A/N: Hi, everyone. Sorry that I didn't update since god knows when, but I had to study for final exams and right on the day of the last day of school before Christmas break, my friend got me interested in Full Metal Alchemist. So I was watching some of the episodes while helping mom do a little last minute Christmas shopping. On Christmas eve, however, I got back into Tokyo Mew Mew and finished this chapter! Finally!!!
I am so sorry and to make it up to you, I will let out the third chapter for my two stories that are coming out soon after I finish this and 'Betrayal Reveals Love.' I actually finished chapter three and four for 'The Truth is Speaking to you, Ichigo!' because I was bored one time and my mom bought 'Mamma Mia.' I will let them out once I finish the third for 'You're a Girl?' Don't worry, I will write with the speed of light for your enjoyment!!
I do NOT own TMM or the songs I use in my stories. Thank you for the lovely reviews and please keep them coming! Thank you and please enjoy!!
When you see the one you once cared about kissing another, what is your reaction?
Ch. 25: Broken Hearts Pt. 1
'How long has it been?' Ichigo wondered as she walked up the steps to her parents' grave. She held a bouquet of lilies and a sad expression. When she found out her answer, she thought, 'That's right. When he was here.' She walked to the last step on that thought. She let out a sigh and turned to her left. When she took a step, she stopped at the shock of what she saw. She saw Pai kneeling before her parents' grave, staring at the dead flowers and the carved names engraved on the stone.
"P-P-Pai?" she asked.
He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and stood up. "Took you long enough to get here. Do you have any ideas of how many nights I waited for you to get here?"
She relaxed a bit and asked, "You were waiting for me?"
"Yes," he answered. He went to his bag and took out a big, fat orange package. He showed it to her and she walked up to take it; a little hesitantly.
She asked, "What is it?"
"Inside are two packages, each with a writing on the top. The only thing they have in common is that they are all about one subject; Kisshu."
Ichigo's eyes widen at that as she presented the package to him. "I don't want it," she said.
He didn't move as his voice got hard when he asked, "You mean after all of those memories that rushed through your head, the yells from Taruto, and the disappearance of him, you still despise him?"
Ichigo took a bit to answer that question. "Look! He killed my parents and the first person I ever loved. How do you expect me to forgive him when the things he did can never repay for the pain he caused me?"
"You said the first person you ever loved. Does that mean that you love someone else?" he asked, catching her off guard. Her whole guard of being strong weakened at that. He let out a sigh and said, "You don't have to read it all at once, Ichigo. The first one is about Kisshu's life when he met you and the second is about his life before. Surely you must be curious about him since he knew everything about you and yet you don't know squat about him. You don't have to open one tonight. You can read the first one when you believe you're ready and you can read the second one when you are absolutely positive that you are ready. Before you open the second one, however, you have to ask yourself if you are ready then you can open it." After he explained that, he started walking away. Ichigo stood there dumbstruck with the package still at hand.
When he walked right passed her, she was ready to turn around towards him. "Wait!" she yelled, but by the time she did turn around, he was gone. "Damn it all," she mumbled in a low soft tone. She looked at the package and thought about it a little more.
'I'll just throw all of this into the garbage can. What the hell do I have use for this anyway?' she wondered. Then some memories of when she was under that potion started kicking in again. 'But… damn it all again!' She held the yellow package and walked towards her parents' grave. She put the package down and kneeled in front of the carved stone.
She smiled and greeted, "Hey, mom. Hey, dad. How are things up there? Are grandma and grandpa happy to see you? I remember the last time that we saw them, dad and grandpa were ready to have a kendo match like in the story of how you two were able to become a couple. I wonder if probably grandpa and dad are doing that now." She laughed at that comment and then her laughing turned into sobbing cries. She tried to wipe them away as best as she could but they were endless. "I miss you guys so much and…and…I miss Dren-kun too." She hugged her knees and started crying again. She's been doing that a lot since that day when Zakuro turned into a full angel.
After that day when the earth was almost turned into a flaming planet, things kind of went back to normal. Lettuce decided to go back home to her house. She was beyond relieved when she saw that her house was still standing and her parents and little brother were safe. When they saw her, they were happy; especially since they all hugged her. Lettuce's mom was the only one who was close to tears as Lettuce was crying her tears out. She was beyond happy to be home.
Pudding went home too and just like she thought, the was messy and dusty beyond belief. Just to be sure, she went up stairs into the rooms of her departed siblings and looked. At first she was terrified to go up or even see the inside, but she dealt with it by forcing herself to push the door open to see it…clean. There was no blood on the wall or floors and there were no bodies or body parts. There was one thing though. There was a little piece of paper folded on her little sister's bed. When she opened it, it only had one word; sorry. Pudding recognized the handwriting and nearly cried. It was Taruto's handwriting. He must have clean out the blood and the bodies but where did he put them? She found out when she went outside. There was an area in which the ground looked all dug up and there were five stones on top of it. No doubt that he was the one who buried them all and that was what made her cry.
