Conflicting Loves Chapter 2: Requested Stab In The Heart, a harvest moon fanfic

Conflicting Loves

Chapter 2: Requested Stab In The Heart

A/N: In this chapter, I am going to be doing something that I have never done in a fic before. I am going to incorporate a song! I do to own "Don't Speak" By No Doubt, but that is the song that I am using. Also, I wish to pay my dues to the person who thought up of this idea. She just created an account here and her pen name is Michellie. I never would have thought of this without you, so here's your share of the applause. Once again, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much, if not more, than the first. They're only going to get better from here on in!

Song lyrics are italicized, but I'm not sure if the format will work for it. I'll spend some time trying to fix it if it doesn't work correctly.

(-)

The ocean didn't look quite as beautiful while one was out upon it during a heavy storm. A dark ominous sky overhead rained down upon the cruise ship as it made its way across the Pacific. Monstrous waves crashed against the side of the ship, almost forcing the mighty vessel to crumble under the force, but the ship held fast. Already the survivor of hundreds of storms like this one, one more wouldn't hurt the ship.

Despite the captain's orders for everyone to remain in their cabins during the storm, Jack was standing against the railing on the port side of the ship. The waves rose up, tempted to snatch the farmer from the cruise ship and plunge him into the turmoil of the ocean. Jack held fast, even though he was completely soaked, tired, and not right in the mind.

Ever since that fateful day that had now scarred his memory, Jack couldn't think about anything other than how sorry he felt. Elli had trusted him, loved him, for two years and Jack just cast her aside like a used toy. There was so much more that he could have done to stay with her, but he did nothing. He could have protested about following the family tradition, he could have asked Elli to go with him, but he did nothing. So, in a way, this is his punishment for his failure to save their relationship.

The sound of a metal door grating open broke Jack's trance-like concentration. The farmer looked over to see the captain peeking out from inside the ship. "Come on, lad! Get yourself inside!" The captain yelled, forcing his voice to rise above the crashing waves and howling wind.

"Sorry captain, but I will stay here. The storm's going to die down soon." Jack stated.

The captain took a look up into the storm clouds overhead. "Aye, you might be right about that. Just take care not to be swept overboard!" The door was slammed shut just in time to refuse admittance to the wave that slammed against the ship. Jack merely smiled as he stood strong against the forces of nature. This was just a test from his ally to see if he was ready to handle his own farm. Jack was determined to do his best and not make the same mistakes that he had in Mineral Town.

The storm lasted for about another hour, unleashing massive strikes against the vessel, trying to send the ship down to Davy Jones' Locker. The cruise ship remained intact, forcing its way forward against the opposing winds and water. A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating the ship amid the black waters. Soon, the rest of the ocean was brightened up as the sun completely broke through the storm.

Jack still held onto the railing, letting the warmth of the sun dry his soaked clothing. He had survived the test, even if it wasn't intentional. A tiny smile broke the corners of his mouth, as pride for his accomplishment rose. The smile quickly faded as the captain's voice echoed over the ship's intercom, "Sorry about the weather everyone, but we have clear sailing from here on out. We now are going to reconnect with our radio sponsor, WWRS, World Wide Radio Station. Enjoy the music and the remainder of your cruise, everyone."

The radio quickly kicked in, picking up some pointless DJ banter. Jack ignored the noise pollution, choosing instead to sit down in one of the bolted down deck chairs. His mind was still screaming at his stupidity for letting go of Elli. "I can't go and change the past." He told himself, just as a vacationing family passed by. The family looked at Jack, wondering if they were the ones that he had spoken to. "It's one of those crazy emotionally wrecked people." The mother whispered as the family decided it was best to leave Jack alone.

More vacationers were pouring out of the interior of the ship, gladly welcoming the return of the sun. Now, Jack liked people, to a certain extent. Although he was a friendly guy, there was a limit to how much social interaction he could handle. Today, it seemed like everyone who walked past him wanted to strike up a conversation with him. After a while, it started to get on Jack's nerves. He was tempted to get up and head to his cabin, but then he saw her.

She appeared to be about Jack's age, with beautiful red hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a pair of white shorts and an orange shirt topped with a purple vest. Her face was conveying deep intellectual thought while showing a rather removed expression, almost like she was not totally present, mentally that is. The girl was looking out at the ocean, ignoring everyone who passed by her.

