Author's Notes – Ok, this seriously took a long time to write. Schally and I both wanted this story to seem somewhat like an additional season to Blue Seed, which means going all out on the information. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a fanfic with an hour's worth of chemical research! LOL, everything that Matsudaira says in this fic about the chemical reactions and tranquilizers are scientific fact, you can check it for yourself. Anywho, this is now getting kinda dark, so be forewarned. I hope you enjoy it!

Rated – PG – 13

By – Merc and Schally

Chapter 5 by – Merc

Chartreuse Seed

The mid-morning sun sat in a cloudless sky, warming the air. Though the day outside was perfect, the day inside of the The Yuzo Technology Institute was a much different atmosphere. After Valencia's strange seizure the night before, the group had taken her into another room, away from the mitama that they had been studying, and placed her on a lab table. Making her as comfortable as possible, Yaegashi and Matsudaira went back to work while Sugishita stayed behind to take care of Valencia, as he had been instructed. Since then Sugishita had been watching her constantly, noting with duress that she hadn't woken up since the incident. Noting that it was time that he replaced the wet washcloth on her forehead, Sugishita got up and walked out of the room, into the biotechnology lab where Yaegashi and Matsudaira were still researching. While taking care of Valencia, Sugishita had heard the two cleaning up the lab, and every once and awhile making outside trips to replace supplies that had been destroyed. Walking up to a sink nearby where Matsudaira was sitting, Sugishita turned on the faucet and waited for the warm water to cool down.

"How goes everything?" He asked, noting that both Matsudaira and Yaegashi both looked terrible. He figured that he probably looked just as bad, if not worse, as the lack of sleep and troubling events from the night before wore through them all.

"Well, we're definitely finding out a lot," Matsudaira said, not taking her eyes off of the microscope that she currently had sitting in front of her.

"How's Valencia?" Yaegashi asked as he poked his head up from behind his computer.

"She's so-so, though I'm starting to get worried because she hasn't shown any signs of improvement," Sugishita said with an exhausted sigh. Matsudaira shook her head in frustration.

"We need to know more about what happened to her, why her mitama reacted to this one the way it did," Matsudaira said exasperatedly.

"So what have you found out so far?" Sugishita inquired.

"Well, from what we've discovered, it appears as though these mitamas are basically harmless until something triggers them. Yaegashi and I both can't determine the trigger, so for the time being we've called it the X-Factor. Once the mitamas are triggered, a chemical reaction occurs when a small chamber storing a hydrogen peroxide solution is broken. This then activates a chemical reaction between a solution of phenyl oxalate ester and a fluorescent dye. As a result, this causes the mitamas to go from a sort of stop-sign red to a glowing greenish color; I guess the best way to describe the color would be chartreuse. After this first chemical reaction takes place, a type of photosynthesis takes place, and at the same time, the mitama releases a chemical called Thioridazine, which is basically an advanced antipsychotic tranquilizer. This in turn puts the host into a stupor, and while the host's mind is fuzzy and sleepy, the mitama takes it over. Once the mitama has taken over the host's mind, and subsequently the host's body, it orders the Adrenal Gland in the body to release large amounts of adrenaline, making the host's body extremely alert and hypersensitive." Matsudaira explained as she looked up from her microscope. Sugishita stared at her dumbly.

"I understood all of about three words of that," he said.

"Basically, something triggers the mitamas, which causes them to glow chartreuse. Once the mitamas start glowing, then they take over the mind of whatever they're inhabiting and cause them to become really alert, strong, and fast," Yaegashi explained.

"Oh," Sugishita said, now understanding what Matsudaira had been trying to tell him. "I like it better when you explain it, Yaegashi."

"Well, you asked for an explanation!" Matsudaira said defensively.

"Sorry," Sugishita apologized,

"Oh I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to snap at you. I guess I'm a bit tired, that's all," Matsudaira said as she leaned back in her chair and glanced up at the ceiling, forcing her eyes to focus on something farther away.

"We've all had it hard these past couple of days. I propose we take a small break. I'd like to check up on my children, personally," Yaegashi suggested.

"And I can take Valencia back to my place. Maybe more distance between her and that mitama will make her feel better," Sugishita suggested, thinking it was an excellent idea. Matsudaira and Yaegashi, however, immediately thought of how poor Valencia would fare in Sugishita's house, unconscious.

"Er, how about I take her with me and you get some rest," Matsudaira countered.

"Aw, you mean you don't trust me?" Sugishita whined, putting on a fake look of hurt on his face.

"Not a bit." Yaegashi said with a chuckle as he stood up and, after turning off his computer, walked out the door.

"Say hello to the twins for me!" Sugishita shouted after him. Yaegashi turned around and nodded before leaving the lab.

***

            Koume huffed as she removed the batteries from the kitchen smoke alarm.

            "Mom, did you burn the food again?" Midori yelled from her room. Koume gave an exasperated shout of anger as she got out her hot pads and removed a rather burnt roast beef from the oven. Following the roast beef was a giant plume of black smoke, which quickly filled the kitchen. Kazuo walked into the room and began coughing.

