Author's notes – Hey everyone, Merc here with the latest installment of Chartreuse Seed! Since this is an even chapter, Schally got the lovely task of writing it. Oh, and she's come up with a great Chartreuse Seed drinking game: for every time a character jumps out of a window, take one drink. XD Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, because Schally worked very hard on it. ^_^;

Rated – PG-13

By – Merc and Schally

Chapter 6 by – Schally

Chartreuse Seed – Chapter 6

            Sakura let out a long, nasal snore and both Akina and Midori giggled.

            "Gosh, she sure is noisy," Akina mused as Sakura mumbled something incoherent and flopped over, nearly clobbering Akina with her arm.

            "Even in her sleep," Midori said, readjusting her covers so she could continue reading by the light of her flashlight.  Sakura had insisted on sleeping with the girls—in the same bed, no less—under the guise of their protection, though Midori suspected that it had more to do with Sakura's adamant refusal to sleep on the couch downstairs where the smells of dinner still lingered. 

            Akina was content to rest her head on her arms, glancing past Midori out the half-open window.  "Did you hear that?" she asked finally.

            "What?"

            "That person talking."

            Midori stopped reading for a moment and cocked her head.  "Nah.  Maybe it's the TV or something."

            "Nobody's up."

            Midori didn't answer.  Every time Akina slept over she was always paranoid that she could hear things or see things.  Midori had learned long ago not to get worked up over it.  "Just go to sleep."

            "I miss Makoto," Akina said softly.  Then, in a moment, "There it is again."

            "Try to get some sleep, will ya?  You want me to turn the light off?"

            "No."

            Midori turned her back to Akina to adjust her position a little bit.  One last page and she'd put it up for the night.  She turned the page, licking her finger, and stopped.  Almost imperceptivity the paper was beginning to glow a soft blue color.  The color increased in intensity and Midori dropped the book onto the mattress.  Then she realized the glow wasn't coming from the book.  She turned only to see that Akina's blank eyes staring at the ceiling, a soft blue glow encompassing her tiny body.

            "Akina!" Midori whispered.  Her gaze flicked to Sakura and she saw that the Shinto priestess was completely motionless, her narrowed brown eyes the only sign that she was awake.  Sakura's arm visibly tensed but she said nothing, merely shooting Midori a look she knew all too well from her mother: don't you dare make a sound.

            Akina suddenly flew upward, dragging the comforter with her, and Midori let out a scream in spite of Sakura's warning.  The comforter hurled itself towards the far wall as if it had been yanked away from Akina's hovering form by invisible hands.  Sakura grabbed for Akina's arm, only to be violently repelled away by a force-field bubble.  The priestess hit the ground with a bump and was promptly back on her feet. 

            "Get down!" Sakura thundered, and Midori threw herself onto the mattress as Akina flew past at a sudden, unexpected speed.  Midori could feel her hair stand on end as the powerful field moved past her and crashed through the window. 

"Shit!"  Sakura jumped onto the bed, then onto the floor and out the remains of the window, nicking herself on broken glass in the process.

"Sakura!" Midori jumped up and stared out the window as Sakura ran after Akina, who was picking up speed.

Sakura screamed something and hurled a talisman at Akina's retreating form, only to have it thrown back at her with a force strong enough to knock her back several feet.

"Get your parents!" Sakura yelled, cradling her arm from where she had rebounded off of the field before, and she was gone, following Akina into the woods surrounding the house.

*          *          *

            The first thought that came to Matsudaria's mind was: How does Valencia have a mitama?  Then, What should I do?  There might have been a logical reason, and maybe Matsudaria could have figured it out, but Valencia was advancing towards her, the glowing seed casting a harsh light on her pale face, and Matsudaira found herself too stunned to process this seemingly impossible scenario.  A low hiss escaped Valencia's lips and Matsudaria found herself backing towards the wall.  The sense of power than emanated from the American was overwhelming and she was literally trembling.

"V-Valencia?" Matsudaria asked, knowing that she should be running.

            Valenica lunged, grabbing Matsu by the neck and smashing her back into the plaster wall.  Matsudaria grappled with the vise around her neck, gulping desperately for air as Valencia's fingers tightened around her neck.

            "Kushinada," Valencia said.  The word was slow and uncertain.  "Kushinada," she said again, and this time it sounded more confident.

            Matsudaria clutched at Valencia's hand, scanning the room frantically for something, anything.  Her eyes settled on her gun, a Smith and Wesson M36 chief special, which was sitting holstered on an end table out of reach.  She knew it was no use—her vision was already becoming spotty and she could feel the blood pumping in her head, but she struggled anyway.

            Valencia frowned, impatient, and slammed Matsu into the wall again, causing bits of plaster to chip off and fall onto the blue carpet.  "Kushinada," she demanded again.  Seeing that Matsudaria was not going to provide any answers, she turned her head slowly, surveying the room.  Her gaze rested on a framed picture of the TAC that Matsudaria had sitting on her short bookshelf. 

            Wordlessly, Valencia dropped Matsu to the ground.  As the scientist fell into a heap, gasping for air, Valencia picked up the picture.  She flexed her hand quickly, shattering the glass, and removed the photograph.  She then turned back to Matsudaira, who was still straining for breath.  "Momiji Kushinada," Valencia hissed.  She took a step forward and Matsudaria flattened against the wall, edging towards the end table.  If only she could reach her gun…  But could she risk shooting Valencia?

