Rune Factory: Frontiers of Norad

A Rune Factory Fic by Phoenixfervor

Author's notes:

I just got over a very long writer's block. This is a very "He said-she said" chapter, very simple, not all that descriptive. I'll probably rewrite it as I get back into the swing of things. This chapter may begin on a lighthearted note, but be warned, don't get too attached to it. The story WILL get dark...

Rather than have a big long "Introduction chapter" tackling EVERYTHING, I'll address things as the need arises. First off, I realize I forgot to describe the new character I introduced, Merryck is 5'9'', brown hair and eyes, has a goatee, and is 21. I introduced him to make him the town guard, eventually.

The timeframe is roughly 3 years after the ending of Rune Factory Frontier., and this story will include most of the cast of RF1 as well. Since they're considered the canon pairing, Mist and Raguna got married roughly 3 months before this story starts. I'll be sure to pair other characters, too. I have some good ideas, once we get around to them :P

Again, a very simply written chapter. I'll be sure to do better on chapter 2, I promise. I just got over a long writer's block, and trying to get back into my groove.

And there's a reason Lara acts so frantic in this chapter. Stay tuned to find out, maybe in chapter 2! Hint: there's a reason "Pulling a Selphy" is a figure of speech around Trampoli, and this involves recent antics.

Chapter one: Arrival

"Honey, I'm going to go for a walk, okay?" Satisfied with his answer of "mmmph," Mist got out of bed and got dressed. It was 5:30 AM, but she couldn't go back to sleep. She hadn't yet told her husband, but she thought she might be pregnant. She smiled at the thought, as she grabbed a turnip from the fridge. Taking a moment to ponder just how it managed to stay cold, she decided to ask Lute about it next time he came to town peddling his wares.

Taking a step out the door, Mist took a moment to marvel at the beauty of the rising sun, as its rays danced amidst the clouds. "Funny how it's so beautiful even if it looks like it's going to rain." she said out loud, to no one in particular, before walking past her husband's shipping box.

Heading towards the south district, she smiled as the runeys danced around in the air. She had always liked the little spirits, for some inexplicable reason, and she felt like she should stay in Tramploi, even after the events that summoned her here had ended.

Then, in an instant, her smile faded. She noticed a man, collapsed on the ground. "Why does this always happen here in Norad?" she asked a Grass runey floating by, as if expecting an answer. Walking over to him, she thought, "Well, turnips always make me feel better... that and I don't have a watering can for the customary treatment." she chuckled, remembering what she had done when she first met Raguna, and then what Raguna had done to Selphy.

The man lay on his stomach, so she rolled him over on his back. "Wow, he's heavy!" She exclaimed, noting that the man was easily a full foot taller than her and far more muscular. Grabbing his goateed chin, she put hit teeth up to the turnip and helped him peel a bit off, before closing his mouth.

The reaction was immediate. The man regained consciousness and spun around, spitting out the turnip as he scrambled to hunch on all fours. A voice that was much higher than what Mist expected exclaimed "Turnip! Why Was I eating a turnip? Damnit, my allergies!"

'Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best idea I ever had...' Mist thought to herself, hiding the remains of the turnip in her pockets. She paused for a moment before asking him "Excuse me, a-are you okay?" She gasped as her eyes met his. It was only a flash, for a second, but she recognized it. The same look Raguna had in his eyes when he fought to save her from Gelwein. The eyes of a warrior.

"Huh?" he asked, rubbing his head. "I... honestly have no idea. Why am I lying here on the ground like this? And how did I even get here?" He cast his gaze around, "And most importantly of all... I've never been here in my life, how do I know this place!" He tried to pull himself up, but staggered and landed on his back again. "Oh well. Maybe you can help me," he told her, "I seem to have a bit of a hard time standing up for some reason. Could you help me to the infirmary?" He didn't remain conscious to hear Mist's answer, however, leaving Mist dumbfounded and baffled as he passed out again.

"Passing out without even telling me his name, that was kind of rude of him..." Mist said with a sigh, "At least Raguna was fine when I gave him some food and water..."

"Lara, will he be okay?" Raguna asked her, as she stood over the unconscious man he had carried. She nodded, and began to apply a salve to some of the scratches and scrapes on his hands and legs.

"From what I can tell, he was probably weak from blood loss." Lara explained, indicating the bandages she had wrapped around the man's shins. "Judging from his condition, he'd been travelling in the densest areas of the woods for a very long time. I plan on keeping him here awhile, to ensure he recovers fully."

