Celestial Mew Mew: A New Beginning Chapter One
The forest was dark. Jagged trees reached out for Haruna at every turn. She had to hurry! The crunch of dead leaves sounded as she ran. Her breath was coming faster and faster. She could hear footsteps behind her, getting closer. Suddenly she came to the end of a cliff. It dropped far down into a dark abyss. Haruna grimaced and turned around to face her pursuers. They stood before her, their guns drawn.
"Come with us and you will not be hurt," Who Haruna assumed was the leader said in a deep booming voice. She met their expectant stares with a glare.
"I will never go with you! I will fight until the end!" She yelled. They laughed.
"Without your precious pendant?" The leader said. "It's useless,"
"No it isn't." She smiled, determined. "I will never go with you," She backed towards the end of the cliff. Nervously she glanced at the drop below.
"W-what are you doing?" Her pursuers took a tentative step towards her.
Haruna's smile widened, and without any further hesitation, she jumped.
"No!" The leader yelled, lunging toward where Haruna was, but it was too late. She was off the cliff hurdling towards certain death. Her scream filled the night as she fell towards the darkness below.
Haruna woke in a cold sweat, and lurched up in her bed. She couldn't catch her breath and couldn't remember where she was. She looked around. Haruna recognized her desk and her books. She was safe in her room.
"What a weird dream," She mumbled. She looked over at her pink fuzzy alarm clock and let out a yelp.
"Eight-fifteen!" She was late for school. She jumped out of bed and stumbled over to her closet. She threw on her school uniform and ran a brush over her orange hair. Then a swipe of pink lip gloss and she was off. Grabbing her bag as she ran out of her door. She passed her mom and her little sister Karin as she ran out the door.
"See you later!" Haruna called.
"Bye-Bye! Don't forget, you need to go to your uncles cafe after school today!" Her mom called after her.
"Kay!" Haruna yelled back taking off down the street. She had to make it! She couldn't be late on her first day at a new school! She ran past countless homes and shops, barely stopping for traffic lights to cross the street, when finally she was there. Haruna let out a sigh of relief. Students were still milling around on the steps. She relaxed her pace and began the trek up the many stone stairs leading to the entrance. This would be great! Her first day of high school.
Inside it was a blur of students. Girls in their matching shirts and boys in their identical uniforms. Haruna made her way to her first class, math. Many students were already seated, and she looked for her name. There, in the last seat in the back row it read Haruna Hiragana. Beside her seat sat a beautiful girl with long pink hair, and striking magenta eyes. She sat in her seat hands folded ready for class to begin. Haruna sat down beside her. The girl turned towards her.
"Hello, My name is Kiori Kono, what's yours?"
Haruna smiled. "My name is Haruna Hiragana. I'm new to Tokyo,"
"Oh wow! You must have a lot to see then. Lucky for you I am a great tour guide!" Kiori replied. "How about after school I show you some of the coolest places to shop? My friend Yukiko and I are going to the mall. You can come along if you'd like,"
"I'd love that, but I have to go to my uncles cafe after school. I'm going to help him get it started again. It was really popular a long time ago,"
"What cafe is it?" Kiori asked.
"It's Cafe Mew Mew. He's reopening it," Haruna smiled.
"Kyaa! That adorable pink building that looks like it's a giant cake? I've heard stories about it. I've always wanted to go in there, but it was never open!" Kiori exclaimed.
"Well you can come with me if you'd like. Your friend too. I'm sure Uncle Keiichiro wouldn't mind,"
"Yay! Arigato Haruna-chan!"
The day went by fast after then. Haruna met Kiori's friend Yukiko Uzimaki, a mysterious girl with long black hair and red eyes. They hit it off and before they knew it, the girls were standing in front of Cafe Mew Mew. It was a beautiful place really. Haruna wondered why her uncle let it close.
"Well, here it is," Haruna said. "Shall we go in?"
The two girls nodded, their eyes wide with excitement.
Haruna led them to the large double doors, and pulled out a key. After unlocking them, she opened the doors to find the inside was dark and run-down. The floor was dusty as was everything else. The tables and chairs were pushed off to the side in a mess.
