Random Reviewer: Thanks for being my 100th reviewer! I think the review box won't let you imput certain symbols. "Cliffee" is a cute word.

ahmedzafar malik: New reviewer! Thanks!

GoldenPiggy: Alice's friend will literally be revealed shortly. I miscounted a lot, and that logic probably did derive from one of your reviews.

InnocentDiamond: Actually, I didn't to make a real statement about it. I'll keep the "one-minute and five-foot-radius" thing a secret for now. Borrowing appearances? We'll see.

Cherry-Tree: Just keep supporting Julie and Shun's mission! Getting along is a long story that I'll tell later. Read and see.

Marshall arts: Another new reviewer! The story's still pretty far from the ending, though.

MagicxMusicxMelody: Snow is awesome when not too cold. I'll let you decide what "identical brown eyes" mean.

Cup of Violet Tea: Runo's not that important, but Alice helping Runo is. There's more to Alice's friend that meets the eye.

SSR: Long time no update! Anyway, today's a special day because it's International Women's Day! XX power!

Julie: No guys in the workroom today for the heck of it.

Alice: Just a couple weeks of school to go...

Runo: ...and then it's Spring Break!

SSR: The spread of some nameless disease. -.-"

Chan: SSR doesn't own Bakugan. For technical reasons, Alice is wearing her Season One outfit for this "arc."

Chapter Seventeen

Overly Occupied

...

...

If Marucho and Julie knew what Masquerade was going through right now, they'd definitely celebrate.

"Who are you?" Masquerade demanded. He tried to break free, but his captor threw a sweep hand on his shadow to detain him. "You're one of us." he realized.

In response, the girl pulled her hand across, cutting a three-inch-long wound onto Masquerade's neck. "Sorry if the wound on your arm didn't hurt enough. I'll add some extra pain right now."

Marucho twitched at the sight of fresh blood, but Julie saw it before and had an idea of what was going on. "Hey! I don't understand what's going on. Clarification, please?" she requested.

The girl stopped in place and revealed herself. She wore an indigo short-sleeved dress with the ruffled skirt down to her knees. Her low-cuff boots made her just an inch taller than Julie. Long, auburn hair reached down to her waist. Holding up the sweep hands in her left hand for the Guardians of Time to see, she replied while standing behind Masquerade, "He won't bother you three for a while..."

That let the two breathe a sigh of relief.

"...but keep watching your backs."

After that, she disappeared without ever showing her face. Masquerade also left without further words. "Julie, what just happened?"

"Didn't you hear what that girl said? Thank goodness she saved us from Masquerade."

"What girl?" Marucho and Julie failed to understand each other. "I just saw Masquerade have a spasm and bleed. We should get out of here."

As they walked away, Julie looked back at the gravitational drops of Masquerade's blood, which slowly dried up and faded. How come Marucho didn't see her? Was Masquerade acting weirdly because of that? What does she have to do with this? But none of those were as important and crucial as her final one.

Who is she?

...

...

"I'm back."

Shun looked up and swept his bangs back. "Finally! I don't how I managed to sell every jar of honey you brought here, but I did. Not the most productive thing I've ever done, honestly." He handed a metal box and notepad to Alice. "Here's today's earnings. I recorded each transaction here.

"Thank you so much! The fair's over anyway." Alice gathered everything and noticed the empty cardholder. "You gave all the cards and flyers away?"

"People asked for them, so I gave a card to earlier customers and a flyer to the later ones. They sounded really interested, but we won't know unless they really go to the diner for real. I like the sales figures, though."

Alice looked at the net income for the day and smiled. "Triple digits! Did you set the prices really high? Technically, you weren't supposed to since I made a note in the box, but thank you though."

"No problem. Glad I could help, but where have you been? Clearly, you asked for 'extra' help, but you didn't even help, so I was basically the only help here." No matter how many times Alice thanked him, Shun still demanded an explanation.

"Um...I had to do a lot of stuff, actually. But you'll definitely like one of them. You've eaten honey before, right?"

"Mainly as a throat reliever, but otherwise, yes."

"Okay great! Do you want to test some of my homemade honey for me?" Shun gave her an odd look, so she explained, "Mrs. Misaki said that you should always have someone else try it first for you. Supposed to be good luck or something."

