A/N: Here is chapter three. The plot is going along slowly, but come on. It's a big plot. I've advanced to the third section of the game, so I know a lot more about it— but still not all about it. Tell me if I get any names or things wrong. (I'll reconfirm this: the story is BASED on the storyline, but I threw in MANY additions in dialogue and events. All characters will be in-role, though a select few will be exaggerated.)
Thanks Moonlit Dreaming, Momo-chan12, The Scarlet Sky, LittlePastry, and HakumeiN for reviewing.
Warning/Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or the main storyline. No language or anything. (I made this rated T for the fantasy violence.)
Enjoy.
A Kardian Tale
For the second time since his arrival, Raguna got up bright and early. This time, however, he didn't sit and wait in bed. He planted his feet to the ground, trying to walk out his fatigue. Nine hours of sleep was normal, but for a farmer it was absolutely brutal.
He made a beeline to the field, dunking his petite watering can in the watering hole on the way. Then he nourished his freshly planted turnips, washing away their thirst with crystal-clear water. Mist had given him the seeds for free. She really was generous.
His tentative smile dropped when water stopped pouring from the can. He knocked at its side a few times, making small droplets trickle out- but that was it.
"How much water can this piece of junk hold?" he muttered. Then he flipped it over and immediately spotted tiny, fork-like holes all over the bottom. It looked more like a cheese grater than a watering can from this view. Making the best of the situation, he tried running to fill the tiny container and then quickly emptying it on each individual plant. And seeing as there were nine plants, and he'd only downed two… that meant seven times of running back and forth, multiplied by two was fourteen. When he was done, he tossed the watering can to the side and heaved onto his butt, sighing. It was no easy task, and the sunrays beating down on his back wasn't exactly making things easier.
He remembered meeting the villagers was his first priority and quickly figured they wouldn't be up at this hour anyway. He made his way to the stream and sat down on the edge of the bridge, watching the miniature currents pull in and out. For some reason, it intrigued him greatly. Had he seen this sort of pristine water source in his former life? Perhaps he'd lived in a dessert?
Former life. He only had one life. There was no "former life." Former memory, yes, but no former life. It was best to forget it, but he just… couldn't. White flag raised, he gave up and ducked into his house for some shade and extra sleep. The instant he felt a good slumber sink in, a loud knock on the door arose him. He stumbled out of bed and patted down his hair and clothes, realizing he must've looked dishevelled and terrible.
He opened the door and was shocked to see a plump man standing on the other side. But what amused Raguna most was his attire— a just-fitting red jacket that looked thin and soft as velvet with a frilly, leaf-like collar, a filmy pink shirt with tiny laced pleats snug under it, an emerald brooch the size of his fist smack-dab in the middle of his chest and a purple headband topped off with a green, blue and purple feather sticking out from the side in an odd fashion. The man's wide blue eyes and blonde comb-over complimented his clothes in a strange way. Besides the fact that he dressed like a freakshow, Raguna had to admit he looked like an overall nice guy.
The beefy man shuffled over to reveal another presence. A girl, who looked around Raguna's age, brushed up to the man's side. She had curly navy-blue hair tied up in two tall pigtails with short bangs that met with her perfectly waxed eyebrows. A shiny red ribbon sprouted from the top of her head like she was a big Christmas present- but big didn't seem to cut it, as the girl was slender and curvy. Light blush tinted her cheeks and a hint of mascara to her lashes, complete with a douse of smooth pink lipstick. Clad in a royal pink dress, she looked like a princess— without the tiara.
"Uh…" Raguna uttered, confused as to why they were visiting him at such an hour. He was about to introduce himself, trying not to be rude by asking why they were at his door. But instead, the blue-haired Barbie piped up first, waving a limp wrist in the air.
"Daddy, this place smells of the old omelets Tabatha recently discarded," she said in a high, snotty tone, emphasizing old. "I reconsider meeting the new farmer. I believed there would be slight pleasure in his greeting, but he has given me doubts. I wish to go home now."
Her father faltered. "Don't you want to say hi at least, sweetie?"
She shot Raguna a murderous look, making him shrink back in confusion and discomfort. "Hi," she sneered, and then hightailed out of his house as if it were made of dung.
The man shuffled uncomfortably and awkwardly for a second before looking up at the young farmer. "Erm, my name is Jasper," he introduced himself as if the offensive scene hadn't just occurred. "That pretty girl back there was my daughter, Bianca. Please forgive her bluntness; she dominates in spades when it comes to being judgemental." His eyes wandered about the house for a moment, making Raguna feel just as tense. "Well, I suppose I'll be going now. I live at the large mansion north of here; drop us a visit if you'd please." Pulling a silk cloth out of nowhere, he fanned it in the air in substitution of bidding farewell and waddled out, leaving the poor farmer feeling confused, annoyed, and twice as strange.
"…If Mist asks, they never came," he muttered, shutting the door and heading back to his canopy bed.
xoxo
"What do you think you're doing?"
Raguna awoke with a start. He sat upright in bed and stared ahead, where Mist stood with her hands on her hips.
"What did— how did—" he stuttered.
"It was raining," Mist explained briefly. "And it was boring. I get lonely when it rains, so I came here to see you. I hope you don't mind."
He almost groaned. "It's… it's okay, Mist."
