A/N: Hey, I just want to say thanks to all my readers for staying with me for so long!(We're almost done, guys!) I also wanted to thank all of you who reviewed, I always read them, though it was difficult pouring so much emotion into a scene but having to limit said scene's romantic potential. I rewrote the ending eight different wayts, and finally just deleted them and wrote this. In the end, it still seems a little cheesy to me. But I haven't written anything like this in a very long time. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and I love hearing your oppinions, so please review!
--Chapter 10--
"Who's there?" I called, sitting up in my bed.
There was no reply as another stronger breeze rushed in through my window. I covered my face with my forearm, shielding myself from the cold breeze. After another few moments the wind died down. I lowered my arm and climbed out from under the covers. Slowly, I crawled over to the open window and knelt in front of it. The curtains were obstructing my view and as I reached for them the wind picked up again. So strong this time that I was bowled over. Sighing heavily, I sat up again and stared out my window. There was a shadow cast on the curtains. A figure hiding behind the thin masking cloth. I reached for the curtains, pulling them apart as fast as I could. My lavender gaze met an amber one as I stared at the face of my intruder.
"D-Dren!" I whispered.
He raised an eyebrow, looking me up and down for a moment. The green-haired boy took in every detail as he attempted to place me. Finally he saw it, and realization spread across his face.
"Tsuki, what have they done to you?"
I cast my gaze away, unable to look at him anymore. To him, I wasn't Cyniclon anymore, I wasn't me. He sat down on the window sill, still staring at me. My cheeks darkened with a blush as I slid across the bed towards my pillow. Dren followed me, climbing down onto the bed. He asked me again, with what sounded like concern and anger in his voice. I didn't responded, still afraid of what I should say. Should I tell him that I tried to kill myself, only to find out that I was already dying? Tell him that I was saved by Elliot, Wesley, and the Mew Mews? Or was it too obvious?
"I...I'm alive, that's all that matters," I murmured.
"Alive? What do you mean? What happened to you?" he demanded, taking hold of my upper arm.
"Nothing! It's just...being a human for so long and then becoming a Mew Mew, it nearly killed me. My DNA was broken into two incompatible parts...the only way to save me was to turn me into this," I explained, tugging on my arm.
"W-What do you mean it nearly killed you?"
"I mean my body was dying because I was two different people! Genetically I was made of two halves of two different puzzles! Jammed together to fit, I wasn't meant to be this way! They had to fix that, create a whole new puzzle, a whole new me. I'm part Cyniclon, part Human, and part Mew Mew. I can still do everything I used to be able to do, I just look different," I said, still pulling on my arm.
"Why'd you go to the Mew Mews? Why didn't you come to me or Pai? We could've fixed everything so you would still be you," Dren stated.
For someone reason I became angry. His tone had set me off, he didn't like the fact that I had changed, because now I would forever be part Mew Mew. I was who I was, and I doubted that neither he nor Pai could change this, then or now. I was meant to be this way, otherwise I would've died. I know science better than most of my kind; I know there was no other answer except this. And I liked who I was now. I was everything I wanted to be and more. But I was so angry, why couldn't he accept me like this?
"No! You couldn't fix me! I'm fine! I'm still me, I always have been!" I screeched, bringing my arm up and striking him across the face.
He released my other arm, holding his now reddened cheek. I gasped, surprised that I had actually hit him. It had been awhile. I still didn't feel it, my body was still numb from the neck down, but for some reason in my head I could feel again. I hadn't realized it until Elliot kissed me earlier, but the feeling in my head came back. Maybe it was a slow process, but I had a feeling that I would regain my sense of touch eventually. I retracted my hand and leaned back against the headboard. Why was everything so complicated? Why couldn't things be simple? Why couldn't I be me, and Dren be him? Why did we have to be Cynciclon or human, or Mew Mew?
"Why do you want me to be something I'm not?" I asked.
