If there was anything Kyoko learned from this experience, it was that rumors spread quickly in the palace. That, and living as a nomad for the rest of her life was starting to look like a good option. As it was, she was hiding near the edge of the room, pleading with Yumi to help her.

"Please Yumi." Cried Kyoko, on the verge of tears. "You're the only one that can help me."

"No." said Yumi, pointedly ignoring Kyoko. "This is your own fault for not paying attention. Besides, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Not that bad?" hissed Kyoko. "It's all I'm being asked about now. They all want to know everything, if he's any good, and… all sort of things that I'm too embarrassed to even say out loud." Kyoko groaned, burring her hands into her face. "There are even people claiming to have spotted us during our… activities while walking through the halls."

Yumi's face was deceptively calm, but a prominent tic mark on her forehead gave away her irritation. "You know Kyoko. I can't tell if you've come to complain or to brag."

But Kyoko was barely paying attention. She was too busy banning all sorts of horrible mental images some people had put into her head. There should be a limit on the things people can say in public. What ever happened to common decency?

"Kyoko." Said Risa, who was lounging on a cushion beside them, being entirely unhelpful through all this. "Part of the reason these rumors are so hot is because of your reaction to them. I bet your face turned a bright scarlet every time someone asked you something, am I right?"

Kyoko's face complied with the description.

"And that is why they don't believe you when you deny those rumors."

"Of course I would blush!" said Kyoko. "Did you hear the things they were saying? So why can't you get rid of the rumors Yumi? If it was anyone I would think it was impossible, but I know you can do it."

"I'm flattered you have so much faith in my skill." Said Yumi. "But it's impossible to disperse these rumors by tonight. Part of the process is being patient, and you are anything but that right now."

Kyoko knew when it was time to give up. She sunk into a cushion, wondering if she could just spend the rest of the party in that corner.

Somehow Kyoko managed to make it through most of the night. She didn't end staying in the corner, Kanae and her own sense of responsibility wouldn't let her do that, but she did do her best to steer the conversations away from that certain topic. She found that taking Risa's advise and trying not to blush or freak out the whole time did the trick.

The night was starting to wind down as Kyoko let out a yawn. She'd never been a night owl. The room was less crowded, many people having left to rest, or enjoy other festival activities. It was mostly adults at this point, many of the small children that had been present sent to bed due to the late hour. She and Kanae were once again alone together, talking about the sand demons when Kyoko was tackled by a small creature.

"Bo!"

Kyoko's just barely managed to catch them before he hit the ground. Apparently not all of the children had gone to bed quite yet.

"Satoshi" cried Kyoko. "I nearly dropped you."

The young boy laughed, pulling away slightly. "Did I surprise you Bo?"

"Of course, but don't you remember what I told you?" Kyoko leaned forward, lowering her voice and glancing around. She was glad that Kuon wasn't anywhere near. "Bo is my secret identity. I can't let anyone else know who I am. It is of the utmost importance."

The boy clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as he nodded his head. Kyoko ruffled his hair.

"Good. Now here comes your cousin. I bet he thinks I stole you away."

Sure enough, Hiou was walking towards them, looking displeased. He had the appearance of a 10 years old, despite turning 15 this last month. Both him and his cousin had the same mop of dark unruly hair, though where Satoshi had a sweet innocent expression of a 5 year old, Hiou had his usual permanent scowl as he planted himself in front of Kyoko.

"There you are Satoshi." He said. "I see you've been kidnapped by the demon lord again."

Satoshi stuck out his tongue, moving to hide behind Kyoko. The boy had become attached to Kyoko after she'd payed Bo to help him get over his fear of the clinic. She still had no idea how he figured out it was her, but he had refused to receive treatment from anyone except her for the past two weeks.

"It's good to see you too Hiou." Said Kyoko, ignoring the jibe. The boy had always been hostile with Kyoko because she had treated him like a kid when they had first met. It wasn't her fault that he looked like a child. "You look like you're doing well."

Hiou gave a "humph", then glanced at Kanae.

"Oh, this is Kanae Kotonami." Said Kyoko, quickly introducing her friend. "This-" She pointed at the boy still clutching her skirt. "-is Satoshi, and this is Hiou Uesugi. They're cousins."

If Kyoko didn't know her friend well, she would have missed it. It was only a short ripple in her expression, a slight opening of her eyes, but that was enough to show her shock. To anyone else, they wouldn't have even noticed. To Kyoko, she knew it was a reaction that meant something significant.

Shatoshi was pulling on Kyoko's skirt, prompting Kyoko to bend down. She pulled her eyes away from her friend to pay attention to him.

