A/N: Yay! Finally, all the way to chapter 10!

Recap: "No! Cherry, stop it!" Ryou shouted over the roar of the flames, not expecting it to do any good. But, for a moment, Cherry paused, and a single tear fell down her cheek. Her mother scowled

"Cherry, what do you think you're doing: attack them!"

But Cherry just shook her head "I think they've had enough today, mother: let's go back"

Her mother shrugged, but teleported away. Cherry looked back one last time at the mews before following suit…

0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0

"Cherry, why didn't you kill them?" Her mother scolded. Cherry didn't reply, but sat on the windowsill, looking out into the void that was now her home.

"Cherry, listen to me!"

Cherry looked up at her mother, her eyes glistening with tears

"Mom, why are we doing this? Why do I feel like I'm doing something…criminal?"

Her mother, Akuma, sighed "Cherry, let's face it: they're trying to so called 'save' the earth, but really, in truth, they're actually destroying it. Also, they're trying to get rid of the aliens, who are just trying to protect the earth by destroying the Mews"

Cherry hung her head "But it just doesn't seem right, mom: I mean, they don't seem bad. And why do they act like they know me: I don't remember ever seeing them…"

Akuma twitched but then just laughed it off

"Hm, those silly girls: they just don't want you to attack them, Cherry. So don't worry about it, all right?" she waited until Cherry nodded slowly to continue "good, good: we'll attack them again tomorrow. For now, go to bed, get some rest…"

Cherry didn't say anything, but nodded and curled up closer to the window.

I wish I knew why I can't remember anything…

Pfft, who needs to remember that crap: right now, let's sleep so we can kick some mew mew butt!

Well….

It seemed as though Cherry was forgetting something, that there was something missing…

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The others were still at the café, putting the basement back in order. Lettuce and Zakuro had run down just in time to put out the flames and cut the mews loose. They were told the story as they contiueed to pick up by Ryou.

"…and so, Cherry is in the hands of her mother, Azuma Yokoshima. But every now and then, thanks to her being only half demon, the human part of her breaks through her mother's spell. So, all we need to do is to find a way to get her to break through all together"

"But how?" Lettuce asked timidly. Ryou shrugged

"That's the problem: I don't think anything could jolt her enough for her to break through. Is there someon-"

"Hello? Anyone here?"

Everyone's heads swiveled to the stairs, where a voice floated down from the café's main dining room. Mint recognized the voice immediately.

"President Yuki-san! One moment!"

"Eh, The same one from your school?" Ryou asked, and Mint nodded furiously.

"I hope he isn't here about Cherry: what will we tell him. 'Oh yeah, Mr. Yuki? Your best friend is now a demon, ready to kill anyone on command.' Oh yeah, that's real pleasant" Mint snorted as they walked slowly up the stairs. They were greeted by Yuki, but behind him was a girl. She had Brown hair and brown eyes. She stared at them with wide, frightened eyes but Yuki wasn't afraid: instead, he walked right over to Ryou,, his Brown eyes blazing.

"I know what happened: I know what Cherry is."

"Oh, do you now?" Ryou spoke calmly, but his eyes showed his fear. The Brown haired boy was tall, and he looked strong enough to beat the crap out of anyone who annoyed him. Mint stepped in between them.

"Yuki, what do you mean? Cherry's just…not here at the moment"

"Or at home, or at school, or anywhere: where is she? I know what she is: she 's a mew mew."

Everyone exchanged frightened glances at each other and the girl behind him squeaked.

"W-what do you mean?" she said hesitantly "I saw Cherry earlier, and she didn't look like a mew"

Yuki shook his head "I wouldn't have believed it either, had I not seen her transform from the rooftop. Her mother thought she had full control of me, but I saw and heard everything. I saw her become a mew mew, and I saw her mother transform her to demon. I was the only witness, and now" he paused, keeping his eyes to the floor "Now I want to help her. I'll do anything to save her, anything!"

Ryou stood, silent, as the boy in front of him as he finished. He then stepped forward.

"Yuki, what makes you think that you can save her? We've all tried, but no one can seem to get through to her entirely.

"That's why Yuki-chan thought he'd be best!" The girl behind him said "He was her best friend since they were born: if anyone can help her, he can!"

Mint cocked her head "who're you?"

The girl stared at her "Um, I'm Kurumi Kaonajimi; I'm one of Cherry's friends from elementary school"

Ryou sighed, and stared at Yuki thoughtfully.

"Well, maybe I'll think of something you can do…but don't count on it" Ryou added, but Yuki smiled at him gratefully

"Thank you, Mr. Shirogane. Well, come on, Kurumi, let's-"

"How pathetic, Ryou: do you seriously think you can get my daughter to turn back just because of them?"

Cherry's Mother, Akuma, popped into view, this time alone. Yuki pushed Kurumi behind him protectively, but he seemed pretty scared himself. He growled

"Yes, we can: you can't keep her from remembering, you wait and see"

Akuma snorted "Even if she did start to remember, I'll just put an end to it my way. Can't go having my enemies have such a powerful opponent."

"You-you monster" Yuki gasped, knowing what she meant by "ending it her way", and not liking the idea at all. He clenched his fists tightly against his side. She laughed

"Demon actually, dear boy. Hm, you seem familiar: have I seen you before?"

He gave a short, dry laugh "I was the only one who witnessed what you did to your daughter: I'm the one you thought you had under control when you tried to shove me off the building."

"Ah, yes, now I remember: the boy Cherry loved"

Yuki scowled, and Kurumi and Mint had to hold him back before he leapt at her.

"Why are you doing this to her?! She doesn't want things like this; she never wanted to hurt anyone!"

