Dreamer Awakened

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

There was a moment of silence after Kusanagi’s words. Momiji wanted to call out to him, but she found that she couldn’t. More of Zan Kazai’s powers she surmised as she watched the wraith’s eyes narrow for a fraction of a heartbeat. Her heart squeezed itself into a tight ball. She wished she could warn Kusanagi about the wraith’s strange abilities, and she prayed at the same time that Kusanagi’s mitamas might offer him some immunity to them.

With little effort, Zan Kazai jerked Momiji’s body around, her limp feet dragging heavily through the dead leaves, so that she stood with her back to Kusanagi; a barrier between the withered shade and her furious protector. Zan Kazai quickly searched his memory, trying to recall what name the Kushinada had used to refer to her half-human, half-Aragami guardian. His lip curled in satisfaction as he remembered it. This was going to be all too easy.

"Ahh, Kusanagi, " Zan Kazai remarked in an almost bored voice, never lifting his dark eyes away from Momiji. "I didn’t think it would take you long. Although, I wish it had taken you just a few minutes longer – just long enough so I might have further… enjoyed… the company of your Kushinada."

His words fueled the rage bubbling over inside Kusanagi. He wanted to kill this twisted freak more than anything. But before he did, he would smash the bastard’s face in for daring to touch Momiji.

"Lay another finger on her, and I’ll strangle you with your own intestines!" Kusanagi growled, his jaw clenched tightly as he came to a stop just a few feet from where Zan Kazai still held Momiji captive.

Zan Kazai’s only reaction was a cold laugh. A contemptuous smile twisted across his cadaverous face, aimed at Kusanagi, but the wraith made sure to hold Momiji with his power by keeping his malignant gaze trained to the helpless green of her eyes.

"Your words are so bold - and so… deplorably stupid. I’m disappointed, Kusanagi. I would have thought that being part Aragami, you would exhibit more control." He heaved a sigh of mock resignation that made Kusanagi ball his hands into fists by his sides so tightly that they shook. "- I guess I overestimated your worth as a fighter. After all; you are nothing more than a human; and an average one at that if you allow your emotions to cloud your judgment. Even now, you have yet to grasp the danger that is all around you."

Kusanagi’s eyes flickered dismissively over the wasted figure standing before him.

"Is this where I’m supposed to give you the once over and become intimidated by your awesome power?" Kusanagi smiled humorlessly. "Sorry, but that’s not happening – not in this lifetime."

Instead of angering Zan Kazai, Kusanagi’s flippant retort seemed to please the wraith. Zan Kazai laughed softly again, confident that the Kushinada’s energy pulse was his for the taking. The only thing standing in his way was this angry, young guardian who had yet to feel the sting of real battle. Zan Kazai paused consideringly for a moment. Destroying this boy of a man’s bravado held great appeal for Zan Kazai. He would make sure that Kusanagi fully understood just how out of his depth he was before he died.

"Hmm," the wraith began in a meditative sort of way, "you have somehow received the impression that your strongest enemy has been vanquished. How shortsighted you are, Kusanagi. Did you really believe that in killing Tamanasu, you and the rest of humanity would prevail over the Withered Kingdom?" Zan Kazai laughed again, an unpleasant hissing sound, and then murmured, "I wonder what you would do if you knew that Tamanasu wasn’t truly dead?"

Zan Kazai indulged himself in a gloating smile and trailed a skeletal hand down the length of Momiji’s hair, petting its silky softness to further goad his opponent.

"Poor Kusanagi, " he crooned to Momiji, his hand coming around to caress her face with his cold fingers, making her skin crawl, "he doesn’t realize that you cannot kill what is already dead. "

Kusanagi stifled the urge to leap forward and rip Zan Kazai’s arm off as he watched him touch Momiji. But with great effort he managed to hang on to his temper. The wraith was only trying to goad him into acting rashly. Kusanagi steadily eyed Zan Kazai’s spectral visage. He was too relaxed, too confident. It put Kusanagi on edge as he watched him, looking for an opening, an opportunity to get Momiji free.

