>From the Ashes
Chapter 2: Revelations and Confrontations

	Kusanagi stared in disbelief at the journal in his hands.  "I have a
sister," he whispered, disbelief evident in his voice.  "Why didn't I
remember this?  I should have remembered something like that."  He stood
up, his body shaking with emotion.  "I have to find her.  I have to."  He
slid the journal into his pocket.  He knew that it would be hard to find
her by himself.  He needed help.  Someone who had access to the
government's computer records.  He knew just the people to help him.
			*			*			*
	Yaegashi stared at the lines of code running down the screen.  He didn't
see any problems, but for some reason the program refused to work.  He
leaned forward, his head resting on one hand as he scrolled through the
code once more, searching for the bug that had kept this damn program from
working properly.  He was glad he had sent Momiji off to work with Ryoko
today.  He was bogged down in technical work on the computer that Momiji
just didn't have the background to help him with.  He knew that she tried
hard to help him, but there was nothing she could do right now; especially
since she had been worrying about Kusanagi.
	Yaegashi leaned back into his chair and sighed.  That was the cause of a
lot of the tension around the office recently.  Ever since Kusanagi had
disappeared, Momiji had been extremely moody.  Everyone had been reduced to
walking on eggshells around her, trying not to mention anything about
Kusanagi, for fear she would break down into tears again.  Yaegashi
couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Kusanagi.  He knew that
Momiji was crazy about him, but the mystery man seemed not to have any
feelings for Momiji.  Yaegashi just couldn't understand it.  Momiji was a
wonderful, cheerful, beautiful girl that anyone he knew would be proud to
have as a girlfriend. 
	Yaegashi was broken out of his reverie by a tapping from his window.  He
swiveled around to see Kusanagi floating outside his window.  Yaegashi
sighed and stood up, moving over to unlatch the window and to let the man
inside.
	Kusanagi stepped over the windowsill and into Yaegashi's office, noting
the extensive clutter of printouts and empty take-out boxes lying
everywhere.  He leaned against the edge of the desk as he thought about
what he was about to ask.  <I hope he'll be able to help me,> Kusanagi
thought.  <I don't know anyone else who has access to the government
records I need to find my family.>
	Yaegashi looked at Kusanagi, who was obviously lost in thought, with an
ember of anger flaring inside him.  <This jerk has been avoiding Momiji for
weeks, and now he waltzes in here like he went out for coffee,> Yaegashi
thought.  "What is it you want?" he asked abruptly, trying not to let his
anger get the best of him.
	"I...I need your help," Kusanagi said softly.  There, it was out.
	"You need my help," Yaegashi said, surprised.  Surprise, which quickly
gave way to a rising anger.  "You need my help.  After the way you've been
treating Momiji, why should I help you?  She's been seriously depressed
ever since you pulled your vanishing act..." Yaegashi let his voice trail
off, trying to keep his anger from getting out of hand. 
	"She has?" Kusanagi asked in a small voice.  
	"Of course she has, you idiot!" Yaegashi retorted, losing the slight grip
he'd been holding on his temper for the last few weeks.  "She loves you,
though god only knows why, and she's been worried sick about you.
Especially since she's afraid that you don't care for her.  What kind of an
insensitive jerk runs away from a girl who loves him?  Especially a girl as
wonderful as Momiji."  
	"She thinks that I don't like her?" Kusanagi asked, as if shocked by the
very idea.
	"What else would she think?" Yaegashi replied hotly.  "She tells you that
she loves you and then you disappear.  What was she supposed to think?  She
told me that there must be something wrong with her if you'd run away from
her like that.  I never had anything but respect for you, Kusanagi.  You
did a great job protecting Momiji, but you hurt her when you ran.  Now
she's convinced herself that you left because she wasn't good enough for you."
	Kusanagi sat there stunned.  He hadn't been expecting an outburst like
this from Yaegashi, usually the calmest member of the TAC team, much less
that Momiji blamed herself for his staying away from her.  <She thinks that
I don't love her,> Kusanagi thought.  <She thinks that there's something
wrong with her because I left.  Dear god, what have I done to her?>   "I
never realized..." he said softly.  "Yaegashi, I left because I wasn't good
enough for her.  How could Momiji possibly think that there was something
wrong with her?  She's so perfect that I can't believe it sometimes.  She
deserves better than a freak like me.  I'm not even human, anymore."
	Yaegashi's rage ebbed as he heard Kusanagi's reasoning and looked at the
man sitting slumped on the edge of the desk.  Pity warred with the anger he
had felt earlier.  "Kusanagi," he started, "don't you think that Momiji
knows what you are?  The two of you have known each other for a while now,
and she doesn't have a problem with what you are.  Besides, *you* aren't
the one that should decide if you aren't good enough for Momiji.  She's a
big girl and she can make up her own mind about who to love."
	Kusanagi just looked at Yaegashi, the pain he was feeling starting to
fade.  <Maybe he's right,> he thought.  <I've trusted Momiji before,
shouldn't I trust her now?  After all, this affects her life as much as it
does mine.>  Kusanagi sighed and said, "Listen...I'll talk to her.  That
much I can promise."  Yaegashi nodded.  "That's not why I came here, though."
