Chiharu's A/N: Awesome-sauce guys. 'Tis I, Chiharu-chan in all of her glory, and I am proud to say that we kicked the stuff out of this project… in a good way! This is the first time I've done a good tag team fic, ever! And we kick butt. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. This is for you sakuuya, and all of the awesome Beta-ing you've done for me! Yeah, this was half my idea! Hope this meets your standards! And you're too smart for our own good! You can't ruin the surprise by assuming things! It's called surprise for a reason! -shakes fist- Happy birthday ya old timer!
KO's A/N: Chiharu pretty much covered the whole author note thing, so I'll just take care of the disclaimer. Happy Birthday, sakuuya! We've worked really hard on this for you! Thanks for everything. Here's a challenge - see if you can figure out who's written what. And no guessing the ending!
Disclaimer: We own nothing but the plot.
-: Adumbrate Alexithymia :-
The day's last one-way ticket train pulls in.
We smile for the for the casual closure capturing...
There goes my downpour.
There goes my fare thee well.
The Fray - Vienna
The sun was as bright as Ichigo Momomiya had ever seen it shine in years. The trees were rattling as the inviting wind whistled softly past the redhead adult. Ichigo's eyes twinkled with reminiscent memories as she desperately tried to forget the events that made her question the sun's luminosity today. Propped in her hands was a brown paper bag filled with food items such as bread, carrots and milk. She decided to get her mind off of the sun, and proceeded to walk the thoroughfare of the city park located in Tokyo. Nature's everlasting harmonious melody rang throughout her ears and she quietly nodded her head along to the sound. Ichigo glanced at the thickets of fully flourished trees and gorgeous roses that seemed to make her day much easier to enjoy.
Flying beside her was a small blue lorikeet of some sort, chirping along with the rest of nature. Ichigo's untamed, red hair swayed against her waist. A shrivelled black cattail hung from Ichigo's left leg and a white cattail hung from her upper back. A pair of cat ears poked out of her abdomen. Ichigo's fingernails were extremely long for an ordinary human, as they were exactly six inches in length. At first, Ichigo wasn't really at all welcoming at her odd mutation. In fact, she spent nights with her eyes glued to the sky, wondering what would have happened if one particular war had not started.
Initially, Ichigo didn't give heed into the alien reports that were being broadcasted all over the world. She really wanted to believe that aliens weren't real. Back then, aliens were Ichigo's second greatest fear. She had always pictured aliens to have really big heads and peeling green skin.
Unfortunately, she was dead wrong in her conviction of aliens, for the real threat was the Chimera Anima that they possessed. The Chimera Anima that was unleashed into the world killed almost everyone, and their meaning of death was a very cruel one. Ultimately, the Chimera Anima would eat the heart of the victim they killed. Ichigo had witnessed that act. Moreover, if the Chimera Anima did not kill the humans that remained on the earth, the radiation from the nuclear war was certain to kill anyone who lived. Thankfully, Ichigo only underwent a molecular change in her body.
She winced quietly as she walked father along the lush thoroughfare of the park. Just the sheer thought of Chimera Anima brought unwanted chills down her spine. All she wanted to do was forget everything that happened four years ago. The redhead didn't know what the world was in store for. Actually, no one knew what the world was in store for.
Ichigo came to an unexpected pause in her walking. Standing in front of the cat hybrid was a porcelain doll of some sort. Her face softened a bit as she gently placed her grocery bag on the ground. Ichigo stared at the short black haired figure for quite some time. She remembered what it felt like to actually look into the figure's caramel eyes and feel a rush of alacrity to live. But now, the caramel eyes that once bought her happiness refused to answer to her own eyes. Every time Ichigo took a stroll in the park, she would always stop at this figure and hope that she would get a response of some sort. Anything would make her happy. Anything. She treated this figure like an apostrophic item of some sort.
