Blue Seed Fan Fiction ❯ Kushinada of the Past ❯ Kushinada of the Past - Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter 11

Yu Hiei sat watching Katana warily. He compared her face to the photo that Ryoko chick had shown him. Was this Momiji? He leaned back, crossing his arms, brows furrowed. "Katana… how did you know this place was here?"

Katana smiled at him. "I just knew… The TAC would probably find your place now that they know your name. So I thought we should come here."

Hiei looked around at "here." It was pretty much an underground fortress. Looking at the walls he wondered if this place was part of an old shelter or bomb shelter. It was designed for a very small group of people. The elite, perhaps? How would she know it was here? A girl from the mountains, he snorts to himself. Time for the truth.

Hiei stood up and walked over to Katana, putting his hands on her shoulders. She leaned her head back; looking into his face, green eyes wide. He stared down at her, just noticing he was holding his breath. She smiled at him exposing her fangs. "Katana… the truth…?"

"Hai…" She stood up, looking at him. She smiled, noticing his hands had not let go of her shoulders and their grip tightened slightly. She leaned into him slightly, watching him swallow. "I'll tell you everything."

He nodded, not trusting himself. She was so close. They were alone. He looked around the dark shelter and back at her. She smiled at him invitingly. What the hell… he thought. He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth.

She put her arms around his waist, closing her eyes. The kiss became more forceful and she knew he was hers.

Kusanagi followed the Kushinada feeling. He knew it would lead him to A. Hopefully Momiji. B. That bitch Katana. C. The blue monster, Akuto. If he were lucky, he would find all three. He would tear up the creature, and then take care of Katana. He would let Momiji decide what to do with her. He wouldn't kill her, but he would see to her all right.

He jumped on top of an old building, taking heed unlike before. If it were the blue creature, he would like to avoid being bit again. He wondered briefly if he should call Kunikeda and let him know what was going on. He paused, pulling out the cell phone, looking at it. Would it hurt? He hit the send button.

"TAC" came a rough reply.

"This is Kusanagi… Kunikeda around?" "

"Where the hell are you? Do you know how angry Kunikeda is with you? Do you have any idea of the ramifications?" Sugi's voice shouted and Kusanagi heard some one trying to calm him down in the background.

Kusanagi waited till the voices faded and Kunikeda's voice came onto the line.

"Kusanagi-san?"

"Hai."

"What is going on?"

"There is a blue creature attacking people around the city called Akuto. Katana lead me to believe its Akuto that has Momiji. I am tracking them now."

"Where?"

"…I'm down in the lower east side. I'm going, but I wanted to tell you about the creature. And the thug ran off with Katana."

"Because you helped her?"

Kusanagi hung up and put the phone in a pocket. He knew it was stupid to have helped Katana get that small demon back, but he had a feeling. Damnit. Where is Akuto? And where is Momiji?

Lost in the forest, the young Katana sat crying for a while. The sun was slowly sinking into the horizon and soon, she knew, it would turn dark. She stood up, walking away from the fallen tree she had used for a chair, listening to the sounds. She usually loved hearing them, but she thought now, in the dark, how frightening she would be. She slowly walked toward a small clearing when she noticed some bushes with bright berries.

Stopping, she listened to her stomach growl and reached for some. A voice above her made a scream.

"I wouldn't eat those if I were you." He said again

She fell back, landing on her butt, panting, looking around for the voice.

A young boy sat in a tree looking down at her. He grinned at her, climbing down. "They will make you sick. You should only eat them if you ate something worse and need to get it out of your stomach."

He walked over to her, holding out a hand to help her up. "I'm Mamoru."

She took his hand, grateful for his help. She stood staring at him and he flashed her another smile. "You'll catch flies." He chucked her lightly under the chin to close her parted lips.

"You…can you…?" She stammered.

"You're the missing Kushinada girl, aren't you?" He went to the tree she had been sitting on earlier and plopped down.

"How do you know?" She asked, walking closer to him.

He gave her a roughish grin and patted a spot of the tree next to him. She blinked at him a few times then sat down.

"I just know. You could say… it's my job to know."

She frowned at him. "Can you help me get home?"

"You don't like it here? Don't you wish to stay? I did find you, lost and alone… doesn't that make you mine?"

She blushed brightly, shaking her head, standing up. "Please…"

He snapped his fingers, standing up also. "I didn't think so. I'll show you how to leave the forest." He started to walk and Katana wasn't sure if she could trust him. But she wasn't alone now, she thought, and started to follow.