One of the crewmembers was walking in the other direction, looking for people to help. The crewman spotted the redhead and stepped up beside her. "Is their anything that I can help you find?" The crewman asked with a friendly smile.

The girl turned to the crewman, regarding the man with a cold stare, causing him to shudder under the gaze. "Unless you can find where I belong, then no." The girl stated coldly, continuing forward. The crewman was left standing there, completely confused as to what she meant by her words.

Jack was intrigued with this new girl. She obviously had some emotional issues at hand, but the same could be said for him as well. There was no arguing that she was extremely beautiful, so maybe he should make a move on her. It wasn't like he was tied down to a girl… any more. The mysterious girl sat down in a deck chair, not far from where Jack was sitting. This was the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Just as he began to rise up out of his chair, something being said on the radio caught his attention. One of the DJ's was talking, "We're opening up the request lines! Hello, caller, what is your name and where are you from in this wonderful world we live in?"

The person on the other end of the line sounded as if she had just finished crying. She sniffled lightly before speaking, "Hello, my name is Elli and I'm from Mineral Town." Just the sound of her voice was causing his heart to ache with the pain that he had been feeling. Jack sunk back down into his chair.

"And what seems to be upsetting you?" The DJ prodded, knowing that a crying girl always attracted people's attention.

Jack looked around nervously to see how many people were listening in to the radio. It appeared that everyone in sight had stopped what they were doing and were listening in. "Wasn't Mineral Town the place we stopped in a few days ago?" Somebody asked a neighbor.

Elli sniffled again. "My boyfriend left me a few days ago and I found out that he was planning to propose to me that day. Instead he left town and is heading across the ocean as we speak."

"Well, Elli, we here at WWRS are touched by your story, but we have good news for you. Not only do you get to request a song today, but you also get a chance to say something to your loser ex-boyfriend, as we are the only station that is broadcast on all cruise ships across the world!" The DJ announced and Jack was wishing that he had been washed away by the waves.

"Thanks guys!" Elli sounded as if she had just been given an injection of happiness. "Jack, I loved you more than I could ever love anything and you went and broke my heart. I wish there was something that I could say to get you back, but I know that it's pointless to try. So, here's a song that expresses my feelings for you. I request 'Don't Speak' by No Doubt, and I dedicate it to Jack."

"You've got it, Elli. We hope that you find someone else. As for Jack, you should be ashamed of what you did to such a sweet girl. I hope that this song makes you regret what you did!"

You and me
We used to be together
Everyday together always
I really feel
That I'm losing my best friend
I can't believe
This could be the end
It looks as though you're letting go
And if it's real
Well I don't want to know

Jack knew the song well enough. It was Elli's favourite song and she always sang along to it on the radio. Now the pain of loss and breaking up was being directed at him. Even worse, the redhead was singing along to the song as if she felt the same way as Elli. Now would definitely not be the time to approach her. "Elli, I'm sorry." He whispered as the song continued.

Don't speak
I know just what you're saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Don't speak
I know what you're thinking
I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts

Our memories
Well, they can be inviting
But some are altogether
Mighty frightening
As we die, both you and I
With my head in my hands
I sit and cry

"Poor girl. What kind of family tradition is more important than love?" A passer-by asked. Jack felt like answering the woman, but decided against it. This was a situation where everything was going against him and nothing he could say would change it. "I went to take over my deceased father's farm." Hah! Like that would do anything to help him. The more he thought of it, the more he realized how stupid it must have sounded to Elli when he had told her.

Don't speak
I know just what you're saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)
Don't speak
I know what you're thinking
I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts

It's all ending
I gotta stop pretending who we are...
You and me I can see us dying...are we?

Their relationship had been perfect, but still it crumbled because of his decision. They were over, so yes, they were dying. Look, he already felt bad enough with just the knowledge of his decision, but having it shoved in his face was just too much. Jack got up out of his seat and quickly made his was inside. The music still carried over the intercoms, haunting him as he made his way to his cabin.

He couldn't have explained it to her any better. She knew very well that his family were farmers, first and foremost. She should have known that his primary loyalties were to his family. Jack reached his cabin, ducked inside and slammed the door behind him. There was an intercom in his room and the depressing music echoed through his room.

