"Oni" Kymiku [The Bloodstained Empress]

RUMOR HAS IT...
20 July 2014

Edition #3

Welcome one and all to our third installment of the LAW edition of ‘Rumor Has It…’ I am Fatima Alexander Quincy and of course by now you’ve heard, I know more than anyone here…because that’s what I’m paid to do! Now…lets get to the rumors!

Not So Prime Suspects?
Last weekend LAW began a HUGE tournament to crown a new Marquee Champion and the last match in that field of 8 women was to feature Sidney Grey and Ash Scion, a woman with an intense dislike of non-wrestlers. Everyone was anticipating this to be the match that finally exposed Sidney as a fraud inside the squared circle. The fans were disappointed when Scion failed to come to the ring and was later found to have been the victim of a heinous attack in the back…directly leading to her exit from the company…as well as Sidney advancing with what amounts to a bye. Many think that Sidney had a hand in what happened to Ash, especially tournament favorite Crystal Hilton, who confronted her in the ring. Though Sidney denied any wrongdoing, she was the prime suspect until the appearance of the Shinsuzuki sisters, Nyako and Oni Kymiku.

Despite all of these suspects, rumor has it that none of these women were actually responsible for what happened to Ash backstage. Though Ash has a reputation as a highly tuned athlete, she is actually enormously clumsy! Word on the street is that Ash slipped on her way to the ring and banged her head on the walls and floor of the hallway…along with several chairs and a table repeatedly…resulting in her injury. Poor girl…we wish her a speedy recovery and success in all of her future endeavors!

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The Paramour’s (Rear) End?
Earlier this week Priscilla Price was released from her contract after scheduling conflicts with LAW and her other projects. The loss of “The Paramour” disappointed many LAW fans who were eager to see the infamous Mistress in action inside the squared circle. After a tough lost to Skye Sparks, Priscilla announced her departure as she moved on to other projects outside the company.

Rumor has it that Price’s new project is none other than hardcore pornography that will be produced in conjunction with CTN’s media group! Insiders say that filming is slated to start within the next few weeks and the working title of the project is “Back Door Paramour!” Co-stars have not been officially announced but many have been said to be ‘firmly behind’ the project!

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The Asian Equation (not only because they are good at math)
The arrival in LAW of several Asian stars has excited many fans of the Eastern-style of professional wrestling. The recent signing of the Shinsuzuki sisters and Miyoko Oshiro-Reeves promises to bring a new dimension to LAW that the company has yet to see as well as expanding the show’s appeal in the orient. LAW seemed to immediately move to capitalize on the interest by putting Nyako and Miyoko in matches with their top talent; in number one contender, The Doc and LAW Champion Kate Steele. This move is sure to garner a ratings spike in new markets that LAW is looking to break into. However, not everyone is happy with the match making decision…

Infamous Asian Nationalist, “Oni” Kymiku has made a career out of calling out western wrestling companies as racist and bias towards Asian wrestlers. Rumor has it that Oni has been similarly displeased in the booking of these matches because she feels that the Asian women are being exploited and ‘fed’ to LAW’s top talent in an effort to diminish their impact.

Whether this is real or imagined, should Nyako or Miyoko manage to defeat either of their opponents, it would be a huge blow to the momentum of The Doc or Kate Steele…a blow that neither woman can afford leading into their title match confrontation.

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Well fans, that will do it for this edition of “Rumor Has it…” Please be sure to look for our next edition when I dig up more dirt from the world of LAW! Also, if you have a rumor that you want to tell, please message me, titling your anonymous post as New Rumor and you may see your rumor on my very next show!

^{© 2014 Circle Television Network. All rights reserved}

One Sister Too Many?
with Nyako

Nyako arrived at the local hospital in Denver. It had been a few days since Sidney Grey and Summer St. Clair’s vicious attack on her sister at LAW #12 and all she could think of if there was any way she could have stopped it from happening in the first place.

I knew I shouldn’t have told Song I’d stay away from them. I just knew I should have followed through with my initial plan and taken em out. Maybe then Kymiku wouldn’t be in this place. She thought to herself.

She was happy her sister wanted to tak the high road at first especially after she told her that they would get the two fake reality bitches together when she was in better shape. But now she wasn’t sure if that was the right call to make.

What about Song too. She said she was grateful that she and Kymiku agreed to not retaliate and she had looked Nyako straight in the face and told her she would make sure Sidney would be on her best behavior. Look at how well that went. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe had every intention of keeping her word but she should have known she was took weak to stop Grey from doing anything she wanted to.

Nyako peaked in the room and saw Oni lying on the bed with IV’s hooked up and her body heavily bandaged up. It looked like she was asleep but Nyako stepped inside since this had been the first time she had been able to visit her sister.

She stepped close to the bed as the monitors beeped, showing her vital signs stable. She wasn’t sure what to say to Oni and instead just watched over her from the side of the bed, wishing she could take what happened back.



I didn’t bother to open my eyes, I knew my sister had come to see me and while it felt good to know that someone cared, I couldn’t shake the feeling of anger that I felt. Not anger of the attack that had landed me here…but anger over the fact that my dear sister had hid the fact that she had another…sister…that she had never bothered to mention in SoLo.

Of course…down deep I thought I knew the reason for her to hide this bit of news from me…but that didn’t make it hurt any less…

…she’s a bitch and a whore for doing this…you know she doesn’t love you, that should be abundantly clear to you by now…

My inner monolog gets the better of me and I open my eyes, taking in the sight of my loving sister as I greet her…threading only a little hint of sarcasm in my words. “Well…look what the cat dragged in. Are you alone or did you bring some more siblings with you that you neglected to tell me about?”

My own words actually sting me as my thoughts immediately turn to the brother we both loss…the one who was my responsibility. I turn away from her, less my thoughts be plastered across my face for her to see. I know that it is futile…she knows me to well and I know that Senji is always on her mind when she sees my face…so much like his.

I wipe at my eyes angrily. I don’t want to cry…I would rather fight with her. I speak, without looking at her, “I don’t want you here right now Ny…please, just leave…”



Nyako looked at her sister wide eyed. “You don’t mean that Kymiku do you?” She asked.

Nyako was puzzled by the treatment her sister was giving her, plus what was that comment about more siblings about.

“I’m not sure what you meant about other siblings sister. It’s just me, I wanted to make sure you were alright. I’m sorry for what happened.”



I knew that she was talking about the attack and not the fact that she had hidden an entire aspect of her life away from me. I know that I have been a bad person…but I had never harmed Ny…

…not intentionally…

It felt…almost like I had been cheated on in some weird way. I had lived my life with this person…thinking that everything was just fine, then I find out that she was living and entirely separate life that didn’t include me…

…or our kids…that bitch…

“SHUT UP!” I say out loud, before realizing that I am stupidly talking to myself. When Nyako looks at me, with a puzzled look, I wave the comment away. I am compelled to engage in this conversation now…

…yeah, you don’t want to look like a fucking lunatic do you…

“Ny, I don’t care about what happened at the arena. There will be a time and place to deal with that.” I pause as I take a breath to compose myself, but the act of doing so hurts me so badly that I wince and lay back down, stunned by the shock of the searing pain. Ny quickly bends down to help me, and for a moment I even forget the feelings of betrayal…but the pain eventually passes…and then those feelings return.

I look up at her earnestly and finally say the words, “Why did you hide the fact that you had another family from me? Were you ashamed of who I was…or was I so bad that that you thought that I might hurt them…?”

…you know that you would have…

I wiped my face…I knew the answer, but it hurt me all the same.




