Welcome back everyone! Thank you for your words of encouragement and concern about me returning. I have graduated successfully and now have more time to devote myself to writing this story. XD I hope you will all enjoy this next arc as much as the previous ones. Now enjoy!

A yellow scroll lay on the bed, unfurled, revealing the loopy signature decorating the bottom. In the upper right corner was an official red seal, indicating its authenticity.

Kyoko had opened the scroll at least five minutes ago, but looking at it still brought a big grin to her face. Her heart had stopped upon reading the words passed and registered physician. To add to her sense of elation, the scroll had also contained a gold pin shaped like a mortar and pestle flanked by two phoenix feathers. The first being the official symbol of medicine, the second indicating where she had studied.

Her lips stretched into a wide smile as she fingered the pin, approximate half the size of her palm. With this, it was official. She was now a registered physician. She had accomplished the first step in her goal of becoming a renowned physician.

Kyoko grabbed the scroll, stretching it out in front of her in delight. She twirled on the spot, dancing to a tune only she could hear as she maneuvered through her bedroom. Where should she hang it? In her room? In the clinic? Oh, this meant she would get her own office! How nice that sounded. Lady Kyoko, Palace Physician. Watch out Sho, because here I come!

Kyoko's dance stopped mid step as her thoughts turned grim. How long had it been since she'd thought about her revenge on Sho? For the last few weeks, her mind had been so preoccupied with the accursed and the festival she'd almost forgotten her original reason for coming to the palace.

Her hands lowered slowly as yet another thought clouded her joy. It had been almost a week since she had seen Kuon. Lory said he'd recovered fine, but she still hadn't been able to see him. Kyoko was becoming worried.

She looked at the scroll, somehow not as excited about it as she had been earlier. Compared to the current crisis, her revenge seemed so silly. How important was it really compared to what was happening at the palace?

Very important her insides whispered. The buried rage flickered, ready to burst forth at any moment. Her heart still burned with the desire to wring his stupid neck. No, Sho deserved to pay. She would not be distracted that easily.

Kyoko rolled the scroll back up, placing it carefully into her cabinet. She kept the pin with her however, holding it in hand as she exited her room and strode through the corridors. Her mind was restless. She wanted to start working immediately.

As she passed through the corridors, she became aware that she wasn't the only one agitated. The halls were a full of activity as the concubines hurried through the halls, some excited, others worried, all seemed to be going the same direction.

"What's going on?" Kyoko asked a passing concubine.

"It's the prince." she said, breathless. "He's coming to talk to us."

"He's coming?" said Kyoko, her own heart now thumping. "Right now? What for?"

"I don't know, but I bet it has something to do with the champions. Have you heard? They're calling them."

One of the other concubines hushed the one talking to Kyoko.

"Those are just rumors." She insisted, worrying evident in her voice. "I'm sure Kuon will be here to tell us to stop spreading such gossip."

Kyoko didn't answer, instead following the group as they walked towards the central room. It was an open space with archways on all sides in substitute for any doors or walls. Most of the concubines were already in the area, sitting on plush cushions and rugs. Seated near the center was Kuon, back straight, legs crossed as he silently waited for the rest of them to sit.

Kyoko crept towards the back, deliberately placing herself somewhere discrete where she could watch everyone, especially Kuon. Her eyes searched him, expertly zeroing in on anything that could indicate his current health. His posture was good, but she could detect a hint of fatigue in his bearing. The light that shown in his eyes before the tournament had dimmed, reduced to a soft glow like a dying fire. Apart from that, he appeared to be in good health.

So it's probably mental fatigue. She recognized the signs a mile away.

The last concubine finally sat down, the chatter dying as everyone waited. The prince was taking the time to look at each of them, face firm as he pulled their attention with his presence alone. When his eyes turned to hers, they flickered past, almost skipping over her completely.

Kyoko blinked confused.

"Thank you all for being here." said Kuon, "I wanted to extend my appreciation to you all for your excellent performance during the festival last week."

The crowd of women relaxed, some laughing and mentioning it was their pleasure. Kyoko saw one smack the other and whisper loudly; "See, there's nothing to worry about."

"This year was a huge success." continued the prince. "And I have each of you to thank for that. You each performed your duty with poise and pride. The country and our nobility were impressed with our presentation, hospitality, and ability to work together with other parties."

