Author's notes – Ok, first of all I take full responsibility for being totally late on this chapter. Excessively late. To all of the readers, I am so sorry. To Schally, my co-author, I'm even more sorry. Anyways, without further ado, I give you the next chapter. Be forewarned, it's dark. I mean super dark. I mean super-duper-impossibly-black dark. Enjoy!

Rated – R for lots of swearing and tons of violence

By – Merc and Schally

Chapter 7 By - Merc

Chartreuse Seed

Koume tore up the stairs and down the hall to the room where Akina, Sakura, Midori, and Kazuo had been. She had been downstairs arming a few handguns for her husband and herself, along with her trusty bazooka, when she heard multiple screams and several loud bangs. Upon reaching the room, Koume tried to turn the knob, only to find it to be locked.

            "Midori! Kazuo! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!" Koume demanded, banging on the door. When nobody answered, she backed up and kicked the midsection of the door as hard as she could, breaking it down. Raising the gun she had brought with her, she began searching the room frantically. The area itself was a total disaster, with sure signs of a massive struggle. Spots of blood stained the walls, and several large holes and a gigantic straight-lined burnt mark complimented both the walls and the floor. The contents of the room lay strewn about, with furniture destroyed or overturned and random items splayed in every direction. Koume searched the room frantically for her children, peering through the closets, windows, and holes in which they could have been. When she didn't find them, she began screaming.

            "KAZUO!!! MIDORI!!!" Koume listened for a response. The sound of a single pair of footsteps running down the hall breached the ensuing silence. Appearing at the door was her husband, freshly showered but obviously having hastily dressed.

            "I heard screaming! Is everything alri- what happened?!" Yaegashi cried as she stepped into the room, all color draining from his face.

            "Everyone's gone," Koume said as calmly as she could, though panic was evident in her features.

            "How could…where…our children…oh God…" Yaegashi said in broken sentences as his mind struggled to comprehend the sight before him. Koume simply stared at him. He had been right, bringing Akina to their household had been extremely dangerous, to all of them. Now Midori and Kazuo were missing. And there was blood on the walls… In an extremely rare moment of uncharacteristic confusion, Koume began to hyperventilate.

            "It's all my fault…shit…those fucking Aragami hurt my kids…oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck..."  Koume rambled as she felt herself become lightheaded. Yaegashi quickly made his way over to his wife and sat her down on the floor, cradling her.

            "Shhhhhh, take it easy," Yaegashi said reassuringly. Koume sat in his embrace on the verge of completely breaking down when suddenly an idea popped into her head. Right before she had heard the screams start, one of the instruments that her husband had thrown on the table before washing up began to spike and beep rapidly. Confused, she had checked it and found it to be a complex-looking instrument for measuring energy.

            "Yoshiki, you have somethin' that measures electric-pulse energy right?" Koume asked, straightening her frame as she spoke.

            "Yes," Yaegashi answered, confused as to the sudden mood swing.

            "Get it, that energy-thingy might tell us where Midori and Kazuo are," Koume said hurriedly as she pulled herself from his embrace and stood up. Confused, Yaegashi followed her down the stairs where he pulled out his energy-reader from a pile of instruments he had cast aside earlier.

            "Take this too," Koume said, throwing him a gun.

            "How is this going to help us?" Yaegashi asked as he dropped the energy meter on the counter in order to catch the gun Koume had tossed him.

            "I'll tell ya in the damn car," Koume said as she ran out the door.

*          *          *

            Sakura's eyes flicked around the area as she took in her surroundings. All of the surrounding streetlights had been blown out, leaving the area shrouded in complete darkness. Not that she needed light in order to do what she needed to. Standing rigidly still, Sakura clasped her two hands together and began to slowly chant, putting herself into a slight state of increased awareness. To the uninformed bystander she would seem to be in a sort of deep transitional meditation. However, Sakura was focusing her concentration on her senses, heightening them in order to find Akina's aura, and therefore her whereabouts. She had just about achieved her heightened state of spirituality when a sudden crash broke her from her thoughts.