Ichigo did a lot of thinking. At first, she was thinking a lot about what Kisshu's reaction when she told him she hated him. But now, he was never out of her mind. If what Tart said was true as well as the memories she gained that day, then she can't help but wish one thing as she continued to cry over her parents' grave.
"I wished that I never said those words to him," she cried. "I…can never forgive him for what he did to you and Dren-kun but I can't hate him either! I can't love him anymore but I don't want to hurt him. I don't know what to do anymore…please…someone…help…me."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Everyone!! Over here!" Keiichiro called. Lettuce, Mint, Zakuro, and Pudding ran towards him and Ryou. When they were close, Keiichiro quickly explained, "Thank you for coming. For the past few days there have been huge numbers of demonic energy in this bay."
Ryou ordered, "We need to split up and see if there is any agent work at hand." All four girls nodded.
While Ichigo went out to see her parents, Keiichiro and Ryou have sensed demonic energy coming from the Tokyo Bay. Since the agent's plans are to destroy all life, there is a very good chance that they could be trying to pollute the water too. When there were kirema anima alerts all over the bay, Ryou and Keiichiro didn't want to take any chances. They called all of the Mew Mews, except Ichigo, to the bay and told them the news.
Ryou ordered, "Lettuce and Mint will come with me on one boat and Pudding and Zakuro will go with Keiichiro." All four girls nodded and took their golden blotches.
"Mew Mew Mint Metamorphosis!"
"Mew Mew Lettuce Metamorphosis!"
"Mew Mew Pudding Metamorphosis!"
"Mew Mew Zakuro Metamorphosis!"
Once they were transformed, they jumped onto the boats they were assigned and the guys started the engine. During at least fifteen minutes of the trip, there was nothing. Nothing except for the sound of the motor, the sound of the water, and the breeze that blew in from the west. The first ones to notice the wind were Ryou and Lettuce.
Lettuce looked towards the west as Ryou mumbled, "A storms blowing in. We have to hurry and check this bay before the storm hits."
Mint listened to Ryou's words as Lettuce mumbled back, "It's called a Zephyr. Wind that blows from the west indicates that a storm will come soon."
Ryou looked up at Lettuce from the corner of his eyes as Mint asked, "That's one of the names, right?"
Ryou answered, "Yeah."
Lettuce couldn't help but smile as she explained, "Winds from the west bring storms but it also brings happiness once the storm passes. I believe in that saying more than myself."
Then it was Ryou's turn to smile as he asked, "Why is it that you believe the saying more than yourself?"
Lettuce looked at him confused as Mint told her, "I may not be the hyper Ichigo when she's in a good mood but there is one thing I will say. There's a point in Ryou's saying." Lettuce looked at her as Mint finished, "You deserve some confidence, Lettuce. You have no idea of how much you deserve it after all the heart breaks you went through." Lettuce was dumb struck by that remark.
"She's got a point, Lettuce," Ryou told her. When Lettuce looked up at him, he was looking at her with a gentle smile and gentle, encouraging eyes. That face actually made her face blush and her heart pound.
"Well isn't that sweet?"
That was when all six looked up. Ryou and Keiichiro stopped the boat as they saw Sardon with at least hundreds of flying fish in the air with him. He had his fan by his face like he was fanning himself as he greeted, "So nice to see that you have such good friends, angel."
Lettuce was hurt by that as Pudding got a little angry. She stood up and asked, "Want a taste of our fists, na no da?"
Sardon glared at her coldly from the corner of his eyes and said, "Like you can do anything to me." That only made Pudding growled more.
Keiichiro told her, "Calm your anger, Pudding-san. Anger only makes them stronger. Agents feed on negative emotions from humans and angels."
Then Mint asked, "Like how you fed on Pudding's, Lettuce's, and Ichigo's emotions when they were moaning over agents like him?!" Sardon's eyes widen at that for a moment, but they returned back to his cold stare as quickly as his eyes widen.
He ordered, "Enough talk. Go, kirema animas!" As commanded, the fish charged at them and as reaction, the girls started to attack.
"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!" she screamed, summoning her whip. She launched it towards some of the fish and they turned back into regular fish once hit.
The fish fell back into the water as Ryou exclaimed, "He possessed the fish?"
"It was all in order for you to come out, but I should have known that you wouldn't allow human Ichigo to get into danger," Sardon explained.
Pudding attacked, "Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!!" Her attacked captured some of the fish but with one swing of his fan, lighting went straight for the jello cage and destroyed it.
Mint got an arrow ready and yelled, "Leave Ichigo alone! She has nothing to do with what happened! I am! I was the one who made Ichigo confused and say things!" That got Sardon's attention.