Nyako was taken aback by Oni’s question. In part it was true she did hide the fact she had another family from her because of the person Oni was. But also in part she was ashamed in how she left that family behind. When Nyako turned 16 she left SoLo’s family and took off on her own feeling if she stayed she’d cause them more trouble than good. Honestly she still might have kept it a secret from Oni now despite Oni seeming to be a changed person because still it was a part of her own past she didn’t share with anyone. Not even Syn knew about it.

“I’m not going to lie Kymiku. In part I didn’t tell you because of the person you were. And to be honest it took a while now as it is for me to believe you hadn’t been pulling some type of trap for me, trying to trick me to lower my guard to strike out at me. I mean you are still keeping the secret of what happened to Senji away from me. So why would I be so forth coming in telling you about my life in the time we were apart. Am I proud of it no. But like you, I have secrets too I just wasn’t ready to reveal.”



She had a point…I was keeping secrets as well, but the secret that I was keeping was for an entirely different reason than what my sister actually suspected…

…you should tell her the truth…don’t spare her anything, the self-righteous bitch could use a nice hard kick in the gut…

Instead of listening to my inner voice, I decide to continue my lie…for her own good. “Our brother is dead Nyako…I failed to protect him. Blame me for it…hate me if you want, but it will never be anything compared to what I have already done to myself. I would spare you the pain that I have suffered Ny…”

I sighed, shaking my head. “I told you what you needed to know…I didn’t live a totally different life with a whole new family that I kept to myself. For God’s sake Ny, the girl is right here! I talked to her when I first arrived and I never even knew who she was to you…who she was to me!”

I wince a bit as the pain returns when I become agitated, but I fight through it. “I get it Ny…I really do. I am…I was…a hateful person and you were afraid. I tried so hard to show you that I changed, but it’s obvious that I have a long way to go with you...”

…she’s wise not to trust you…you don’t even trust you…

Maybe I should listen to my inner voice…my other self…but I know what she wants and I no longer want that for myself.



Nyako was sympathetic to how Oni felt because in a sense she felt the same way when her father, brother and sister left her and her mother. Hell her own father said their mother could keep the girls. But when Oni left with him she felt Oni was cutting her out of her life too.

“I’m sorry Kymiku. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it to you sooner, but don’t persecute me for it. It wasn’t until recently I felt I could still consider Song as a sister honestly. My time with her and her family was good. Great even, but it didn’t last that way. That’s the other reason I didn’t tell you about because it isn’t like you expect. As far as I knew up until a little over a month ago. I thought that part of my life had been shut. Outside a few cards and calls through the years, I have been estranged from tham as much as I have been from you. I honestly thought the only family I had was just myself.”

Nyako could feel tears welling up but pushed them back or at least tried too. “How was I supposed to know in a matter of a month both sides of my life would be crashing in on me at once. I’m still reeling myself on how things are going.”



I hadn’t imagined that Nyako could do what I had done as a child, especially since her surrogate family had been so great. How different would my life had been if I had grown up in a happy family like she had? I was broken…and now I finally saw the fact that my sister was just as broken as I was. I sat up and took my sister’s hand, looking into her eyes earnestly.

“We have to be better sisters to Song than we have been to each other. We cannot allow her to continue down the same path she is heading down with Sidney Grey.” I paused, “I realize that she thinks she is doing the honorable thing by standing by her side…but I know what is happening to her, because the same thing happened to me.”

I shook my head, still speaking as honestly as I could. “I can’t lie…a part of me wants to snap her scrawny little neck after what happened on the last show, but…knowing what I know now…I feel obligated to stop her from ruining her life.”



Nyako squeezed Oni’s hand as the tears started to fall now. “I honestly thought I was stronger than this Kymiku. I really did. After I was left with mother. I scrounged to make things work until her passing. Then I stowed away on a ship over to America after living on the streets in Korea for a time trying to find you all.”

Nyako wiped at her face, her blood shot from the tears. “IWas piucked up by police and sent to foster care. I was 8. I was placed with this couple after being in and out of other homes cause I just didn’t fit. These people though took me in and as hard as I tried to make them give me up, they just wouldn’t. They treated me as their own. IT was the first family I had since we were all together.”

Nyako looked in her sister’s eyes, trying to convey the pain to her although she knew Oni knew what she was going through. Instead of the hardness Oni usually showed, there was compassion. Maybe that’s why she was letting it all out to her now.

“They had a baby girl a year after I came and I was sure they would get rid of me then. After showing me kindness and love, I thought with a child of their own, they didn’t need nor want me anymore. Bu tht wasn’t the case. They considered me their daughter and she my new sister. Again for the fir time in years I had the family that was taken from me. Even a sibling who I swore I would take care of like I didn’t do for you or Senji. I was not going to mess it up this time. And it was good for many years but then, I don’t know. I just felt I was going to screw it up. I started to be haunted by images of you and Senji. What might have happened to the two of you. I know you and I never truly saw eye to eye but we we’re blood and I couldn’t help think if I made the right decision staying with mom. I didn’t want to scar Song so one night I just left. No word to her, or our parents. I just packed upa small knapsack and left.”

Nyako looked toward the ceiling shaking her head slowly. Hating herself for what she did. “Now after all this time despite the things I did and abandon not one sister but two. Bothy come back to me and it scares me. I know we “reunited” 3WL but it just seemed like we were strangers. But now…it’s different. I’m not sure if I can handle it all. I told Song I would save her from Grey if I had too, but we see how well I saved you. Who knows how I’ll fuck it up with Song.”



“Well, you don’t have to worry about doing it alone…” I added, “…I’ll be back on my feet soon enough, and once I am, I will be right there to help you.”

I wasn’t in any condition to help at the moment, but I couldn’t let that stand in the way of what needed to be done. “I don’t know what they have planned for the next show…but I will find a way to get out of this place and be there to help you. I can’t let you face Grey and her crony alone if they decide to try something else.”



"No Kymiku. Look at what happened this time when you got in the ring not fully healed. I don't wan to think what will happen the next time. I already lost Senji, I do not wan to lose you and that bitch Grey will probably take it that far." Nyako said wiping the last of her tears away.

She loved the idea that Oni was willing to be there for not only her but SoLo too, but she did not want it at the risk of her own health and well being. Nyako didn't know what she would do if she lost the sister she spent so long apart from.

"I'm still not happy the head trainer cleared you for action after he insisted you shouldnt compete. I'll deal with him for that, bu this time I'm putting my foot down and telling you to heal up. If anything I'll find someone to watch my back for QotR."



I was displeased with my sister’s stand, but I understood it. Every time I took a deep breath, I understood her even more. “Very well, I won’t violate Dr. Ny’s orders.”

Still, I was very concerned about her going into that arena alone with sharks like Grey and St. Clair, knowing what they were capable of. “Maybe we can count on Gabby Camacho. She’s one hell of a talent…and I admire her heart…”

…I’m sure that’s all you admire about her, isn’t it…

“Women with a sense of real honor are in short supply in LAW these days.”



"I think she'll have her hands full with St. Clair as it is." Nyako said. "Don't worry though I got someone in mind I think. Just have to deal with my 'agent', maybe this time she'll actually be some help. Least she can do with all this other shit going on now."

Nyako wasn't a big fan of approaching Syn for help, especially since she made it a fact to dodge the women's calls all week. But she knew she would have to face her sooner or later. But if she wanted Oni to not worry, she was going to have to bite the bullet.

"You know I can ask to have some guards put here at the hospital for you to make sure Grey or St. Clair don't try to finish the job." She said trying to change the subject.



