A/N: I feel bad that it took me so long to update this story. I knew what I wanted to happen in the story; I just wasn't sure how to put it into words. So here it is, please read and review!

Chapter 11: Popuri's Loss

Jack carried Popuri down the street, past the poultry farm and towards Town Square.

A scene like this would be reminiscent of that fateful day Jack carried the young pink haired woman from the dark cave back to her home. Today this was not the case, as the Popuri in his arms was a fluffy white chicken, ready for the day's festivities.

The past few days since Jack was released from the hospital were hectic. His first day back the young nurse Elli had escorted him to his home to make sure he would be alright on his own. It was nice of her, but Jack wasn't used to being babied the way he was at the hospital.

Since he returned, it was nonstop work. First he spent most of a day running around town buying the summer seeds he needed and learning how to plant them, water them, and know when it was time to harvest the vegetables.

The weeds had started to overrun his field and he had spent most of another day pulling them out of the ground. Then there was the tilling and the planting and the watering. On top of all this he also had to clean out the chicken coop, take care of the chickens, the horse, and the dog.

Afraid that he was going to exhaust himself again, Elli stopped by the farm almost every day around lunchtime with sandwiches for Jack. He appreciated it but told her that she shouldn't take time out of her busy day to come all the way down to his farm. She showed up every day between the day he left the hospital to the Chicken Festival.

Jack was really looking forward to the Chicken Festival. His chicken was full grown and ready for the festival. He wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen during it though. Jack had been too busy working to ask Popuri about it. He had only made plans to just meet her at the festival after he was done working.

The first thing Jack noticed when he got to Town Square were all the people who had come to this festival. A yellow and green circular mat was laid out in the middle of the square. Rick was near the center with the mayor. Standing near him was his sister Popuri. Right next to her was Kai. Jack frowned when he saw them together, but as soon as Popuri noticed Jack was there she came right over to him.

"Hi Jack." She was smiling.

"Hello Popuri. Look who I brought!" He held out the fluffy chicken towards her and she giggled.

"It's Popuri!" She squealed a little and hugged the chicken. "She's so cute!"

"Yes she is," Jack said as he winked at Popuri. She blushed a deep red.

"So what happens during this festival?" Jack looked around at everything that was going on around him. Off in the corner there were a couple of chickens caged up. They were clucking loudly, obvious that they didn't like their current location.

"It's a competition. Two chickens fight each other and then the winner goes on to the next round. The chicken who wins three rounds in a row is the champion of the festival."

"Chicken fighting? Isn't that illegal?" Jack looked around confused.

"Very funny Jack." Popuri crinkled up her nose.

"I wasn't trying to be funny... Popuri can't fight, she's so gentle!" Jack protectively held his chicken close to his body. He didn't want her fighting!

"Rick always says that if the chicken and the owner have a good relationship then the chicken will be successful. See they start off in the middle, and you cheer your chicken on so that it scares the other chicken into going off the mat. If that happens then the chicken still in the circle wins."

"Well that doesn't sound too bad." Jack walked with Popuri over to where Rick was standing. Everyone was instructed to give their chickens to Rick so he could organize the competitors in each round. Jack handed his chicken over to Rick.

"Oh good Jack, you are competing. I'm glad. You'll be first round, so be ready in a few minutes to start." Rick set the chicken down and scribbled something on a clipboard he had.

Popuri took Jack's hand and smiled at him sweetly. "I just know you are going to win! You take really good care of Popuri, don't you?"

"I take good care of both my Popuri's." Jack smiled at Popuri and she blushed a deep red. His remark inspired her to lean over and kiss him gently on the cheek. Jack was beaming and he held her hand tight.

A few minutes later Rick signaled Jack to come over so the festival could start. He gave Popuri back to Jack and started to tell him the rules. "You can't in any way touch or push your chicken towards the competition. You must stand off the mat and cheer your chicken on from the side in order to encourage it to scare the other chicken. The winner will continue on to the next round." As Rick read off the rules everyone began to gather around. "Our first round will be Jack vs… myself."

Everyone looked shocked. Sweat dripped off Rick's forehead. "I know, I know. I said I would never participate in this festival except to run things, but this year with Jack entering we have an odd number of participants. So I evened it out by putting one of my chickens in."

Rick handed his clipboard to the mayor. Both Rick and Jack took their chickens and set them down in the middle of the mat across from each other. Then they stepped back off the mat and waited for the mayor to signal them to begin the fight.

"Good luck Jack." Rick politely nodded towards his opponent.

"If his chicken raising skills are anything like his swimming, he's going to need it!" Kai called from the side, causing Rick to frown.

"Nobody asked your opinion Kai. Just ignore him Jack, he's a moron."

Popuri's face grew cold at her brother's comment. "Shut up Rick! He's not a moron." She crossed her arms and pouted.

The mayor stepped towards the mat where the chickens stood. "On your mark, get set, fight!"

