Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm finally updating Stargazer after a looooooong time! I'm sorry I haven't been updating this story much. I've been so focused on TCR, Firefly's Enchantment and Snow Princess, plus I had no ideas for upcoming chapters. But now I do! My Spanish class saw this movie called "Under the same moon" or "La misma luna" in Spanish and it's sooooo GOOD. The only thing I didn't like was the monster cliffhanger at the end. Ugh! I wanted to see what happened after that! Oh well. Anyway, here's to the long awaited chapter 4 of Stargazer! Read and review nicely please! NO FLAMES!!! Happy reading.

Capitulo 4: La sangre manchó muñeca(1)

It was a quiet, tranquil night in a little town called Taguchi. The stars were as white like the moon, shining brightly in the dark blue sky. The moon was a crescent one, with a big chunk of it missing, making it look like a finger nail. There weren't many people scurrying along the streets tonight since it was night time...or was there?

In the middle of a park that was about a mile from the police station, there were many people sitting in a circle next to a fountain. Many men and some women. All of them wore the same thing. They wore clothes that were colors such as dark red and black. Some of the men wore crimson red shirts that had pictures of yellow crowns on them that had 5 points on them. Some of them wore beaded bracelets that were black, white, and red in color. Half of them were Japanese, half of them looked to be of Spanish nationality. Some of them wore black snow hats, the ones that didn't have strings.

One man in particular stood out among the rest. He had slightly shaggy and messy black hair along with piercing black eyes. He looked to be in his early 30's. He wore a long-sleeved, dark red shirt with a picture of a yellow, 5-pointed crown on it along with black jean pants and white sneakers. He wore a silver ring on a finger on his left hand and had a beaded bracelet which was just black and white in terms of their color. He looked like he had a tiny mustache under his nose, but it wasn't big enough to cover his mouth completely. His face had some slightly red spots on them. He also had an earring on his left ear which resembled a gold eagle's wing.

One of the people in the group raised their hand. A woman to be exact.

"King Tone, what's our plan for tonight?" The woman asked. She had semi-long, wavy and curly black hair along with sharp, dark brown eyes.

"What's our plan, Queen Melody? I'll tell ya. I managed to strike a deal with those guys I hooked up with yesterday. I also managed to get my hands on those narcotics they want, so we'll have some money tonight" The man, King Tone, replied. Most of the men cheered in delight.

"Muy bueno(2)!" Most of the men cheered happily.

"But how much exactly?" Another woman asked. She was right next to Queen Melody. She has long, dark brown hair along with matching eyes.

"I don't know, Queen Eva, but they'll give me an answer once I hook up with them" King Tone replied sternly as he looked around the circle of people. He looked around for a bit, stood up, and stared directly at a man. The man had rather messy, dark red hair and brown eyes. King Tone pointed at him.

"King Thunder! I'm going to leave you in charge of this group while I'm gone. Keep in mind, DO NOT do anything that'll make the police station suspicious. ¿Me comprende usted?(3)" King Tone declared. The red-haired man, King Thunder, stood up and saluted him.

"Si! Amor de rey!" King Thunder proclaimed in Spanish. King Tone then decided to leave the group. In his hand was a small, light brown bag. The contents in it weren't seen, but they were likely to be the narcotics he mentioned that he was going to sell.

A few minutes later, he was outside the park and walking down the sidewalk. Thankfully, there weren't many people out on the streets tonight. About a few buildings had their lights on, but nothing too bright. Regardless, he tried to avoid any lights so that he wouldn't be easy to spot by some people. He blended in with the dark rather well, save for the gold crown design embedded on his shirt. He didn't really care and continued to look around as he was walking.

He made a left turn and began walking down some dark alleys between houses. It certainly was scary, but King Tone kept his cool. He didn't even bring a flashlight with him. He got out of the alleys and walked down the sidewalk again. He put a hand on his forehead. He seemed to be rather slightly irritated.

"Ay dios mio(4)...I should've brought a flashlight or even a lighter with me. Where was that building they mentioned again?...Oh! Right! It's at that place near the food store. I better get there before--" King Tone murmured to himself as he had trouble remembering his destination for a while. But he was soon cut off by another voice.

"Uh...exkyuush (excuse) me!"

The voice surprised King Tone. He turned around and saw someone behind him. It was a woman. She had semi-long, curly, wavy, light blonde hair and eyes like sterling silver. She was wearing a long-sleeved, black dress along with a black hat, black stockings, and black shoes. These weren't goth clothes she was wearing. It looked like clothes someone would wear at a funeral or on a special occassion. Her black hat had a light blue ribbon wrapped around it along with a yellow flower on the side. But what King Tone noticed that her face, though it was dark, looked like that of a mentally deficient person. Her head was oddly shaped too. She was also wearing bottle-thick glasses. She also looked to be in her mid-20's. Her dress looked more like a European-style dress than a goth dress. She also had with her a bright red purse with a pink ribbon on it. She looked like a spitting image of a porcelain doll from the Czech Republic.

"...who are you?" King Tone asked, confused.

"I-I-I-I'm...Nene. Kirishima Nene. Are you...Antonio Ordonez...aka King Tone? From deh Japaneesh (Japanese) Kingsh?" The woman, Nene, replied strangely. Her speech and grammar were very off, like she had some impairment. King Tone, or Antonio Ordonez, was surprised that she knew his real name.

"Y-yes, me llamo(5) Antonio Ordonez, aka King Tone" King Tone replied in Spanish, but began speaking in Japanese again. "How do you know my real name?" King Tone asked.

"You ish on da noos (news)! Anyway...I need yur...hhhhelp" Nene replied with a very crooked smile. Her teeth were showing and they were crooked as well. King Tone was surprised again. This time she's asking for his help.

"You need my help? With what? And make it quick, I gotta hook up with some guys to get some loot" King Tone claimed as he wanted Nene to be quick with her request. She then pulled out her red purse, opened it, put her hand in it, and pulled something out. She showed it to King Tone.

It was a small picture of someone. The person in the picture was a boy. The picture shows he has dark brown, shaggy hair and silver eyes. He is also wearing a dark blue police outfit, hat and gold badge and all. King Tone was even more surprised, almost as if he actually recognized the man.

"I know this dude! He's the guy from the police station. Nikkaido Tsukushi, right?" King Tone declared.

"No no no no! Dis ish Kirishima Shukushi (Tsukushi)! My brosha (brother)! Nikkaido a fake name! Bull! My family wants him back. He ish gonna pay for what he did. Can you...find him and giff (give) him to meeeeee?" Nene declared. King Tone began thinking for a little bit, then spoke again.

"Is there gonna be a reward?" King Tone asked with a stern expression.

"I giff (give) you a wot (lot) of munnee (money)" Nene replied. She almost looked like she was drooling.

"How much?" King Tone asked again. Nene began thinking for a little bit, then spoke again.

"I dunno. Wood (would) $1500 bee okeh?" Nene admitted. King Tone was shocked and flabbergasted even further. This strange, possibly mentally impaired woman was offering him $1500 just to have him find someone she requested. King Tone began thinking for a bit, then snatched the picture from Nene.

"You have yourself a deal. But can we do it tomorrow? I have some business to do tonight" King Tone told her. Nene nodded cooperatively.

"Okeh. I shall wait" Nene said. King Tone decided to leave for the night as he went off to do some business, leaving Nene behind. But it seems Nene doesn't mind. Nene's eyes then suddenly looked evil and she let out an evil laugh.

