Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been drowned in work and couldn't find the time to write a chapter and I decided to seek out the help of a beta reader, too. So if this chapter seems remarkably better than my passed ones, it's all thanks to aphrodite931. Forgive me if new chapters take a while longer to come up. It's only because I want everyone reading the best ^_^

No I don't own Skip Beat!, now on with the chapter!:

Kyoko woke up a muddy mess beneath a large, beautiful mushroom with a silky skin that was a striking, deep blue and was covered in violet polka dots all the way until its base. The young starlet was confused at first, forgetting that she had been swept up into this magical realm the day before. A cool breeze stung her cheeks, blowing up small particles of the pink, magical blush that had appeared before her the last night. Kyoko could feel her body begin to shrink again and let the sensation overcome her until she had become quite small again. A wave of vulnerability washed over the teenager as a feeling of loneliness struck her. The sun's radiant rays shined down upon the land, revealing the bright, delicate greenery that Kyoko had first seen when she arrived in this world. But she could not forget what she had experienced the night before. The dark sky looming threateningly over her, the wind cold and chilly, the haunting whispers, the blade so close to taking her life. She was confused and didn't understand what had happened.

Was it just a bad dream? She touched her face and felt a burning sting as she brushed her fingers over the cut she had received the night before. It had happened. All of it. That man. That man that looked just like Tsuruga-san. He had tried to take her life so mercilessly. Kyoko closed her eyes and hugged her knees to her chest, feeling scared and the events of last night played back in her mind like a bad re-run. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, desperately trying to wish this world away.

It's not real, she repeated to herself, as if by saying and thinking it with all of her might, it would come true and she would open her eyes to find herself in the field Tsuruga-san had left her in. But her hopes were dashed when she opened her eyes and the scenery remained. Kyoko bent down her head and fought back tears. All her life she had wanted nothing but this, to wake up in a magical realm with fairies, flowers, and cosmetics but this place was more than she ever imagined. It wasn't the safe, happy place she thought it was. It has another side to it. A side that is terrifying and dangerous.

"Absolem-san." Kyoko let out the Caterpillar's name, remembering what he had told her about this world.

"Whaaat is it?"

Kyoko was startled at the sudden familiar voice. She whipped her head around to find the caterpillar but to no avail. She hastily climbed out from under the mushroom and looked up to see the blue caterpillar sitting proudly on top.

"Absolem-san!"

"Hmmm?"

"Absolem-san, I…I…"

"Are you going to say something or just keep repeating my name?"

Kyoko looked down, feeling her excitement over Absolem leave her and her previous fears and loneliness creep back in. She could feel tears forming behind her eyes and shivered from the thoughts that plagued her mind.

"Absolem-san, last night I saw…terrible things."

"Is that so?" the caterpillar responded uninterested.

Kyoko looked down and nodded and then peeked back up at the insect.

"Absolem-san, yesterday you told me about how this world has another side. What did you mean by that?"

"Hmmm…did I say that?"

"Yes. And I saw that side! Please you have to tell me more. I don't want to go through all of that again, but I can't just leave while my friends are still here. Maria-chan, president…Ts-Tsuruga-san, I can't just leave them behind when I caused them to come here. I won't leave without them!"

"Hmmm, you seem to be a determined girl. I see potential in you. You'll do great things one day."

Kyoko was taken aback by his complements at first but felt her lips spread into a warm smile. Somewhere behind that buggy look, Sawara-san was still in there. Even though he didn't say much, he had always supported her.

"Sawara-san, please, tell me." Absolem's face scrunched up upon hearing Kyoko call him "Sawara-san" again, but softened when he saw the dedication in Kyoko's eyes to save her friends.

"You sure have a heart filled with love, don't you?"

The starlet was startled by his words and then in a mixture of sadness and regret on her face, she looked away.

"No, my heart doesn't have the ability to love anymore. It was broken into pieces by someone I trusted with my life and now it's empty."

"Oh? Hmmm, I see. Ok, I guess I'll tell you then." Kyoko turned back to Absolem, ready to take in his words of wisdom.

"This world, as you see around you, is peaceful and full of happiness. You'll find joy under every rock. All but one in this land only wish to see everyone else happy. Especially visitors like you."

"All but one?" Kyoko's face was filled with confusion.

"Yes, but as I told you before, this is an illusion to what is hidden in everyone's hearts. When darkness falls, the darkness within them also comes out whether they want it to or not. Every person, animal, tree, stone, down to every speck, will try to harm others, especially you, an outsider." Kyoko listened intently to the words the caterpillar spoke, trying to comprehend them.

"As darkness falls, this world will become everyone's nightmare. You were scared last night weren't you?"

Kyoko shook her head up and down vigorously.

"But that is nothing compared to what is to come. All of your friends here have become a part of this world, emerged into it with new memories replacing those from their own world. But their pain from their world has followed them here and has enhanced itself in their hearts. This pain will make them do things that will shock you."

"But Sawara-san, how can I help them leave this place with me?"

"You need to find a way to wash away their pain. Make their hearts pure with happiness again."

"How do I do that?"

"That you must figure out on your own. Here take this." Absolem pulled out a little notebook out of thin air.

"Every time you help someone clear their heart, a mark will appear in this. Once you have helped everyone, you will find a way to get everyone home." He tossed the notebook to Kyoko. Kyoko's eyes widened when she inspected the booklet.

"What! This is my LoveMe notebook!" Kyoko glared down at the thing that always embarrassed her so much. Her fingers brushed the cover before they open it open to reveal several empty, blank pages. It was completely clean with none of her completed tasks or of those -10 points from Tsuruga-san.

"You must complete your task before your tenth night here, or else you will never be able to find a way back home."

"What? But I've already been here one night! That only leaves me with less than nine days to help everyone! And I can't do anything once night has already fallen, which means each day I would only have about 11-12 hours so then that would leave me with only about 108 hours max!"

"Hmmm, well as impressive as your math skills are, you are incorrect. Night here does not fall as in your own world. It comes and goes as it pleases. For all we know, night may fall in a blink of an eye or it may come seasons later."

"So that means…"

"You better get started soon if you want to avoid being stuck here. Go find your first friend and clear their hearts of any worries." Kyoko nodded at the caterpillar.

"So Sawara-san, what are your worries?"

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