So, currently, this is my first Rune Factory fic as well as my first romance fic… I never write one so sorry if the descriptions were like those adventure stories…

Anyways, enjoy it with a cup of warm, sweet tea^^

------------------------------------------

Chapter 0

-Yue's Old Friend-

It was a starry fall in the town of Alvarna when a small boat made its way docking to the port, silent as the moonlight itself. As the boat hit the wood with a small thud, the one who was riding it climbed up and after putting down the sail, roped the boat into the port to prevent it from being brought in by the wave. The figure was a man in his late teenage years, wearing a cloth very similar to Yue's, only with a deep red color. Head to toe he was drenched with seawater, looking at the hard time he was sailing from the east to this quaint place. The man looked around in glee as he caught sight of the shimmering lights which attracted insects to go near it.

"What a nice place…" He muttered, pulling up a heavy backpack which had just gotten heavier out of the water that the bag's fabric material had absorbed. "Now, to find a proper place to sleep…"

The man, who had dark brown hair tied backwards, walked north to the De-Sainte-Coquille Park and headed west. All he could see was an overly glorious mansion compared to the building around it, and an inn, which he would have considered to sleep in if only he didn't found that it was closed. He walked further west and found a church, which was also locked tight, and a normal house to the edge near the wooden platforms.

Not finding a proper place he went north, and to the cherry blossom square, and looked up to the cherry tree. Well, it would be very nice to have a dried leaf fall on your face when sleeping. So the man in eastern suit went east as it was the only way and on the end of the path, he found stairs leading downwards. So he took the road and found himself in front of a farm.

The only thing that escaped his mouth when he saw all the crops in front of him was… "Amazing"

The scenery was truly something to behold. Patches of charm blue flowers mixed with the lively orange color of the carrots, complied with the lustrous dark green of the ripe green peppers and the purple tinge of yams spread out in front of him like a living rainbow, completed with the field of green grass to fill the space. The soft lights of Rune Balls were in a way, captivating. They were everywhere, like the fireflies in a summer night. The falling leaves didn't reach the farm, so the man took out a slightly soaked fur sleeping bag from his backpack and set it in the center of the fields.

----The next morning…----

Kyle woke up early in the morning, after dreaming of some strange dreams on having a squid splattering some ink at him. Well, count that as a nightmare. Stretching his arms and feet for a full day in the farm, he grabbed in bag and walked outside to water the plants…

The redhead watered the crops patch by patch, humming a melody from the dance festival he had in the summer. He closed his eyes and memorizing the romantic event with Mana, while watering so skillfully like a natural farmer would do.

But when he reached a certain patch of green peppers, he heard a groan.

Driven with curiosity, Kyle watered the clump of plant again. The same groan. Finally the farmer found a piece of red cloth and pulled it, only to be welcomed by a lean, mean, spray of pressurized water striking at his chest, sending the young man toppling backwards. He wasn't expecting anyone-thing… to strike him with the spell water laser! Backing off, Kyle smashed a fireball at the attacker, which burned the peppers in a good heat. Scorched to ashes, the wilted plants revealed a man who was just a little bit older than Kyle himself. In front of him was something like a transparent dome which had managed to repel the damage by the scorching ball of flames.

"Hey, man…" he started, panting a bit because of a forced awakening. "What's the point in being so rude? I'm just sleeping here for a while!" well, the statement was logical in any way, since he did just sleep before Kyle had sprayed him with cold morning water. While his body was only a bit dirty from rolling on the soil, the flaps of his clothes were burnt quite badly; a proof that he can't completely deflect the effect of such a strong magic.

"And why did you attack me with magic?" Kyle answered. Well, again a logical reply. If he didn't strike him with those water laser that actually, nearly made a junk of his clothes, he won't have to throw a fireball… and burn several of his ripe crops with it. That will cost a thousand gold or more! And Douglas wouldn't be very happy with that… first the lack of harvests today, and second, and the most crucial and dangerous thing, is that he would create a mini earthquake if he knew that the outfit Mana knitted for him was practically ruined.

"I have no choice! You startled me!" the other one argued, before noticing the watering pot Kyle was holding at. And at that time, he realized his fault. Blank comprehension came to him as he carefully asked, "Are you… the owner of this farm?" he pointed at Kyle's face; his own expression losing a tad of its natural color.