"- There are other Tengugaki out there, you know." Even though he was still talking to Kusanagi, he had yet to look away from Momiji. "- Nine, to be precise: all hell sprung sentinels of Akumakai, Arch Daemon of the Underworld. – Nine completely new Tengugaki to oppose you, slithering underground, hiding in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike, coveting the hybrid’s souls. Listen closely, Kusanagi. Perhaps you can hear them moving towards the hybrid child, closing in on the spot behind the tree where you left him, unprotected." Zan Kazai‘s laughter hissed with cruelty. He sensed Kusanagi’s intense focus wavering away from him and he reveled in his ability to affect him. "Are you surprised that I know where the child is?" Zan Kazai asked in malicious amusement. His question was met with silence, but he hadn’t really expected Kusanagi to answer. The Aragami hybrid was too busy trying to discern if there truly were Tengugaki skulking around.

"Perhaps it would interest you to know that the Tengugaki can sense him as well." Zan Kazai added. "His energy pattern is unmistakable, and it makes him an easy target to find. So tell me, Kusanagi, now that you know your enemy knows exactly where to find you, how can you dare to leave such an incredible prize all alone?

Kusanagi moved restlessly, afraid to entirely shift his focus away from Momiji, but afraid that if he didn’t, Noa might be in jeopardy. Stretching the edges of his senses, he tried to feel the presence of the Tengugaki. He could feel nothing. The power that Kaede had bestowed upon him, assured him that the child was safe, and yet he remained hesitant. If he charged forward and this was indeed some sort of ruse on the Tengugaki’s part, then he left Noa unguarded. But, on the other hand, if there truly were no Tengugaki … then the only one in danger was Momiji. His senses screamed to attack, and yet he still held back, knowing that he could afford no mistakes. He must make certain that the Tengugaki never had a chance to take Noa’s souls.

"You don’t seem too eager to protect the Aragami child. Perhaps you do not care if he is taken?" Zan Kazai observed waiting for a reaction from Kusanagi, and when he received none, added, "or perhaps you are more interested in the prize I am holding. Is that it, Kusanagi?"

Zan Kazai again waited for Kusanagi’s response. But Kusanagi ignored him for the moment, continuing to search for signs of Tengugaki. Nothing. All was quiet. Now he was doubly certain there were none, and he felt completely sure that he could now focus entirely on freeing Momiji from Zan Kazai.

"So which is it, Kusanagi? Which is most important to you? The Tengugaki will be here at any moment, to rend the hybrid apart; so which do you choose? - The fate of your world; or this - " Zan Kazai let his bony hand slide down Momiji’s hair. "- the life of this one girl?"

His world? Kusanagi thought. Momiji was his world.

Zan Kazai thought for a moment that Kusanagi would choose not to answer. But then he heard the Aragami warrior’s steady voice offer a reply that caused the girl he was holding captive to sharply draw in her breath.

"For me, they are one in the same," he finally replied, and then scowled, "not that it matters. You can’t fool me with your tricks. There are no Tengugaki here, so the ‘hybrid’ child, as you call him, is safe for the moment."

"For once your assessment is correct, Kusanagi," Zan Kazai offered with tepid approval. "How fortunate for me, the Tengugaki are currently too busy harvesting human energy to come after the hybrid souls. They will wait until the darkness of the new moon has fallen; for that is when Akumakai’s bastard creation, Tamanasu, will be reborn. I imagine that by then, the Sentinels would have amassed enough energy so that when combined with Tamanasu’s strength, there would be no force on the face of the earth that would be capable of stopping them." Zan Kazai paused before adding, "Of course, by killing your Kushinada, none of that will come to pass, since the Tengugaki need the hybrid’s souls to be immune to her power. Her death will effectively put the hybrid child forever beyond their reach. And once they are out of the way, those hybrid souls will be mine, and Akumakai will be forced to accede to my power!"

A twisted anticipation began building in the wraith’s face. Kusanagi recognized it as bloodlust, and he knew he had to do something now and quickly; before it was too late. But what? There was no way to attack the wraith head on. Zan Kazai would surely kill Momiji before he had taken a dozen steps forward. Perhaps, Kusanagi thought desperately, if he could find a way to draw him out, then he might have a chance. And if that didn’t work, then… Kusanagi refused to think beyond that. It would work. It had to!

