Sorry about the late update! My computer monitor broke and I could only get on through my parent's computer, siblings computer, or school. So to say I was unable to type is an understatement. I have however been writing this in a notebook.
Ichigo's eyes fluttered open in a unfamilliar environment. She took in the cell's surroundings thinking "Where am I?" Then it all came rushing back to her.
"How long have I been out?" Ichigo asked the dust bunnies on the floor. Thankfully, the dust bunnies did not feel chatty and didn't respond. She looked around for any way of interpreting time - of which there was none. It was dark in the cell now. The light source had faded and left it feeling cold and empty. Ichigo didn't like it. Not one tiny, teensy, little bit did she like it.
But Ichigo didn't plan on waiting for company. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and walked to the cell door.
The lock didn't look that impressive. It was a simple-looking thing that hummed with the eerie blue light the bars emitted. Ichigo poked it. It sparked and glowed bright. A hyper-alarm most normal people wouldn't hear sounded. Too bad Ichigo wasn't normal. Her senses were much sharper with the cat DNA. Ichigo fell back to the cold floor. As her head connected with the ground her vision went black.
...
"Koneko-chan? Koneko-chan, are you okay?"
Ichigo stirred, her head feeling very much like someone had taken a mallet and whacked her full force. Three sets of gold eyes stared at her concerned. She only felt one set of strong arms gripping her shoulders despite the three Kish's her brain registered.
"Wha... what happened to me...?" Ichigo cried. Her voice sounded weak and afraid. Even that small level of noise sent a fresh wave of pain through her damaged skull.
"Pai's lock system works a little too well" Kish said softly. He sounded empathetic. Like he knew how much it hurt. "You may also have a slight concussion from your fall."
That definitely wasn't good. "Can you fix it?" Ichigo said so softly it was barely audible.
"You'll probably feel better when you get up." He shut her eyes gently. A warm sensation alleviating the pain rushed through her. Ichigo fell back into Kish's strong arms. Her head felt light; then she was tired once again.
...
When Ichigo woke up - for the third time today assuming she hadn't slept through the day - she was not in her cell. She was in a tatami room. The doors and curtains were drawn. The pain in her head was completely gone aside from a low ringing in her ears. Someone had draped the blanket across her and placed a soft pillow underneath her head.
Her arms were locked around something. She looked up and saw a sleeping Kish. He was slumped against a cabinet with a bottle clasped inside his hand. Ichigo couldn't see what the bottle's contents were. Kish's other hand was holding something and still arced above his head on the countertop. His head lolled in Ichigo's direction but his breathing was even and his eyes were closed. What had happened after Kish had put Ichigo out?
Ichigo let go of Kish, he stirred but didn't wake up, and she pried the bottle from his hand. "Morphine...?" Ichigo whispered. Ichigo knew that morphine was a very strong painkiller. Why did he have morphine? In the hand on the countertop was clearly a syringe. It had been used recently. If Kish had treated someone, probably Ichigo, with morphine how had she stayed knocked out? Ichigo hated needles. And on top of that Kish was also asleep. It was possible he had used it on himself for whatever reason but there was no reason. And morphine did not induce sleep. So something else had put him to sleep. But how had they ended up like this. Ultimately, Ichigo decided she would just ask Kish when he woke up.
Ichigo tried the door first. Escape might have been possible. But of course no such luck. the door was bolted shut and gave no indication of opening. Ichigo went back over to Kish. She considered waking him but since he had fixed her migraine she decided to let him sleep.
She pried the syringe from his hand and safely placed it far back on the counter. She put the morphine next to it. Then she gently placed Kish's arm across his body. Much more comfortable than up in the air. Kish had been lucky that he hadn't impaled himself while she was asleep. Ichigo also put the blanket over him. She wasn't sure why, but she felt an urge to help him. It was probably gratitude for healing her. With nothing else to do, Ichigo kneeled on the floor and played with his hair until his eyes fluttered open.
"I-Ichigo!?" Kish exclaimed as his eyes flew open, wide with panic.
"Relax, Kish. I'm right here" Ichigo said, hopefully placating him.
"Ichigo?" Kish asked like it couldn't be possible. His eyes scanned her disbelieving. Ichigo shrugged.
"Hello."
Kish scratched his head. "Pain's gone. Guess that pain killer worked."
"The morphine?" Ichigo asked.
"How did you know?" Kish looked confused.
"Well, I saw the bottle. Plus, I've seen it used in movies and books" Ichigo explained.
"Oh," Kish responded. He stood up and so did Ichigo.
"So did I have a concussion?" Ichigo asked.
"Huh?" The confused look once again appeared on his face.
"Earlier you said I might have a concussion. So did I?"
"I guess not. Or my head would still be hurting. Even with the morphine," Kish said.
"Yeah, about that. You keep talking like you somehow acquired my injury. What's up with that?"
"A magician never reveals his secret" Kish announced as a mischievous grin worked its way onto his face.