"Yes, I am…" the redhead answered, enjoying a bit of the grim look the stranger had. That was a funny face to make. Now the brunette's face had completely turned like a dead man's- following with those pale blue shades in the shadows. Immediately going into action like a fast-forward tape, he bowed slightly which mad Kyle even more confused.

"Then I am sorry for my impoliteness" he bowed again, making a strange atmosphere of servant-and-master, but much worse than Cecilia and the munch-much family… ehm, De-Sainte-Coquille family. It was like a… slave and an overlord. And Kyle was starting to feel that he was playing the role of the great evil overlord! "My name is Kazuya; it is a great pleasure to have met you"

Feeling bad, the farmer finally offered him his hand. "I'm Kyle; it's nice to meet you too" the brunette finally stood back, up, plastering a wide smile across his features.

"No, the pleasure is mine" he said. A moment later a certain merchant of the east came to in front of the house.

"Hey, Kyle!" she called, waving her arms which was wrapped by the loose fabric of the sky blue kimono she wore. "I got that Tempura Udon you asked me for… Hey, who's that?" Yue stopped her commercial talk as she spotted a familiar form hidden by Kyle's body. In response of this, the brunette moved to give the girl a better view, as also giving him a better view of who was talking all about a bowl of noodles with fried shrimp on top…

"Yue?" He guessed, and it was a correct shot.

"It couldn't be…" Yue gasped a bit, recognizing the youth in red, ripped clothes. "Kazu?"

"Wait…" Kyle tilted his head, a tad of gaping while also looking at the two people currently in his farm. "Do you know each other?" well, actually, no wonder! The clothes they wore looked so similar to each other. The only difference was that the man's was much looser on him and he also got a pair of green baggy pants beneath it. And the color was different as well.

"Of course we do!" they said in unison. After saying that at the same time, they also laughed together, Yue going into a giggling fit and that guy… actually went rolling on the burnt soil and made his outfit even dirtier. After torturing their own stomach, they stood back up and looked at each other. Kyle decided to back off this time, afraid to ruin such a keen reunion. Well, nobody would actually expect of something like such a romantic event would happen in a farm… but there's actually nothing impossible, right?

"It had been such a long time…" Yue started, when her cheeks started to blush a bright pink. "I really missed you… where have you gone…?" at that time a soft wind blew, the charm blue flowers dangled back and forth, bringing out a romantic atmosphere. Along with the breeze a sweet smell never been better before. Okay, that maybe was over-exaggerated, but it was too true that they were like long-separated couple.

"Well…" the brunette stuttered slightly, his face turning an embarrassed deep red, "I'm doing this small exploration around the continent of Norad and ended up here" Yue's expression turned serious in this, and moved forward to poke the other's nose.

"Don't lie, I can tell. You got those black marks below your eyelids already! Let's go to the clinic to make sure you are alright; and yes…" she trailed off, examining her old friend's badly ripped and burnt clothes, " I'll get you some clothes to wear. Probably not another kimono, but you will have to cope with it" said Yue while studying Kazuya with a stern face. She then grabbed his wrist tight and off they go to the Alvarna Clinic.

The only thing that came up to Kyle's mind as he watched the drama that had played in front of him was… "Strange people…" then he looked towards his vest, badly ripped. Thank god his shirt was all right, but he had to go and ask Mana to repair it for him, and of course, without letting Douglas know about it or he'll be regretting his entire life. And the next problem was the green peppers, they were way beyond repair. He had so sickle it out soon, though if only he hadn't used such a spell that plant would still give him several good amount of gold. Kyle finally decided to take a walk around the park to relief his stress; as it was holiday. He advanced to the De-Sainte-Coquille park and practically, found the three girls; Mana, Cecilia, and Alicia chatting to the east of the fountain. They immediately recognized him, well, at least Mana immediately jolted up like she was springing on a trampoline.

"Kyle!" she called, with quite an angry face when she saw the hole in his vest. "What happened to that vest? Did you go fighting off a sliver wolf again? I told you it was dangerous out there!" she said, pointing to Kyle's face like a mother would do to his child. Kyle could do nothing instead of smiling sheepishly, listening contentedly as she gave him a sermon on how the farmer should have been more careful about himself.