She smiled at him, but it quickly fell. "The next time I come to check up on you, you'd better not be slacking. Got that?" she said in a tough, but soft tone.
"Got it…" Raguna sighed.
"Good."
He shuffled out of bed and rubbed the sleepy out of his eyes before realizing something.
"What time is it?"
"Noon," Mist replied.
Raguna let out a pained breath. That meant he'd only had a two-hour nap…
"Aren't you forgetting something, Raguna?"
He looked up. "Like what?" he asked.
"Like meeting the villagers."
"Oh," he replied shortly. After seeing Jasper and Bianca, he wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore. "Uh…"
"Let's go." Without asking for a reply, or expecting one, really, Mist held his elbow and veered him right outside his house.
xoxo
"So," Mist began the instant Raguna shut the door (with a meek look on his face), "who do you wanna meet first?"
"Uh…" Raguna droned. He came up with a lazy decision. "What about whoever's closest?"
The young woman nearly chuckled. "You're funny, Raguna," she said. That was it.
Moments later they arrived in town, which wasn't a far distance from his farm. Speaking of which…
"Have you picked a name for your farm yet?" Mist asked.
Raguna was surprised. He'd only just realized… it would be his farm from now on. "Nothing comes to mind…" he began, but of course Mist flooded in with suggestions with ease.
"What about Flower Cove Farm?" she said dreamily. "Wouldn't that sound beautiful?"
"Uh, Mist… I don't grow flowers…" Raguna began.
Mist seemed shocked. "Why not?" she asked. "They're beautiful, and delicate, and lovely…"
"Maybe I'll just name it…" His eyes narrowed, hoping to see a blissful look on her face. "Misty Farm."
"Misty Farm?" Her lips puckered in thought. "Umm, I guess that sounds okay…"
His face turned red. She didn't get it. But… maybe she would, in time. "Uh, hey, I see a house coming up," he began.
"Oh, right," Mist said. "That's where my best friend Rosetta works with her dad."
He waited for her to go on, but she didn't. "Is she, uhh… nice?" he asked, for lack of better word.
She smiled up at him before bluntly replying, "Not really. But she gets nicer once you warm up to her."
Warm up to her? What's that supposed to mean?
They stepped inside the shop, making the bells above the door clink against each other. The instant they stepped inside, the door swung shut and the chiming ceased.
"Hi Jean," Mist said politely to a man at the counter, who looked in his forties. "This is Raguna. He'll be the new farmer here."
"Nice to meet you," Jean said, nodding at him. "Come here if you ever want to buy seeds or special goods."
"…Hi. I will," Raguna greeted lamely. Amnesia or not, he doubted he was ever good at introductions…
"Where's Rosetta?" Mist continued, easing the silence. "I told her she was supposed to pick up Raguna's shipments from now on, and now she keeps running off…"
"Oh, yeah, she mentioned something like that." He leaned on the counter. "Don't tell her I said this to you, but she's hiding by the hot springs."
"There are hot springs here?" Raguna said, surprised. Perfect. Maybe the town wasn't so bad after all. He already anticipated the steamy, hot warmth of the water… funny, how did he remember the feel of the hot springs? It was only just a while ago he was so greatly amused by the stream current…
"Yep. Only the best." Mist headed for the door, feeling like her business was done. "See you, Jean. We're trying to get Raguna to meet everyone, but it's a tight schedule."
Jean smiled back in silent reply, nodding once at Raguna before they departed.
xoxo
"One down, a lot more to go!" Mist said cheerfully, and Raguna couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She skipped down the lane, making him barely able to keep up with her.
"Where to now?" he asked, hoping his query would slow her down. But she just kept right on going, possibly even gaining speed.
"The clinic," she answered. "The people that work there are very nice."
"That's a relief…" Raguna murmured.
He opened his mouth to ask for their names when he heard a crash. Rushing over to Mist's side, he crouched down before her sprawled body.
"Are you okay?" he said worriedly.
Mist seemed less fazed. "Yes. Just a few scrapes here and there," she said serenely. She sat up and the two looked at the other presence simultaneously, both gasping.
"You!" the silver-haired boy and Raguna gawked in unison. They shot killer glares at each other, Mist looking to each of them with an odd look on her face.
"Do you two know each other…?" she asked.
"Yeah, we do!" the boy snarled, leaning in. "He's the snot-nosed kid who thinks…"
"Hey, stop shoving words into my mouth!" Raguna shot back, ready to punch him square in the jaw. "You're the one who—"
"Yeah, well I don't care what you say, at least I don't think I can get a pass to—"
"I NEVER SAID I WAS—" Neither of them could even complete their sentences.
"Alright, alright, let's stop before fists go flying," Mist intervened angelically.
"Yeah? Well I was just about to leave anyway!" the boy retorted, though clearly he wasn't going to. He gave Raguna a smug, dirty look, looking like he'd launch himself at him. Surprisingly, he merely turned to Mist— and Raguna's face turned to stone when he kissed her on the cheek.
"I'll see you later," he said, clearly just to Mist, and stalked off furiously.
"What…" Raguna could barely comprehend the scene. His eyes locked onto Mist's and she seemed slightly embarrassed. "That womanizer!" He barely got the words out; breathless.
"O-oh no… Raguna…he's no womanizer…" Her blush deepened tenfold.
"That's Zavier… my boyfriend."