"Is... Is Angela all right?"

The three friends stared in the direction that the sister had fled. Molly clutched the knife in her hand, filled with worry. Angela had said that she was doing better...

With a glance at the two men in the room, Molly suddenly knew why it was happening again. It wasn't Chase's fault, he didn't know, but he just looked too much like Angela's old boyfriend.

"She'll be fine," Molly said, turning back to the vegetables before her. She pushed her trembling hands against the counter. She didn't say, but it might take a while.

She lifted the knife, before sighing and placing it on the chopping board. She just didn't have the energy any more.

"What's with her, anyway?" Chase asked. He came a leaned on the tabletop beside Molly, raising a curious eyebrow. Molly glanced at her friend and did a double take at the look she saw in his eyes. Was that... guilt?

"Oh, it's nothing."

At her fiancé's and her best friend's disbelieving looks, she sighed again. Offering a small smile, she said, "It's not really my story to tell."

"Is this related to what happened yesterday? When she saw me?" The violet-eyed man frowned, running a hand through his hair, disarranging his clips.

"...A little."

Chase scowled. "That's not helpful, Molly-"

"Just let it alone, Chase," Gill said. Molly gave him a grateful grin. "It's not any of your business, anyway."

"Don't tell me you're not even curious-!" exclaimed Chase, but the pair shot him irritated looks. He sighed. "Fine. Whatever. God, you two are annoying as a couple."

Molly giggled as Gill laced arms around her waist, kissing the spot under her ear. Warmth filled her as Chase winced.

"That's disgusting. Please don't do that in front of me. Ever." He made a face, and Molly made one back.

"You're just jealous because you're not in a relationship," she half-sang, putting on a smile even though she was still thinking about Angela. She remembered being jealous of Angela's relationship, once. It wasn't hard to be jealous of one like hers. But all the same, she'd been happy for her...

"Please. As if I'd like to be in some sappy romance." Chase rolled his eyes.

Molly felt Gill smirk against her neck. "Oh? And what about Maya?"

The faintest of blushes made their way onto their friend's cheeks. "That was before," he snapped. "I don't like her any more."

Molly giggled again, both in response to his claim and the fact that Gill kissed her neck.

"Stop! Seriously, just can't you keep your hands off each other for five seconds?" Chase glared, half-shielding his face mockingly.

"It's been almost five hours," Gill muttered. "So the answer is yes." He kissed her again, just below the same spot. Tingles ran up and down her spine, and Molly almost abandoned herself to the feeling, when she remembered her sister.

"Later, Gill." She laughed, pushing him away. He pouted but nodded.

"Thank fuck. Seriously, just, don't do that in my presence." Chase shook his head, exasperated, and moved away to sit on the couch. "I have to go to work in a few hours... Are we going to have lunch, or what?"

Molly hesitated, glancing at her fiancé. He looked solemnly back at her. "I think we should wait for her," he said.

She nodded in agreement. "I do, too."

Chase threw up his hands. "Are you for real? Who knows how long Angela'll be? I'm hungry now. I think I'll just get lunch somewhere else."

"Chase-," Molly began, scowling at the man, but he was already at the door.

"Let the dickface go," Gill said, rolling his eyes. "We don't want your company either!" he yelled after his friend.

Chase flipped them off as he left, banging the door shut.

"Sometimes I really wonder," Molly mused. "I can't decide whether he enjoys being a jerk or whether it's just a defense."

"I always wonder about Chase," Gill said, and tugged her towards the couch. "We'll wait for your sister, Molly."

"Chase was right, though. She might be a long time..." Molly hesitantly followed him, and suddenly she realised that Chase had used Angela's name before. Chase didn't usually remember a name...

"Don't listen to that asshole. We'll wait." Gill pulled Molly into his arms, nuzzling his face into the curve of her shoulder. She blushed, unable to stop the heat spilling into her cheeks.

"You're the best, Gill," she murmured to his ear. He grinned against her skin.

"I know."

Chase shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way back to town, scowling. Gill had asked him over, and he'd come, even though he'd planned on having lunch with Yolanda (and Maya). He was a good person for cancelling highly-anticipated lunch plans!

