Hey it's Madin. Sorry for the late update. A lot of shit happened. (Concussion, broken car, etc.) But none of that is really important. I'm not gonna be able to update as regularly as I want especially if I land this job I've been needing but I hope. Anyways I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Sure hope I can keep this up. Meh

I feel so fricking manly with my lovely magical girl fanfiction lmao.


Chapter 1

"You need to shut it down, Ryou!"

A transparent warning sign blinked over the computer screen as information rushed down in a pulse that no one could read. The four remaining Mew Mew girls were asleep in the mechanical pods surrounding the main computer. Endless wires were interspersed between the pods and the computer as they fed information to each other. Two tall men were frantically running from the computers and back to the pods as they desperately tried to figure out what was wrong.

"I can't just shut it down," the blond man shouted back. He was wearing a standard issue Cynis uniform, the Cyniclons name for humans. With a grunt he shoved his thick black plastic glasses back up the bridge of his nose. His eyes had grown quite weak from 9 years of just sitting in front of computer monitors and paperwork. "If we rush it, I might not be able back online."

"Then what do we do?" When Keiichiro's café was shut down by the opposing Cyniclonian reign he was forced to team back up with Ryou and try to keep afloat what was left of Project Mew Mew, which was easier said than done. Though Keiichiro's expertise remained in cooking and charming, Ryou had to admit he needed all the help he could get.

"Keep adjusting their vitals and keep them as stable as you can. I need to bring them out of it individually or the program will override and we'll lose power and their minds will be trapped inside."

Keiichiro nodded and immediately began checking the buttons one by one. Though he wasn't sure what he was doing he knew the blue buttons had to stay blue and the yellow and red blinking buttons needed to be blue…or green. Keiichiro bit his lip in frustration, and punched in the sequenced buttons he was drilled over and over again. He prayed that he wouldn't accidentally kill one of them in the process.

When Deep Blue broke Ichigo's power, it started a chain reaction. Their own power had begun eating away at their vitality and became a poison to them. Each transformation threatened death. Ryou had spent the last few years trying to detox the mew mews. It was impossible to remove it completely as it was now hard-wired into their DNA. Still Ryou discovered if he removed the excesses he could prolong their lives. The only problem was this technology was all but completely outlawed. It was hard to get enough energy to run the programs they needed without raising attention from the authorities, thus the constant power failures.

"Mint is coming back online," Ryou shouted. His fingers were moving lightning fast. They were cramped considerably but he had no time to care. Quickly he locked on to the next girls. "Hurry, I got Lettuce and Pudding online as well."

Keiichiro rushed around pressing the necessary buttons on each pod and then turned Ryou. "They're stabilized."

He listened as Ryou continued to type the input furiously. "Damn," he cursed suddenly hitting the dashboard. "Zakuro's fighting it!"

"What do I do?" Kei asked quickly. He rushed to her pod, and could see her resting body beginning to twitch in agitation. Her lips were turning blue with as the fluid that was being pumped inside her. If Ryou didn't act quickly she would slip into a permanent coma, her mind lost to them forever.

"Force her conscious mind back into stasis. I can't bring her online if she's panicking."

Keiichiro tried his best. Zakuro's body began to convulse with anxiety. Her mouth tried to form words, but she could only gurgle as the fluid gathered in her throat. He immediately pulled the emergency lever. Mist filled the tubes and descended into the pod and after a few seconds Zakuro's body became lifeless.

"It's done," he gasped in relief.

At command, Ryou pushed the emergency exit button and a loud hiss filled the air as the pods began to open to let the girls out of stasis sleep. The red blinking emergency lights dimmed and the main computer began to show signs of normality. A female computer punctually prompted him. "Project Mew Mew online. Operation Detox aborted. Awaiting further instruction."

