Harvest Moon
By Lunare Valhart
Warnings: Shounen-ai/Shoujo-ai, boring farm stuff
Pairings: Tyka, ReiMao, et al.
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Chapter One: Back to Nature
"You'll always remember me, right?"
"If you remember me, I will."
"Hm, okay! Sounds fair enough."
A gentle peal of laughter…
The boat gave a sharp lurch, jolting him from his light doze. The varying cries of the other passengers could be heard throughout the small ferry, coupled with the bawling of small children. He gave a light snort, only vaguely wondering what had caused it.
A screech from the intercom quickly answered. "Attention, this is your captain speaking. We apologize for the sudden stop, but we are now at Turtle Cove Harbor. All passengers leaving at Turtle Cove Harbor, please collect your belongings and exit the boat. That is all."
Kai blinked, unconsciously grabbing his knapsack and duffel bag carrying his clothes and necessities, and stepped out onto the deck. His grip tightened when he saw the cheery harbor, filled to the brim with people selling goods and supplies from all reaches. The smells of fish were the most evident, ranging from a faint, pleasant waft to a musky, very briny odor. A myriad of people, from seadogs to little obedient housewives, made their own mark in the minute vastness of the harbor's collage.
He stepped down the ramp, feeling slightly overwhelmed by his surroundings and slapping himself for it. He came from Tokyo, for Gods' sake; he shouldn't feel the least bit stuffy here! He shook off his apprehension and made his way purposefully through the crowd. He shouldered through, eager to make his way to the train station and finish the final leg of his journey.
The station fell into his sight, and he could feel his pace quicken. He remembered quite clearly from his childhood that the harbor, while quite busy, was never to this extent. It made him wonder just how much the small village had changed – if it were even that, anymore. He stepped up to the ticket booth and met the chipper pale features of the ticket master with his opposing mask of indifference.
"Hi, how may I help you?" The boy smiled brightly, the freckles speckling his nose giving him an even younger appearance than he probably was.
Kai grunted, "One ticket to Bayside Village." The boy's smile suddenly faded into a look of shock before blushing brightly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry – you're Hiwatari Kai, right?" Kai only managed to nod slightly before the boy gave a nervous laugh, running his hand through his unruly wheat blond locks. "Yeesh, I really need to start paying more attention. Don't worry about the ticket; Mr. Dickenson already paid."
The red-violet-eyed youth blinked in surprise. "Well… That was unnecessarily generous of the mayor." The blond nodded, the cheer from before returning. He handed Kai a small slip of paper.
"Here's the receipt, so the conductor will let you on. Your train is boarding in ten minutes," The teller explained, "Oh, and could you say hi to my mom for me? She runs the clinic in Bayside. I lived there my whole life, then I moved here a few years ago. It's nice that you're going to take your dad's farm up; it was depressing, seeing that place so empty. Susumu was a great guy."
Kai paused, feeling a faint pang of guilt for reasons he wasn't completely sure. "…Yeah, I guess."
"All passengers headed for Bayside Village, please begin boarding now. We will be leaving shortly."
"Well, that's your call," The teller sighed, straightening his uniform out, "I'll stop by on my vacations to see how you're doing, since I come every major festival. See ya then!"
Kai sighed quietly and walked towards the boarding platform, failing to catch the mischievous, almost purposeful twinkle in the blond's bright blue eyes.
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The train slowed to a shrill stop, the squeaks from the breaks creaking as they ground against the metal of the tracks. Kai stared out the window reflectively as blurred images of mountainsides and wildlife passed by. He could hear the muted conversations of the other car passengers, but they didn't particularly interest him. What looked to be a traveler in mountain clothes sat at the back of the car, shifting restlessly in the cotton cushions and the only other to sit in silence. Another passenger, a young woman with long blonde hair and a pair of threadbare overalls, sat alone, but with a small MP3 playing some light-hearted classical piece and tapping her foot along with the melody, occasionally humming bars she liked. A rose-haired woman with pale skin held onto a flower basket, talking genially with the young girl with ginger curls next to her. Others included the brunette farm girl who was deep in conversation with a busty red-haired woman, a trio of small children, and a girl with glasses flipping through a book with a capped youth.
Considering this, could he really be blamed for keeping to himself?
