I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or it's characters.
She probably should have seen it coming. It had been too silent all day. There hadn't been a day where they didn't show up at all since a few weeks. But now, all of a sudden, they didn't come. It was straight out suspicious. Of course Pudding wasn't a person to expect anything. She knew that deep down inside the aliens were good guys. They just had to show it. Maybe that's why she fell in to the trap with her brown eyes wide open. Well, she just has a trusting nature, I suppose. Who can blame a her? She's still only a little girl. Girls like her should have a trusting nature and be completely carefree. Of course that's not the case with Pudding, in view of the fact that she's part of a team who is trying to save the world from aliens. But because she is convinced that her Tar-Tar is a good person deep inside, that wasn't enough to keep her from falling.
She was just walking through the park, on her way to the grocery shop to pick up some flower for Akasaka-san, when suddenly the whole world around her began to change. She still doesn't know how he managed to teleport her without her even noticing in the beginning, but he did. From out of nowhere she was standing in a beautiful, peaceful forest with an air of darkness. She immediately turned pale and gulped. She didn't like the way the wind made the leaves rustle or the way there was not a sound but her own heart and breath. It made her feel uncomfortable. She knew the feeling, she was having forebodings about things that were going to happen again. And she knew that most of the time when she was having such feelings, it meant he was close.
Her hand slid down to her pocket, only to found that her pendant was gone. Every bit of colour that was left on her face faded. O-oh.
The second sign he was near, after her feelings, was the spooky snigger that caused goose pimples all over her body. O yes, of course he was having fun because of this. Why wouldn't he? She was lost in an unknown forest without her pendant or a way to reach her friends. It made her angry. He should really stop doing things like this! She knew he wasn't a mean person, but there was no way she would be able to convince anyone of this fact when he kept on acting like this! The snigger didn't stop.
"This is not funny, Tar-Tar, stop laughing at me!". The snigger stopped and Pudding scanned the trees with her eyes in triumph. She knew how to shut him up. Now she had to make him show up in front of her. "You're such a ninny, Tar-Tar! Why don't you show yourself like a real man would do?". Someone gulped, she could hear. She had to keep herself from laughing out loud. He was so easy to play it was almost no fun anymore. Yet, still it was enough fun to continue some more till he would finally show himself. "What's the problem, Tar-Tar? Are you scared?". The person in the trees growled. "Well, that isn't a surprise after all, is it? I am taller then you are". "Okay, that's it, you midget! You crossed a line there!". There he was, out of the blue, like always. His face was twisted by his anger and his hands were clenched to fists. "You really don't get it, do you? I got you, there's no way you can escape now. You can't even transform! This time I'll make you cry for sure". Pudding smiled at him. "So there you are". The moment he realized his mistake the fire in his eyes faded for a second and then came back, more heavily then ever. He boiled over with rage. And Pudding, sweet little Pudding, just kept on smiling at him till he thought he'd explode. Until the moment he suddenly calmed down and smirked at her. "I don't care what you say, I still got you". He pulled out her pendant from his pocket and looked at it carefully. He didn't like it at all. It was way too girly. How could this stupid, golden thing hold the power for her to transform?
Pudding shrugged her shoulders. "Fine with me, Tar-Tar. Eventually my friends are going to find us and beat you like they always do". He immediately froze when she used her nick-name for him and his eyes became a little bit darker then they had been before. "Don't call me that". "What? You mean 'Tar-Tar'?". "Yes, that's exactly what I mean!" he screamed "Don't call me that!". "Why not?" she asked innocently "I think it's a cute name". "That's the whole point, you idiot! I'm not cute, I'm frightening!". Pudding rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm completely terrified". "You should be! In a second or what, I'm going to make you cry like you've never cried before!". "How do you think you're going to do that?". She looked sceptical. "By destroying this stupid pendant of yours, of course!". He began to fly through the forest, leaving her frozen for a second. No. Not her pendant. Everything but that. If her pendant would be destroyed, she would never be able to become Mew Pudding anymore. That just couldn't happen. Her whole world would change again, just when she had grown to like it. If the aliens won, what would happen to her brothers and sister, or to the other Mews? She couldn't let anyone hurt them. She had to get the pendant back, no matter what.