Ryou sighed deeply. It was done. The project was safe…for now, but he would hear and earful from the girls and the doctors they were going to have to visit after this. He was already getting a reputation in the community for being 'negligent to the girl's health.' As the girls' personal caregiver, no one knew that more than he. "Awaken Project Mew Mew."

"Are you sure, director? Project Mew Mew's detoxification levels are only at 28%. It would be advisable to have Project Mew Mew re-enter stasis and complete the detoxification program."

"Negative. Power is insufficient to continue. Awaken Project Mew Mew," Ryou told the computer.

"Command accepted. Awakening Project Mew Mew."

The tubes that kept them in a hypnotic sleep began draining from their veins. Keiichiro promptly began removing the needles from the girls' arms so that they would begin to wake up on their own. He made sure to give extra care to Zakuro, examining her body for any internal bleeding, but it seemed that shock was her biggest injury during the process.

Ryou looked at the girls guiltily. One way or another he would be the cause of their deaths if nothing else was.

"Ryou?" Lettuce said weakly as she groggily began waking up. The other girls began to stir slightly, beginning with Mint and ending with Zakuro, who glared daggers at Ryou as soon as she was awake enough to think. They all blinked at the new blurry world. Lettuce surprisingly coped a lot better with the changes than the other girls, but it didn't make her fare much better. All of their natural bodies, though strong, were kept in a fragile state. The green-haired girl looked down at her chest. The injection mark had barely faded. Frightened tears filled her eyes. The more that cursed mark lay engraved in their skin, the closer they would be towards their imminent deaths.

Suddenly the power went out and the girls screamed instinctively. "Damn!" Ryou cursed again. They had used up their rationed energy for the week. Mint's annoyed voice could be overheard from the crowd.

"What happened?" she demanded.

Keiichiro took out a lighter out of his pocket and began rummaging through the drawers for candles, which he then began placing at random lab tables. He frowned a second, saying, "We underestimated the power again, girls. We had to shut it down early."

"I don't feel any different," Pudding murmured. That was an understatement. Nothing had changed except for the effects of the drowsiness that they had been feeling from the drugs they were given.

"I'm afraid we were not able to complete the process. You still contain most of the excesses, so please refrain from transforming until we can continue the process," Keiichiro nodded to all the girls as he handed each of them a candle. Their faces looked solemn in the candlelight but they continued to look expectantly at Ryou.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Lettuce mumbled.

"It's…hard to say," Ryou answered. They know they had to keep hope at times like these, but the odds weren't exactly in their favor.

"What's the point?" Zakuro muttered in the darkness.

"What?" Pudding cried out angrily. "Zakuro! How could you say that?"

"They don't want our help anyways. Even humans have turned against Project Tokyo Mew Mew. We should just stay a memory, for everybody's sake." Her voice seemed to be filled with poison but they all knew she was fighting tears. It was true. The Cyniclons had put so much fear on the public that no one would even associate with them anymore. Just saying their name could be punishable by death.

Ryou frowned at Zakuro. "It's only because people are scared. That's no reason to give up hope." He knew how much it meant to be a Mew Mew to all of them, and how devastating it was to have that taken away from her. He couldn't imagine the pain and frustration he had put her through in the name of saving their race…though they were far from doing so at the moment. "Have faith, girls. We'll fix this."

"You know, Ryou…I'm getting really sick of your 'just believe and we'll make it crap.'"

"Leave him alone, Zakuro! He's trying his best! We all are!" Pudding argued.

"Well sometimes that's not good enough!" Zakuro snapped. Angry tears filled her eyes and she looked away, unable to keep her gaze with her fellow mates.

"Not to agree with the pessimist here," Mint said as she began to examine her manicured nails, "but what is it about this time that makes it any different from anything else we've tried?" Nothing was quite the same when the world was ruled by environmentally friendly aliens. Cell phones, internet, shopping, everything about Earth that she loved was now banned. And they had to wear the same dreary outfits every single day just like everybody else. Uniformity was definitely something that she wished that these damn aliens would get over.