"Ah, but she seemed alright when she was beating up demons. No" she laughed "I always knew she'd be like me. That's why I came back for her: I knew she'd eventually figure out herself. It was only a matter of time before she gave in to her instincts."

Ryou shoved everyone behind him and stood in front of them protectively.

"Akuma, what do you want with them: they never did anything to you"

"Oh, but have you told them what you did, Shirogane? What you did to me, how you got rid of me? How you concealed me from my own child, and then handed me over to the aliens in hopes they would kill me? Yes, kids, this man isn't as honorable as he seems, so I wouldn't trust him if I was you."

Ryou seemed to blush, but no one could see it as he faced forward again. He glared at her, his voice more of a scowl.

"Look, Akuma, it doesn't matter what I did 13 years ago: I did it to protect Cherry!"

"You didn't have to!" Akuma shrieked, and Ryou sat there, watching as the demon glared at him, ignoring the silent tears dripping down her face. She spoke, but this time she didn't sound evil: she sounded….like a normal woman.

"I had to watch Natsu move, and Cherry ask him every day what happened to me. He ignored her, acted like I never existed. He never told her what Iwas: he was too ashamed. So Cherry got to grow up normally, and I let her. But this-this was the final straw. To see her become a mew mew, to be on the opposite side: I had to do it! And you know what: I don't care!"

There were no more tears on her face, and her eyes were angry again. She had turned back again. She looked at them one last time before she popped away. The mews were speechless as they stared at Ryou. He didn't look back, but said

"You better get home now, girls, and you too, Yuki. Come back tomorrow, all of you"

Ichigo put a hand out towards him "Shirogane…"

He shook it off "I'm fine: just get home now"

They looked at one another, but nodded and headed upstairs to get dressed and go home. Yuki, however, stayed behind

"Mr. Shirogane?"

"What?" he snapped, but then looked at Yuki's hurt face "Sorry"

"It's okay: I just wanted to ask you something"

"Hm…"

"Um, what exactly happened? About what Mrs. Sakuranbo was saying?"

Ryou didn't answer for a minute, but then sighed.

"Sit"

Yuki nodded, and sat in one of the only chairs that hadn't been destroyed. Ryou sat in another one opposite and folded his hands in his lap. His head was bent, but he began to speak.

"I was younger, and I guess a little hot headed. I just-I thought, when I saw what she really was, that I could help that little girl. She was only three, so she obviously understood what was going on, but her father did. I told him that he had to get out of here, that I'd find a way to get rid of her. He just nodded, and thanked me. "

Ryou shook his head slowly

"I was such an idiot: how could I think that it would help? But then I met the aliens: I don't remember how well enough…"

Yuki knew that he wasn't telling the exact truth, but he realized that it was maybe that something had happened when he found them. He motioned for Ryou to continue

"Well, after that I nearly forgot about them due to some…family difficulties, so I had to continue the mew project. But then, a month later, the father returned to me. He said that…His wife had left, and taken the daughter with her. I, of course, went immediately searching for her. I took Keichiro with me, and we went out looking for the woman. She'd taken Cherry to an airport, attempting to take her out of the country, to England. But I stopped her before she could even get there, and we took the girl. Cherry was scared, but I had Keichiro bring her back for me so I could deal with Akuma. I summoned the demons somehow and" he paused, putting his face in his hands "I let them take her. Cherry was screaming in the car, and Keichiro couldn't believe what I'd one. I couldn't either: I'd just taken a mother from a young girl. She would never know a mother's love, and it was entirely my fault. But I told myself, that it was what had to be done. She was a demon, Yuki, and I couldn't let her hurt Cherry"

Yuki let him stop for a moment before prompting him onward

"And…"

"And I guess I've felt protective of her ever since. But I was pretty sure that after handing Akuma over, that there would be no more problems. But Natsu insisted he move to America a few years later, taking Cherry with him. But over there, they were too poor: Cherry started working part time at fourteen to help her father. And all this time, I wished I could do something: but I couldn't, I can't still."

Yuki noticed that Ryou was crying into his hands. He put a hand on his back, in a manly fashion.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Shirogane: I never knew. Cherry didn't remember anything when I met her, a year before she left. I mean, she told me about them being poor, but nothing about what happened to her mother. Like you said, her father never told her."

Ryou just nodded and, a few minutes later, lifted his head up. His eyes were dry, and there was no hint he'd even been crying.

"Well, I guess you should go then. Come back tomorrow, and I'll tell you If I find out anything."

Yuki stood up, and prepared to leave, but Ryou stopped him

"Please don't mention…anything to the others, please? I just-"

Yuki nodded

"No problem, Mr. Shirogane. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah…"

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Mint sat, exhausted but unable to sleep, on her window ledge when she heard a pop behind her.

"Cherry…"

She looked normal, but Mint was still on her guard.

"Are you…alone?"

Cherry nodded, and she had tears in her eyes

"Mint, what's happening to me? I can't remember what I've been doing, and I think I'm doing something awful. Please, help me…"

Mint gasped

"Cherry, are you..?"

"Back? No, I don't think so…mom has too much of a hold. It's taking all I have to stay like this. If she found out…."

Suddenly, her body curled and she twitched in pain. Mint screeched

"Cherry, what's happening?"

"Mom…pulling…me…back…trans…forming…"

Mint stepped back in horror as Cherry slowly turned back green and disappeared. She put a hand over her thumping heart…

What on earth was that?

0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0

A/N: HI! That was a weird ending, I guess…

Ah well, it's almost midnight…

Howleron: I did not! indignant face. I thought up mine first. And I hope this makes it clearer that mine's different…

kuromiyuki GKL:I know, Iknow, but I had to do it! I had to! Had to be a plot twist…or whatever…And there was Kurumi! She returns again next chapter as well!

Well, adios!

Kira-vampire-chan [