"Dream all you want, you’ll never get close enough to the souls as long as I’m standing here," Kusanagi assured him darkly.

"And what makes you think that you can stop me?" Zan Kazai challenged.

"I stopped Tamanasu didn’t I? Compared to him, you’re nothing but a wasted shadow, cowering behind a woman."

A brief flicker of irritation flashed across Zan Kazai’s face before it disappeared. Kusanagi felt a moment of satisfaction for he knew he had captured the wraith’s attention for the moment. That look of twisted anticipation had faded.

"You dare to compare me to Tamanasu?" Zan Kazai said, his breath coming out in a feral hiss.

"What’s there to compare?" Kusanagi retorted caustically. "You say you’re more powerful than the Lord of the Withered Kingdom, and yet you remain afraid to face me without a human shield. If you’re so confident in your abilities, then why don’t you stop hiding, you miserable bastard! Come out and face me now!"

Kusanagi watched Zan Kazai’s hands loosen from Momiji’s shoulders and he thought he had succeeded in drawing him out. But Zan Kazai didn’t move forward. Instead the wraith gave a hissing laugh. It echoed around them for a few seconds before Zan Kazai replied.

"And why should I do that?" he asked, malicious amusement lacing his words, "When I can kill you from here. Kusanagi?"

Before Kusanagi realized what was happening, Zan Kazai became blurred, the outline of his body seeming to vaporize. Kusanagi blinked several times, attempting to bring his vision into focus and shake the sense of heaviness that suddenly assailed his senses. Seconds later, he was staggering clumsily backwards, a stinging pain blossoming in his shoulder. With a jerk, he reached up and grasped at the sensation, the palm of his hand becoming, wet and warm. Dazed, he pulled his fingers away from his shoulder and glanced down in surprise to see that his hand was covered with dark green blood: his blood.

Kusanagi tightened his lips to keep them from falling open in shock. He didn’t want the wraith to know how off balance his attack had made him. The twisted bastard had managed to strike him! Zan Kazai chortled, and Kusanagi listened to the rusty hiss of his laughter as he stared down at his hand.

Dammit! He obviously had some kind of special attack, Kusanagi growled at himself in irritation. No wonder he had been so confident.

Dropping his hand back to his side, Kusanagi unsheathed his blades and stared darkly at Zan Kazai. Just how the hell had he done that, Kusanagi couldn’t fathom. Not only had he not seen him move, but he also hadn’t sensed his movement either. Zan Kazai couldn’t possible be that quick, could he? A wary tension began to grip Kusanagi’s stomach as he grappled with the problem of defending against an unseen attacker.

"Where is your threat of annihilation now, Kusanagi?" Zan Kazai taunted. "As you can clearly see, any lessons in annihilation will come from me, not you," he determined and, as if to prove his point, his body once again blurred and Kusanagi felt the wraith slicing into his other shoulder before he could move to defend himself.

Zan Kazai was toying with him, enjoying seeing the pain and frustration etched across his face and it infuriated Kusanagi to no end.

"Perhaps it will comfort you to know that I plan on killing you before I kill your Kushinada," Zan Kazai told him. "But before I do, I think I’ll have a little more fun with you."

No! Momiji mentally screamed. She was panic stricken when she realized that Kusanagi had no defense against the wraith. So it took her a few seconds to realize that during Zan Kazai’s initial attack against Kusanagi, that she had experienced a few fleeting seconds of freedom from his black gaze. It happened so quickly that she wasn’t even sure it was real. But when it happened again, the second time the wraith struck, Momiji was certain of it.

It made sense, she thought with a growing sense of hope. For Zan Kazai to use his power against Kusanagi, he would have to take his focus away from her – even if it was for just the briefest of moments.

This was her chance! She would have to be quick, but if she kept her wits about her, she might be able to break free.

