The Conundrum Begins

It is the evening of December 26, 2012 and Sosuke is sitting up in bed deep in thought. Earlier that day he had a race and in the last turn he was neck and neck with a veteran of the track. By just two one hundreds of a second, Sosuke lost and even though he was a good sport and shook the veterans hand, he still going through every detail of the last turn to see what he had done wrong.
Miu came walking out of the bathroom, finishing her nightly ritual. She wore a black silk nightgown. 
"Are you still obsessing about the end of the race?" She asked her husband.
"Yes." he answered as she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed with him. "I know I'm being silly." He continued, "But I can't help it. I keep thinking what I could have done wrong." Then it hit him. "That's it."
"What's it?"
"I over turned by a few inches." Miu looked at him puzzled. "My last turn was too wide by a few inches. If I made a sharper turn, I would have won." He said now sure of himself.
"Honey." She began putting her arms around him. "You were wonderful today. The two of you were neck and neck the whole time and making a sharper turn would have been reckless."
After taking in what she had to Sosuke re-thought his assumption. Had he made a sharper turn he would have crashed into the veteran and both cars would have flipped.
"You're right." He said lying down, Miu now lying next to him now. "It was the only way I could have finished the race safely."
Miu gave her husband a soft peck on the check. "I know you want to win every race to give us a good life. But I don't care if you come in first or last, as long as you come out of every race in one piece."
Sosuke looked into her eyes and smiled. "I love you." He said
"I love you, too." She said and the two began kissing. Just then the phone began to ring. Miu reached over Sosuke and answered. "Hello." she answered "No we're still up. He's right here." She gave the phone to Sosuke. It was Renn.
"Hello." Sosuke said into the speaker. He sat up and Miu began to watch intently. What ever Renn had to tell him it was obviously good news as Sosuke's eyes widened with excitement. 
"That's great." He said finally. "You just made my night. Yeah I'll see you tomorrow at the track. Bye and thanks again." He hung up the phone and turned to Miu, who was wondering what the good news was about.
"Great news." He started. "Renn had just spoke with the spokesman for the Phoenix Grand Prix, I've been invited to race in it."
A big smile came across Miu's face. "Oh darling, that's wonderful."
"Let's celebrate." Sosuke said bouncing on the bed.
"At this time of night?" she asked.
"I think you know how we can celebrate this." Sosuke said with a mischievous grin forming on his face.
When Miu caught on to what he meant, she began to giggle. Sosuke reached behind him, turned off the light and rolled on top of Miu.
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It is December 27, 2012. Chiaki was out with his father in Kyoto. They left Kotoha and Mitsuba back at there home and the Tani men were taking in their surroundings. Chiaki is wearing a green and yellow scarf Kotoha had knitted for him as a Christmas present.
"So your Tono married your Nee-san last month." Kurando stated to his son.
"That's right." Chiaki answered.
"Kotoha is a very nice girl. I like her." Kurando continued.
"I'm glad that you do." Chiaki said.
Back at the Hanaori house, Mitsuba had been making similar statements to Kotoha. "Chiaki has really grown fond of you." Said the older sister to the younger.
"And I'm very fond of him." Kotoha said. "Onee-chan." Kotoha said as if she was nervous about something. The nervousness of her voice made Mitsuba look up at her. "When Chiaki and I were hanging up our coats last night." the two went ice skating on a near by pond. "a little black box." She paused. Mitsuba's eyes widened with interest. "When I asked him what it was he said that it was for me but now isn't the right time for him to give it to me."
"How big was this box." Mitsuba asked.
"Big enough for a ring." Kotoha said. "You don't think…" she paused.
"Think what?" Mitsuba said getting up from her chair. She now stood right in front of Kotoha and put her hand on Kotoha's shoulder to try to relax her.
Kotoha then through herself into her sister's arms. 
"You don't think he'd ask me to be his wife, do you?" She asked finally.
"Oh honey, that would be wonderful if he did." Mitsuba said hugging her little sister tightly.
