Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew. But I do own this story idea. Read and Review, please. Enjoy.
Future changed for the worst.
Chapter 3
"Why-na-no-da?" asked Pudding, looking at the brown-haired alien with curiosity.
Taruto frowned, "I told you, you have to."
"As much as Pudding wants to be with Taru-Taru, she has to go back. Protect her siblings. And her father. And all the people on the Earth."
Tears formed on her eyes," Because Kisshu killed Minto-nee-chan, Zakuro-nee-san and Ryou-nii-chan…And Aoyama-nii-chan…" She wiped the tears away and looked at Taruto: "I have to protect every one with Lettuce-onee-chan and Ichigo-onee-chan."
"You don't have to, - said Taruto, - you can stay here. Your friends will be here too. Besides, - he leaned against a wall, - all humans are going to die soon anyways."
Pudding flinched, "What?!"
Taruto didn't sense her fear and nodded, "Yeah, Pai is working on some project or machine or whatever to eliminate all humans and then 'reset' the planet, like he refers to it. After the humans die, the Mew Aqua will purify the planet and it's going to get as beautiful as it was, as our ancestors left." He sighed.
Pudding wasn't as exited about their plan as the little alien felt. "B-but…"- she whimpered. Taruto looked at her, "What?"
"You can't do that, Taru-Taru! Think about all the people, who will die! Children, Adults, Elderly People. How can you do that?! What if your family were to die?!"
"THEY ARE DIEING!" – screamed Taruto on the top of his lungs.
Pudding backed off. "What?"
Taruto looked at her with tearful eyes. "My parents, my friends, - he whispered, - even the one's I hated back then. They need our help! I, - he sobbed, - I don't want them to die."
Pudding forgot for a moment about her duties and rushed over to Taruto. She hugged him tightly and told him: "Don't worry Taru-Taru; everything is going to be okay!"
He cried on her shoulder and wasn't embarrassed for once.
Pudding remembered her family, but couldn't let Taruto go just now. He needed her. And, maybe, he would help her, when she needed him.
"What is this, Pai-san?" – asked Lettuce, looking at the green substance in the bottle with curiosity. And fear. For, she had to drink this strange mixture.
"This is a medicine from a powerful disease that killed most of our people. It's still killing them…" – his voice broke, but he shook all feelings off. "I'm going to test it on you, but first I will inject the disease."
Lettuce's blood froze. "B-but, is the medicine…can it even heal the disease?"
Pai frowned,"That's what I am trying to find out. And I have to test in on you. But, don't worry, - he said, seeing Lettuce's frightened face, and even tried to smile, but failed, miserable, - I tested it on a few animals and improved it."
'What happened to the animals?' – Lettuce almost asked.
"So, don't worry, it will definitive heal you in a few minutes." 'Hopefully,' – he thought to himself.
He took a syringe from the table and reached out for Lettuce's arm. She looked away and closed her eyes.
"It will hurt a little," – he murmured and Lettuce felt the needle break her skin. It felt weird, and she wanted it to stop.
"Done," – said Pai and released her arm. Lettuce opened her eyes. There was a purple bruise building around the area, where Pai had injected her.
"When…when are you going to use the medicine?" – asked a scared Lettuce, who couldn't stop staring at the bruises appearing on her arms and legs.
"Just a little more, - he told, typing something on his computer, - I just need to make notes." He glanced at her once again," About the symptoms." He started typing again.
Lettuce sighed, trying not to think about what would happen in a few minutes or so, if he didn't inject the medicine in time.
Suddenly she felt enormous pain run through her veins. She bit back a scream not to sound weak. But a whimper escaped her lips and betrayed her.
Pai looked up, as if sensing her discomfort. Or his over-sized ears helped him.
"Just a minute." – he rushed to his table to get the medicine into a new syringe.
Lettuce bit back another scream, for the pain started to get unbearable. She felt like everything inside her was exploding. Her blood rushed like crazy. Her head felt dizzy. She wanted to scream, to crash her head against a wall.
