Chapter 4: The Alien's Fate - Welcome To The Team!
"So basically what you're saying... is that your from a different dimension ... where we're a anime?" Ichigo said, trying to comprehend.
"Pretty much," Olivia answered, while Coco silently nodded.
"Do you guys know how to get back?" Lettuce asked.
"Nope," was the short reply from the siblings.
"Well, I guess you're staying here then," Mint mumbled in annoyance.
"And you guys, what is your REAL reason?" Ichigo questioned, turning to the aliens.
"Well, our planet is healed. The Mew aqua helped and we thought we share the news with the Mews," said Kisshu, laughing at his own joke.
"That's all? You went across the universe to tell us your planet healed?" Ichigo checked skeptically.
"Well..." Kisshu started, a little hesitation in his voice.
"What did you do!? the seven girls exclaimed at once.
"Nothing much... Just broke a few rules.." Kisshu stated, trying to sound casual.
"Broke a few rules!? Don't tell me you're here because the intergalactic police or something is chasing you!" Ichigo cried.
"Well, we are being chased," Taruto highlighted.
"What!?" the girls exclaimed again.
"Don't worry, not by the police," Kisshu assured them.
"Phew!" the girls said, catching their breath.
"Well at least I don't think so..." he muttered quietly.
The girls started to worry.
"So what is it?" Zakuro asked, looking perfectly calm. But her eyes showed strain.
"Well it's a long story. You should sit down," Kisshu suggested.
The girls each got a chair and sat.
"It all began when we were at a restaurant..." Kisshu began.
He was then was immediately interrupted by Pudding. "You guys have restaurants, na no da?"
"Of course we have restaurants. Who do you think we are, caveman? So as I was saying, we were at a restaurant... And we just finished our meal and we got - What do you earth people call it?" Kisshu said, stopping to think.
"A fortune cookie. And he's been on earth longer than me," Taruto scoffed. "Sometimes I think I'm smarter than him," he added quietly.
"What did you say?" Kishu asked, glaring at Taruto.
"Um, nothing!" Taruto said quickly.
"Yeah, a fortune cookie. And of course that was odd. Because that's an earth thing. But we had heard about it and opened it anyway," Kisshu continued. "And it said 'Your life is in danger. Say nothing to anyone. You must leave your planet immediately and never return. Repeat: say nothing or else...' But since it was a fortune cookie we didn't actually believe it or anything. Because you know, it's a fortune cookie!"
"That was a BIG mistake," Taruto stated.
"Then bad stuff started happening. First on a small scale. Nothing really important. But Taruto and I started getting worried. But we still stayed. Of course, also a big mistake," Kisshu said.
Taruto took over. "It got worse and worse. It was like a.." he paused.
"Oh, look who is short of earth knowledge now," Kisshu highlighted, smirking.
"S-shut up!" Taruto said.
The two started to argue.
"Guys? Hello? Guys!" Ichigo exclaimed.
"Huh?" the two boys asked.
They had completely forgotten they were telling a story.
Ichigo pointed to herself and the Mews. "I thought you were telling us about the fortune!"
"Oh, well as I was saying.." Kisshu started.
"A vicious circle!" Taruto exclaimed suddenly. "That's what it was. We kept on ignoring the warnings again and again. Until it got to it's worst..."
"If I may ask, what was it's worst?" Lettuce piped in quietly.
"We were robbed," Kisshu said darkly.
"Robbed?" the Mews repeated.
"Yes, robbed. Everything was taken away from us," Taruo said quietly.
"Everything?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, everything," the two aliens said together.
Kisshu then explained, "We were ransacked. Our whole house destroyed, every person or living thing was gone, leaving nothing but a sole note saying run. So that we did," he paused. "Kitten, we NEED your help,"
The girls had mixed reactions. Lettuce, Pudding and Olivia looked sorry for the aliens. Ichigo and Mint were looking at them like they were crazy. Coco and Zakuro looked emotionless.
"You know this is all your fault," Ichigo accused, looking at Kisshu.
"What did I do?" he exclaimed.
"If you would have listened to the fortune cookie none of this would have happened, making it YOUR fault. I mean, come on, you're not supposed to tell anyone and yet you're telling us!" Ichigo replied.
"Well it's his fault! He said not to believe fortune cookies," Kisshu said, glaring at Pai.
"I refuse to take part of this," Pai declared.
"We're so sorry about your family. Is there anything we can do?" Lettuce asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Just letting us stay here will be fine. Hopefully who ever did this won't find us," Kisshu said.
"If Pudding needs to, Pudding will fight, na no da!" Pudding said a little too enthusiastically.