All right, so he was exaggerating a little. The lunches weren't that highly-anticipated (it was a biweekly occurrence) and he had come because he was interested in seeing her again.

Angela.

There was something about her that intrigued him. It wasn't her beauty (though she was certainly as pretty as Molly, who'd had half the bachelors in love with her when she'd first moved there), nor her sharp, quick wit (though that had something to do with it). No, it was her eyes. He could see himself in them.

Not literally.

There was a storm of emotions behind those rust-brown eyes, and most of them Chase could relate to. He didn't miss the buried sorrow and longing behind those irises, nor the pain etched so deep that she'd probably forgotten it.

He knew those feelings. He knew them.

Suddenly, he realised he hadn't been walking towards town. He looked up, frowning, and found himself in a small woodland area. Where was he?

He spun a few times before finally recognising his surroundings; he was in that area that was situated right before the Goddess Pond. How had he ended up in here?

Shaking his head, he turned to leave, but he saw a flash of brown hair and a bright white shirt. He blinked, taking a few steps closer...

Angela was there, sitting by the pond, curled in on herself.

Something painful rushed through Chase at the sight; he'd seen this before. It had happened to him, too.

He stood there, a hand on a tree, hesitantly looking towards her. So far, she had only shown coldness towards him, but that was probably his own fault for being a 'dickface', as Gill had called him. Would she appreciate the gesture if he made his way towards her?

I know how she feels. It would be wrong to leave her, he told himself, his feet taking him towards the crying girl. He raked a hand through his hair, feeling his pulse quicken. She had seen someone familiar in him, and somehow he saw the same in her.

But he wasn't a people person. He had the dreadful feeling that this meeting would go terribly wrong.

She raised her head at the sound of his footsteps, and he cleared his throat, somewhat nervously. Nervous? Since when have you been nervous, Chase? He shook his head at himself inwardly.

"Are you all right?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, coming to stand beside her. Her whole body flinched before a frozen expression came over her face.

"Fine," she said, harshly, before biting her lip and looking away. He wasn't offended in the least, but made sure to sit down at least a metre away.

He was silent for a few moments (Molly often teased him about his ability - or lack thereof - to not say something sarcastic for at least a minute, but it was possible!), readjusting the clips in his hair awkwardly before he said, "Is it my fault?"

She snapped around to look at him. "Don't be so conceited," she hissed, wiping wet from her cheeks. Her eyes were rimmed red, her lips quivering slightly. Chase felt something ache inside him at the sight.

"No, it's just that... you said I reminded you of someone. And clearly that's causing you pain." He picked at the blades of grass, feeling... shy? He'd not felt that way for quite a while.

"It doesn't matter." She buried her face into her arms again, her legs pulling up to her chest. Her next few words came out muffled. "It's long past, anyway."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't matter," he told her, and she stiffened.

"Are you determined to argue with me?" she asked, pulling herself into a tighter ball.

Damn it, Chase, you're terrible at this. "That's not what I meant," he said quietly. "I just meant that just because it's in the past doesn't mean it no longer means anything. I know I've held onto something that happened in the past."

"Probably some petty ass grudge," she muttered.

Chase sighed, shaking his head. This was pointless. Why had he decided to do this? She didn't seem to want his help.

He stood to leave, raking his hair back, but then she said, "Wait." She raised her tear streaked face to his, her lips pulled upwards in a sad smile. "I don't think I want to be alone, even if it means I'm with you. Will you... Will you keep me company?"

Chase raised his eyebrows but merely nodded, once again sitting, but this time slightly closer. Angela sniffed, pressing a hand to her left eye. "What... What are you holding onto?"

Chase studied her silently. Could he tell her this? Did she really care?

"You don't have to, if you don't want to-"

"It's okay." He took a deep breath, offering a broken smile. "Two of my brothers died a few years ago. It wasn't a pleasant death for either of them."

Silence. And then: "I'm sorry." Angela edged closer, brushing strands of brown hair away from her face. "My tragedy involves a guy, too. My boyfriend, actually. He was murdered." She looked out towards the Goddess Tree, a bitter smile on her face. "He was going to propose to me."