            The phone rang and Matsudaria screamed, startled.  Valencia hesitated, only her eyes moving towards the sound of the disturbance.  After three short rings the answering machine picked up.

            "Mrs. Matsudaria, it's Momiji, please pick up," a frightened voice begged.  Matsudaria gasped.  "Mrs. Matsudaria, please, I need you help.  I can feel my daughter headed this way.  I'm at the Memorial…"

            Matsudaria lunged for the phone, desperately grabbing for the cord plugged into the wall.  If only she could unplug it before Momiji finished…

            "The Susano-oh Memorial.  Come as soon as you ca—"

            Matsudaria yanked the cord out and the line went dead.  She turned just in time to see Valencia's bare foot swing in front the side, catching her in the stomach and knocking the wind out of her.  Matsudaria hit the wall, crumpling this time.  Valencia watched the scientist for a moment and, satisfied by her immobility, took a running charge at the picture window at the far side of the house, launching herself outside in a spray of glass and pane splinters.

*          *          *

            Sugishita lowered his seat back two notches, yawning.  Shacking up in his '91 Suzuki Escudo probably hadn't been the best idea in the world, but asking Koume to stay at her house would have resulted in disaster.  Sakura was there, he knew, and… well…  It wasn't all his fault.  They had both made mistakes.

            Nevertheless, he contented himself that by staking out the Yaegashi residence from the other side of the wood he was doing his part to protect the Kushinada.  Let it never be said that Shun'ichi Sugishita didn't have a sense of duty.  Sleepily, he took another bite of his sandwich, a pre-packaged hamburger he had picked up from a vending machine at the office.  He had to keep his strength up, he reasoned.  To protect the ladies and all of that.  Nevertheless, even a warrior needed his sleep, and it wasn't long before he began to tire, the head-rest upholstery beckoning him to deep, blissful sleep (and, hopefully, dreams of nubile young women).

            He was about to nod off when a loud rumbling jarred him awake. 

            "What the hell?"

            He craned his neck to see a blue energy ball rumble past him, violently shaking the car and scratching a perfect line of white paint off of the front hood.

            Sugishita blinked twice.  Was that Akina?  He glanced back to the gaping path in the wooded area from where the energy ball had come only to see a blonde woman sprint past the car, her sheer nightgown flowing behind her in shreds.

            "Sakura!" he bellowed, fumbling to open the door and banging his knee in the process.  He managed to fling the door open and he yelled again, "Sakura!"

            Sakura hesitated and looked back, coming to a slow halt as recognition set in.  Shock was the word.  And she was not happy to see him.

            "Get in!" he yelled, and slammed the door shut.  She ran around the front of the car and slid into the passenger seat as the engine of the Escudo roared to life.  Her long blonde hair, which she had braided for the night, had come undone in several long sections that fell around her face.  In addition to the mangled remains of her nightgown, which was saved only by her largely intact lingerie, she was sporting a series of scratches and welts on her arms and legs.  A dark bruise was developing on her right hand from the palm up past the wrist to the middle of her forearm. 

He wanted, very desperately, to make a comment about "kissing it to make it better" and pull it off with charm and grace, but he knew that would never happen so he asked, "Where's she going?" instead.

            "Northeast.  Step on it."

            Sugishita obliged and the car pulled out into the road with a screech of tires.  "If she goes back into the forest we're screwed," he told her.

            "Doesn't matter.  I can sense the energy.  Hang a right."

            They drove along the deserted roads, both silent save the occasional direction from Sakura.  Finally, he worked up the nerve and said, "I like your nightgown."

            "You're such a pig."

            "Excuse me?"

            "You've got some mustard or something on your face."

            He tried to wipe it off, but failed miserably.  Somehow, the condiment kept evading him.

            "Oh, for God's sake.  Here."  Sakura reached over and ran her thumb along the side of his face.  "There.  Left here."

            Normally he would have had a one-liner prepared, something coy, perhaps, but his mind was drawing a blank.  He'd always found it hard to think when it came to Sakura.

            "Nice to see you too," he said eventually, and when she didn't answer he sighed.  "When you went out for groceries I didn't expect that it'd take you a decade.  I hope you didn't forget the curry."

            "This isn't the time," she said.

            "Will it ever be the time?" he asked bitterly.  He'd avoided eye contact for the duration of their drive and he was glad now that he had an excuse for it.

            "There, up ahead," Sakura said, her voice the softest it had been, and Sugishita drove carefully through the mangled main gate to the Susano-oh Memorial Park—clearly, the energy ball had been here, and with no regard for public monuments.  Why here?  What did it mean? Sugishita turned off the car and they sat there for a moment surveying the scene before them.  Akina was nowhere in sight and the park seemed deserted.

            "This is it?" Sugishita asked, and the Shinto priestess nodded.  He touched the holster under his jacket, as he often did, his fingers brushing rubber grip of his gun.  "Let's go, then."

            The two stepped out of the car, the simultaneous slamming of their doors sounding thunderous in the calm of the park.

The End of Chapter 6

Whoa, the suspense! What's going on with Akina? Why does Valencia have a mitama again? And what's all this about decade-old curry? Plot twists, drama, action, and of course the occasional romance, next time on Chartreuse Seed. Be sure to review also!