"Pai-san, - she managed to say, - hurry…" Pai was preparing the syringe.
"PAI!" – screamed Lettuce. The alien rushed to her side and injected the medicine, just when Lettuce thought she is going to die.
After it was over Lettuce simply collapsed from all the pain, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Lettuce-oene-chan! Lettuce-onee-chan!" – she heard a voice. A childish tone. A worried one.
Then a second voice exclaimed: "Pai! What did you do with her?!" This voice was also childish, but it sounded…manlier? Yeah, perhaps, and a little angrier.
Then a husky and much older voice said:" I told you. I experimented with the medicine. The disease is very strong. And she is a human. Of course she took it worse, that our people, but I gave her the medicine. She lives and the symptoms are vanishing faster than I thought. Seems like the medicine is much better, than it was originally."
"And that makes it okay?! What if she is hurt?" – asked the childish-manly voice.
'Stop quarrelling?!' – thought Lettuce, trying to move and open her eyes.
"Stop screaming, Taru-Taru! Look, she is awakening!"
Indeed, she was. She finally managed to open her eyes. Light hit her face and she grimaced.
"Lettuce-onee-chan, are you okay?" Lettuce looked up. Pudding was looking at her, worried. Taruto was standing beside her. And Pai looked at her with curiosity. Lettuce sat up. "I-I am fine. Sorry for making you worry."
Pudding hugged her tightly. "It's okay! As long as you are fine, I'm happy-na-no-da! And Taruto is too, right, Taru-Taru?" – she looked at him happily.
Taruto huffed ,"I don't care about humans. I was just curious, if she died or not. After all, Pai had to test the medicine and-"
"How dare you say something like that! – yelled Pudding, - You are my fried Taru-Taru. You are supposed to be happy for me!"
Taruto turned around, blushing like mad, "I'm no-"
"Taruto, stop screaming, - said Pai in his usual calm voice, - I have work to do. Get out, and take your little friend with you."
Taruto looked at him, amber eyes narrowed, "Don't you dare tell me what I have to do! And she is not-"
"I'm not little-na-no-da!" – yelled Pudding. Their little marathon of screams and insult was disturbed by a teleportation sound.
Four heads turned to look at Kisshu.
The alien was different. No cockiness, no smirk, no jokes. His eyes weren't sparkling. They were dull. Empty. Almost, as if he was…dead.
His head turned to Pai. A piece of paper appeared in front of him. He handed it to Pai. "That's a plan for the machine you are working on. I improved it a little. Now it can use the Mew Aqua to heal this planet, after we reset it."
"But we don't have Mew Aqua!" – Taruto blurt.
Kisshu looked at him, with a smirk, but his eyes remained cold. "Oh, but we are getting some. Now." He turned to leave, but stopped to look at Pai. "Start working."
Pai gripped his teeth. He hated Kisshu's attitude to all of them, but he had to stay calm and not lose his authority. "Does Deep Blue-sama know about this?"
Kisshu laughed. A cold, emotionless and empty laugh. "Pai, Deep Blue-sama doesn't know anything, 'cause he is not there anymore." "Bastard! What have you do-"
"I did nothing. Well, not on purpose." He turned around. "Apparently, the human boy I killed back then was Deep Blue's host. That's why he could transform into the Blue Knight."
Both Lettuce and Pudding flinched. 'Aoyama-san…/Aoyama-nii-chan!'
"And if Deep Blue was to awake, he would have used the boy's body, but alas!" - he smirked.
Pai opened his mouth and closed it. What could he say? How could they save their planet without a leader?!
"What do we do know?" – asked Taruto.
Pai came back from planet "Panic!" and said in a cold and serious voice:" I will take care of the machine. Kisshu, go collect the Mew Aqua."
"And what do I do?" – asked the small alien, now looking excited.
"Take care of the Mews."
Kisshu turned to leave once again.
