watch her as she then left for real.

"Well? You heard what the little lady said," Badgerclops interrupted from behind, sounding almost like he had acquired blackmail. The leery tone slightly got on Mao Mao's nerves, but the badger kept going. "We're going to have fun together, right? With candy?"

Mao Mao wouldn't have any more of it. "Alright! Alright! There'll be candy!" he conceded, but then interrupted with one last thing when Badgerclops and Adorabat were on the middle of a 'yay', "But only after we're done, got it?"

"Got it!" the badger and bat answered with a thumbs-up.