…Ohhhh, isn’t that cute? The big bad former Yakuza Boss needs security…what’s next, is someone going to bring you a giant fluffy panda bear to help you get well soon…

I had to agree with my inner voice this time, I had no desire for security…in any shape, form, or fashion. At one time I was so feared that I could lie in the midst of a pride of hungry lions and fear alone would be enough to keep them at bay. Now…I was the prey instead of the predator…

…running for your life from reality T.V. stars…how the mighty have fallen…

“Ny…I am actually offended by the offer, but its not you…it’s me. I should have been ready for anything, but I lowered my guard…”

…blame your NEW sister for that…

“That won’t happen again. I’ll be on my feet soon enough, and once I am…Sidney Grey and Summer St. Clair are going to find out that I am not the soft target that they think I am. I am going to take care of this situation inside the ring…in a match…not backstage or in the parking lot…”

…come on, that was always sooooo much fun for us…

I smiled at my sister, patting her hand. “Don’t worry about me…do what you need to do to protect yourself until I get out of here. Go into Queen of the Ring and show LAW what a Sister of Asia is really all about!”



Nyako smirked at her sister and squeezed her had before to took her leave promising to check on hr again before the show.

She knew Oni was right and she needed to protect herself and concentrate on the Queen of the Ring. Oni was more than capable taking care of her self despite being blindsided the last two times.

It did strike Nyako funny though that Syn had said the same thing to her about concentrating on LAW and herself more than the other things but when it came from Oni, it held more weight. Maybe because she felt her sister had her best interest in her, or maybe she honestly felt someone was on her side instead of trying to make her live in another's shadow. What ever the reason Nyako knew she was going to have to deal with her agent whether she wanted to or not. She needed help and she was the only one that could provide it to her at least for now.

Friends & Enemies...


New York City, New York
29 August 2014


Uzai Kazama stood across the street watching as Oni was taken out of the hospital by her sisters; Nyako and SoLo. He couldn’t help but to feel a touch of jealousy at the fact that they were allowed to go and visit with her, when he…her most loyal of subjects was forced to stand outside in the cold like a homeless person.

“WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING BITCH!!” he yelled as he turned an bumped into a middle aged man wearing a suit. The man stared at Uzai in a mixture of shock and surprise, but Uzai merely glared back at him. “What’s your problem? You gay or something?!!”

The man stiffened at the abusive comment, turned and hurried off. Uzai called after him, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH BEING GAY?!!”

After the man was out of sight, Uzai looked down at the man’s wallet in his hands. He rifled through it, taking out the money and stuffing it in his pockets along with a few credit cards. “Dinner and shopping? Oh! You shouldn’t have!” Uzai chuckled to himself as he walked over to a nearby garbage can and prepared to throw the rest of the contents and the wallet away.

He paused as he stared at a photograph of the man standing with his family; a wife and two children. His eyes focused on the siblings…an older girl and a young and awkward looking boy. A strong reminder of himself and his own family…as well as their lack of acceptance of him and what he was…

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Forest Hills, New York
11 August 2011

“THAT WOMAN IS A MENACE! IF YOU ALLOW HER IN THAT RING…YOU AND YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS!”

Ito Kazama listened as his sister slammed the phone down in the other room. She was in an obvious fury and he couldn’t help but to smile to himself as he realized just how angry she was. He didn’t know where his hatred for his sister had come from…it wasn’t like she was a bad sibling, still he took great pleasure in seeing her anger over the situation with Kymiku Shinsuzuki. While the woman had been her sister’s patient, Ito had been privy to all of her sessions…as he had taken it upon himself to sneak into her study and listen to them when he was high on pills and booze. He had always done that with all of her other patients, however, none of them fascinated him more than Kymiku…or Oni has he had later learned was her nickname, from television and magazines.

Perhaps he had gotten his fascination from the way Oni had seemed to turn things around on his sister during their sessions. A lot of times it seemed that Oni was the one who was peeling back the layers of his sister as she attacked her lack of pride in her Asian heritage. It gave him great pleasure to see his sister storming around in a rage after being told that she wasn’t ‘Jap’ enough. Though he knew that she didn’t want to embrace her heritage, she didn’t want anyone telling it to her face either.

It was fitting, since her sister had embraced a culture that wasn’t her own just to “pass” since moving to America, with her as his legal guardian. Of course…today things were about to change…it was his 18th birthday and he no longer had to listen to her…he was free to go his own way…and he had taken great pains to make sure that his leaving was as memorable and as painful as possible.

He grabbed his bags and threw them over his shoulder and popped the lit cigarette into his mouth, she hated the idea of him smoking, so that really was a must. He walked to the door of her study and stood there for a moment, waiting for her to look up at him.

“Ito! I told you no smok…” she paused as she saw the bags in his hand and the curious look on his face, as well as the shirt he wore, baring Oni’s likeness. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked as she stood and walked over to him, snatching the lit cigarette from his mouth.

As it burned her, she hissed in pain and let it drop. He watched the cigarette fall to the floor with a sense of personal satisfaction as it landed on the edge of her Persian rug. He smirked as his oddly colored eyes found hers. “I’m leaving this house…I’m leaving you!”

She flushed as she reached out to grab him, snatching him up by his shirt. “ITO! YOU GET YOUR BEHIND BACK TO YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW! THIS IS NONSENSE!!”

He smacked her hand away and shoved her back, watching her fall back into her desk. He pointed an angry finger at her. “Don’t you EVER fucking touch me again! I have had to listen to you and your shit for years and years…but today, that all ends! It’s my 18th birthday sister…and I am officially a man now!”

“YOU’RE NOT A MAN!! YOU’RE A…”

He ran up to her, fist raised and it seemed to quiet her. He patted her hard on her cheek as he smiled broadly. “Good girl! There’s no need for name calling!” As he walked back to the hallway and retrieved his bags, he looked back at her and winked. “Don’t you worry one little bit…I am going to be in very good hands soon. You won’t have to worry about me at all!”

“Ito…your…condition…I promised our parents that…”

“Condition?!” he said, as his voice dripped with loathing. “There is nothing wrong with me…nothing except YOU trying to make me into something and someone that I am NOT!” He sighed, “But that’s okay…I intend to find someone who can teach me about being who I truly am!” He glanced down at the picture of Oni on his shirt.

“ITO!!” She yelled.

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!!” She shrank back as he shook his fist. “My name is Uzai…not that you ever need to bother having to call me by it!”

As he headed to the door, she ran after him with tears in her eyes. “ITO!! STOP!! PLEASE, DON’T DO THIS!! ITO I…”

He turned and smacked her hard, knocking her into the side of the wall. “MY NAME IS UZAI!!”

She put her hand to the side of her face and it burned like fire, even as her tears blurred her vision. Still, she had to try to stop him. “It…Uzai…please…” He stopped, though he didn’t bother to turn around. This was her last chance to stop him. She straightened herself, “Kymiku Shinsuzki is not going to accept you…no one will…not like I do. Our parents wanted…”

“Our parents?!” He turned to face her. “You don’t care about them…all you wanted to do was to get away from them…change yourself into a little Barbie so you could pass…forget who you REALLY were! Oni told you as much!”

She was confused, “Oni? Yo-you listened to our sessions…I…”

He rolled his eyes, “Oni can teach me a lot more about who I really am than you can! And I know she’ll accept me…just as soon as I tell her who I am!”

As he turned to go, she yelled out in one last attempt to stop him, “You don’t really think that she believes all that crap she says, do you?!”

“She doesn’t have to believe it…so long as I do…”

As he walked out and slammed the door behind him, he felt as if a great weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. This was going to be the start of a great adventure for him…along side his new family…

---

He glared at the family in the picture as his memory of his own receded. He spat on the picture, then dropped the wallet in the trash. He was done with that part of his life…he had already pledged himself to his Mistress…Oni Kymiku. Though it was true, she had forgotten her true self…he would be there to help remind her.