"Well of course." said Yumi, who was seated near the front. She lounged lazily in her collection of cushions, face propped up by her hand as she smirked. "What else would you expect from the best?"

There were a smattering of laughs and murmured agreement. Kuon gave an appreciative smile as well.

"Nothing less." He said. "I had full confidence in you all, which was why I asked for your help in the first place."

"There is another reason I wished to talk to you all today." He said, his voice becoming more serious. "It is in regards to recent rumors about the phoenix's champions being called here."

The room of bodies tensed. Even Yumi sat up on her cushions to listen attentively to Kuon.

"I'm sure you've all heard them. The rumors that champions are being called again here to be chosen as sacred protectors of the kingdom." Said Kuon. "I wanted to let you know, that it is true. The champions have been summoned."

A collective gasp sounded in the room. Several women clutched themselves in fear. A few rose half way, as if they intended to flee from this news. Kyoko sat motionless, eyes darkening as she watched the prince.

"Please, everyone be calm."

Everyone stilled, pulled by the prince's calm voice. His quiet demeanor washed over them, dampening the frenzy that had been threatening to burst before he continued.

"As you know, the champions are only called when there is a threat to the kingdom." He said. "A specific threat that had not surfaced fully in some decades: The Dark Djinn and his followers, the Accursed. They have been active for some time now. The army of thieves that the king recently returned from silencing turned out to be a band of dark followers and monsters, aided by one of the accursed."

"Also, we ourselves have directly experienced the grip of their evil."

Aya

The concubine's name moved through the crowd like a wave, the information dawning on them as they talked to their neighbors. Several glances were shot Kyoko's way. One concubine leaned over and whispered to her.

"Did you know about this?"

"Umm… that is…"

Those nearby were also listening, watching for her reaction with wide eyes. She wasn't sure how to respond, instead casting her eyes about the room. They halted on Yumi, who was watching Kyoko with a deep frown on her face.

"Are you saying that we could be next?" a concubine said, rising to her feet. The tension was becoming too much. "Are the accursed going to come for us?"

"Are our families going to be ok?" asked another.

A few burst into tears, their friends trying to comfort each other. The room had dissolved into a mess of emotions as fear overcame them. Kuon's face softened, his expression full of pain and sympathy. He stood up, going towards the closest crying concubine and comforted her softly.

Kyoko had seen enough.

She stood up, quietly exiting the area. The distress and fear was too familiar, having seen it all in herself a week before. Her soul ached to be working. To be doing something against this panic that would surly spread as soon as the king alerted the public that the champions had been summoned. She could feel her new pendant in her pocket thumping against her thigh as she walked. It was a tool to destroy Sho, but it also enabled her to help as never before.

"Kyoko, wait."

Kyoko turned, surprised to see Yumi chasing her, high ponytail swishing as she stopped.

"This was what you couldn't tell us." Said Yumi, tension in her posture. "That the accursed were back. I'm right aren't I? This has to do with why you ran out in the middle of the field to give him a kiss during his fight."

Yes, that kiss had spurned a lot of nasty feedback for Kyoko. Mostly because of their jealously that she had been seen by everyone supposedly 'claiming' the prince. Kyoko saw no point in trying to lie to Yumi. She would see past it anyway.

"I'm sure you've been hearing rumors about it." Said Kyoko.

"I had." Said Yumi, now looking at the ground. "I just hoped…" She raised her eyes to Kyoko, desperation in them.

"What are you doing to help him?" It wasn't said in an accusing tone, purely inquisitive, pleading to know.

Kyoko's face was impassive, not showing the twisting it her stomach Yumi's question brought. If Kyoko was honest with herself, she wasn't sure she could do anything to help him. Lory had said that knowing about his curse and being near him was good enough, but it felt so insignificant. She'd only been able to help stop this latest attack because of Reino's random fascination with her. She didn't actually have anything pertinent to contribute to this fight.

"Getting into a lot of trouble." sighed Kyoko. "Basically I'm a healer that can always be by his side."

"I see. Well that's not something I can do. Not unless you want to give me a crash course on medicine." Yumi shook her head, now talking to herself "I'll just have to help him in a way that only I can, and that starts by dealing with these idiots."