A small, tired giggle erupted from Ichigo as she turned to face her chirping friend. A rosy blush covered her pale skin, as she couldn't help turning red. Ichigo's Ultramarine Lorikeet companion chipped in glee. She found her legs shaking a bit. Would her apostrophic figure finally respond to her? Ichigo brought her hand to the back of her head and began to scratch it diligently.
"So… hee, hee, Minto says I should ask you one more time, Masaya." she said in apposite sunny disposition. Though Minto's chirping was making the on going silence between the porcelain doll and Ichigo more assuaging, the more time that past between her previous sentence was nerve wreaking. Now, Ichigo felt atrabilious. She swiftly turned around and faced the Masaya doll.
"Minto says that I should spend less time in the Café, but I think she is in over her head!"
Still, the mutated adult did not get an answer. In spite of everything, she unsteadily laughed as she picked up her belongings. It was times like these that made life seem almost boeotian to Ichigo. Her pet bird, Minto, still followed her even after Ichigo took a hasty dash throughout the park. Ichigo turned her head around.
"I'll see you latter, Masaya! Nya!" She called out. Ichigo could carry an enormous amount of weight, and so she did not have any trouble running with her heavy groceries. She was sort of a clatterfart, always talking to herself. In all the years Ichigo had lived on the earth, she had never forgotten how it feels to be alone. No, the deepening feeling of melancholy was always welled up inside the bubbly teenager, even after she was transformed into the state she is in now. She sighed as she opened the doors to Café Mew Mew.
She always thought that she would eventually grow to be dicephalous. Thankfully, Ichigo wasn't cursed with that, as she still only has one head. One day while patrolling Tokyo for any survivors, Ichigo came upon the vivid pink Café. At first glance, this Café looked like an ordinary pastry shop, but as Ichigo began to explore the basement of this facility, she found something extraordinary. What she uncovered was a laboratory, dedicated to the entities called aliens. As a consequence, the first thing she saw on the files was the name Deep Blue.
This 'Deep Blue' had been described as the ultimate enemy - fast, cunning, devious, and stealthy. His plan to take over the Earth had failed, but only just. The armies that had gathered from around the world, their forces predicted unstoppable, their numbers too numerous to count, had all but been wiped out in the first battle. The darkness that had followed that fight had been atrocious. As the now destroyed army had been rebuilding its forces, people would be slaughtered on the streets, merely for stepping out of their hiding places. Aliens littered the streets, their own numbers growing. That time seemed a haze to Ichigo, but she would always remember the trepidation. The seclusion.
As Ichigo read on, memories had drifted back to her. That hole - the one she had buried herself in, tucked herself up and covered her ears as screams echoed overhead, as ominous sounds of explosions erupted as the bombs dropped - it had been her savior. It had been quick enough to get back to, when she had left to scrounge for scraps of food and it had kept it hidden from any alien sight.
She shook her head, coming out of her reverie just in time to step out of the way of an oncoming biker.
"Oops, nya! Sorry!" she called after the man, before turning and continuing on her way.
But as she continued on her way to the café, she couldn't rid herself of the dark secret she had uncovered from these files. After the war had ended, and the aliens had evacuated the Earth, he had stayed. Deep Blue had never left the planet.
Arriving at the café, Ichigo lay down her groceries on the nearest table, before proceeding to take off her jacket and kick off her shoes. A smile adorned her lips, and she began to hum as she picked the bag back up and made her way to the kitchen. Getting there, she proceeded to empty the contents into their respected places. Once that task had been completed, she grabbed a bottle of milk, heading out of the door and towards the basement. She spent a lot of her time there, trying to decode the transmissions that had been left four years ago. Yes, it was not absolutely necessary, but for a girl with nothing better to do, she found it entertaining. It at least kept her mind occupied.
Switching on the computer, she took a seat in the swiveling chair, leaning back and slopping her milk enjoyably, contented purrs escaping her throat between the gulps. Soon, the machine had booted up, and Ichigo reluctantly placed down her drink, turning her focus to the object in front of her.