Holding her breath, Momiji waited for her next opportunity. When it came, she wasted no time. Raising her arms, she quickly pushed free from Zan Kazai’s hands. Ignoring the stiff numbness that had seeped into her legs, she twisted around, chestnut strands of hair falling into her eyes from the suddenness of her movements. She began sprinting away from the wraith, her green eyes pinned to Kusanagi praying that she could reach his side.

Momentarily caught of guard by Momiji’s sudden escape, Zan Kazai pulled back from Kusanagi without landing another blow, his focus jerking towards Momiji’s back as she scrambled for safety. Moving with lightning speed he reached a hand out to stop her, his claws raking down her back and thigh, easily tearing through the fabric of her coat, shirt and slacks to score her flesh before he managed to push her off balance.

"Kusanagi! Don’t look at him! It’s his eyes! He’s trying to control you!" she screamed even as she felt a burning sensation slash into her before Zan Kazai’s stabbing claws pushed her to the ground.

She landed with a hard thud and immediately felt the coldness of Zan Kazai settle on top of her as he straddle her body in a low crouch. Kusanagi was on the move towards them, sensing an open opportunity. Zan Kazai jerked his head around and glared at him, managing to slow him down. Zan Kazai had made an error in underestimating the determination of the Kushinada, and he realized he was in serious jeopardy of losing control of the situation. He refused to let that happen. The Kushinada’s power would be his! Raising his arm, he flexed the long points of his claws and prepared to sink them into the back of Momiji’s skull. But despite having used his power to slow Kusanagi’s movements, the half-human, half-Aragami was already upon them and Zan Kazai was forced to dematerialize before Kusanagi’s blade smashed into his own skull.

Kusanagi whirled around, looking wildly about for the wraith. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"Momiji! Are you all right?" he asked tensely, not daring to look at her as he searched the clearing for their enemy.

"Behind you!" Momiji screamed frantically as she shakily pushed herself to her knees.

Immediately, Kusanagi spun around. He managed to get his blade up in barely enough time to parry Zan Kazai’s long claws. Countering, Kusanagi used his other arm and he slashed forward, feeling his movements slowing to what seemed like an infinitesimal crawl as he locked gazes with his enemy. By the time he once again had full range of speed, the wraith was gone, and Kusanagi’s blade swept through nothing but air.

"Don’t look at him, Kusanagi! He’s slowing you down!" He heard Momiji urge him from behind as she tried to scramble to her feet.

"How the hell am I supposed to hit him if I don’t look at him, Momiji?" Kusanagi demanded, aggravation tempering his voice. His gaze swept around the eerily quiet clearing and after a moment, he called out, "Why don’t you come out and fight!?"

Kusanagi whipped from left to right repeatedly, stretching all of his senses; but still, he couldn’t sense the wraith. By now Momiji was back on her feet and he took several steps back until he felt the back of his shirt brush against her arm. Reaching around, he pulled at her arm to bring her to his side. "I don’t want to put too much distance between us – it might give him the opportunity he is looking for to get you. So stay close, Momiji."

"Yes, by all means, make it easy for me," came a hissing voice right in Kusanagi’s ear.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kusanagi saw the wraith re-materializing. Immediately he turned, and the long thin claws that Zan Kazai had extended to slash across his neck, instead sank into his already bleeding shoulder and bicep, throwing him backwards.

He scrambled to get up, fear clenching his gut as he saw Zan Kazai’s claws arc towards Momiji. A raw scream rose to his throat, when he felt his senses dull and realized he wasn’t going to be quick enough to save her. "Run Momiji!"

Momiji had seen Zan Kazai swing at her before Kusanagi’s shouted warning and she had already turned and started running. She knew from the wraith’s displeased hiss that his first attack had missed and she didn’t dare turn her head to see if he was close enough to try again. She made it as far as the edge of the trees, a towering oak in front of her, before cold fingers gripped her around her arm and she was stopped dead in her tracks.

Momiji let out a cry as Zan Kazai savagely jerked her back by her arm. She found herself dragged around to face him and shoved up hard against the bark of the oak. Quickly he raised a hand and grabbed a fistful of hair close to her skull, yanking ruthlessly upon it so that her chin was forced upwards. Momiji kept her eyes averted from him. Desperately she pushed against him, struggling with all her might to free herself. But still he held her close, the coldness of his breath falling against the exposed skin of her neck.