            "Ow! Damnit!" Sugishtia swore as he picked himself up after having tripped over a trashcan. Although the absence of streetlights in the immediate area had made it harder to see, the distant intrusion of light from the large city of Tokyo caused enough of a glimmer so that he could make out the outlines of various objects and landscapes, including that of Sakura. He had tried to make his way over to her when he had tripped over the hidden obstacle.

            "Damnit Sugishita!" Sakura screamed, infuriated, "And you wonder why I left you? Ugh, you are impossible!"

            "Seesh, sorry," Sugishita mumbled as he bent over to pick up the fallen garbage receptacle. Sakura grunted and went back to concentrating. After a few minutes, Sakura was finally able to tap into her spiritual sensitivity, and began to feel around for Akina's aura. To her surprise, the aura she found was neither level nor above her, but rather came from below. Sakura opened her eyes.

            "Shit," Sakura whispered as she comprehended the location in which Akina's aura presented itself.

            "What?" Sugishita asked, feeling it was safe to approach to her.

            "Akina's here," Sakura said quietly.

            "Didn't we already establish that?" Sugishita asked, trying to come up with something witty to lighten the moment. Sakura smacked him on the arm.

            "I don't mean here here, I mean down below here," Sakura said as she pointed at the ground. Sugishita gave her a confused look.

            "Sugi-chan, stay with me on this, ok?" Sakura said short-temperedly, Sugishita merely nodded in reply. "Where are we at?"

            "The Suzano-oh Memorial," Sugishita answered,

            "Right, and what's right below the memorial?"

            "Uh…"

            "What stands in place where Suzano-oh was when we fought him?"

            "A cherry tree?"

            "And what's right below the cherry tree?"

            "Roots?" Sakura blanched at the answer.

            "Besides roots?"

            "Uh…dirt?"

            "And…?"

            "Dog crap?"

            "You are such a pig,"

            "What? It is a park after all!" Sugishita retorted,

            "And you people call me stupid," Sakura huffed. "Suzano-oh is currently sleeping underneath that cherry tree!"

            "Oh," Sugishita said, not really understanding what Sakura was saying. Suddenly, it hit him, "Oooooohhhhhhhhh…" Sugishita said, his face paling.

            "Akina's down there with Suzano-oh and Kaede?" Sugishita questioned,

            "He finally gets it," Sakura said, her eyebrow twitching.

            "Oh crap…" Sugishita let his sentence trail off. Suddenly, a pair of footsteps pounding loudly on the pavement put both people on high alert. Sugishita pulled out his gun and aimed at what he thought was the source of the footsteps, stepping protectively in front of Sakura.

            "WHO'S THERE?!" Sugishita bellowed in his most authoritative and dangerous voice. The petite figure of a woman appeared from behind the memorial.

            "Don't shoot, it's me," the voice said softly as the owner walked forward, her hands raised. Sakura's eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened considerably.

            "Momiji?!" Sakura asked, shocked. The woman let out a whimper of reply, followed by the sounds of quiet sobbing. Sugishita dropped his gun and both he and Sakura bolted over to the disconsolate young woman.

            "I just saw my daughter..." Momiji said between sniffles, "what's happening?"

            "We don't know," Sugishita said, crestfallen. Momiji looked fightful, her nightgown torn to many a degree. Burn marks, cuts, bruises, and many other injuries marred her usually-perfect body. Blood spotted the clothes that had managed to stay on her body, and a cold sweat clung to her every limb. Her hair was a tangled mass, Sugishita compared it moreso to a bird's nest. Between the two women, Sugishita thought they looked as though they had both been to hell and back.

            "I can sense her aura, down below," Sakura said slowly and deliberately. A look of understanding swept over Momiji's features and she collapsed onto the pavement, sobbing.

            "She's with Suzano-oh and Kaede, isn't she?" Momiji said through sobs as Sakura consoled her.

