Ch. 8: 5 Years Later

Unfortunately, not everything is good or perfect like how it is for our little 'supposedly dead' banished princess. In the Mew Mew Lands, a place of once beauty and peace has now become a realm of desecration and despair. The grass is no longer green, the trees are no longer strong and healthy, the water has dried up, the skies are constantly black with grey clouds that never rain, and the balance between carnivores and herbivores has been completely lopsided. With Kirema Animas having entered the food chain and always on a constant hunger, many of the animal beings left for their lives and even some cyniclons left too. Probably the most populated place in this desolated land would be the Mew Castle where some unwillingly faithful workers still reside with their ruler, King Deep Blue. Sitting on his throne, feeling completely bored, the cyniclon leader has the sixteen-year old Mint keeping him company by playing the harp to try and life up his spirits. So far, not working.

"That's enough, Mint," Deep Blue tells her after finishing off a bone. Tossing it to the side, preferably where the bird-being is, he adds, "Your music just depresses me more."

Mint raises up her arm to protect herself from the bone but it lands on the ground beside her and then it tuckles away. A scowl look appears on her face but she quickly pushes that aside and instead tries to smile at her majesty. "T-Then maybe your highness would prefer something else to eat? Your mood lightens when you have something to snack on."

"Are you trying to fatten me, or are you deranged? I've already consumed whatever little morsel there was on this bone."

"Yes, but surely that wasn't enough. Maybe if you let me go," she lifts up the shackle chain on her ankle, "then surely, I can find something for you."

"Then surely, you can try to escape again," he accuses her with a wicked grin on his face. She gulps at that. Standing up from his throne, the cyniclon approaches his little chained bird and his sharp claws simply poke the flesh under her chin as he says, "Did you not pledge your loyalty and devotion to the royal family eleven years ago? You signed the contract and it's sealed tight. You should have known better than to run away." He shoves her face aside and walks away.

Rubbing her cheek to make sure that he didn't cut her, Mint grumbles under her breath, "I made that vow to Queen Sakura, not you." And a split second later, Deep Blue's hand found its way around her neck.

"What did you say?" he asks her in a deep, deadly voice; his eyes glowing in rage and his pupils vertically skinny.

"N-Nothing!" Her voice was just barely a whisper and Deep Blue's grip is now threatening to snap her neck at his desire.

"I'm sure I made it clear to you about using that name. It's the law, Mint, to never ever mention that name in my presence. Do I make myself clear this time?"

Tears peak at her eyes as she's losing air and her vision is going blurry. If he doesn't snap her neck, she will surely suffocate and if she can help it, she does not want to die. She opens her mouth to speak but if she can't breathe, how can she talk? So she hastily nods her head and he releases her.

"Good." Deep Blue walks away again, back to his throne while his little bird servant is coughing and gasping for the thickening air. She was starting to see stares and it took her a while before she quieted down. "But you're not the first to do so. Tell me then, why is it that I'm not loved?"

Mint looks at him like he's joking but seeing his wondering face, surely not. "Sire, must you really ask that question?"

"If the answer is so obvious, then tell me what it is. I'm warm, witty, good-looking, I can be pleasant to be around."

If she knew it wasn't going to kill her to do it, Mint really would face-palm at all these characters Deep Blue is listing that he clearly does not possess. And she should know. She's been in his company long enough. "It's not so much as what's wrong with you, your majesty. But the Mew Mew Lands have completely gone to pot! The Kirema Animas and your outcasts have been jumping around like they own the place and there isn't enough water to fill a flamingo's stomach! If you want to be loved, then please do something before the Mew Mew Lands go completely down the dumper!"

Honestly, it didn't look like Deep Blue was listening to her as she venting all these things. How could the condition of the Mew Mew Lands grasp the love of his subjects?

Then the doors to the throne room open without so much as a curious knock.