Don't speak,
don't speak,
don't speak,
oh I know what you're thinking
And I don't need your reasons
I know you're good,
I know you're good,
I know you're real good
Oh, la la la la la la La la la la la la
Don't, Don't, uh-huh Hush, hush darlin'
Hush, hush darlin' Hush, hush
don't tell me tell me cause it hurts
Hush, hush darlin' Hush, hush darlin'
Hush, hush don't tell me tell me cause it hurts

"I know that it hurts! It hurt me just as much as it hurt you!" Jack screamed as the song came to an end. He had buried his head into his pillow to soak up the tears that had reached his eyes. He still had feelings for Elli, but she was the one who ended their relationship, not him! He had offered to come back for her, but she had kicked him out of the clinic. It was all her fault that she was feeling the way she did!

The DJ's came back on the air waves. "Wow, we've been getting a ton of calls requesting for more songs that would make Jack feel bad. So, we decided that we are dedicating the remainder of the day to making Jack feel remorse. Starting with 'She Hates Me', then "She Loves Me Not", then 'Misery', then…"

(-)

The cruise ship was finally reaching its destination. The night was bustling with activities as the boat unloaded. The radio was still going on with the make Jack feel bad event, now on its third day. From the harbour, Jack would have to catch a smaller vessel to take him to Forget-Me-Not Valley, which was quite a way further up along the coast. Surely, a small town, similar to Mineral Town, wouldn't be receiving radio signals.

Jack located the transport that would take him to Forget-Me-Not Valley. Much to his surprise, the gorgeous redhead was already seated in the boat. "You must be Jack, I assume." The owner of the vessel acknowledged.

Jack nodded his head regretfully, soon receiving a glare from the girl. She hadn't forgotten what was said over the radio. Jack gulped nervously as he took a seat across from the girl. "So, Forget-Me-Not Valley is where you think you belong, is it?" Jack inquired.

The girl hung her head, shaking it lightly. "I don't know where I belong. This is just somewhere that looked nice."

The owner of the vessel climbed into the pilot's seat and started up the motor. The vessel silently slipped away from the dock and out to open waters before turning north. "Well, you know that me name is Jack. What's yours?" Jack asked.

"Nami." The girl whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the spray of water as the boat cut through the air.

Jack smiled, "Nami. That's a pretty name for a pretty girl."

"Do not try to flirt with me. I am not looking for someone to love, especially not someone who would probably leave me at the first chance he gets." Nami quickly cut off Jack's advances.

"Look, I had to leave Elli because my father died and I'm taking over his farm in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I didn't have a choice in the matter. If it was up to me, I would have stayed there with Elli, but I didn't get to choose." Jack stated, angered that this girl who was practically a stranger was already passing judgement on him.

Nami shrugged her shoulders, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I do not care about your personal issues."

The remainder of the boat ride passed in silence. Nami and Jack ignored each other, much to the discomfort of the boat's owner. The man tried to strike up conversations with both of his passengers, but neither replied to him. The only sounds that could be heard on the boat were the splashes of the boat as it bounced across the waves.

At last, the boat reached its destination. An empty stretch of beach, with the town sprouting up behind it. The sun was just coming up back across the ocean, casting the town into a beautiful glow. "It's no Mineral Town, but it'll do." Jack grumbled as he jumped out of the boat and onto the sands.

Jack turned back to the boat and offered Nami a helping hand down. The girl gave Jack a sceptical look, trying to figure out what his intentions truly were. "I'm just proving that I'm not a complete jerk." Jack stated as Nami's feet touched ground.

"Well, enjoy yourselves here, kids. I'm heading back to the dock." The owner of the boat claimed as he headed off to sea.

Nami quickly released Jack's hand and started climbing the hill into town. "Where are you going?" Jack asked, following after Nami. The town was still sleeping, so nobody was awake to assist them. Nami pointed up to one of the larger buildings in the town, "That's probably the Inn. I will be getting a room there. As for you, don't you have some work you should be doing?"

(-)

A/N: I'm not sure if I've gotten Nami's character correctly portrayed, as I've never had her in a story of mine before. So, if someone could give me some pointers on this matter. Other than that, thanks for reading and please review.