"Kihihihihi...widdle brosha's gunna bee reddy (ready) for a big shurprise tomorrow!" Nene mused to herself quietly yet with a childish and malicious tone.

1 day later...

Wednesday, May 9, 2009

The pitch black night disappeared to another part of the world. Here in Taguchi, it is now a bright, clear, sunny spring morning, while still being a bit on the cold side. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, flowers were blooming and absorbing the sun's golden yellow rays, and people were beginning to awake from their sleep. Some people were already awake even before the sun came up.

The chief officer of the Taguchi National Police Department was no exception.

He stood on the porch of the police building with a stern and stoic expression. He looked to be in his mid-40's. He had straight, black hair that was pulled backward and had piercing dark blue eyes like the night. He was quite big, tall and bulky in appearance. He wore a police officer uniform consisting of a long-sleeved, dark blue shirt along with matching pants and a sailor-like hat. On his left breast was a gold, shield-shaped badge. He also wore long black boots and a silver ring on one of his fingers. He looked like he was growing a small beard. He turned around and walked back into the building. He went into the main lobby when he saw another fellow officer sitting on one of the couches.

This police officer looked much younger than the chief officer and had a much more emotionless and stoic expression on him than even the chief did, but he also looked very sad and distraught. This officer looked to be in his mid-20's and has black hair similar to the chief, but is not as straight, and brown eyes. His figure was much smaller than the chief. His hands were clasped together, forming a little ball. He also wore the same outfit as the chief. The chief noticed he was there and was surprised.

"Lieutenant Makoto. I didn't expect you to be awake this early" The chief remarked in a deep, manly tone of voice. The younger officer, whose name is Makoto, did not respond. He still kept his distraught expression and didn't move a bit. The chief decided to sit next to him on the couch.

"Is something bothering you? You don't have that scary face you make a whole lot" The chief asked while making a slight comment. Makoto's eyes looked half-open and he continued to stare down at his fists.

"...Tsukushi hasn't been here for 2 days" Makoto replied in a much younger yet manly and aloof voice.

"Ah, you're worried about Officer Nikkaido, aren't you? I can probably see why. You two are quite close, even though your personalities clash greatly" The chief replied. Makoto's expression changed into becoming a little irritated.

"Please do not create such nonsense, Chief Katakura" Makoto told him sternly. Chief Katakura stood up and turned around a little bit.

"You certainly are reserved. But I don't blame you. Nikkaido-san has been out the past 2 days. I was planning on including him in a mission that's coming up. I do wonder what could be wrong" Chief Katakura mused to himself. Makoto's face became sad again as he continued to stare down at his fists.

A certain image continued to flash in Makoto's mind. It is a scary image. The image of a young boy with shaggy brown hair nude from the waist up holding a knife and proceeding to cut his neck in the midst of a terrible rain storm. The image was blurry, but to Makoto, it was as clear as day. It wasn't a figment of his imagination, but there's no evidence of it being part of a memory or a flashback anywhere yet. He was lost in the confines of his mind...until Katakura spoke again.

"I wonder if we can get Hoshigaki to look for him today?" Chief Katakura said to himself. But Makoto heard this and quickly stood up.

"That is out of the question! Hoshigaki is still a child and I will not permit her to perform a task that will likely cost her her life! I will take on the task of searching for Tsukushi, if you will, Chief Katakura" Makoto declared, making the "scary face" that Chief Katakura was talking about. Chief Katakura was a bit surprised, but Makoto didn't see this and decided to walk out of the police station. Chief Katakura then let out a sigh of distress.

"That Minami sure is stubborn when it comes to Nikkaido. I do wonder...what is their true relationship?" Chief Katakura murmured to himself again.

Meanwhile, Minami Makoto began walking the streets and sidewalks of Taguchi completely in his police uniform. He even had a black pistol in his belt. He began looking around the area he was in. There were many houses, some little stores, and some people wandering around, but there was no sign of a man named Nikkaido Tsukushi anywhere. Makoto still kept his distraught face, but he tried to keep his cool and make sure he didn't do anything that would make him stand out.

He walked around the streets of Taguchi silently and emotionlessly, without doing anything but walking and turning his head both ways every few minutes. He had in his hand a picture of the person he is looking for. Tsukushi has messy and shaggy brown hair along with piercing silver eyes that shone like pure sterling silver jewelery. In the picture, he is also wearing the same police uniform the TNPD has. Makoto began asking people if they had seen him by showing them his picture, but few people saw him. Makoto was sad, but he persisted in continuing to search for his partner.

But as he was walking down the sidewalk, he saw a young man run past from about a few feet up ahead. Makoto became surprised. He managed to see that the person had messy brown hair and a police uniform.

"Tsukushi?"

He became curious and decided to follow him, though he tries to keep a short distance so that he would not notice. He definitely knew that the person who is running is his partner. To him, it was no mistake at all. Makoto began following who he thought was Tsukushi. As he slowly followed him, he began to notice that he began entering some dark alleys that were in between some houses. He recognized these alleys as hideouts for gangs that would come around every now and then. Makoto hated being in these places, but he felt obligated to know where Tsukushi was headed. He continued to follow him.

As Makoto went into another alley, he saw some people sitting in a circle in between some trash cans and playing cards. They were wearing crimson and black. They were obviously Japanese Kings. Makoto noticed them, but he didn't have time for them now as he wanted to chase after his partner and take him back to the TNPD. Makoto wasn't going to give up, but Tsukushi was suddenly gaining speed. Makoto tried to catch up, but suddenly...

THUD!

"Ack!"

He suddenly tripped on something! He tried to get up, but as he tried to stand up, he wasn't able to do so. Something was clinging to his leg. He turned around and saw that his foot was caught in an old-style trap used to catch bears. Fortunately, Makoto had very sturdy boots on, so he didn't have any serious injury. Makoto sat up and tried to remove the trap from his foot. The trap had teeth, so it was likely he'd hurt his fingers if the trap caught his fingers as he tried to remove it. Thankfully though, he managed to remove the trap without much difficulty. But as he looked back ahead, he noticed that Tsukushi was gone. He had gone on ahead.

"(Censored D word). This stupid trap is a hindrance to my task" Makoto retorted to himself as he stood up. But as he stood up...

BANG!

A loud noise echoed in the air. It was likely to be gunfire. This made Makoto's eyes turn big.

"A gunshot? Nearby? That means...No! No, it can't be!" Makoto said to himself as he suspected that his partner might be at the area where the gunshot was fired. So he hurried out of the alley and into another part of town...only to witness a horrifying sight.

His partner was being beaten up by two Japanese Kings!

Makoto was appalled, yet he pulled out his black pistol and quickly jumped into the scene.

"HEY!! Japanese Kings!! Stop it right now!!" Makoto yelled as he leaped in front of the Japanese Kings and proceeded to aim his gun at them. He successfully managed to scare them enough to make them stop beating up the police officer that they were injuring. Makoto fired at least two shots at them, but they missed. He was unsuccessful at capturing those gang members.

But he then turned to Tsukushi, who was indeed the man from Makoto's picture. Shaggy brown hair, silver eyes, police uniform and all. But he then noticed that Tsukushi had cuts and bruises all over him. Including his face. Makoto threw his pistol down to the ground and proceeded to help Tsukushi.

"Tsukushi! Are you alright!? What happened!?" Makoto yelled with his voice full of worry. He noticed that Tsukushi was trembling in fear. His hand clung to Makoto's shirt as Makoto had helped him up.

"They...tried to ambush me...I tried to pull my gun on them...but I was slow..." Tsukushi told him quietly.

