Ichigo walked down the long, dark corridor aboard the floating palace, her footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness. Despite the erratic thumping of her heart however, the pink Mew was reasonably calm and resigned to the task she knew she must complete.

The end of the corridor was finally near, and through the door at the end, Ichigo could see a wide, light-filled room, in which she presumed Deep Blue was waiting.

Down below her, Pudding, Lettuce, Mint and Zakuro were laid paralysed on the cold, hard floor, unable to move after having been knocked down so many times by the powerful chimera. Hannah was still knelt beside Kekishe, cradling his broken body which minutes before she had fired from the sky in order to let Ichigo pass and enter the palace.

Ichigo ascended the red-carpeted steps one at a time, forcing her lungs to keep pumping steadily and her feet to continue their rhythmic pattern. She finally reached the top of the staircase. Upon entering the room, Ichigo saw Deep Blue, stood at the far end with his back to her. His black hair flowed down his back and almost touched the floor, and his blue cloak did.

Hearing her approach, the evil Cyniclon turned held out a long arm, firing a blue energy ball directly at his opponent. Just in time, Ichigo sprung from the ground and dodged his attack, which hit the wall and sent a pillar of flames chasing after her. She flew through the air, but managed to regain her balance and landed perfectly on her feet.

Deep blue repeated the attack, firing a second blast at Ichigo, who did not dodge it this time, but instead seized her strawberry bell and quickly created a shield around her body. Even this protection did not prevent Ichigo from being thrown through the air and slammed against the wall on the other side of the room. The Mew shrieked as her barrier was broken and fell limply to the floor, the fight knocked out of her.

"This base is the final mew Aqua," Ichigo whimpered, "Why can you calmly destroy it?"

"That's fine." Deep Blue replied, "This grandiose place is no longer necessary."

"You said 'no longer necessary,' what are you talking about?" the tall figure was beginning to step towards Ichigo, and the desperate teenager was trying to buy time.

But Deep Blue saw through it: "I have no reason to explain." He simply said, "I am invincible. That's all you need to know."

Now only a few feet away from Ichigo, Deep Blue stopped and stretched his hand out to fire another attack.

"Almighty as I am, I cannot be defeated by a pathetic Earthling."

Once more, his palm glowed bright blue as he gathered his powers ready for the finishing blow.

"This beautiful planet belongs to me. It is solely mine. I won't allow anyone else to touch it!"

"Aoyama-san!" Ichigo shouted, trying in vain to get through to the boy she hated.

But just as Deep Blue was about to fire at Ichigo, the air beside him rippled and Kisshu teleported into the palace.

"Please wait, Deep Blue-sama." He knelt before his master, who halted his attack.

"Kisshu?" Ichigo blurted.

"What is it, useless one?" Deep Blue asked Kisshu, impatience clear in his voice. "Get out of my sight!"

"Deep Blue-sama, please accept my deep apologies for the many disrespects until now." Kisshu humbly said, still kneeling at Deep Blue's feet.

Then he got up and began to walk slowly towards Ichigo.

"Kisshu?" She said again, this time to him.

He ignored her subtle plea, and continued walking toward her.

"In order to atone, watch as I end the life of this Earthling." He held his hands out on front of him and his dragon swords appeared. "Please lay down your arms. Earthlings aren't worth troubling yourself with."

"You're asking forgiveness from me?" Deep Blue asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Hai. Everything on this planet belongs to deep Blue-sama."

Deep Blue let the energy fade from his palm and he lowered his arm. But then Kisshu looked up and stopped walking.

"However…"

He teleported to above Deep Blue and dropped down to his level, holding the point of one of his swords at his master's neck.

"You!" Deep Blue gasped.

"You have been driven by your own greed an become careless." Kisshu reprimanded him, "All you want is to make this planet your own. You never planned to use this power to save my home planet."

Deep blue said nothing, only narrowed his eyes.

"If you want the earth this badly, then go right ahead! But I will never allow you to have Ichigo!"

"In the end you plan to oppose me?! Deep Blue asked calmly.

"That's right!" Kisshu shouted, "DIE!" he drew back his arm and thrust the second sword towards Deep Blue's heart…

Ichigo winced as blade went through flesh…

"I lost."

Deep Blue had Kisshu suspended in mid-air, skewered on his long sword, and with the ease of snapping a toothpick, he threw the scrawny alien to the ground. Kisshu rolled over the cold, marble floor and landed in front of Ichigo.

"KISSHU!" she screamed, hardly daring to believe what she had just witnessed.

"Kisshu…"

Trembling, Ichigo tugged Kisshu's body close to her and laid him in her lap.

"I guess I was lucky to have this time with you, Ichigo." His voice wavered as he spoke.

Glistening tears formed in Ichigo's eyes as she gazed down painfully at her true love's dying form.

"Are you crying Ichigo?" he asked, attempting to tease her one last time.

Her tears cascaded over her pale cheek as she remembered all the times they'd had…

It's been a while kitty!

…

"Kisshu, do you… do you love me?"

"Of course Ichigo! Don't you know that I love you?"

…

He was kissing me like no-one had ever kissed me before. Unable and unwilling to move away, I let Kisshu take the lead as I melted into his warm embrace, allowing him to explore my body with no resistance…

"Ichigo… I'll teach you something good…" Kisshu wheezed weakly.

He began to sit up, painfully and jaggedly raising his upper body to join their lips for one last time.

"Kisshu…" She sobbed.

He was so close… only an inch away… he parted his lips to kiss Ichigo's soft, pink ones…

But then he thudded to the floor; dead.

A moments silence followed, Ichigo stunned into a trance of pain and grief.

"KISSHU!" she screamed, her heart-wrenching pain tearing through the souls of all close by.

Laying his body gently on the floor in front of her, Ichigo turned her tear-streaked face to Deep Blue, shaking with shock and horror at the events of the past few minutes.

"Kisshu, I've made a resolution. I'll fight Deep Blue with everything I have… because I want to see your smile one more time, because I love you! You can't be dead! You just can't!"

Fresh tears splashed on the floor next to Kisshu's dead body.

"I'll never see your smile again!" Ichigo cried, "You'll never smile!"

With that, a stricken Ichigo stood and raised her strawberry bell to fire at Deep Blue, who was shaking violently for some reason.

"Strawberry Bell… Full-"

But Deep Blue had beaten her to it; he struck her with an energy blast, sending her body flying once more. Ichigo opened her eyes and found Deep Blue stood over her, pointing his sword at her heart…

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbye
I nearly do

*sob* *sob* sorry Kiichigo fangirls, sorry! song is 'Run' Snow Patrol, review please!:D