            "Mom!" He whined in displeasure as he fanned the front of his face with one hand and covered his nose and mouth with the other. Koume turned around and gave him what the Yaegashi family had aptly called "the seventh-ring glare", the term coming from an idea from Dante's Inferno where the seventh ring of hell wasn't eternal fire, but a frozen absolute zero.

            "ARGH!!!" She yelled in disgust as she stormed over to the kitchen window and began to open it. Kazuo walked into the living room and grabbed the family's emergency "Koume in the kitchen" fan, bringing it back into the kitchen and turning it on to air it out.

            "Why couldn't we just've ordered out?" Kazuo asked,

            "Because we have company, that's why," Koume retorted as she grabbed the telephone and ordered some takeout. Kazuo nodded and walked up the stairs, where he went into his twin sister's room.

            "Is something burning?" Akina asked as she looked up at her friend.

            "Mom tried to cook, didn't she?" Midori asked as she peered from behind her bathroom door at her brother. Kazuo nodded solemnly in response. "Why in the hell did she go and do that?" Midori asked angrily as she shut the bathroom door.

            "What do you guys normally eat for dinner? Or do you just starve?" Sakura asked as she looked up from Akina's foot. Kazuo took a good look around the room at that point, noticing how his sister was in the bathroom that they shared, no doubt changing into her jogging outfit for her late-afternoon run. Akina sat on Midori's bed, laying comfortably back into the pillows as she played with a hot pink feather boa that she had found underneath his sister's nightstand. Sakura, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed, painting Akina's toenails.

            "Normally dad cooks," Kazuo answered.

            "Oh?" Sakura asked, shocked the revelation.

            "Yeah, but he's been out forever doing that research or whatever," Midori yelled from inside the bathroom.

            "Mom told us that she couldn't tell us where he was," Kazuo complained as he pulled out a chair from Midori's desk and sat down.

            "Oooooohhhhhhhh, I love top secret stuff!" Akina said excitedly as she bounced on the bed.

            "Ack!" Sakura yelled as she tried to stop the bottle of nail polish from tipping over.

            "Sorry," Akina apologized as she settled down.

            "Aw, look, you made me ruin your toes," Sakura moaned. Suddenly, Akina's features twisted into a look of startled curiosity.

            "Akina?" Kazuo asked worriedly. Midori opened up the door to the bathroom and stepped out, whereupon she grabbed her nose.

            "Aw man, the smoke rose!" She yelled out in disgust as she closed the door to her room and opened her window.

            "So that's what that smell was," Akina said thoughtfully, her look of curiosity now gone.

            "Are you sure that's safe Midori?" Kazuo questioned, having remembered what their mother had told them earlier on the drive home about how they needed to re-locate Akina due to safety concerns.

            "Nah, don't worry. I've got this entire place covered with ofundas (A/N –ofundas are those pieces of paper that you see Sakura always throwing around) and I've blessed every corner of this house," Sakura said confidently. Midori, Kazuo, and Akina all looked at each other, then at the window. Midori immediately shut it.

            "Hey!" Sakura cried out, "I'm the best faith-healer in the world, and don't you forget it!"

            "Whatever," Midori shrugged, "I'm going out for my afternoon jog. See you guys in a little bit."

            "Ok, be careful," Akina said, waving her friend off. Midori smiled and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Oh the way down the stairs, she heard her mother talking, and she stopped.

            "That was Valencia's reaction?" She heard her mother ask. Midori crept down the stairs and peered over the railing to see her mother and father talking. Quickly retracing her steps back up the stairs, the twin burst back into the room which she had come from.

            "That was fast," Kazuo commented,

            "Dad's home!" Midori shouted, ignoring her brother's comment. Sakura and Akina both perked up, and everyone quickly headed down the stairs to greet the new arrival. On the way down, Sakura and Akina began to cough.

            "Aw man, that damn smoke gets thicker as we go down," Sakura complained as she put her arm around her mouth, using her sleeve as a makeshift gasmask.

            "DAD!!!" The twins yelled as the hurried down the stairs. Yaegashi and Koume both turned their heads to see everyone running towards them.

            "Akina? Sakura?" Yaegashi asked in surprise as the twins ran up to him. "Is this why you were cooking Koume?"

            "We needed to move Akina because Sakura and I both felt that she was in danger. She's hiding out here for the time being," Koume said with a sigh as she glared at the oncoming Sakura Yamazaki. Yaegashi blanched.

            "You'll have to tell me about this in more detail later on," He commented over his shoulder as he walked up to the twins and Akina, giving all three of them hugs.

            "Well you guys are looking much better since the last time I saw you," he said with a light chuckle.

            "Whoa dad, you look like crap," Midori said, causing everyone in the room besides Koume to facefault.

            "I said the same thing to him," Koume said as she laughed, hugging her daughter.

            "Yup, she's definitely mine!" She proclaimed as she gave Midori a noogie. Kazuo laughed as he watched the two. Akina, however, looked crestfallen. Yaegashi glanced over and saw the unhappy girl. Walking over to her, he knelt down and put his hands on her shoulders.