He was silent, still clutching his cheek. My gaze narrowed as I watched him. This frustrated me.
"Why, Dren?"
"Because...Because you're not the Tsuki I know. You're not..." Dren trailed off, looking out the window now as he let his hand drop from his cheek.
"Because I'm not Cyniclon?" I hissed.
It happened in an angered blur, I saw Dren move, his eyes burning with something I couldn't classify. Before I knew it I was pinned to the bed with such force the blankets jumped, a few pillows falling onto the floor and one of the sheets landing on Dren. He held me by my wrists and straddled my my hips, and pressing me further into the mattress as he stared down at me, that burning emotion now spreading across his entire face.
"You're not the Tsuki I loved!" Dren exclaimed, tilting his head down so his dark green bangs shadowed his eyes.
I gazed up at him, a painful emotion washing over me. My stomach wrenched as I thought about this. Had I really changed so much that...That he didn't love me anymore? Was I so different that he couldn't? But then my logic kicked in. Had I ever really been in love with him? Was what we had love? Truly? No, he was just trying to blame me, blame me for things he didn't want to face. I was tired of being made to choose who I was. He had to face what I was, what we were.
"Did you ever really love me?...I was a play thing, a toy that could be tossed and tormented for your pleasure. Just because I'm not that stupid little doll anymore doesn't mean I'm not Tsuki! I'll always be me!"
His grip on my wrists tightened, but I still felt nothing, only noticing the slight movement. I watched him carefully, wondering how he'd talk his way out of this one.
"A doll? A play thing? That's what you think you were to me? Someone to mess around with and then kick to curb?" Dren muttered through clenched teeth.
I didn't respond, because I didn't know how. Of course all we had ever done was make-out. Never anything else, but maybe it meant more to him than I thought. I cared for Dren a lot, but I don't know what love really is. I don't know if this was love or not...I thought love was sitting together in front of a warm fire, whispering sweet nothings in one and another's ears? Holding hands as you stroll through the park? The only type of love I'd ever known was fabricated. Love in human films, arranged marriages at home...I had no clue what the word meant anymore.
"Don't you remember, that time I want to give up?" Dren whispered.
I thought back, remembering how I had told him to stick it out for our home. How he held me, his warm breath on my neck. I almost wished I could feel it now, but I still felt like my body was frozen in limbo. That sweet moment was one I'd never forget, maybe in the beginning we were just playing around, provoking each other. But things had changed and evolved. We had both changed.
"Or...when I caught you at Tokyo Tower."
I smiled slightly, remembering when I first had the symptoms. I was constantly fainting, and when I fell off the butterfly-like predicite he had caught me and raced me for the Mew Aqua. There were good memories; ones I would never let slip my mind.
"The memories should prove my love enough, but what about you? Did you ever feel the same way?" the green-haired boy said, lifting his head so I could see that his amber eyes were brimming with tears.
At that moment I didn't think. I didn't want to. Those feelings were equal, I knew it all along. I was just so enraged by the fact he couldn't accept me like this. I loved him, but I needed to be who I am or it would never work.
"...If you can't accept me as who I really am, then there's no point in my feelings is there?" I mumbled.
"The Tsuki I know wouldn't have done this to herself just too smooth things over with her friends," he stated.
"I didn't. I was dying, Dren. This was the only way they could save me, if you or Pai had been around then I would still have ended up this way. You don't think they looked at every possible answer?" I stammered, my eyes filling with tears to match his.
He was silent for a long time, and I didn't dare make a noise. He was fighting with something, something that pained him, and I could see it. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, or why he wasn't answering. But I could see the pain in his face. Finally, Dren broke the silence after what felt like an eternity.
"...I didn't want you to choose them. Because now we'll fight against each other...and if they lose, I lose you," he murmured.