"Oi, Deep Blue! We have a bone to pick with you!" Tart screams, barging himself in with his brother, Sardon by his side. Only these two, and Mint instantly noticed that little difference.

Now more demused, Deep Blue asks, "What is it now, Tart? Can't you see I am having a very serious conversation with this simple-minded singing bird?" Oh how Mint wishes she could slap this man upside the head. Like the guy was paying attention!

Placing a hand on the younger cyniclon's shoulder, Sardon gives the message that he'll handle this before Tart completely goes off the wall like he did last time. "Master Deep Blue, there is no food, no water."

But he should have known that Tart wasn't going to stay silent. "It's dinner time and we've got no stinken entrée! I'm starving."

"You're always hungry, Tart. I swear your hunger can be matched to that of a Kirema Anima. Why don't you just eat them?" the king suggests.

Tart nearly turned green with that thought and Sardon notes, "He tried. Even that was appalling to watch."

"I don't see why you came complaining to me about it then. It's the female predator's job to do the hunting."

"They won't hunt, your majesty."

Now Deep Blue feels like he's having a headache, since this is probably the twentieth time these two have whined about this. "Ugh, eat Mint then."

What did he say?!

Both cyniclon brothers turn to look at the blue bird-being and Tart is already drooling at her. Instantly, she protests. "N-No, no, no! You don't want to eat me. I'm only skin and bones, and I-I'm-"

"Pregnant?" Deep Blue asks, smirking. Mint gasped at him as if she were seeing death himself. How did he… "Two beings in one. Should be satisfying for the both of you."

Strangely enough, Tart now looks conflicted. "U-Uh sorry, boss. But I cross the line at pregnant women."

Oh for the love of the Great Circle. "If you don't want her then get out. I'm tired of listening to your grumbling."

"Yes, sire." Sardon grabs his little brother's shoulders and starts pulling him out.

"Ah, but I'm still hungry!"

"Then he next time he offers you the bird, you eat it!"

Rubbing his temples to suppress the headache, he exhales before his faithful servants leave, "At least it's finally quiet down here." Both Sardon and Tart freeze in their steps right before the door. From Mint's point of view, they seemed to have tensed before Deep Blue asks, "I am to assume that you two have dispose of him?"

After his question, the silver earrings on their elf like ears glow and then both Sardon's and Tart's bodies relax, their eyes narrowing half-way with a blank expression in them. They both answer, "Yes."

A dark shiver runs up Mint's spine from their answer while Deep Blue looks the most pleased he's been all day. "Very good. You may go." The two brothers leave the room with the permission granted.

As soon as they left, Mint wasted no time in asking, "Your majesty, please! What did you mean by that?"

Turning to her, the young bird sees the wide, evil smirk on Deep Blue's face and he responds to her, "The last nuisance that stood against me. That's who I meant."

If Mint had been standing, surely she would have collapsed by those words. Her eyes wide with shock, fear and loss. She knows exactly whom he's referring to and now that last bit of hope she had for the Mew Mew Land and the unborn child in her womb is gone.

There is no future now. This nightmare will never end.


Meanwhile for the two brothers, once they were far enough away from the royal throne room of the Mew Castle, some leaps out of the shadows and grabs Sardon's shirt. This caught the outcasts off guard and the person who grabbed Sardon's shirt collar to bash him against the wall is none other than seventeen-year old Ryou. He's baring his fangs at the older cyniclon and his eyes promise nothing but torturous pain if it weren't for the small bit of self control he just barely possesses.

"Where is he?!" he demands to know. "What have you done to him?"

Tart is on guard, ready to attack this enrage kitty but with his brother near danger, he hesitates to move. That or he knows that his brother isn't in any real jeopardy. He can take care of himself but the young fourteen-year old just wants to be ready.

Sardon doesn't look the least bit scared at all by the animal-being. "I'd let go if I were you. I won't hesitate to devour you if you decide to commit mutiny against us. Surely, that won't go well for your mother and your mate if you choose this path." Ryou growled dangerously at the purple-haired cyniclon for that, but there is truth in his words. So unwillingly, he lets go.