"Goodbye Kushinada," he whispered, raising his deadly claws.

"NO! DAMMIT, NO!" Kusanagi screamed, moving towards them quicker now that the wraith had once again turned his attention to Momiji. He was only seconds away from them, but it might as well be miles, because it was still too far to stop Zan Kazai.

Momiji closed her eyes.

"I’ve failed… Kusanagi – I’m sorry, " Momiji whispered to herself. She waited for Zan Kazai’s claws to plunge downwards, holding her breath, waiting for death to come.

But it didn’t come. What came was a low hissing; a sound very dissimilar to Zan Kazai’s breathing, but a noise that appeared to be coming from the wraith all the same. And smoke too, Momiji realized, opening her eyes as a rusty screech raked across her eardrums. Suddenly she was free, her jelly legs not strong enough to hold her up. The hissing continued as she slid downwards in a bumpy fashion, her coat snagging against the rough bark of the tree as she went. Disoriented, she watched, mystified as Zan Kazai backed away from her, unsure of what had caused him to let go. Her green eyes were quickly drawn to his deadly claws, and she noticed that they – no – not just his claws, but his entire arm - was nothing but a cloud of heavy, yellowish looking smoke.

She didn’t get a chance to study it any further because Kusanagi was there, lunging forward in a rabid frenzy, inches away from Zan Kazai. The wraith knew he was there and despite the heavy yellow smoke, he was able to dematerialize again. Kusanagi howled in frustration as he stumbled through him, almost crashing into Momiji before he managed to turn and fall unevenly to the ground beside her, his chest heaving. Blood dripped down his arms and there was a crazed look in his eye as he scrambled back to his feet and stood defensively in front of Momiji. He eyed the thick yellow smoke that still hung in the air before he once again searched futilely for their invisible enemy.

"What happened just now?" Momiji asked breathlessly, "all that smoke… Where did it come from?"

Before Kusanagi could answer her, Momiji heard a very familiar, sultry laugh, from behind the other side of the oak tree and watched as Sakura stepped into view, dressed in her full priestess robes with a Talisman clutched between her fingers.

"It came from me, of course," Sakura replied, looking down at Momiji with a catlike smile before turning her head away and surveying the scene in front of her.

"Sak –" Momiji began but Sakura quickly stopped her.

"Don’t say my name – you’ll just give him more power" she warned, and then she turned her head and looked out into the clearing. "You may be able to outmaneuver this Neanderthal with your petty tricks," she said jerking her head in Kusanagi’s direction as her eyes pivoted slowly, following her invisible opponent, "but you can’t get away from me!"

With a dramatic gesture, she held the Talisman poised in front of her for a brief second. Then with a flick of her wrist, she sent it zooming forward where it appeared to stop midair without hitting anything. But Momiji knew it had found its target, because Zan Kazai began to rematerialize. Sakura’s Talisman, which had forced him back into his corporeal state, was pinned to his shoulder. Before he could remove it, Sakura had another one ready, and with another well-aimed flick, it struck Zan Kazai in the forehead. There was the same hissing, sizzling noise as before, and Momiji watched as Zan Kazai screeched and began to shake, scrabbling unsuccessfully to remove the destructive Talisman. The hissing continued, getting louder as his body began to disintegrate, becoming thick whorls of yellowish smoke, his screeches becoming hollow and thin as the power in Sakura’s charm melted him.

It lasted only seconds, and when all that remained was a heavy, sulfuric cloud of smoke, the hissing stopped and Sakura’s Talisman fluttered innocuously to the ground.

There was a prolonged silence as everyone stared at it and then Momiji asked in a hesitant voice, "Is he dead?"

Sakura laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Dead?" she repeated, looking down at Momiji, "He’s deader than dead, Momiji. His energy has been completely negated, which means that he won’t be coming back here or returning to wherever it is that he came from."

"The Withered Kingdom," Momiji supplied as Kusanagi reached down and helped her to her feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked, worriedly eyeing her pale countenance.

Momiji nodded, but he frowned uncertainly, noting how wobbly she was.