Yumi turned on her heel, head high as she marched back into the open room. A second later, Kyoko heard her barking at the other girls to get a grip on their emotions and start showing their pride as royal concubines. Kyoko couldn't help but chuckle. Count on Yumi to take charge of the concubines during a crisis. She was the one they looked up to the most, not including Setsuko.

Kyoko kept walking, pulling out the pin and looking at it. Yes, she had something she could do as well, even if it was only a small thing.

As she exited the concubines quarters, her face lit up at seeing who waited for her outside.

"Shinichi! You're back on duty."

The guard waved at her enthusiastically as he noticed her approaching. She closed the distance, glad to see him. Both Shinichi and Yuuesi had taken a few days off to recover from their fight with Reino. Thankfully the accursed had truly just sent them away with his spell, but traveling through it had left them sick for a few days.

"Are you leaving for the clinic again?" asked Shinichi.

"Yup." Said Kyoko, smiling at him as she held out her pin. "I just got my results back. I'm a licensed physician now! I wanted to start right away."

"Awesome!" said Shinichi, grinning brightly as he took the pin and examined it in his hands. Another guard came to look at it as well, curious at their topic of conversation. "That's amazing Kyoko. I know you deserve it."

"Indeed," said the other guard. "Congratulations Lady Kyoko. That's quite the accomplishment."

"Thank you both." beamed Kyoko, keeping her spirit high. She took the pin back, then noticed someone else exiting the concubine's quarters. She hesitated, considering walking away, but he had seen her.

"Your highness." Said Shinichi, giving a bow to Kuon as he reached the group. "Have you heard the news? Lady Kyoko got her results back. She's now a licensed physician."

"Congratulations Kyoko. I know what this means to you." Said Kuon.

And that he did. He knew that it meant she was one step closer to her revenge on Sho. She also noticed the stray sparkles in his bright smile. It was his fake one, the one he wore when he was hiding another emotion behind it, this time it was anger. The man truly did not like anything that was related to Sho. She briefly wondered what that idiot could have done to make Kuon hate him so much.

"Thank you your highness." Said Kyoko, giving a small curtsy. "I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here and have this opportunity."

"No need to thank me." Said Kuon. "You accomplished this with your own efforts."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

She knew she wasn't imagining it. Kuon was acting strange. First avoiding eye contact with her in the concubine's quarters, and now this. He was still smiling that sparkling smile, the one he used to hide his emotions. Except this time, it wasn't anger he was hiding. It was just a normal wall, one he had, for some reason, decided to place between them.

"I don't trust you." She said, frowning at him.

"Eh!?"

Both guards and Kuon gave her a surprised look, confused at her words. She folded her arms as she scowled at him.

"You're acting strange." She said. "Normally you would admonish me for addressing you with your title. Then after I'd apologized, you'd have continued to punish me with further teasing, embarrassing me in front of my guard, ending by insisting that I address you casually. But instead you're smiling with that creepy smile, trying to hide whatever you're truly feeling."

He had, after all, told her that after she got her license she was to call him by his first name without a title. She hadn't forgotten, or more like, her fantasies hadn't let her forget. The man was a big flirt, and he enjoyed making Kyoko squirm with his casual attitude towards her.

A second later confirmed her suspicions as the sparkles intensified, his smile widening.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about Kyoko." He said, smile affixed. "I must say, you have a strange opinion of me."

Definitely not a normal reaction. She thought, sulking at the man. Sometime she felt like they kept going backwards in their friendship.

"S-so your highness." Said Shinichi, obviously making an effort to change the conversation. "Your visit was rather short."

Kuon's sparkles receded as he addressed Shinichi normally. "Yes, there are still some things to wrap up after the festival after all… and the events that happened during it. I just came to update the concubines on the current events."

"I see." Said Shinichi, understanding more than the other guard that was listening to the conversation. Shinichi had fought the accursed face to face after all. Most people still didn't know they existed.

"By the way." Said Kuon, addressing Kyoko. He nodded towards a corner "I've noticed that you have a new shadow."

"Oh that?" Kyoko, her irritation disappearing as she turned, just spotting a man hiding behind the shadows. "Yes, Lory assigned me a shadow guard. Apparently Dyrus picked him himself. Though I feel strange being guarded so secretly. He won't talk to me either! I've tried coaxing him out of the shadows but he refuses to come out."

