Disclaimer:  I do not own Blue seed or any of its characters.

Chapter 6

True love

"What?!  Momiji's missing?  How can that be?"  questioned Mr. Kunikida.  His face was boiling with rage.  He felt like a father figure for Momiji and in the last few days he hasn't been able to console her.  He felt like he might be losing her just like he had with Kaede.  But he was determined not to let that happen. 

Almost too involved in his own thoughts, he almost missed hearing what Kusanagi had said.  "I was still a little mad over the whole thing so as soon as I saw you check on her I went off on my own, not too far though.  But far enough.  After I had calmed down some I sensed some Arigami, mind you I can't sense them as well as Momiji.  Then I moved as fast as I can to check on her, but she was gone.  I have a feeling the Arigami kidnapped her.  And I have another feeling it was the same one from that alley.  But this wouldn't be happening if I hadn't gone off on my own and left her there," Kusanagi told Kunikida.  When he got to the last part, Mr. Kunikida came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  Surprised Kusanagi turned around.  "You know it wasn't your fault.  It could have happened even if you had been there.  Anyway, we can't expect you to be Superman and be anywhere at any moment.  You are still only human, of course not totally human, but human none the less.  There's nothing you could have done."  With Kunikida's counciling words Kusanagi shook off his contempt at himself and began to look at the task at hand.  He needed to find Momiji and this Arigami.

"Now that we got that settled, I think it'll be best for you to look for the Arigami.  With luck, Momiji will be close by.  But you can also keep an eye out for her.  I'll call the rest of the team and have them also look for traces of the Arigami.  Tacheuchi and I will scan the city looking just for Momiji.  I promise we'll find her," Kunikida said while giving another consoling look at Kusanagi.  Without another word Kusanagi was gone.  Almost immediantly after he was gone Kunkida's cell phone rang.  It was Tacheuchi.  "Good it's you I need you to gather up the team and have them look for some Arigami Kusanagi had sensed.  And I need you to help me find Momiji; she's missing.  Presumably, she's been kidnapped by the Arigami."  "What Momiji's missing?  That is bad news, but I might have some good news, if you could put it that way.  We've just located an Arigami at Shinjuko station.  What do you want me to do, still follow your last orders?" asked Tacheuchi.  " No, well, not exactly.  I want you to still tell the team to look for Arigami and I think Shinjuko station is the best place to start.  But I think instead of us two looking for Momiji on our own we should go and help out with the others."  With that he hung up.  I just hope Momiji can last out there just a little bit longer, he thought to himself as he headed out of his house and towards his car. 

Kusangi, who didn't hear the last message, was flying aimlessly around Tokyo in an attempt to find the Arigami.  If nothing else, beating on this Arigami will give him the perfect opportunity to get some of his anger out, he thought to himself.  He still was mad at himself for leaving her there by herself.  But he shook it off, though, knowing that it would cloud his thoughts.  He was making a quick pass by Shinjuko station-a frequent place for Arigami attacks-when he sensed something.  It was the same thing as before.  Without a second thought, he changed his direction and headed towards the source of this feeling.

His heart was racing.  He had to find this Arigami.  Almost exactly when he thought this he saw something.  He moved even faster so he could see exactly what it was.  It was a girl, or rather a young woman with long brown hair.  But what made her stick out was the fact that she was flying.  His senses went wild.  This had to be it, he thought.  A second later he unsheathed his arm blades and was ready for attack.  "Stop there you Arigami scum!  Turn around and show yourself.  Also, tell me if you have anything to do with the attack last night."

Kusanagi just stared at the woman as she slowly turned around.  Shocked at what he saw Kusanagi dropped his stance and just stared blankly at the woman.  At that same moment the rest of the TAC showed up.  Kome busted out of the truck bazooka ready.  "Hey plant boy, you need some help?"  But then she too saw who the Arigami was.  "M..Momiji?"  she asked almost falling over as the rest of the team bustled out to see what was going on.