This business with Sidney Grey was baffling to him. She had let the woman attack her, over and over again…to the point of injuring her. What was the point? When was she going to remind that old bitch of exactly who she was?!

Perhaps…that was just it. She had forgotten who she was. Running to the aid of that ignorant baying whore Crystal Hilton? The Oni he knew had once tried to spill her guts with a broken bottle…had crippled her fat little friend just to make a point. Now she was saving her? This seemed like the Twilight Zone!

If that wasn’t bad enough, she was online making kissy-faces with Evie Taylor like the two of them were old friends who weren’t going to have a match…but a friendly game of hop scotch! It was enough to make him sick to his stomach.

Uzai stared at the trio of women as they got into the car, one at a time…the last one being Nyako. He rubbed his chin, as he stared at her. He could see the look of displeasure that seemed almost permanently etched on her face these days. He could see that she shared his opinion of Sidney Grey…as well as the actions that were required to deal with a woman like her.

Funny…he had always considered her an obstacle to forcing his Mistress to wake up…now it almost seemed like she was the key…

Uzai smiled to himself as he skipped down the sidewalk. Nyako surely didn’t see things his way completely…she hated his guts, but that didn’t matter. Once she saw that they were on the same page…things would change between them. He just needed to turn on the charm…

The Deepest Cut


LAW 13 marks my return to action after being injured at the hands of Sidney Grey and Summer St. Clair…a pair of women that I am developing a very low tolerance for, but more on them later. I am excited to be in this match, not only because I am going to have an opportunity to test my metal against the newly crowned LAW Champion and the Queen of the Ring…but more importantly, I finally reunite with my sister Nyako inside the squared circle. For me…this is a dream come true…and even more than that, this is an opportunity for me to show her the woman that I have become.

My past is a patchwork of horrors…most of which are of my own making, but in recent weeks I have seen that there is a better way to live my life. I can fight for something good instead of surrounding myself with the bad. There was a time in my life where I would have relished this upcoming match, not because The Doc and Evelyn Taylor were the top talent that LAW had to offer, but because this match represented the opportunity to showcase the superiority of my people and my klan. I would have decimated them…humiliated them…done all that I could to inflict pain upon them and make them bleed fountains of blood. All of these things I would have done with a smile on my face…and emptiness in my heart.

Evelyn Taylor showed a great deal of honor and fortitude when she emerged victorious in the Queen of the Ring tournament…even managing to defeat my sister in a one on own match. I know Nyako’s skill and her passion for combat, so Taylor is obviously a forced to be reckoned with in her own right. I relish the chance to step inside the ring with her and test my skill and passion against her own. I do this, not for any ideas of vengeance against the woman…but for the sake of matching my skill against the best that LAW has to offer.

The fact that she is from humble beginnings and has fought and clawed her way to the top is a testament to the woman that she is. She is to be admired for that…and I give her all of my respect in that regard. She certainly does display all of the best values that are to be cherished and respected in this business of ours…however, complements aside, inside the ring…this is where she must earn my respect. I do not give it lightly and very few have earned it. Gabriella Camacho earned my respect inside the ring…and it did not come easily. I promise Taylor the same. If she plans to roll over me…she will be sorely disappointed. If she plans to intimidate me with her newly won accolade…she will be sorely disappointed. If she plans to fight me with everything that she has…if she is willing to bleed inside the ring in order to achieve victory…in this, she and I will have MUCH in common.

She may be Queen of the Ring…having earned victory over my sister on her way to that achievement, but when she faces me…those past deeds will be meaningless. She will have to fight me tooth and nail in order to survive that match. To achieve victory…she will have to be willing to give up much more than that. I hope that she has that kind of desire in her heart…I want to feel it for myself. Win or lose…I will gladly call her Queen if she comes to LAW 13 ready to put everything she has on the line.

As for The Doc…I honestly have no words. Truly, she is the LAW Champion and she earned that title on her own. Many people will say that I should give her my respect simply for that very reason, but I disagree. Deeds and accomplishments are but a single part of the equation. Strength of character and honor are to be considered as well. I cannot guess to know what a woman like The Doc thinks…I can only listen to the words that she speaks, and to be honest, she is a woman of very few words…or perhaps those words are reserved for those that she deems worthy.

My sister holds the distinction of being the sole black mark upon her otherwise flawless singles record. Despite the unfortunately dubious nature of Nyako’s victory and her desire to fight The Doc again, as to leave no doubt about her superiority…the woman could not be troubled to spare her precious breath. How else is one to take her lack of care or interest? Frankly, I find it offensive and cowardly…a fact that I intend to make well known when I get the opportunity to lay my hands on her inside the ring. I hope that she is in fact a woman of action…because if she is not, the punishment I dish out to her will not only tarnish her legacy of champion…but will leave little doubt to anyone watching that the wrong woman won in the main event at Queen of the Ring.

Perhaps I should be wary of The Doc…for no other reason that the fact that in her previous profession she made it her life’s work to evaluate the mentally unbalanced. Being in such close quarters…would she see my true nature? Would she be able to peel back the layers and know that a sickness inhabits me? I sincerely hope that she in fact she does not, because I fear what It would do should it ever be exposed to the harsh light of day. To run free…ripping and tearing…hurting whomever It will…doing the unspeakable for the sake of inflicting pain.

In this, I must be honest…at least with myself…a part of me desires this. My inner demon is never far from the surface and It always speaks to me in whispers…willing me to do horrifying things…goading me on. Very rarely do I listen to It…because most times I know that It only seeks to do harm and commit great acts of chaos and violence. It finds amusement in the suffering of the innocent and the fear in those that are victimized. In my time…I have hurt people without remorse, both friend and foe alike. It pleased me to do so…or perhaps rather that pleased It…

I call this need…this inner voice “It” in order to separate It from myself, or rather the person that I most desire to be. Perhaps I am simply insane…and this thought truly does terrify me. To think that at any moment I could be consumed by this other half of myself and go on a rampage against those I hold dear. My sister has not been immune to this in the past…and I feel that on some level It desires her in an unnatural way…if only to alienate her from me…to hurt her…to drive her away and have me all to Itself.

I will not let that happen…I will not allow myself to be consumed. I am master of the thing that threatens to devour me and those I hold dear. I will be the person I was always meant to be…a woman of honor, conviction, and worth. From this day forward…the woman I once was is no more. My moniker…Oni…stands as a stark reminder of what I once was…and what I will never become again. LAW 13 will be a testament to the promise that I have made to myself.

I will not seek vengeance against women the likes of Sidney Grey and Summer St. Clair, though the darkness inside me screams for it. I know what dwells in the hearts of people like them, because it lives inside me…and I will use this knowledge against them and their kind. If they are looking for a fight…they should pray that they find me between the ropes…should we meet outside of them, they will surely regret it.

I could easily turn my back on Grey and St. Clair, were it not for the ties that my little sister…and my new business manager SoLo has with CTN. Her years long association with Grey and her friendship with the woman’s daughter, Kenzi have complicated an otherwise already delicate and difficult problem. SoLo’s sense of honor demanded that she do all that she could to help Grey…to do what she could to save her television show and what remained of her in-ring career. The fact that Grey is a vile and detestable person not only sullies my sister’s reputation…but it puts her in very real danger. I could not stand idly by and watch…nor could I demand that SoLo turn her back on her promise. I did the only thing I could to protect my new sister and defend her honor…I asked SoLo to be my business manager as well.

