Fractured Peace (Stardew Valley AU)

The Dreaded News

Sam clutched the handle of his old acoustic guitar, hoping no one noticed how his fingernails were digging into the neck. His father had woken him and his little brother with a shaking voice and tremors in his hands, and in the end it was his mother who helped organize everyone to get out of the house and to the community center as quickly as possible.

Much of the town was already gathered there, and Sam's gaze darted around as his family searched for an empty area. He knew his dad would need some space for a moment. As they passed a defunct fireplace, he spotted Abigail's vibrant purple hair. Her father Pierre, owner of the general store, had several large bags with him, filled with plenty of food.

"Sam!" she called, waving him over. He headed to her, taking note that most of the food in the bags was perishable, though he hoped they would not be trapped long enough for that to be an issue.

"Hey!" he said. "Have you seen Seb?"

Abigail pointed at the door, where Sebastian and his family stood. "They're just here! How much science-y stuff did his dad need to bring with him?"

"What else can we do here?" Sam looked over at Abigail's father, who was talking with the mayor and doctor in low, hushed voices. Their brows were furrowed, and Harvey kept shifting his feet.

Abigail pointed at the ceiling. "Hey, look! That's the place you fell!" Sure enough, among the rotting wooden rafters was a jagged hole, revealing the star-speckled sky above.

Sam checked the time on his portable game player. "It's almost midnight. I'm going to be really short on sleep."

"I'm not tired," Abigail said, bouncing a little. "This is exciting!"

The door opened again, and another group of people entered. Sam recognized Emily and her sister Haley among them, along with his friend Penny, who tutored his brother.

"Excuse me!" Mayor Lewis shouted. All eyes turned to him. "Excuse me! Could I have your attention for a moment, please?"

The room fell mostly silent, save for a nervous whisper here or there. Penny stood against the wall with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, looking smaller than ever. Sebastian's family looked worried, but he seemed mostly tired and irritated. Lewis stepped aside to let Harvey face the people.

"Um, I've just got another announcement, about the attack." Harvey fiddled with his glasses, keeping his eyes on the ground. "The Ferngill Republic is sending troops to fend off against the invasion."

A sigh of relief came from Sam's mother. "That's good!"

Harvey looked up at the crowd, a cold expression clouding his face. "There is an issue. We are in a very isolated and rural area, so it's going to take a while for them to get here. Due to some tactics by the Gotoro, they did not sense the attack as quickly as they should have." He paused. "Pelican Town will be under invasion before our forces can reach us."

The room was hollowed out by a deathly silence. "Bad spirits", as Emily would have called it. Sam felt his guitar fall from his hand, though he barely heard it hit the floor. He looked at his friend's expressions. Tears glimmered at the edges of Abigail's eyes, while Sebastian just stared ahead blankly.

Emily finally spoke the question that everyone was dreading the answer to. "So...what does that mean for us? How are we going to get out?"

"There's the old bus," Willy suggested.

"That hasn't been repaired in months, and I doubt we have the time to do it now," Harvey said. He stared at the floor again. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I tried to warn you all as soon as I could, but I wish the warning had come just a bit sooner."

Lewis stood next to the doctor and faced the crowd. "Our best option is to get as far away from the coast as possible, until help arrives."

"Wait!"

Sam jumped at Abigail's loud and defiant voice. She walked to the mayor's side and looked him and Harvey in the eyes.

"What you're saying," she said, "is that we should just sit back and wait while our home is destroyed? Wait until others come for us, and hope we're not killed before then?"

"Abigail!" Pierre snapped.

Kent headed to the mayor as well. Sam noticed the tremors in his hands growing. "She's got a point, Pierre. I don't want to see the Gotoro, probably less than any of you. But what can we do? They're ruthless-our homes will be ashes in no time. And what will we do if they find us? Just keep running while our neighbors and friends are taken?" Kent's voice was shaking now. His wife ran to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've got to defend our town, even at the cost of our lives, even if it does nothing but slow them down a tiny bit."

Mayor Lewis spoke barely loud enough for Sam to hear him. "What are you suggesting?"

Anxiety filled the room as Kent gathered himself enough to respond. "I want a team. We'll ambush the soldiers when they reach the shore, and do everything we can to keep them from progressing further."

Lewis shook his head. "No! That would be a suicide mission!"

"Most likely," Kent said. He clasped a hand over his face, drawing in a ragged breath. "And I'll harbor no judgement for those who won't join, but I'll go by myself if I have to."

"No..." Sam whispered.

"I'll join you!"

Everyone turned to the volunteer. It was Elliott. The man, who Sam remembered was only a little older than him, was starting to tremble as well, but his voice was as strong and clear as ever. "Pelican Town is the first place I've ever truly called home. I may not know many of you well still, but I could not stand by and watch..." He sighed. "My home is right on the beach. I have nothing to lose, except this community. I'll gladly join you."

"Here, here!" Willy shouted. "I'm coming as well!"

Kent gave a weak laugh. "You've got more substance than the pretty boy I thought you were. Thank you."

Leah pushed her way through the crowd. "I'm joining you!"

"Leah, no-" Elliott began.

"What? You want me to just stay safe while everyone's out there?" Leah placed her hands on his shoulders. "If they're going, if you're going, I am."

Elliott chuckled, embracing her. Rapidly, other people began offering themselves or their abilities for the mission. Sam recognized Dr. Harvey and Sebastian's sister, Maru, starting a small medical team.

Abigail began to head to Kent, but turned back to look at a surprised Sam and Sebastian. "What did you expect? I have to go."

"Then I'm joining you!" Sebastian said, barely after she finished.

"Me too!" Sam ran to her, and together all three volunteered. A sad look passed over Kent's face when he saw his son joining the party.

"Are you sure you want to do this, son?" he asked.

Sam gave him a firm nod. "Positive."

A moment passed. Kent rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know we've spent a lot of time apart, but I promise to be with you today."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for reading! By the way, if you have any constructive criticism or tips, I'd be glad to hear them! I've been really wanting to improve my writing and storytelling, and fanfiction is such a fun way to do it.