DISCLAIMER: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew because if I owned the company and had immediately let Masaya die, Ichigo would have foamed at the mouth and torn everything to shreds before she realized her true feelings for Kish! I would have waited so that wouldn't have happened, the rotten punk would have slipped up and Kish would have been there to comfort her, just like he always said he would.
Audience: That was unnecessary and long.
Me: Who asked you?
Audience: We don't need an invitation. We have that kind of confidence--unlike you.
Me: (cries) Stop making fun of my talking-to-girls-my-age skills!
Audience: You need to be way more social.
Me: If I was, I wouldn't have you guys popping up into my muses and conversations, now would I?
Audience: (quiets down)
Me: That's what I thought--shaddup.
Thanks to:
xKawaiixKonekox, Fluffyfangirl89, Nekomimi-Chii, Kisshu Neko, Sar T. Loves Ryou Shirogane, Kisshu4ever, ILoveDeepBlue95, Maymist, and Tsubasa Suzane!
Everyone who reads--rocks! I appreciate all of you and will do my best to meet all your fan fiction story needs! …Starting with this chapter:
--
Chapter 10: How? Love.
Ryou was bent over the alien in an instant, despite his dislike for all the damage Kish and his team had caused in earlier times. Reaching for his wrist, he breathed deeply and concentrated.
The pulse was still there. Faint as a lightning bug during the day, but there.
His head snapped up to meet Keiichiro's concerned gaze.
"I need you to transport him to the underground medical facility. Contact Pai and ask him what needs to be done. Until you get a response, put him on an IV and give him plenty of oxygen. I know his kind might not need a lot of it to live, but I'm not taking any chances. Alright, Keiichiro?"
The brunette nodded, picking up Kish as easily as if he were a bird's fallen feather. Ichigo stood up in the same movement and held out her hand to stop him. Keiichiro looked back momentarily.
"Is he going to be alright?" she questioned.
For once, he sounded almost rude. "Don't ask questions that have no answer at the moment. You should know that they offer no help to the situation, Ichigo."
Ryou's eyes widened at his response. His friend was always kind and gentle--not one to raise his voice, but to speak with authority instead. The alien's current condition was affecting them all. What would happen if he really died?
Ichigo stepped back so as not to get in the way silently. Not even her shoes made a sound. Suddenly, her chin shot up.
"What can I do?" she demanded.
"Not much." he sighed, walking away.
She raced up and stood in his way; her arms outstretched to block him from moving easily. He stared down at her with a glare she equally matched.
"You are not going to say that to me. I'm a mew and he's an alien. No matter what you say, I love him and if you think human limitations can get in my way then I'll show you another side of the looking glass!"
Ryou blinked in utter surprise. She'd never admitted out loud--let alone to anyone but herself--she wasn't a human girl anymore, no matter how much she had sought to be.
"I refuse to sit here and wait for you to come back and tell me he's dead when I could be out there helping--or even in here. So if you won't let me, I'll take him away and help him myself. Go ahead. What do you want me to do? I know what I can." her eyes narrowed.
He chuckled. "Go into Ryou's lab and type in: Send Pai 45X, then press Enter. You'll have to fill him in on all you remember happening and answer his questions as detailed as you can. We don't have time for any holes."
With that, he skirted past her without a second glance. By the time he reached his set of stairs, she was already locking in Enter.
--
An alarm signal beeped at an uneven and annoying pace. Earth. More specifically, the Café.
Clicking Alt6Ryou, he saw Ichigo's pale, pleading face pop onto the screen. Her eyes were smoldering with determination and expectancy. Though the cuts along her face might be thought to make her look innocent and weak, instead they made her look savage and ruthless.
This was bad.
"Ichigo!" he yelped in surprise.
"Pai." she greeted in a hard voice. "I need you here--now. But before you do that, pay close attention to this monitor."
He blinked; the cat girl had never sounded so serious.
"I'm listening."
"Please refrain from interrupting. With all due respect, that is," she added quickly, sighing, "I'm sorry for my attitude. I wish I could explain, but now I don't have the time. I went looking for Kish in that blizzard we just recently had calm down. Taruto must have told you he saw me. Anyway, I…"--she bit her bottom lip--"Kish did something to save me when he transported me to the Café. He's done it once before and…it's like he gives me energy converted from strong feelings. Does your race have any accounts of that ability?"
"Something like that, but it must be passed down. Kish has no records of that ability implanted in his blood, for those with that gift have been wiped out--dead for centuries. Even if they had ancestors, the power would now be incomplete and useless in the hands of him."
"Alright," she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Point is, something's made him go into a type of coma."
Pai stiffened.
"He isn't dead, but his pulse is fading. We need help. I need to figure out what's happened to him for him to have acquired this…power. So please, get here soon."
"I'll be over in about 10 minutes. Leave it to me."
"Thank you, Pai." she breathed.
Before he disconnected the feed, he added: "Don't drive yourself too hard. I can't have either of you dying on me."
Ichigo merely nodded and watched the older alien's face flicker off the screen. Turning around, she met the red, endlessly cruel eyes of It.
--
Surprisingly, she felt no fear. She fingered the pendant in her pocket, but made no grab for it.
"Why are you here Masaya--well, Deep Blue? I need to help Kish--I can't talk with you right now. Please--another time."
