New Feelings Chapter 2:
A Meeting
Lettuce dragged Emiko all the way back to the park, then let her go. "To think I used to have a crush on that guy," she muttered. "We've got to find some way of getting Ichigo back to normal."
I can't promise, but maybe Pai would have some ideas, Emiko said. Did you want to tell the other Mews about Ryou first?
"Good idea," Lettuce said. She took out a cell phone and dialed a number, then waited. When she got a response, she said, "Zakuro-san, I'm calling a meeting of all the Mews except Ichigo. We're not going to tell Ryou, either. Can you call Mint? I'll call Pudding." She got another response, and said, "Ichigo isn't invited because of how she's been acting lately. I need you to call Mint, and meet me in Inohara Park. When? Okay, thanks." She hung up and said, "Now I'll call Pudding."
She dialed Pudding's number, and when Pudding picked up, said, "Pudding, meet me in Inohara Park, I'm having a meeting. When? Okay, thanks." She snapped the phone shut and turned to Emiko. "They'll be here soon," she said.
Good, Emiko said. I can't speak to all of them at once, so I need you to translate, is that okay?
"Hai," Lettuce said.
About fifteen minutes later, Pudding showed up, and Mint and Zakuro weren't far behind. They started to run up to Lettuce, but stopped dead when they saw Emiko. "Lettuce, why.." Zakuro started.
"This is Emiko," Lettuce said. "She came to find out what's wrong with Ichigo. You all noticed that Ichigo's acting strangely. She told me that Ryou killed her parents after turning her into a Cyniclon. I took her to Café Mew Mew, and surprisingly, Ryou confessed that he did just that. He also said he injected Ichigo with a serum to make her hate the aliens. That's why she's been acting differently. And he wouldn't tell us what the cure is. I called you all together to say that I think we should stop listening to Ryou, and find some way of forming a truce. But first we need to deal with Ichigo."
"Ryou is the reason Ichigo's acting strangely?" Zakuro asked.
"Hai," Lettuce said. "That's what he told me."
"Are you sure we can trust Emiko?" Mint asked. "And why hasn't she said anything?"
"She's mute," Lettuce said. "She's been using telepathy to communicate."
"Can we trust you?" Zakuro asked Emiko.
Emiko nodded and said to Lettuce, Even if we can't form a truce, Ichigo going back to normal is important for both groups.
Lettuce nodded and told the others, "She says even if we can't form a truce, it's important for both groups to get Ichigo back to normal."
"Why does your group care?" Mint asked.
She's too powerful, and Kisshu misses the old Ichigo, Emiko said. Forming a truce would be nice, though.
"Kisshu misses the old Ichigo?" Lettuce asked.
Kisshu loves Ichigo more than anything, and don't tell him I told you, Emiko said. He liked it when Ichigo wasn't evil.
"I thought Ichigo was only a toy to him," Lettuce said.
He likes to see her angry, so he tells her that, Emiko said. He's just joking, and besides, he's a teenage boy. What do you expect?
"I guess you're right," Lettuce said.
Zakuro said, "What are you two talking about?"
"Sorry, Emiko was explaining that Kisshu really does love Ichigo, she's not just a toy to him," Lettuce said. "And she says not to tell Kisshu she told us this."
"Okay, we won't," Zakuro said. "But we still need to find out how to change Ichigo back to normal."
Pai might be able to do it, but we'd have to get Ichigo there first, Emiko said. Lettuce, will you help me convince him?
Lettuce nodded and said to the others, "Emiko says that Pai might be able to do it, but she wants me to help convince him."
"Are you sure, Lettuce? You want to help?" Zakuro asked.
"I never liked the fighting anyways," Lettuce said. "I want to help convince the Cyniclons that there's a better way to solve this."
Zakuro sighed. "Emiko, don't let her get hurt," she said.
Emiko nodded and said, Don't worry, I won't.
"She says she won't let me get hurt," Lettuce said.
The others nodded, so Emiko took Lettuce's shoulder, and teleported.
