Okay i'm gonna treat you all and give you a double update, this and the next chapter. Why? Because i'm nice... XD
As Ichigo sat in her room doing homework she thought to the previous night, although the sleepover had been good she did wish it hadn't been spoiled by the alien clones. It was a miracle no one else had heard the noise they made and come to look but apparently according to Mint the walls were thick and most people who slept their were heavy sleepers. In the morning Ichigo had walked home and she was now doing some school work before going to the Mew Mew café to work.
Glancing at her clock she decided she better be going, standing up she got out a jacket and quickly ran out of her room.
"Bye mum, bye dad!" she cried before running out the house.
-X-
"Lettuce hi!" she called meeting her in the park on her way there.
Lettuce turned and smiled, "Hi Ichigo."
As the two girls walked they continued to talk, "Some sleepover wasn't it?" Ichigo asked.
Lettuce nodded, "Yes, it was really good... oh I nearly forgot." she said stopping, "You left something there last night and I found it, here." she said getting something out of her pocket.
Ichigo realised it to be her purse, "Thanks Lettuce." she said picking it up.
Suddenly as she took it, a burning pain filled her body; she tried her best not to alarm Lettuce and looked away. The pain was only mild and after a short time it disappeared.
"What's the matter Ichigo?" Lettuce asked.
"Nothing." Ichigo said turning around and smiling, "Let's go." she said thinking it was nothing.
Ichigo thought of something else to say as they walked on however Lettuce beat her too it.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Huh?" Ichigo asked.
"Well..." Lettuce replied, "You know since... well..." she stammered.
Ichigo realised what she was trying to see, "Don't worry I'm well over Masaya going to America."
"Oh that's good." Lettuce replied.
"So anything interesting happening with you?..." Ichigo asked raising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Lettuce asked.
Ichigo smiled slyly, "Do you have any boys in mind?"
Lettuce blushed, "O... of course not!"
Ichigo had an idea she was lying but decided not to press further.
-X-
As everyone set to work before the customers began coming Ichigo found out that Zakuro had already informed Ryou and Keiichiro of what had happened at the sleepover and also of Kisshu's request. At first Ryou had hit the roof and refused along with Keiichiro who also thought it a bad idea. However in the end they had given up deciding if it would let them know more information on the mark then it was necessary. Also it was better to have them in their territory than go to theirs, at least this way they could watch what happened with the mark. Speaking of the mark...
Since it had been put on her Ichigo had noticed it was growing on her hand. Although it had started off small it was now growing bigger and had added bits from the mark had come off the mark and two separate pieces were now starting to go around her wrist as if they were ribbon wrapping around her. And although she thought it nothing she often had a tingling feeling in her hand and wrist sometimes. It had come so obvious that Ichigo had to wear gloves whenever around her parents or other friends. Although it was changing though nothing else had happened... yet.
As Ichigo was laying out some plates on the dishes and picked another one up Pudding suddenly ran past her just brushing against her and barely missing her as she ran to a table to lay it out, as usual she was hyper. Ichigo smiled however it soon faded when the pain she had had earlier returned, however this time it was worse. The pain was so bad she even let go of the plate in her hand which dropped onto the floor and smashed alarming the other mews. Finally, the pain disappeared and Ichigo found herself shaking slightly, what was wrong with her?
"Ichigo!?"
Ichigo turned to see the mews running to her.
"What are you playing at!" Mint cried.
Ichigo looked at the plate on the floor then back up, "I guess... it slipped from my fingers." she said, although she knew full well her eyes were blurry it was proberly something you went to the optician about, not something you got advice from your friends.
"Are you alright?" Lettuce asked.
Ichigo smiled, "Of course!"
"What was that noise?"
Everyone turned to see Ryou and Keiichiro.
"Erm..." Ichigo began.
"Ichigo was clumsy and dropped a plate." Mint said.
Ryou and Keiichiro glanced at the broken plate on the floor.
"Well that's coming out of your wages." Ryou said before turning and walking away, "Clean it up."
Ichigo glared at him as he walked out but then noticed Keiichiro walking towards her.
"Are you alright? You didn't cut yourself did you?" he asked smiling at her.