"But…" Kotoha started to tremble as she spoke.
"But what dear?" Mitsuba pulled back to look into Kotoha's eyes. She was surprised to see that the very eyes that had stared down the toughest of Gedoshuu, had now been filled with fear.
"But what if I fail him." Tears were now forming in Kotoha's eyes. "I've never been a wife before. What if I'm no good at it."
As a tear rolled down her sweet face Mitsuba pulled Kotoha in and kissed her forehead. "Oh honey," she began, "it's perfectly normal to be afraid to get married." She pulled back so Kotoha can look at her. "And if you do marry him, you will not be alone. I'm pretty sure Chiaki has never married before and this will be a new territory for him as well. And you know I will always be hear for you."
Kotoha never knew how Mitsuba does it, but she has yet again, found away to cheer her up. She was now looking into her sister's smiling face and couldn't help but smile back. Back with the father and son bears, after much grilling from Kurando, Chiaki had finally shown he the contents of the little black box. Kurando let out a whistle when he saw what was inside.
"When are going to propose?" Kurando asked.
"New Year's Eve. Just before midnight."
After giving Chiaki his approval, the Shinken Greens began to make their way back the Hanaori house. When they arrived, they stopped dead outside the front gate with looks of horror across their faces. The front door had been kicked down and the front windows were smashed. Six individuals stood outside the front door of the house.
"Who are you?" Chiaki demanded, pointing his Shinkenmaru at the six.
"It's been a long time, Tani Chiaki." The figure in the middle turned around to face him. 
"Akashi Satoru." Chiaki remembered encountering him during the Great Legend War. 
"My name is Akashi Satoru. The Fiery Adventurer of GoGo Sentai Boukenger." Without a second thought, Chiaki took out his Shinkenmaru, jumped the fence and ran inside the house, passing the Boukengers.
"Anyway, whoever wrecked this house did so with the intention of taking someone." Akashi reasoned.
The house was completely ransacked. Everywhere he turned it looked like a struggle took place. 
"Kotoha!? KOTOHA!?" He yelled in desperation. In the den he heard a low moan. He ran inside and found Mitsuba lying of the floor. She had a small cut on her head and blood was trickling from it. He ran to her putting down his blade and lifted her head.
"Chiaki!?" Kurando cried out. He was now in the house.
"Dad! In here! Quick!" Chiaki cried back. Kurando ran into the den and upon seeing his son he knelt down beside him and checked Mitsuba's vitals. She was okay.
"Mitsuba-san." Chiaki said to her panic on his face, "Where is Kotoha? What happened here?"
Mitsuba opened her eyes and seeing that it was Chiaki, she began to speak. 
"Chiaki." She said weakly. "They took her. They took Kotoha."
"Who took her? Was it the Gedoshuu?" Chiaki asked.
"No." She answered. "They weren't Gedoshuu. They weren't men either. I don't know… what … they…" Mitsuba passed out.
"Mitsuba-san, MITSUBA-SAN!" Chiaki yelled out.
She wasn't dead but the pain was too great for her to bear in her current state. Chiaki laid her head down gently. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a folded piece of paper by he head. He picked it up and unfolded it. It was a letter addressed to him. "Shinken Green, I have something of value to you. If you wish to see her again, then you will play a little game I've set up. The game begins at the pond where you and your love had your last date. Be there within the hour or she dies." Chiaki looked at the time. It was half passed noon and the pond was a few miles away. A fire was burning inside him like never he had felt before. He looked down at his scarf. He saw Kotoha's face. She was smiling her bright smile. Then she broke apart like grass being hit by a rock. The image caused a pain in him that was unbearable, so he picked up his Shinkenmaru, stood up, turned and ran out the door. He didn't heed to his fathers calls, Chiaki ran as fast as he could to the pond. As he ran he made a silent vow, that if one hair was molested on Kotoha's angelic head, whoever had done this would regret the day he was born.