            "We'll get her back. I swear on my mother's grave," Sakura said seriously. It was the most serious Sugishita had ever seen the two girls. Any more seriousness for the night and he figured he might develop a peptic ulcer. He figured it was time for a little of ol' Sugishita's finely-timed humor.

            "Hey, at least she's twenty feet under instead of six, eh?" This caused Momiji to cry harder and Sakura to give him a glare that could freeze over the fires of hell.

            "I didn't forget the curry when I went the store ten years ago Sugi, I forgot you," Sakura said, rage evident in her voice. Before she could say anything more hurtful, a pair of headlights illuminated the trio and a car came roaring up. Stopping directly in front of them, Matsudaira climbed out, extreme worry etched on her face.

            "Momiji-chan!" She cried as she lunged foreward and embraced her. Sakura stood up and walked over next to Sugishita.

 "Are you alright?" Matsudaira asked hurriedly, to which Momiji simply nodded in response.

"We need to go, now," Matsudaira stressed as she pulled Momiji to her feet and tried to drag her to the car.

"But my daughter's down there!" Momiji protested loudly, "I need to help her!"

"You're in great danger here," Matsudaira responded as she pulled against the protesting Momiji. She glanced over at Sakura and Sugishita for help. Sakura, who was quite clearly confused, walked over the struggling pair.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked,

            "Momiji's being hunted," Matsudaira answered,

            "By whom?" Sugishita injected,

            "Valencia and…" Matsudaira let her sentence trail off. Momiji stopped struggling against the scientist and looked at her in confusion, asking,

            "And who?"

            "And…"

            "And?" Sakura, Sugishita, and Momiji all asked at the same time.

            "Kusanagi," Matsudaira finished softly. Momiji's face paled in horror. Her own husband was out to get her? Unable to take any more shock for the night, Momiji fainted.

*          *          *

            Koume drove rapidly down the freeway as her husband directed her, basing the directions on the energy-reader.

            "So you think wherever Akina is, Kazuo and Midori will be there as well?" Yaegahi asked as he kept his energy-reader aimed at what appeared to be an energy spike over towards the Suzano-oh Memorial Park a few miles up ahead.

            "Yeah," Koume answered, "I'm gonna kill those Aragami assholes, every last one of 'em."

            "I'm getting some strong readings over at the Suzano-oh Memorial Park," Yaegashi said, brushing off the last comment.

            "Of course," Koume said sarcastically, "can't those fuckin' monsters find some other place to meet. I mean damn…"

            Koume continued to ramble on angrily, swearing enough to make a sailor blush, as they made their way over the park. About a few blocks away from their destination, Koume began to feel a chill crawl up her spine.

            "Somethin' ain't right," Koume said severely. As if on cue, Valencia came streaking around the corner.

            "What the-" Yaegashi began when Valencia tore down the street and proceeded to jump onto the roof of the car. The shock of the girl crashing down from above caused Koume to lose control of the car. Koume swore loudly as she struggled to pull the car out of the slide it was in, narrowly missing a street pole and several lamp posts. With another leap, Valencia jumped forcefully onto the hood, then onto the ground, where she continued to run. Meanwhile, the power of the girl's impact on the hood caused the car flip over, and slide into the side of a building, where it came to a crashing halt.

*          *          *

            Matsudaira, with the help of Sugishita, lifted the uncontious Momiji into the car and, after securing the other two additional riders, tore off down the street. As she drove down the street, she reached into her purse and pulled out a small item tied in a cloth bag and tossed it back to Sakura.

            "What's this for?" Sakura asked as she turned the small object over in her hand.

            "Smelling salts," Matsudaira answered, looking in the rearview mirror to see Sakura's reaction. With a nod of compliance Sakura held the small bag underneath Momiji nose, and within a few seconds, Momiji came to with a loud sputter and gag.

            "Where am I?" Momiji asked frantically,

            "You're in my car Momiji, we're taking you to a safer location," Matsudaira answered without taking her eyes off the road. After a few moments, Momiji had recollected everything that had happened before she passed out, and began demanding to go back to help her daughter.