Nyako doesn’t agree with my solution…she thinks that it is a horrible idea. I know that she is right…but it is the best solution I have. So long as SoLo must be within five feet of Grey…I will be no farther than five feet from my sister. I don’t care about the things that concern Grey…titles and retribution…whining and complaining about the Queen of the Ring. I care about blood…and I care about honor…and I will protect my blood and I will protect the honor of my blood!

This weekend I return to action inside the confines of LAW…but it won’t be for fun and games. Sidney Grey and Summer St. Clair have had their fun, but their free passes are done! The Doc and Evie Taylor are the challenge that stands before me, and I am eager to meet it! This weekend, I put LAW and everyone in it on notice. Oni Kymiku is no one’s fool and no one’s stepping-stone. Anyone who doubts my resolve will be sorry…and that is a promise!

---

NYAKO'S APARTMENT
New York City, New York
4 September 2014

It felt so good to be out of the hospital and back with my sisters. We had literally spent our every waking moment together since my release. We saw the sights, went to see movies, shopping…everything that we could possibly imagine. We laughed and talked and laughed some more…all three of us…sisters. The rest of the world had fallen away and I didn’t concern myself with worry over any of it. The trouble with Sidney Grey had only come up once, while we were watching 101 Dalmatians…Ny remarked how much Cruella DeVille reminded her of Grey and that sent us all into hysterical laughter for the remainder of the movie…I’m not even sure that we finished it.

After a night on the town, we had all decided to crash at Ny’s apartment. We stayed up late; eating junk food, watching crappy television shows, and fixing each other’s hair and nails…and doing a really piss poor job of it. It was the best night ever…I really can’t remember ever being happier. Is this what it was like for everyone else? Is this how life was for people who didn’t have to worry about a horrible past threatening to devour them whole and destroy everything they loved? God…I love this!

I hadn’t felt this good in a very long time…but like always, my good feelings never last very long at all. The closer we got to LAW #13 the more I could feel it growing inside me. As I readied myself for my second foray into the ring in what was sure to be a highly competitive match against the LAW Champion and its new #1 Contender, all I could think about was the excitement of it all. That rush was amazing and I know that we all felt it. It thrilled me…but the other half of me was even more eager to show itself. It only cared for the pain I would mete out and that which I would experience.

The darkness inside me has little regard for my happiness, because It has needs of its own. Though I try to repress It, I know that sooner or later It always finds a way to sate It’s hunger. The trick for me is to feed It’s need in private before it became too great and manifested Itself publically.

So, in the early morning hours…I find myself locked away in my sister’s tiny bathroom and standing face to face with myself in a mirror…blood streaming from my left hand…razor in my right. I know that this is hardly good enough for the demon that dwells inside me…but it is all that I have to offer It at the moment…

…you’re such a fucking cock tease Kymiku…this should be Doc’s blood or Evelyn Taylor’s…hell, why not even Nyako or Song…come on…they are right there; hurt someone…it will make us both feel better…

I actually pull open the door and peek out. I see SoLo wrapped in the blanket Ny had given her as she dozed quietly on the recliner. Her hair was still a tangled mess from when Ny and I had tried to spike her hair like a punk rocker. The results had not been impressive, but the laughter had been riotous. Not even our best attempts to dirty up her appearance could diminish the innocence of her appearance.

Before I knew it…I was standing over her…razor in one hand…blood dripping from the other. Before I knew what I was going to do the blanket pulled away from her body. She murmured in her sleep and moved only slightly as the warmth of the cover left her. My eyes roamed slowly over her very slight frame…her curves were few and very subtle, but they were pleasing all the same…

…what are you going to do…cut her or fuck her; you better pick one fast Kymiku…

Before I knew what I was doing I watched as a single drop of blood fell from my hand and landed on the band of her white cotton panties…standing out in sharp contrast with its deep red hue. I quickly came to my senses and before I knew it, I was back in the bathroom…pulling the door shut, not bothering to fiddle with the noisy knob that would rattle noisily. I was back in front of the mirror, staring…

…when did you get so fucking weak; you shouldn’t be cutting your hand…you should be cutting your own throat…

I close my eyes as I put the razor against my hand again…drawing it slowly across my skin. I hardly flinch at the pain…I don’t feel it, not like others…I only feel the bad thoughts slipping away. I imagine them flowing out of me like the blood that courses between my fingers…dripping into the sink…flowing down the drain. This isn’t what I want…what It truly wants…but it is all I have to give, for now…

…for now…

“Oni, I’m sorry I…”

My eyes snap open as I hear the door suddenly open…then I remember the broken lock on the bathroom door of my sister’s tiny apartment. I quickly shove my hand under the faucet as I struggle to turn on the water, but I can already see that I’m too late.

“OH MY GOD!” SoLo rushes over, grabbing my hand, concern on her face for my welfare. Though she is tiny in her own right, even she has trouble getting to me within the confines of the compact space. “Your hand! Did you…”

“No! I’m fine Song…it’s just a small cut…I was…” I try my best to explain away what I already sense that she knows.



Her eyes meet mine, with more than just concern coloring her cheeks…I see true horror there. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”



I reach past her and push the door closed, standing over her as I do. “No, Song…that’s not what this is.” I can’t help but roll my eyes. “No one kills themselves by cutting their hands.”



She grabs my hand and roughly sticks it under the running water, not at all impressed by my observation. “I don’t understand…you did this on purpose! What’s going on here?”



“It was an accident.” I try to lie, but it hardly even sounds convincing to me. Not even horny adolescent boys think of shaving their hairy palms.



She turns my hand over and stares at the twin cuts…and then at a host of others in various degrees of healing. She stares at me incredulously, “You’re really accident prone.” She shakes her head, then turns and opens the door. “I’m going to talk to Ny about this…”



I grab her and slam the door shut, turning her to face me. “Song…do not include our sister in this!”



“You’re hurting yourself! I’m not going to stand by and watch…” she stared at me. “You might only be cutting your hands for now…but what happens when you decide to cut a little higher…a little deeper?”



I sighed, “I have no intention of killing myself…”



…you should…



She pulled up her sleeves, her eyes never leaving mine. “Neither did I.”



I looked down and saw the cuts on her arms…faint as they were, I could see them clearly. They were not the cuts of someone looking for attention…they were serious and well placed. The cuts ran along both forearms…and they ran long and deep. My eyes met hers and I could see that she understood better than I knew. I searched for the right words to say…but only one could come to mind; “Why…?”



She hesitated, but it was only for a moment…nearly imperceptible. She took my hand and held it up. “Only if you promise to tell me about this…”



…blackmailing little cunt…she’s beginning to grow on me Kymiku, careful with this one, with the right push, we could make something of her…



My hesitation was longer…a blind man could have seen it. “Song…I…”



“You promise to tell me why you do this…otherwise…” she didn’t finish her statement, but I didn’t need her to. I knew what she meant…



…don’t you dare make that promise…throw her down and give her what she’s really asking for…you know what I mean…



…I paused for so long that I knew she didn’t think I would relent…and perhaps in the end, who could say. I nodded, ever so slightly.



SoLo, holding my hand, took me back to the sink and ran more water over the wounds to clean them. “When Nyako left me…ran away from my family…I was devastated. I couldn’t understand why she would do that…why she would leave me. I idolized her…I wanted to be like her…she was everything, my entire world revolved around her.” She looked at me earnestly, “I know that sounds crazy…”



I shook my head. It didn’t sound crazy to me…I knew Nyako, but even more importantly, I knew crazy.



