When Hopes Fail
Chapter 1
Legends are born
when swords clash,
when tanks roll,
when knights siege,
when hopes fail...
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It has been six months since Raguna found Kardia, and since then he had befriended all the villagers. All knew the farmer that lived outside, from Cecilia the child to Jasper the rich gastronomist, and they all quite enjoyed his company. They all knew that whenever there was a festival, he would be there, they all knew he was very sociable, even reaching a bond with the spioled rich girl Bianca. Raguna in turn enjoyed his neighbors and friends, he liked the hospitality of Lady Ann, the wisdom and kindness of Wesley, the stories and accent of Leo, the humor of Emmett, the concern of Edward, and the other traits of the rest.
Even though he had been a resident for three months, Raguna had no special interest in any of the eligible bachelorettes in the town, though they all seemed to be interested in him.
Yes, Kardia was a peaceful town, but it had one drawback, it had an unpeaceful neighbor, the great and powerful Sechs Empire. A mechanized civilization with not only knights and cavalry, but a great army of tanks that they used to steamroll other lesser nations and towns. Now was the time that this great empire set its sights on Kardia, and plans were already underway to crush the small town and its people.
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"Huh, what?" Raguna said groggily as he arose from sleep, hearing the pounding on his door. "Raguna, open up! It's me!" a feminine voice called through wooden door, "It's the Winter Festival today!". "What? Oh... That." Raguna grumbled and then glanced up to his calendar, "I'm coming...". He then slowly arose, put on his tunic, and slowly walked to the door, which much to his surprise, had a wave of females behind.
"Raguna!" the bachelorettes (besides Mei, Sharron, and Lynette) all yelled as they squeezed through the door together, "Raguna, here!" Mist said as she pushed through to hand her chocolate bar, "No! He clearly wants mine first!" Melody intervened, "No way! He wants the bar of the wealthiest girl in town! Not of some low class servants with bad fashion!" Bianca spat as she pushed them aside. "How rude!" Rosetta said as she nudged Bianca away, "Raguna, don't listen to her, 'kay? Have mine!"
"Alright..." Raguna mumbled, "How 'bout you all get in a single file line like in grade school?" he chuckled, "That will bring some order at least."
"Very well." Bianca grumbled, "But I, as nobility, shall go first!"
"But I helped Raguna when he first came!" Mist argued,
"But I give him all his seeds!" Rosetta intervened.
"Your father does that!" Felicity told her,
"So what?" Rosetta spat.
"I think we should just play by the lot." Lara, trying to calm down the commotion, suggested calmly,
"Like paper-rock-scissors?" Tori asked,
"Yes." Lara responded, "Exactly what I was thinking, something fun and innocent."
"It's worth a try." Felicity said and shrugged her shoulders weakly.
They all eventually agreed on the idea and started their little competition without hesitation. Seeing that the home invaders were all preoccupied, Raguna quietly snuck out his door into the outside world, only to bump into Camus before he entered town.
"Hey!" Camus said happily as he spotted his friend, "What's up, Raguna?"
"Nothing much, just escaping my house." Raguna chuckled and sat down on a rock,
"Heh, I try that every day!" Camus laughed, "Hey, have you seen Melody?"
"She's at my house trying to give me chocolate." Raguna grumbled, "Everyone's there."
"Watch out there, she's my fiancee." Camus chuckled, "I might not react good."
"Tell her." Raguna said, "Ha ha ha!"
"RAGUNA!" multiple yells resonated, making the two laborers jump in shock.
"Oh! Got to go!" Raguna said as he frantically looked around for an escape,
"Come with me! I'm meeting Lukas at the tavern!" Camus said, "Oh, and take this!" he said and kicked Raguna in the shin,
"OW!" Raguna yelled, "What was that for!?"
"I told you I might not react good!" Camus laughed and the two dashed off, Raguna limping behind.
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"Hey hey!" Lukas greeted the two young men as they stepped into tavern,
"What's up?" Raguna said as he held his shin in pain,
"Nothing much, just writing some poems." Lukas laughed, "How about this: 'Rosetta, how art thou my sweet? I find it heavenly that we two always meet!'?"
"It's fine..." Camus said, trying hard to hold back laughter, "But don't quit your day job."