"I'm really surprised you came into these woods, Kushinada. Why did you do it?"

"The trees… they were so beautiful… they called to me."

"Do you think its wise to listen to trees?"

"We can't ignore nature… we live in it."

"You're right of course, Princess."

She frowned, fighting the urge to scratch her head. "Mamoru-san… do you know me?"

"Of course. I've known you for a long time."

"I've never seen you."

"Of course not! Where would the fun be then?" He laughed.

Katana stopped walking, looking at the boy confused. "Who are you?"

Mamoru didn't stop walking, "You better hurry."

She walked behind him, wondering what he meant. The fun in that? He has always known her? Katana was sure she would have remembered had she met the boy before. Her family usually kept both she and Kaede away from boys and men. Who was he?

She was so lost in thoughts she didn't notice Mamoru had stopped in her patch, waiting for her. She walked into him, and he caught her in his arms as they both tumbled into the grass. She opened her eyes to see him staring down into her face. His eyes, she thought, were so alive. She looked at his mouth expecting him to be grinning at her buy was surprised to see they were slightly open in surprise.

"I'm... I'm sorry!" She stammered.

He closed his eyes a moment and got up. "You need to pay more attention, Kushinada-sama. How am I suppose to protect you when you can't even walk along a path?" He helped her up and flicked some of the dead leaves off her robes. "Its getting dark... we have to hurry."

"Oh… I think you both will be here for quite a while." Said a new voice, making both Mamoru and Katana jump.

Hiei laid Katana on the makeshift bed; one hand buried in her hair, holding her face up to his as his other helped lower her body onto the covers. He kissed her hard as he laid her down, lining his body along hers. She gripped his shoulders with both hands, kissing him back, arching her back slightly. Hiei closed his eyes, moving his lips along her chin to her neck. "Katana… I want you," he said roughly into her throat.

"Hai…" She moved her left hand from his shoulder to his hair, tangling her fingers in it. She kept her eyes closed as his kissed her. "Hai." His lips brushed her throat, moving slowly downward toward her chest. She opened her eyes, looking at his face. His eyes were closed tightly as his face pressed against her, the hand holding her head held its grip and she couldn't move her face. She drew in a slow breath, licking her lips slightly.

His eyes opened suddenly and he stared at her mouth. He loosened his grip on her hair and moved suddenly so he was almost squatting over her, his eyes boring into her. "I need the truth…"

"Now?" She blinked at him, her body cold after his sudden departure.

"Yes… are you Momiji? I must know before I take this body…" His free hand moved along the side of her body gently brushing the side of her breast as it moved to her hip.

Katana tried to sit up, but Hiei pushed her gently back down. "I won't be distracted again, Katana." He smiled at her, his eyes moving from her face to her throat to her chest. "Not till I know." He looked back into her eyes.

She closed her eyes taking another breath. She took two more and opened her eyes to see he was watching the rising fall of her breasts and smiled slightly. "The truth, Hiei… is complicated."

"Well… I'm not going anywhere."

Katana smiled and tried to sit up again. Hiei moved back but still stayed crouched over her legs. "Okay, Hiei… The truth is… Momiji… Kaede, the sister who sleeps, Akuto… me… we're all part of the same person."

Hiei looked at her. "Say what?"

Kunikeda sat back as the helicopter made its rounds of the city. Kusanagi spoke of a blue creature, Akuto. Never in his dealings with the Kushinada had he come across the name. Who is this new beast? He pulled Yeagashi and Matsu off their search to look for references to the name. So far, nothing. He knew one place he may find the answers. He would have to speak to Momiji's grandmother. Perhaps she could give him the answers to this latest dilemma. Looking at Ryoko, he said, "Have the helicopter change its course. Our new destination, Izumo."

Kome sat on the floor of the TAC building, flipping idly through ancient books, her face scowling. Yeagashi and Matsu sat at their own computers, going through government files and Internet web sites. Sakura lay on the couch, her head on Sugi's lap, eyes closed as Sugi looked at various emails on his palm pilot.

"I think I have something!" Yeagashi said, happily. "There is a reference to a blue creature that wrecked havoc during the feudal period. It says it was a giant spider like creature with several heads…"

"No…" Sakura yawned. "That was the Odano creature that was destroyed in 1232 BC." She sat up and stretched. "Akuto is the mother of evil who vanished a thousand years ago when a warrior and his bride vanquished it."