She nodded, continuing on. “I ran away myself…I acted out however I could; drinking, smoking, stealing…thinking that I could find Nyako or that she would come back if she heard the kind of trouble I was getting into.” She was quiet for a moment and I could see that she was reliving a terrible memory…one that I could tell would not be part of this tale. She let out a shuttering breath and I could see the corners of her mouth turning downward into a severe frown. When she spoke again…her voice was small…so small that I had to strain to hear it. “…she didn’t come back…not even after…I…” She took one hand and wiped at her cheeks. Her story continued, but she moved past whatever memory had given her so much pain. “I didn’t know what I had done to drive her away…I didn’t know why she hated me…why she hated my family.”



I stroked her hair with my free hand, hoping to chase away the horrible memories, but no one knew better than I did that such thoughts never left you. You could run until your feet bled or until the seas boiled…in the end, it was always a part of you.



She continued. “I was hurt…but that hurt turned into something else. It was anger…it was rage…it was hopelessness. All of those things and more, rolled into one. She was a part of me…a part of our family and she was just gone…just like that! My mother and father were devastated…so much so that they didn’t see me or what I did…didn’t seem to care. When I ran off…the always found me and brought me back, but…it was Ny that pained them the most.” She turned off the water and dried my palm, continuing to clean and dress my wound. “I know now that it wasn’t what I thought…but at the time, it was all that I knew. I thought that everything would be better for them once I was gone…they wouldn’t miss me…and maybe Ny would come back.”



She put the finishing touches on the bandages, “It started so small…and then…it all ended so big.” The look in her eyes was so far away that I wondered if she was really still there with me. “My mother found me there…lying in a bloody tub of hot water. I was almost gone…another few minutes…maybe less.”



“Song…I’m sorry.” that was all I could say, because I had no other words.



She tried to manage a small smile as she touched the side of my face. “It’s okay…it wasn’t your fault. My recovery lasted months…the therapy lasted years…” She stopped again, “…but you never really come all the way back. Not from that…”



I wanted to vomit into the sink as the sick feeling inside me caused my stomach to drop. I was the cause of this…I was responsible. Nyako had run away from a good home…had run away from her family because she feared what I had become…feared what I would do to her adoptive family. My ties to the Yakuza ran deep…but my obsession with my sister was even deeper. What would I have done had I known about them? Maybe nothing…maybe I would have toyed with them…used my knowledge of them to torment Nyako…force her to come to me. Yes, I would have done all of that…and I would have certainly done much, much more…



…almost like you cut her yourself, huh…maybe we can hold the razor next time, help her to do it right…



She looked at me, her eyes pinning me in place. “Your turn…spill it.”



I wanted to lie…I wanted to come up with a reason that would satisfy her…and keep her safe from my secret…why I did the things that I did…the thing that I had been before, and the thing that I still was…



…if you tell her, she’ll know that you’re insane…no way she’ll keep your secret from your sister…



“I…”



…they’ll have you committed…you’ll never see either of them again outside of a mental hospital…



“I…sometimes have…dark thoughts…” I finally manage to say.



She looked at me and I could tell that she didn’t comprehend. “Like…like wanting to get revenge on Ms. Grey? Like Nyako says…stop her?”



I sat down on the closed commode. “No…darker.”



She placed her hand on my shoulder. “Like…like hurting people? Really hurting people?”



I sighed, “The pain…the cutting…acting out…it makes it easier deal.”



“Oni…this…this is something serious.” The worry on her face was evident. “You could hurt someone.”



“I’m dealing with it Song…I’ve been dealing with it the best way that I can.” I answered. “A few weeks ago…I took a cab to a bad neighborhood…and then…I exposed myself to abuse.” I sighed, “It made me feel better…I felt in control afterwards.”



“ONI!” the shock on her face was apparent and it ran deep. “You could have been hurt…” she paused with the realization, “…YOU DID GET HURT!”



I sighed, unable to argue with logic. “Yes…that time I got hurt…but the important thing was that no one else got hurt…well, no one of any consequence anyway.” My thoughts drifted back to the mysterious man who had been following me and had stepped in to save me from the violation that I had craved at that moment.



SoLo stared up at the ceiling. “This is insane…we need to do something…we need to tell Ny, we…”



There is where I drew the line. “NO! Nyako cannot know about this…none of it!”



She looked at me, almost pleading with her eyes. “I don’t understand…she’s your sister! Why don’t you tell her so she can help you?!”



“Look…my sister isn’t big on subtle…if you haven’t noticed. Just look at the situation with you and Grey. Her solution is to just hit it with a hammer until its dead.” Sure, the symbolism was a bit harsh and over the top, but she’d understand and get the point. “I want to do that…and I want to do much more…but I can’t allow myself to go down that road…I might never come back again!” I shook my head, speaking in earnest. “I love Nyako, but this is heavy and she has enough on her plate right now. She’s worried about you and Grey…she’s the number one contender to the Marquee Title and this weekend…this tag team match is serious to her…especially another chance to lay hands on The Doc.”



SoLo added, “Because of the way their first match ended.”



I nodded, “I know that it is a small thing, but her honor is important to her. With everything else that’s going on, I have no intention of telling her this. She’ll drop everything to help me…but I couldn’t live with the resentment.”



“But you need help Oni! You have to tell someone!” she pleaded with me.



“I did tell someone…” I looked at her in earnest, “…I told you…my business manager…my friend…my sister.” I saw a whole range of emotions flutter past in an instant; gratitude, bewilderment, and fear. I did what I could to sooth them. “I told you Song…you’re the only one that knows…” I paused to correct myself, “…and probably Uzai.”



As soon as the name left my lips I could see SoLo’s demeanor change. “I don’t like him…he’s creepy. Why does he follow you around like he does anyway?”



I shrugged, “He’s a lost soul…he’s broken inside…like me. He’s attracted to what I was…he likes the dark part of me.”



“He needs to stay the hell away from you!” she said, making her stand known.



“I can’t turn him away Song. If I can change…then maybe I can help him change as well.”



SoLo shivered as she recalled her first encounter with him. “He’s rotten Oni…”



I opened my mouth to defend him, but I closed it and decided to say nothing more on the subject instead. I understood her feelings, Uzai was…different…more so than she knew. Instead, I revisited the main point of contention. “Will you keep my secret?”



The compassion and anguish on her face was almost too much to take. “Oni…I don’t know about this. We have to do something…seek some help for this.”



I stood, placing both my hands on her shoulders. “The ring is my therapy Song. When I’m in there…fighting, I can let go of everything and just fight! It’s the only place where I can just let go of It and not worry about hiding.”



She looked down at my hand, “That didn’t happen in the ring.” She looked me in the eye, “The incident in the alley you told me about…that wasn’t in the ring.” She shook her head, “If I don’t do anything…and you get hurt, or God forbid, hurt someone else, how will I live with myself?”



She had a good point that I could not argue with. I had no response at all, until she added; “What if you got some professional help…just someone that could talk to you about this on a regular basis?”



I removed my hands and stepped back, arching my eyebrow as I did. “Like a shrink…?”



…that’s easy, you’re in the ring with The Doc this weekend; we can just see if she wants to get inside our head while we beat her fucking brains out; I am all in for that…



To be honest, the idea did not sit well with me. I had seen someone in the past, Uzai’s sister. It had only been three sessions, which I had been mandated to do because I had attacked the company’s Commissioner. In the end, I had not been cleared to return to action…but the company overrode her determination, at the urging of that very same Commissioner who had decided that I needed to be taught a lesson in the ring instead of being fired. I know, what was the point? There was none…nor did I ever see the point of doing anything with so-called professionals in that particular field.



“Well?” SoLo asked again.



This snapped me out of my musings, I hadn’t realized that I still had not answered her. I shook my head, “Song…I don’t think I can do that. I mean…Nyako is right here, she’ll want to know what I am doing…I…”



“You’ll have to move out” she said flatly.



