Tokyo mew mew al La Fresco chapter seven: Informed.

"Ryou-kun…"

"I can't talk now I have to-"

"What was your sister doing here this afternoon?" Ryou stopped in the act of typing furiously on his laptop to look over his shoulder at Keiichiro who stood I the doorway with his arms folded looking less than enthused about life in general and more specifically with Ryou.

"She just stopped by to say hello." Keiichiro growled low in his throat.

"Don't lie to me, Ryou. It had something to do with all of those Kirema anima's the girls have been fighting recently doesn't it?" When he received no answer he walked to Ryou's chair and spun it around, leaning on the arms of the chair and down into Ryou's face. "Shabranigdo is coming isn't she." It was a statement-of-fact rather than a question but Ryou nodded in acknowledgement.

"She's given the Dark Lords orders to kill all of us on sight."

Keiichiro stood up with an angry snarl and began pacing the lab like a caged dog.

"That's nice and when exactly where you planning to tell me about this!"

"I just hadn't gotten around to it.

"Great and exactly what did you plan to tell the girls when L-sama outs you? You surely can't stay in the inter-dimensional demon closet after Death Fog starts targeting you instead of Ichigo-chan and the others."

"I know that!"

"I hope you also know that the girls can't possibly hope to defeat any of the lords, let alone Shabranigdo herself. You'll have to do it alone."

Ryou tugged at the roots of his hair in frustration.

"I know that! I know all of that! Don't you think I've contemplated every consequence of this! I knew this would come when Shabranigdo recognized the technology that made the mew mews! And what the hell do you think I've been doing down here since Nana left! Lettuce thinks I'm cheating on her when I've really only been trying to reverse what I've done to them to save their lives. I know they can't handle this. That's why I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get lectured about it when I already felt bad enough!"

Keiichiro calmed down slightly after seeing and hearing his friend's obvious anguish.

"Its too late Ryou-kun. They've already mutated too far to go back, just like the dark lords and us. The girls are Tokyo Mew Mew and they will always be Tokyo Mew Mew for as long as they live…which given current events probably won't be too long."

Ryou shook his head slowly.

"They can't get involved in this."

Keiichiro laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, I can just imagine the reception you'll receive at that. Try not to break too much furniture while getting pummeled by our little menagerie."

"Isn't there something you could do? A spell or something to keep them out of harm's way?"

"That's impossible and you know it. They're too headstrong and they aren't exactly human anymore. Beside those two crucial details, Spica sealed most of my powers. I'm a magician, not a miracle worker."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Just let them die! I've already lost Spica and I won't loose Lettuce! I'm tired of people dying for my mistakes!"

Keiichiro refolded his arms and frowned deep in thought.

"There is…one thing we could try. But you aren't gonna like it."

Ryou looked up at Keiichiro though frustrated, hopeful, and irritated eyes.

"Just spit it out already!"


Parsley Aizawa was busy flicking through the channels on his new 70-inch LCD television screen when the doorbell rang.

Cursing with language taught only on the sea, he went to answer the caller.

Ever since the story about his daughter had appeared on the front page of the newspaper, every journalist on the islands of Japan and a few places beyond had flocked to Tokyo to discuss Mint's relationship.

Parsley had taken to answering the door himself after his butler had gotten so flustered with the constant stream of visitors and never ending questions that he had proceeded to pull out what little hair he had left and quit.

"Yes, who…oh it's you." The master of the house said in tones of utter surprise.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir but I think that given the current situation it would e best if discussed some things. I would have brought Mint with me but she isn't being quite rational at the moment."

"Neither is Ginger." Parsley muttered, passing a hand through his salt and pepper colored hair. "I supposed your right, it would be a good idea. Come in and be quick about it, If Ginger were to find out that you were here she would seriously attempt to eviscerate you." He stepped aside to let Zakuro through the door then lead her to the parlor after closing it.

The maid followed them and took her employer's request for tea to the question.