Ryou bit back his temper. He was saving the information for a different time, but he knew that they deserved to know. With a deep sigh, he said, "Sit down girls. I'm going to need your attention for this one."

Soon Keiichiro had lit up the room with so many candles that it almost was as bright as with the lights on, if not so much warmer. Power outages were not a rare event so they had ended up acquiring quite a collection.

Ryou sighed deeply, unsure of how to begin. "As you know, it's been 9 frustrating long years since the Cyniclons have taken over. We've all lost much, but through all these years we've survived."

Barely," Zakuro muttered.

"It is my apologies that I was not a capable leader in Ichigo's absence, but what's done is done. We must survive…and despite what some of you might think, we're not through quite yet." The girls muttered amongst themselves unsure what to think of the news, but they were only allowed to voice their thoughts briefly before Ryou reigned them back in. "I've been preparing Project Mew Mew for our last assignment, but…I need your full cooperation."

Ryou took a deep breath gazing at all their worried candle-lit faces. He had put them through so much pain over the years. It was almost cruel to ask any more of them. "I just want to remind you all that you can walk away at any time…And I'll give you any treatments at my disposal as long as I am able to…" The girls looked at each other unsure of what to think. The one think they had learned about Ryou was that he was manipulative and blind to their cause. He would sacrifice himself or these girls to save their race in a heartbeat. By the way his face was darkening them was something serious. "I know…I never asked you to do this job for us-"

"We know, Ryou," Lettuce answered for all of them. "And no matter what you need us to do, we're prepared for it." And for the most part it was true. Since the fall of their race, they've over gone countless experiments and have prepared themselves for death 100 times over. Though sometimes few of them would question his methods of executing their plans, the world had turned against them…and as hopeless as it seemed they needed to find a way to get it back.

Ryou chuckled heartlessly at Lettuce. They were all full-grown women now and not the children he had first trained. Even timid Lettuce had been hardened in this time of war. "You have too much faith in my abilities," Ryou admitted as he pushed up his thick glasses. He left them for a moment to rummage under the study desks, careful not to knock over any of the candles that were burning on top. After a few moments, he pulled out a heavy box. Keiichiro immediately helped him carefully set it in front of the girls. With a grunt they opened it, to reveal to all the girls a box almost filled with power cells.

"Ryou," Mint gasped. "We could power the house for a year!"

"Not quite," Ryou chuckled. "I've been gathering these for a better half of the last six months. I've been trading off extra food, parts, certain…personal items from a few of you…" he paused a bit as they gasped in shocked anger. "It was a long hard process, but I've acquired almost 50. You see about 25 here. 23 more are stored away somewhere else in the room."

"What's all this for?" Pudding asked, tempted to grasp at one of the pretty green glowing cells. Ryou covered the box before Pudding could get the chance.

Quickly Keiichiro scuffled for the diagrams for Ryou's plans and laid them out on top of the box for the girls to gaze on. They were all in notations that the girls couldn't understand but it was obvious that Ryou put a lot of thought put into this.

"As you know at the beginning of Project Mew Mew you were all infused with the essence of an endangered animal. The Project itself was a success but I failed to see the true strength of the Cyniclons…But you have all used the raw energy to train your bodies to be impervious to most their attacks. You're now stronger than any man on this Earth…too strong for your own powers. I believe you're ready for some…enhancements."

They gazed at Ryou more dumbfounded than before. Was what he suggesting even possible? They couldn't quite understand the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Allow me to explain," Ryou said pointing at the diagrams. "Each of you developed an affinity for each of the elements when you transformed. All I am asking is to simply enhance those powers of the animal with that of an element. It will take a lot of power and some serious time genetically modifying your bodies, but…I think this will be what it takes to finally beat them."

"Can that be done?" Zakuro murmured.

"Of course. It would be the same concept as your first injection and they shall all correspond with the animal's founded characteristics. Lettuce will be given water, Mint air, Pudding fire and you will be given earth, Zakuro," Ryou explained calmly.