Taruto sensed that Lettuce and Pudding wanted to ask him about Ichigo, but were afraid and still too shocked to see or to talk to the murderer of their friends.
So he collected his courage and asked the new and kinda scary Kisshu: "The Mew Mews wan to see Ichigo, can they?" – he gulped, feeling nervous.
It was strange. Kisshu was his brother, even if he was adoptive; Taruto never felt uneasy about him. But now, his friend had a strange black aura surround him, and make him scarier than he already was.
"Whatever." – said Kisshu and teleported out.
Taruto sighed and looked at the sceared Mews with a huge smile. "That wasn't a 'no'. Lets go!"
She was lying in the corner. A small blanked covering her naked body. Her clothes were torn. She was sleeping on the hard ground.
Pudding and Lettuce were more than shocked.
Taruto had just teleported them to Kisshu's 'room' and left.
Pudding rushed over to her friend. "Ichigo-onne-chan!" – she shook her violently, fearing that she might be… Lettuce kneeled next to her, to listen to her breath, but suddenly Ichigo opened her eyes and jerked away from them, eyes huge with fear.
Both girls were too shocked to say something.
Their friend, Ichigo, always happy, friendly, good-looking, daydreaming, was now a mass with unwashed red hair and big red eyes. She had cried. A lot. She blinked slowly, as if not believing that her friends were alive and here.
"Ichigo-onee-chan…" – whispered Pudding, as tears slid down her cheeks. "Ichigo-san, don't worry, it's us." – said Lettuce softly.
Ichigo remained silent.
Her friends nearly lost hope, but then Ichigo whispered: "Lettuce…Pudding…"
Hope rose again. Tears fell down their cheeks and blurred their vision.
Suddenly they were both crushed into a tight hug. "Girls, - whispered Ichigo, - you are here…alive…" She wept into their shoulders for…how long? Hours? It didn't matter for them. They were hugging her too and crying.
Crying for their friends, families, and planet. And for themselves.
Because their happy future changed for the worst.
"Ichigo-san, are you alright?" – asked a worried Lettuce.
Ichigo run over to the green-ish lake and vomit. She sat up straight and coughed. "I'm…I'm fine. Don't worry, Lettuce." She even tried to smile! But her smile disappeared and she bit her lip, so not to scream. Pain. She felt enormous pain rush through her body. She tried to stand up but collapsed.
Lettuce ran to her friend and helped her up. "Ichigo-san, you are ill! We have to go to Pai-san."
"No," – Ichigo shook her head. Not in a million years would she go to Kisshu's brother and ask for help.
'Kisshu!'
She shivered inwardly, thinking about the green-haired alien. He hadn't touched her since that day.
Twice a day he brought her some food and water. Then he would leave and she would sit there, thinking about her life. Which was over.
Sometimes, rarely, she would think about Kisshu. He had changed. A lot. He wasn't flirty, cocky and happy. No "koneko-chan", no kisses, no nothing. He was cold, emotionless and scary. Not that she cared. She hated him, after he had raped her. She shivered again. These nightmares still hunted her.
But it was okay. Her life was over. Not that she cared about that either. After Masaya's death...
'Aoyama-kun…'
Tears escaped her eyes.
Lettuce shook her lightly. "Ichigo-san?"- she asked worriedly. Ichigo ripped herself from the horrifying memory and focused on Lettuce. "Lets go Ichigo-san. Lets go. He will help you."
Ichigo shook her head. "No. No! NO!" – she yelled. "I don't want to." – she whispered to Lettuce.
The green-haired girl smiled kindly. "Alright. Then I'll go alone."
'Morning sickness, strange eating habits and old one's changed. She is moody…But could it be…that she is…?'
Such thoughts run through Lettuce's head and made her nervous. She was concerned about her friend's health. And there was only one person – alien – she could go to and ask for help. Pai.
