>From The Ashes
By Tim Walsh

Previous parts can be found at
http://www.theisp.net/pages/catman/archives.html

Ch.7

	Momiji watched Kusanagi carefully.  Dead silence had reigned since Mrs.
Tanaka had regained consciousness and he had repeated his revelation.  She
could see small lines of strain forming around his eyes and she knew that
he was extremely worried, especially since he had found out that his sister
had been missing for the last two weeks.
	"Mrs. Tanaka, is there anything you can tell us about Keiko's
disappearance," Kusanagi asked abruptly.
There was a brief silence as Mrs. Tanaka considered his request.  Finally,
she sighed and said, "I'll tell you what I know, even though it's not very
much."  She stared into her lap for a moment, collecting her thoughts and
began.  
"Keiko and my son, Yosuke, met while they were studying at Tokyo
University.  She was studying archaeology and anthropology and he was
studying architecture.  They dated for a few years and after their
graduation, they began to talk about getting married.  My son was eager to
get married and start his career with one of the major corporations that
had offered him jobs, but Keiko wanted to continue her studies.  There was
a clash of wills here, since they're both very stubborn, and they broke up.
 They met again two years later, when Keiko was doing a required
archaeological excavation of a site that Yosuke's company wanted to build
on.  Their romance resumed then, as both of them had grown to miss the
other, as well as having grown more willing to compromise.  They were
married two months later.
	After the monster attacks, they set about rebuilding their lives, just
like everyone else.  That was when I moved in with them, since my home had
been destroyed.  When the government started the rebuilding projects, my
son's ability as an architect was in high demand, as were Keiko's skills as
an archaeologist.  You see, Keiko told me that the wide-spread destruction
in Tokyo had opened up some interesting archaeological finds.  Things that
Keiko had never seen or heard of before.  One night, she didn't come home,
so we called the site to see if she had stayed there overnight while
working.  The police answered the phone and after a series of questions to
uncover our relationship to Keiko, he told us that everyone in the camp had
disappeared sometime during the night.  They had been called in when a
government official, who had been asked to come and see the site by the
crew, had arrived on the scene and been unable to find anyone.  Since then,
Yosuke has been devoting all his time to trying to figure out what
happened.  He doesn't come home even to sleep.  I don't think he's left
that camp since then."  As she finished speaking, Mrs. Tanaka broke down in
tears.
	Momiji slid around the table and put a comforting arm around Mrs. Tanaka.
"It must have be horrible, living with that kind of uncertainty," Momiji
said as she tried to help Mrs. Tanaka compose herself.
	"We'll have to check this out," Ryoko said.  "Anything that unusual should
have been reported a long time ago.  Someone either made a very big mistake
in not informing us, or else someone is trying to cover something up."
	"But why would the police have to report to you," Mrs. Tanaka asked.
"After all, isn't searching for missing people the police's job?"
	"Normally, it would be, Mrs. Tanaka, but a disappearance like that,
especially from a government-funded project like that should have been
reported to the TAC, which we work for.  Our job deals with controlling the
abnormal and if necessary, expediting it," Ryoko said calmly.
	Mrs. Tanaka's eyes grew wide with realization as she looked at Momiji
again.  "That would mean that you're...you're...the Princess Kushinada who
destroyed all those monsters," Mrs. Tanaka said hoarsely.
	"Well, yes, but it wasn't just me," Momiji admitted.  "It wasn't that easy
either," she added under her breath.
	"I thought you looked familiar," Mrs. Tanaka said, her composure beginning
to return.  "I saw you on television during that idol search last year.
Imagine, a celebrity like you here in my house.  Wait until I tell Yosuke
about this, he'll never believe it..."  Mrs. Tanaka continued on.
	Momiji moved back around the table to sit next to Kusanagi.  "I think the
shock may have been a little too much for her," she whispered, as she
leaned against him.
	"Probably," Kusanagi admitted softly.  "She has had to deal with a lot
today.  Perhaps we should get her to lie down and go to sleep.  Then we can
head back to the TAC office and get the information we need."
	"That sounds good," Momiji whispered back.  "Mrs. Tanaka, perhaps you
should rest awhile," she offered as she rose to her feet.
	"But that wouldn't be polite," Mrs. Tanaka demurred as she too rose to her
feet, although a bit more unsteadily.  "You're my guests.  I should make
you something to eat.  Yes, that's it.  Something to eat."
	"No, really, Mrs. Tanaka," Momiji said, gently taking her by the arm and
forestalling attempts to go into the kitchen.  "We need to be going.  We
have work to do back at the office."
	"Well, if you really must go...and I am a little tired," Mrs. Tanaka said,
stifling a yawn.  "Perhaps I will lie down for a while."
	"That's probably the best idea right now, Mrs. Tanaka," Momiji said as she
gently helped the woman towards her bedroom.
			*			*			*			*