Ichigo shook her head, Keiichiro always seemed to make all the anger vanish away when he spoke, "No, no, no! I'm fine!" she said bending down and picking the pieces up, "See."
Suddenly the door opened from behind and the first few customers came in.
"Time to work!" Pudding cried running over to the customers.
By the time Ichigo had finished picking the plate up a dozen more customers had already come in as this café was very popular indeed with girls.
Sighing she put on a smile and went over to two girls, "This way please..." she gestured taking them to a table.
-X-
At the end of the day when everyone had cleaned up the mews sat around the table eating some cake of Keiichiro's.
"Yummy!" Pudding cried.
"I'm full." Lettuce said smiling when she had finished eating.
"As always, the food is delicious!" Ichigo exclaimed.
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"So when are the aliens coming here exactly?" Zakuro asked.
Ichigo suddenly remembered, "Oh yeah, proberly anytime now. They wouldn't want to come when we had customers."
After all the mews had eaten they all went into the changing rooms to get into their normal clothes, as they all left leaving Ichigo by herself she glanced at the mark on her hand, could it be the cause of her pain? Nah... it couldn't be...
As she changed her top she suddenly heard something behind her.
"Hello kitten!"
Ichigo cringed at the voice and turned her head to see Kisshu smiling, she felt her face going bright red considering she didn't have a top on and only a bra.
"Why you pervert!" she cried clenching her fists, grabbing her shoes from the floor she turned around and threw them at Kisshu.
-X-
"So you're here..." Zakuro said as Pai and Taruto teleported in the room suddenly, Ryou and Keiichiro also stood in the room.
"Where's Kisshu?" Mint asked.
"I think he's..." Taruto began.
Taruto cut off when suddenly they heard a commotion of what sounded like a lot of banging, after a while Ichigo suddenly appeared.
"Hi guys." she said smiling.
Everyone sweatdropped as a wobbly Kisshu followed.
"Baka." Taruto murmured.
"So should we get this over with?" Ryou said.
The aliens nodded and everyone followed Ryou and Keiichiro into the room where they did all the research. All the mews kept their eyes on the aliens as they went into the room.
"So what exactly do you want to do?" Ichigo asked.
"First off we need you to sit in a chair and take those gloves off." Pai stated.
Ichigo nodded and pulled a chair forward and did as she was told.
Everyone gasped as they looked at the mark, the two pieces wrapping around her arm had gone further up, Ichigo pulled her sleeve up and gasped to see they had made it up to her elbow.
"I see it must have already happened a few times." Taruto said.
"Eh?" Mint asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Tell us Ichigo have you been having strange things happening?" Pai said.
Ichigo thought to the blurriness in her eyes but thought it nothing and shook her head.
The aliens exchanged looks.
"Ichigo." Kisshu said, "Please tell us, it may be important and if you don't tell us something bad may happen."
Ichigo bit her lip and thought for a moment before nodding weakly, "Well... I ... I have had a slight pain suddenly once or twice." she whispered, "But that's nothing to do with the mark is it?"
The aliens didn't answer.
"Was that why she dropped that plate?" Pudding asked.
"Baka! You should have told us." Ryou remarked.
Ichigo looked at the floor.
"If for no reason you're getting sudden bursts of pain then it's proberly due to the mark and everytime that happened it was proberly what made your mark go further up your arm."
Ichigo looked back up, "But what is it exactly that is making this pain, surely something is triggering it?"
"Well what were you doing each time before you got the pain?" Taruto asked.
Ichigo thought back, the first time it had happened had been when she had taken her purse from Lettuce and the second time had been when she laying tables. But wait... just before that Pudding had run past her and brushed along her arm and when she'd taken the wallet she had touched Lettuce's hand. Surely... it couldn't mean...
"Well..." Ichigo began knowing she might as well tell everything now, "The first time was when I touched Lettuce's hand and took my purse. The second time Pudding brushed past me whilst I was laying plates."
All the mews stared in disbelief, "You're not suggesting..." Zakuro said.
Pai looked at Ichigo then back at the mews, Ryou and Keiichiro, "Although I'm not sure it could be it... The cause could be that everytime she comes into contact with someone else the mark triggers the effect."
--
Oh? So everytime someone touches her that happens... Also for those who are wondering don't worry the couples part will be coming up. Also please review,