A/N: So, yep, thie is mainly Ceci/Nick, but Ceci/Jake and Ceci/Kyle will be worked into this. Uhm, something just quick. Mist is married to Raguna, she is the main girl. And all the other 'couples' from Rune Factory are together. (Zavier isn't with anyone...) Mist has been to Alvarna, it was in a drama CD. Personally, I feel that Cecilia wouldn't just leave her dad and Nick, I mean she could at least visit them right? SO yes, go and ahead and read! (This is a combnation of the first game and second.)
Disclaimer: I own neither Rune Factory nor Rune Factory 2, I don't really own the idea for this fanfic either. (Really, I'm not copying anyone, but it's not like I haven't been the only to think of her relationship with Nick.)
Summer 29th and 30th, 5 pm and 6 am, leaving Alvarna
"Oh, you're leaving, Ceci?" Mana and Alicia peered at her curiously from their perches on the fountain. "That's too bad, when are you leaving?" Mana smiled at her half-elf friend, tilting her head curiously. Alicia nodded, agreeing to know when Cecilia left. Said half-elf girl was standing in front of them. Cecilia laughed, sitting down on the stone ground of the park. "Come on, Ceci, we have to know when to say goodbye!" Mana jumped up from sitting on the fountain. Alicia then added 'And how long we have to miss you!' Cecilia finally gave in, though she would've told them later that day.
"I'm leaving tomorrow; I'll be back by the next season." Mana pouted, grabbing Cecilia's arm and trying to pull her up. "S-stop it, Mana!" Cecilia squealed, pulling her friend down. Mana hit the ground, grumbling. Alicia laughed, holding her middle. Mana scrambled toward the fortuneteller, pushing her into the fountain. "Mana!" Cecilia giggled, standing up.
"You two are horrible, sometimes!" Alicia stood up in the fountain, glowering at her friends. "Now I have to go home and change!" She stomped off, grumbling. Mana fell into a set of giggles. Alicia whipped around. "You better watch out for stairs AND water!" Then she swiftly turned around, stomping back toward the Clinic. Mana glanced at Cecilia, and they both burst into laughter. Mana quieted down first, looking over to her friend.
"I still don't get why you didn't tell us earlier." She tugged at her dress, standing up. Cecilia pulled herself up. She was staring at her feet. "It's because we'd make a big deal out of it, isn't it?" Cecilia continued to look at the ground. "Ceci! You know we wouldn't, well, Alicia might, but still!" Cecilia looked up; her eyes were looking a bit wet now. "Ceci, don't cry! I promise we'll miss you." She grabbed her hands. "We'll even remind Jake to be nice to Kyle!"
"About that…" She shifted her eyes away. Mana's eyes widened. "See, Egan wanted to see Tabatha, they're friends, and well, he doesn't think Jake would do well on his own. So they're both coming with me…" Mana pouted. "Don't get mad, just promise that you and Alicia will write everyday."
"Fine, but you have to reply to all of our letters!" Cecilia smiled, hooking her pinkie with Mana's. "It's a promise!" They said together. At that moment Alicia came back, still wet. "Hey, Alicia, why didn't you change?"
"Ray wouldn't let me go inside. 'We don't want the floor wet; someone could trip and hurt themselves!' Ugh, and if they're going to a clinic why should that matter?" Mana and Cecilia exchanged looks. Alicia sighed. "But that's not important! It's all ready three o'clock!" She smiled, waved at them, and headed toward the port. "I've got business to do!"
"I think you should say goodbye to everybody today, just in case they can't see you off!" Mana nodded. "Anyway, I fear dad might come looking for me soon. So, I'll say my official goodbye to you tomorrow." Mana skipped off humming. Cecilia smiled and started to walk toward the mansion. Kyle came barreling her way. He ran straight into her.
"S-sorry, Cecilia!" He bowed, and helped her up. "Ahahaaaha… I just came back from the forest actually." Cecilia smiled, nodding. "Oh, but you probably need to get work. I was just getting some Lamp Grass for Rosalind." Cecilia stopped him. "Hm, what is it?"
"I thought I might as well tell you right now." He blinked. "I'm leaving tomorrow, to see my family in Kardia. And I'll be gone until the next season." She nodded. Kyle was surprised, mostly because he didn't know she had a family Kardia. "Well, and Mist too." He blinked, registering the name.