            "You will do more harm to Akina if you go back than if you come with me," Matsudaira responded harshly. Momiji clamped up and with a surrendering sigh began to look out the window. As they rounded the corner, something caught her eye.

            "Ms. Matsudaira, look!" Momiji exclaimed as she pointed to a red, overturned car a little ways up ahead. Matsudaira contemplated on letting it be before Sugishita shouted,

            "Hey, that looks like Yaegashi's car!" At that revalation, Matsudaira, who had passed the damaged vehicle, slammed on the breaks, throwing everyone foreward. Shifting into reverse, she backed the car up the empty street to the overturned car and realized with horror that it indeed was the Yaegashi family's car.

            "Shit," Sakura said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out with Sugishita. The pair ran over to the car while Matsudaira pulled the car onto the sidewalk and parked. Sakura and Sugishita were already attempting to pry open the doors to get the trapped occupants out.

            Both Momiji and Matsudaira ran up and began to help the duo figure out how to get Koume and Yaegashi out. Matsudaira could hear a combination of pleading, swearing, and crying coming from inside the vehicle, the majority of it coming from what sounded like a male voice. Sugishita turned around to look for something to help them when his eyes came to rest upon an uprooted signpost. Grabbing it, he ran back over to the distressed vehicle where he promptly jammed the flattened end into the stuck but nevertheless slightly-ajar passenger-side door and proceeded to try to pry it open. Asking for help, Sakura, Momiji, and Matsudaira all pushed their full weight against the makeshift crowbar, and managed to jar the door open.

            Yaegashi came crawling out, blood splattered all over his clothes and face. His glasses were shattered, hanging limply off of one of his ears. His right arm was clearly broken, as well as a few ribs from what Matsudaira could determine. Most likely from the force of the seatbelt keeping him in. A nasty gash sported across his forehead, oozing fresh blood. Yaegashi looked extremely disoriented and in a lot of pain.

            "What happened?" Sugishita asked as Sakura and Matsudaira reached inside to help Koume out.

            "V-V-Valencia…" Yaegashi said, his voice quivering violently as he began to spit out blood. His eyes gazed from one person to the next, resting on Momiji.

            "W-what are you doing here Momiji?" He asked. Momiji gave him a blank look. "You're in d-danger here," he added before ripping his gaze over to the passenger side of the car where Sakura and Matsudaira had managed to pull his wife out. Koume looked in worse shape than her significant other. Although conscious, nearly her entire body was beginning to show signs of massive bruising and internal bleeding. Her nose was bleeding, as well as her mouth, and it was quite obvious that she sported the same broken ribs as her husband. Koume also had what appeared to be a broken leg and symptoms of a crushed foot. However, as Matsudaira observed her injuries, she was deeply concerned for what appeared to the severe concussion that Koume sported. Although she knew it would not cause any lasting memory loss, for the moment Koume honestly had no idea where she was, not to mention who she was.

            "Ow! Who are you people? Who am I?! Shit, I don't remember anything! What do you all want? What the hell happened? Where the hell am I?  Damnit this hurts…" Koume mumbled in a panic.

            "I'll call an ambulance," Sugishita declared as he ran off towards the nearest payphone. Sakura watched longingly after him. He may be a total jerk, but she could always count on him the most when she needed to.

            "Sakura, where..." Yaegashi began, breathing hard and with labor continued, "where are Midori and Kazuo?" Sakura looked at him with utter confusion. What did he mean, "where are Midori and Kazuo?" They were there when she had left the room, she remembered that she had told them to go find their parents.

            "What do you mean? They should be at the house!" Sakura answered,

            "They're not there. Where are they Sakura?" Yaegashi asked a bit more forcefully,

            "That's impossible. They had gone to get you, they would've had to have disappeared into thin air if they weren't there," Sakura continued. Yaegashi's eyes grew wide and his face paled a bit more.