"That's a good little kitty," Tart coos, much to the blonde's extreme annoyance.

"Don't patronize me. Where is Kish?!"

Fixing his shirt, Sardon asks, "Who?"

With shaking fists, Ryou is trying really hard to not punch this guy right now. "Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly who I'm talking about! Kish, your brother? What have you done with him?!"

The silver earrings glisten in the small dark light of the outside from the windows they creep in, and Sardon responds, "The only brother I have is Tart. I never had a brother by that name." Ryou raises a brow in confusion to that.

Then Tart admits like he's bored, "But that guy is gone, as directed by King Deep Blue's orders." And Ryou's eyes widen to that, almost very much like Mint's when she heard it.

Dare he asks, "W-What do you mean 'gone'? D-Did you…kill him?"

Neither brothers respond to him right away. They stare at this once furious tiger, now starting to become a whimpy little kitty because of the loss of this one character. Tart doesn't even feel like smirking in glee to the guy's angst. Honestly it just looks pathetic on him.

Finally Sardon leans to the black and white tiger-male's ear and says to him, "Your last hope for freedom has disappeared from your life forever. Just give up." Then he walks past him and both him and Tart resume their leave to someplace to get food.

The sound of their retreating footsteps echo in the halls and once they became just barely thumps to Ryou's sensitive ears, that's when he finally let the news sink in. He hadn't moved for the longest moment, as if time stopped for him. Finally he responds by biting the corner of his lip till he could taste his own blood and then his fist punches the wall in his frustration and despair. A few cracks appeared from his hit but the pain on his knuckles is nothing compared to the utter anguish he now feels. Leaning against his arm on the wall, all he can do now is speak to the empty abyss.

"I'm sorry, Mint. I'm so sorry."


Letting out a loud content sigh, Pudding stretches her body against the cool grass and exclaims, "I am stuff, na no da!"

Lying beside her, Ichigo looks just as satisfied when she says, "That log was loaded with fat bugs. So good." Lettuce couldn't agree more with her friends.

The Great Circle has fallen for the day and now, the Night Circle has taken its place high above with the stars. Lying on the soft grass, Lettuce's green hair looks like rivers now that she's decided to let her hair loose. Her hair has definitely grown longer over the years but not too long, and her curves have definitely become more define. Instead of wearing a corset like she did in the past, she still has her long green skinny pants but for a top, it looks like turquoise strapless-bra with green see-through material over her shoulders as sleeves and shielding her abdomen. She still has the silver arm band on her left arm and the golden, tear-drop peal necklace resting on her breasts. Pudding's outfit has also changed after five years. Instead of a one-strap brown bra top, it's a sleeveless one too but she's also wearing a golden military vest over it. As for bottoms, Pudding is wearing a golden brown short shorts and dark brown mountain boots. Her hair is still the same length and style she had it before.

Finally for Ichigo, she also decided to let her hair loose instead of constantly tying it into her high two-pigtails like she did before. It's still shoulder length, though, and some of her strands behind her black fluffy ears have curled. As for her clothes, it's almost the same except it's the same exact way as Sakura's outfit. A dark pink tank top layered with a short pink top over it that's only a few inches shorter than where her belly button is. It's dangling sleeves are longer on her shoulders and she's wearing a red, short flowy skirt that reveals her long, beautiful legs. For the final touch, she has golden ankle bracelets on each foot and a red ribbon, golden bell collar wrapped around her neck.

At the same time, all three girls let out a long content sigh before looking up at the stary sky above. They usually do this after having a big meal and long day of fun. It is their time to just lie down and relax.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," Lettuce sighs.

Pudding agrees, "Yeah…like fireflies, na no da!"

Ichigo nearly laughs when she heard that as Lettuce tries to tell the young monkey, "Pudding-chan, you just ate."

