Extra-glad my little brother is cool enough to let me talk to him and update this on his birthday. Happy twelfth birthday little buddy!

I don't own TMM

Lettuce spent most of her remaining vacation days sulking in her room, feigning medication induced exhaustion. Most of her hours were spent sobbing into her pillow until she eventually cried herself to sleep; she would wake up repeat the process, rarely eating a

Her friends had come over to check on her, and she had either pretended or actually been asleep each time. Unfortunately she knew some of her friends weren't easily fooled. Ryou would never fall for it, but he wasn't coming over, and Pai wouldn't be fooled, but he was currently on his planet visiting his sister while she was pregnant, and Zakuro wouldn't be fooled, but she had been too busy with work.

She looked in the mirror and her hair was a total wreck, her eyes were swelling and bloodshot, her skin was sickly pale, and she could tell she lost weight in the past few days. She tried to run a comb through her hair and bits fell out, she sighed, this wasn't life. This wasn't right; Ryou shouldn't have had this effect on her, so why were her dehydrated eyes watering again?

Lettuce heard a knock at the bathroom door, "Just a minute," she responded and started to panic, if anyone saw her like this she couldn't even begin to imagine what would be done.

"All right, glad I caught you when you were awake," she heard Ryou's deep voice echo in her ears. Her eyes narrowed and she flung the door open and directed a glare at him.

"Why did you come here?" she hissed.

"I wanted to make sure you were ok, and obviously it's a good thing I did," he said, his blue eyes widened in horror, "you look terrible."

"You have no right-"

"Lettuce, what I did was awful, but you're stronger than this, you're better than this, you, of all people don't deserve it, but you of all people can handle it. This isn't living Lettuce, cuss me out, hit me, do whatever you have to do, just please, take care of yourself."

"Everyone deals with break-ups differently Ryou, and you've given me five days to get over it while dealing with head trauma," she attempted to walk off, and nearly fell, clutching the doorknob and then the door frame and caught her breath, "that would've been way more effective if I could walk."

"That's my point, you can't walk right now, and you are dealing with head trauma, don't worry me by adding not eating to the list. I'm sorry, so immensely sorry," he put a hand on her cheek, "I love you," Lettuce scoffed, "I mean that, and I don't wanna lose you."

"Why should I believe anything you say anymore?" she asked with a glare.

"You shouldn't," he said and smiled at her, and Lettuce was confused, the features on the face of her ex-boyfriend shifted and Lettuce started to fall back in shock but her neck was tightly clasped by a long, cold, clawed, pale hand and she was suspended in the air.

Masaya usually reserved Sunday's as a day of rest from any exercise but today was different. He pounded away at a red punching bag, trying to get out all the pent up anger before it led to anything outrageous. He continued to wail at the bag, a negative thought about Ryou or Ichigo with each punch. He didn't usually get angry but he felt as if his heart had been ripped out and then stomped on and beaten to a pulp, his immediate survival instinct told him to fight back, and the adrenalin needed to be released a violent way.

He wondered how the Blue Knight part of him was holding up, but was too scared to try to transform. He actually wondered if he still could, the Blue Knight's purpose was to protect Ichigo, now that he was no longer attached was the Blue Knight no longer part of him? He then felt his arm jerk, like the first time he had transformed to the Blue Knight.

He started to run towards where his arm led him, he didn't know what was happening, but he knew that if this was happening someone needed his help. He felt the heat of the typical transformation flames engulf him, and he looked down at his much paler hands seeing golden sleeves. He was surprised but kept running. He was familiar with the course he took, he didn't know what could be going on where he was headed but he knew he had to get there or Lettuce would be hurt further if not killed.

He burst through the door of the household and a confused Deep Blue turned when he saw a variant of his previous host. The Gold Knight saw him, not even thinking of whom it was he had come to the rescue of, and lunged at him, "I'm not so helpless this time," he growled at the alien leader that had just dodged his attack.

"Don't move, or I'll completely crush her windpipe," Deep Blue threatened.

He froze, he hadn't even noticed the squirming Lettuce, she was clawing at her neck, hr face turning a dark purple, "What do you want?" he asked between clenched teeth.

"Isn't it obvious? I've come for your girlfriend," he replied with a sadistic smile.

"I'm single," he replied with a glare, if the alien leader was surprised he didn't show it.

"If you didn't care about the green haired girl why would you transform?"

"I'm not here to debate," he growled. Lettuce writhed, trying desperately to clear her airway, "let her go, she's done nothing."

"But she has something I so greatly desire, a pure spirit, which can be broken, and turned to particles of mew aqua."

"Take mine instead, just leave her alone."

Lettuce squirmed even more, shaking her head in protest, Deep Blue chuckled, and said "Your spirit is neither pure nor easily broken. And you know you can't beat me, or you would've attacked me by now."

The Golden Knight summoned his sword, and nothing came, he closed his eyes and focused, he felt his hands grow warm, and heard a quick intake of breath, "I don't have to beat you," he said, opening his now green eyes, "you just can't win." He directed his focus at the alien overlord and sent a large energy blast towards him, and Deep Blue tried to move but was unable to get completely out of the way. The Golden Knight could hear his past parasite's flesh frying and see the sear mark. This new form was much more powerful.

Uh-oh's, what's gonna happen? And why did Masaya transform for Lettuce?

~Cy