"Look." He pulled back a sleeve on his robes, showing the underside of him arm with a toothy smile. "It's getting better! I've been putting on the cream just like you told me every night."

"That's great. I'm glad you've been keeping up with it." Said Kyoko, keeping one eye on her friend. She was staring at Hiou with that strange expression on her face. Hiou noticed her staring and gave a noise of annoyance.

"You're that fighter from the finals correct?" he said. "Don't look down on me just because I look young. I'm strong enough to give many adults a run for their money."

"Of that I have no doubt." Said Kanae. "You are a Uesugi after all."

Hiou blinked at the comment. Kyoko was about to ask what was wrong when her friend suddenly gave a quick bow, gliding away before another word could be spoken. Kyoko would have followed, except the way Kanae left said that her friend wanted to be alone. So instead, she shared a look with Hiou, shrugging her shoulders.

A strong drink was what Kanae needed at the moment. That, and perhaps a good long sparring match with someone she could thrash repeatedly. That always made her feel better. She took a long swig from the drink she had procured, the liquid burning as it went down. She wasn't a stranger to alcohol, but she'd never gotten used to the taste.

Drumming her fingers against the empty cup, she strolled through the room with no real goal in mind. She just wanted to wander without thinking, a habit she had picked up while in the desert. Moving always soothed her. She made an effort to not go back towards where her friend was sure to be talking to that Hiou boy. She'd rather keep her distance. It was better to keep some memories down.

And how the heck did Kyoko know so many people in the first place? She hadn't been lying when she'd told Kyoko that she knew only the important people. Heck, she doubted most of the people in the room realized how highly favored Kyoko was with those in the highest positions. If they did, the girl would have been swarmed with those wishing to use her position to gain favor. As it was, Kyoko was so stupidly humble and unassuming that she didn't bring attention to herself. Most would brag of the connections, but not Kyoko.

Kanae stopped, realizing she had already made it all the way around the room, almost back to where she started. Kyoko was still talking to Hiou, but she noticed that the prince had come to join them as well. Kanae narrowed her eyes at the pair, wondering about Kuon's unusual attention towards Kyoko. Sure, he was probably just amusing himself with his new conquest, but was that it? She was starting to wonder just how far his attachment was to Kyoko.

A hand holding a cup full of wine was held out to her, and Kanae's eyes followed the arm to see the man behind it. She instantly recognized Duke Lory Takarada, a strange looking lizard propped on his shoulder.

"I noticed your glass was empty." He said smoothly. "Here."

She took it, the Duke taking her empty cup and handing it to a wondering servant. He held up a glass of his own in a toast.

"To your astounding performance in the finals." said Lory. "You gave Shin quite the run for his money. He was impressed."

"I'm sure he was." said Kanae, taking a drink from her cup. Why was the Duke coming and talking to her? In truth, she had no desire to be in the man's company. She had heard stories about Duke Takarada, and she knew better than to mess with someone with such a cloudy background. He was known for being devious and using other people's weaknesses to get what he wanted.

The Duke chuckled. "You think I jest. I'm being completely serious. Your talent is astounding considering your age."

Kanae grunted.

"Would you be interested in being hired by me? I'd appreciate your presence."

Ah, so that's what it was. I shouldn't have been surprised.

"No." said Kanae firmly. "I'm not interested, excuse me."

Kanae had started to walk away, determined to ignore him but-

"Kyoko is in danger."

She spun around, staring at the man who stood casually by the drink station. Kanae narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that." said Lory. "I feel like Kyoko could use some extra protection. I'd like to hire someone to watch over her."

Kanae let out a snort. "Like this kingdom is short on soldiers. Ashuron has one of the biggest military on the continent. Just get one of your fine men to guard her. There's no reason for me to waste my time."

"But it is short on men I can trust." said Lory quietly.

That made Kanae curious. The Duke grabbed a plate of fruit from a table, holding it out for Kanae who didn't take it. He shrugged, eating from it instead. She watched, waiting for him to explain,

"I'm worried." he finally said, grabbing a seed and feeding it to the strange lizard on his shoulder. "I want to make sure Kyoko is safe. Won't you consider taking the job?"

"I make a rule not to get involved unless I have all the information." said Kanae. "And there are quite a few holes in your proposition Duke Takarada."

"Then ask your questions."

"Why Kyoko?"

"Because she manages to constantly find herself in danger. I'm worried about her."

"Is that the full truth?"

"It's what you're allowed to know unless you're employed by."

Kanae sucked on the inside of her cheek. This was probably all related to that stone colossus that had attacked her when they were traveling here. That, and maybe even Reino was involved. Kanae had heard the rumors about Kyoko saving the prince during the murder in the palace. She had yet to reprimand her friend for being so reckless. And man, that girl was reckless. Stupid, rash, impulsive and self-sacrificing. The perfect recipe for getting yourself killed.