            "Who are Kazuo and Midori?" Koume interrupted, clearly confused. A look of fear and sadness swept across Yaegashi's face as he pulled Koume close to him.

            "Matsudaira, Sakura," Yaegashi said slowly as he cradled his confused and agonized wife with his good arm. The two turned their attention to him.

            "Take Momiji to the hospital. T-t-to Ryoko and Kunikida," Yaegashi said slowly and painfully, switching the subject. Momiji's eyes began to tear up as she looked at her two injured colleagues.

            "I…" Momiji began,

            "Take her there. She'll be the safest in a crowded, well-guarded, well-lit place," Yaegashi said as he began to cough forcefully, blood flying from his mouth.

Momiji stood rooted to the spot, her mind blank. How was it, she wondered, that even though he had just been in a car crash and his wife practically had amnesia, he still worried about her safety. Why? Momiji stared blankly at him. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn't give a damn about anybody else but herself and Kusanagi, but here he was still trying to help her out. It made no sense. Nothing made sense anymore. She had just been attacked by her husband, her daughter was missing, she had been forced to hide in the woods in the park for a day, Ryoko and Mr. Kunikida were at the hospital for some reason, and now Valencia was hunting her down? Nothing made sense. Absolutely nothing. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled forcefull from behind. She wheeled around to find Matsudaira yanking her arm in the direction of her car.

"Ms. Matsudiara…?" Momiji trailed,

"Sakura and Sugishita will stay here until the ambulance arrives. In the meantime, we're going to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Kunikida," Matsudaira explained in an eerily calm voice. Momiji simply followed in compliance, and got into the car. As they sped away, she took one last look behind her at the carnage. One last look at Sugishita, who was still talking on the phone to the emergency operator. One last look at Sakura, who was just as beaten up and bloody as she [Momiji] was, and yet trying to ease Koume's panic and pain with several prayer ofundas. One last look at Yaegashi, who was holding his wife and crying.

"All because of me," Momiji said softly.

"What did you say Momiji?" Matsudaira asked as she stole a quick glance at the younger woman. Momiji couldn't find the words to respond as she broke down into hysterical tears.

*          *          *

            The drive to the hospital was a long and tear-filled one. Momiji ended crying so hard that she became sick, and Matsudaira had to make a short pit-stop to allow Momiji to empty the contents of her stomach into a garbage bin.

            "Why me God?" Momiji asked herself when they finally reached the hospital. Matsudaira loaned Momiji her lab coat so as to give Momiji a bit more coverage than what she had on. Also to give everyone the impression that Momiji was there to visit someone, rather than letting her walk through the door looking like she had just had a fight with a lawnmower and lost.

            Walking quickly to the room where the Kunikidas were located, Matsudaira rapped on the door. Diatetsu Kunikida answered.

            "Ms. Matsudaira…MOMIJI?!" Kunikida exclaimed in shock. Matsudaira winced at the noise and, putting a finger to her lips in a motion of silence, pushed Momiji and herself through into the room. Ryoko looked up in alarm, as did a heavily bandaged Makoto.

            "Mrs. Kusanagi?" Makoto asked in confusion as he took in the sight of the disheveled woman who stood in front of him.

            "What's going on?" Ryoko asked as she stood up and looked at the three people standing in front of her.

            "We need a place to hide for now," Matsudiara explained calmly.

            "Oh?" Kunikida said seriously,

            "She's being hunted."

            "By whom?"

            "Valencia and…" Matsudaira began again, although she felt it too difficult to continue.

            "And…?" Ryoko asked,

            "My husband," Momiji said in a slow and quiet whisper before sitting down in a chair, where she resumed sobbing.

The End of Chapter 7

Well, was it worth the wait? Hopefully so, I know I kinda get into the gory and depressing in this fic. A major switch for me, seeing as how I write humor fics. Anyways, this chapter was delayed by me, not Schally. If you have any ideas to present to us, by all means please review. Or visit Schally's Blue Seed Page and see us at the Blue Seed message board. I post daily there, and we both will listen to any and all comments. Please review!