He kept busy with his own thoughts, trying to imagine what his family lands looked like after three years of neglect. From the teller's tone, he knew for sure it had indeed fallen into disrepair. His largest fear was, just how much?
The train slowed again, and sights he could mistily recollect from long ago were trickling back into the forefront of his memory. He knew that his stop was coming soon, without even looking at the map like he was earlier.
"It's always the eighth stop from the harbor."
"Why?"
"Because the number eight is a lucky number, and this place is a lucky place…"
He saw a mountain in the shortening distance, and knew that it was where he would be staying; the single tree that crested the natural monument was such a strange sight that it would never be erased from his memory.
Sure enough, as the train drew closer, he could make out the silhouette of a bustling rustic village, alive with activity. "Attention, passengers: we are approaching Bayside Village. All passengers leaving at Bayside Village should collect their belongings and prepare to disembark. Thank you."
Kai sighed, his thoughts racing. This is it – there's no turning back, now.
The train slowed to a halt, and he rose to walk out of his car and into his new life. I can't look back; I can't afford to back out now.
As he traveled down the length of the aisle, the other passengers glanced at him curiously, making him feel all the world like a bride moving towards her husband-to-be. I don't know what trials lie before me, but I will not be bested by them.
He hesitated slightly when he was at the exit, a wave of uncertainty chaining him back. I've got to do this; I won't let this simple threshold hold me back!
And then, he stepped into brilliant daylight. I've past the point of no return. He then stopped, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Did I just paraphrase an entire Broadway song?
"Hiwatari Kai!"
The city youth started slightly, turning to see an elderly man in a suit and a bowler hat. The man had a jovial appearance, and the twinkling in his dark brown eyes reflected a kind and generous nature. To his annoyance, Kai felt his guards lowering; he knew it would be a bad habit in a nosy little place like this, to be distant and cold, but it had been one of his only defenses against his grandfather and crueler peers' harshness. He wasn't quite ready to lose it, yet.
The portly elder gentleman looked him in the eye, a pleasant smile wrinkling his features. "You are, indeed, Soichiro's grandson and Susumu's son; I see the same tenacity the two shared, along with Soichiro's sharp mind and Susumu's determination. Thank you for coming. It means so much to the village."
Kai gave a curt nod of acknowledgment. "Thank you for allowing me to arrive on such short notice."
"And your sweet mother's manners!" The mayor laughed, "As you already know, I am Mr. Dickenson, the mayor of Bayside Village. Come! I will give you a grand tour of the village." Kai shifted the weight of his bags nervously.
"Shouldn't I…?"
Mr. Dickenson waved it off. "Oh, nonsense! I'll have one of the villagers drop your belongings off at the farm, later." He turned behind him and called, "Kane!"
From the crowd, a spiky-haired bluenette appeared. "Yeah, Mr. Dickenson?"
"Kane is the son of our village shipper," Mr. Dickenson explained to Kai, "His father collects items we wish to sell at the harbor."
"Here, I'll take that," Kane offered cheerfully as he relieved the city boy of his belongings, "You should like it here; we have more activity than some of the smaller villages on the cove."
"Follow me, Kai." Mr. Dickenson led him out of the train station and into the village he would be calling home for the next few years.
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Kai wasn't sure what about the village surprised him more: the size or the people.
Years ago, the village was of moderate size, and not very populated. Now, it had more than doubled in size and activity, and the different kinds of people that in the outside world would have never gotten along were very tight-knit here. All the old shops and places he knew before were enlarged to hold a larger capacity, and new buildings spotted the village all over. The central plaza had been a favorite haunt of his when he was young, and now small vending stands stood at its perimeter, offering refreshments and various items to passer-byes. He had to give Mr. Dickenson credit; he somehow managed to expand the village without compromising the air of homecoming this village always had.
The people, motley as they were when he was a boy, only grew in quaintness.
"This is the smithy and the newly-added mechanics' shop," Mr. Dickenson explained as they came across a double-building, two signs on the front to differentiate the two shops, "They are run by a father-son team that moved here roughly six years ago, when the boy's mother died in an accident. The blacksmith, Dr. Zagart, is a very intelligent man; I have the feeling he and your grandfather would have gotten along well. His son, Zeo, is a cheery boy. He grew more interested in mechanics and started a repair shop, something his father was very proud of. My nephew, Kenny, helps him out at times."