"Yes I am Momiji, or so to speak.  But I'm not just Momiji.  I'm also her matama."  At that she pulled her shirt down and revealed the now glowing matama.  "That can't be!  How can her matama be talking, I thought it only controlled animals." "That's not completely true," started Kusanagi coming out of his trance to answer Kome's question, "It generally is just animals, but there are few cases where a human host can lose control.  But that can only happen…" he trailed off.

"If the host loses hope."  Momiji continued finishing his sentence.  "But how could she have lost hope?" piped in Kunikida trying to get more involved in the situation.  "You fools, it's so simple.  The signs have been right in front of you the whole time.  This whole thing has to do with Kusanagi."  With the mention of his name Kusanagi barked, "What, me?  I didn't do anything."  "Oh didn't you?  The signs were everywhere.  She loves you Kusanagi."  Kusanagi looked down to the ground with this new information.  "She loves you with all her heart, but she doesn't think she's good enough for you.  With Kaede, the kiss Sakura gave you, and with you yelling at her earlier, it was inevitable that she would destroy her self with self-pity.  But I wouldn't be fair if I left out the key factor in me re-awakening.  You can all thank Lord Susano-oh."

At the sound of that name, Kusanagi started to lunge at Momiji, but Kunikida placed a hand on him and brought him back to reality.  "Yes, it was him, but not directly.  With his own rebirth, my power and the power of all the matamas have began to grow.  You can't doubt that Kusanagi, I know you can feel it.  Your own matamas have begun to grow."

"Yes, that does explain a lot," chirped in Ms. Matsudaria.  "It makes perfect sense."  "Yes, it does," came Momiji's voice.  "But what about the attack last night did you have anything to do with it?" asked Kunikida trying to keep some sanity in the situation.  "Oh that, yes.  When Momiji fell asleep I was able to take over her body for a short time, but now I have complete control.  And if you'll excuse me I have some of my own business to attend to," remarked Momiji as she began to fly away.  "What kind of business?" asked Kusanagi wondering how diabolical her matama really was.  "Oh, just taking over the world in the name of the Arigami.  Yes, I am now completely Arigami.  For proof, look at the wounds from that lion earlier."  She pointed to them, which no one had really noticed before.  There was still some red blood on her shirt from earlier, but her wounds were practicly healed up with a few rememnents of some of her own now green blood.

The whole group was shocked.  How could all of this be happening, they all thought.  It was more like a dream.  Kusanagi regained himself well before the others and asked, "What about Momiji?  Is she going to be ok?  Can we ever have her back?"  "She's fine because she's me.  We've merged together.  And can you have her back?  I'm afraid not.  We're stuck together forever.  There's no reversal."  And with that she turned and started to fly away.

"I'm sorry, but I won't let you have her," stated Kusanagi as he jumped towards Momiji.  Stunned by his words, she stopped and turned around.  Her eyes began to glow even more as she began to get angry.  She shot pure energy at him, but he just barely evaded her attack.  "You can not stop me.  I have the power of the Arigami and the Kushinada in me.  There's no beating me."  But Kusanagi wasn't listening to her.  He had one last ditch plan.  He'd try to merge with her and get to the real Momiji side.  He evaded another blast from her, but not totally because his hair had gotten singed.  Then he jumped and grabbed a hold of her.  "What are you doing?" she asked.  "Getting my love back," Kusanagi replied as a blue light started to surround them.  Momiji's eyes stopped glowing and her real self came out for a minute, "Kus..Kusanagi?"  But that was all she said before her matama took over.  But thankfully, the power had drained her so she went unconscious.  The light stopped and she began to fall to the ground when Kusanagi swooped her up and carried her to the rest of the TAC.  "Is there anything you can do?" he asked as they sat her in the car and headed for the headquarters.