Sakura’s elegant sandy brows went soaring at Momiji’s information. "Oh really," she hummed, "- the Withered Kingdom… how very interesting. And he came for you and not the baby?"

"From what he said, it sounded like he wanted to overthrow the Tengugaki," Momiji replied. "- And speaking of the baby where is he? Is he all right?" She asked, her eyes swinging towards Kusanagi.

"You wouldn’t have to ask me that if you hadn’t just gone and left him," Kusanagi scowled.

"Well," Momiji stuttered in defense, "I thought Kome and Yaegashi had been attacked by the Tengugaki"

Kusanagi scowled even harder and leaned towards her to utter accusingly, "No, Momiji, that’s just it - you didn’t stop to think! If you had, then you would have realized that there were no Tengugaki." He stopped, straightened and crossed his arms in a domineering pose. "Did you sense any Tengugaki, Momiji?"

Momiji looked away.

"No," she replied in a small voice.

Kusanagi’s hard expression wavered and disappeared when he saw Momiji’s fallen expression. He hadn’t meant to sound quite so - harsh. "Momiji, I… It’s just that…" he began gruffly, trying to soften his words, "when you run off like that, Momiji, I can’t protect you – "

Sakura rolled her eyes and heaved an impatient sigh. Watching them was worse than watching a soap opera. "If you’re looking for the Aragami sprout," she cut in, answering Momiji’s earlier question, he’s behind this tree, fast asleep – " she broke off when the sound of a wail cut across her words. She gave a brittle smile then. "Well, he was asleep – but how he slept through the ruckus you guys were making is beyond me! I guess those little buggers only wake up when they want to, eh?"

"I guess," Momiji replied with a small smile, looking uncertainly at Kusanagi before she stepped around the tree to get the baby.

"Stop being so rough on her, Carrot Boy, or you’ll never get anywhere," she advised him quietly, looking up at him.

Kusanagi hesitated, then gave a curt nod of agreement. Then he shot her an enigmatic look, and she stared quizzically back at him. An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Kusanagi was all too aware that if not for Sakura, he and Momiji most likely would not have survived their fight against the wraith. Sakura continued to watch him, and then a look of understanding flashed in her crimson eyes and she looked away from him, her gaze going to where Momiji crouched behind the tree trying to comfort Noa.

"It looked like you were having a hard time, earlier, Carrot Boy," she murmured casually as she watched Momiji unstrap the baby from his carrier to lift him to her shoulder. "Didn’t think you were going reach Momiji in time to save the day." There was a pregnant pause and then she added, " - You didn’t mind my stepping in, did you?" She was unable to keep just a trace of smugness from her voice. She was, after all, the best thing that the TAC had…

Kusanagi frowned, taking exception to the tone of her voice. "How did you know to come here?" he asked repressively, evading her question to avoid any further gloating on her part.

"Simple," she replied, "I saw that wraith back at the lab earlier. I wasn’t certain what it was he was after – most spirits of his nature are not that powerful nor are they quite that... virulent. They usually lack the focus necessary to be harmful. If I had known the true extent of his capabilities I would have warned you. As it is, I’m glad that I went back to my apartment to get my things. I don’t think I could have beaten him without my Talismans.

"Anyway, after gearing up, I headed straight for Momiji’s house. But by then you guys were already gone, and so I just followed the wake of his energy. "

There was a moment of silence between them in which Kusanagi struggled with the innate sense of rivalry that he had with Sakura and the bizarre and uncomfortable feeling of gratitude that he was laboring under before finally saying in a strained voice, "Sakura…"

For a moment, all that could be heard was the muted sound of Momiji’s voice as she tried to quiet the squalling infant.

"Yes?" Sakura finally prompted curiously when he said nothing more but just stood there with an unpleasant look on his face as if he had just swallowed a big green glob of what had exploded earlier at the lab.

"- What I said earlier – about you being a quack psychic – I take it back," he finally managed in a choked voice, his repelled expression becoming more pronounced. He took a deep breath, afraid he wouldn’t get through what he had to say if he didn’t, and finished, "You truly are talented – you have shown that to me today."