"If you say so." the man mumbled, showing for the first time that he was awake. He kept his eyes closed as he talked, too tired to open them. "I'm in no hurry to leave. I've been looking forever and found no clues. I'd say I've earned a break, anyways..." Confused, Raguna and Lara exchanged puzzled looks.

"Looking for what?" Lara inquired, "What could possibly be more important than your health, young man? DO you have any idea how close to-" she stopped, as something she didn't expect to hear from him reached her ears: laughter.

"I actually do have a good reason, but it's a long story. The name's Merryck, by the way, and thank you for saving me." He sat up, only to have Lara push him back down. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." He told her, "I don't have the first clue on where to continue looking for my sister, anyways..."

"Your sister?" Raguna asked him, "There's a girl in the village who was looking for her brother, but you don't look like you're from the far east like her... you couldn't be looking for Uzuki, could you?"

Merryck shook his head. "I'm afraid not. My sister's name is Laura, and I seem to have... holes... in my memory. I remember her name and her face, but not where we used to live, or where she lives now. It's really confusing and it's driving me nuts! Not to mention I always seem to know things I don't remember knowing. Like right now, we're in Trampoli, right?" Lara and Raguna both nodded. "I've never been here in my life, so how do I know it?" he asked. After a silence, he sighed, "I think I've been working myself too hard and what I probably need is some rest to help clear my mind. So like I said, keep me here as long as you like. It might help me more than you know."

"You'll have to forgive my scepticism," Lara told him, "But the last patient I had who agreed to stay ended up collapsing every other day and going days on end without eating!" Raguna started laughing, remembering the problems Selphy had caused.

Merryck started laughing, too. "I suppose the fact that I was found unconscious doesn't help, huh?" Raguna nodded, but Lara was clearly not amused.

"Why do both of you find this so funny!" she demanded to know, "Honestly! You need to take better care of yourselves! Yes, you too, Raguna!" she added, as he began to protest, "You're married now, you can't keep pushing yourself like when Mist went missing!"

Merryck smiled. "Sounds like there's a story behind that. You'll need to tell me sometime. For now, though...? I'm not allowed to leave, so could someone bring me something to eat? I'm kind of-" His stomach interrupted him with a loud roar. "Okay, very hungry. All I've had to eat in days was a bite of that turnip I was fed when I was passed out, and I'm allergic to those..."

"Mist found a young man collapsed in the South district, near Miss Bianca's mansion!" Tabatha told her friends. Rosetta was taking a break from stocking the shelves, and was leaving Danny to mind the store as she spoke to her customers, while Eunice was at Materia on errands.

"Is he cute?" Rosetta asked, "I mean wait, no, I don't mean it that way! I mean, I figured you didn't get a chance to meet him or anything, it's just... what's the general opinion of this guy? Does he seem okay?"

"I hear that Lara's going crazy trying to treat him!" Eunice laughed, "She keeps thinking he'll pull a Selphy, and she doesn't believe him when he says he'll behave! It's so silly!"

"Well, I cannot say if Lara has ever met someone who has ever been outside her ability to handle." Tabatha pointed out, "But Selphy certainly did push her limits! I suppose it would only be natural for her to be a little bit... what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Sceptical?" Rosetta asked.

"Right!" Tabatha said, with a nod. "Thank you, Rosetta. I don't use that word much, and since the human tongue isn't my first language, I guess I forgot it! That almost never happens, it is kind of embarrassing..."

Danny walked over and sighed. "I don't know, do we even have room here in town? There are no free rooms at the inn, the only spare room in town is Mist's old room, now that she got married. Not sure how Anette would feel about having a stranger move in with her..."

"You idiot!" Rosetta laughed, "Who said he's staying long term? Lara's just keeping him until he recovers! Now get your mind out of lala land concerning Anette and get back to work! You can take your break when I'm back behind the counter!"

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Merryck was bored. Lara was arguing with him, but to no avail.

"I said bored, not confrontational!" Merryck sighed, "I know I can't leave, but I'm going crazy here! Can't I have a book or something to read?" He had propped himself back up into a sitting position, which Lara did not approve of.

"No, you should really try to get some sleep! Your body needs rest to recover!" Lara scolded him, pushing him back down onto his back. "

"I just woke up not long ago, and how many hours was I passed out? I won't be able to sleep before tonight!" he protested, "So a book or just someone to talk to, anything to pass the time!"

"Well," Lara began, "I suppose if you really can't sleep, I don't have any other patients, so I have time to talk. What did you want to talk about?"

Over the next hour, Lara learned more than she expected to about him. His birthday was the 23rd of Summer, and despite his beard, he was younger than he looked and was in fact closer to Raguna's age than anyone would have guessed. His knowledge of human anatomy, from bones to muscles, surpassed her own, but she still knew more about medicines.