Shinichi chuckled at her. "Lady Kyoko, that's the point of a shadow guard. You're not supposed to even notice their existence. I wouldn't have noticed the man if the prince hadn't pointed him out to me."

"Though it does sound like something you would do." Said Kuon, and for a second the mask slipped, revealing a true smile. The one she was more familiar with. It disappeared as second later. "I was glad to hear you and Yuusei were still willing to guard Kyoko."

"Of course!" said Shinichi, grinning at Kuon as he gave the prince a salute. "We promised Hikaru to keep an eye on her when he left. Though we are still lacking, we are willing to protect her to the last breath."

Kyoko felt her cheeks burn at the declaration. Vaguely she noticed the other guard was shocked at Shinichi's speech as well.

"I'd much rather you didn't." sulked Kyoko. "I don't think Hikaru or I would be happy if you got yourself killed."

Shinichi laughed, rubbing the back of his head with a hand. She hoped he took her seriously. She really would not be happy if they got themselves hurt for her, much like they had during this last fight. Then again, she would easily do the same for them if given the chance.

Her mind wandered back to Kuon as the man started talking to Shinichi and the guard, asking them about the current security around the concubine's quarters. He did appear to be in good health, but she just couldn't shake a bad feeling in her stomach. Was it because she was worried he was pushing himself in regards to the accursed? Or was she disappointed he hadn't pushed his previous promise onto her, insisting that she call him by his first name only? Either way, she had no idea, and the prince felt more distant than before, despite standing next to her

She had just gathered her courage to interrupt their conversation when a messenger ran up to them. She expected them to address Kuon, but they came to her instead.

"Lady Kyoko." Said the messenger. "Lory sent me to tell you that your friend is awake."

"My friend?" said Kyoko, then her eyes widened.

Kanae was awake!

I'm alive

That alone was a miracle, one Kanae didn't understand. The last thing she remember was the guards screaming and dying. Then pain.

Kanae shivered. The physician re-dressing her wounds apologized, thinking they had hurt Kanae. The warrior tried to shoo them away as she sat up in the bed. That was strange as well, being in an actual clinic instead of tending to her wounds herself in an alleyway. Two guesses who had brought her here.

She was batting the physician away again when the door opened, confirming her suspicions.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." Said Duke Takarada. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been punched in the gut a dozen times." Said Kanae, her mood dark.

"I see. We can get you something for that."

"Don't bother." Said Kanae, leaning against the headboard. "I've had worse."

"Undoubtedly." replied the Duke as he excused the other physician, leaving only the two of them in the room. Once they were alone, he pulled a chair to the side of her bed. Kanae eyed him warily.

"I'm glad to see that you're looking well." Said the duke, smiling at her as he made conversation. "We were skeptical if you'd make a full recovery, but other than your normal injuries, you soul seems to have bounced back well. It really is remarkable…"

"What can I do for you Duke Takarada?" asked Kanae, cutting off the man. She had no desire to banter with him. She could tell from her own self-assessment that everything was in order, albeit a little roughed up.

"What makes you think I want something from you?" asked the duke, almost looking hurt.

"I doubt you have time to come visit all of your patients. What is it that you want?"

Lory chuckled, lacing his fingers together as he peered at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "You've already done what I asked. I just wished to come by and offer my thanks."

Kanae narrowed her eyes. She remembered that the man had come to her at the party, offering her a position as Kyoko's body guard. He was probably referring to the fact that she had saved Kyoko from that accursed female.

"If you want to offer thanks, I'd rather accept coin than words." she said.

"Of course. You are a mercenary after all."

He pulled out a purse, the contents bulging. She took it, guarded and peered inside. Her eyes widened at finding not copper coins, but gold inside.

"This seems to be a little excessive" she said.

"Nonsense." Said the duke. "You did fight a dark follower after all, then protected Kyoko from the Dark Djinn. This is the least we can offer for your help."

"The Dark Djinn, huh."

Kana looked at the coins, thinking. She knew what this really was. The duke was here to once again offer her the position to protect Kyoko, and the money was a promise of more if she took the job. What Kanae had to decide was if it was worth it. Was the money, her friendship, all of this worth risking her own life so recklessly?