"But don't they look like them, na no da? Fireflies stuck up in the sky, and it's our job to go up there and eat'em, na no da!"

Ichigo couldn't hold back this time. "I don't think they're fireflies, Pudding. Even though, they would be tasty."

"Oh? And what do you think they are if not fireflies, na no da?"

"Ah…" she asks for a moment. Should have known if she shuts down Pudding's theory, she's going to get asked. "D-Don't ask me! Ask Lettuce. She's the smart one."

"Eh?" the fish girl gasps, unexpected.

"Lettuce onee-chan, what do you think they are, na no da?"

Her cheeks turning red for being put on the spot, Lettuce thinks for a moment before responding, "W-Well…to be honest, I always thought they're balls of gas burning billion and billion miles away."

"Gas?" asks Ichigo, raising a brow.

With a dry voice, Pudding tells her friend. "Lettuce onee-chan, don't ruin my theory of fireflies." An apologetic small laugh escapes Lettuce's lips for that.

"Surely you have a theory, Ichigo-san."

And back to Ichigo! "Well…"

"You do, na no da?" asks the monkey, now getting excited. She sits up a little to look at the red-hair cat girl. "Tell us, na no da!"

"I-It's silly, Pudding. But someone told me long ago that the Great Kings of our past, and the loved ones we lost, are up there. Watching over us, and if I should ever feel alone or lost, just look up and they'll be there for me." Both Pudding and Lettuce are stunned by her words. They blink for a moment, say nothing, and then Ichigo forces on a smile and jokes, "But that's ridiculous, right? I mean, a couple of dead people watching over us? That's impossible." Even her laugh after that sounds forced.

Pudding responds, "Yeah, r-ridiculous, na no da." But even her voice sounds like it forced out her good nature. Ichigo didn't catch it right away but a tragic look appears on the monkey's face for a moment before she decides to get up and leave.

Having heard the rustling of the grass and seeing from the corner of her eyes her friend leaving, Ichigo quickly sits up to call "Pudding?" Lettuce also sits up as well.

Pudding stops walking for a brief moment, only to smile at her friends and tell them, "I-I'm suddenly really tired so I'm gonna turn in early, na no da. Good night, na no da!" Then without a word more, she leaps up to the closest tree and swings away. Ichigo watches her go in confusion as Lettuce has a sad and understanding expression on her face.

"Did I say something wrong?" asks Ichigo, worryingly.

"No, Ichigo-san. I think, Pudding-chan is just thinking about her lost loved ones." Lettuce then looks down at her necklace and picks up the pearl to stare at it, and relieve a few long ago memories. "I've known Pudding-chan for a long time now. We were really young when we first met and even though our personalities were different, we eventually had something in common. Someone who we cared deep cared about was lost. Just one day, they went poof –vanished into thin air. Pudding-chan is always smiling so you never really know about the wounds she bares, but with these questions still unanswered, she feels them just as I do. I'm sure if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have the strength to keep smiling."

Ichigo had never heard of this before. For five years, she's been with them but not once have they ever talked about their past. She never asked, as they never asked about her past. Most of the time, she forgets that Lettuce and Pudding were also running away from their own painful past. "Oh Lettuce, I'm so sorry."

Lettuce smiles kindly to her and tells her, "You don't need to be. I'm sorry we never told you before but Pudding-chan strongly believes that if we even think about the past, we're not really moving on. But," she rolls the pearly between her two fingers back and forth, "from time to time, I can't stop thinking about him. He was always so kind to me, even when I used to be so scared of him in the beginning."

"He gave you that necklace, didn't he? W-Was he…your lover?"