"Hello? Uncle Keiichiro?" Haruna called.
"Haruna?" A voice said from inside the kitchen doors. They opened to reveal a handsome man no more than thirty-two with long brown hair tied in the back, and dark blue eyes. He smiled when he saw her, and enveloped her in a hug. "Welcome to Cafe Mew Mew. Great isn't it?" He said letting her go.
"Uh, yeah." She said eyeing the broken down mess of a place. She turned towards Kiori and Yukiko. "These are my friends Kiori Kono and Yukiko Uzimaki."
"Hello," They mumbled nervously.
"I hope you don't mind I brought them here,"
"Not at all. Hello ladies. I apologize for the mess in the cafe. I've just been having some trouble getting things back in order," His face darkened a little. "It's been a while,"
Kiori smiled. "It's no problem. We can help you straighten things up if you'd like,"
"That would be great! Thank You very much for the offer."
Kiori smiled and grabbed a broom. She handed one to Yukiko and Haruna as well. "C'mon ladies. Lets help,"
"You really don't have to do this," Haruna whispered.
"I know. I want to," Kiori replied.
"It's not like we have anything better to do," Yukiko said and began sweeping.
Keiichiro grabbed a rag and started washing the dust off the furniture and the windows. Little by little the cafe began returning more and more to its original glory.
As the sky changed from blue to orange, Keiichiro set down his rag. "Ladies. I think we've accomplished much today. Thank-You for helping, but I think it's time to call it a night,"
"It was no problem nya," Kiori said happily. "It was actually fun, nya."
Yukiko nodded. "This place is going to be beautiful when it opens,"
"I'm glad you think so," Keiichiro said. "In fact, this place is going to need a helping hand. I was wondering if you girls would like to waitress in the cafe?"
"W-waitress?" Kiori squealed! "Do we get to wear those kawaii uniforms?"
Keiichiro nodded.
"YES!"
"That's cool. I'm in," Yukiko said smiling.
Haruna looked at Keiichiro. It would be amazing to get to know him better, and she could hang out with Kiori and Yukiko her new friends. "Okay, sure,"
"That's great," Keiichiro said. "Come back tomorrow after school and we'll work out the details, alright?"
The girls nodded.
"Great. Have a nice night," Keiichiro said.
Kiori and Yukiko nodded and went to head out. Haruna started to follow when Keiichiro waved her over.
"Haruna there's something I need to tell you-" He began, then stopped himself.
"Yes Uncle Keiichiro?"
"It's really great to see you," He said hugging her again. "Have a good night," He smiled and looked at her one last time before disappearing into the double doors.
Haruna stood there for a while. In the newly clean room, the sky changing from sunset to dark. Uncle Keiichro had started to tell her something. Then he'd stopped. What was it? There was only one way to find out. Haruna quietly made her way behind the kitchen doors, careful not to let them squeak.
"Uncle Keiichiro?" She called. "Uncle Keiich-" She stopped as she heard the mumbles of voices coming from below her. The basement. She turned to see a dumbwaiter to the right of her, and leaned towards it, the voices getting stronger.
"Have you told her yet?" A voice said.
"Not yet," Her Uncle replied.
"Keiichiro, we don't have much time. She deserves to know. It can happen any day now,"
"I know Ryou. I will tell her, when the time is right,"
"I just hope that's soon," The other voice said. "Before it's too late,"
A dark silence followed.
Too late for what? Haruna wondered. Something strange was going on here. She sighed and stepped away from the dumbwaiter. Haruna turned to find a man standing behind her with a gun, It was pointed at her.
"Don't move," He barked.
Haruna stood still with fear. How did he get in without her noticing? Who was he?
"Are you Haruna Hiragana?" The gunman asked roughly.
"Y-yes," Haruna squeaked.
"Come with me," He reached for her. She backed towards the wall away from the hand, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Shut-up!" The gunman clamped a hand over her mouth and look anxiously at the kitchen doors. He turned to her and raised his hand as if to hit her.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," A dark angry voice said from the doorway.