"Yes, if you need us to fight, we are willing to help," Lettuce offered.
"Thank you for your services," Pai said.
"Douitashimashite!" the five Mews piped.
"What can I do?" Olivia asked.
"Uh, well..." Ichigo stuttered, looking for an answer.
"How does nothing sound?" Mint asked sarcastically.
"Hey! I want to help," Olivia said, frustrated, not getting the sarcasm.
"Hey, I was just kidding. Ask Keiichiro or something," Mint suggested.
Olivia followed the advice and started pestering Keiichiro and Shirogane for a job to do.
"Hey, hey! I have an idea for a job!" Ichigo exclaimed excitedly to Olivia and Coco.
"Really?!" Olivia asked.
"If you're smart you can help in the lab!" Ichigo said, proud of her idea.
"Well, um..." Keiichiro and Shirogane looked at each other.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Kelichro stated.
"Please, please!" Olivia begged, getting down on her knees.
"It depends..." Shirogane started.
"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Olivia jumped up and down.
"I didn't say yes," Shirogane reminded her.
"Aww," Olivia sighed sadly.
"It depends if you're smart enough," he finished.
"I'm smart!" Olivia stated happily.
Coco pulled Olivia over to the side. "Olivia, I don't think that is a good idea,"
"Why not?" Olivia asked, tilting her head to the side.
"W-well, you don't really like labs..." Coco said.
"What makes you think that?" Olivia questioned.
"W-well every science fair day in school, you pretend to be sick," Coco pointed out.
"Oh, right..." Olivia said and then added: "But this is a Mew lab!"
"Shirogane-San? W-what exactly would we do if we worked in the lab?" Coco asked.
"Would we get to inject new Mews?" Olivia asked excitedly.
"No, you would need experience to do something like that. You would just be a apprentice," Shirogane said.
"Aww..." Olivia quickly recovered. "Well I never liked labs anyway."
She walked away, no longer interested.
"How about you, Coco?" Shirogane asked, turning to her.
"Um, w-well I don't know if I'm smart enough," Coco said, at a loss for words.
"Don't worry, Olivia-chan, you can work as a waitress here, na no da!" Pudding offered happily.
Shirogane's attention was turned from Coco to Pudding with those words. "Wait, wait, what? Who said we are hiring?"
"I did!" Pudding stated.
"I think it's a good idea, you're hired!" Kelichro said, looking at Pudding and Olivia.
"Yay, yay, yay!" Olivia exclaimed, bouncing.
"Coco, you still haven't answered the question," Shirogane said.
"Oh, Coco. She's really smart," Olivia stated proudly. "She was even offered a spot in a advanced school before.." Olivia stopped mid-sentence. The two siblings shared an awkward glance. "What I was saying is that she IS smart,"
"Is this true?" Keiichiro asked.
Coco nodded.
"What about the school?" Ichigo interrogated.
An awkward silence filled the crowded lab.
"Y-yes," Coco muttered quietly, looking at the floor and fiddling with her skirt.
"Well, I guess it's settled. Welcome to the team. While Coco and Olivia help you guys,
we will see if we can try to get the two back to their dimension," Keiichiro said.
The girls were filing out of the lab when Keiichiro added: "Girls, show Coco, Olivia and the aliens their rooms."
"Nani?! They are staying here?" Ichigo exclaimed.
"They mentioned it earlier. Were you not paying attention, Ichigo?" Mint asked, smirking.
"W-well I..." Ichigo stuttered.
"You were probably daydreaming about Aoyama. Am I correct?" Mint asked.
Ichigo eyes widened. Mint smirked.
She had hit the jackpot.
"Well, have fun," Mint said, walking out of the lab. She was then promptly pulled back by Ichigo, demanding her to help by escorting Kisshu to his room.
Which of course she refused until Zakuro made a comment about it, "Ichigo is right. you need to help more, Mint."
"O-okay Onee-Sama!" Mint said, her cheeks flushing.
So with persuasion from Zakuro, Mint took Kisshu,
Lettuce decided to take Pai, Pudding took Taruto and Olivia and Ichigo took Coco. And despite saying Mint had to work more, Zakuro didn't take anyone.
"What was that about?" Ichigo asked Coco while walking down the hall to the spare room.
"I-it's nothing," Coco said quietly.
Ichigo knew it was something more but she decided to let it slip. She had matured over the years.
"Okay, well as Keiichiro said, welcome to the team!" Ichigo exclaimed. The door was opened to the spare room...
Author's Notes: Douitashimashite means 'you're welcome'.
Nani means 'what'.