They sat in silence once again. "It's strange, you know, to tell things to a stranger I don't even like," Angela said, finally. "But I think you understand what I'm going through."

He nodded. "I do. I think I do. My brothers... they were killed too." A twisted smile came upon his face. "I know you'll probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but one of them deserved it."

"It's okay," she said quietly. "I understand." She brushed away another tear, and he watched her expression change from something broken to something with a small smile. But it was bitter. "I killed someone, once."

The words didn't fully process in his mind. "You wanted to?" he asked, puzzled. But she shook her head.

"I can't believe I'm telling you this," she murmured. "This is unrealistic. Spilling my secrets to some asshole I just met..."

"Hey!" Chase protested lightly, but his mind was still buzzing with her previous words.

"Well, you are an ass. Don't even deny it."

"Sometimes I'm an ass." Chase gave a smile, lying back on the grass. He admired the bright sky for a moment, before the brightness became too much. He moved his hand to block the light-

"It was an accident. When I killed that person, I mean."

His hand froze in place, and he took a deep breath.

"God, you'll probably run away from me now, or report me to the police, or something. But I've already gone through a court. They let me out."

Chase sat up, slowly. He looked at Angela, really looked at her. The emotion he'd seen in her eyes had faded into something crippled, something broken. "Why?" he asked, in a rush of breath.

"Because I killed the man who murdered my love and who would've murdered me." She laughed, humourlessly. "Karma. And now you've arrived, wearing the face of the man I thought I'd never see again-"

"Wait." Suddenly, the world spun before Chase's eyes. He felt dizzy, sick. Not because he was scared of Angela, or sickened by her, but because he knew this story. He knew it. "The man you killed... and the one you loved... Were they brothers?"

Silence. "How... did you know?" she asked, lowly.

"Shit!" Chase leapt to his feet, emotion crashing through him, making him stumble. "You're her. Angela. Vaughn's girlfriend. Shit. Shit."

His brother had spoken about her. I've found her! Vaughn had told him over the phone. The one I think I want to marry. I love her, Chase. I really do.

Angela raised her head slowly, her eyes wide with shock. "What?"

"My... My brother..." Chase clutched his hands to his chest, gasping. He needed air. He needed it. This was so fucking unrealistic. Was this really happening to him? Why was this-

Why?

"You're... Are you Vaughn's brother?" Angela, too, scrambled to her feet. "Oh, my God." She ran her hands through her hair, looking devastated. "Shit. I'm sorry, Chase, I'm really sorry-"

Chase put out a hand to stop her. He focused on his breathing: in, out... in, out.

"I need... I think we need time to think about this," he said, and fled.

Fled like the coward he was.

This was unbelievable.

Angela stared in the direction Chase had gone, her heart shaken, her pulse racing. This was just not possible. Things like this didn't happen.

She wasn't supposed to meet the brother of the man she'd killed.

She wasn't supposed to meet the brother of the man she'd loved.

She felt weak, suddenly, and dropped to her knees, clutching her shirt tightly.

She was a murderer.

She'd killed.

It didn't matter that it was self-defense.

And now she'd met someone who'd likely want her dead for what she'd done, too.

Despite all of this, there was one undeniable emotion that she felt.

Relief.

Finally, she knew why Chase looked so much like the one she'd loved. Brothers... More like twins.

Angela choked back the rising sob in her throat, and rose shakily to her feet. She took a few steps away from the pond, before she had to sit down again. Despair, crushing and painful came over her. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Angela... Are you... all right?"

Wizard.

She wiped away her tears hurriedly and turned to face the silver-haired man, who had somehow appeared behind her without making a single sound. She smiled, brokenly. "Hi."

Alarm filtered onto Wizard's face, and he stepped forwards, kneeling beside her. He took her shaking hands in his, staring intently at her. "What's... wrong...?"

"I-." She shuddered. "I've done something terrible, Wizard... And now it's come back to haunt me."

Wizard said nothing in response. Instead, he paused, leaned forwards, and gathered her into an awkward hug. She froze, her skin thrumming in both surprise and something else.

"I... don't know what... happened... But I should... like to offer... any... comfort..." He stroked her hair (still rather awkwardly).

