Chapter 11: Meeting in the Night

The skies were lowering and the wind was beginning to increase from the northeast, and the little speedboat began to pitch more heavily in the rising waves. It was not wise, perhaps, to take a small speedboat two hundred kilometers out on the ocean in the dark of night, with the weather forecast deteriorating. But they all had agreed that taking a boat out on the ocean was the best way to make sure that no one would see the aliens' space ship. As long as the aliens' stealth technology kept them off of radar screens, getting far out on the ocean seemed the best way to keep the aliens from being discovered. It was not hard for the aliens, of course, to come and go as they pleased, because they could teleport in and out of their alternate dimension. But the earthlings could not do that. And so they waited on their boat, far out to sea and away from prying eyes: Ryou, Keiichiro, Zakuro, and Aoyama.

Keiichiro had the wheel, and he turned from it and spoke to Ryou, who was staring into his computer screen. "No sign of them yet?"

Ryou shook his head. "No. But they'll be coming. Be sure of that. When I mentioned Mew Aqua to them, they were crazy to get it. It takes them a week at least to get here, and it's only nine days since we contacted them. They were coming absolutely as fast as they can. They're desperate for the stuff."

Zakuro was alone in the back of the boat, staring into the darkness. "Maybe they're even now attacking Café Mew Mew, knowing that we're out here."

"No, Zakuro," Keiichiro said. "I know you don't trust them, but think: they have nothing to gain by attacking the café. It's closed tonight, so they won't even be able to attack the other Mew Mews by going there. About all they could accomplish by raiding the café tonight is stealing a few leftover strawberry shortcakes." He smiled.

"The Mew Aqua's with us out here," Ryou said. "They will come."

Then they grew silent, and only sounds were the rush of the wind, the growl of the boat's idling motor, and the slap of water against the boat's side. But suddenly Ryou said: "They're here. They popped in right overhead, and they're coming down fast." The others looked up into the darkness, but all they could see was the lowering clouds.

And then, suddenly, the ship appeared, descending through the bottom of the cloud layer. The aliens had been very precise in their navigation, to be sure. Zakuro transformed, just in case. In just a couple of minutes the ship was hovering over them, and then, suddenly, the air shimmered and Pai teleported into the boat.

Ryou faced up to him. "Greetings," he said, and bowed. He was being very formal.

"Greetings," the alien responded. And then he got right to the point. "Where is the Mew Aqua?"

Ryou reached into his pocket and drew out a small glass vial. A hard light glowed within it. The alien drew out a small vial of his own, and held it up to Ryou's; and it glowed brightly.

The alien studied his vial for a few seconds, and then said, "Mew Aqua it is. We should have guessed that you would find more after we left."

"True enough," Ryou said. "If you want it, you know the deal. You have to take us to your planet."

Pai nodded. "We will, human. We need all the Mew Aqua we can get. Things are so much better now on our planet since we got the Mew Aqua. But there is so much more to do." Then he crossed his arms, and said, "But we need to know the whole truth. What do you want on our planet? I am sure you are not giving this to us out of the goodness of your hearts. You want something in return. What is it? I need to know."

Zakuro said, quietly: "I think you might fail to appreciate the goodness of our hearts. But we seek Kisshu. Is he along with you?"

Pai shook his head. "Kisshu? What do you want with him?"

"That is our business," Ryou said. "But the lady asked if he was along."

Pai scowled. "No, he's not along. We don't see him much any more."

"Why not?" Zakuro asked. Clearly Pai was bitter about something, and she moved up in the boat and got right into Pai's face.

Pai hesitated. Clearly the alien was sorting out in his mind just what should be said. Then his words came slowly and carefully. "Kisshu was very frustrating to deal with, but he was our friend. But after we got back to our planet with the Mew Aqua, things changed. We three – Kisshu, Taruto, and myself – became big stars. We had brought back the Mew Aqua. We were the Three Heroes, the saviors of our people. With the Mew Aqua we could change the climate of our planet and move out of the caves. We could raise enough food. We could build real homes."

He turned away from Zakuro and faced the others. "The first people who got real homes were the Three Heroes. Taruto and I moved into one, but Kisshu insisted that he have his own. And everyone's attitude was, 'nothing is too good for the heroes,' so they built him a magnificent house. They built for him, they praised him, they glorified him, they gave him whatever he wanted. And suddenly, he didn't hang around much with us any more. He took to just wandering around and getting attention from all of his fangirls. All the young girls seem crazy about him, and he must have thousands of them after him."

Just them the air shimmered, and Taruto popped in. He smiled wickedly. "Ah, Pai," he said, "you got a girl, too."

Pai's voice was harsh. "Taruto, I told you to stay on the ship. And she's a woman, not a girl, and there's only one of her."

"Pai's in love," Taruto giggled.

Oddly, the older alien smiled – something he almost never did. "It is nice, you know, to be… somebody. All of my life I have been 'not good enough.' Now we're the great heroes, and finally, someone considered me good enough. Somebody precious to me."

"Pai's going to get married," Taruto giggled on. "He's in love."

Again a smile twisted Pai's mouth – a most unnatural thing. "I hope so," he said. Then suddenly the smile left him, and he was all business again. "But Kisshu. Why do you want to see Kisshu? I need to know this, or the deal's off."

It was Zakuro who spoke. "Do you remember Mew Ichigo?"