"Well, Mana and her motherly instincts…" Alicia commented, a smug smirk rising on her face. "I think I'll have to take the payment from her; that fortune-telling actually came true!" she said cheerfully, proud of her own skills. Meanwhile, Cecilia just giggled in the response of this over-narcissistic act. The fortune teller grumbled and stared at the golden-eyed half-elf, saying, "What are you laughing at" While pouting.

"Well, you actually only told her that she'll soon be hooked up by a handsome guy…" said Cecilia while playing with the aquamarine brooch Kyle had given her for her birthday; her face gaining a bright red color. Alicia, noticing this, made a big, and seemingly cattish smile, looking at her expression in such a way that the maid was made into a nervous stutter worse than even Dorothy's. "W-wait, Alicia… why are you looking at m-me… t-t-that way…?"

"I see… maybe I have missed a bit of your fortunes…" the pink-haired girl stated, with a mysterious tone on her voice, making the other gulp. "I thought Jake had asked for your hand in marriage… and you had accepted it?" she stated more than questioned, enjoying the frightened look on Cecilia's face. "And you were… to be married by the end of fall, which is just five days to go? But are you still keeping feeling for Kyle? That's not what a good wife should be… " she was enjoying the torment she was putting on the half-elf; really enjoying it, by the fact.

Cecilia's face turned even redder than any of the tomato juices she served every morning for Herman. And that is, she had made them with the reddest, sweetest tomatoes. But the color of her face by now was defeating any good tomato. Even the best-quality tomato said to can only be grown in the area of Blessia Island. "A-a-a-a-a….." she stammered so badly, Alicia was starting to worry that her head would soon explode if nothing was done.

"Just, kidding!" the doctor's daughter cheered, patting her friend on the back. The red frenzy immediately ceased, and Cecilia actually… snapped. She grabbed Alicia's arm tightly and squeezed it, until she heard the fortune-teller scream.

"And you will never do something dangerous like that ever again, do you understand?" Mana asked, to Kyle, who was looking down in embarrassment.

"I understood" the farmer answered, and to other people this scene would closely resemble a kid and her caring mother.

"Good!" she exclaimed, regaining her jolly expression. "Now please give me that vest; I'll be repairing it tomorrow so I'll go fetch a new one I already sewed- I'll meet you in front of your house this afternoon to deliver it; sorry it can't be done immediately because Dad's got the key and he won't come back very soon when he starts arguing about guts with Gordon"

"…Yeah, I can imagine that" Kyle answered, trembling when he pictured the image of two muscle-bound men arguing against each other. Last week he even saw them grappling each other in the Cherry Blossom Square. What, representative of the god? Kyle even doubted it now. He looked much like an ex-soldier.

"You're going with me, now!" a familiar voice shouted, as a merchant in Kimono dragged a guy unfamiliar to all but Yue herself and apparently… Kyle.

"No…!" the guy in red protested, trying to wiggle his way out of the black-haired businesswoman's awfully tight grip. Of the scene with Kyle and Mana resemble that of a caring mother and a regretful child, this one was more to the… a scene of a strict mother acting up with her overly rebellious child.

"Yue, what are you doing?" Mana asked, worried.

"Hey, you guys!" Yue called, turning her head to the group of four. "Help me bring this guy to the clinic!" the three girls nodded in unison, while Kyle remained silent, not wanting to get in any more trouble with Kazuya there.

"Girls, attack!" Mana shouted like a commander would do to order her underlings, and the girls all at once pounced towards the poor man. Finally managing to strangle him with a rope Alicia pulled out of her magical wizard's hat. They dragged the muffled and tied up teenager into the clinic.

"Oh, my goodness…" Kyle sighed. Girls could be hyper at times.

---------

So, how's it? My first strike in writing a romantic series, though I ended up putting some humor in… the pairings will be the usual Kyle x Mana, Dorothy x Barret, Cecilia x Jake, Rosalind x Max, Alicia… none… (Sorry!), Julia x Max, and an additional pairing… Yue x OC! This is my first time creating an actual male OC… so please give your comments here…