The girls began buzzing with this new idea of this newfound power that they would soon get. Ryou held up his hand to silence the girls. "The problem is that Ichigo…was heart…And the gluing element of everyone's power…" The girls were silent understanding the dilemma.

"You know we have no idea where to even start looking for Ichigo," Mint said bitterly.

"We're not going to find Ichigo…At least not yet," Ryou told them.

Abandon Ichigo? Was it possible? The thought had never crossed their minds and yet… "What…are you saying Ryou?" Lettuce asked timidly.

"It only works with 5…We've tried it-together- but without the holding element that bonds the power together we're just playing with a time-bomb with no fuse. You'll just hurt yourselves without the right control…" He took a deep breath, readying for the angry outcry. "And so your next assignment is to find the soul Mew Mew."

"No, Ryou!" Pudding cried. "We can't replace Ichigo. We can't!"

"Well we can't just sit around and wait to die. Retrieving Ichigo is our next priority, but the survival of our race comes first." The girls were silenced by Ryou's strict tone. He used it very seldomly and they knew better than to try to argue with him. "Once you find the soul Mew Mew, we'll need to move ourselves to a location where we can use all 50 power cells without attracting unwanted attention. I have already made arrangements to visit Tarak in 2 weeks' time. I expect you to produce a subject to infuse, willing or not. Am I understood?"

They weren't the bad guys, or so they thought, but asking someone to join their doom was the cruelest thing that Ryou had ever asked of them. It was a tough decision to make, but the girls knew that to survive they would all have to make their sacrifices. "Understood," they all said in unison before heading out into the night.


Lovely pink eyes gazed at a barred window. The birds were twittering in the forests and filled their small furnished shack with lovely sounds of the day. It was peaceful living in Aryk and though it took a while to adjust to the Cyniclon's way she had found that they were very peaceful people, and had treated her and her strange family with the utmost kindness, despite them being enemies. She still had to be kept under close watch because of Deep Blue's orders, but she had come to know the guards and those around her and found she hardly noticed that she was being held captive at all.

She was humming a tuneless melody as she began fixing breakfast for herself and her son, unaware that golden eyes were watching her until she felt warm loving arms surround her in an embrace. A soft voice whispered sweetly, "Morning, hon."

"Kish." Ichigo gasped excitedly, her heart filled with relief. He had made it home safe. She turned around to receive a soft welcoming kiss. With a breathless gasp she said, "I didn't hear you come in."

He chuckled lightly; glad to be able to hold her close again. "Well my first question was going to be what was the door doing lying on the ground. Did Tot have a temper tantrum?"

"You know Tot only acts up when your home," Ichigo frowned as she had Kish sit down at their small dining room table. She immediately went back to work fixing him a bit of breakfast and tea as she prattled on about her mundane days. "We had a small typhoon last week, but Karin was kind enough to provide extra blankets for Tot and me. Micah promised to come bad sometime today to fix some of the windows and the door…and hopefully he can get to the roof before the storms start rolling in again."

Kish frowned looking around looking around at the home he had provided them. This was what he imagined for his family, and was ashamed to put his name to the place, but it was difficult to provide more with the pay he was entitled. But once the Mew Mews were eliminated, he would be allowed so many possibilities. "I'll do better. You just need to give me more time. I promise I'll give you a better life."

"I'd rather you stay home and get a job in the community. It's hard being by myself and Tot needs his father," Ichigo spat back. She hated when he said that. It meant that he was disappearing again.

"I would if I could, honey, but you know that I can't do that. I have a duty to our king."

"Your king," Ichigo reminded him.

"You know I want to stay…"

"But you won't." Her eyes were filled with frightened tears. Though she was forced into this unfamiliar world, she had come to love this man and the world that he lived in. She could feel her cat ears beginning to pop out in her frustration. That was all that was left of her power after Deep Blue was though with her, but even though he had broken her and her heart belonged to a man that was bent on destroying her race, she was still a Mew Mew…or at least that was what she told herself.