Everyone stopped and stared at Sakura. "YOU KNOW WHO AKUTO IS?" Kome shouted, throwing an old book at her.

Sugishita caught it before it hit Sakura in the face, but turned to look at her, annoyed.

"I know the name… I don't know if it's this blue-thing Kusanagi spoke of."

"Sakura?" Matsudaira looked at her. "Could you please tell us what you do know?"

"Sure... its an old story… very tragic and sad actually, probably why its never been very popular." She sat up, moving away from Shunichi. She thought about it for a moment.

Everyone gathered around Sakura on the floor, like kids coming to a teacher during story time. Sakura smiled thinking of them all in school uniforms but bit back the laugh.

"From what I remember, Akuto was part of the story about twin girls born to an old emperor. Everyone in the empire loved the oldest twin who was elegant and lovely in everything she did. Her parents favored her while the younger, the sweeter twin, was ignored. When I say ignored, I mean ignored. It was as if she had been forgotten. Every year there was a festival for the birthday of the twins, but only the oldest received gifts, the oldest got a new gown, and dances with future boys who would one day woo her. The youngest sat in a corner, happy for her sister, but just wishing more than anything she had a friend who was loyal to only her. For every time she had anything, the eldest took it."

Sakura took a drink of water, and clearer her throat. "An evil monster began to attack the empire. Going from village to village, destroying everything in its path. No one knew what the thing wanted. Some thought it was searching for something. Some thought it was angry with the old king who may have stolen its treasure in his youth… No one knows for sure. Many young warriors came to defeat it, as the Emperor decreed whoever vanquished the thing would have the beloved daughter as wife and would rule his empire when he had passed on to the heavens. A vast empire and the loveliest daughter… who wouldn't have tried?"

Sakura looked at the faces of the TAC and shook her head. "It so happens that the twins each had a young warrior who protected them. While not much was ever said about the older twin's protector, the younger twin's bodyguard was in love with her sister. He protected the younger, but his heart belonged to the oldest. He decided he would destroy the creature so he could win the hand of the elder sister. He was not concerned with the empire, but only the love of the daughter, it was all he dreamed of..."

The young Katana and Mamoru turned to the voice. Another boy stood by them, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail. He looked a year or two older than Mamoru and Katana thought they seemed to know each other from the scowl that appeared on Mamoru's voice.

"Go away, you."

The older boy laughed and walked around them. He looked Katana up and down appraisingly as he did so. "So…Mamoru-kun, you found the little Kushinada. How happy her family will be when you return her home."

Katana blinked at him. Where were all these forest boys coming from?

"Yes. They will… now let me take her home."

"Why not wait. The longer they worry, the bigger the reward will be when you return her."

Katana flushed, thinking Mamoru only wanted to help her for a reward, turning slightly away from them, she suddenly felt her heart tighten. Of course that's all he wanted.

Mamoru eyes narrowed on his forest friend. "What do you care? Why have you come, Murakumo? Have you come here to steal her, and gain a reward for yourself?"

Murakumo laughed. "Of course! If we take her to her family together, it would benefit us both."

Mamoru seemed to think about what he said. "Why should I help you? I found the girl, its up to me to return her."

"So noble, Mamoru. I think you owe me… we'll return her to her family, tomorrow."

Mamoru looked at Katana and frowned, thinking. She flushed more, now becoming angry. So what if he was a handsome boy. He wasn't her friend. He was just out for what he can get as a reward. She turned away more, not missing Murakumo's smirk. Why had she ever come here? What had she been thinking?

"Kushinada…. Would you like an adventure?"

Katana blinked, surprised. "A…Adventure?"

"Yes. In return for your stay, I will promise you an adventure. Tomorrow, Murakumo and I will see you safely home. We'll all benefit."

Murakumo laughed. "I won't entertain her. All I want is what her father can provide…and a lot of it."

Mamoru shot him a dirty look. "She came because she was called here."

Murakumo lost the mirthful light from his eyes. "Is this true?" He hissed at Katana.

Katana took a step back, away from him. "…The trees… they called to me."

"Liar!" Murakumo took a step toward her, when Mamoru stepped between them. "Why would a Kushinada lie?"

Murakumo stopped, and looked away. Katana thought he was looking at something specific but she didn't see anything in the direction of his glaze.

Murakumo smiled again. "You are correct, of course. What would she gain?" He looked at Katana with a look she couldn't discern. "Have your adventure, Princess. Tomorrow I shall rejoin you both." He turned and vanished into the woods.

Katana stared after him, confused.