            "Don't worry, we'll find your parents," he said reassuringly. Akina nodded solemnly,

            "I wish I could remember more about what happened that night, but I can't. All I can remember is that I was asleep in bed when mom woke me up. After that it's a total blank," Akina said as tears formed in her eyes. Yaegashi enveloped her in a hug and tried to comfort her.

            "Shhh, it's alright, everything will be just fine. After all, I look like crap for a reason," he said with a slight smile. Akina laughed and pulled away,

            "Thanks Mr. Yaegashi," she said, feeling much better. Midori and Kazuo walked over to Akina and simultaneously gave her hugs.

            "Don't worry about a thing Akina, we're here for ya!" Midori said cheerfully.

            "Yeah, I mean, after all, the worst that could happen would be that they both died horrible, painful deaths," Sakura added for measure. The Yaegashi family glared at the faith healer while a look of utter terror crossed over Akina's face. Koume let out an angry grunt and after grabbing a nearby pot, proceeded to throw at her. Sakura let out a yelp of pain as the pot hit her square in the face.

            "OW!!!"

            "Don't listen to that stupid wench Akina," Koume said reassuringly, "I'll find your parents no matter what. And they are alive, I can sense it."

            "You can?" Akina asked, to which Koume nodded.

            "Yup, I can always sense when that plant-dad of yours is around. That guy gives off an aura of bad luck from here to Chicago."

            "Take her word for it, I've seen her do it," Yaegashi agreed.

            "Really?" Akina asked excitedly,

            "Yeah, it's totally freaky. Like when you guys come to visit, she knows it's you before you even ring the doorbell," Kazuo thirded, causing Koume to beam.

            "See? And I sense your dad right now, he's close by," Koume said as she decided to not tell the girl about the real reason why she knew her father was alive. After a few minutes Akina, Kazuo, Midori, and Sakura all headed back upstairs.

            "I thought you said that she was in danger," Yaegashi said as he watched her go.

            "Kusanagi's alive," Koume said seriously.

            "Oh?"

            "Sakura and I both saw him outside of Akina's window at the hospital. His mitama were glowing a sort of neon-greenish color, and he had this strange look in his eyes." Koume said worriedly, "That's why we moved her, Sakura included. I can't stand that faith-healing bitch, but at the moment she's the only thing standing in the way of the enemy knowing Akina's whereabouts." Yaegashi gave his wife a hard look,

            "This may be endangering all of us Koume," he said hard.

            "You think it was easy for me to take her back here knowing that the twins would be in danger? We had no other option!" she retorted, to which Yaegashi sighed.

            "Why couldn't you get Mr. Kunikida or Ryoko to take her?"

            "Because they're at the hospital 24/7 by Makoto's bedside. In the *same* hospital as Akina. Moving her to them would've have helped her at all. Besides, how are they going to protect her while they're so busy worrying about their son?" Knowing that he lost, Yaegashi sighed again.

            "I guess we'll really have to be on our guard then,"

            "Well, like both Midori and I said, you look like crap. Why don't you go to bed for awhile, and I'll take up the watch," Koume suggested. Not one to turn down the offer, Yaegashi nodded and gave his wife a kiss.

            "Wake me if anything happens," he whispered as he embraced her.

            "Like you can do anything besides instant message the problem, you nerd?" Koume teased,

            "Shut up," Yaegashi said playfully as he gave her a small shove.

***

            "Yes sir, I understand," Matsudaira said seriously into the telephone. Hanging up, she glanced over at Valencia's sleeping figure on the couch. The woman had made a recovery since Matsudaira had gotten her to her home, and she slept peacefully on the couch. Going over in her mind what her boss had just said, Matsudaira shut off all of the lights and closed the blinds.

            "I wonder why the distance helped so much?" the doctor thought to herself as she changed into some more comfortable clothes and went into the kitchen. Toasting a bagel, Matsudaira went to put some cream cheese on it when a soft voice spoke to her.

            "Mmmmmmm, what smells so good?"

            "Valencia!" Matsudaira shouted in surprise, "You're awake."

            "Yeah, finally," the redhead said as she looked at her watch. "I've been asleep for a full day?"

            "Yes," Matsudaira responded,

            "Good thing my watch has a small digital calendar on it, otherwise I'd be completely disoriented," Valencia said as she got up off of the couch and approached Matsudaira.

            "Would you like one?" Matsudaira inquired as she motioned towards her bagel. Valencia nodded eagerly,

            "Thank you."

            "No problem." Matsudaira said as she opened up her refrigerator and got out another bagel to toast. Suddenly, a sharp yelp escaped from Valencia's lips and Matsudaira turned around just in time to see the young woman collapse to the ground.

            "Valencia!" She shouted as she ran over to help her up. Suddenly, Valencia stood up and looked glaringly at Matsudaira.

            "Valencia?" Matsudaira whispered in fear as she noticed something glowing from Valencia's chest. A mitama…

The End of Chapter 5

Ok, I hope everyone enjoyed it! Gotta love me for the cliffhanger, eh? Please review, Schally and I both thrive on them. PLEASE!!! *Gets on her knees* Pretty please? All the meanwhile, stay tuned for chapter 6 from Schally! *tags Schally*