He nodded in acknowledgment. He had already met the little ginger-brunette earlier at the library, where he worked. The boy was very shy, and seemed to fluster easily. He was glad the bespectacled boy had never left the area of the cove; he would have been defenseless in the rough world of the city.
At that moment, a petite youth poked his aqua-tinged head out from the door of the mechanics' shop, a long, loose braid falling over his shoulder. "Hi, Mr. Dickenson! Is that the new guy?"
"Good day to you, Zeo," Mr. Dickenson greeted cordially, "and yes, he is. Kai, this is Zeo Zagart. Zeo, this is Kai Hiwatari."
"Hi!" Zeo chirped, greeting him with a small bow, "I'd shake hands, but…" Apologetically, he revealed his oil-stained hands and Kai could now see the end of his braid was inky, as if he had been using it to paint. Zeo saw where his eyes were and laughed nervously. "Yeah, I should probably get it cut, but I'm terrified of what my sister would do to me when she found out."
Kai looked at him oddly. "Sister?"
"Zeo's sister is our town singer, Ming-Ming," Mr. Dickenson elaborated, "She sings at the square every Sunday, and despite her petite size, she can be rather wicked when riled. She normally is a very sweet girl, though."
Conspiringly, Zeo added in a stage whisper, "Don't mention her around Hiromi, if you value your health; that girl's temper can shoot up faster than spring turnips!"
Kai nodded and filed that bit of information away. He had seen how quick to anger the brunette girl was earlier, when one of the other villagers tried to get away from her family's store without paying. He remembered the store well enough, but surprisingly forgot the people who ran it. So far, with every familiar place, that had been the case – he had forgotten the people in his childhood with the passage of time.
Mr. Dickenson led him towards a colorful shop, the air surrounding it rich and perfumed. "This is the gardeners' shop, run by a young couple that will be wed shortly – in a matter of weeks, really. This is where you will be able to purchase and order seeds and topsoil."
As he filed the information away, a young man stepped out of the shop to greet them. "Hello, Mr. Dickenson. Nice weather we're having this afternoon." He turned to Kai with a smile, golden eyes shining and a faint glimpse of an elongated canine from under his lip. "My name's Rei Kon. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other, since you're tackling the farm."
"I guess."
A rose-haired young woman stepped out from the greenhouse, holding a watering can in her slender hands. "Rei? Who's out there?"
Rei called over his shoulder, "The new farmer! Come and say hi!"
There was a faint cry of embarrassment, and the woman darted across the lot to meet the two. "Oh, I'm sorry! I wish I could have tidied up the shop a little more, but I've barely gotten the chance to care for our plants, I've been running around like crazy to prepare for the wedding!"
"Mao," Rei laughed as she went red in shame, "Breathe! I'd like to have a living wife, thank you!"
She slapped his arm playfully, "Oh, yeah? How about you wear the dress and I stand around and only worry about remembering my lines?"
"No, thank you!"
"Kai, this is Mao Wong, Rei's fiancée," Mr. Dickenson explained, "Her great-uncle runs the medicine shop near the library."
"I see." Vaguely, Kai wondered if he should've kept his promise to the ticket master at the harbor, having already passed the clinic and Dr. Tate. He immediately shrugged it off, figuring that he'd get around to it sooner or later.
The pair left the engaged couple and made their way down the lane, where a large number of children were gathered. Kai paused, watching them oddly. This building did seem very familiar, and the sight of the children around it also gave an air of familiarity.
"This is—"
"The dojo," Kai interrupted, a furrow in his brow, "I can't believe this; after all this time, the dojo's still the same?"
Mr. Dickenson sighed, "I'm afraid that the sensei refuses to have his dojo expanded. Something akin to family tradition?" He watched the children knocking at their own intervals, all begging to be let in. "I have the strangest feeling someone decided to run off again."
Kai glanced back. "Who?"
"The sensei's younger grandson," He responded, a faint laugh in his voice, "The boy may be an adult now, but he is still a child at heart. He does little jobs all over the village to help out with our income, but we are at our wit's end with the competing villages, because of our lack of a farm."
