Alice rested in bed for a night and a day, not waking up for single meal. The sakura tea proved useful in calming Alice down, but it had a heavy sedative effect after she drank her third cup. Either that, or Alice was extremely tired.

"Maybe I shouldn't have left you guys alone," Rafe lamented, poking his bowl of rice with his chopsticks. "At least the sakura tea helped. Is she doing any better?"

"During both times in which Shun and I separated checked, Alice-sama was still sleeping." Marucho replied. "That was so scary. How did Shun even handle it?"

"He handled the whole problem? Where is he now?"

"Shun's been standing outside after finishing his dinner. One moment, the three of us were talking about the Palm of Heaven. Next moment, she stopped in her sentence and coughed nonstop. At first, cleaning up the saliva stains were enough, but then came the blood stains, which Shun cleaned up like it was no big deal. Why is this happening?"

"Alice never told you about any illnesses?" Rafe wondered.

"Never. In fact, she's the one who usually ended up treating our illnesses. Remember Hime-denka's rash? Alice treated that."

"Speaking of Hime-denka, she and Alice's grandfather are both missing. Marucho, go easy on the side dishes. Alice still needs to eat, too."

"My bad..."

Meanwhile, Shun sat outside on the patio swing with his head rested on his hands. Suddenly, a shadow walked across the street, and he yelled, "Who's there?"

"Relax, it's just me."

Stepping into the light was Julie, and Shun sighed in relief. "Hi Julie. What brings you here?"

"Heard that you, Marucho, and Alice are staying at the church." She took a seat next to Shun added, "Also heard that Alice had a health predicament."

"You can say that again." He sat up and held his hands in front of himself. "I don't know what I was thinking when I saw her cough blood, but something just snapped in my mind, and the only thing I could think of was to clean everything and have Alice rest."

"What are you upset about then?"

"What if I blanked out and didn't do anything? What would happen then? Alice could've died."

"Shun, don't think about that. Be happy that you saved her."

"How can I? She still hasn't woken up since. Otherwise, Rafe and Marucho would've called me in by now."

"Shun, that's not what I mean. On a personal level, I understand that you're still upset that Alice isn't awake and talking, but think of the big picture. Be happy that you saved Senyou's only hope."

"Senyou's only hope...?"

"Exactly. You're the one who called Alice that. I know it feels like nothing's progressing with her unconscious and your other friends missing, but start thinking now."

"Wait." Shun held his hand halfway up and thought as Julie stared at him. "You said you were surprised that Alice would send these guys back here."

"What about it?"

"But why? Alice, the princess, Marucho, and Jake came here before back then, but I've never been here. Also, who's Ace? Alice seemed uncomfortable around him. What happened?"

Julie took a deep breath and answered him. "When Alice and Hime-chan came, they met a lot of new people, including me, Rafe, Ace, and people who were at our group gathering today. About Ace...I don't know how to describe it. He was the best and worst thing that happened to Alice."

"How so?"

"I don't know much because this is her personal life. What I will say is that she vowed to never fall in love with anyone ever again, but who knows?"

No wonder Alice freaked out when I said that she deserved better. I did say the exact truth about her. "What did Ace do?"

"Ask Alice. Why are you so interested in her past? Not like it has to do with saving Senyou or anything."

"But it does. Why do you think she wanted us to be here in the first place? Maybe not to settle a score with Ace, but everything she does is for her home country. A strong country depends on a strong-minded and undistracted ruler, and a strong movement depends on a strong-minded and undistracted leader."

"What are you trying to say?"

"She deserves better."

Julie parted and bit her lips in shock and frustration. "Maybe you can set her free..."

"Shun!" Rafe ran over to swing and saw Shun with Julie. "Hi Julie. Nice to see you. Shun, you need to come inside."

"Did Alice cough blood again?"

"No, she's still sleeping. A pigeon flew inside won't get out."

"A pigeon? I'll see what I can do. You coming, Julie?"

"Sure. After all, I came here to visit Alice in the first place."

Rafe and Shun went inside first and looked up to see a crazy pigeon flying area. Marucho gave up on jumping. "There you are! I'm surprised this pigeon knows not to knock stuff over. If only I were taller..."

"There's something on its talons." Shun noticed. He stood by the altar and waved his hand, and the pigeon miraculously descended. "I should've worn a glove or cloth over my hand. This looks like one of Kagusa's pigeons. I thought they only recognized Kagusa and Baron. How does it know we're here?"