She ran as fast as she could, following him. She knew he wanted her to follow him anyway, because otherwise he would have just teleported away and left her there in the forest to die. But, of course, he couldn't. He first had to see her cry. Well, she wouldn't cry in front of him. Unless that was what it took to get her pendant back, she'd rather die.
His snigger turned into an evil laughter, he was in complete control and he loved it. That stupid midget really pissed him off. Calling him that stupid nick-name he wouldn't even repeat in his mind, drumming into him that she's taller then him. He totally hated that awful little monkey. She drove him completely nuts. Even when she wasn't around at all, he couldn't stop thinking about her. She showed up every single time he closed his eyes, it was rather annoying. But maybe this would be the end and she would finally cry. That's all he asked for. She could live, he didn't mind. As long as she cried, she could live. But she was so freaking stubborn! Almost as stubborn as Kish, he could say. She just wouldn't cry in front of him, knowing that doing that would mean she had lost. Stupid monkey girl.
"Tar-Tar, give it back right now!". He kept on flying with his eyes looking straight forward. He'd definitely show her this time. He'd make her fall into pieces. Make her disappear, out of his head.
Eventually he reached the place he was heading for: a gray cliff with pointy rocks underneath. He was able to here the powerful waves of the see crush into the rocks a long time before he actually arrived and so was she. It frightened her a bit. Where was he taking her? When she reached the end of the forest and the beginning of the cliff she stopped running and recovered her breath. Her chest hurt from running this long, but she had to be strong. She stood up straight as soon as her body let her and sent a poisonous look to her enemy. He had exhausted her and she didn't like him because of it. On the contrary, it made her mad. She didn't like being exhausted at all, especially not when she was supposed to face an enemy.
He flew above the sea she had heard. The salt water roared as if it was trying to make every other sound disappear into nothing. He was looking at her pendant again, wondering what she'd do to get it back. Then he turned to the angry girl on the cliff and smirked once again. "You want it? Come and get it". With a frustrated shriek the girl began to slowly walk towards the end of the cliff, quite frightened but not showing it to him. "Give my pendant back! You're such a cheater!". Maybe, but if being a cheater made her cry, he'd cheat till he dropped. Or better, till she dropped. The annoying smirk wouldn't leave his face. She hated it when he smirked at her like that. He was so arrogant. He thought he was better then her, though he wasn't. She was just as good as he was, even better on some insignificant points. She was sure he didn't know how to use a washing machine or how to make Heisha's favourite cookies. But if she didn't get her pendant back, there was a chance she would never do those things again.
He noticed how her eyes turned sad and wondered why. What was she thinking of? Was she okay? She looked like she was hurting… But, no, wait, that was a good thing! She should be hurting. He was trying to hurt her, wasn't he? But the uneasy feeling in his chest didn't go away. It only got worse. What was going on? Why was he feeling this? It didn't make any sense! He hated the girl in front of him, hurting from something he didn't know. Why did he only like to see her hurt when he was the cause?
She stopped at the end of the cliff, looking down to the wild sea beneath her. He was flying a couple of metres further away from the end at her eye level. The look in his eyes was weird, almost concerned but still content. Like he was having an inward conflict with himself. It made her heart twinkle in an unknown way she hadn't noticed before, but had been there all along. It felt good, like rainbows and the sun on a warm summer day, combined with the fresh air after a shower of rain and hot chocolate. Nice.
She didn't know how to reach her pendant. She just didn't know. Or actually, she did know. There was one way: to jump and grab the pendant. But that would mean that she'd fall into the ocean and that wasn't a nice prospect. She'd do it without a hesitation, yes. Didn't mean it would be nice. Big advantage: he wouldn't suspect her to jump, so she would be able to surprise him.