Kanae scowled at herself. She was soft, that much was obvious.

"Duke Takarada." Said Kanae. "Does your offer still stand?"

"It does." Said the duke.

"I'll do it," Said Kanae, holding up two fingers. "But on two conditions."

"Name them."

"First; If I die, I want my family to be compensated." She said.

"They will receive a weekly pension if you fall in battle." Said Lory immediately.

"And second, I want to know everything." She said, eyes narrowing. "And I'm not talking about just the surface of what's going down. I want to be up to date with everything important. Anything that could put Kyoko or me in danger, including why she has become so involved in this mess."

The duke's smile widened. He reached inside his robes and pulled out a scroll, handing it to her.

"Inside you will find everything you need to know about the situation." He said. "I expect Kyoko to be here soon, eager to see you awake and well. Read over it with her."

Kanae took the scroll. "So she is alright?" said Kanae, relaxing slightly.

"Indeed." Said Lory. "You managed to buy enough time for the king to arrive and save you both."

Kanae did not like the sound of that. Her pride was irked at the thought of having to be saved, albeit by the king himself. She began to open the scroll, but Lory put a hand over it, stopping her.

"Wait until she arrives." He said. "That scroll will only last for twenty minutes after it's opened, then it will disintegrate as a precaution. Also… There is something I should tell you before she arrives. Something she doesn't know."

Kanae lowered the scroll, waiting for the duke to continue.

"Prince Kuon was cursed by the Dark Djinn several years ago." Said Lory. "He has trouble controlling his light magic on occasion because of it. Recently he's found something to stabilize it, and that is Kyoko."

"It's because he's in love with her isn't it?"

The duke didn't seem surprised. Probably because it was obvious. "She has yet to notice, but if it wasn't for her, he would have been consumed by the curse already."

"How can you be sure?" said Kanae, not convinced. She knew enough about nobility to know their definition of 'love' tended to be loose. Especially considering that the prince had a large harem. "How do you know that it is Kyoko that has helped him control this curse?"

"Because I know Kuon." Said Lory, with such conviction that Kanae could not find it in herself to doubt him. "This curse. It's been eating away at his conscious for years, and it's only thanks to Kyoko that he has been able to keep it at bay recently. If something were to happen to Kyoko, I have no doubt that he would be consumed by the curse, and the kingdom would suffer a huge blow."

"So it's because of the prince that she's in danger." Said Kanae. That did not make her think highly of the prince.

"That's one way to look at it." Said Lory, bemused by her reaction. "I have offered Kyoko the choice of leaving, but she has rejected it both times, even when it's become apparent that it puts her life in danger. She is determined to help here at the palace. I would be reluctant to let her go if she had taken up the offer anyway."

"Because you have to think of the kingdom." Said Kanae, understanding. If he was thinking in Kyoko's best interest, he should have sent her away immediately. But because he was thinking about what was best for the kingdom, and for Kuon, she had to stay and risk being hurt. How did that idiot become so invested in this mess? Especially when she had sworn off love after her past with her childhood crush.

Kanae chewed her cheeks in thought, staring at the duke. She knew there was more to what was happening. The scroll would outline some of it, but there was so much she didn't know and didn't trust going on here. In her experience, second hand information should never be taken on face value. Everything in her screamed don't get involved, but in order to do that she would have to abandon Kyoko to this mess.

"I blame you for all of this." she said.

"Me?" said the duke, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Yes!" said Kanae, pointing at him. "Aren't you the prince's godfather or something? Who in their right mind would let their godson yank a random girl from the streets to become his concubine after he nearly ran over her?"

"She agreed to it." Said the duke, shrugging his shoulder. "I found no reason to take her out since it allowed her to study here in the clinic."

The door to the room opened and an assistant stood there.

"Duke Takarada." Said the assistant. "Lady Kyoko is here to see Kanae."

"Ah yes, let her in." said Lory. "She came much quicker than I expected."

Indeed, the assistant had barely moved aside when Kyoko came barreling into the room. He eyes instantly filled with tears upon seeing Kanae, flinging herself towards the warrior. Kanae grunted as the girl managed to knock the wind out of her.

"Kanae! I'm so glad you're awake!" cried Kyoko.