I was stunned into silence at the firmness of her response. “Song…I…”



…the little cunt is trying to come between us and our sister…don’t let her do it…toss her ass out that window…



I couldn’t believe that was the case, but it seemed to come out that way. “Nyako…she and I…”



SoLo looked at me gravely, “She is part of the reason that I am saying this! I care about you…but I also care about Ny. You need to have your own space where you can deal with these issues…in private.” She frowned, “I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t also concerned about Ny’s welfare. I mean…since you won’t tell her, at least she won’t be exposed to…to…anything.” She wrung her hands nervously. “I want to help you Oni…but this is the only way that I am willing to do it, otherwise…Ny has to know.”



…can’t you see that she is just jealous and she wants our sister all to herself; we need to deal with her right now…tell that skinny little bitch that the answer is…



“YES…” I said, perhaps a bit too loudly, ignoring my inner voice as I made the hard choice. I didn’t want to leave Nyako…but she was right. If I wasn’t going to share my secret with my sister, I had no right to expose her to whatever potential danger I might pose. Better that I had my own space…a safe place to retreat to and work through my issues.



SoLo smiled, though I could see there was still sadness in her eyes. She had gotten her sister back and then gotten another, only to find that she was severely broken…perhaps beyond repair. Seeing her face and knowing how she felt grieved me, but I didn’t allow it to show. I was done with tears…it was about getting better. I looked at SoLo, “So…who tells Nyako the good news about getting her place back?”



She threw her arms around me in an attempt to comfort me, but I was beyond all that. I had accepted what she said and the help that was offered. Her solution was the best possible…I could not deny it. I was hurt by the notion that my presence put my sister in danger since she didn’t know my secret, but it had a great deal of merit; whether or not I wanted to admit it. I was being selfish where it concerned my sister. I had to work through those feelings if I ever hoped to function normally…or at least what passed for normal.



This was a change that I needed to make if I hoped to move forward and deal with my problems and make a real change. I liked the person that I was trying to become…I liked the idea of family. These were things that I taken for granted all my life and now they were within my reach. I was going to take a chance and do whatever it took to secure that future for myself…the other part of me be damned…



…she’s making you weak…making us weak; you’ll never be rid of who and what you are…no matter how hard you try or how far you run…



Maybe It was right about that…but it never hurt to try.

Moving Day


As I walked through the empty rooms of my new apartment, listening to the echoes of my footsteps, I couldn’t help but to feel that this place was the perfect metaphor for my life. I felt just like this place…empty and dark. I had brought what little I had with me after leaving my sister’s apartment, but it hardly filled a corner of this place. For a time, I had considered something much larger…money would be no problem if I truly desired it, but I had vowed not to call on those connections ever again. This was a new life…and I had to learn to live it like ordinary people…

…not even ordinary people live in squalor like this, you are the daughter of Boss Shinsuzuki, you should have more respect for yourself…

My inner-self exaggerated. This place was far from squalor…though not very far. It would do nicely for now…at least until I had worked through my…issues. I stopped walking as I stepped out onto the terrace. I breathed in the cool night air and looked out over the city. Lights shined brightly and people moved too and fro in all directions. The sights and sounds were many…and in a way, I found it soothing. The loneliness and silence inside the apartment was deafening to me. I had…

“OUCH!”

I grabbed my shoulder as I felt something hit me. It didn’t hurt, but it had startled me all the same. I glanced down and found a small pebble at my feet. A moment later, a second one came sailing by, bouncing off my wall. I looked down and several floors below, Uzai stood with another pebble in hand, ready to launch it at me…presumably to get my attention.

I hurled the rock down at him, hitting him squarely on top of his head. He hit the ground, and flopped there like a fish drowning on dry land. The sight nearly made me laugh out loud, then I immediately regretted striking him. Once he finally recovered, I waved for him to come up, then headed to the door to buzz him through the gate...

---

A Few Minutes Later…

After giving him the guided tour of my apartment and all of its amenities…which lasted all of a minute and a half, we settled in my tiny kitchen, perching ourselves on the counter. We ate left over takeout as we caught up with one another. “So, what mischief have you been involved in lately? I haven’t seen you since the last LAW show.”

Uzai attempted to look shocked and innocent, neither of which he did particularly well. “Me? Nothing Mistress Oni…I’ve been well. Very well, in fact.”

Inside, I cringed as he called me ‘Mistress.’ That was a moniker that I could now readily do without. “Oni is fine.”

He nodded slowly, but I could see in his eyes that this would take some getting use to on his part. I changed the subject to give him something else to think about. “So…I heard that you paid Serizawa a visit during her match.” I captured an enormous prawn with my chopsticks and stuffed it into my mouth with a generous portion of noodles. “She’s very pretty…is that why you’re stalking her?”

He lowered his eyes and shook his head, “Of course not Mist…Oni. My interests were purely professional.” He finally looked back up, capturing my gaze. “She is quite talented. Did you see her match?”

I had seen her match, though there was something about the girl that I found slightly disturbing. Her nickname…Sukeban…that certainly didn’t help. Anyone who went around calling themselves by that name had issues…

…no more than anyone calling herself a demon…

Touché inner voice…touché! However, that didn’t change my point. My nickname had been earned a hundred times over, bathed red in the blood of friend and foe alike. I kept the name to remind me where I had come from…where I never wanted to return to…and how far I still had to go. I had little doubt that Sukeban was a name more than well earned as well. Before, I would have been intrigued…now I was more than a little concerned.

“I did see her…she was very impressive” I finally answered. “That doesn’t explain your presence at her match.”

Uzai’s dark eyes focused sharply on mine and I could see myself reflected there for a moment. I knew that I was no longer the same woman he had once worshiped, and that pained him. He spoke, “As I found her intriguing…I knew that you would as well. I had hoped to get a closer look at her. She is, after all, an Asian sister to us.”

“Yes…indeed she is.” He did speak the truth in this. Though my methods had changed, I still found it hard not to support my Asian sisters and their struggle for acceptance in the West. “However, I don’t think she is particularly interested in fellowship.”

Uzai finished his food and sucked down his drink as he added. “Perhaps…but one never knows. I mean, I wonder if LAW management will try to take advantage of her, because of the language barrier.”

“She has a translator…Aki I believe?” I said questioningly, knowing full well that I knew much more about the pair than I wanted to let on. Uzai was right, I had found them much more than intriguing, but it was like a moth to the flame. I had no intention of getting too close to Sukeban…the temptation of returning to my old ways was too great. “I am sure that Aki will look after her interests.”

Uzai nodded, then hopped down off the counter. “I’m sure that you are right…Oni.” His long pause punctuating the fact that he really had trouble calling me anything but ‘Mistress.’ He straightened, “I suppose I’ll be leaving now.”

“Where are you going?” I asked him, knowing that he had no place to go. When he shrugged, I hopped down off the counter. “I suppose you should just stay here for now. This place is big enough…” I looked around, “…especially since I have nothing in it.”

“Mis…Oni, are you sure that I wouldn’t be imposing?” he asked, though I could clearly see that he was only asking to be polite. He was overjoyed that I had asked him to stay.

“It’s fine…I’ll get you some bedding.” As I walked over to find a blanket for him, I knew that bringing him here was a mistake. He was a tie to my former life…and that equaled trouble. Still…if I turned him away, how could I live with myself? Uzai was the way he was because of me…my negative influence. Maybe I could salvage him…put him back on the proper path now that my eyes were open.

If I could save Uzai…maybe then I would have no reason to be disconcerted by the presence of Sukeban. This wasn’t something I wanted to do…it was something that I needed to do. I would find a way to make up for the sins of my past…and I would start with Uzai.