Her eyes scanned the keyboard as she typed in the various passwords that would allow her access to the many files. When she had arrived at the main screen, she flexed her fingers, before reaching for the mouse and starting to click on several icons. The cyber-pathway lead her to the transmission she had stopped on halfway through, the previous night. The message had been too complex for her to attempt at that hour, a time where the sleep deprivation was beginning to kick in. It had been a tough choice to give up on it, especially when, in her opinion, she had been close to cracking it. The snapping noises and general fuzz of the outdated message made it hard for her to decipher, but still she tried.
And her attempts paid off. Eventually, she managed to bypass the clouded-ness and access the actual vocals of the transmission. Taking out a pen and notebook, she listened to the recording, writing down word-for-word what had been said. It took her half an hour, and several repeats of the message to finally get down everything. She leant back on her chair and smiled to herself. Grabbing her bottle, she slurped the rest of the liquid, and stood up to leave, flicking the switch on the computer as she did so.
However, a bright light behind her brought her to a halt. She snapped back round to face the machine, only to find, to her utter disbelief, that the screen had come back to life. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung agape. Was this actually possible? She shook her head; no, this wasn't plausible. Inanimate objects don't just come back to life after you turn them off. Suddenly, every fiber in her being became frozen stiff when a box popped up in the middle of the screen. It looked just like the transmission boxes she'd been listening to…
A crackling noise burst through the speakers, the unpleasant sound lasting about a minute. It was the longest minute Ichigo had ever lived through. But it was nothing compared to the chill than bolted down her spine as the crackling faded, and a voice broke through. It was deep, and monotonous, though it sounded split, like more than one person was talking at once.
"Girl, I have chosen you to help me. This world must be brought to an end; its destruction is inevitable. You have nothing to fight for here, Girl. Help me."
Her heart pounded with every word, her blood ran cold with every sentence. Destroy…this planet? No, she would never! But…he was right. She had nothing here. Nothing to keep her tied to the planet. She was not even fond of the earth, so what would its obliteration mean to her?
"Now is the time, you have the power, release me from my prison and we shall annihilate this world, together. You shall get something out of this, Girl. You will not walk away with nothing. Assist me, and you will get what you have always wanted…"
What she had always wanted…? No, it was impossible that he could know. Whoever he was. And, wait a second, how did he know she was down here? How did he know she could hear him? Shivers rattled her body, the hairs on the back of her neck raised. It was a tempting offer but how could she trust him when she didn't even know who he was? …Which was when a thought struck her.
Deep Blue.
It had to be him.
A sudden bout of power ripped through her, tearing at her limbs, searing pain attacking her body. For seconds, she was paralyzed, not even her brain being able to work properly. Not a single thought could be processed. After a tearing that felt like an eternity to her, Ichigo was finally released from her torturous pain.
She collapsed to her knees, her hands flying out in front of her to prop her exhausted body up. Her uneven breaths came out in panting motions, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. When she opened them, the reflection in the floor caused the air to catch in her throat. The ears that protruded from her stomach were torn slightly; her two tails were sharper, and coated in a thick metal at the tips. Her normal clothes had disappeared entirely, replaced with a dark strapless dress that stopped mid-thigh. Fleshly spikes jutted from her shoulders like skin-covered claws. Her hair, once a lustrous red, was splattered with black and raggedly cut.
Finding a burst of energy, Ichigo leapt to her feet, crying out in devastation. This was not right. Fear gripped her, and waves of nausea swept over her. And the voice came again. This time, however, it was not from the speakers on the computer. It echoed inside her head. She slammed her hands over her human ears, but to her dismay, she could still hear him.
"Come find me, Ichigo. Come find me…You know where to look."
Something within her stirred, and she nodded her head in response. She did know where to look. Immediately, she took off in the direction of the park. Her feet carried her as though she was gliding on air - her pace was quicker than it had ever been before. She raced through the streets, finally reaching the grassy area she had wandered through happily only hours before.
She made a bee-line for the porcelain doll, picking him up as soon as she got there. Instantly, a bright blue light surrounded it. Ichigo winced at the intensity of the glow, raising her free hand to shield her eyes.
