Disclaimer:  I do not own Blue Seed or any of its characters

Chapter 10

A Mother’s Tale

            The silence in the conference room was almost painful.  As Kusanagi surveyed everyone’s reactions to the stunning statement his mind kept echoing the disturbing thought.  “Murakumo was Momiji’s father.”  At last his eyes landed on Momiji and he jolted into action when he noticed her falling gracelessly towards the floor.

            “She’s so pale.”  He thought to himself with great concern. 

            Kusanagi was relieved when Momiji quickly came to.  However, the fact that she seemed to be clinging to him for life and was shaking like a leaf worried him.

            Moe was looking at Momiji with great concern and confusion.  To Kusanagi it was evident by Moe’s dismayed expression that she did not know who or better yet what Murakumo really was.

            “Momiji,” began Moe.  Concern was evident in her voice.  “Are you O.K.?  Why did you have a picture of Murakumo if you did not know he was your father?”  Moe asked hesitantly. 

            “Mrs. Fujimiya, would you be so kind as to tell us what you know about Murakumo?”  Mr. Kunakida broke in.

            “I think it would be better if I told Momiji first and let her decide what to tell you.”  Moe responded.

            “We are like family to Momiji and she does not keep anything from us!”  Kome exclaimed righteously.

            Kusanagi noticed that Momiji, while still shivering, tensed noticeably at Kome’s exclamation.  “I wonder what she is trying to hide this time.”  He silently mused before refocusing on Moe.

            “Go ahead mom.”  Momiji whispered while pushing softly against Kusanagi’s shoulder to let him know that she was ready to stand on her own.  Once Kusanagi had set her down, Momiji pulled a chair over for her mom to sit in and quickly retreated to her own seat.

            With a reluctant sigh Moe sat in the chair still fingering the picture of Murakumo.  “It all started about 20 years ago.  I was 17 and wild.  You all may have noticed that I have gone out of my way to keep Momiji innocent.  I did it I hopes that she would not fallow the same path that I did.”

            Kusanagi could not contain the snicker that wanted to break forth.  “Heck she still wears kiddies’ pants.”  He said with a chuckle.

            “Kusanagi!!  That is my MOTHER you are saying that to.”  Momiji ground out.  To her satisfaction Kusanagi actually blushed.

            “Ahem.”  Moe coughed.  “I was wild and looking for excitement.  One of the places I found excitement was with a small group of environmentalist that liked to vandalize construction sites.  I’m ashamed to say that I did it more for the excitement of sneaking around in the night with friends and hiding from the police than to protect the environment.  Anyways, one night the police had been tipped off and were waiting for us.  As soon as the police jumped out to capture us we all scattered in different directions.  I ran for all that I was worth with a police man right on my heals.  I was not fast enough and he quickly caught me and slammed me against a tree.  I can still remember the jarring pain.  The police officer had looked very pissed and brought up his baton like he intended to hit me with it.  However, he never got a chance to.  That was the first time I saw him.  There stood Murakumo with the police officer in a vice like grip looking like a very sexy dark knight.  With very little effort he tossed the officer aside, knocking him unconscious.  He introduced himself to me as Murakumo and said that he had been admiring me for quite some time.  Over the next few weeks it seemed like he was always there, lavishing attention on me.  It was hard to not be seduced by his intense stare and his distinct good looks.  I knew he was not normal and I liked it.  He never offered to tell me about himself and I liked being able to make it up.  One night I snuck out to meet him for a midnight walk on a new moon we ended up in the owatto.  He had prepared a blanket surrounded by candles and chimes.  It was there that we made love for the first and last time.

“Ugh gross.”  Kome broke in.

Moe did not even look up.  She just continued her story in a sad voice.  “After that night I never saw him again.  It turns out that I got pregnant from that one night.  When I learned it was to be twins, my mom told me about being a Kushinada for the first time.  Somehow she suspected that the twins’ birth would awaken the Arigami.  I wanted to deny it and raise my daughters without the Kushinada’s fate always hanging over their head.  After they were born my mother urged me to let one of my daughters be adopted by a family that took care of a Shinto shrine.  They were to raise her with the knowledge of her possibly fate and if the time came sacrifice her.  This way I could at least save one of my daughters.  It was a hard decision, but, I made it.  I gave up Kadea because her midnight locks reminded me of her father.”  A sad smile of remembrance crossed Moe’s face.  “She even had her father’s personality.”  With another sigh Moe continued.  “She was barely a week old when I left her at the shrine.  However, later that same day I received a call asking if I had taken her back.”

“The government had known about the deal and decided it wanted to know what her power was so the TAC was formed and Kadea was brought to us.”  Kunakida provided with shame evident in his voice.

“I think Mother knew.  I was actually relieved that you had taken her for when we arrived at the shrine we found that the two of them had been brutally killed by some wild animal.”

“Who were they?  Did they have a son?”  Kusanagi broke in.  Urgency laced his voice.  He could barely remember the mangled bodies of his parents from when he looked upon them after Orochi had embedded the mitamas into him.  He did not, however, know their names of if he might have any live family left.  “Not that they would want a freak for a nephew.”  He thought derisively.

“I don’t really know.  I could take you to the abandoned shrine if you wanted.”  Moe responded a little uncertainly.  “But, that is all I have to tell.  I raised Momiji as if none of it had ever happened.  That is until you all came into her life.  She never even pressed to hard as to who her father was.  Momiji just accepted that he was gone.”

“Thank you for sharing.  If it is alright with you Momiji you can go out to dinner with your mom and we will go over the data we retrieved.  Tomorrow morning at 9 am we will meet again.

With that said the group broke up.  Before, Kusanagi could escape though, Matsudaira approached him.  “With this new information on Murakumo I believe it would be beneficial if you let me begin examining you now Kusanagi.”

With a groan Kusanagi remembered that he had told Mrs. Matsudaira she could examining him in hope of finding a way to rid himself of the mitamas that curse him.  “Fine!”  He humphed and fallowed her docilely to the lab.