"Shut up!" Lukas growled, "I am the greatest poet in all of Norad! You wouldn't know half of the things I do, Camus!"
"Woah! Calm down." Raguna said to ease up tension, "No need to get your buffamoos in a stampede! Let's just all kick back and drink some Apple Juice. It's on the house!"
"Alright then!" Camus said and took a seat, "If it's on the house I cannot pass the offer!"
"Good." Raguna chuckled, "Emmett! Three Apple Juices for us here!"
"No problem Raguna!" Emmett said, "But no liquor in them! You have to work hard, remember last time?"
"Oh yeah!" Lukas started to laugh, "You passed out before you even got out of here!"
"Ha ha... Very funny." Raguna said sarcastically, "Sabrina challenged me and I couldn't pass it down!"
"Couldn't pass it down was right." Camus said, "After the 10th one!"
The two bursted in laughter, even Emmett let out a laugh when he came to the table with the drinks.
"Thanks." Raguna said as he passed out the beverages, "But I was starting to change my mind on sharing.."
"Don't be a sorry sport!" Camus said, "You did good against Sabrina! Not as good as me of course." he added with a smile.
"Whatever." Raguna grumbled, "Let's just chat about something else, I need to have a good time while I'm hiding."
"Hiding?" Lukas asked, "Hiding from what?"
"Almost all the girls ever!" Raguna sighed, "Including Melody!"
"The nerve of her!" Camus said and clenched his fist,
"Hey.. Even she can't resist me!" Raguna said and let out a good laugh, which angered Camus, who retaliated with another kick in the shin.
"Ouch!" Raguna said, "Camus!"
"It was Lukas!" Camus grunted and sipped down some juice.
"It wasn't!" Lukas interjected, "But was Rosetta over there too?"
"Yeah!" Raguna said, "All of 'em! Well... Except Sharron and Mei, I hardly talk to them."
"Woah." Lukas mumbled, "Well, you need to pick one out and start a relationship!"
"What? No." Raguna said, "They're all just friends!"
"He's right." Camus intervened, "You need to pick one out and start a family. You can't just have a posse of girls behind you! Imagine the commotion it would make- Like right now! Just give them wood and they'll start picketing with signs outside your house even!"
"But there's so many choices!" Raguna said, "I could never decide!"
"OK then!" Lukas said and set down a sheet of paper, "Let's analyze them all! Let's see, Mist is kind of out of place but innocent, Rosetta... She's mine!" he yelled and pounded his fist, "Ok... Lara, kind, gentle, and very concerned for your health... Maybe a little too much if I might add. Bianca? Oh! She's a bi-"
"Calm down Lukas!" Camus interrupted, "Don't make a scene!"
"Alright.." Lukas mumbled, "Felicity, seems weak and fragile do to her illness but is sweet and strong inside. Tori is quiet but men who love a gentle soul can't resist her! Melody now.. Ooh baby- OUCH!"
"That's my fiancee!" Camus yelled, "You can't have her Raguna!"
"I wasn't planning to." Raguna said with a sweatdrop on his head.
"Er hem... As I was saying before this looney kicked me, Melody is Camus' fiancee. There, see? no kicking was needed! Tabatha loves monsters, so I guess she has a wild side in the double bed, eh?"
Lukas let out a wry smile and a laugh, "Ok... I guess that's it, no?"
"Yep..." Raguna said, "But still... I can't just decide on one.. What about the rest.. Won't I hurt their feelings?"
"Well, you're in luck!" Camus said, "Wesley told me of a religion where you can marry multiple women... Why don't you try it out?"
"Eh... No thanks." Raguna said in disgust, "I can't imagine a life like that."
"Well, you have to de-" Lukas was interrupted by a stranger bursting through the doors of the tavern.
"Help!" the stranger yelled as he held his abdomen, which was tainted red, and drips of red were falling from his armor.
"What is it!?" Emmett yelled as he ran over with a towel in his hand,
"The... Sechs... attacked... my village... Please, help..." the stranger, which was obviously a knight, stammered in his labored breathing,
"Camus! Get your father!" Emmett said, "This man needs medical attention!"
"Alright!" Camus stood up,
"I'll go too!" Raguna told him as he too stood up.
This is my first Rune Factory fic, I hope you enjoy... Please review, I appreciate all feedback!
I do not own Rune Factory, but it is a dang fine game!