"So that's why you wanted someone in my family to take it up, again," Kai realized, "Without the farm, the entire village could fall into poverty."
"Yes, Kai," Mr. Dickenson sighed, "This is why I spent the last three years trying to convince your grandfather into letting you take over for your father; it was already in your name."
For a long moment, Kai was silent.
"…Mayor?"
"Hm?"
"I'd like to see the farm, now."
"…Very well. But I warn you, it is far from its days of glory."
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It was like time had rewound itself to the days before his family had settled in.
The land was barren, scraggly weeds and blown-over trees dotting the once-green pastures. The barn, once a rich red, now was dull with wind and rain. Rocks carried in from summer hurricanes made holes in the land, and it seemed as if were the only signs of life were the crows and insects that were creeping all over the property.
It looked nothing like it had that spring afternoon, coming back from a triumph at the plaza…
"What…?"
"I am truly sorry for this shock, Kai," Mr. Dickenson said remorsefully, "After your father's death, several villagers tried to farm this place, but it was simply too much for them. It's only gotten worse over the years."
"I can assure you, Mayor," Kai ground out, "that I will bring this farm back from… this!" He shook his head. "I'm glad I convinced Mother not to come; this would've been too much for her."
Mr. Dickenson stared at the fraught, resolute young man before smiling weakly. "I have a feeling you will. Your things are at the inn, currently; once the house is livable again, you can move in. And Kai? Thank you, for giving us this last shred of hope."
The young man was silent as the mayor walked back towards the village, a firm look of determination etched deeply into his features.
"'Like the phoenix from its ashes flies, so will Suzaku's lands rise'," Kai quoted, remembering his grandmother's stories here in this place, "So it was then, so it will be now: Suzaku Farm will be brought back!"
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A/N: Okay, so I guess I deserve the 'WTF?' treatment, for both my (long-term) absence and the content of the story. I have an excuse! College sucks and I lack the time for real relaxation. Tell it to my dad, who seems insistent that every time he sees me, I should be studying and not on necessary brain breaks he always catches me on. Yeesh.
HARVEST MOON REFERENCES:
Title—From the first Playstation HM, which is just the typical story.
The town—It's based off of all the different games I've been exposed to. The fancy plaza from Back to Nature, the more traditional inn from A Wonderful Life, the conjoined mechanics' shop and blacksmithy from HM64…
Other train passengers—Actually, these are different characters from the series. If you can name them all, I shall dub you a bigger HM nerd than me and hide.
The farm—Dranzer's Japanese name; it didn't sound as nice when I tried to use the English.
And the most important, which I forgot to mention last chapter…
Kai as the farmer—This is partially Rumi-Chan's fault, partially the game's, and mostly mine. Rumi's for a little something she has on her dA account somewhere, mine for putting it together, and the game's for having a character named Kai in it to begin with… who's the complete opposite of our Kai.
OTHER REFERENCES (just to avoid lawsuits):
Kai's inner Broadway monologue—Sorry, that's a result of too much Phantom. sweatdrop
Names of Kai's family—Their names actually do come from the manga, and as his mother's name doesn't seem to be mentioned, she doesn't get one, yet.
REVIEW RESPONSES:
(luvyagal) I hope the mentions of the dojo were enough to help you figure out how Tyson fits in.
(Rumi-Chan) Hard to believe, huh? Well, that's what I get for going into college early… -coughthreeyearsearlycoughhack-
(Kaay-chan) I got that coming to me, but that's what I get for being such a stickler on details… On another note, you won't hold it against me if I delete some of those stories so I can start VN from scratch again, right? I'm tired of the Zelda add-ons. As for the muse situation…
Aya: -in a bottle with LV's old textbooks over it- You can't keep in here forever!
LV: And you can't get out if the only exit's blocked. -cackle-
(Chaimera) I stopped for a while because my parents were running me off the computer constantly, not to mention they have the odd habit of reading over my shoulder, which makes me nervous to write anything. It wasn't a problem before, since I could just lock the computer room when they started to bug me, but now it's in the most open area of the house.
Disclaimer: Harvest Moon is © Natsume and Nintendo. Beyblade is © Aoki Takao and a whole slew of animation studios. Still trying to avoid OCs. Thank you.