Once again the alien boy looked at the pendant in his pale hands. What made it so special? Why did it make her so special? Because she was special, without any doubt. So special it made him want to scream, cry and laugh out loud all at the same time. So special he couldn't imagine it before he actually met her, so special it made him feel this weird rainbow/sun/shower of rain/hot chocolate-thing. To be completely honest, it crept him out, the way she made him feel. It was illogical, unreasonable and completely unbelievable. No one had ever made him feel this, so why would she be able to? As said before, it didn't make any sense to him.
Pudding took a deep breath. Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to jump? What if she died? There was so much she had to do left. You know, saving the world and taking care of her family. No big deal. Yeah, right. Huge deal! She couldn't leave them, could she? But she had to get her pendant! That was it, decision made. Before she realized it herself she had jumped. He saw her approaching him in shock and his mouth fell open. She had this look in her eyes that he could only imprint as stubborn. What the hell was that monkey doing?
The pendant slipped through his fingers as her warm hands touched his. They froze immediately and a sparkling feeling crept over his body. He looked at her and shivered. Then she was gone.
Pudding could see the water and the rocks coming closer to her every second and quickly brought her pendant to her lips to activate it. "Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!". It didn't feel as good as it normally did, in a strange kind of way. She was distracted by the sparkling feeling that had been running through her body since she touched his hand and the fact that she was facing her own death. She really hoped that her Mewpowers would be enough to save her from dying. Because if they wouldn't, she'd be betraying everyone. She wouldn't be able to save the world. She'd die. Well, at least he wouldn't have seen her cry. Woobdiedoo.
"Pudding!". She heard his voice rang through the noise of the sea and an almost-smile appeared on her lips. He sounded panicked, almost scared. Why did she like that so much? Why did it make her feel all twinkling and sparkling all over again?
Still her smile wouldn't completely show itself. Her state of almost-dying made that impossible. Too bad. She would've liked it to die with a smile on her face. Isn't a smile the most beautiful thing on earth? That's something she'd like to die with. That and the feeling she had when she was near him. Those two things where the prettiest thing she could think of.
The water was colder than she had suspected and she immediately opened her mouth to breathe, shocked by the cold. The lack of air made it rather impossible to breathe, though, and she could feel the water trying to fill up every single place of her body. She felt as if she was flowing. Was this what Tar-Tar felt like, high in the sky? Or was it just something that came with dying?
The water was everywhere, pulling her under and dragging her through space. It wasn't long till she hit a rock. There were lots of them. The first one hit her arm. She tried to shriek, but couldn't. Red blood floated into the black water around her. She couldn't see a single thing. The second rock hit her in her stomach, making her wanting to die even more. Then they came with thousands. It felt like she was being trashed by a million angry bulls, but worse. She didn't notice the fact that her sight was blacking out, because she couldn't see anything in the first place. But then she felt how lovely sleep tried to lift her up, asking her if she'd like to go to a happy place. Of course she wanted to go, but she knew she couldn't. Her brothers, her sister, the Mews… Tar-Tar…
And then there were strong arms around her, holding her close to a chest where a heart was beating faster then she had ever heard a heart beating. Surprised she leaned in to the chest a bit when all of sudden she felt like she had become water herself. Then suddenly all the water was gone. Her lungs took in the air that had come out of nowhere without hesitation and she felt how much it hurt. It hurt like a thousand knives where being stabbed in her chest, but then from inside out. She coughed and felt water coming from her mouth. The arms were still holding her, putting her down on something hard and cold now. Rocks. That would be rocks.
She felt dizzy. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered who was with her. A boy… a boy with brown hair and caramel-like eyes… Her black lashes shivered when she tried to open her eyes and see him. "Tar-Tar…". Her voice cracked and it hurt when she spoke. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could've been dead, you stupid idiot! You're a monkey, not a fish!". Finally Pudding managed to open her eyes. His caramel eyes were just an inch away, so close it took away her breath. They looked kind of beautiful in this light, while he was looking so confused, angry and concerned. Was he concerned about her? She knew it. She knew he wasn't a bad person at all…
He jumped after her, of course he did. She couldn't die from the ocean. He hadn't even seen her crying yet. She couldn't die, she just couldn't! It was a hell trying to find her in the black, but eventually he succeeded, stubborn as he was. He wouldn't give up. He wouldn't give her up. Not just yet. Maybe someday, when he had to kill her, but not now. It hurt seeing her like this, almost drowned. It hurt hearing her voice and knowing it hurt her tot even say that stupid nick-name she made up for him.