That night, at the Snowstyle tavern, Rita was the busiest she'd been in years. Most of Trampoli's younger residents were now old enough to drink, so business was booming. Today was Rosetta's birthday, and Mist was treating her to a night out.

"I still don't get why Rita doesn't sell turnips..." Mist moaned, as Rosetta sipped her wine. Every sip made her smile widen and her cheeks rosier. "You look like you're enjoying that!" Mist observed, "Now I know what to do with any wine I might get. I don't like it too much, myself."

A little tipsy, Rosetta replied, "Or you can get your husband drunk! I bet he's more fun when he's laughing as much as I am! Seriously, when are you two going to have a baby? Has he even realized you're even married yet? It's been what, three months?" Mist blushed, and moved the bottle away from Rosetta, who had just poured her 5th glass.

"We can talk about that when you're sober." Mist told her, "And speaking of which, you'd better take it easy on the wine, or else Lara will condemn you to bed rest like the new guy in town!"

"Huh?" Rosetta asked her, "I didn't know anyone new was in town? Unless that guy you found in the South district plans on staying?" Mist started laughing, and paused for a moment before replying.

"More like Lara's pulling another Selphy on us, with forcing him to stay while he recovers." A particular patron of the tavern overheard her, and felt the need to object.

"I heard that!" Selphy warned her, as she looked up from her book. "Stop saying 'Pulling a Selphy' like it's some kind of inside joke! It actually hurts!" This only added to Rosetta's giddiness. "Seriously!" Selphy exclaimed, annoyed by Rosetta's laughing, "What am I, the punchline of a bad joke!"

"Yes!" Rosetta laughed, doubling over and falling out of her seat. Mist rolled her eyes at her friend, and, deciding she'd had enough, paid the tab and walked her friend home. Selphy just sighed, and went back to her book.

Minutes after Mist left, Raguna came walking in. "Good evening, Rita!" he called, as he approached the bar, "Lara asked me to cook something for her patient since he's bored out his mind and she's trying to entertain him so he doesn't wander off. What's on the menu for today?"

As Rita gathered up Raguna's order, she asked, "So what's he like, anyways? All I know is he was passed out in the South District and Mist found him! He sounds like a real character if Lara can't keep him in line!"

Raguna had a good laugh, but only took a moment before answering. "He's actually very easygoing, if easy to bore. Lara's just flipping out because of HOW he arrived in town. She's afraid he'll pull a Selphy on her and-"

Slamming her book down on the table, Selphy yelled "Would people stop using that phrase around me! Please! Seriously, I feel like the punchline of a bad joke!" Knocking her chair over, Selphy got up and stormed out the door, leaving the patrons silent and staring at one another, not sure what to make of it.

The sun had fallen, and Candy was busy at work in the kitchen, busy making supper for her big sister. "I wonder when Grandpa's getting back from visiting his friend in the city?" she wondered aloud, as she looked at the fish that lay on the cutting board. "Does sis really expect me took cook this? I already told her fish stink and I don't like cooking them!" Picking up the fish, Candy walked over to her sister and thrust it into her hand. "Nice try. We're having garden salad, not seafood!"

"...oh." Cinnamon replied, as her sister walked back to the kitchen and proceeded to chop up the cucumber. Cinnamon walked right up behind her sister and asked "You met Lara's patient? What was he like?"

"I don't know." Candy told her, "He seemed like a really nice guy to me, but the spirits seem really nervous."

"Why?" Cinnamon asked, but Candy just shook her head.

"I don't know. But he seems the kind of person to leave town if he knew he was bothering anyone, so I didn't ask." Candy told her, "And he says he has holes in his memory. He remembers his name and how he was looking for his sister. He remembers his sister's name and the rest of his family, but not where he's from or where his sister is. I don't get it. Doesn't amnesia usually target your whole memory?"

"Not always." Cinnamon told her, "Sometimes, shock can make people forget bad times. Other people are like Raguna and forget everything. I don't know why he'd forget the name of his hometown but not his family... but..."

"I just don't know." Candy told her, "The spirits might not be nervous about him. But if they were, at least we would know it was him. I'm worried that this may be..."

"Something else?" Cinnamon paused to consider the possibilities, before her sister replied.

"Maybe not another Gelwein and Whale Island, but..."

"I'll keep my eyes open." Cinnamon reassured her sister, "I can't talk to the spirits, but I can try anyway."

"Thanks, sis." Shifting her gaze back to the cabbage she was shredding, she said, "But why would he let Lara keep him here if finding his sister is so important?" I just don't get it..."