"Of course," the alien said. "The one that destroyed Deep Blue, and saved your world – and freed ours."

Zakuro went on, "Two months or so ago, Ichigo disappeared – without a trace. She's never come back. And we think, given what little evidence we have, that she might have been kidnapped." She got right in the alien's face again. "Kidnapped – by Kisshu."

Anger raged in the alien's eyes, though those eyes were normally hard for humans to read. "That is a vile accusation, wolf-woman."

Then Aoyama spoke for the first time. "You said that you don't see much of Kisshu any more. Is it possible that he came to Earth and took her? Does he have access to a space ship? Did he have the time? Would you know if he did?"

Taruto drew out his click-clack ball weapon, but Pai raised his hand and spoke sharply. "No, Taruto! We don't need another war with these people!"

"I won't let them say such evil things about Kisshu!" the child alien objected.

But the adult alien answered him, "The boy didn't accuse him of anything, Taruto. He just asked questions, not like the wolf-girl. And I will answer them. First, he has access to a space ship, or anything else. We are the Three Heroes, and they give us anything that we want. And it is just like that undisciplined Kisshu to abuse that honor and get his hands on a space ship." He scowled at Taruto, and went on. "Second, he had the time. It is many weeks since I last saw him. Two months ago – I am sure there was more than enough time back then for him to do what you say." He turned fully to Aoyama. "He was obsessed with that human girl, that is for sure. And he knew I did not approve. He could have any girl of our own people – he just about has every girl of our people, if you take my meaning. So if he did what you suspect, I would guess that he might keep it from us. But knowing Kisshu, sooner or later it would come out. He loves to boast, you know."

Ryou spoke up. "Then if you want the Mew Aqua, take us in your ship, and let us find Kisshu on your planet. It won't take us long to find out if Ichigo is there. He would have to keep her hidden – she would stand out to everyone on your planet as someone alien to you. The eyes, the ears…"

Suddenly Taruto said, "If she was up on our world, then we would know because when she transformed into the cat girl, Pai's sensors would pick that up."

But Ryou shook his head. "When she disappeared, she didn't have her Mew Mew pendant. She needs that to transform."

Pai raised his hand for silence, and thought hard for a while. And then he said, "We need the Mew Aqua, and so we agree to take you to our world, and then back. But there is one condition."

"And what is that?" Zakuro demanded.

Pai looked down, sighed deeply, and then looked the wolf-girl right in the eyes. "Kisshu is very troublesome, and immature, and vain, and selfish," he said. "But he is one of the Three Heroes of our people. And… he is our friend. So we will take you only if you swear, by all that you believe in, that if he has indeed done what you fear, you do not kill him, or permanently maim him."

"What if he tries to kill us?" Ryou asked, with some bitterness.

Pai shook his head. "Either you swear, or we leave you here. I suppose we could sink this pathetic little vessel, take the Mew Aqua, and leave what is left of you for the sharks. But we are supposed to be at peace, now. So if you do not swear, we will just leave, and you never will know if Kisshu has caught your friend or not."

It was Aoyama who spoke first. "I swear, by all I believe in, that I will not kill Kisshu, or maim him permanently."

Zakuro looked at him and spoke in a low voice. "If Kisshu has Ichigo, he will fight to keep her."

But Aoyama said, "It is our only hope to save Ichigo, if Kisshu took her."

And so Zakuro said, "I swear the same, by all I believe in."

And Ryou mumbled, with fire in his eyes, "And I swear – the same."

Finally, Keiichiro said, "I am not going – I'll be bringing the boat back to shore. But I'll swear, too, if that's what you want."

But Pai shook his head. "Not necessary," he said. Then he turned to Taruto. "If Kisshu has done this, he has broken our law. If he were anyone but one of the Three Heroes, he would be in big trouble – again. And I do not want fighting to start again with the humans. But we need the Mew Aqua. So what do you think?"

Taruto's mouth dropped open for several seconds. And then he said, amazed: "I think that's the first time you ever asked for my advice." He smiled. "Take them," he said. "We must have more Mew Aqua. And if they make trouble on our planet, we'll take care of them, easy!"

Pai shook his head. "You should have learned by now, Taruto: it is never easy with these humans. They seem primitive, but the power of their spirits is great."

He turned to Aoyama. "You are the one who became the Blue Knight, and Deep Blue. Deep Blue is destroyed, dead. Can you still become the Blue Knight? The Blue Knight was Kisshu's greatest enemy, the one he hated the most."

Aoyama shrugged. "I don't know. I never could transform into the Blue Knight unless Ichigo was in danger. I can't just transform by choice, like the Mew Mews can." He sighed deeply and finished, "But whether I transform or not, I am bound by my oath."

And Pai nodded, and said, "So be it." He looked up at the ship. "When the air shimmers, you might try just stepping in after me, and hopefully you could be transported to the ship. But I think it would be safer if we drop a ladder to you." Ryou, Zakuro, and Aoyama gathered up the things they needed, and then Pai and Taruto stepped into the shimmering air of their teleportation spell. A minute later the space ship came down very low, and a rope ladder fell down to the boat. And Ryou, Zakuro, and Aoyama climbed the ladder, and disappeared.

Keiichiro was left alone on the boat, watching the space ship above him rise into the dark clouds and disappear. He wondered if he would ever see any of them again. Then he advanced the throttles and headed the boat back toward the shore through the rising waves.