Still then, why was he so happy? Why did he feel this… relieve? He couldn't believe he almost lost her and he couldn't believe the fact that he couldn't believe that. The girl must have bewitched him or something, because this was the weirdest thing he had ever thought. It's like his mind didn't belong to him anymore. No, not his mind. His heart. She took his heart. The little brat! How dare she?
Pudding closed her eyes again. O-oh. "No, no, don't you dare fall asleep again! Come on, stay with me, Pudding! Don't you dare die now! I freaking jumped in that icy water to make you live, it would be too mean if you died now, without me having even a hand in it!". A little smile that made his heart burst appeared on her lips. She was smiling again, at him. Why did she always smile at him while he was always trying to kill her? She really was a strange creature. Special. She was special. Once again, that fact was proved.
He saved her. She couldn't believe he really saved her. Or actually, she could. Of course he did save her. He's a good person after all, right? He wouldn't let an innocent little girl die. Or maybe he would have. But he wouldn't let her die and that's a beginning. One day, he'll be the one to save the world. But which one? By saving hers he would be betraying everything he knew and by saving his he'd kill her. What nice options he had. It's kind of depressing.
Still, right now he couldn't think of these things. He could only think about how happy he was that she smiled at him again. That she lived. That her monkey ears kept on moving. It looked cute. He liked it when they did that. Just as he liked her smile and her eyes. They should open soon, he really wants to see them. To see them seeing him.
Her brown eyes opened a bit and she looked at the boy above her. He had this crazy smile on his face that took her breath away again. But he looked happy. That was nice. She liked it when he was happy. She fully opened her eyes and tried to get up. He immediately grabbed her shoulders to help her, not knowing what he was doing himself. She breathed heavily and uncomfortable. She was still hurting, he could see. But there was something… something in her air of breathing… something that made him feel like she loved to live again. She really was one special little monkey.
"Come on" he said to her with a soft voice "Let me take you home, for now. I'll make you cry once you've recovered". She let out a soft giggle and nodded her head. Her enemy was taking her home after saving her life. Where was the world going? She loved it.
She felt like she was water again, but now understood it was the feeling of teleporting. She felt his warm, wet hands holding her carefully and closed her eyes a bit. Lovely, this teleporting. Made her feel alive.
All of a sudden she was standing in front of her empty house. Somewhere a voice in her head wondered how he knew where she lived, but she shut it up quite quickly. She didn't want to think about those things now. Those thoughts would probably be haunting her all month, though. She knew it. Nice prospect. Well, better then jumping of a cliff. She was making progress.
He let go of her and pushed her away, to the front door of her house. "Go. Rest. Heal. I want to make you cry tomorrow or the day after that, so make sure you're better then". Her face cracked open in one of her stunning smiles once again and she ran to him. Completely surprised he noticed how she hugged him tightly whispering: "Thank you, Tar-Tar. We'll play some more when I'm better". Her embrace was warm and surprisingly comfortable. Then she let go of him and ran of to her house. After he recovered from the surprise he felt the anger slowly finding it's way through his body. "This wasn't just a game, you stupid midget! I'll crush you the next time! No mercy!". She turned around and waved to him, while opening the door. "Yeah, yeah, fine with me Tar-Tar. See you tomorrow, thanks again!". Then she was gone.
"Don't call me that!". Boiling with rage once again he murmured something about regretting saving her and then he teleported away.
She watched him go through one of the windows and slid down to the ground, smiling. She didn't know what she was feeling at all, or what he was feeling, but it felt kind of good. Already she was longing for tomorrow. She'd show him she wouldn't need to ask for mercy and her friends would see he was a good guy and then everyone would live happily ever after, or something like that. At least they would have some fun together.
She smiled to the air surrounding her. He saved her life that day. She wouldn't forget. She wouldn't forget the way he looked at her, or the way his hands felt in hers. She wouldn't forget. Because she couldn't.
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