Oh, you mean that odd girl who came to visit you in Spring?" Cecilia nodded. "She was a bit weird…" He trailed off, laughing. "Er, well, I guess I'll see you off tomorrow?" She nodded, and then spent the remainder of the day either working or saying goodbye to everybody. By the time she finally got to bed, she wondered how she had managed to even pack. And yet, the morning came swift. Six AM and they were on a boat, sent by, who else, Jasper.
Ceci sighed, waving to Mana and Alicia. Kyle stood between the two, laughing and jumping up and down. Jake, next to her, crossed his arms and scowled. "Stupid human.." He growled this under his breath, but she still heard it. She shook her head, waving one last time as the boat got farther away.
Fall 1st; four am, heading toward Kardia
"Cecilia?" She jumped, looking over to see Egan looking concerned at her. "Sorry, you looked a bit dazed. Just making sure you were okay." She nodded and glanced back at the water, watching her reflection. "We'll be there soon; I wonder what time it is…" Cecilia looked back up, her eyes flicking over the horizon. Nothing. "Oh, Jake, do you know what time it is?" The half-elf boy glanced at his father. "I'm guessing that's a no…"
"Father, why do you need to know what time it is?" Egan shrugged, turning to find the captain of the boat and ask him. "What's wrong, Ceci?" Jake slid to stand next to Cecilia. It was still early, maybe four AM, but they were up. "Was it something that human said? Did he say something to you before we left?"
"That's not it, Jake, just don't worry about it." She turned her head away from him, watching the stars reflect off the water. "Kardia's stars were always pretty…" She murmured, smiling happily. "Like shiny gems…" She hummed. Jake huffed, turning to look at the sky.
"I don't see the difference between Alvarna's and Kardia's stars." Ceci glanced over at him. "Well, you tell me the difference then, Ceci." He crossed his arms, challenging her to prove him wrong.
"Simple, we're nowhere near Kardia, how can we tell the difference?" He stared at her, surprised. "Anyway, you have to go all way up to Mount Clemens' Summit to see that." She paused, fisting her fingers into her dress. "And on the Moonlit Eve, that'd be the best." She leaned forward, chin cupped in her hands.
"Moonlight Eve…?" Jake gave her a curious look, suddenly interested in this day. Mostly because Ceci seemed to like the stars, and if they were even better on a certain day and place, he could impress her! "What's that?"
"A holiday in Kardia, like a date night I suppose. It's actually a lot like the Shooting Star Festival. It's the seventeenth of Fall. I've never been to it…" She sighed, leaning against the railing of the ship. Jake blinked, and touched her shoulder. "I was always too young! All the adults got to have fun." She pouted. "Maybe I'll attend it this year, that'd be fun."
Fall 1st; 6 am, Kardia's docks and beach
Two hours later, Jake jolted awake. Egan smiled. Jake glanced around, where was Ceci…? He glanced back at his father. "I though you said we were close to Kardia." Egan laughed, but then nodded.
"Jake, we'll be there in ten minutes!" Cecilia peered out from the boat's cabin. "See?" She ran to the helm, pointing toward the approaching dock. She was extremely excited. She finally got to see her dad again. The boat seemingly sped up, Jake lurched forward. He caught himself near Ceci. "Oh, Jake, aren't you excited? You get to meet my friends!"
"Sure, whatever." She smiled, turning back to look at the approaching dock. The boat bumped up against the dock. Jake glanced up his eyes locking on the people running from the sand of a beach up the dock. "..Who?" One of them was man, his hair seemed grayish, but a little purple, he also had a pair of glasses on, and Jake almost missed the tears exploding in the man's eyes. Just behind him was a blond, her hair pulled back in a braid, she also wore glasses, and while she looked happy to Ceci, she wasn't crying. He almost missed the blur of a woman who darted forward to attack Ceci. She was a lightly blonde, her hair almost white, she was also holding a baby in her arms. Jake thought he recognized her.
"Cecily!" Jake was amused as the white-blonde tried to hug Cecilia. "Ah, so I can't hug you, but…" She smiled. "Oh, I'm happy to see you. Raguna is too! I bet Rei is too, isn't that right?" The happy woman smiled at the baby's gurgling. "He's two; sorry we never wrote about him, the farm's been busy!"
"Mist, calm down!" Mist quieted down. "I'm sure you can tell me about him later, but shouldn't you go back home now?" She blinked and then blushed. She then turned, running down the dock and disappearing from the beach. The gray-purple haired man smiled at Cecilia. Cecilia flung her self at him, laughing. "Dad! I'm so glad to see you." She pulled away, her arms still looped around her father's neck. "Egan, Jake, this is my dad, Russell. Dad, this is Egan, he's been taking care of me, and his son Jake."