At his admission, Sakura looked stunned for a moment, but then she gave him a wide, toothy smile. "Yes, I know," she purred, "I’m wonderful, aren’t I?"

In an odd way, Kusanagi was grateful for her words, for it made those uneasy feelings of gratitude subside. His eyes narrowed then, reveling in the familiarity of the familiar irritation he experienced when he was around her.

"Wonderful?" he echoed with a snort, "I wouldn’t go that far! You’re still a flake; you always will be, no matter how talented you are. - And by the way, what is those big black splotches on your face and in your hair?"

Sakura’s smile evaporated at his question and she shifted uncomfortably, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly without saying anything.

"Oh," Momiji began, coming around the tree. She inserted herself into the conversation as Noa hiccoughed noisily, "That’s from the exploding coffee – I mean –" Momiji hastened to correct herself as she watched Sakura’s scowl swing in her direction, "that’s from the exploding… formula at the lab – Matsu warned me to tell you any exposed skin that it made contact with would turn black and the color would only wear off with time. I’m sorry, I meant to tell you earlier, but I just forgot."

Kusanagi gave a short bark of laughter then and Sakura’s face puckered into a deeper scowl.

"I’ll say one thing for you, Cherry Blossom, you don’t do things halfway," Kusanagi remarked dryly, shaking his head as he watched the skin beneath the black splotches take on flushed hue, "I can only hope that the next time you try cooking again, you’ll wear protective clothing – like safety glasses and a rubber suit."

Sakura’s mouth tightened into a mutinous line and she began muttering under her breath. Momiji strained to hear her, but couldn’t because Noa’s hiccoughs were getting louder again, becoming long wails, despite the comforting pats she was giving to his back.

Sakura quit muttering and shot a dark look at the infant and asked in a waspish voice, "What’s his problem? Can’t you shut him up, Momiji?"

Momiji shrugged her shoulders helplessly and replied, "I think he’s hungry."

"Well feed the little termite, so he’ll quite bawling!" Sakura urged, the sound of gusty cries jangling her nerves.

"I don’t have anything to feed him here – I need to go back to the house," Momiji replied, giving Sakura an apologetic look.

"Fine, - we’re done here anyways," Sakura said looking back at the Talisman that lay on the ground. "Like I said, you won’t have to worry about him anymore."

"And we won’t have to worry about the Tengugaki coming for Noa either – at least until the new moon," Kusanagi observed, "which will give us a little breathing room and hopefully allow us to come up with a better way of fighting the Tengugaki."

"New moon," Sakura asked in a puzzled voice, "so how long is that?"

"I thought you were a priestess," Kusanagi replied, raising an eyebrow at the blonde. "Aren’t priestesses supposed to keep track of things like the phases of the moon?"

Sakura snorted in disgust, "That’s for witches, Kusanagi," she told him dismissively, "or do you think that priestesses ride around on broomsticks too?"

"No, just you," he murmured in a voice almost too low for her to hear. She shot him a suspicious glance and he gave her an innocent look then changed the subject. "If I’m not mistaken, I believe we are one or two days beyond a new moon. That would put the next new moon in approximately twenty-five days or so from now – a little more than three weeks. We’ll have to work fast to try and take down all nine of Tengugaki before they can gather any more energy." He mused silently for a second and then, turning to Sakura, he gave her a speculative glance. "If it’s true what Zan Kazai said – that Tamanasu isn’t dead - do you think that you could use the same kind of Talisman on the nine Tengugaki in Tokyo that you used on the wraith - to permanently take them down?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno; it all depends on the nature of the entity we’re dealing with – and the type of energy that it is." Seeing Kusanagi’s inquiring look, she added, "Wraiths are single energy entities. They can be powerful, but their energy is not a complex wave pattern, so it’s easy to deconstruct their energy. The Tengugaki on the other hand… they are completely different. Their energy patterns are very complex- almost as if they are multiple souls compressed into one."

"Does that mean you can’t do it then?" Kusanagi asked in disappointment.

Sakura’s lips thinned in irritation. She hated any inference that there was something that lay beyond her capabilities. But, unfortunately, in this case, that inference was correct.