"Please, do not worry, my partner! I shall bring help!" Makoto reassured Tsukushi that help was going to be on the way. He pulled out a walkie-talkie and began talking at it.

"Chief! I found Tsukushi! He was ambushed by Japanese Kings and is injured! Please, get here quickly!" Makoto yelled over the walkie-talkie and threw it back into his belt. He also retrieved his gun too. About a few minutes later, Chief Katakura arrived with a police car. He scooped the injured Tsukushi in his arms and gently put him in the car. Makoto followed. The police car drove back to the police station.

As the officers arrived, they put Tsukushi in the infirmary so that the doctor can tend to his wounds. The Taguchi National Police Department has it's own little hospital in case any fellow officers are injured or wounded or sick. The big hospital is too far from where Taguchi is. Not only does the little hospital help police officers, but other people as well. The doctor and Makoto tended to Tsukushi's wounds. The doctor proceeded to open up Tsukushi's shirt and remove it so that he can see if there are any new wounds to heal. To his surprise, there are a lot of cuts and bruises. A lot of them seemed rather old. The doctor examined his arms, took a stethoscope and gently placed it on Tsukushi's chest. It felt very cold, but Tsukushi tried to bear with it.

"Hmmm...I'm very confused. Even though the beating happened just recently, it seems many of these wounds are rather old, don't you think?" The doctor said. Makoto kept staring down at the old bruises and hardened cuts all over his chest. Nevertheless, the doctor put those aside for a bit and decided to tend to the more recent wounds. Tsukushi remained awake the whole time. His breathing was a bit hoarse, but he turned his head to look at Makoto.

"M-Ma-Makoto...it hurts...even my old scars..." Tsukushi whispered quietly. He was in a slight amount of pain, but Makoto tried to calm him down by holding his hand. Makoto had his distraught and sad face from earlier, but he also had a slight smile.

"It will be alright. I'll let the doctor help you get better. I'll have him try and treat your old scars too" Makoto told him with a slightly troubled expression until someone else came into the room.

"Oh no! What happened here?"

It was a young girl.

This girl looked to be about 12 years old in age. She had short, brown hair that went to her chin and golden eyes that shone brightly like jewelery. Her hair was lighter and straighter than Tsukushi's hair. She is wearing a long-sleeved, green sweater with a V-neck and a big pocket on the stomach part along with black jean pants and white shoes. Both Makoto, Tsukushi, and the doctor noticed her.

"Ho-Hoshigaki" Makoto said.

"Mi-Mika...what are you doing here?" Tsukushi asked quietly. Hoshigaki Mika is the young girl's name.

"I had a dream that Nikkaido-san was hurt. Is he okay?" Mika asked in a soft, cute but worried voice of a little girl. Makoto sighed a bit and walked up to her.

"Your mild psychic powers are accurate, I'll admit, but it's much too early for you to be here right now. You should return home. We will take care of Tsukushi on our own" Makoto told Mika bluntly and with a strict expression. The doctor noticed this and was surprised.

"Minami-san! You shouldn't be so rude to the girl. Please don't worry, Mika-san. Tsukushi will be just fine once I tend to his injuries here" The doctor scolded Makoto while at the same time reassuring Mika that Tsukushi was going to be okay. Mika then walked slowly to Tsukushi, who was still lying in the bed. She noticed his wounds on his chest. Some were fresh and red, while some scars were brown and hard as rock. Mika also saw some dark purple bruises on his chest and arms.

"Nikkaido-san..." Mika murmured worriedly as she slowly raised her arm and gently stroke Tsukushi's cheek with it. Tsukushi's cheek was quite soft as her small, tender hand gently moved across it. Tsukushi put his own hand on her hand and clung to it.

"Micchan...I apologize for Makoto's rudeness, but I'll be alright...please don't worry about me. Return home before school starts, alright?" Tsukushi told Mika, but she was still worried.

"N-Nikkaido-san...some of those scars...were you injured before? They look hard as rock, so--" Mika said when she was suddenly cut off and interrupted by Makoto, who slammed his fist onto the cabinet that was next to the doctor.

"Those are none of your concern, Hoshigaki!!" Makoto yelled angrily. The combined sounds of Makoto's yelling and his fists slamming into the cabinet were both very intimidating to Mika. In response, she quickly covered her ears with her hands. The doctor and Tsukushi were a bit shaken by the sounds as well.

"Must you be so rude!? She's just concerned for his safety, what's wrong with that?" The doctor rebuked strongly. Makoto's eyes began to tremble and his teeth gritted together as he had just expressed his anger. Mika was scared and intimidated as she kept her hands on her ears, but she decided to leave the room anyway.

As she left the room, she ran into Chief Katakura and another young police officer. This one was also wearing the uniform. This one looks to be older than both Tsukushi and Makoto, possibly in his late 20's or early 30's. He has long, straight, raven black hair that went to his upper back along with eyes as sapphire and blue as the ocean, making him look like a woman in appearance. His skin was white and his expression was also stoic and quiet. He didn't say a word.

"Oh, Hoshigaki-san. I guess you decided to come early even though it's a school day. It's only 7:22 AM, so you have some time to get home" Chief Katakura told her, but she didn't react. She looked rather sad.

"Katakura-san, why does Minami-san hate me? Did I do something to make him angry?" Mika asked quietly. Chief Katakura's face softened a bit and he kneeled down to Mika's level.

"It's not that the Lieutenant hates you. Since you're so young, he's probably concerned about your safety. He mentioned to me this morning that he doesn't want you taking on missions that could potentially cost you your life. He may seem rather rude, but he's actually quite kind and protective. He and Nikkaido are rather close. Even I don't know what their relationship is like. But he's not angry at you about anything. I think he's trying too hard to protect Tsukushi, but I wonder...what does he want to protect Nikkaido from anyway?" Katakura explained. Mika understood and decided to leave the TNPD building...but the androgynous looking man stopped her by standing in front of her for a bit.

"Minami-san hates admitting it, but he likes you very much. I overheard him say so the other day. He likes Nikkaido-san very much too. They have been together for a long time, but I don't know what compels them to be so close" The long-haired officer told Mika in a polite but indifferent barritone that sounded like a teenager. Mika smiled a bit.

"Thanks, Niwa-san" Mika told the man, Niwa, and left the room. Chief Katakura chuckled a bit.

"Wow, I've never seen you so direct, Lieutenant Junichi" Chief Katakura remarked with a smile. Niwa Junichi kept his stoic expression and decided to sit on one of the couches and read a book.

About 35 minutes later, Mika was driven to Himawari Middle School by her mother. Mika was now in her homeroom classroom with many other students and the teacher, Ikari Teruna, aka "The Angry Teacher". Mika still seemed rather sad and concerned. She was probably still intimidated by Makoto's sudden outburst. Her hands were shaking until...

"Are you okay, Mikan?"

Three people approached her. Two girls, one boy. One girl was the same age as Mika. She had semi-long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon along with forest green eyes. She is wearing a long-sleeved, white jacket over a dark green shirt along with a long, light purple skirt with little pink flowers on it. She also wore white shoes.

Another girl looked to be about a year older. She had shoulder-length, traditionally dark brown hair and blue eyes. She is wearing a dark blue jacket over a black shirt along with dark blue jean pants and brown shoes.

The boy had straight, short, light blonde hair along with greyish blue eyes. He looked to be about the same age as Mika and the blond girl.
He was wearing a long-sleeved, dark brown sweater with a picture of a yellow moon on it along with dark blue jean pants and black sneakers.