"You said that you were short on men you could trust." said Kanae. "What did you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I meant."

"And you think you can trust me? Someone you know nothing about?"

"I know enough." said Lory who smiled at her, a smile that said he knew all her secrets and thought she was amusing for thinking he didn't.

"Do you now?" said Kanae, irritated by his attitude. "And what exactly do you know about me?"

"Well to start off, I know you are 19 years old and was born in Xaidora. You have ten siblings and six nieces and nephews, several of which you have not met yet. You left home when you were 14 and haven't been back since. You traveled for four years with Kotetsu Uesugi, who you parted with last year."

Kanae eyes widened, alarmed. How did he find out so much about her in such a short time? If she thought he was done with his spiel she was wrong. It just got worse from there.

"You're competitive, stubborn and can't express your feelings well." continued Lory, completely ignoring her horror at her own personal information spilling from his so easily. "You're fiercely loyal to those you care about and would die for them if given the chance. I also know that you respected your teacher greatly, and he you. You're a protégé with the spear and pulse magic. You surpassed what your master could teach you at 17 and refused to travel with others for long periods of time after he-"

"Stop!"

The command came out in a hiss, Kanae's expression becoming ice cold as she glared at Lory.

Anger was starting to boil in the pit of her stomach at the casual mention of her master. What right did Lory have to do that? "If this is supposed to convince me to help you I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

"I wasn't quite done yet." said Lory. "I knew Kotetsu fairly well. If he trusted you and kept you by his side for so many years, then I trust you as well. I... was sad to hear when he died. He was a good friend."

Kanae's face twisted into a strange grimace. She gave a dark laugh, anger thumping though her with each beat of her heart. "Are you serious? How can you say you trust him? You, who did nothing when he was condemned for treason and stripped him of all his titles. And you have the audacity to say that you were his friend?"

"You don't know the exact circumstances." said Lory evenly. "There's more to the story than what you were told."

"Oh, of course there's more to the story." said Kanae, making an angry motion with her hand. "There's always more to the story. It's never your fault. You're a victim of circumstances. I've heard it all before. No, what I do know is that you let your friend take the fall for something he didn't do. Something that took away everything he had."

Kanae stepped closer to Lory, mouth drawn into a tight line as she drew herself to her full height. Her voice came out in a hiss, anger and malice laced in every word. "So, what makes you think I'd ever stomach working for the same stuck up noble that could have prevented my master from experiencing so much pain? That could have prevented him from being separated from his family forever, his honor destroyed, reducing him to associate with the dregs of the earth. What makes you think I'd ever want to help you?"

"Because you care about Kyoko." Said Lory, voice quiet. "When you heard Kyoko was in danger, you stopped to listen, despite your pride."

Kanae didn't answer. The silence stretched out, the clinking of drinks and laughter from the festivities muted as she glared at the Duke's calm expression.

"Think about it." he finally said. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"No."

Her eyes had caught the back of two certain dark haired boys. The grandsons her master never got to see grow up. The boys who were told lies about their grandfather's honor. Hiou and Satoshi would never know the truth, their family still suffering from the 'shame' Kotetsu had brought on them.

Kanae wasn't strong enough to protect her master, to help him restore his honor. If she couldn't protect him, how could she protect Kyoko? Kanae wasn't going to go through that pain again. She didn't need another thing to lose.

"Excuse me."

This time Kanae didn't turn around as she left, fist clenched to stop it from shaking.

"That's why I'm saying we should have just evacuated the surrounding areas." a man was saying while shaking his head. "It was too risky leaving them there while the whole group ran unchecked through the lands."

"What else could they have done?" said an older man. "The people could have been attacked just as easily crossing the desert to safer areas. Then the bandits would have gotten their cities and the people in one easy sweep."

"Well obviously after it was too late the option wasn't there. But if King Kuu had been more attentive to the disturbance when it first started than they could have saved a lot more lives."

"It's easy to say all this in hindsight. How many groups of thieves do you think are out there? He can't take the time to hunt down each and every last one of them. He's got a whole kingdom to run."

Kyoko watched the debate, unsure if she should be there. She had been sucked into the conversation with a group of older men who had been asking her about the assassin's attack. The conversation had eventually turned to the rebellion King Kuu had just suppressed in the eastern part of the country.

"Do you think the stories about the demons are true?" said another man, cutting into the conversation. "Normal sand demons are one thing, but apparently there have been sightings of sand colossus and lamias around the areas."

"There's no way." One man said. "Just a bunch of stories made up by people trying to get attention."