The second Ichigo asks that, Lettuce's face instantly turns red. It was quite incredible how fast that happened, like the blood just shot up to her face automatically. "N-No, i-it was never like that…I-I mean, um…" Then she takes a moment to calm down and Lettuce has a sad expression again "W-We weren't like that. We were too young and even if…I-I…I wanted to, it would have been impossible. His parents wanted him to marry someone else. W-We were just two people who met by chance and then we found out that we were interested in the same things. How I used to enjoy our conversations and looked forward to every visit he would make to my home pond. Then I met his little brother who followed him one day with Pudding-chan. And then one day, Pudding-chan came to my pond in tears and said that their home was on fire and that it burned to the ground. We didn't know if it was an accident or intentional. All we knew was they were gone, their bodies never found. I tried to believe that maybe they were still out there but it was obviously impossible. My only regret is that I never told him how I really felt because I lacked the courage." Lettuce's face looked like she was going to start crying any moment. In the beginning, her eyes would hold such joy at the fond memories of her past with her loved one but then when she remembered how she lost him, they darkened with so much grief and sorrow Ichigo could almost feel her pain and know exactly how it hurts.

Actually, she does in fact.

It became Lettuce's turn to stand up and she looks at Ichigo with those painful eyes, ready to cry. "I think I'll turn in early, too. S-Sorry to upset you with this." Before she could leave, however, Ichigo reaches up for her hand and grabs it to stop her. "I-Ichigo-san?"

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," the cat girl apologizes. "I said something really insensitive before. M-My…my mother told me that theory and she died shortly after telling me. I'm really sorry."

Placing her other hand over Ichigo's, Lettuce smiles kindly again, for real, and tells her friend, "It's alright, I understand. Good night, Ichigo-san."

The cat-being tries to return the smile, but it looks really pitiful. Still all in all, she responds, "Good night, Lettuce." When the fish-being tried to leave again, Ichigo let her hand slip from her grip and she watch the beautiful water-creature disappear in the shadows of the forest.

For Ichigo to watch the stars by herself isn't going to be a lot of fun for her but after that sort of serious talk, some alone time would be good. Still, she doesn't want to watch the stars. Thanks to Lettuce remembering her precious person, Ichigo started to open the wounds she tried so hard to hide away from view. She didn't want to do that intentionally but she had no other choice as a few memories of her past started to come back.

It was almost sixteen years ago when Ichigo first met Kisshu. She was only a kitten who just learned to walk around properly after being blind for many weeks after birth. Most cat-beings would have a litter but Ichigo was born alone and rather small. It was a miracle in it of itself that she survived. Her father died of a hunting accident when her mother was in the early stages of pregnancy. However, that is a different story. When Ichigo and her cyniclon met, it was when Ichigo was chasing baby Mint and Sakura was trying to tell Ichigo to stop.


"AAHHH!" Mint cried. "Mz. Zakura, hep me!"(she's saying, "Ms. Sakura, help me!" just so there is no confusion) Unfortunately at the time, Mint could not speak clearly because she was only six months old, as was Ichigo who was chasing her in her animal form as if she were a new toy to play with.

Sakura is trying to grab her happily playing daughter, Ichigo while trying to call, "Ichigo! Stop chasing Mint! She's only a baby!" But Ichigo just kept on chasing Mint, even when the little bird tried to hide behind a big rock to save herself. However doing so, the baby bird almost hit an alien with long white hair and golden amber eyes right in the face. Fortunately, that grown-up male was able to bend his head to the side and Mint barely missed. Unfortunately, Ichigo wasn't so lucky. She turned at the corner and crashed right into a child near her age; a toddler boy first trying to walk.

Bonk

When Sakura finally came around the boulder, she stares down in surprise, along with the alien man, and they see Ichigo on top of a little alien baby boy. It almost looked like she had him pinned down to the dirt and he looked up at her with big, wide startled eyes. She was looking down at him in surprise, too.

"I am so sorry!" Sakura told the man.

The man looks up at her and quickly said, "Oh please don't apologize. I'm sure it was an accident." Still Sakura bowed in apology.