"Sumi-chan, Roko-chan, Kun-Kun" Mika said to the three people, who were apparently her friends. Sagara Kasumi is the blond girl's name, Yokota Hiroko is the brown-haired girl's name, Nishino Kunio is the boy's name. They sat next to her.

"Are you alright, Micchan? You seem a little down" Kasumi asked in a soft, polite and lady-like voice.

"I-I'm fine. There was a bit of a ruckus this morning and I got scared" Mika replied.

"Did your older sister yell at you again!? I swear, that girl's gonna be going to the dentist if I see her yell at you over nothing again!" Hiroko proclaimed loudly. Kunio tried to calm her down.

"Now now, Hiroko-chan, let's calm down, shall we?" Kunio told her as he clung to her arm and tried to calm her down. Hiroko did calm herself down and sat down normally.

"So, what else is new?" Kunio asked with curiosity. Kasumi turned to Mika.

"Micchan, ever since you came over my house yesterday, big brother's been wanting to see you" Kasumi told her directly. Mika became a little
surprised.

"Really?" Mika asked.

"Yep! It seems he really likes you. He's been saying your name flawlessly over and over again!" Kasumi explained. Mika was quite surprised. She didn't feel like the type of person that people would want to see. But Kunio was confused.

"You have a brother?" Kunio asked, confused.

"Yes. Sagara Tetsuyuki is his name" Kasumi replied politely.

"Are you talking about that brother of yours who got brain damaged 6 months ago in a car accident?" Hiroko asked. But this made Kunio instantly surprised.

"WHAT?!?" Kunio yelped loudly. Even though his reply was loud, it seems the teacher didn't pay much attention.

"Yes, he's still not good at doing some things. But we have the family nurse that helps him out, so we're perfectly fine!" Kasumi claimed with a smile. But when Kasumi mentioned "family nurse", she began shaking and trembling. Even Hiroko and Kunio noticed this.

"Th-Th-Th-That...professional wrestler guy..." Mika whispered to herself.

"By the way, Kasumin, did your dad ever find a job?" Hiroko asked.

"Oh! My dad did apply for one, but the evaluation doesn't happen until another 2 days. They want to see how good he is at it. If he does get it, then my family might be happy again!" Kasumi explained.

"Your family's financial problems can be fixed if he gets the job! Oh Kasumi-sama, you don't deserve to go through such experiences! You do not deserve a family that's always troubled and grumpy just because your dad got fired from his previous job!" Kunio proclaimed while starting to refer to Kasumi as if she were a princess.

"Kuni-kun, please don't refer to me as "sama". You know I'm not that high in social status" Kasumi told him sternly while still keeping her
politeness and her smile.

"Yeah, when I came over one time, your family always looked so grouchy! I hope Mikan didn't see them" Hiroko proclaimed. Kasumi giggled a little bit but Mika remained a little sad.

"I apologize for my family's grouchiness. They're very good people in heart. The finanical problems we're having seem to be taking a toll on them greatly" Kasumi explained when Kunio suddenly spoke out.

"Oh yeah! I saw something really weird yesterday!" Kunio declared loudly.

"What do you mean?" Hiroko asked. Kunio decided to tell his story.

"Well, when I was walking home from school yesterday, I was passing by the dollar store and I saw this woman standing in front of it. She was dressed COMPLETELY in black save for a red purse, blonde hair and the stuff on her hat. She looked like those fancy wancy European style dolls you see in those fancy stores sometimes. Anyway, she was carrying an umbrella in one hand and a doll in her other hand and she was talking with these freaky looking people that were dressed in red and black...and I think they were speaking a different language" Kunio explained. When Mika heard him mention the people in dark red and black clothes and speaking another language, only one thought came to her mind.

'Japanese Kings...' thought Mika. But Hiroko and Kasumi were rather confused.

"I don't see what's weird about that" Hiroko claimed.

"But that's just the beginning! I sneaked up on them a bit and tried to get a closer look at them. The woman's face made her look like a nerdy little girl, glasses, crooked teeth, freckles, a crooked smile, messed up speech and all! And, and, they were talking about something. I don't know exactly what they said, but the woman said she was looking for someone, but that was all I managed to decipher. The people she was talking too were very tan. Then, she and the tan people were walking into some alley. I got curious and decided to follow them and see what they were doing. And here comes the weird part! I caught up to them, though I made sure they didn't see me. Then, I found the woman sitting on a wooden box in an alley and I saw another freaky guy dressed in red and black...and he was standing right behind her. They were talking about looking for someone in exchange for something, but I couldn't tell what the last part was, and she accepted and...then the freaky people started taking her clothes off and touching her!" Kunio proclaimed. Hiroko, Kasumi, and Mika were both flabbergasted and sickened.

"YOU WITNESSED A RA--!" Hiroko nearly screamed but Kasumi managed to slap her hand onto Hiroko's mouth to make sure she doesn't scream again.
If she did, the teacher would be mad.

"Did you call the police?" Kasumi asked.

"No. I chickened out and ran after that. But I can't believe I witnessed something like that! It was soooo gross! I'm not a pervert, but I think she wanted them to do that stuff to her. Ugh! It grosses me out just to talk about it! I'm just gonna pretend I never saw that! Ever!" Kunio proclaimed directly. Hiroko and Kasumi continued to scold Kunio for not reporting this incident to the police, but Mika's mind was somewhere else right now. She kept looking out the window next to her, seeing only the houses across the street along with the little post office. She was thinking about something else. She remembered when Makoto had yelled at her earlier.

"Those are none of your concern, Hoshigaki!!"

The loud, intimidating words echoed in her mind like rats racing through a gutter pipe. She certainly was worried.

'Nikkaido-san...I wonder if he's okay? Could someone be trying to hurt him? No, Nikkaido-san's a nice guy. I know he's not the type to do bad things. They say Minami-san likes me, but he's always so critical, especially when it comes to Nikkaido-san...' thought Mika as she became worried about her police force comrade, who was assaulted by Japanese Kings earlier this morning.

About a few hours later...

Meanwhile, back at the police station, Makoto continues to remain at Tsukushi's side in the infirmary. Makoto still kept his distraught and pained look in his face. He sat on a chair next to Tsukushi's bedside. He looked down at his partner, who was now sleeping soundly in the bed while his chest, arms, and part of his shoulder were wrapped in bandages. Makoto slowly lifted his hand up and gently placed it onto Tsukushi's face. His long, slim fingers gently stroke Tsukushi's soft, tender cheek. Tsukushi remained asleep as this was happening, but Makoto could only watch his partner remain dormant in bed.

Much like Mika, Makoto's mind was also somewhere else. They had the same thoughts regarding Tsukushi.

'Tsukushi...you've always been so good to me. That day...even though we barely knew each other, we expressed that we were suffering and we comforted each other...you did so many kind things for me ever since that day...but you suffered so much more than I do. How can you remain sane after what you suffered at the hands of that accursed family of yours? Especially...her?' thought Makoto as he stared down at Tsukushi with his usual distraught face. Then...his mind began talking a little stroll down memory lane.

(flashback)

A young Makoto, possibly about 15-16 years old, was running on a dirt path in the middle of the woods. It was raining. The rain was coming down hard on the dirt ground. The rain was pounding and falling onto the teenager's raven black hair. Makoto was only wearing a long sleeved, black shirt along with blue jean pants and brown shoes. He didn't have an umbrella or a hooded sweater or a coat to protect himself from the rain. Even so, Makoto was running down the path like his life was in danger. He had a fresh, red cut on his cheek. It wasn't bleeding, but it was visible.