He shrugged. "Sure. I don't see what could be bad about that. You owe me, anyway."

"Great! I really appreciate all of this."

Alice gave him a hug and shook his hands vigorously, but that wasn't what surprised him. Alice's gentle touch to his hands in turn became piercing stings from bees, and Shun pulled back. Bees flew past his field of view but disappeared, and he looked at his hands, which were faintly red with irritation. What was that? Someday, I might get into an accident because of this.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked. "Did I-"

"I'm fine. I think it's just your nails." he lied.

Alice looked at her nails and frowned. "I guess it is about time I had my nails cut. Anyway, are we done packing? I want to leave now."

"I'll carry your stuff for you." Shun closed the cover and lifted the box as Alice walked out first to see the other stands. "Julie, where are you...?"

"Behind you."

Shun turned around in shock and gently pat his chest. "You scared me again. Anyway, I swear I saw bees sting me right when Alice held my hand."

"She 'held' your hand? Really...?"

It took a while for Shun to understand what Julie meant. "Come on, not in that sense. More like 'grabbed'." He held his left hand up and showed her the redness. "If I get into an accident because of this, I'm blaming you."

"Sorry, but I wasn't expecting this, either. Anyway, change the topic. Remember the person who saved us back in downtown Wardington?"

"You mean the person who specifically said my name? Why?"

"I think she just came back and saved Marucho and me from Masquerade."

Shun stopped walking. "A 'she'? You saw her face? What does she look like?"

"She didn't show her face. She only wore an indigo dress and indigo boots and had wavy auburn hair. By all means, she's really powerful with those clock hands...and kind of reminds of like Alice."

He tightened his grip on the box handles and glanced at the redhead talking to someone else at another stand. "She could be Alice's friend. Maybe that's why they look alike. Theory or not, you still haven't seen her face."

"I know, and you should get going."

...

...

Shun took a seat at one of the dining tables and counted the money again. He sat there for about ten minutes ever since he and Alice left the food fair and went back to the diner. Alice went to the back of diner but still hadn't come back.

Julie sat down in the seat across from him. "She's probably retrieving that special honey she made. Don't get too annoyed."

"I know. I'm just thinking about where she went during that hour-long period of time. You said you got attacked by Masquerade?"

"And was rescued by our mystery person, yes."

"Do you think she left in a hurry because she knew you two were in trouble?"

Julie gulped and bit her lip at the thought. "That is possible. I forgot she was with you, but we're talking about two people here. Why require Alice to leave when the invisible friend herself can just come over? That's-"

"Sorry for taking so long!" Alice entered the back door with three glass jars in her hands. She took off her heavy-duty beekeeper clothing set it all aside. Julie left anyway, and Alice took the seat. "The latch got stuck. Here, try it."

Shun took a small scoop with the spoon she gave him and tasted it. "I love the flavor already. Not too sweet or bland, but something really nice to dip cookies in or add to bitter tea or medicine, especially since it's not very viscous. I'm not a honey expert, but I'd give you five stars for it. How did you make this so perfectly?"

"You won't believe it, but this is actually my first try." Shun looked at Alice with widened eyes. "I'm serious. Producing the perfect honey requires patience and will. This is also the first batch of honey extracted from my personal hive in the back. You can have it all if you want."

"That's great, because I can't help myself from eating it." Shun added, eating another bite of honey.

Alice smiled and leaned over to Shun, making him look up. "It's never an easy thing to succeed..."

Shun blinked confusingly. Where is she going with this?

"...especially when people are keeping you occupied from proper business."

That spoon suddenly sent multiple stings to his right hand.

SSR: Miss Invisible Friend was inspired by a picture from DeviantArt, but I altered a lot of details from the original.

Julie: Alice is turning! We must contain her!

Alice: What?!

SSR: Anyway, next on my checklist is more background story details of Masquerade because other than being a bad guy, he's just a typical bad guy.

Runo: Yeah. Where's the motive?

Chan: Refer to last paragraph of the previous chapter.

SSR: Gee, thanks. Please review!

Alice: (struggling) Friendly reminder - tomorrow is Daylight Savings for certain countries, so if you need to spring forward your clocks, please do so at midnight!

Julie: (throws herself at Alice) Gotcha! I will extract you of every secret that you've been-

SSR: Enough.