	"Oh, then why did you come here?" Yaegashi asked, starting to grow a
little angry again.  <He expected me to help him when he was putting Momiji
through so much pain,> he thought.  <What was more important to him than
Momiji's love?  At least he said he'd talk to Momiji about all this.  I
have to have faith in her ability to straighten all this out.>
	"I want your help finding some people," Kusanagi said.  "I know you
normally don't do things like this, but you're the only person that I can
turn to for this."
	"Who do you want me to find?" Yaegashi asked warily.  He could get into
some serious trouble if he was caught rooting through the computer systems
on an identity search.  <Not that it's likely I'd get caught,> he thought,
<but odds are, as soon as I do it, someone would decide to check up on me.>
	"I want...no, I * need* you to help me find my family," Kusanagi replied.
			*			*			*
	Momiji was frustrated.  Yaegashi hadn't needed her help this morning, so
he'd sent her off to help Ryoko.  Unfortunately, Ryoko hadn't needed her
help either, so Momiji had been trying to find busywork all morning.  She
had failed.  Out of boredom, Momiji had rummaged through the files
aimlessly, reliving memories of the days when Kusanagi had been ready to
help her whenever trouble reared its ugly head.  <Why am I doing this to
myself,> Momiji asked herself, sighing as she sat down at an empty desk.
She looked over at a clock, noting that lunchtime was fast approaching.
<I'd better go see what everyone wants for lunch.  I'll start with Yaegashi.>
	As Momiji wandered through the building towards Yaegashi's office, she was
surprised to hear voices coming from inside.  <Does Yaegashi have visitors
today?> Momiji asked herself as she moved up to the door.  She could hear
the voices much better now.  One was definitely Yaegashi's, the other was....
			*			*			*
	"Kusanagi!!" Momiji cried as she burst open the door to fly across the
room, glomping  onto Kusanagi with a deathgrip.  Needless to say, Kusanagi
had a decidedly nonplussed expression on his face as Momiji tried to
squeeze the life out of him.  Yaegashi tried very hard not to smile at the
scene.  Momiji was crying her eyes out and squeezing the breath out of
Kusanagi at the same time.  Yaegashi slipped out from behind the desk and
out the door, ignoring Kusanagi's silent pleas for help. After all, he was
getting his just deserts.  <I think I'll leave the two of them alone for
awhile.  They have a lot to talk about,> he thought with a smile.  Yaegashi
moved into one of the outer offices and patched the computer terminal into
the file sorting program he was running on the server.  He settled back to
wait as the program sorted through the database for information.
	Inside the office, Kusanagi was still struggling to breathe as Momiji held
him tightly, reassuring herself that he was actually there.  As Momiji's
grip loosened, and Kusanagi was finally able to draw a breath again, she
looked up into his face with tears in her eyes and asked, "Where have you
been?  Why have you been avoiding me?"
	Kusanagi looked into her eyes, seeing the fear hiding in them.  <Yaegashi
was right,> he admitted grudgingly, <I only hurt Momiji more by staying
away from her like that.>  "I'm so sorry, Momiji.  I didn't realize what I
was doing to you.  I thought you would be better off if I stayed away.
After all, the last thing you need is a monster like me hanging around...."
Kusanagi was cut off abruptly as Momiji stepped back from him  and slapped
him.  He stared down at her in shock, noting that tears were streaming
freely down her face.
	"How dare you!" Momiji shouted at him, rage playing across her face as he
stood shocked by her slap.  "What right did you have to make decisions like
that for me!  I can make my own choices, thank you very much.  If you care
at all for me, you'll let me make them."  Momiji moved forward again,
wrapping her arms around Kusanagi.  "I don't care that you're different.  I
love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.  As long as
you're here, I can go on.  You're all I have left now; I can't lose you
too," Momiji finished in a whisper.
	Kusanagi was shocked.  He hadn't realized that he was so important to her,
but it made sense when he thought about it.  Momiji was the most important
person in the world for him and he wanted her to be happy.  He had thought
she would be better off without him, but now he saw things in a different
light.  Since the Aragami had started hunting her down, Momiji had lost
almost everyone in her life that she cared about.  Her mother and
grandmother had died in Izumo from the mitama showers that had cost many
their lives all over Japan.  Her old schoolfriends were scattered and
estranged.  All she had left were the former members of TAC and himself.
<I never realized how alone she was now,> he thought sadly.  <Just like me.
 All we really have is each other and our friends.  Even if my family is
still alive, I haven't seen them for most of my life.  They'll still be
strangers.>  Kusanagi wrapped his arms around Momiji, holding her tight
against him.  "I'm so sorry, Momiji," he said softly in her ear.  "I wasn't
really thinking about how you felt.  I was afraid.  I've never been close
to anyone like this before.  I've always been alone.  Even when I was
watching over Kaede, it was from a distance.  Everyone I could have cared
about in my life was taken away from me by the Aragami.  I didn't want to
let you close so I wouldn't have to risk losing you, even though they are
gone.  I guess I'm trying to say that ... I love you too, Momiji.  More
than anything or anyone in the world, I love you."