Makoto was clearly soaked, but he was running as if he didn't care whether he was being soaked. He wanted to escape the woods first. He then saw an entrance up ahead. There was the exit. He finally dashed quickly toward it, faster than he ever ran before. There were wet rocks and twigs on the ground that people would trip on. Strangely, he missed all of them. He failed to notice any wet rocks or twigs below him that would make him fall to the ground. His clear, brown eyes were only focused on the exit that was up ahead. He dashed even harder and faster, hoping to finally make it, only...

THUD!

He ended up slipping on a big, wet, muddy rock that was behind the exit. He fell hard on the wet mud. A few seconds later, he sat himself up on his knees. Unfortunately, his shirt and jean pants had caught mud on him. There was dark brown, wet mud on his shirt and his knees. But he looked like he didn't care. He sat on his knees, panting and trying desperately to catch his breath. He looked up at the ash grey sky and the myriad of water droplets that were falling quickly from the sky like a meteor shower.

He then looked ahead and saw that he was in an open park. There was a non-working fountain, some benches, and nothing but grass and some puddles of clear water. He was confused, yet aware of where he was. He stood up on his feet again and walked around. He looked around the park, turning his head sideways every few seconds. He was panting a bit, but he looked calm now. He didn't care that he was being soaked by the pouring rain.

"It looks like...I lost them...hopefully...I can...huh?" The young teenaged Makoto whispered to himself. His voice was young, but he was already reaching puberty. His voice was slightly low-pitched but was changing. He then looked ahead and saw someone else about a few feet away from him.

It was another young teenager. But this one looked younger than Makoto in terms of height. He looked about 12-13 years old. He has shaggy, brown hair that was also being soaked by the falling rain. His eyes were a dull, sterling sliver. The younger boy was wearing nothing but a ragged, dark grey dress that went to his knees. He also had bandages on both his arms, but there were a lot of red and brown cuts all over the boy's legs and face. Makoto then noticed that he was holding a small, silver knife in his hand. The boy was completely barefoot and the dress was falling apart.

The younger boy raised his hand with the knife and stared at the silver glow on the knife. He saw his face being reflected with the knife. It also reflected the dull, emotionless, fearful look in the young boy's sterling silver eyes. There was no emotion. The only emotion being seen in his eyes looked like nothing but despair and the loss of hope. Makoto was confused.

"What's he doing? Why does he...?" Makoto murmured to himself when he saw the boy slowly raise the knife up in the air...and then raise it to face his neck. The knife was pointed at his neck. Makoto's brown eyes grew big and fearful. Makoto knew what the boy was going to do.

He was going to slit his throat.

The knife charged art the boy, hoping to slash his throat and let the red liquid called blood run freely out of his body with the rain to help drain it away...until...

"NOOOO!!! STOOOOOP!!!"

Makoto screamed as he literally charged at the boy and pushed the knife out of his arm. Makoto pushed him so hard that the knife literally slid out of the boy's hand and onto the greyish green grass, in which it was the rain's destination. Makoto had pinned the boy to the ground, clenching onto both of his wrists tightly. Very tightly. Makoto was quite angry, but the boy was saddened yet still emotionless and dull looking.

"Wha...what? Who...are you?" The boy asked quietly.

"WHAT THE (Censored C word) ARE YOU THINKING, YOU MORON?!?" Makoto screamed at the top of his lungs, yelling at the younger boy below him. Makoto and the boy made full eye contact. But the boy didn't react to Makoto's outburst.

"...Tsukushi. It's Tsukushi, not moron" The boy, Tsukushi, whispered to him quietly. But regardless, Makoto continued to reprimand Tsukushi for his near fatal gesture.

"So what!? Are you trying to end your life before you reach adolescence!? Are you nuts!? Don't you wanna live to go to high school, go to college, find a woman, find a career, get married, and have children!? Don't you have something you wish to live for!?" Makoto screamed fearfully and angrily. Tsukushi didn't react one bit. After Makoto was done yelling, he continued to catch his breath again, waiting for a reply. He got one...but it wasn't what he expected.

"My life...is not my own" Tsukushi murmured. Makoto was confused.

"What do you mean? Yes it is! How can it not be your own!? Are you brainwashed or something?" Makoto rebuked. Tsukushi continued to talk, though his voice was quiet yet it was full of despair.

"I've been cursed...to suffer at my family's hand. My life has been confined within that thing called the "Dollhouse of Incest" as I call it. I'm the youngest, yet I'm forced to suffer on a daily basis as a scapegoat for my family's stress" Tsukushi explained nonchalantly. Makoto was flabbergasted and speechless. He wondered what Tsukushi meant by that thing called the Dollhouse of Incest. But Tsukushi wasn't done yet. The worst part had it's turn to appear.

"Nene...my sister...in that room...with all those dolls...she would dress me up in frilly dresses...have atrocious tea parties...and do stuff to me. I tried to escape, but every time I did...she caught me...and she did terrible things to me...indescribable things. She would...rape me by touching my privates...making me grope her chest...make me lick her in various places...and other things I can't mention. She's 16, yet she has the mind of a 9 year old because of brain damage. I...I'm cursed to remain under her control. All the people I love have been taken away from me...and I have nothing left in life except to remain confined to that horrid dollhouse of hers. I...that's why I'll end this life of being a puppet cursed to be continuously yanked, messed with, and controlled by it's maker..."

Makoto couldn't believe what he had heard with his own ears. It was so appalling and heart-breaking that he himself cried. Tsukushi was also crying, but silently he was. This young boy was forced into participating in incestuous acts with a mentally deficient sister along with being abused and physically beaten by members of his own family. Makoto was trembling violently, sobbing loudly, and clinging to Tsukushi's wrists so tightly that it would've hurt Tsukushi by now. Like the rain falling on him, crystalic tears slid down his red cheeks and fell onto the greyish green grass like the rain.

"...you escaped, right? You escaped from that house! You...you don't have to go back!" Makoto pleaded tearfully. Tsukushi remained cold and emotionless.

"But if I don't go back, they'll pursue me or possibly--" Tsukushi tried to react, but Makoto literally slammed his hand onto Tsukushi's mouth, preventing him from talking.

"Don't say that!! I know what you're going to say! Well, I say screw that (Censored D word) family of yours! I say you're not going back to that (Censored D word) house that they're keeping you in! I already ran from that place I escaped from recently. You and I...we're both suffering and on the run" Makoto proclaimed loudly and angrily. Makoto was trying to persuade Tsukushi from taking his life or returning to the house.

Both Makoto and Tsukushi remained silent now. The only thing piercing the silence was the sound of the falling rain from the ash grey sky.

"You and I...we're both suffering. We have a lot in common, y'know. I don't even know you, yet we're both suffering..." Makoto told him quietly this time. Tsukushi reacted a little bit, but his eyes became slightly bigger and his mouth was open.

"You told me what happened to you, so I'll tell you about my own past. My parents divorced when I was 7 and I was in my father's custody. I loved my mother, but she wasn't given custody of me, so I had to live with my dad. I didn't want them to divorce, but their reason of doing so is so stupid! Then, 3 years later, dad got an aneurysm and died. After that, I tried to look for my mother...only to find out that she was killed by this wretched gang called the Japanese Kings. I've been in 5 foster homes already and I hated them all! All their kids hated me just for being in their house! I ran away from this one...because the father tried to rape me. Thankfully, there was an ice pick in the room and I stabbed him in the arm with it and kicked his (Censored A word). Then...I ran. Now I find myself here with you in the falling rain..."