	Kunikida awoke to a menagerie of light and sound.  For some reason there
were flashing lights and the incessant babble of voices all around him.  He
slowly forced himself into a sitting position, despite the pain that lanced
through his body.  He shook his head, trying to clear it and the world
slowly came into focus.  The flashing light resolved into the lights from
an ambulance and the voices became the conversation of two paramedics.
Kunikida looked over at them as they were working on getting Koume onto a
stretcher.  He reached a hand up to touch his head and stared at it when it
came away sticky.
	<What happened,> he asked himself.  <I was here keeping an eye on Yaegashi
and Sawaguchi while we waited for the ambulance to come and suddenly
everything went black.>  He levered himself to his feet, groaning in pain
as he stood up.
	A third paramedic rushed over as Kunikida made it to his feet and caught
him as he started to stager forward.  "Let me look at that, sir," the
paramedic said.  "that looks like a nasty head wound.  You might have
gotten a concussion."
	"Judging from how dizzy I am right now, I'd say that's a safe bet,"
Kunikida answered.  "Where is Yaegashi?"
	"Who," the paramedic asked as he felt carefully along Kunikida's scalp,
searching for other injuries.
	"The other man who was here," Kunikida replied.  At the paramedic's blank
look, he continued, "The other man.  The one who was sitting with Captain
Sawaguchi's head in his lap."
	"I'm sorry, sir," the paramedic replied as he doused a cloth with an
alcohol disinfectant.  "Only you and the woman...Captain Sawaguchi were
here when we arrived."
	"Damn," Kunikida said.  <What could have happened to Yaegashi,> he asked
himself.  <I know he wouldn't have voluntarily left Sawaguchi's side.  Not
with her having forgiven him and her being injured like that.  What could
have happened?>  Kunikida reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell
phone.  He had a lot of calls to make.
			*			*			*			*	The trees were preparing.  They would call their master
soon.  Their power was building slowly and soon they would be able to
communicate.  Soon the master would be aware of the corruption.  Then he
could halt it.  The ancient oak tree had stood for far longer than many
would have believed.  It remembered what happened when this blight had
walked free last.  The destruction had been unparalleled.  The Aragami had
forced it into quiescence, but now they were gone.  It was fortunate that
there was one with enough power to seal them again.  If they could only
make him understand.
			*			*			*			*
	As Kusanagi sat down in the backseat of the car, he felt a slight chill
run down his neck.  He looked out the window, but all he could see were the
trees swaying gently in the breeze.  <Odd,> he thought.  <It was almost as
if someone were talking about me.>  His thoughts were disrupted when Momiji
flopped down on the seat beside him and began worming her way under his
arm.  He gazed fondly down at her as he lifted his arm and lay it across
her shoulder, gently pulling her against him.  She snuggled against him
eagerly, her arms working around him so that she was enfolding him in a hug.
	The blissful moment was interrupted as Ryoko's cell phone began to ring.
She pulled it out and answered, "Hello...Yes, sir, we're just leaving her
house now...What happened!?...I see...I understand.  We'll meet you back at
headquarters.  Goodbye."  As she turned off her cell phone, she turned
around to look at Momiji and Kusanagi.  "That was the Chief.  He said that
Koume's helicopter was attacked by something and it crashed.  She's not in
good shape, but she's alive and on her way to the hospital right now."
Seeing Momiji's and Kusanagi's worried faces, she added, "They said she
should recover fully.  Also, before the ambulance arrived, something else
happened.  Something knocked the Chief out and Yaegashi has disappeared.
The Chief is assuming for the moment that whoever knocked him out also
kidnapped Yaegashi.  We're heading back to the office now.  The Chief said
he'd meet us there as soon as the hospital released him."  Having finished
her explanation, Ryoko abruptly turned around and started the car.
	As they began moving, Momiji's thoughts were in a whirl.  Koume was hurt
and in the hospital, Yaegashi had disappeared, and judging by the look of
concern that had flashed across Ryoko's face, the Chief had been hurt too.
Everything was becoming so confusing.  What was going on?  They'd destroyed
the Aragami, why couldn't they have a little bit of peace?  As she gazed up
at Kusanagi, she realized that it didn't matter anymore.  As long as they
were together, she could take whatever came.  She sighed softly and laid
her head against Kusanagi's chest.
	Kusanagi looked down at the girl resting against him and couldn't help but
feel a little scared.  Things were getting dangerous again.  Yaegashi had
disappeared, Koume had been hurt, and his sister's entire camp had
disappeared.  He had been hoping for a little peaceful time that he and
Momiji could spend together.  He had wasted so long running from her, when
he could have spent that time being with her.  <Come what may, I'll protect
you Momiji,> he thought fiercely.
			*			*			*			*
	It was happy.  It had brought Its prey back to the master.  It had even
brought the prey back alive like the master had said.  It had been rewarded
and now It feasted.  The master had promised that once the Great Master