Before Jack knew what was going on, Rick was already cheering on his chicken. It squawked which sent Popuri running back towards Jack. The chicken continued to run right towards the feet of its owner, which happened to be off the mat.

The mayor blew his whistle and the fight was over. "The winner is… Rick!" All around Jack he could hear people cheering for Rick.

Popuri came up behind him looking angry. "You don't take care of Popuri at all do you?" She hit his arm and stormed away. Jack just stood there feeling shocked and slightly embarrassed. He picked up his young chicken and left the festival before anyone could say anything to him. He swore he could hear Kai snickering at him as he was leaving, but that might have just been his paranoia.

A few days later Jack was sitting in the Inn drinking a beer while sitting at a table by himself. He could actually afford to drink one now and then. He had spent almost every night there the past few days. Jack was trying to get over his embarrassment from the Chicken Festival. Trying to prove to the town that he was a good farmer was hard enough without them thinking that he didn't treat his animals well.

He had spent the last few days working harder than ever on the farm. He spent extra time with his chickens, making sure that they were well taken care of. On top of that he still had to water and harvest the crops every day. This left him little free time during the day and was the reason why he went to the Inn at night. His only break during the day was early in the morning when he would go to visit Popuri by the Goddess pond. She was still upset with him over what happened at the festival. That didn't bother him though; he was still upset with himself too.

He had chosen to go to the Inn at night instead of relaxing at home because of something that Karen had said to him while he was in the hospital. She told him that he could talk to her anytime about anything and that it was something that she loved to do. He had no time during the day to try to find her and he knew she came to the bar on certain nights of the week, but he wasn't sure which ones.

This night happened to be one in which Karen went to the bar and Jack watched as she entered. Even though he was with Popuri he still found Karen to be one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. He was so glad when she offered to help him with any of his problems, this one just didn't seem like one he could talk to Ann about.

When Karen saw Jack she smiled and walked over to his table. "Hey Jack, how is it going?"

"Not bad, and yourself?"

"I'm alright…" She looked over towards the counter and grinned. "Give me a minute and I'll join you here." Karen walked over to where Doug was standing behind the counter and ordered herself a drink. She came back with a glass of wine in her hand and sat down.

"Karen, you remember how you said I could talk to you about anything?

"Yeah?"

"Well I need your help with something." He looked around nervously to make sure nobody was listening in on their conversation. Ann was standing near the bar having a conversation with her father. Nobody else was there yet. "I'm having problems with Popuri. What can you tell me about that Kai guy?"

"Kai huh?" She set her drink down on the table, put her hands in her lap and sat up straight. "You want to know the truth?" Jack nodded. "Kai and Popuri dated off and on for the last couple of years. He only visits in the summer so that's when they date."

"That's it?"

"You didn't let me finish." Karen sighed. "A few summers ago Kai told Popuri that he was going to take her with him when he left for the summer. I guess he travels around all over the place working various odd jobs and she wanted to go with him. He left early the summer before last so that she couldn't go with him. She confronted him about it last summer but he still wouldn't take her with him. A lot of the people in the village, especially Rick, believe that he was just using Popuri for some summer fun and would never settle down with her."

"Sounds to me like that's what he was doing," Jack commented.

"I don't really think so. I mean Kai is a good guy so," Karen paused when she saw the look that Jack was giving her. "I'm sorry. He never did anything to make me think that he was using her. Anyways, shouldn't this have been something you asked Popuri yourself?"

Jack sighed and looked at his glass. It was almost empty now. "Yeah I guess so, but she has been mad at me lately and you know how she is."

"Why is she mad at you?"

"I lost the Chicken Festival in the first round and now she thinks that I don't take care of my chickens. I didn't know what was going on and when the fight began Rick's chicken scared mine and it ran towards me, going off the mat. So we lost."

Karen laughed a bit. "It got scared and ran towards you huh? Sounds like you take good care of it to me."

"I guess so, but Popuri didn't take it that way. She's been cold to me ever since. I want to do something nice for her so she'll forgive me, but I don't know what to do."

"Hmm…" Karen thought for a moment. "Oh I know! Have you asked Saibara what type of things he makes?"

"Tools?"

"No not tools! He also can craft jewelry if you find him the right type of ore. It's some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. You should go ask him about it and buy a necklace for Popuri. She loves that expensive stuff."

"Don't all girls?"

This comment made Karen smile. "Yeah I guess. Well, except for Ann over there." They both looked over towards the tomboy and she bobbed around the inn taking orders from the people who had just recently arrived.

Jack laughed. "Thanks a lot for your help Karen. I don't know why you care, but it's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Everyone needs someone they can trust when it comes to things like this." Karen smiled. Just then Rick came into the Inn and took his usual seat at the bar. "Well looks like I have to go. See you around Jack." She got up and joined Rick.

Jack had such a good time with Karen that night that he didn't notice that Kai didn't come back from work at the same time that he normally did…