Notes: Um, this isn't chapter five. More of a...parallel to the second half of chapter four, from a different point of view. I've been alternating up to this point, but I really wanted to see what it was like in both their heads during the Rose Square scene, so there.

Disclaimer: Hey, d'ya think if I'm a good girl and eventually finish writing this thing they'll give me the rights? ...Anyway, I don't own it yet....

Chapter 4-2

He was late. At some point we'd agreed to meet a bit early, and now... well I was sure Rick the Pri- Now Kai, be a man, bury the hatchet.... I was sure Popuri's brother would be coming any minute to be his usual charming self.

Where the hell was Locke? I mean, the man wears the same thing every day! How long can it take to get ready?

"Gosh Kai, it's rare to see you at a village festival."

Popuri.

"Yeah, well..."

I'd hoped I wouldn't see her here, actually. I've refused her for the past five years at least, but I never really meant to hurt her... and she's going to misunderstand, because Popuri's good at that...

"I've asked you so many times, and you never show up! I figured you didn't like our village festivals."

That never was the reason, and I wanted to point out that I'd been on her team during the Tomato Festival. Why couldn't she seem to understand that we were simply going in different directions?

"Today is special," I answered, trying to be as honest as possible without actually telling her anything. "I made a promise with someone."

Well, we'd never called it a promise, but if it was important to Locke for me to fix the Rick issue and I was taking care of it, then that was sort of the same thing, right?

And then, thank the goddess, came my knight in shining...overalls.

"Oh, there he is! Hey Locke! You're late..."

He shot me a hopeful grin and it looked like Popuri brightened too. I rolled my eyes showing him I accepted his apologetic look. I caught Popuri mumbling something about Locke and his briefs, and gave her a strange look.

"What? What did you say just now?"

Did Locke wear briefs? If he did, why would Popuri know? Had Popuri been seeing Locke behind my back? And what was with that sudden flash of jealousy? I was sure I'd misheard.

"N-nothing!" It was probably better I didn't ask.

I gave Locke a semi-desperate 'let's go already' look, but he didn't get it. I swear, if I wasn't prone to thinking his dense moments were cute...

Well, I'd probably feel the same about him as I do Popuri.

Then, hot on his dear sister's trail as always, came Rick. From the way he was huffing and puffing on the verge of a temper tantrum, I had a feeling Locke wouldn't get the conclusion he was hoping for tonight.

"Hey! Stay away from Popuri..."

He'd said that so many times already, it was like he was trained to do it every time he saw me. I was amused for a moment, but apparently Locke wasn't.

The speech that followed was so...unlike him that I could only stand there gaping for a moment. I stopped him when he was about to blurt out that we'd come here just so I could fix this problem, which, by the look of things, was not going to happen.

"Locke! ...It's alright..."

And I felt bad as we left, because part of me had known this had gone on too long to be resolved so easily, and maybe another part of me had hoped it could be.