	"Oh, Kusanagi ... no, Mamoru ... do you realize how long I've waited to
hear that from you," Momiji asked, pressing her face into his chest and
reveling in the sensation of being held so close to him.  "I was so afraid
that you didn't love me, that you were just humoring a schoolgirl's
infatuation.  When you vanished, I was so scared that everything I feel for
you would never be returned.  Promise me that you'll never do that to me
again.  That you won't just disappear on me."
	Kusanagi lay his cheek on top of Momiji's head and said, "I promise,
Momiji.  I'll always come back to you.  No matter what stands between us,
I'll always come back to you.  I'd be crazy not to.  You're the best thing
that ever happened to me."  Kusanagi cupped his hand under Momiji's chin
and brought her face up to his, their lips meeting gently.
	Momiji couldn't believe it.  Her Mamoru was finally kissing her.  She
leaned against Kusanagi, letting her weight rest against him as her arms
stole up around his neck, kissing him back fiercely.  She almost moaned
from the sensations his nearness aroused, reveling in his presence. 
	Kusanagi couldn't believe how wonderful this felt.  He was no longer
keeping a tight leash on his emotions, rather he let them flow freely as he
kissed Momiji.  He was surprised when she pressed against him and wrapped
her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with a surprising passion.
<Wow,> Kusanagi thought, <I never realized how nice it was to hold her like
this.  I've missed so much by staying aloof.  I swear, I won't push Momiji
away again.  I don't want to risk losing her.>  Kusanagi returned his
attention to the passionate bundle in his arms and received a pleasant
shock as Momiji's lips parted and her tongue prodded his lips gently.
Reacting on instinct, he opened his mouth slightly and brought his tongue
to meet hers.  Kusanagi couldn't beleive how much of a difference there was
in the feeling of the kiss now.  His and Momiji's tongues clashed between
their lips, exploring the inner reaches of their mouths.
	Yaegashi stood in the doorway, a printout clutched in one hand as he
stared in shock at the scene before him.  A smile crept across his face.
<It's about damn time,> he thought.  <I never thought that the two of them
would move so quickly.  Looks like I was wrong.  Hmm.  Seems a shame to
break up a scene like this, but I know that Kusaangi was anxious to get the
inforamtion on these people.  Besides, it'll be fun watching them squirm.>
"Um, I hate to interrupt," Yaegashi said, startling the kissing couple and
causing them to blush furiously.  <They didn't let go of each other,
though,> Yaegashi noted.  <Looks like a promising sign.> 
	"What is it, Yaegashi," Kusanagi asked.  "Did you find them?"  He was
unable to keep a hint of his nervous excitement out of his voice.  He hoped
that Yaegashi could find something, anything, that could help him find his
family.
	"I found them," Yaegashi said, handing the printout to Mamoru.  "Or at
least their records.  There is the address of your parents, a copy of your
sister's marriage certificate and her last known address before the Aragami
attacked."
	"Your family ... your sister..." Momiji said stunned.  "I didn't know ...
I mean ... I never thought about your family ..."
	"It's alright, Momiji," Kusanagi said as he embraced her again.  Momiji
lay her head on his chest as he stroked her hair gently.  "I hadn't even
realized they were still alive until a little while ago.  Now that the
Aragami are gone, I want a chance to meet them."
	"Then I'm going to go with you," Momiji said firmly, staring up into his
face.  She put a finger to his lips to stall off any protests.  "I'm not
letting you out of my sight for a while, Mamoru.  I want to be there for
you and I ... I want to meet your family too."
	Kusangi looked down at her and could see the pain in her eyes.  Losing her
mother and grandmother had been hard on her and maybe, just maybe, she
could find a new family.  With him.  He bussed her lips gently and said,
"There's no one else I'd rather have with me, Momiji.  I want you to meet
them too."  He looked over at Yaegashi, who was looking a little
uncomfortable at their displays of emotion.  "Thank you for digging this up
for me, Yaegashi.  It means a lot to me.  You've been a good friend."
	Yaegashi tried very hard not to turn red at Kusanagi's thanks and said,
"You're welcome.  Now, the two of you should get going.  Momiji, you should
probably let Kunikida know where you're going."
	Momiji and Kusanagi thanked him again and left, picking up the printout on
their way out of the office.  After they were gone, Yaegashi sagged
bonelessly into his chair and sat there staring at nothing for a while.
Eventually, he bent down and unlocked the drawer at the bottom of his desk,
pulling a picture frame out.  He held it gently on his lap, tracing the
laughting figure it showed him.  <Oh, Koume,> he thought with a sigh,
<Where did we go wrong?>

To be Contunued...

Next Time:
The mystery around Kusanagi's family begins 
A surprising encounter
The return of another old friend....maybe


Author Notes:
This section was a lot tougher to write.  I just wasn't sure how fast to
move with Momiji and Kusanagi, but I want them to reach a certain point
before anything *bad* might happen.  I felt kind of odd with Momiji calling
Kusanagi by his first name, but it does make sense.  It just suddenly
seemed like I was writing a Sailor Moon fic for a minute.
C&C welcome
Tim Walsh
Walshtt@muohio.edu