"You're no magician," Ichigo responded a little coldly.
"True. Alright, so I may have taken your pain and brought it on myself. It technically counts as healing though anyone can do it with enough training and all it does is transfer the injury, illness, whatever onto another person. Not very helpful usually. Well, except for this case, that was an exception," Kish explained. Ichigo nodded, made sense. "Anyway, I was going to bring you in here anyway. Pai's gonna kill me." Kish said as he turned and rifled through another cabinet. Ichigo was confused as to what Pai would be killing Kish over. But her curiosity curbed when Kish pulled out a blue liquid in a clear container. It wasn't labeled so Ichigo had no way of finding out what it was.
"You wouldn't by any chance need to stick me with a needle for that would you?" Ichigo asked, her anxiety rising. If he pulled out a syringe...
"Why?" Kish turned to her and raised one eyebrow. His expression was part puzzled, part excitement. Kind of adorable but Ichigo was more focused on his hand and what it would be pulling out of the cabinet.
"Uh, uh... no reason" Ichigo lied. She was not letting Kish in on any form of weakness. She stifled a scream as Kish did indeed pull out a syringe. "If you're going to make me take that, are you certain that there's no other way. Like maybe a tablet or how about I just drink it" Ichigo said quickly.
"No it has to go in your bloodstream immediately. Why freak? Are you scared of needles?" Kish asked.
"No!" Ichigo exclaimed as Kish had barely finished talking. She was scared of ghosts. Maybe even a little scared that her feeling for Aoyama weren't what they seemed to be. But Ichigo didn't count needles as a fear. Even if her mother, father, Ryou, and Keiichiro would argue differently. "I- I mean, not particularly," she was determined to sound calm. But her voice still shook a little.
"It's okay if you're scared of needles, Koneko-chan. It won't hurt, I promise" His eyes and voice softened.
"I am not scared of needles!" Ichigo argued. Though even she'd admit that she was acting like a little scaredy-cat.
"If your not scared, why are you acting so?" Kish questioned her. Well, this was one fine mess Ichigo had gotten herself into.
"Well, um, I guess you caught me! I was acting to throw you off, I mean, it's not like I know if that's poison or something" Ichigo said, feeling proud of herself. Kish didn't look like he believed it. She needed him to believe it. He grinned.
"Okay then. Give me your arm and-"
"No!"
"Oh, what now?" It became clear to Ichigo that Kish was getting impatient. She couldn't put this off for much longer.
"Uh, I don't know if that's poison!" Ichigo said, pointing at the syringe like he was holding a time bomb about to explode. For dramatic effect, of course.
"It's not," Kish said dryly. "I swear that it is not poison."
"Than what is it?" Ichigo asked. She was still elated that she had put off taking it for this long. But a part of her also wanted to know what Kish was trying to put inside her.
"It's truth serum" Kish said.
"Ha! That stuff doesn't even exist!" Ichigo retorted. He was trying to poison her!
"Maybe here, but on my planet, we use this to get answers from prisoners" Kish said. Then since he apparently wasn't feeling the love he so often held for her "like you."
It wasn't like it was untrue but it still stung. Ichigo felt like someone had stuck a thorn in her heart. Wait a minute. She loved Aoyama, Kish's comment shouldn't have hurt her at all. And even if it did, she'd done that to him a thousand times over. A little payback was definitely nothing Ichigo had to sneeze at. However, it had hurt her. She didn't say anything though; she would not give him that satisfaction. They were still enemies, and enemies fought.
Though Ichigo really couldn't come up with anything to respond to that with. "Unless of course, you are scared" Kish said cooly, not looking at her and playing with the syringe. Ichigo still caught the smile on his face.
"Okay, okay" Ichigo said. Kish's ears perked up, but he still didn't turn in her direction. "Yes, I'm scared of the needle. Happy?" Ichigo admitted. She looked at her shoes instead of Kish, her face turning slightly pink. She had never admitted that before to anyone. It had really just became apparent to almost everyone else that knew. It felt strangely... good.
Kish walked over to her. He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face upward so she would have to look at him. "Very," He gave her one of his classic grins. Though, this one had more of a sympathetic feel. "I promise it won't hurt. Now your arm please?"
Ichigo crossed her arms so Kish couldn't get to them and also to rub away the goosebumps cropping up on her arm.
"Okay, kitty, I can play this game" Kish said. He leaned a little closer and Ichigo was knocked off-balance. Kish caught her and pulled her close again. Just as it seemed he would have kissed her she felt a prick in her shoulder for a brief second and then it was over. Ichigo pushed Kish off of her and he held up the empty syringe, smiling enigmatically, as Ichigo rubbed where it had gone in.
"You little-"
"Genius! I am a genius! You never even saw it coming!" Kish finished for her. That much was true, Ichigo had to agree. He had gotten her good.
"Okay, fine, you're a genius. But did you have to trick me like that?" Ichigo regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. Kish smiled.