"Now then, Fujiwara-san. What would you like to cover first? The fatherly lecture, Your plans for the future, or what you intend to do about this current media crisis?"

Zakuro sighed, realizing that this was going to be much harder than she had expected it to be.


Ichigo waved goodbye to the last of the customers in the café and closed the door.

"Ichi-chan…" Berri said, her voice lacking its usual energy and playfulness. That alone has Ichigo turning around, worried. "Can you feel it?"

"What do you mean?" Berri wrapped her arms around herself and sat down at one of the tables, shivering slightly.

Looking around for help as to what to do, Ichigo remembered that she and Berri were the only Mew Mews closing that night, Keiichiro, and Ryou were always boarded in their lab at this time of night.

"Are you okay, Berri-chan? You look a little pale."

"They're coming Ichi-chan and there's nothing we can do about it! There's nothing we can do to stop them!"

"Stop who?" Berri grabbed her head before she could answer and started whimpering. "B-Berrichan what's the matter with you? You have to tell me of I won't be able to help you." Ichigo grabbed Berri by the shoulders and let her go just as quickly as her empathic power let her feel just how frightened her fellow Mew really was.

"J-Just hang on a second, Berri-chan, I'll go get Ryou and Ichigo, maybe they'll be able to help you."

Putting her feline speed to work, Ichigo sprinted through the café and down the flight of steps to the basement to find Ryou and Keiichiro in the midst of a heated argument.

"Are you fucking crazy ! You can't do that ! I won't let you!" Ryou said standing up challengingly to Keiichiro who stood his ground and looked down at the shorter boy with an air that was clearly nonplused by the aggressive attitude.

"Don't be stupid about this. This is out only option thus far. You know the principle of Equivalent Exchange, Ryou-kun so unless you want to consign them to-Oh hello Ichi-chan! I didn't see you there, is there something we can help you with? Ichigo blinked.

Keiichiro had gone back to his normal cherry manner in the literally the blink of an eye.

The way his voice had sounded a moment again, talking to Ryou had been hard and shrewd and had quite frankly scared the shit out of Ichigo.

"…ER-oh yeah, Berri-chan is having a panic attack or something! She keeps muttering about someone coming and us being able to do nothing about it."

Ryou and Keiichiro exchanged a quick alarmed glance before rushing up to the café, both of them running as Ichigo had never seen before, to find Berri somewhat more calm.

Calm to the effect that she was no longer incoherently babbling or whimpering, just sobbing into Tasuku's shoulder as her held her, whispering comfortingly.

"What did you people do to her?" He asked coldly, staring at Ryou with murderous intent.

"She's awakening to her psychic powers that were involved in the Mew Mew project. Keiichiro said, visibly relaxing for Tasuku's benefit but Ichigo could tell that her was even more tense than her had been when she'd first told them." My best guess is that she'd developed the power of Foresight. The ability to see into the future and witness events that may or may not occurs. " Keiichiro said, not bothering to fetch his clipboard (A/N: gomen nasai Drive Me Mercury-san).

"So why is she so freaked out? What does she mean about not being able to beat someone and everyone dying?"

"I don't know." Keiichiro replied without missing a beat.

"Well you damn well figure it out soon and if this is hurting her you'll pay for it." Tasuku threatened, leading Berri out of the café, sparing one last glare at the three others present and lingering for an extra moment on Ryou.

After the two junior-high students left, Ichigo turned to her employers with narrowed eyes.

"You lied to Tasuku I could feel it. You know what she saw and why she's so upset. It's got something to do with our new enemies doesn't it?"

"Ichigo-chan…"She glared sideways at Keiichiro then turned to Ryou whom she could always trust to be the more honest of the two.

"Ryou, tell me what's going on." The blond sighed and exchanged a brief glance with Keiichiro in which both of them wordlessly agreed that they had to tell the Mews the truth at some point.

Why not start with the first Mew Mew to join their ranks?

"You aren't going to like it."

"I don't care. Just tell me."