Mint landed on top of the rock and demanded, "Gef ouf im!" Even back then, she acted like someone with high authority. Both Sakura and the man first look up at Mint and then back down at the two children on the ground. Ichigo was still on top of the cyniclon boy.

"Mew," Ichigo let out before licking the little boy's cheek in greeting. He cringed from the lick before he did something surprising. He overpowered her and it was his turn to pin her down on the dirt instead. That made Ichigo revert back into her human form and she looked up at the baby boy in surprise next as now he smiled in victory. He even cheered at his little success.

"Okay, Kisshu, that's enough." The man picked the baby boy up off of Ichigo and another pair of hands grabbed Ichigo. The baby cat still stared at the baby boy known as Kisshu while he was looking up at his father with a big smile on his face – waiting to be praised for what he did. The boy's father had an apologetic smile on as he said, "Please forgive my son. Sometimes I think he's more of an animal being than a cyniclon."

"It's quite alright," Sakura told him. "To be honest, that was the first time I'd ever seen Ichigo getting pinned down instead. She's quite the undefeated champ. Perhaps it's about time she has some competition in her life."

The man smiled again in a friendly matter and said, "I guess there's a first time for everything." Shifting the weight of his son to one arm, he extended the other to Sakura. "I'm Flamiche, by the way. This is my son, Kisshu."

Sakura grasped Flamiche's hand and greeted back, "I'm Sakura and this trouble-maker daughter of mine is Ichigo." Then she motioned up to Mint and introduced, "And here is Mint. She's a friend."

Flamiche let go of Sakura's hand and nodded to Mint in greeting. "Hello, Mint."

"Ello," she answered, returning the gesture.

Flamiche complimented, "Cute." Then he turned back to Sakura. "I hope to see you again soon. Kisshu needs a new playmate."

Sakura giggled and answered, "And I think Ichigo needs someone else to mess with for a while." They both laugh at that.

Afterwards, Flamiche took a step behind him and departed, "Goodnight."

Kisshu had other ideas. He reached for Ichigo and mumbled, "Un…" unable to say anything else since he hasn't started talking yet. Flamiche looked at his son weird while the toddler continued to reach for the kitten. Sakura noticed that, too.

"I think he wants to say 'goodbye,' too." Looking at Ichigo, Sakura asked, "Do you want to say 'bye', Ichigo?" She took steps closer towards the guys and Flamiche faced the two females so that Kisshu could have an easier time.

Kisshu was first able to pet Ichigo's head and she stared at him in confusion. Then she cringes every time his hand was getting too close to her eyes. Then when he finally near enough, Ichigo felt his tongue licking her cheek, like how she did to him.

Sakura couldn't help herself when she saw that. "Awww!" It was the cutest thing ever.

"Kitty!"

And that was a surprise. Flamiche and Sakura were startled as Kisshu repeated, "Kitty!" Then in return Ichigo smiled and meowed in joy.

The two adults looked at each other again and Flamiche concluded, "I don't think we need to worry about them being friends."

No they didn't. After that, Kisshu and Ichigo met many times after that and they were more wrestling buddies than anything. As long as it kept the young kitten from chasing Mint all over the savannah, then the bird was fine with it. She actually didn't want to go near those two when they played because the few times she accidently did, they chased her and she went flying for her life. Little Ryou had wanted to play a few times, since he was in the playful cat stages, but he didn't stand a chance with those two. He was beaten, crying for losing within in five minutes and then Zakuro would come to see why her son was crying and both Kisshu and Ichigo would run away themselves, crying from how scaring she was. It was unfortunate Deep Blue didn't have that effect on those two when they decided to visit and annoy him. Happy years passed like that. The new characters were added into their adventure but all in all, Ichigo and Kisshu were definitely closer to each other than anyone else was to them – except for their parents.

"Gotcha!" a recently turned, 5-year old Ichigo called out after jumping out of the tall grass. She crashed into Kisshu right from behind and he only had a second before they both started rolling on the ground. Their laughter ringing out across the open fields until they accidently rolled right into the waterhole. They reached right at the edge of the lake when they realized that but it was too late. They were already falling in.