"Could be, could be not." Marucho guessed, untying the item, and opening it. "It's a message, and it says...oh no."

"What happened?" they all asked.

"It's from Dr. Gehabich. He says that he, Baron, Jake, and Hime-denka are all together."

"That explains where the pigeon came from." Shun realized. "At least Baron and Jake aren't missing."

"Isn't that good news?" Rafe asked.

"Yes, but here's the problem. They're stuck in Netsunami, and there is a heatwave, famine, and yellow fever epidemic. That does not sound good. They're even asking us for help. Thank goodness we have modern day vaccinations."

Shun read the note and nodded. "At least they have a clean and spacious place to stay. How are we supposed to help them cure the people if we can't even cure Alice right now?"

"That's why I told you guys to come here." Alice woke up and coughed softly by the door back hall door. "Minakami's ocean waters have spiritual powers that can cure the people there."

"Alice!" Shun put the pigeon down and hugged her tightly. "Thank goodness you're awake. You had us worried when you didn't wake up for lunch or dinner."

"But Alice-sama, how did you know that Netsunami was having trouble?" Marucho asked.

"Back in Yukihyou, you repeated to me the words that my grandfather said. That made me remember an experience from the past. This wouldn't be the first time Netsunami is facing its Tragic Trinity—epidemic, famine, and heatwave."

Shun let go and poured a warm cup of sakura tea for her. "Drink up. But Alice, if you know the ocean water can heal them, why don't you drink it for yourself?"

"Personal issues. Don't ask." She walked across the floor to the note and pigeon with Shun helping her. "During the Tragic Trinity, Netsukami won't let anyone in or out. Our people were allowed in only because we've helped them in the past, but that's also the most likely place where Masquerade would go to, too. He doesn't care if innocent people died because of his mission, nevertheless sick people."

"Then we need to get moving!" Marucho cried.

Shun disagreed. "Not when Alice's condition isn't any better. But Alice, there's one thing I still don't understand. If you told us to come here for the water, why did you look for Ace and not Julie or Rafe?"

"Because I owe her a favor." Ace suddenly appeared at the front doors and walked over. "Alice, I'm really sorry for what I did in the past, but please forgive me."

"You still don't understand, do you?" she asked in a sore voice. "It'll always be your fault."

"We'll be in the kitchen, then..." Rafe and Marucho escorted themselves away.

Julie glared at Ace and told him, "Take it easy, man. She just woke up from hours of sleep and isn't feeling well. In fact, you shouldn't be here."

"One whole night and day." Shun clarified.

"Really? You again? You're Shun, right? I don't care who you are, but this is between Alice and me. In fact, I was this close to reconciling with her if it weren't for you."

"Me?" Shun let go and had Julie carry Alice in the meantime. "If it weren't for you, Alice wouldn't to avoid coming here to save treat her illness! She wouldn't have to come back here if it weren't for saving the people of Netsunami from their Tragic Trinity. In fact, if it weren't for me, we wouldn't even reach as far as Minakami to save her home country. What did you do? Nothing but to open her old wounds."

Ace was completely speechless and shook his head. "That's it? Alice, you didn't come back to-"

"Shun's right." she murmured. "Ace, but we've long been over ever since you left me for someone else just because you thought I was a freak. After all I did, how could you do that to me? But Shun, not getting the spiritual water here for myself isn't because I wanted to avoid Ace..."

"...but because the water had a different effect on you." Ace finished Alice's sentence for her and nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry for looking only on the surface and leaving you like that. The past is the past, and we can't change it. Can you ever forgive me?"

Alice twitched in confusion, but Shun faced her and said, "You can do it. Even if you can't fully forgive him, at least he's aware of why he did what he did."

"Fine." Alice let go of Julie and offered her hand to Ace. "Apology accepted."

"Alice...thank you so much. It's getting late. Let's get the water tomorrow morning. See you tomorrow at the shore."

"And I should get going, too. Bye guys!" Julie greeted.

"Okay. See you tomorrow." Alice waved Ace and Julie goodbye and sat down. "I'm hungry, but don't want to eat too much."

"Just go through the kitchen and see what's there." While Alice grabbed a bowl and poured herself some soup, Shun asked, "Does that spiritual water really not work on you?"

"It burned my skin, actually. I don't know if that'll happen again now I'm older. Don't tell me you're giving up on me, too."

"Of course not. Not after what we've gone through. I wish there was a way to cure your side effects and coughing."

"Maybe next time, Shun. Maybe next time..." Because this health problem is just as complicated as my past.