His voice echoed, cold and raspy. "I'm not going to reschedule. It took me a long time to have enough power to get out of that accursed prison you call "dreams". But that blizzard took out enough souls to feed me." he smirked.
Ichigo swallowed. His claw-tipped fingers crawled up her arm, across her shoulder, danced over her collarbone and paused at the base of her neck.
"Oh, you've thrown my bell away. I took such a long time finding it for you."
"It's been reduced to nothing by now." she offered. Why was she choosing her words so carelessly?
"You're being very brave, my dear." he mused.
She shrugged. "I've found it very easy to forgive. I forgive you for all you've done and I'm hoping you can live with that."
Taking a step forward, her fingers brushed his cheek before she embraced him. For a moment, his voice was flooded with an emotional choke.
"You're much too kind, Ichigo."
He summoned his blade and rammed in through her delicate body. He chuckled, watching her body fall to the floor as he slid it away.
"Much too kind."
"I-I'm not ready…t-t-to give up ye-yet." she declared, coughing up blood on the tan concrete floor. She got up to her knees shakily and smiled through glossy eyes at the evil alien dictator.
"You aren't going t-to kill me when I n-need to s-s-see Kish s-smile at me o-one more t-time. So yo-you b-better m-move or el-else you'll get r-really ma-mad." she stammered.
He laughed and bopped the top of her head with the hilt of his sword like a school master. "You can barely speak, are bleeding all over the floor, and you still believe you have the jurisdiction to make threats at me? Who do you think you are--pretending to be all tough and strong?"
"Oh no…It hurts. I want to sc-scream and d-die right now. Bu-but I c-can't do that. Nu-no." Ichigo stood up on wobbly legs and looked the enemy straight in the eye.
"K-Kish n-needs me t-to stay al-alive. He-he would be m-mad if I-I went and d-died just 'c-cause of a little wou-wound like th-this."
Deep Blue stepped back, gazing at her with fresh eyes as blood dribbled down her chin, meeting the pool of it at her drenched feet. And through all this pain and suffering and knowledge, she was smiling at him in… forgiveness? Acceptance? …Love?
He teleported away, leaving the girl to her death. The emotions he was feeling weren't worth watching her scream and suffer. They were ugly, horrible things he thought he'd been done with a long time ago.
--
Ichigo saw him go through blurred vision.
No, I can't die again. I have to tough it out and live. I just need to breathe… everything will be okay if I just breathe.
Stumbling up the stairs, she fell after the third and stood up, painfully feeling the gravel grind against her wound. Pulling herself up, she continued to ascend the stairs, her hand slipping on the knob for some time before it got a good grip.
Turning it, her foot steps bounced off the walls in solitary shuffles. Ryou was probably with Keiichiro and Kish, helping out. She paused. All she had wanted to do was help out and yet she still got herself into this situation. It was worth it. Pai was coming and Kish would be fine. She'd get better eventually and she's kiss him over and over and say she loved him too many times.
With those thoughts in mind, she pressed on. Her ears perked up at the familiar sense of the air distorting and changing near her. Moving aside, Pai eased into view; a backpack slinged over his shoulder.
His eyes widened in horror and disbelief when they caught sight of the half-dead girl.
"What happened to you!?" he screamed, dropping his load and gathering her in his arms. She frowned.
"K-Kish n-needs those. Do-don't d-drop the-them!" she scolded.
He looked at her as if she had three heads. "You're bleeding all over me and you think Kish is in more danger of dying than you!?" he roared.
"T-Take me to-to h-him. I c-can't go th-there on m-my own. I can't f-find it." she begged, clinging to the fabric of his shirt; looking at him with longing in her eyes.
"I will." he agreed softly; smiling.
--
Ryou fell to the ground when he saw what happened to Ichigo. His pupils retracted and he watched numbly as the girl bravely limped over to the table where Kish lay sleeping. A serene mask was covering his face as his mind sifted through all the dreams.
He felt something tugging at him and his eyes opened a slit. They completely opened to their oval topaz state when they saw Ichigo. They were sparkling and healthy, gazing at her with happiness. Then he noticed the trail of blood on the floor and that it all led to her.
His form bolted upright and was blurred by his speed as he picked her up bridal style with a gossamer touch. His eyes smoldered.
"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS!?" he screamed.
Her own pink aura flared bright as she snuggled deep into his chest.
"S-Smile fo-for me-me Kish." she asked. "J-Just smi-smile, o-okay?"
He was so confused, but he just did as he was told.
She grinned back; her face shaded by the rose colored light that was enveloping her. Kish began glowing with his own beige and crème colors that danced and waved at hers.
"This is…incredible. Impossible." Pai uttered.
Their auras were healed each other, fueled by the everlasting love they shared. The colors split into dark and light hues: daisy yellow and crimson red, sunlight and cherry blossom petals. The shades melted into their pairs and slowly dispersed, leaving a hint of magic in the air.
"I'm…alive…" Ichigo realized.
He just laughed with his musical voice that sounded like wind chimes and kissed her.
--
Woo! YES! THAT WAS AN AWESOME CHAPTER!
Attention: The teaser trailer for Twilight by Stephanie Meyer has been released, along with interviews--so go look it up on YouTube! IT'S AWESOME!
Thanks to all who are reading! I expect there to be one more chapter left, okay? I hope I didn't move too fast with the story for your liking. So give me some feedback, mmkay?
Until next chapter:
Porcelain-Carrier-67