They landed in the main room of the spaceship, and Emiko looked around. Surprisingly, Kisshu teleported in at the same time, and saw them. "Emiko, why did you bring Mew Lettuce back?" he asked.
We just finished convincing the other Mews except Ichigo to stop listening to Ryou, Emiko said. We came to talk.
Kisshu sighed. "I'll get Pai and Taruto," he said, then teleported out. Five minutes later he came back with both Pai and Taruto.
Pai looked at the girls and sighed. "Kisshu tells me you want to talk," he said. "What's up?"
Lettuce replied, "After Emiko told me Ryou killed her parents, I took her to Café Mew Mew, and questioned Ryou. He actually admitted to it, and also informed us that the reason Ichigo is acting evil is that he injected her with some kind of serum so she'd kill all of you. I don't want that to happen, and from what I've seen, neither do the other Mews. We need to find a way to counteract the serum, since Ryou's refusing to do so."
"And I suppose you want our help?" Pai asked. "What about the fact that we're currently enemies?"
"I want to form a truce, and collect the Mew Aqua together, in order to save your home planet," Lettuce said. "Could you really live here, considering how polluted it is?"
"You have a point there," Pai admitted. "But our leader is completely against cooperation."
"Are you sure that he has your race's best interests at heart, then?" Lettuce asked. "It seems to me that anyone would see that this is for the best. Are you sure he really wants to help? Or is he just using you?"
"Funny, isn't that what I said?" Kisshu asked Pai. "We could benefit from forming a truce."
"And Mew Ichigo?" Pai asked.
"We kidnap her, bring her to your lab, and you figure out how to counteract whatever Blondie did to her," Kisshu said.
"We'd better make sure to take her pendant away too," Taruto said. "Otherwise she'll attack."
Pai sighed. "Fine, I'll go along with this," he said. "Are we getting rid of Ryou?"
Much as I hate to say it, we should do that after we get Ichigo back to normal, Emiko said.
"You're right," Lettuce said. "We don't want the others to think badly of us."
Kisshu looked startled, and said, "You can hear Emiko when she's not in physical contact with you?"
"Hai, is that unusual?" Lettuce said. "She wasn't touching me the first time she spoke to me."
"That's pretty rare," Kisshu said. "I wonder if you can use telepathy."
"I don't know, I've never tried," Lettuce said.
Focus on one of us and think what you want to say, Emiko said. She saw Lettuce focus, and then saw Pai look startled.
Kisshu noticed too, and said, "Okay, what'd she say to you?"
Pai ignored him and asked, "Lettuce, is that true?"
Lettuce turned dark red and muttered, "Yes…."
"Is WHAT true?" Kisshu asked.
I think Lettuce has a crush on Pai, Emiko said.
"SERIOUSLY!?" Kisshu yelled. Pai whacked him over the head. To everyone's surprise but Emiko's, Kisshu collapsed.
Emiko teleported and caught him, then said, Honestly, Pai, you already forgot that he had a head injury from his battle with Ichigo?
"Uh…" Pai said.
Emiko sighed. I'll take him to the medical ward, and keep an eye on him, she said. She turned to Lettuce and said, Do you want to go home?
"If it's okay," Lettuce said.
Emiko nodded and turned to Pai. Can you take Lettuce home? she asked.
"Hai," Pai said. He took Lettuce's hand, causing her to blush again, and teleported out. Taruto did the same, and Emiko took Kisshu to the medical ward. She put him on a bed and put a hand on his forehead. Her hand began to glow. Finally she took her hand away, and sat down next to Kisshu.
An hour later, he woke up, and saw Emiko. "What happened?" he asked. "My head feels like it's been split open."
Pai forgot about your injury and whacked you again, Emiko said. Just relax, I'll try to heal you. She put a hand on his forehead, and her hand began to glow again. Finally she took her hand away, and asked, How does it feel now?
"Much better, thanks," Kisshu said. He got out of bed, and said, "What should we do now?"
I'll be in the kitchen, making dinner, Emiko said. And NO, you can't watch me.
"Aww…" Kisshu said.
Emiko ignored him and teleported to the kitchen.