"Hello, I hope that Cecilia was nice to you, she didn't pull any pranks did she?" Russell smiled as he shook Egan's hand. Cecilia shouted a 'Dad!' as he talked with Egan. "She's been known to do that, and I also hope she didn't run into any caves, she might do that too." Egan laughed, but confirmed that Cecilia had been a perfect angel. "You must be Jake, well, I have to admit, I didn't think I'd ever meet any other elves other Tabatha and Ceci." Egan nodded in understanding.
"H-hello… My… name is.. T-tori." The blond girl suddenly piped up. Everybody turned to look at her. She flushed before getting a look of determination. "I… am very happy… to see Cecilia." She smiled nervously at the half-elf girl. "There… is also something… that I would like to… tell her."Suddenly, Russell smiled. He touched her shoulder, murmuring something in her ear. After a second, she nodded.
"I wish I could've told you in the letter, but I felt that it'd be better if I told you in person." Russell continued off of Tori. "Tori and I, we're getting married, on the eighteenth." Jake glanced over at Cecilia. "Oh, are you mad at me; this is what I was worried about…"
Cecilia smiled. "No dad, this is great!" She reached forward and hugged Tori. "I'm happy for you two, and glad I'll be here!" Russell smiled at his daughter. "If you don't mind, I'd like to greet everybody in town again." Russell blinked and then chuckled.
"Alright, go right on ahead. Sabrina and Neumann should be inside, at least awake." He waved goodbye. Then he turned around quickly. "Egan, Jake, I'm sure Ceci would like to go greet everybody, by herself. You can always meet them later today!" He waved them over, Jake glancing back at Cecilia, who was bouncing across the sand toward the shop.
"Ah, ah~! Welcome to the Spear Fisher shop!" A sunburned woman stood at the counter, she paused, blinking. "Hey, it's before business hours, you're gonna have to come back." The sunburned woman was turned around poking around the shelves. "Ugh, Neumann!" A blonde man tumbled down the stairs. "Where is all the merchandise?" She turned slightly; hand on her hips, her short blue hair flicking around a little.
"Sweetie, aren't you ignoring the costumer?" He pointed toward Cecilia. "But then… It's not business hours!" He turned to look at her. He blinked is surprise. "Oh, Ceci!" He waved at her, smiling. "What a surprise." He walked toward her, patting her head. "You're almost as tall as…" He stopped, a noise coming from the top of the stairs.
"Geez, it's only six AM, why are you already done here?" A boy stood at the bottom of the stairs. His blue hair flecked over his forehead. "Wha, a customer?" He blinked, rubbing his eyes. Cecilia smiled broadly at him. "Eh... Ceci?"
"Hey, Nick." She waved, laughing slightly. "How long has it been?" He stood there, practically frozen on the stairs. A second later, he was hugging her. "Okay, okay, don't squeeze the life out of me!" Nick laughed, letting her go. "Is Wesley still around, I think I've got a good prank for him."
"..Yeah he's still around, but the pranks haven't been fun without you!" Cecilia blushed, looking down at her feet. "Aw, come on Ceci! Wesley will be glad to see you again, even if the first thing you do is prank him!" Cecilia smiled, humming. "Oh, did you bring any of your friends?"
At the second he asked this, the door opened. Sabrina sighed, giving up on people randomly walking in her shop. Neumann patted his wife on the shoulder. "Ceci, you forgot your bag at the dock..!" Nicholas peered around Cecilia's shoulder. He smiled, walking around his best friend.
"Is this a friend of yours, Ceci?" Nick smiled, holding out his hand out to Jake. The half-elf stared at him suspiciously. "Oh, he's an elf like you, right?" Jake felt a twitch of anger, he opened his mouth to snap at the other boy. "That's so cool; I didn't know you had an Elvin friend!" Cecilia laughed nervously. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Sure, Jake, this is Nicholas. Nick, this is Jake." Nick continued to hold his hand out to Jake. Jake just stared at him. Was this human really friends with Ceci? Cecilia sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry, Nick, Jake isn't very fond of most people." Nick let his hand fall back down. He shrugged.
Okay, the reason Egan and Jake go with Ceci is because Egan wanted to see Tabatha. Jake going just help with the plot, I don't know maybe Egan thought he could make friends in Kardia. Anyway, review?