"Darling," Kish said as he held Ichigo's tender face in his hands. It was hard to console her when she got like this. She would sometimes do something foolish that would anger his lord and make his job even harder but he could not lose her under any circumstance. "Soon," he promised.

Ichigo looked down guiltily. She knew he was trying. He worked so hard for her and their son. But she felt so helpless, torn between the two worlds she loved. No matter what because of what she was, she couldn't help him. "When do you leave again?"

"I am allowed to stay for a week to ready myself for the journey," Kish replied. He caressed her cat ears lightly. He loved the way they flattened at his touch. Tears filled her eyes as she pressed her cheek to his hand. He leaned down again to kiss her, but she stopped him with a finger.

"At this were still enemies," she told him. "I can't change what I am to fit into your world."

She still glared at him with the same defiant eyes like when he first met her so long ago. With a chuckle he kissed her forcefully, loving the way she still tried to run from his touch, but her refusal was different now. It wasn't from revulsion, but from the same forbidden want that he had felt for so long. Though this woman was only human, he knew from the moment he met her that he would love no other. And though he didn't want to break her heart, he knew he would have to if he wanted to keep her by his side. "Then hate me. Just know I can't change my decision…not even for you."

The dishes began to clatter at the weight of their bodies. "Kish," she pleaded. "Breakfast…"

"Later," he whispered huskily. He tasted her lips again hungrily. He had missed her for so long that he would not let her refuse, though he knew that she wouldn't even if she could. Her tears were mixed with a whirlwind of emotion. She hated this man for what he had done to her, what he had made her feel, what he would make her feel a thousand times over. And though she told herself at the beginning so many times that she never wanted this love, she could not deny his undying devotion. Oh how he confused her. She hated him so much sometimes she wished she could scream through his sweet kisses, and yet she could only respond in the same want.

A faint cry brought them back to their senses, and immediately Ichigo pushed Kish away feeling utterly embarrassed. The walls were thin in the kitchen and the guards were not far outside. She was sure they had heard everything. "Tot's waking up," she said quickly tending to fix the dishes back to where they were supposed to be.

Kish grunted, frustration etched in his voice, but he would not argue. He missed his son just as much as he missed his wife. "Tonight then…" he murmured.

Her face flushed a cherry red. She could see the small figure of their son begin to appear from the corner of her eye. "Daddy?" a soft voice murmured sleepily.

Kish gave Ichigo a quick kiss on the cheek and then turned to Tot. At three he was bigger than he remembered him but still so much small. He barely stood 2 feet high and had black hair like him, but his eyes were a deep red. His face was soft and feminine, like his mother's, but he hoped that he would grow out of it one day. The boy had a hard enough time dealing with the other children bullying him. If he wasn't careful, the boy would carve out his cheeks in his own tears.

He gave his boy a reassuring smile. "Hey, champ."

"Daddy!" Tot squealed and ran to his father's knee in excitement. "You're home!"

Kish laughed heartily and hoisted his son up. "Yeah I am. Heard you were being a brat for mommy. Now is that true?"

Tot began jutting out his outer lip. "I-I d-didn't-"

"Oh you leave him. You just came home. I'll have breakfast ready in a bit. You two prattle on somewhere else for now," Ichigo scolded. She tried to fight the reoccurring tears that welled up in her eyes and she went back to tending to breakfast. Everything she had come to love was under a shaky glass, ready to shatter at her feet. She heard the two chattering voices slowly leave the building, perhaps to take a walk. Ichigo sighed deeply unsure how she was to keep the two biggest pieces of herself from tearing each other apart.


C&C appreciated.

Katea edited this for me so if there's a mistake blame her. = w=. Lmaojk babe.

Thanks for reading. Peace ;3