Thirty minutes had gone by and Momiji still was unconscious.  Ms. Matsudaria had started immediantly trying to find a way to suppress the matama.  The rest of the group was waiting in the main office of the TAC when she stepped out.  "Did you find something?" asked Kunikida.  Matsudaria shook her head, "Not much.  There's no scientific thing I can do to get her back, but I do have a hypothesis."  "Well, what is it?" asked a very impatient Kome.  "Well, when Kusanagi melded with Momiji, her real self came out if only for a few moments.  I believe if they meld again Kusanagi could try to reason with Momiji.  The only way to get her back is if she's the one to get her back."  Everyone looked down a little worried that this wouldn't work, but then Kusanagi said, "Ok I'll do it."  Ms. Matsudaria showed him to where Momiji was.  She looked so innocent he thought, so oblivious to the world.  Also at that moment he realized the few fashion statements that were added to her body.  Well, I didn't notice that before, but I like her normal look better.  Matsudaria left him alone so he could concentrate more.  Once gone he looked down at her.  How was he going to do this, he thought.  Last time I just practicly touched her, but she was awake.  But then thinking of the one thing he truly wanted to do for the longest time, he closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss.

Almost immediantly when their lips touched another blue light enveloped them.  But this time Kusanagi was pulled into her thoughts.  He was amazed to find himself standing in the TAC main office again.  Did I just dream that I walked in there, he wondered, but his question was answered when he saw Momiji.  Somehow he was in her dream.  He looked around and saw the whole team there and even to his surprise he saw himself.  They were all ridiculing her.  Even his other self was getting a few words in like "idiot" and "fool".  Gosh he thought.  He never realized how much what he said affected her.  Did he really torture her like this?  He broke off his thought as he drew his attention to Momiji.  She was saying, "I know, I know, I'm useless."  "No you're not," came the voice of Kusanagi thinking this was the perfect opportunity to chime in.  Momiji caught a little off guard replied.  "What?  Who are you?  Why are there two of you?"  she asked looking at the two Kusanagi's.  "Don't you know who I am?  I thought we've known each other long enough to recognize each other," replied Kusanagi.  "The reason that there's two of us is because that one's from your dream and I am the real one."  Confused, Momiji tried to figure it all out in her head when a strong arm grabbed her.  "Princess, I came here to save you.  Your matama has taken over you.  You must regain control."  With that Momiji just pulled her arm back.  "Why should I?  I am useless.  I can't even get you, the man I love."  She began to cry, but Kusanagi wiped away her tears.  "You're not useless.  You're very important and special.  Don't ever think you're not good enough for me.  If anything I'm not good enough for you."  Momiji was about to object when he put his finger on her lips to silence her.  "Shh.  I have to get this out.  The reason I got mad at you is because…is because…I love you.  I just don't want to lose you.  But if you give up and let your matama win then I will have lost you.  So please come back my love.  I need you."  "Oh, Kusanagi," she said right before he kissed her.  A light began to glow again.  It was blue, but then turned red as Momiji became her self again.  The same light was happening in the corporeal world as well.

The light faded and Kusanagi felt himself coming back to reality.  He opened his eyes to see Momiji still asleep, but she had now lost the new fashion statements she had acquired.  He also found the room to be full of people.  Thinking that now his true feelings would be known to the whole world when Momiji woke up, he started to think of a way to deal with that.  But before he had a chance to Momiji opened her eyes.  "Kusanagi, what happened?"

All hopes of now being with his love were shattered as he realized that she didn't remember her dream.  With further inquery the whole group found out that she had no recollection of anything that had to do with her matama.  With only a few objections thinking it would be the best to tell her so it wouldn't happen again, they decided to leave it be and not tell her.  Her matama's soul wasn't gone so it could re-immerge, but they didn't want to worry her.  The best way to stop it was to just make sure that she didn't ever lose hope in herself.

Kusanagi agreed to this, reluctantly, but not for the same reasons as the others.  He couldn't deny his love for her now, not even to himself.  If he told her he could be with her forever. But he knew big things were ahead for the Kushinada and he decided that it was better not to tell her about his love for her.  She was going to have enough to worry about without a love sick Aragami to worry about.  He'll just have to wait till all of this Aragami/Susano-oh business was taken care of.  But how long would that be…

Well that's it.  I hope you like it. I should write another story sometime soon, but I have to get an idea first. Please review and again don't be too harsh.  I hope I stayed true to the story.  I tried to make it so it actually could have happened during the series.  Well, again I hope you enjoyed.  Please Review!