"Haven't the attacks been getting worse though?" said Kyoko, not bothering to correct them on their assumption that the sand colossus weren't real. "I've heard that more and more travelers are being attacked by just normal sand demons."

"That, I can attest to." said one man, stroking his beard in worried thought. "My shipments have been behind these last few months, and sometimes it's not because of bandits or demons. My workers have reported seeing some strange things that I would normally just brush off as heat induced hallucinations. I'm not sure what to think at this point."

Kyoko noticed Kanae walking towards her form the corner of her eye. The spear wielder had a slight frown on her face, obviously in deep thought. As she approached however, she was pulled from them as one of the men addressed her.

"Ah, you're that fighter from the tournament today aren't you?" he said. "You've traveled a lot through the kingdom haven't you?"

"Yes." Said Kanae, stepping beside Kyoko into the circle. "What of it?"

"Have you noticed an increase of monsters and strange things while traveling?" said the man. "And what do you say about those rumors of dark demons roaming again? Are the darker ages coming back to haunt us?"

Kanae folded her arms, glancing at Kyoko. "There has definitely been an increase in the monsters and bandits within the last year." said Kanae. "All the mercenaries agree on this, and I've seen it with my own eyes as well. Just last month while crossing the desert with Kyoko here, we were attacked by a stone colossus."

The men gave murmurs of alarm.

"Were you really?" said a man with a turban. "I'm sorry but I can't easily believe it."

Kyoko, embarrassed, scratched the side of her face with a finger. "I didn't think you would."

"How did you survive?"

"Kanae killed it." said Kyoko, motioning to her friend. That made the men exclaim even more.

"Would you be interested in becoming one of my body guards?" said the merchant. "If there really are stone colossus out there I'd like someone with a bit of experience guarding my goods."

"You are too kind." Said Kanae, giving a stiff bow. "But I'm afraid I don't plan on staying in the capital for very long. I'm a wanderer by nature and don't like tying myself to one place for too long."

"I see. Let me know if you change your mind."

The conversation kept going from there, the men talking about other politics and rumors floating around the cities. Kyoko stayed for a few minutes, interested to know what was going on around the kingdom. After a while, she excused herself with Kanae, concerned for her friend.

"So, you plan on leaving soon?" said Kyoko after she had pulled her friend aside. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's been a more recent decision." Said Kanae, not looking at her, a slight ting of pink on her cheeks "I just stayed to make sure you were doing alright, truth be told."

"Oh"

Kyoko wilted. She'd been enjoying her friends company so much she had forgotten that it wouldn't last. Kanae had only promised to stay until after the tournament was over. She should probably be grateful that Kanae had stayed as long as she did all things considered. The question was, would her friend ever come back to visit, and if so when?

Fidgeting slightly, Kyoko sent several glances at Kanae who pointedly ignored her. After a few minutes of this, Kanae threw up her hands, crying out, "Mo! I'm not going to be gone forever. I'll come back to visit eventually."

Kyoko grinned, then gave her friend a big hug who didn't dodge the gesture. The absence of resistance further cemented in her mind that Kanae was determined to leave soon. The spear wielder would never have let Kyoko hug her so easily otherwise.

Kyoko squeezed her friend harder.

"I'm going to miss you so much!"

"Gah! Kyoko get off."

"But I have to get as much hug energy from Moko-san that I can."

"You won't get any more if you kill me by suffocation."

Kyoko finally released her, smiling at her friend who grumbled while straightening her dress. She couldn't help but feel grateful at that moment for where her life was. She had a good friend, a budding profession, and lots of people she loved like family. As she stared around the room, her heart swelled at all the people she had come to know and love. Maria, Lory, Prince Kuon, Moko-san, Shin, several of the concubines, the list was endless!

"What are you giggling about?" said Kanae,

"I'm just so happy." Said Kyoko, turning to her friend. "Everything is like a dream." The words were no sooner out of her mouth then she heard an announcement.

"Everyone, we are pleased to be entertained tonight by Ashuron's gifted young minstrel, Sho Fuwa."

Kyoko's dream state burst into a thousand pieces. The nightmare had returned.

Thanks for reading!

Yes, Kanae and Hiou are older here than they are in the manga. I take full artistic liberties to mess with the characters however I wish. XD

Oh, and if you want extra scenes, bug my sister. She is in charge of writing any extra scenes. So far she has two requests that she may or may not do.

Thank you for all your kind words and reviews! I managed to get out of the big funk I was in and am plowing through school full speed! You guys are the bestest ever! Have a wonderful day!

-Blushweaver

Blushweaver is trying to get you to hound me so she can get me writing... It might work.

-Imouto