'I hope he will help me. And not experiment…' She gulped and entered the scary laboratory, looking around. He was typing on his alien computer and looked quite busy.
"Pai-san…" – Lettuce started.
His ears perked up and he looked at her. "Mew Lettuce, - he greeted her, - is there anything you need?"
Lettuce looked away for a moment. 'Maybe I shouldn't…' "Lettuce?" – Pai's voice had grown suspicious and….worried?
She took a deep breath and shot him a glance and looked away, not standing his piercing gaze. "I need to go to an Earth shop." "What for?" Again – deep breath. This time she looked him straight into the eyes. "I need to buy a pregnancy test." She blushed darkly at the strange look Pai gave her.
"Ichigo- san, are you done?" – asked a worried and somehow excited Lettuce.
She was standing outside the alien bathroom, which Pai gave them permission to use.
The purple-haired alien was still a little confused, when not shocked. After she told him it was for Ichigo he calmed down a little and nodded, as if understanding her worries and fears.
As if he too was suspicious about Kisshu's and Ichigo's relationship, if you could call that so.
He didn't let her go to earth, but he gave her some alien pregnancy test. It looked very similar to the human one. Pai had checked it, so to convince Lettuce it would work with Ichigo.
Then she gave the test to a rather confused cat-mew and sent her to the bathroom. And now Lettuce's worries would fade away. Hopefully.
"One minute!" – came Ichigo's voice from behind the wall.
Lettuce breathed in and out. 'Everything is going to be fine!' - she told herself and calmed down.
But this wonderful didn't last for too long, then suddenly she heard a yelp in the bathroom.
"Ichigo-san? Is everything alright?!" – asked a worried Lettuce, not daring to come in. Luckily she didn't have to. Ichigo stepped out, her face paler that usual. She held the test in front of Lettuce's face, as tears leeked down her cheeks.
She was crying. Uncontrollably. She screamed, sobbed, burying her face into her hands. For, the floor has cold. Her life was definitive ruined. It was just over. "I…I want to die…" – she sobbed and choked, and started crying even more. This continued until she ran out of tears and lie there, feeling numb.
"Ichigo-san, let us in, please." – she heard Lettuce's voice. The redhead had closed herself in the bathroom and refused to come out. Neither Pai nor Taruto could teleport in. It was teleport-safe for a reason.
"Ichigo-onee-chan! Come out-na-no-da!" – she heard Pudding say.
"We will solve this Ichigo-san. Trust us."
"Yeah, Pudding has 5 siblings to take care off. Remember-na-no-da?"
"SHUT UP!" – Ichigo screamed suddenly. She lost her temper. She still felt numb, but this thought still made shivers ran down her back and made her stomach twist. She started crying again, pressing her fac against the cold floor.
'So comforting…'
Tears freely ran down her red cheeks, but she didn't sub. She had no strength left. Until she drove to sleep.
As she opened her eyes, it was darker. Not night dark, but the lights weren't so bright like in the bathroom. This must mean, she was in Kisshu's 'bedroom'.
She slowly sat up. Her head felt dizzy, so she hugged her knees and rested her head on them.
"Finally awake, huh?" – she heard a voice say, which made shivers ran down her back.
She jerked her head up and her vision blurred. Still, she could see Kisshu's figure standing there. He wasn't facing her. She laid her head against her knees once again and turned it slightly, so she could see the room, but not him.
"If you ran away like that again, I'll kill you. I'm sick and tiered of chasing and searching for you. Got that? I have other things to do."
Ichigo remained silent. "I have to go, but when I come back, you better be here, got that?" Still silence. He sighed slightly. It felt like a growl to Ichigo. She heart footsteps. He was going away.
"I'm pregnant." – she said, hoping that her voice wouldn't crack with sobs. Surprisingly, it sounded strong. Even if only to her ears.
Kisshu stopped for a moment.
Something like hope ran thought her, but she pushed it away. He teleported. She closed her eyes, hearing him say only one thing.
"Whatever."