"Mo! I'll die if you don't get off me." wheezed Kanae,

For a moment they grappled, then the girl finally got off of her. Kanae had to take a moment to catch her breath while Kyoko talked happily to the duke, asking about Kanae's condition. Kanae eyed the girl, noticing the lack of any injuries on her. It appeared that Lory had been telling her the truth. The girl really was fine.

She then registered that Kyoko was looking at her expectantly.

"What?" said Kanae.

"Didn't you hear me?" said Kyoko happily. "I said I finally got my results back. I'm a fully-fledged physician now!"

"That's great." Said Kanae, unable to help a small smile. The girl's happiness was infectious.

"Kyoko." said Lory. "Kanae here has agreed to be hired as your body guard. As soon as she's healed, she'll be by your side constantly."

"Ehh?" said Kyoko, puffing out her cheeks. "Kanae is also going to be my guard? Don't you think that's a little excessive? I'm already being tailed by that shadow guard."

"You have a shadow guard?" said Kanae, though she shouldn't be surprised. Those elite warriors were not to be messed with and if keeping Kyoko safe was as important as Lory insisted, then the best should be employed.

"I've explained everything in the scroll." Said Lory, pointing at the parchment still in Kanae's hand, then he stood up. "I'll leave you two to catch up."

He left the room, leaving Kanae and Kyoko alone.

"What scroll was he talking about?" asked Kyoko, puzzled.

"This one." Said Kanae, holding it up. "Apparently it contains information about what's going on around here with the accursed."

Kyoko's face lost its sparkles, eyes narrowing as she stared intently at the scroll. Kanae blinked at the change for a moment, before smirking. Yes, this girl was not simple. Though she was optimistic, erratic and had more energy than was good for her, she was strong. There were few women like her. It was no wonder she'd caught the prince's eye.

"Open it Kanae." Said Kyoko, eyes alight, burning with determination. "I want to know what's going on."

Thanks for reading!

Updates will continue to be every other week. Check my profile for more information if for some reason I don't update on time.

I'm still finishing the outline for this arc and I haven't gone back over and re-edited half of the story... but I figured, May is almost done, let's just post it already.

While re-reading the story, I realized that my magic system changed a bit from the beginning. In chapter 7, there's a part where Kyoko thinks about the different forms of magic. You don't have to go back to re-read it, but I wanted to let you know that was not accurate anymore and I changed it. (the magic system will be explained more fully in this arc so it's not a big deal).

kiriko09: "Rosa is Queen Julie in Phoenix form?" Basically. When she is in a human form for Kuu, yes, she takes on queen Julie's appearance.

Thank you Noche Eterna for telling me how to read stories in other languages!

Samantha: This story does indeed have elements from those stories, as well as many others, but it is only technically a FF of Skip beat.

Guest: My sister does not (unfortunately) write fanfictions, though I tell her she should all the time. I got started writing in FF because my friends were talking about fanfictions and I got curious. Then after a month of reading, I decided I wanted to try. Simple as that. I highly encourage everyone to take a hand at it. This is the perfect place to get some experience writing.

Did anyone else LOL a little after reading that Kanae is going to take fighting lessons from Hiou's grandfather in cannon? XD

Special thanks and shout out to KRF, who unknowingly sent me a PM two days after I was seriously considering taking my whole account down. It was the push I needed to pull myself out of a hole of self-doubt I had created from real life drama that was happening. They super cheered me up!

And thanks to everyone else that commented as well! Me and Imouto would run up to each other and be like "Did you see? We got another review! Read it to me!" All. The. Time. Haha.

-Blushweaver

I confirm that Blushweaver nearly took her whole profile off and that KRF saved this story. It's fascinating how words, both positive and negative, can have such a pull on our emotions. Anyways, 'nuff philosophizing, we're back in business.

Also, fun side note, (I think I can tell you this now, Blushweaver will delete it if I can't) I literally called up Blushweaver in a tizzy because when Lory checked Kanae after the Djinn tries to pull out her essence, he said "she'll be fine." Or something along those lines. I was like DARKNESS PERSONIFIED JUST TOUCHED HER SOUL! HOW THE #$%^&* WOULD SHE BE FINE?! Blushweaver was amused, and looking back on it, so am I. :3

-Imouto