Corruption

Chapter 12: Final Bloodshed

A/N: I am very surprised with the positive feedback that I received after that last chapter. I appreciate it. Truthfully, I was half suspecting somebody to say some choice things to me about that.

Well, I had originally thought that this was going to be my final fic, but I had a recent idea for another fic. Sadly, it won't be a Harvest Moon fic. I'm still not entirely sure if I will be doing it, but we shall see.

I should quit blabbering on about myself and give you guys what you want. Here's the conclusion to Corruption.

(-)

Jack was like an angry bull in the chute, just waiting to get the opportunity to tear apart anyone in his path. The young farmer was blinded with tormented rage as he ran down the street on his way to the Poultry Farm. He had left there only ten minutes ago, yet it seemed like an eternity. It was obvious to him that Karen was dead because of Rick, so it only seemed fair that Rick ended up dead because of what he did to Karen.

What had Karen ever done to deserve any of the hardships that she had suffered? Although Jack had never know her back when she was truly happy, he had heard many people recalling that she always had a mischievous smirk on her face. She was adventurous, quick witted, and a bit flirtatious. But, Jack never had the opportunity to see her like that. To him, she was an innocent damsel in distress who he had failed to save.

Jack rounded the corner onto the path that ran in front of his farm and the Poultry Farm. He could hear yelling coming from the Poultry Farm, "I won't do it!" It was Popuri's voice.

The door to the barn shaped house was left open. Jack barged inside without as much as a second thought. There was Popuri seated on the ground with one hand held up against her face as if she had just been struck. Beside her stood Rick, who had turned to face Jack. "What the hell are you…?" Rick was demanding until Jack shut him up with a hard punch straight to his jaw.

"Jack!" Popuri exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and fear. Jack ignored the girl that he called his girlfriend as he grabbed hold of Rick's collar. Rick held up his hands to defend himself, but Jack continued his assault on the man who had killed Karen.

"Jack, stop!" Popuri pleaded, grabbing hold of Jack's punching hand before he could land another blow on the girl's brother. Jack looked down into Popuri's soft red eyes, watching as the shimmered with signs of early tears. He grudgingly let his fist unclench, much to Popuri's relief. Popuri gingerly let go of Jack's arm, only to watch the farmer punch Rick once more in the stomach before restraining himself. The young farmer's eyes still burned with a fierce bloodlust yet to be satiated. Popuri latched her arms around Jack's neck, staring him directly in the face, "Calm down Jack, please, for me?"

"Why should I? That bastard killed Karen!"

Popuri winced, "I know he did. He never meant to hurt her."

"Really? Then the fact that he's covered in Karen's blood is just a mistake?" Jack was barely controlling himself from attacking Rick, who had gone and huddled in the corner by the fireplace. "Tell me Rick, why'd you kill her?"

Rick refused to look Jack directly in the eyes as he tried to spit out his reply. "He told me to."

"Who told you?"

"Father did…" It was Popuri who supplied the answer to Jack's question. Jack had to do a double take just to make sure that he had heard correctly, "Father?" Popuri nodded her head solemnly before casting a nervous glance in the direction of the staircase. "Jack, you should go. You aren't safe here."

"No, I think I want to meet this father of yours and introduce myself." Jack cracked his knuckles loudly as he made his way to the base of the staircase. Barely had he placed his foot on the bottom step when he heard the floorboards overhead creak loudly. Somebody was walking towards the staircase. Jack stopped himself, a somewhat pleased smile on his face saying that he was happy that his challenge had been answered so swiftly.

That smile vanished quickly when a large, muscle bound man stepped into sight. "Zack!" Jack stated in disbelief as the shipper descended towards him. "Wait… Zack's your father?" Jack asked Popuri as he wisely began backing away from Zack.

"Kinda. He's Rick's father, not mine." Popuri whispered, sounding completely ashamed by the announcement.

Zack had a wicked smile on his face as he calmly strode over to the kitchen area. He was absentmindedly studying the assortment of knives before him while he spoke, "You're a good daughter, Popuri, even if you aren't my flesh and blood. You carried out my orders just like your brother did."

"What is he talking about, Popuri?" Jack demanded.

Zack's smile only grew wider. "Oh, you didn't know about that? Popuri here has been playing you for a fool ever since you "rescued" her. She was just paying her dear old dad a visit to get the medicine for my wife."

"Is this true?"

Popuri merely hung her head in shame. "I wanted to tell you, Jack. I'm sorry."

"I can't believe it. I trusted you, loved you even, and the entire time you were just helping Zack get his revenge?" The angry flames had returned to Jack's eyes, this time their ire aimed at Popuri.

The pink haired girl felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she tried to grab hold of Jack's hand, but the farmer brushed her away. "It isn't like that Jack. I fell in love with you." Popuri forced Jack to look her in the eyes, trying to get him to see that she was sincere. When Jack refused to even bat an eyelash at her, Popuri felt her heart ready to shatter. There was only one way she could convince him… Popuri pushed herself into Jack's arms, instantly warming to his touch as she kissed him passionately.

Just as soon as the kiss had started, the two were parted as Popuri violently shoved Jack to the side. Jack picked himself off the hardwood flooring and turned back to face Popuri, ready to express his displeasure, but he stopped himself. There was Zack standing directly above Popuri, his hand trembling around the knife that he had embedded into his step-daughter's chest. Popuri had pushed Jack aside to save him, sacrificing herself for him.

Jack watched as Popuri slumped to the ground, her body completely limp. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion to him. Both Zack and Rick were absolutely stunned with Popuri's action. Jack was the first to move, rushing to Popuri's side. Instead of checking to see if Popuri was alright, Jack claimed the knife and turned on Zack.

(-)

The date on the headstone was exactly one year old, to the date. It was a nice, warm fall day, with the leaves gently floating to the ground around the pair standing before the grave. One of them was a young man with a dark brown goatee. He was kneeling before the grave, his hand pressed gently against the cold stone marker. There was a single tear trickling down his cheek, which he promptly wiped away with the sleeve of his long black jacket.

A gloved white hand rested on his shoulder. "I'm alright." The man whispered, rising to his feet. He deftly brushed away the dirt from his pant leg, before locking arms with the gorgeous pink haired woman dressed in a long flowing white dress next to him. The pair hugged each other briefly before making their way into the chapel. They nodded politely to Rick, who was waiting in the entrance to the large building. "I'll be in shortly." Rick stated.

Rick nervously made his way into the grave area. He made sure that he was entirely alone before taking a seat on the dirt. "Well, I finally came to visit you. I understand that you can't talk to me, and if you were alive, you wouldn't talk to me anyways. I just wanted to apologize to you. I wasn't myself and I made a huge mistake by hurting you. Can you ever forgive me, Karen?"

A cold breeze suddenly swept across the path, sending a chill down Rick's spine. Rick's hair was blown across his face and a single leaf fluttered behind his glasses. Rick brought his hand up pull the leaf out of his eyes. He stopped his hand as he brushed across the long jagged scar that Jack had given him on that fateful day one year ago. Rick callously flicked the leaf aside, watching as it tumbled across the ground, coming to rest on another headstone.

"Oh, hi dad. I haven't forgotten about you. I'll come back to talk to you after Popuri's wedding." Rick stood up, casting a final look at Karen's grave. "I wouldn't forgive me either."

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A/N: Oh, I should have said this earlier, but it's an Inuyasha fic that I might be doing. Bye Harvest Moon section (maybe, haha)!