came, then they would feast like this always.  It shivered with pleasure at
that thought asit gnawed on a bone.  It couldn't wait until the Great
Master arrived.
			*			*			*			*
	Kunikida slumped down in his chair wearily.  After arranging for security
at the hospital, he had called up the military and explained what happened.
 They had promised him as many troops as he needed to investigate this
matter, but he had declined, saying that for now, the resources of the TAC
were adequate for the job at hand.  He hated making such a bold-faced lie,
but if the military had gotten involved, it would have wrecked any chance
of him finding out what actually happened.  He had already called his
contacts in the police department and had them searching the area for any
clues as to what happened.  While he doubted they would find any, anything
they turned up would no doubt prove helpful.
	Kunikida's musings were interrupted as Ryoko came into his office,
followed by Momiji and Kusanagi.  He focused on them and tried to ignore
the concern he saw in Ryoko's eyes as she took in the bandages he was
wearing.  He nearly broke out in a smile when he saw how Momiji was holding
onto Kusanagi's arm.  <I hate to think of it this way, but she's insuring
that he'll be around to help us,> Kunikida thought, wincing at how callous
the thought was.
	"So, what did you find out about your sister, Kusanagi," Kunikida asked,
gently tapping his fingers on his desk.
	"Well...we found out that my sister disappeared two weeks ago," Kusanagi
replied.  "Along with an entire government-sponsored archaeological dig."
	"What!" Kunikida exclaimed, leaning forward over his desk.  "An entire
government team disappeared and the TAC wasn't notified.  This is disturbing."
	"Sir, why don't you rest," Ryoko offered as she moved around the desk to
stand next to his chair.  "You're not feeling well yet.  I can call around
and try to find out why we weren't informed of this when it happened."
	"Perhaps you're right, Takeuchi," Kunikida said as he forced himself to
lean back into his chair.  "I'm starting to feel dizzy again.  The
paramedics told me that I lost a lot of blood and would be feeling weak for
a while."
	As Ryoko and Kunikida were talking, Momiji had slowly been tugging
Kusanagi in the direction of the door.  "Look," she whispered.  "There's
nothing you can do for your sister until they dig up the information on the
dig.  Why don't we go and get something to eat.  I'm starving."  Her last
whispered suggestion was punctuated by the rumbling of her stomach.  Momiji
flushed as Kusanagi chuckled softly.
	"All right," he said softly.  "We'll go get something to eat."  A little
louder, he said, "We're going to get some lunch.  We'll leave this to the
two of you."
	"That's fine," Ryoko answered quickly, forestalling a comment by Kunikida.
 "Hopefully, we'll have some information when you get back, but without
Yaegashi it may take a while."
	"We'll be back in a couple of hours then," Momiji said cheerfully and
dragged Kusanagi out of the office.
	Ryoko and Kunikida just watched them leave with amused looks on their
faces.  "She really has grown up a lot in the last year, hasn't she,
Ryoko," Kunikida said softly.
	"Yes, she has," Ryoko replied.  "But for all that, she still has the
energy of a child."  She looked down at him, smiling and softly stroked his
hair.
			*			*			*			*
	Momiji pulled Kusanagi down the sidewalk at a fast clip.  Amused, Kusanagi
just let her drag him along.  It had been awhile since he had seen her so
full of energy.  Distracted, he didn't notice when she came to and abrupt
stop and they wound up in a tangle on the ground.
	"Oww..." Kusanagi said as he pulled his face up to discover her was lying
on top of Momiji.  Immediately, the two of them turned bright red.  He
tried to push himself to his knees, but Momiji grabbed him around the neck
and pulled his face close.  As their faces drew closer, he could feel her
warm breath breezing across his cheeks and he could smell the herbal scent
of her shampoo.  Almost involuntarily, they met in a soft kiss.  It was a
light, tender kiss.  More a reminder of promises to come, but it set
Kusanagi's heart racing.  Never in his life had he experienced things like
he had over the past few hours with her.  She was the first to accept him,
to love him as he was.  Even Kaede hadn't truly accepted him, but Momiji
wanted everything he could give.  And he found himself wanting to give it
to her.  Slowly, the kiss ended and they were gazing into each other's
eyes. "I love you," he said softly, trying to put the jumble of emotions he
felt into those three words.  He couldn't hear Momiji's similar reply as
the world dissolved in a spinning haze of colors and a single word vibrated
through his entire being.  Master.

End of Ch. 7

To Be Continued

Next Time:
Lots of revelations
A trip to the hospital
A trip to an archaeological camp

Author's Notes:
This has been on the back burner for a little while.  I lost my notes for
where I was taking the story, so I had to work up a new plot line.  I'm
sure it's going to go different than the original plan, but my new plot
line seems frighteningly appropriate for what I have written so far.  I
also was feeling a definite lack of WAFF in this chapter, so I planted it
at the end.  Let me know what you think.

As usual C&C is welcomed.

Tim Walsh
Walshtt@muohio.edu