"There’s probably not a whole lot I can do, Kusanagi. I might be able to disperse the wave energy but I doubt I can destroy it completely. Dispersing it with a Talisman would basically have the same effect as one of your attacks that shatters the Tengugaki’s mitama. It doesn’t really kill it – it only sends it back to where it came from. And if it’s provided a proper catalyst, the same source of creation, it can be reharvested and resolidified."

"Then how are we supposed to keep them from coming back?" Momiji wanted to know.

"We find the source and destroy it," Kusanagi replied grimly.

"I wonder if that would be Akumakai," Momiji ventured, biting her bottom lip. "Zan Kazai referred to him as the Arch Daemon of the Withered Kingdom."

"If he’s the Arch Daemon, then he would be the one to go after," Sakura replied. "But unless he comes to us, I don’t see how we are going to get to him."

"Nothing is impossible," Kusanagi said after a moment. "If there isn’t a path, then we’ll make one."

"Easy for you to say, Carrot Boy," Sakura retorted, "but I don’t think your brute strength is going to let you batter your way into the Withered Kingdom - "

"It’s gotten me into the Kingdom of Darkness, which is a hell of a lot farther than your knowledge from the Kusamikado school, has gotten you, isn’t it?" he shot back.

"-Besides, you have no idea what you would find once you were there," Sakura continued as if he hadn’t interrupted her. "The world of the spirits is far different from anything you’re used to, Kusanagi. Can you imagine battling an endless number of entities like Zan Kazai?" she challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Kusanagi admitted grudgingly, "I suppose not. Then the only way to defeat Akumakai is to smoke him out – perhaps if we defeat enough of his Tengugaki, he’ll have no choice but to come for Noa’s souls himself. But god knows how many of those godforsaken fiends we’re talking about before that happens!"

A heavy silence fell between them, broken only by the sounds of Noa’s cries and Sakura gritted her teeth, unable to think because of all of the noise he was making. After a few seconds, she shot a pained look at Noa and Momiji. His wails were like a sharp knife against a rope – and it was fast fraying her patience.

"I don’t care what you say," Sakura huffed suddenly jabbing a finger at the baby, "this kid is just like you Kusanagi. He’s loud and obnoxious! He’s got to be yours!"

Kusanagi’s face darkened, but before he could make a furious reply, Sakura, finally unable to bear the blustering cries any longer, threw up her hands, turned on her heel and stomped past Momiji, heading back towards Momiji’s house. "I don’t think I can handle standing here, listening to his screeching for one minute longer." She flipped a look back over her shoulder at Kusanagi and Momiji. "You two look pretty banged up and in need of some serious attention." She paused and looked slyly at Kusanagi. "- I wonder who’ll get to play doctor first: you or Momiji?" She gave a sultry laugh then added with a sly smile, "it should make for a memorable evening anyway. Oh – and Kusanagi," she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I know that doctors wear gloves during… examinations… but in this case, I would leave them off." Her crimson eyes flickered down to his bare hands. "It will make things more interesting." Resuming her normal, insouciant voice, she bid them farewell. "Well I’m off to Tokyo," she wiggled her fingers at them and smiled brilliantly, " Ta ta!"

She just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could she, Kusanagi fumed in irritation, choosing to say nothing as she left.

Momiji didn’t say anything either. She just watched Sakura go, shooting Kusanagi an apprehensive look after the priestess was no longer visible through the trees. Just as she had feared; he had that riled expression on his face; his cat like eyes were narrowed and his jaw was clenched tightly in irritation. Adjusting the squirming baby against her shoulder Momiji sighed. She pushed Sakura’s troublesome words aside, and thought instead about the things that had been revealed about the Tengugaki and the Arch Daemon Akumakai.

"I really think we should head back to the house now. Noa is really hungry," she advised a little absentmindedly, her eyes flickering over Kusanagi’s stiff posture before she turned and began trudging the same path Sakura had taken. "I don’t think he is going to be happy until he gets what he wants." She threw back over her shoulder at him.

"Harrumph… That makes two of us," Kusanagi grumbled in a low, dissatisfied voice.