Tsukushi couldn't believe his own ears himself. This boy that reprimanded him for trying to slit his own throat was telling him his own past. Their traumatic pasts and experiences had a single common thread...or many, to be precise. They were both suffering when it came to family. The people they loved were taken from them by others. Tsukushi's cold, emotionless, non-chalant face finally began to fade. He let out a smile. Makoto lessened his grip on Tsukushi's wrists and removed his hand from Tsukushi's mouth. Tsukushi then slowly raised his hand up in the air and gently stroke Makoto's face with it. Makoto's sobbing was interrupted by this gesture.

"You're...right. We do have...a lot in common, even though we just met" Tsukushi told him with a slight smile. Makoto was surprised that Tsukushi finally expressed some emotion for the first time. Makoto's face finally softened up.

"Hey. Do you...want to stay with me?" Makoto asked. Tsukushi was surprised again.

"But we both ran away. Where are we gonna live?" Tsukushi asked, confused. Makoto smiled a bit.

"Before I escaped, I stole that wretched man's entire savings. About $400,000 in it! Strange, isn't it? I'm gonna try and buy us some new, nice clothes or maybe even a little house to live! I'm saying...if you and I are meant to suffer, then we should suffer together! Let's be close-knit partners...and friends. Let's escape our suffering and live new lives together" Makoto explained. He finally stood on his muddy knees and hugged Tsukushi.

Tsukushi couldn't believe what was appearing before him. Someone actually presented to him a gesture of love, unlike anything he had experienced before. Tsukushi couldn't help but shed more tears a bit. But this time, he smiled brightly. His smile was as bright as a yellow sunflower. He wrapped his own, battered arms around Makoto's soaked body warmly. Although they were completely soaked by the rain, the tender embrace felt very warm to both of them.

"Yes. By the way...what's your name?" Tsukushi asked gently. He only had one response.

"Makoto. Minami Makoto. A pleasure to meet you, Tsukushi-kun"

The rain began to let up until finally...it stopped.

("I never left Tsukushi's side after that. I made sure that nothing bad happened to him...and I made it absolutely certain that he never return to that horrendous place" The policeman Makoto murmured to himself.)

(end flashback)

Makoto, now a 26 year old policeman, stayed by the 23 year old Tsukushi's side. Tsukushi was still asleep, but he had a very peaceful and calm look in his face. Makoto smiled at the sight, but he couldn't help but remember the time the two met. As young teenagers, they expressed their suffering and took it upon theirselves to remain by each other's side and suffer together if they had to.

But quickly, Makoto's gentle smile quickly dissolved and he finally decided to stand up and look around. He made sure he had Tsukushi in his sight, but he looked around the infirmary. The doctor was gone. He and Tsukushi were the only ones in the infirmary. Of course, there was something in the infirmary that made Makoto cringe. It made Makoto's stomach feel like it was going to explode and make vomit spew out of his mouth like a volcano. It was a reminder of the suffering that Tsukushi endured throughout the years of his life. Yet, Makoto was looking at it. Makoto had a cold, angry expression and aimed it toward that thing.

What was that thing that made Makoto cringe every time it was in his sights?

It was nothing more than a doll.

It was a beautiful, small, porcelain doll from the Czech Republic. It was completele with pale white skin, rosy red cheeks, a navy blue and lacey dress along with a matching hat with a white ribbon wrapped around it. The doll also has bright, crystal blue eyes and bloody red lips. The doll had long, wavy, light blond hair that went to it's lower back. The hat also had a small, bright red rose with green leaves on the side. The little doll also had black shoes, white stockings, and some frills on the lacey blue dress. The dress had two gold buttons on the chest part and a folded collar along with wearing a little, sleeveless, tan jacket. The dress's cuff links were frilly and the little doll's hands were very small and fragile like an infant's. The face mold used to make the doll's face was quite white.

Even though dolls like these were very valuable and well-liked, this very doll make Makoto want to throw it out the window...yet he was never able to do so. He held it in his hand and lifted it up. He unbuttoned the doll's dress and began opening it up. He kept his cold, non-chalant, and anger-ridden face. As he loosened the buttons on the doll, he opened the dress and discovered...

A lens. A camera lens.

The little lens was round and clear, looking like it was blue. The part around the blue glass was black like the ones on a modern day camera. The lens was attached to the doll's cold, hard chest. Makoto became angered at the sight, but he tried to keep his cool. He tried to make sure he didn't destroy it, even though he really, really wanted to do so. He began thinking.

'This thing has everything in it. This (Censored D word) thing has recorded every little piece of evidence of Tsukushi's life long suffering. When the time is right, I will present it as evidence, proving that that wretched family is guilty for their crime. It's the only solid evidence I have. That's why I keep it, even though I despise it so much. Not only that, Tsukushi is terrified of these dolls because of what that poor excuse of a sister did to him. I keep it out of his sight, yet it's in his prescence. Every piece of footage is in here. I can't get rid of it just yet. I'll wait...' thought Makoto as he gazed upon the little doll. He then placed it back on the shelf and continued to stare at it. But he didn't know that Tsukushi was beginning to wake up.

"M...Ma...Makoto? Where...are you?" Tsukushi murmured as he was awakening from his sleep. Makoto turned around and saw him waking up. Makoto quickly rushed to Tsukushi's bed side.

"I am here, Tsukushi. I'm right here. I was looking at something. How are you feeling?" Makoto replied, now with a worried look on his face. Tsukushi smiled a bit.

"The medicine the doctor gave me came into effect, so the pain's gone. I guess I'll be okay if I rest for a while" Tsukushi replied with a soft smile on his face. In return, Makoto smiled a bit himself.

"That's good. But you don't look like you're in any condition to start arresting people now. I'll make sure Katakura-san doesn't assign you to any tasks for the next week or so" Makoto told him as he clenched onto Tsukushi's hand. Tsukushi then tried to sit himself up straight.

"I appreciate the concern, but I have to do my job. If I don't, I'll be fired" Tsukushi whispered to Makoto. Makoto became more determined to keep Tsukushi from any danger.

"It will be alright. I'll talk to Katakura-san. You're in no condition to be running around the streets when Japanese Kings are lurking around at night" Makoto told him directly yet bluntly.

Makoto decided to leave the room and go to Chief Katakura's office. He walked down the small hallway that connected the office and the infirmary. He approached a clean, spotless, mahogany door with a silver plate on it which read 'Katakura, Hideo' on it. This was Chief Katakura's office. Makoto slowly turned the knob on it and proceeded to enter the room. Chief Katakura was sitting at his dark, wooden desk writing on a piece of paper when he looked up and saw Makoto walk in.

"Lieutenant" Chief Katakura said.

"Um...Chief, uh...I...I want to ask you..." Makoto tried to ask, but it seems he couldn't find the right words. He was beginning to get a little nervous when Chief Katakura interrupted.

"It's about Nikkaido, isn't it?" Chief Katakura asked with a slight smirk. Makoto became surprised.

"H-How did you...?" Makoto asked, confused.

"I can tell. You've been concerned for him since this morning. I know what you're going to say. That he's not in very good condition to be catching criminals as of now. I can understand your concern for his safety. I'm concerned for him too, so starting now, he will be barred from catching criminals until he recovers from his wounds" Chief Katakura explained. He gave Makoto the permission to make sure Tsukushi doesn't go catch any criminals in his wounded condition. Makoto smiled a little bit and bowed.

"I appreciate this greatly. I'm grateful" Makoto whispered politely as he bowed in front of Chief Katakura and was about to leave, but Chief Katakura stopped him again.