Splash

A small splash was the result of their fall in and seconds later, they came jumping out of the water as if it were full of acid, struggling for the surface. Once on land, they were dripping wet, cold, shivering, and miserable. Both of them exclaimed, "I HATE water!"

Ichigo turned to her friend and asked, "How come you hate water? I'm a cat so I have the right!"

"No, your hate is just expected," he counteracted. "I hate water because you can't breathe, you can't control your body, it gets everywhere, it's cold, and it can kill ya! That's how my mama died…" He mumbled that so softly that if Ichigo didn't have sensitive hearing, she would have missed it.

Instantly Ichigo's eyes narrow in pity and she starts fiddling with her fingers while Kisshu is shaking his sleeves to get the water off. "I-I'm sorry, Kisshu…" She got his attention when she mumbled that loud enough for him to hear. He stared at her for a good minute while she didn't.

"Gotcha!" Then he pounced on her without warning and got her down on the dirt with his hand pressing at a certain place on her dominate shoulder. Catching her completely off guard, she just looked at him wide eye as he smirks. "Don't drop your guard to the enemy. You lose faster that way, koneko-chan!" She got insulted for that.

"Cheater! You cheated, Kisshu!" She struggled to get up but when she tried, her dominate arm wouldn't move. "What did you do?!"

"Just pressed a certain pressure point on your shoulder that prevents you from using it," Kisshu answered with glee. "Papa taught it to me!"

"You ARE a cheater, Kisshu! Let me go!" Laughing harder now, he releases her since it's obvious that he won that round and when Ichigo sat up, she stuck her tongue at him and pouted while his laughs turned into giggles. "And to think I felt sorry for you."

"You shouldn't have because I'm not sad." She was startled and confused by his words as he beamed, "Because I have my papa with me! He told me that he misses mama sometimes but as long as he has me, then he has a reason to smile. I was born to keep him happy and I'm never sad so long as he's with me. It's the same with your mama too, isn't it koneko-chan?"

Ichigo thought about his words for a few stunned minutes. What he said made sense and the more she thought about it, the truer they were – because so long as she had Sakura, then she had a reason to smile too. Kisshu always had something naïve to say at the right moment that made her feel so much better. Eventually she smiled at him and agreed, "Yep! I was born to be with mommy!"

Then Kisshu would cut the moment short by saying things like, "And I was born to kick your butt," in that friendly, cocky tone of his.

"No you weren't! Rawr!" Then Ichigo pounced on him and they resumed their wrestling again, and that time ended with them falling back in the water.


Present time Ichigo stopped the memories right there. That was all she needed to see. That was all she could handle. At that time, she strongly believed that she was born to keep her mom happy from the loss of her dad but instead, she helped Sakura join him sooner than she was supposed to.

Now she can't stand being there in that spot to watch the stars. Her body glowed a soft pink first, transforming her human-form into her animal-form, and she silently walked away from that spot. Instead of heading towards the forests for an early shut-eye, if that is what Pudding and Lettuce are really doing right now, Ichigo strides in a different direction until she finds herself a cliff, crowded with milkweeds.

Then Ichigo looks back up at the stars and wonders to herself, 'Kisshu, when your father died, you thought you lost your purpose to living, didn't you? I understand that now. Except…I'm the reason why my mom died. I can't go home and I can't face anyone I knew in the past. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I just feel lost. What should I do? Kisshu!'

She knows the stars can't answer her back; even if she decides to send her thoughts to a different person. So with one deep breathe, she exhales it and collapses her body to the ground. On impact, the white-puff milkweeds exploded their seeds into the air and then a gentle breeze blows to carry them away.

Far away.


