Blue Seed Epispde 26

    Mr. Kunikida begins episode 26 with a running monologue of what has occurred: the cave of the sun has been sealed and the fate of the world hangs in the balance; the world's salvation is in the hands of one girl - Momiji Fujimiya, who is the Kushinada... This episode picks up right where episode 25 left off, with Momiji being irradiated by the artificial Kushinada pulse. She screams as if in agony, crying Kaede's name in her mind. Kaede hears her, and turns, distressed, to look to where she knows Momiji is; but she does nothing, resolute to continue down her own chosen path, saying that it is much too late.
    Kaede melds with the giant energy mitama of Susano-oh. Her power, combined with that of Susano-oh's, completes her ritual, and the giant plants all over Japan begin to open, spilling their spores across the land, turning everything they touch, including humans green. Things are definitely not looking too good for mankind and mankind in Japan in particular. The US Navy prepares to launch their nuclear missiles, the secretary to the Prime Minister begs his leader to flee the city. But the Prime Minister remains unheeding, staring at the giant tv screen of his country, praying for some kind of intervention.
    Meanwhile Momiji continues to sing her song of Matsuri. Her vital signs become weaker and weaker and yet she is unwavering in her actions. Mr. Kunikida tells Matsudaira to stop the artificial pulse, realizing that she is in danger, but Matsudaira informs him that the pulse isn't irradiating her anymore. Then the team realizes that Momiji is sacrificing herself for the nation and her song begins to reach the heart of the people, starting with the children and her sister, who also hears her song.
    Kaede is startled by the sound, recognizing it as the rite of Matsuri, but before she can further analyze the meaning of her discovery, Orochi confronts her, and tells her that whatever she is planning, he is going to stop her. He readies an energy blast, but before he can launch it, another dragon appears, and attacks Orochi, becoming Kusanagi as it puts itself between Kaede and the great, eight-headed Orochi. Kusanagi tells Orochi that he has already lost, that this battle is between Kaede and Momiji for the future of the earth. Orochi replies by attacking him, and Susan-oh at the same time, pushing Kusanagi deep into Susano-oh's body, effectively trapping him.
    Then Orochi begins to absorb Susanoh -oh's energy and his mitamas begin to grow with the power, his body becoming gargantuan. But even as he revels in triumph at gaining more energy, Kaede calls him a fool for having struck at Susano-oh. Shortly thereafter, Orochi's mitamas crack, shattering into fragments and Susano-oh sends a blast at the now withering dragon, finishing him off in a huge blast of energy.
    Buildings begin to fall, due to Susano-oh's attack and the area where the TAC and Momiji are is shaken, becoming extremely unstable. Sakura arrives in a chopper and urges the TAC to climb aboard for safety's sake, but Yaegashi interrupts her to tell Mr. Kunikida that Momiji's vital signs are dropping to nearly zero. They turn and see Momiji as a bright light illuminated against the darkness of the sky at the top of the altar. Momiji is indeed in the last stages of her ritual, but before she is done, she calls one more time to her sister.
    Kaede answers her this time. They meet each other, standing together and yet apart, on opposite sides of how to deal with the issues that have plagued humanity: hunger, war, hatred.... Kaede wants to start anew, to try and wipe away the despair. Momiji asks her if she has given up hope, and then asks her why. Kaede's bitter response is to ask her sister if hope even exists anymore. Momiji answers her by saying that she is sacrificing herself for Kaede because she loves her, and wants to protect her, to protect everyone.
    Then the scene switches to the TAC rushing towards Momiji, wishing to save her and the children begin to sing, as the warmth of Momiji's heart spreads outwards, offering protection against the blue seeds falling from the sky. The children are no longer afraid, and they run outside, standing amid the falling mitamas, still singing. The adults soon join the children in their rejoicing and the Prime minister hears it, and hope is born anew as Susano-oh's mitamas continue to regreen the earth without destroying humanity. Kaede stands atop the giant plant-being of Susano-oh listening to the singing, thunderstruck, trying to make sense of it all, wondering if the power of the Kushinada could bring such a change.
    As the singing continues, Momiji collapses, the last vestiges of her life drained away and the TAC rushes to her side. Kunikida picks her up, and then Kusanagi is there. He sees Momiji and is shaken to the core. He screams her name, almost as if to deny her death. The scene switches abruptly to the US battleships, and there is a call from the president of the US - Japan has cancelled the missile launch.
    Japan, only hours before, a nation in turmoil, is now jubilant and united, celebrating the rite of Matsuri - except, of course, for the select few atop the altar of sacrifice, who mourn the death of the Kushinada, the foremost of which is Kusanagi. He takes Momiji from Kunikida, and begins to cry. And then, almost as if in anger, picks her up and screams Kaede's name. He is shouting at Kaede as he approaches the giant Susano-oh, telling her that Momiji was the real Kushinada, that she had the ability to make hope grow where there had only been despair. But before he can ever confront her face to face, the giant Susanoh-oh begins to bellow and Kusanagi cringes as he starts to tremble and disintegrate, leaving Kusanagi in darkness, his despair, palpable.
    Kaede speaks to him from the darkness then, telling him that she thinks she understands why the Kushinada was born as twins. She emerges from the darkness to face Kusanagi, Susano-oh once again a child, is held in her arms the same way that Momiji is held in Kusanagi's. Kaede looks down at Lord Susano-oh and asks for his help. The baby laughs and his mitama emits energy. He resurrects Momiji and then he and Kaede fade away with the promise that they will return when they are again needed.
    The series ends with Kusanagi standing with his arm around Momiji atop the altar of sacrifice with the rest of the TAC. They are looking over the city to the center where a huge cherry tree has appeared right in the spot Susano-oh once stood. As the credits roll, we get a glimpse into the continuing lives of the TAC: Sakura on stage, singing at a festival, Sugishita in the audience with his girlfriend; Yaegashi taking Kome home to meet his exuberantly happy mother; Mr. Kunikida and Takeuchi outside Mr. Kunikida's home, sweeping the front walk; Ms. Matsudaira, her son and ex-husband finally taking an outing together as she once promised they would do one Sunday a month; and Kusanagi and Momiji walking together along the path where they first met.
    Momiji reminds him of that time, but he doesn't seem to recall it, telling her the only thing that he remembers is the funny panties she had been wearing. She gets angry and begins to chase him around and he apologizes, saying that he remembers. And as the camera pans up into darkness, Momiji tells him that she loves him to which he replies one of two ways, depending on which version you are watching (the English dub or the Japanese sub). In English, he jokes about her suddenly realizing it (because in the cat episode, she has already told him that she loves him) and in the Japanese version, he answers, "what? so suddenly? (she never admitted that she loved him in any of the earlier episodes in the Japanese subtitled version.) Both end with Momiji making the suggestion that they begin again from that point. In the english dub version, there is a sound of an offscreen kiss, and in the sub - Kusanagi agrees to begin again with Momiji from there.... the words, "The End" fills the darkness as silence falls between the two.