"By the way, Minami-san...do you hate it when other people wish to be involved with Nikkaido-san in any way?" Chief Katakura asked sternly. His previous flamboyant charisma faded as he clasped his hands together and asked that question. Makoto was confused and turned around to face his superior.

"Why is it...that you ask?" Makoto asked.

"Because...that was quite rude of you...what you said to Hoshigaki this morning" Chief Katakura told him. But right when he mentioned Mika, Makoto's brown eyes suddenly grew big and his calm, confused face became very distraught yet filled with anxiety and anger.

"It's none of her concern! This doesn't involve her! She's just a child! A child like her...wouldn't understand. No one will" Makoto yelled angrily. Strangely, Chief Katakura kept his cool the whole time and didn't react with surprise. He decided to speak again.

"Minami-san, I understand that you're quite protective of Nikkaido-san because of what you both suffered. But...it seems to me that you think you and him are the only ones who suffered. It also seems that you don't trust other people who wish to help you and him. You should know that it's alright to let people care about you and offer their support. Not only that, you and Nikkaido aren't alone. Many officers here have suffered in the past too. Even Hoshigaki has suffered something bad in her past. Even...I've suffered" Chief Katakura told Makoto with a stern yet somewhat supportive and calm tone in his voice.

Makoto was confused but he remained quiet. It is true that he was always quite protective of Tsukushi. Some say that he's become a little too protective of him. Makoto always stayed by Tsukushi's side and tried to make sure he wasn't hurt in any way. But he also had a known reputation for being too stubborn and rejecting the support of others who also wanted to help Tsukushi heal from his terrible past. He didn't think anyone but him was capable of understanding the trauma they endured or if they were capable of helping them recover. Chief Katakura saw that and kept an eye on the two.

"Don't deny it, Minami-san. I can tell just by watching you. I've watched you a lot of times in the past too. You have that tendency to reject other people's support and think that they won't be able to understand the suffering you and Nikkaido have endured. But...you should understand that you're not alone...and that it's okay to accept the support of others. I know Hoshigaki's still a child and all, but even she likes Tsukushi and wants him to be happy and safe. Even she has those she cares about" Chief Katakura told him again. Makoto stayed quiet for a little bit, then spoke.

"I...I just want to protect the outsiders from that accursed family of Tsukushi's. If anyone gets involved with them, there's the high possibility that they could very well be killed by them. Especially by that psychotic doll of a sister he has" Makoto told Chief Katakura sternly and quietly.

"Speaking of dolls...I often see you staring at that one in the infirmary. You open it up and see a little camera lens in it. Is it evidence?" Chief Katakura asked with curiosity. There was a long pause, then Makoto spoke again.

"When the time is right, I will show you the evidence. But not now. It's too early" Makoto admitted with a stern voice. He was about to leave when Chief Katakura stopped him yet again.

"By the way...not only are you or Nikkaido-san not alone when it comes to suffering, there's...another in this police squadron who has suffered a long period of sexual abuse" Chief Katakura mused. Makoto finally decided to leave the room. Chief Katakura continued to sit at his desk and continue writing some papers.

Makoto finally leaves the room, but feels that he's being watched. He closes his eyes and speaks.

"You came here just now, didn't you? Lieutenant Fujikawa Mutsumi?"

There was a woman just about a few feet away from him. Her name was Fujikawa Mutsumi. She is also another famous police officer in the TNPD. She looks to be about 28 years of age. She has long, wavy/curly light blond hair and the same chocolate brown eyes as Makoto. She wore the same uniform as the other police officers, but hers consisted of a slightly smaller shirt and a long skirt that went to her knees. Her blood red lips stood out along with her sharp-looking eyes.

"You sure do have sharp ears, Makoto" The lady, Mutsumi, replied in a low-pitched yet lady-like tone of voice. She walked up to Makoto. She stood at the same height as him.

"What are you doing here?" Makoto asked.

"I was just passing by. I had myself some lunch. Ahhh, curry rice with chicken and soy sauce is soooo good during the spring" Mutsumi explained with a smile (Can you put soy sauce on curry?). Makoto was a little confused.

"It's past 2:15. Why would you have lunch then?" Makoto asked.

"Ha ha ha! You're always so quick to get to the small stuff!" Mutsumi joked as she slapped Makoto on the back and laughed. Makoto became a little irritated. But then Mutsumi's laugh quickly dissolved, leaving only a small smile on her face.

"You sure are resilient and stubborn. No wonder you're a police officer here...I like that" Mutsumi told him. She actually meant this as a compliment. But Makoto brushed this off as if the remark was nothing.

"Let me guess. You overheard my conversation with the Chief earlier?" Makoto replied.

"Nah, just bits and pieces. But...I do sympasize with you..." Mutsumi commented but whispered the last part. Makoto was confused. But Mutsumi then went back to being slightly loud again.

"Oh! I better get my pistol loaded! I gotta go on patrol tonight!" Mutsumi exclaimed and she decided to leave the hallway. Makoto was still confused by what she meant when she said she sympasized with him. But he then remembered what Chief Katakura said to him earlier.

"There's...another in this police squadron who has suffered a long period of sexual abuse"

A thought came to him.

'Did he mean...?' thought Makoto as he became lost in his mind. But the thought just didn't seem to break through to him. 'N-No! It can't be! Not that person! She doesn't look like she suffered!' thought Makoto again. He decided to leave the hallway just like Mutsumi did earlier.

Meanwhile...

Hoshigaki Mika was just approaching a street that was not too far from the TNPD. What was different was that she was riding a horse, and that she was wearing a white mask that has strange gold and black markings on it. Her mouth was visible, though. The horse she rode on was a pure brown color along with having raven black hair. Mika also had with her a small pink bag. It was hanging from her shoulder.

"It shouldn't be long now, Rickets. I got a little something for Nikkaido-san. Do you think he'll like it?" Mika asked her horse, whose name was, of all things, Rickets. Rickets let out a small grunt in response. Mika laughed a bit.

"Yeah, you're probably right" Mika replied to her horse's grunt. She then turned around and saw some people gathering at an alley not too far from where she was.

There were four people near an alley. Three of them were male and Hispanic looking. They were wearing the same clothes. Dark red shirts with gold crowns on them along with black jean pants, black shoes, some shiny jewelery, vice versa. One person was wearing a grey headband around his head while another one was wearing a snow hat. The third person had a tattoo of a butterfly on his arm.

The other person was a woman in her mid-20's. She had long, blonde hair that went down to her back and sterling silver eyes. She was wearing the same black doll clothes she was wearing yesterday. But what was different was that she had an umbrella with her. But this made Mika remember the story that Kunio was telling her in school earlier. The one where he saw some Japanese Kings negotiating with a girl dressed in black doll clothes.

"That's the doll girl Kun-Kun was talking about. What are they doing?" Mika whispered to herself. She leaped off of Rickets and proceeded to tie her to a fence.

"Rickets, stay here. I'll be right back. I need to check something real quick. Be patient, okay?" Mika whispered to her horse. Rickets nodded quietly. Mika smiled and she decided to tip-toe toward the alley where the Japanese Kings and the girl in doll clothes are. She managed to make it a few minutes later without them knowing, which was a good thing. Even though it's impolite to eavesdrop, she couldn't help but hear what they were doing. She began hearing the conversation.

"Good news. We found the guy you're lookin' for!" The Japanese King with the headband proclaimed with his Mexican accent. The woman in black clothes smiled widely, to the point of showing her crooked teeth and laughed happily.