"So be it," he said. He aimed his fan at her and swung, saying, "Ku Ryu Sen!" Mint forgot to let go of the arrow.
"Look out!" Ryou yelled, pushing her out of the way. The attack hit him and he went into the water.
"Ryou-sama!" Keiichiro called.
Lettuce went to the edge and called, "Ryou-san!"
Mint looked at the water to expect Ryou to come up but he didn't. "Ryou!" She started running to the edge but more fish were coming for her. Then she remembered to shot. "Ribbon Mint Echo!" She purified the fish back into the water and looked over the edge. She still couldn't see Ryou. "Ryou!"
Sardon huffed and said, "Pathetic. And he calls himself the prince of heaven." Lettuce gripped the metal bar and bit her bottom lip. She has to do something.
"Mint! I'm going in!" she told her.
Mint looked at her surprised as she reminded, "But I thought you said you can't swim!"
She gulped and said, "But I have to save him!" Sardon was taken back by that as Lettuce jumped into the water.
"Lettuce!"
Sardon gritted his teeth and teleported away, leaving the other mew mews to deal with the millions of possessed fish.
Lettuce dived deep into the depths of Tokyo Bay. She was scared and the water was numbing her body but she knew that she has to save Ryou. Rather he's an angel or not, he's still in a human body and human bodies need air. She needed air too but she just has to keep going. She can't give up, for both of their sakes.
She looked deep into the water and she saw some of the possessed fish dragging Ryou down. That was why he didn't come up. He looked like he was already starting to lose air as he struggled against the fish that pulled him down.
'Ryou-san!' Lettuce thought, kicking as hard as she could. She claimed that she doesn't know how to swim and that's true but right now, her body is moving from instinct.
When she got close, the fish noticed her and quickened their pace in dragging the angel prince down. Lettuce got even more scared for his safety. Compared to the fish, she's slow and she has the DNA of a fish; interesting.
Her lungs burned for air and her muscles started to tighten together. She needed air or she won't make it, but she's already so far away from the surface. She has to hurry. She summoned her weapons and charged them up. 'Ribbon Lettuce Rush!' she thought, releasing her attack. It went straight for the fish at full speed and they were purified. They quickly swim away and Ryou was only drifting deeper into the bay. He's unconscious from loss of oxygen. Lettuce only got more worried for him.
'Ryou-san!!!' As Lettuce kicked harder, she got closer towards him but…
"Ku Ryu Sen!"
A water current forced Ryou to go down further and Sardon appeared between him and Lettuce. She stopped kicking and stared at Sardon with great surprise. She knew that she would lose air this way but she had to ask him.
"Please, Pai-san! I need to save him!" she gurgled under the water.
He asked her, "Would you kill me if I don't move?" Her heart stopped after he asked that. How could she kill him?
She shook her head and pleaded, "Please Pai-san! Wouldn't you do the same if you wanted to save the person most important to you?" His eyes widen at that. In fact, he would. The person most important to him is…her.
He gritted his teeth and clench his fan tighter as he told her, "You wouldn't understand!!" He charged at her and swung his fan at her. Desperate now, she ducked and kicked harder towards Ryou.
When Sardon turned around, Lettuce already within reach of Ryou. She hugged him and held him tightly to her. She pleaded in her mind, 'Please! Anyone but him! Let him live!' Then after that one thought, a heavenly miracle happened.
A bright light from Ryou shined and it engulfed Lettuce into a warm, comforting feeling. But the light didn't feel the same to Sardon. It burned him and to try and protect himself, he put his arms up to block the light as well as his fan. When the light settled down a bit, Sardon lowered his fan and he saw a shocking sight.
From the waist up, Lettuce looked the same. But from the waist down, she had a mermaid's or a fish's tail. It was a beautiful white with pearls decorated on the hips. Her skirt was gone and her ribbons on her head grew longer. When she opened her eyes, they looked so gentle and she was staring at Ryou. Sardon couldn't help but watch as Lettuce took a breath of water in. Being a fish, she could breath underwater.
In her mind, she thought, 'Please, don't die.' She closed her eyes and leaned towards him. Her lips soon were against Ryou and they allowed air to enter his lungs again. Then Sardon thought he was going to explode.
All of a sudden, his head felt really hot and it was throbbing. His heart in his chest pounded harder and harder and faster and faster. With each pound, he felt a rush of pain pulse throughout the body. But with each pulse, the pain got worst and worst. It felt a lot like when he was first infused with the hellish powers but this one felt hotter and more painful. He used every ounce of his remaining strength to keep the scream he longed to release hidden as he teleported away when Lettuce's lips removed themselves away from him.