"Why? Did you actually want me to kiss you? Because that can be arranged" Kish closed the distance between them in one step, dropping the empty syringe on the floor.
"No! I didn't mean-"
"KISSHU!" Ichigo was saved by an angry voice coming from behind the door.
"Uh-oh," Kish cringed. "That'll be Pai." Ichigo took advantage of the situation and dropped to the floor. She scooped up the syringe and placed it beside the other one, happy to be on the opposite side of the room. Her heart was still in overdrive from a minute ago. And what was worse, a part of her wished they hadn't been interrupted. Kisshu opened the door with ease. "Coming, Pai!" He called. Kish turned and offered Ichigo his arm. She stood at the opposite side of the room paralyzed.
Half of her wanted to go with Kish simply because she actually felt safer with him. That half wanted to go with him because that was the half that maybe like Kisshu more than she was letting on. The other half of her wanted to stay put. This half of her was still thinking clearly. She was with Aoyama, she had a boyfriend. Kisshu was in the way of that. The part that liked Kish was arguing that he wasn't in the way; Aoyama was. As Ichigo decided to choose the liking Kish side. Not because she felt for him like that! (or so she claims) but because he was a world of safety compared to an angry Pai.
Ichigo took Kish's arm. He walked her down a hall that reminded her of an actual home and not a ship. Then again this was probably only one wing of it and her cell was somewhere else in this ship entirely. He led her down a flight of stairs and past another hall until they reached a door that read in large bold print: LABORATORY. DO NOT ENTER. KISSHU AND TARUTO: THIS MEANS YOU!
"Subtle" Ichigo said.
"I agree" Kish replied, leading her inside. The inside was a stereotypical lab. Machines with technology far more advanced than anything Ichigo would be allowed to play with in school. Chemicals and cabinets and all sorts of things along those lines. The overpowering smell of antiseptic made Ichigo feel as if she were still a child going to the dentist or taking a trip to the doctor's office.
Kish led her into a smaller room she might have mistaken for a broom closet which it so obviously wasn't. There was a hanging light in the room with a table and three chairs around it. Two of the chairs were next to each other. Kish led her inside and pulled one of the chairs out for her. Ichigo sat down and he pushed her back in then sat beside her. "Pai should be along shortly," Kish reassured her.
Sure enough Pai stormed into the room not five minutes later. "You should have brought her in here two hours ago!" Pai fumed. The guy looked so mad Ichigo was shocked he hadn't popped a blood vessel.
"Sorry, when I found her she was conked out on the ground. Turns out your 'stunning' lock nearly gave her a concussion! So I took the injury-"
"You did what!?" Pai cut Kisshu off. "Why would you help her? She's an enemy! And as of now, our prisoner!"
"Maybe because I love her? Anyway, so I took it but she grabbed hold of me and I dragged us both to the medicine room. I shot myself with some of those pain meds and then blacked out from the sheer intensity of pain. For the second time I might add. I thought you fixed that little issue but I guess I was wrong." Pai cringed when Kish mentioned this. "Then I woke up, gave her the truth serum and then I heard you screaming for me" Kish finished looking pissed but remaining calm. So that's what happened Ichigo thought. She had forgotten to ask Kisshu what had happened back in there.
"I'll fix the lock when we're done" Pai said. "Now, Mew Ichigo, I have some questions for you pertaining to your allies."
"I won't talk!" Ichigo exclaimed. Maybe it wasn't too late to make a run for it. Not like she'd get far.
"Oh, you will talk. Believe me" a cruel smile lit Pai's face. For whatever reason, Ichigo wanted to garb Kisshu's hand. She needed the comfort right about now. But she restrained herself. Kisshu kissing her was one thing, if she made a move on him not only would that confirm her greatest fear, it would make her unfaithful to Aoyama. "Now, if you would tell me how you got that pendant."
"Ryou gave it to me-" Ichigo covered her mouth too late. Why had she even given an answer?
"Well, the truth serum's working" Kish stated. The truth serum! Not only would Ichigo be unable to not answer the questions, she wouldn't be able to lie about them either! Her ship, as well as the other mews' was sunk.
Pai nodded. "Where is the Mew Aqua your hiding?"
"It's in the basement of the cafe, Ryou's lab" Ichigo replied, once again slapping her hands to her mouth.
"I'll go clean up the medicine room" Kish said, getting up to leave. He clearly didn't want to see the pained expression that came to Ichigo's face whenever she answered a question.
"Don't leave!" Apparently answers weren't the only things Ichigo wouldn't be able to keep to herself. Her emotions were just as available. Crap.
"And why do you want me to stay Koneko-chan?" Kisshu asked. This was one question he clearly wanted to know for himself.
"Because I think I'm falling in love with you."
And that's it! It's actually pretty long compared to last chapter. But I told you this story was going to be short. I figure two or three more chapters long. Review please! I promise to try to get the next chapter up soon!