Author's Note: What?! Japan is in fear and breaking down for a change? That's a shock! There's actually some new development with my baby for a change. Writing him having a break down can only go so far before I have to do something different. Anyway, I love how this match just came out as I wrote it. What do the nightcomers want with Kiku? What is the Woman in Red playing at with him? I already know what I am doing next week. Plus, there is the Halloween special coming up. Look forward to that. For now, enjoy this week's match.


Match Seventeen: Onryo:

Something has changed about Kiku.

Sena got the phone call in the early hours of the morning. She felt around outside of her futon for her phone. The woman grumbled to herself the whole time.

"Hello?" she asked. The call didn't last long for her to fully wake up.

"What?! Where did he go?!" she asked. The nurse was speaking in a panic as she tried to explain what happened last night.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sena said. "Slow down! Slow down! What happened?" The nurse took a breath on the other line and started again. Sena stood up after the story spilled into her ears. Soon, she was dressed and headed out the door.


Kiku wandered around through the empty morning streets. He looked out of sorts. The fog sat heavy in the air. Something seemed to be calling out to him. The frail man got up around midnight and left his room. He couldn't feel the cuts at his feet. Did someone try to stop him? He wasn't aware of it. His surroundings blended around into an empty space. His wounds started to fill with puss. The smell followed him out through the streets.


-7:29 a.m.-

Sena stood with the police at the mental institution. She rubbed her forehead and groaned.

"How could you let this happen?!" the woman shouted at the staff. One of the doctors rubbed the back of his head. She threw back her head and screamed.

"I don't believe this!" Sena screamed. "How do you guys lose a patient?" The doctors and nurses couldn't answer her. The cops got hold of the tapes from CCTV. Everyone crowded around for a look. The footage showed nothing at first. At first, the hospital halls were empty. One of the cops fast forwarded through the footage. Finally, they could see Kiku walking down the hall in a daze. Sena rose to her feet.

"That's him! That's my husband!" she shouted.

"Ma'am, please calm down," one of the officers said. Sena had to be sat back down.

"Uh… sir, what is that around his feet?" another officer asked. Everyone took a look at the monitor. They noticed a cloud of black mist surrounding his ankles. The first cop looked so confused.

"Is something wrong with the camera?" he asked. The color drained from Sena's face as she started to tremble.

"No…" she murmured. "No…"


Crows cawed overhead. Kiku jerked back into reality. The Japanese man lifted his head. His stomach dropped as he began to put two and two together.

"Oh no…"

His body felt so cold. Kiku looked down and saw the smoke around his wrists and ankles.

"Oh…" he muttered to himself. Kiku poked at his right wrist. A harsh whisper floated up from the skin. A black haze floated up from the wound. The smell made him wrinkle his nose.

"Oh…"

The wind sounded like it was crackling behind him. Kiku doesn't turn around. He already knew who it was. Gentle fingertips brushed against his nape. He wasn't afraid anymore. She moves in front of him.

"You found me," she said. He has no emotion on his face. Her lips curved into a catlike smile. Footsteps came up behind him.

"Hello, daughters of Allison Mayfair," she said. The nightcomers all circled Kiku. There was nothing in his dead eyes. She smiled and caressed his cheek.


-Noon-

Sena sat on the porch, trembling. Yao put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said. "We will get him back." She looked up at him and kind of shrugged.

"I tried to keep this from happening," she said. "I just…" Sena shook her head.

"I know," her brother-in-law said.

"How is your clan?" Sena asked.

"Good for the most part," Yao said, nodding. "We have some problems but we are doing fine." Both of them felt that it would be wise to leave it at that. They looked up when a car pulled up in the driveway. Sena stood up when she saw the cops coming out.

"Have you found him yet?" she asked.

"We're still looking," one of the cops said. "But we do have witnesses saying that he was last scene going downtown towards the cemetery." Sena and Yao looked at each other.

"Any reason why he would be going there?" the cop asked.

"No," Sena said.

"Hm," the cop said.

"Did they say where?" Yao asked.

"We have the officers still looking," the second cop told him. Yao and Sena looked at each other again.


-Kiku-

It doesn't hurt anymore.

She still scares me. But I can handle being by her side. I have to do this. I am doing this to protect Sena and everyone else.

It's too late for Im Yong. There are five more seals to go. I worry who will be next. She tells me that I should not worry. We will all be covered in the red death. That should scare me. But she insists that everything will be fine.

She pulled me into her arms. Tears ran down my cheeks.

"Will they be okay?" I asked. She gave me a sympathetic look.

"You will all die under me," she says.

"Will it hurt?"

Her lips came within inches of my right ear. "No." My body went limp in my arms. Somehow that is fine with me.

I slowly reach up to embrace her.


-5:58 p.m.-

Sena sat alone on the porch. She didn't want to go inside. She'd fight to stay away if she could. The family did their best to check on her. Some even stayed with her.

"You have to eat something," Vietnam told her. Sena shook her head. The Vietnamese woman left her food there by her side.

Sena was about to doze off she saw a figure standing at the end of the driveway. She jerked herself awake for a better look.

"Kiku?" the woman asked. The woman stood up, shielding her eyes for a better look. The figured started walking towards her. Her heart did little flips in her chest.

"Kiku!" Sena shouted. She ran over and hugged her husband wildly. Kiku gently embraced her.

"I'm home," he said in a calm tone. Something felt off. Sena looked up at her husband.

"Where did you go?" she asked. "Why did you leave the hospital like that?" Kiku shook his head.

"I don't really know," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Kiku took her by the cheeks.

"I think everything is going to be okay now," he said. "I'm sorry if I worried you." The Japanese man kissed her on the hand.

"Okay…" Sena said with an eyebrow raised. "But where did you go?"

"Just to the graveyard," Kiku said. "And then I came home."

"All this time?" she asked.

"I guess I have," he said. "I think I'm a bit tired."

"Uh… sure, sure," Sena said, nodding. "Let's get you inside." She moved his arm around her shoulders and walked him to the house. Kiku didn't say a word the whole time. Sena couldn't chase away the sinking feeling in her stomach. But he was much calmer than he had been in months. This should be fine for now, right?