She held him tighter and started swimming for the surface. It was a long swim but when she made it to the surface, she jumped up in the air. All of the girls, who finished the kirema animas off, looked towards her direction and stared in shock. Lettuce looks so…so…beautiful. Lettuce fell back into the water and Keiichiro started the boat to get to them.
Lettuce still held Ryou in her arms a little longer until she looked at him in the face. He still had his eyes closed and that was really scaring her. "Ryou-san! Ryou-san!" she called, desperate for him to wake up. And he did.
He shut his eyes hard and opened them to see Lettuce with tears leaking out of her eyes. She smiled when she saw his eyes as he mumbled, "Let..tuce…"
She said, "Thank goodness. I'm so glad you're alright."
"Ryou-sama!"
Both of them turned around to see Keiichiro slowing down to them with Zakuro in the seat next to him and Mint and Pudding standing in the back seats. Keiichiro asked, "Are you two alright?"
Ryou answered, "We are now." Secretly, Mint smiled and let out a sigh of relief.
She whispered, "Thank goodness."
Keiichiro told Ryou and Lettuce, "The ladies completely defeated the kirema animas and Sardon disappeared." Lettuce raised a brow at that. Sure he must have disappeared from them but what happened after she passed him? He isn't the one who usually gives up that easily.
Pudding asked Mint, "What's with the smile, Mint onee-chan?" Mint lost it and turned completely red for Pudding mentioning that so loudly.
"Be quiet!" she told her, covering her mouth.
Meanwhile, Ryou told Lettuce, "Thank you, Lettuce. I would have been a goner if you didn't save me." Lettuce smiled and shook her head.
"You're welcome. I'm just glad you're…alright."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Ichigo jumped up and did a triple in the air. When she landed, she stared skating backwards on only one leg. But she didn't watch where she was going. She went straight for the wall.
Bang
Ichigo tripe and fell to the ground on her butt after crashing into the wall. She groaned, "Ow…"
After the cemetery, Ichigo still had the whole day to waste so she went to the only place she could think of. A place she hasn't been in years; Tokyo Skating Rink. Tokyo Skating Rink is a place where it's always cold like winter and it's where people can come and skate. However, if the lakes outside are frozen during the winter, they're closed. When Ichigo arrived, it was only her and the people who live there. She had the whole rink to herself and she was happy for that. She needed some time alone.
"Nice turn."
Ichigo was shock for a moment but she let out a sigh and put her hand on the wall to help her get up. She looked at Taruto who was leaning by the exit of the skating rink and asked, "Is today Meet-the-Agents-in-Human-Form Day?"
He answered, "Very funny." He looked at her and told her, "I didn't know you can skate."
Ichigo told him, "A long time ago, my parents made me took lessons and Dren-kun was my number one fan. He always cheered and congratulated me whether I win or lose." She let out a chuckle and added, "I remembered one time when he tried to skate with me, he wouldn't let go of the wall because he was afraid of falling and embarrassing himself in front of me."
Taruto let out a chuckle and said, "That sounds like him…it sounds like him."
Ichigo raised a brow and asked, "Why are you here, Taruto?"
He answered, "I was bored since nii-sama is at Tokyo Bay and probably fighting the Mew Mews right now. He wanted to lure you out so that he can destroy you. We both know that something happened to nii-san that is keeping him from coming back. I'm only seeing you to entertain me."
Ichigo had a vein pulsing on her head and she said, "So glad to be of service."
There was a small silence between them for a bit and Taruto got bored. He let out a sigh, that was visible in the cold wind, and said, "Read the envelope. You'll find out a lot of things about nii-san that you didn't even think of."
Ichigo let out a tired sigh and answer, "Pai told me that I can read it when I think I'm ready and when I am ready. Right now, I don't think I'm ready to read about the person who killed the ones I loved."
"And when is that day when you are ready?" Taruto asked, getting serious.
Ichigo looked at him with surprise as she answered, "I don't know…"
Her face fell as Taruto told her, "Then you'll never be ready." She looked up again in shock as Taruto started walking away. He waved from behind and said, "Think about it!" Then Taruto teleported away in a rush of black leaves.
XxxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
In the darkness, Sardon laid on the floor, gripping the area over his heart. The pain didn't seem to stop and it still continued getting stronger and stronger. The pain even got to the point where Sardon was tasting blood in his mouth; his own blood. He was choking on it and he was desperate for air but he didn't seem to die from loss of oxygen.
Then he heard a growl; an unfamiliar growl. He opened one eye to see who it was, but it was too dark for him to see. From the sight of his one open eye, you can see his eyes changing from violet to dark blue and from dark blue to violet. The thing that growled walked towards him like an animal on all fours and it smirked. His hand touched Sardon's shoulder and it was hot. He pushed Sardon to make him lay on his back and stared at his pained face. That only made the smirk on his face wider.
His voice sounded harsh and wild as he said, "Hello, dear brother."