The figure began to grow, causing Ichigo to drop it. She stumbled backwards, landing on her butt. By the time she had recovered from her fall, and averted her gaze upwards, the glowing had stopped. In its place was a tall almost human looking man. Save the long, silk-like black locks, paler than moonlight complexion and ridiculously large, pointy ears that sprung outwards from his head. He was looking at her; intense, dark eyes staring fixedly, emotionlessly down at her. He held out a hand, which she cautiously took, a gasp escaping her lips when she found how cold it was. He pulled her to her feet with such ease it was as though she was weightless.
"Girl…" he began, his expression never betraying the blank mask it held. "You are not like the others. You are different. Special. Take me to your headquarters."
She stared at him, puzzled, for a moment, before realizing what he meant. The 'others' he was referring to were most likely the few other mutated humans, who had unfortunately suffered the same fate as her. But she didn't dwell on this long, instead turning on her heel and tugging him in the direction of the way she'd come.
The café wasn't too far. Reentering it, Ichigo pulled him down to the basement. Why she was doing this, she still couldn't figure out. Doubt still lingered in her mind. Her conscience told her this was bad; she shouldn't be doing this. But…something in her fought these reasons. Her own, selfish desire: to never be alone again. Would he keep his promise? Would he give her somewhere to stay? She could only hope so. And this hope pressed her on.
"What do you need?" she asked, seeing him look around whilst a frown marred his features. He shook his head, his attention caught now by a long laser.
"That," he said, pointing at the machine. She nodded, watching as he walked towards it, bringing up a hand to touch the metal surface. He ran his fingers over it, a ghost of a sadistic smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Twisting his head around, he called to her, "Come." Then, with envious ease, he lifted the surely heavy laser canon up and began to walk towards the exit.
"Wait!" she cried, causing him to freeze in his tracks. He turned to face her, and she could've sworn she saw anger sweep over his features. "If someone sees you with that…" she explained, trailing off towards the end.
As a way of answering, he disappeared into thin air. Moments later, while she was still gaping and spluttering, he reappeared.
"Give me your hand, Girl," he commanded, and as if in a trance, she obeyed. A sudden rush of weightlessness filled her being as they teleported. All too soon, it was over and she could feel her body regaining its normal mass.
Glancing at her new surroundings, Ichigo smiled. This was an alien spaceship, she was sure. He was going to keep his promise. He was going to take her to a new home.
"Shall we do this then?" she asked, grinning devilishly.
He nodded. "Blowing up a planet is no small feat. It will take a great power. Will you do it?"
"Yes, I will," she replied, certainty ringing clear in her voice. She'd do this, she'd destroy them all. If it got her what she wanted, she'd do anything.
"Good. Now, step over there," he ordered. Again, she obeyed him, walking to the laser.
"There's a compartment in the top," he continued. "Climb into it."
She swiveled back round, curious. "Why?"
"Just do it."
Shrugging, she did as she was told, locating the hatch and yanking it open. It was stiff, with years of no use, but after several hard tugs, it gave and she pulled it open. Carefully, she clambered up the side, plunking herself down in the stuffy space.
"I'm in place!" she called.
A whirring confirmed that he had heard her, as the machine started up. A burning pain shot throughout her core, and she screamed as it wrenched at her physical form. Tears of agony pricked the corners of her eyes, the hot liquid spilling down her cheeks. She was being torn apart, ripped to shreds.
With a last effort, she screamed, "What's happening to me?!"
A sadistic laugh met her ears, ferociously loud above the whining and screeching of the laser. "Foolish Girl, you are the battery! This machine shall feed off your power, and with that power, comes the Earth's demise!"
One last thought flit through Ichigo's mind, dripping like poison from her lips.
"No…"
With that, her world went black.
Silence. So quiet, so still. The serenity this lack of noise brought was soothing. Cathartic. Peaceful.
And silence can last forever.
Forever, in blackness, alone.