Oh, God. I'm holding onto a guy I've just met. And he's really good looking. And he's nice. She smiled, her eyes watering again, tears spilling again. She put her arms around his waist, and cried harder.

She cried for Vaughn, the only one she'd ever loved like that. She cried for his damned brother, and she cried for Chase, because she'd taken away someone precious to him. Even if the brother had deserved it, even if he had committed fratricide.

She cried for the years she'd felt alone, and the years she'd felt like someone not worth being.

Eventually, she fell asleep in comforting arms that reminded her of the stars.

Wizard carried Angela silently to the farm across from the Goddess Pond. They were quite well into the afternoon now; it was about three pm. Wizard usually wouldn't be out at this time, but she'd called him...

The Harvest Goddess.

He'd been reading a novel in his room. Usually, he wasn't interested in that sort of book, but he'd heard that Angela was a writer, and had subsequently been curious enough to take a look. That was when the Goddess had contacted him. Told him that Angela was there. And that she was suffering.

He'd left quite soon after that, and found her there, broken.

"Angela?"

The door swung open and Molly came racing out, her eyes wide with horror. "Oh, my Goddess! Is she okay? Wizard! What happened?"

Her fiancé followed shortly after her, and they gathered around Wizard, who felt distinctly uncomfortable. "She... was by the Goddess... Pond... She's all right... physically... but I think... she's in pain... emotionally..."

Clearing his throat, he made his way into Molly's house, placing the girl in his arms gently onto the sofa. She had been no burden to him and felt no relief as he set her down. In fact, if anything, he felt horror at having to leave such a devastated girl behind.

"It's been ages since she's been like this," Molly murmured. Worry filled the farmer's eyes, and Wizard stood silently beside the seat as he watched the sleeping twin breathe. "We thought... We thought she was done mourning."

It's not my place to ask, Wizard told himself, staring down at the girl before him. She looked beautiful, even in sleep. Even when broken. I cannot ask.

"She's been fine for several years, now... but I think seeing Chase brought it back."

Chase?

The sarcastic cook who worked in the Brass Bar?

Wizard considered this quietly. Perhaps it had something to do with what they'd said about Angela's boyfriend earlier this morning-

Stop, he scolded himself. That's enough. It is not any of your business.

"Thank you, Wizard," Gill said. Wizard looked up at the mayor's son, who offered him a smile. They'd never really gotten to know each other, despite knowing of each other, until Molly came.

"I hope... she... recovers soon..." He gave them each a nod, and slowly left. He could hear Molly speaking quietly to Gill as he left. He could hear the worry and panic in her voice.

He was desperate to know what had occurred. And he hated himself for being so. What was it about this girl that was so intriguing to him? Why did he care so much?

His white Mark burned underneath his eye, and he exhaled slowly, letting the feelings out. Ever since Molly had come to Castanet, things had become chaos.

And Angela? She had stirred things up, too. Not quite as many things as Molly had when she'd first arrived, but Wizard knew Witch was shaken up, knew the daughter of the bartender of Brass Bar and the cook there, Chase, had been left wondering. Even Molly and her fiancé.

He thought again of the pretty face of the island's saviour's sister, and couldn't avoid the fact that his pulse jumped at the thought of her. He'd not felt this way in several decades... even centuries...

He looked back towards the farm, brushed his fingers against his Mark, and left to finish the book that Angela had written so wonderfully.

[[Damn, that was a long chapter!

Four different points of view, wow. This chapter sure was busy... But I hope you all liked it.

Yes, Vaughn is the boy that Angela fell in love with. He's going to be out of character though, in this story; he's not gonna be the brooding cowboy that everyone knows and loves from Sunshine Islands and Island of Happiness. He'll be a lot nicer. The other brother will probably just be a random person... I'm pretty sure the only other character in the Harvest Moon franchise with violet eyes is Jill, from Harvest Moon DS Cute. Correct me if I'm wrong, though!

Wow, emotional chapter. I don't think I've quite got the hang of it yet, but I think I'm improving. Maybe?

Note: probably won't usually update this quickly. I felt the writing muse coming on, though xD

Till next time~]]