I turned my head to look at the wall beside us. I knew he was right. I had chosen a side by staying with them. I couldn't go back, we both knew that. I didn't want to do this to anyone, either way I'd lose people I loved. Nothing really made sense to me anymore; our world was dying, but was it really the humans fault? Or our own stupid fear? And for the past six months or so, we had been destroying Earth in a poorly planned attempt at revenge. But was it really the right thing to do? Couldn't we just ask for help? No, it was too late. Whichever way the next battle went, I would lose. Whether it be Dren, Pai, and Tart or Wesley, Elliot and the Mew Mews; I would lose. I had never been confronted with such an ultimatum.
No.
This wasn't an ultimatum. This was a death sentence.
"I will always be the Tsuki you know, no matter what happens, but I think that our means to an end aren't what they should be. That's why I'm here, that's why I didn't come back to you and the others. I still... I still love you, that won't change," I whispered, turning my head back to gaze up at him; the tears I had held back for so long started to slip down my cheeks.
I heard a heavy sigh and he jerked his head slightly as two shinning tears slipped down his chin. Slowly, Dren lowered himself so we were nose to nose and I could see his bright amber eyes glinting in the moonlight that had lit up my room. We stayed like that for quite a while, just staring into each other's eyes. Her released my arms and rested his hands on my shoulders, sliding the sleeve of the t-shirt up and exposing my bare arms to the cold breeze from the window. I shivered and shut my eyes for a brief moment.
"Once more...?" Dren murmured.
I didn't need to ask what he meant, it seemed so obvious. It was our last chance, there was no way I'd let it pass me by. I didn't move a muscle, but simply open my eyes to gaze back up at him.
"Yes," I breathed.
With that he bent closer, his nose slipping mine. Our lips pressed together, the spark still there as we closed our eyes. Every other sense besides that of touch became useless. Every movement and feeling was a new sensation. His lips were so warm, so soft. I didn't want it to end. I slid my arms around his neck so I wouldn't lose him. Pulling him down to me as the kiss became stronger, passion igniting between us.
Dren's hands rested on my hips as he held me close, we both were taking every chance and opportunity we could get. The breeze from the window seemed non-existent as I was instantly warmed by his touch. Needing air I parted my lips briefly, pulling away for a fraction of a second before his lips were once again on mine. His tongue slipped into my mouth and began to explore, I couldn't help but moan softly. I was dead to the world now, completely focused on Dren. Nothing could wake my from this trance as his hands began to explore my curves as well. I felt like a clay statue, being molded and crafted by soft caressing hands. I dug my nails into his neck as new sensations came forth, it was almost overwhelming... I heard him groan quietly into my mouth and I slid my hands down so as not to hurt him. I slipped them under his shirt and began to trace the toned lines on his chest with my fingers.
Then I felt it all fade away as his lips disconnected from mine. I tried to pull him back down but when I looked up into his amber eyes I knew. He had been here too long, and it would be morning soon. He sat on the bed moving slowly towards the window. I quickly clambered to my knees, and lay my head on his shoulder for I knew that the next time we got this close would be in battle on opposite sides. Dren ran his fingers through my oddly highlighted hair, stroking my head for a moment as I clung to him. But in the end I looked up and kiss him softly one last time before I let go. Without a word his was gone, the icy breeze flowing through my window as I was left alone and cold again.
"Why do we always part like this? Why couldn't it be under better circumstances just once?" I murmured, laying back down on the soft bed, not bothering to pull up the covers.
As I rested once more I had a chilling feeling that the night was still young and that more was to come.
Now that this chapter is finished I believe I only have three more to complete. Maybe less, maybe more. I do hope you enjoyed this installment of Cyniclon or Mew Mew. And I can say for certain that we have a front runner in the race for the finish line as Tsuki's man. I'll keep writing and hopefully get the next chapter out to my lovely readers before my birthday in late January. (Another year older, a lot less creativity...Not to mention the lathargic tendencies.) Anyways, thanks for reading.
Kira-sensei~