"He's in that police station over there! Dat's where he is!" The Japanese King with the snow hat exclaimed.

"You got the money?" The Japanese King with the tattoo on his arm asked.

"Yeth! I got ze munnee!" The woman exclaimed while holding a small brown bag. Her grammar was very off and hard to understand. The Japanese King with the tattoo immediately took the small bag and walked up to the woman.

"Thanks! You're pretty good. Anyway, tonight at 8:00 PM, we're gonna sneak into the police station and throw a smoke bomb so that they can't see us! When we find your brother, we'll snatch him and bring him to that place you were talkin' about! Got it?" The Japanese King with the tattoo told her.

"Yeth! My widdle brosha's gonna be shurprised to shee (see) hish (his) shishter (sister) waiting foh (for) hiiiiim!" The woman proclaimed with a big smile.

What they didn't know was that Mika managed to hear the entire conversation the whole time. She felt nervous and decided to leave. She went back to Rickets, untied her, leaped on her saddle, and decided to ride back to the TNPD. They were planning something, but who was it that they plan to capture?

"So...what should we do now?" The Japanese King with the headband asked.

"You can play with me" The woman told them, but her definition of "play" wasn't exactly normal. The three Japanese Kings, however, knew what she meant.

"You want us to do that stuff to you again?" The Japanese King with the hat asked, confused. The woman nodded.

"Well, if that's what ya want, then...Gah! I'm bored! We'll do it anyway!" The Japanese King with the hat proclaimed loudly. The woman and the three members of the Japanese Kings went into the dark alley to do what the woman wanted, but what was it that she wanted?

About a few seconds later, Mika finally arrives at the police station. She bursts through the door, panting and trying to catch her breath. But to her surprise, nobody's in the lobby. This made Mika really confused.

'Where is everybody?' thought Mika as she scratched her head full of short, brown hair with her left hand. She then proceeded to go into the infirmary. She became worried about Tsukushi. As she walked into the infirmary and looked around. She saw Tsukushi sitting upright on his bed, rubbing his head. She immediately ran up to him.

"Oh! Nikkaido-san! How are you feeling?" Mika asked innocently, but with a worried tone. Tsukushi saw her and smiled a bit.

"Hello Micchan. I think I'm starting to feel a bit better" Tsukushi replied with his casual smile. Mika smiled a bit herself, but then she remembered what she heard earlier.

"Oh! Nikkaido-san! Do you know where Chief Katakura and all the other officers are? I need to tell them something!" Mika asked worriedly.

"I know they're all in here somewhere. The doctor's heading down to the lobby and I think the Chief is still in his office" Tsukushi replied. It wasn't much, but Mika needed to tell someone about what she overheard.

"Okay then..." Mika replied when she noticed a part of the infirmary that had curtains sealing it off. Makoto had been in this room earlier. Mika became a bit curious and decided to go in.

As she went in, she noticed the little porcelain doll sitting on top of a desk. Mika was surprised yet smitten. She immediately walked up to the doll and picked it up. She stared at it's long hair, it's captivating eyes, it's rosy red cheeks, the lacey dress, and many other things about it. It was clearly a well-made doll. Mika began wondering who owned this doll. She decided to wrap it in her arms and walk out of the area. Tsukushi was nearby so she felt like asking him.

"Nikkaido-san" Mika called out. Tsukushi turned around, but then saw the doll.

"I found this in here. Do you know who it belongs to?" Mika asked innocently as she showed Tsukushi the doll.

But...his reaction wasn't what Mika expected. Right when he gazed upon the doll's china face, his sterling silver eyes became very very big. He began trembling. He began trembling harder and harder. His mouth was already starting to open up as if he was struggling to breathe. His face became drenched with fear, anxiety, and it grimaced with such fear that even Mika noticed that something was wrong.

"Nikkaido-san? What's wrong?" Mika asked softly and innocently again, but Tsukushi became more and more fearful as if he was about to explode in a screaming fit at any moment.

It happened right then.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!"

Tsukushi's loud scream echoed throughout the entire police station. Chief Katakura heard the screaming coming from his office. The doctor heard it in the lobby. Makoto and some other officers were in another room and even they heard it. The scream was so powerful it pierced through everything that was in the TNPD. People began scrambling from the rooms they were in and began running toward the scene. Mika was very confused by what had just happened. Tsukushi clenched his ears with his hands and fell to the floor crying and screaming. Crystalized tears were literally leaking out of his silver eyes. She didn't understand why this happened, but she felt obliged to calm him down. She put the doll down and tried to approach him.

"N-Ni-Nikkaido-san! What's wrong? Please, calm down! Don't be scared!" Mika cried out, but her voice wasn't able to reach him. Tsukushi's hands were now over his eyes. Then, everyone arrived at the scene.

"What was that scream!?...and what's happening here!?" Chief Katakura yelled as he burst through the door and approached the crying officer on the ground. Makoto then noticed the doll on the floor. Makoto's face was completely overcome with anger.

"I-I don't know! I saw that doll and I showed it to him and I asked him who it belonged to but then he started--" Mika tried to explain what happened but Tsukushi's screaming prevented her from saying more. Chief Katakura then tried to grab Tsukushi and calm him down a bit. But Makoto then approached Mika with a cold look on his face, then suddenly...

FWAP!

He slapped Mika in the face!

She fell to the floor.

"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT!! Tsukushi's petrified of these dolls!! And don't tamper with the evidence!!" Makoto screamed as he was fuming with anger and rage. Mika was confused but she herself was having tears swell up her eyes.

"Makoto!! How dare you!? She didn't know Nikkaido's scared of that doll!" Chief Katakura yelled at Makoto. Mika was trying to cover her own ears with her hands. The officer from before, Niwa Junichi, and another female officer with braids ran to Mika and tried to comfort her.

But then...a cloud of white smoke appeared and filled the entire infirmary!

"Aaagh!"

Nobody could see anything. But Makoto heard loud footsteps in the infirmary. He covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to see what was going on. He then saw some streaks of dark red along with some grey shadows. He recognized the streaks of dark red well. He then pulled out a black pistol and tried to approach the red silhouettes.

"Hey! Get over here!" Makoto yelled as he ran across the floor trying to approach the silhouettes, but he ended up bumping into the officer with braids, much to his dismay.

"Oh! Watanabe-san! Those silhouettes! They might be--!!" Makoto yelled as he tried again to catch the silhouettes, but the smoke was much too thick to even walk through. It was too thick to even find decent oxygen.

About 10 minutes later, the smoke finally cleared and everything was visible again.

"Everyone alright!?" Chief Katakura yelled. A lot of people were seen. But then Makoto looked around and became baffled and appalled.

"Oh noooooo!!" He yelled as he noticed one little thing.

Tsukushi was gone!

Author's Note: Yay! I'm done chapter 4! I haven't updated this story in quite a while! I feel so bad. I think I'm starting to get some more chapter ideas for it now that I'm out of school. Oh yeah! Five more days until I get to go to Otakon on Saturday! I'm actually gonna cosplay too! I'm gonna be Yoite from Nabari no Ou! I finally found a black trench coat that's NOT made of wool! Anyway, I gotta go. I have more stories I need to work on. See ya! Read and review please! NO FLAMES!!! Bye-bee!

Footnotes:

1. La sangre manchó muñeca - Latin American Spanish for "blood stained doll"

2. Muy Bueno - Spanish for "very good"

3. ¿Me comprende usted? - Spanish for "do you understand me?"

4. Ay Dios Mio - Spanish for "Oh my god"

5. Me llamo... - Spanish for "My name is..."