---

Uzai awoke out of his sleep, startled for a moment as he didn’t realize where he was. After a moment or two, he remembered that he was inside his Mistress’s new apartment. He settled back down on the hard floor and turned his gaze to where her pallet was, but he suddenly realized that it was empty and she was no longer sleeping there. He sat back up, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. As he peered around, he saw the curtains flutter by the terrace door.



Getting up, he walked over to the terrace entrance, stopping as he saw Oni standing there bathed in moonlight. The slight breeze caught her hair, brushing it back across her naked skin. The large purple tattoo across her back seemed to stare at him…menacing and unblinking. He swallowed, then cleared his throat. “Is everything okay?” he asked.



When she did not immediately reply, he asked again. When there was still no reply, he walked out and stood beside her. He looked at her, standing on the terrace in the nude and unmoving. Her eyes didn’t blink, though they did stare out blankly into the darkness.



“Oni?” he spoke again, but she didn’t reply.



Uzai went back inside and grabbed the blanket she had been using and brought it back with him. He draped the blanket over her shoulders and wrapped it around her nude body. When he tried to guide her back inside, she didn’t budge.



“It’s cold outside…come back in.” he said, but she didn’t respond or acknowledge him in the least. He pulled again, but nothing.



“Mistress!”



Her head turned and her blank eyes captured him. His breath caught, but he felt relieved that she was at least acknowledging his presence. “This way…” he guided her back inside and then down to the pallet she had made for herself on the floor. As he laid her back down, he started to go back to close the terrace door, but her hand grabbed him.



“Uzai…” she said in a hushed tone.



“Y-Yes…Mistress?” he answered, unsure of what was happening.



“…what’s down there?” Her hand fell away, and she seemed to fall back into a deep slumber.



He was unsure of the meaning behind her words, if they meant anything at all. Uzai tucked her in and walked back out to the terrace, bracing himself against the cold night air. He shivered, then turned back to watch his Mistress as she slept. Perhaps she would come back out here…to find out what was down there. He paused and looked back over his shoulder, taking measure of the distance from the terrace to the ground below. He didn’t know what was happening…but he knew that she needed him, as much or maybe even more than he needed her. It was his job to protect her from herself…whatever this weakness was that now infected her.



His Mistress was strong and sure…or at least she had been. She acted in violence…and there was never remorse or thoughts of forgiveness. She had allowed herself to be injured at the hands of Sidney Grey…and had done nothing about it. That was not the Oni he knew. For a time, he had thought that Nyako had been the negative influence…he had plotted to do all that he could to separate the two…but he had come to see that she was not the cause of this. In fact, Nyako had recently proven herself to be more like his Mistress than Oni herself had been in recent weeks. No…the negative influence was someone else…and he knew exactly who it was…Song Xu Lo…SoLo.



She had caused this change in her…somehow. She was the reason that Oni was no longer…Oni. He didn’t know what sway the girl held over her…but he would find out and then he would put an end to it. Until then….he would have to remain by his Mistress’s side, to make sure that no harm came to her…



…as for those who would and had harmed her…it would be a different story…

---

SoLo opened the door to Oni’s new apartment, knocking on the door to be polite as she entered. “Hello?!” She walked in, closing the door behind her and immediately feeling the cool breeze blowing in from the terrace. She put a bag down on the counter.



“Song?” Oni walked into the kitchen, wrapped in a blanket as she yawned. “What did you bring?”



SoLo grinned, “Ever had a crab and cheese breakfast sandwich?”



Oni frowned, “Has anyone ever?”



SoLo paused, “I’m not sure. First time for everything I guess!” She reached into her pocket, “By the way, I got you an appointment with a doctor. I figured that you would be comfortable seeing someone you were already familiar with. Dr. Maggie…”



“Kazama.” Oni finished, the look on her face strange, but unreadable.



“Yeah…” SoLo answered cautiously, “…I mean, unless that is a problem.”



Oni shook her head. “No, it’s fine…I can deal with it. Thank you Song…I appreciate that.”



SoLo smiled broadly, her braces shining brightly. SoLo glanced over towards the terrace door. “You got something against closed doors or do you just hate central air?”



Oni glanced over her shoulder, then remembered that Uzai was still in the apartment. She got up and walked over to the terrace and saw him laying on the cold tile, shivering. “ITO!” She yelled, using his proper name as she helped him up and brought him inside. “What were you doing out there?!”



“S-Sorry…Mistress…I…” he struggled to speak, still shivering.



“Mistress?” SoLo said questioningly as she walked in. “Why is HE here?” she asked pointedly.



Oni turned to SoLo, “He’s my guest…he has no place to stay.”



SoLo frowned, unhappy with the situation. “Oni…I…I don’t think that this is a good idea.” She didn’t like Uzai, not in the least…she found him…creepy.



Oni looked at SoLo. “This is my decision Song. I left my sister’s apartment, and I agree with you…that was for the best. This however, this is my choice and it is something that I need to do.”



SoLo folds her arms, glancing down at Uzai. The shivering man sticks his tongue out at her, and she rolls her eyes. “Fine! But Ny isn’t going to be happy about this!”



Oni stood up. “Stop being a tattle tale Song…you’re much to old for it.”



SoLo rolled her eyes, checking her watch. “Okay, whatever!” She sighed, “I have to go anyway. You can give your new roomie my sandwich…I hope he doesn’t choke on it.” She headed to the door and Oni followed her.



“Thank you Song…I appreciate everything that you have done.” She held the door open for her.



SoLo paused at the door, looking at Oni. “I’m serous…be careful with him. He’s a damn creeper!”



Oni sighed, “He’s not that bad…well…he could be worse.” She looked at SoLo earnestly, “I owe him this…he’s my responsibility. Try to understand.”



SoLo shakes her head, but otherwise relents. “Just be careful…okay? I don’t like him.”



She nodded and gave SoLo a parting hug as she headed out of the apartment. SoLo stood outside Oni’s door, shaking her head at the fact that Uzai was staying there with her. Couldn’t she see that he was a problem? If she didn’t, she would have to make sure that she did…for her own good.

After SoLo leaves, Oni closes the door and turns to find Uzai standing there.



“Oni…are you okay?” he asked, looking slightly better than he had moments ago.



She nodded, “I’m fine.” She cocked her head to the side. “Why do you ask?”



Uzai started to mention her midnight stroll, but he decided against it. He shook his head, “Nothing…it’s nothing.”



She stares at him for a moment, then sighed, realizing that she had to say something to him about the news that SoLo had just brought him. “Hey…I think it is only fair that I let you know, I am going to start seeing your sister again. That is why Song came over…to let me know.”



Uzai was shocked by this, but he tried not to make it too obvious. He didn’t have the best relationship with his sister and they had left on poor terms. “Meiko hates you…she tried to get you removed from wrestling.”



Oni shrugged, “Maybe she was right to do so…no matter, it is what it is. I agreed to the sessions, so I intend to follow though. Even though your sister may not like me. I still expect her to be professional.” Oni walked to the counter and pulled out one of the sandwiches and handed it to Uzai. “Here…maybe this will make you feel better.”



As Uzai opened the wrapper and smelled it. He wrinkled his nose. “What is this?”



Oni shrugged, “I think Song said it was poison…” she smiled as she walked away. “Let me know how it is, will you?”



Uzai watched as Oni walked away, then looked at the sandwich that had been left. It smelled terrible…it may have very well been poison. He bit into it anyway, chewing loudly as he continued to brood. SoLo was becoming more and more of a pain in the ass. She was making Oni weak…bringing his asshole sister back into his life…and now she was poisoning him. She would have to go…there was no two ways about it.