Flying as far as tomorrow, the breeze carried the milkweed seeds to a giant tree in the middle of a desert no-land. As the pollen and the seeds of the weed glides on the gentle window over the tree, a hand suddenly shoots up from the top branches and grabs a handful. Keiichiro, having felt a soft presence in the wind, climbed up his tree, still thriving far from the Mew Mew Land, to investigate. Observing the specs of the weed he collected, he takes a whiff of it – trying to figure out exactly why he was called out here.

The milkweed had a…funny scent to it. Of course, if anyone else took the time to smell a milkweed, he or she wouldn't have thought of anything funny with it. But Keiichiro notices that there is a peculiar, and very small, scent mixed with the seeds and pollen. He just doesn't know it yet.

So with the seeds and the pollen still in his hand, Keiichiro drops down from the tall branches and climbs all the way down to his base – the base which he spent the last eleven years living in. Hanging from branches are fruits and melon that grow on the tree naturally, as well as empty, dried-up gorges that Keiichiro made himself. Passing them created a hallow coconut melody, without rhythm. On parts of the tree trunks, there are paintings made from the dried red dirt from the ground outside. There weren't many but they're there. The monkey animal-being approaches a giant, empty turtle's shell, used as a giant bowl, and he pours the handful of milkweed and pollen in it. However, he doesn't pour all of it in. He still had a few for something for beside him, in the corner of the tree, there is a steaming teapot and a tea cup to match. The pot was reheated long ago and Keiichiro pours the remaining milkweed in the teapot. Swirling it a little, he pours himself a cup.

Once with his tea cup in hand, Keiichiro starts swirling the milkweed seeds and pollen in the turtle shell a few times. Once it was enough, he reads it as if it were an obvious written book and takes a sip of his tea. It's when he took a drink did he notice something, and it's not in the turtle shell. He sniffs his teacup, just to be sure, and then takes a second sip. That strange taste, like the strange smell, intrigues him and so he takes a closer look inside the turtle shell.

"Ichigo?" he exclaims, finally understanding it. But how can that be? It's impossible!

Turning to his teacup, as if he asking the inanimate objected if it's true, Keiichiro wastes no time drinking the entire cup till only remnants of the tea 'leaves' remained, plus a little liquid. He swirls that around and reading the teacup better than he can read the turtle shell, his assumptions are proven true.

"She's alive? She's alive! The princess is alive!"

Such news was like hitting the lottery to the soothsayer. He just couldn't believe it but it's the best news he's heard in so long! He couldn't help it. He just starts laughing, cheering in its own unique way. Then his thoughts quickly revert to one other particular person when he thought about the new promising possibilities that can happen with the long-lost, feline princess – Zakuro, his beloved.

At last, he can save her!

Then another breeze blows, through the leaves and branches to his coconut-sounding gorges. They capture his attention and he can see that the wind this time is coming from the opposite direction of the first one, and it's heading fast. Not to waste time, Keiichiro climbs back up on the top and what he catches a handful of that time are small broken branches, leaves dried to a crisp, and dirt as finely grinded dust. Instantly he knew where the substance came from – the Mew Mew Lands.

Tempted to know what message these will bring, he doesn't waste time with the turtle shell again. He pours a small amount of tea in his cup to rinse it clean and then he pours the new handful into the teapot. Swirling and then pour, Keiichiro takes a sip and that too has the same particular taste. Drinking the rest till just a small amount was left, he swirls again and after reading it, he drops the cup.

Crash

The teacup shatters into multiple pieces near his feet and the look of shock on his face is not that of terror but pure disbelief. Even more so than the news that Ichigo is alive.

"Kisshu is also alive." Pressing a palm against his forehead, Keiichiro is starting to crack up again. "And he's heading straight for Ichigo. This…-chuckle- This is…"

Magnificent. Truly magnificent. That is the best Keiichiro can describe this moment. He doesn't burst laughing like he did before but he still feels just as giddy.

"Oh Sakura, you work in mysterious ways, but I understand. It is time."