Ren, Yashiro, Moko, and Maria all stood in the president's office. It had been 20 minutes since Kyoko's kidnapping and the explosion. The call from the kidnappers would come in an hour with their demands no doubt. That was if of course money was what they were after. Out of the corner of his eye President Takirada could see Ren twitching impatiently. Oh, when men are in love and lovers are taken hostage.

"Miss Kotonami, if you would please tell us more about the events prior to the explosion it might give us a clue to who did this."

"No need. Two guys named Shikitaro and Shikimoto aimed for Kyoko specifically. They had identical Tanuki masks on and when they through that explosive Kyoko seemed to recognize them."

"Why would you say that Miss Kotonomi?"

"She was the one to say their names. Before they threw the explosive we thought they were some of your cosplayers."

"Why would Kyoko know people who use explosives!?"

Suddenly the president's aid slid into view.

" Sir I did a bit of research like you asked it's quite strange"

"Hmmmmm….." he said looking over the documents. "THIS IS!"

"What? What is it?!" Everyone asked.

The president pinched the top of his nose and set the documents down.

"Kyoko has not only disappeared because of a kidnaping. The target of these people was never money, but Kyoko herself. Almost every record of her existence to this point has been erased at several points in time. If you look at it in a fictional sense it's like she can travel through time or has fallen from the edge of the world without a trace."

"…..Huh?" they said in unison

The president handed them the papers. They all flipped through them Moko was the first to see a detail they all failed to notice at first.

"It looks like she disappeared for two or three weeks when she was two, and again when she was ten. Wait isn't this pattern?"

"Show me." Ren demanded.

Moko grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down the timeline.

"See. If you start at the time she was two, eight years pass then she turns ten. Kyoko is almost eighteen now her birthday is in a few months, so this seems to happen almost every eight years."

"Your right, if you take into account that she knows the kidnapers it could mean she encountered them at those points in time. Wait didn't she start to have a bad relation with her mother back when she was three?" asked the President

"Yes she did, so that relationship must have started after that first time." Moko responded.

"If Kyoko knows the culprits and she meant them at one of those times it would be best to confront her mother about this first. She may give us a hint to what is going on." The president told them moving to make the call.

The phone rang for a few moments. A woman picked up the line. She kept her voice polite, but you could feel the ice behind her words. If Yashiro didn't know any better he could almost swear that he was talking to a Hebi, Tsuchigumo, or a female Oni. The president spoke with her and told her Kyoko's situation. He mentioned the two names and asked if she knew anything. They could all hear what happened next over the speaker.

"Those Idiots, I told them to..." the phone slammed down cutting off the connection.

Everyone stood pale from that brief hostile phrase. Ren was the first to take off.

"I'm going to her hometown!" he told everyone behind him. The president moved too slowly to stop him.

Meanwhile Kyoko….

"Morrons. Don't you realize how much trouble you made? They'll start to talk about terrorists now."

"Hehe, that's the least of your worries right now ninja girl. Oh, but wait, You might never live to see that place again after this year so I guess I should just let you complain."

"You are so right brother, maybe we will finally get her this year. She has after all outlasted the others each and every year."

Kyoko glared at them. It had been awhile but her grudge Kyokos popped out hitting them on the head.

"Ouch! What the…? What was that?!" they glanced over at her. "No that's impossible even for some of the other Halflings" they said in unison.

Kyoko ignored them. She already deduced that her family didn't have any foreiners in it. Though if she and Corn…..wait now wasn't the time to think about how he looked that night when they….

"Oh, are you thinking about that model boyfriend of yours that tried to come to the rescue? Hey, did you two do it yet?"

Kyoko turned bright red and literly punched one of the twins on the cheek. Luckly for everyone the one who said that wasn't the one driving.

1 hour later…

Kyoko stood before the gates of the kill zone once more. It was being sent here a second time that made her give up hope on ever having a good relationship with her mother. This would be the third time she entered there. She knew all the safest routes from before. Tracking where the phsycos would head had become child's play for her. In two weeks she would be back at LME never to play this game ever again. She would be free.

The first time she had entered the zone there were 60 children. By the end of that first time the number left was 21. The second time they entered only 11 came back. There was no doubt in her mind that the number would drop even further especialy with those terror twins on the loose.

Ren after arriving in Kyoto….

Ren stood nearby as he spotted his current target. She was on the phone with someone. He could just make out what was being said.

"Did you talk to those idiots of yours Tiema? I don't care about that, the fact is they left witnesses. Make them learn to plan better after they leave that zone. And my daughter?"

Ren percked at the mention of Kyoko and strained to listen even harder.

"She's wearing that and she died her hair what color?" Kyoko's mother let out a annoyed sigh. " Alright have her die it back with that and put on that outfit. Its better than what she has. Yes, I'll be there soon, Send them in after she changes and her hair is taken care of. IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSSINESS WHERE I'M HEADED FIRST, SO BE QUIET!"

She stormed off towards a parking garage for her work building. Ren swiftly entered his car just as she pulled out. As easily as a cat stalks a mouse Ren followed her in search of Kyoko. When he finaly was reunited with her, he would never let her go again.