Four Months Later

Dear Aoyama,

I was really glad to get your letter this week! Being pen pals is such a fun idea. I hope this letter isn't too slow getting to you all the way from across the world!

I'm happy to hear your summer internship has been going well. I hope you've been able to enjoy yourself over the summer, too. Classes are starting up again next week, right? Are you still super nervous about your genetics class?

Things have been great here in Tokyo! The café has been as busy as ever this summer. I've been able to do some traveling in between work, though! I was actually able to go to New York City for my 18th birthday. It was super fun!

Anyway, I hope you're having a great time in England, and I wish you all the best with school starting up again soon. Stay in touch, and don't work too hard. I know you get sometimes. Don't forget to have fun.

– xo,
Ichigo

… sigh.

She'd read the letter ten times over already. She knew she'd keep second-guessing every word if she didn't stop now.

Ichigo folded up the letter and tucked it in its envelope. She licked the seal and closed it with care, then triple-checked the address on the front. Smiling, she tossed the letter in the outgoing mail bin next to Ryou's desk in the café basement.

Ryou glanced up briefly from his laptop. He looked down at the mail bin and raised an eyebrow.

"Writing letters to an ex?" he remarked. "Did he lose his phone? Seems shady, Momomiya."

Ichigo crossed her arms defensively. "We're pen pals, Shirogane," she muttered. "Only middle schoolers and insecure people are weird about their exes."

Ryou let out a snort of laughter. He took off his reading glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Sure, Momomiya," he replied, smirking. He replaced his glasses and leaned back in his desk chair, "...and only middle schoolers have pen pals. Aren't you supposed to be working? It's not 3PM yet."

"I know, I know," Ichigo sighed. "I almost forgot to mail that letter, so I wanted to drop it off before I close my last check. I didn't want it to sit in my bag the whole week." She glanced up at the clock on the wall. 2:56. Almost time to go.

When Ichigo glanced back at Ryou, he was watching the clock, too. He let out a long breath of air and refocused. "So, we're all meeting in the back for a few minutes after 3, right? To see all of you off?"

"Right," Ichigo confirmed, smiling. She folded her hands behind her back. "I just have to finish up my last table, and then I'll get changed and meet you out back behind the café. I think Lettuce and Pudding have already clocked out."

Ryou nodded. "Well, get going then!" he said. He waved Ichigo off with one hand. "Before I change my mind about all of you missing work for a week."

Ichigo grinned and whirled around. Scurrying up the basement stairs, she felt a skip in her step and a nervous energy jumping in her stomach. When she reached the top of the steps, she saw Mint leaving the break room. She was re-tying the bow of her apron when she caught Ichigo's eye.

"You know," Mint started, "you owe me big time for this. Covering your shifts, and lying to your parents about where you are? I'll be expecting to get all of your tips for the next month."

"The next month?" Ichigo exclaimed. "Mint! That's ridiculous!"

"Make it two months," Mint said with a smirk. She put her hands on her hips. "I'll see you out back in a few minutes?"

Ichigo sighed and rolled her eyes. It was hard to stay mad at her friend, especially when she was doing her such a big favor.

Ichigo smiled and nodded. "I just have to close out this check and get changed. I'll be right there!"

Mint nodded and strode into the dining area, greeting the patrons just seated in Ichigo's section. Ichigo drifted into the kitchen alcove and pulled out her last table's check. She rang it up in the register and counted out the change. Last table for a while, she thought to herself as she dropped the coins in her hand. I could use the break.

The summer had been full of busy days at the café and long summer nights with her friends. After her breakup with Masaya, Ichigo had talked to him on the phone a few times. It was nothing more than pleasantries and asking each other about their lives, but Ichigo felt they were close to rekindling a warm sort of friendship. It made her happy to know there was no resentment between them. Masaya's summer internship with a research center in Manchester had been keeping him busy. He already had a post-graduation job offer from a conservatory in London. Ichigo was proud of him. She knew he was destined for great things.

Quiche, Pie and Tart returned to their planet for a couple weeks over the summer, to straighten out some diplomatic issues that had come up in their absence and meet with the other princes. Ichigo noticed how quiet it was in the café while they were gone. The three boys really felt like part of Tokyo Mew Mew. Pie had recently moved out of the café and into his own apartment downtown. Lettuce spent a lot of her time there after work. The two recently announced to their friends that they were officially a couple ... to no one's surprise. When the three boys weren't working at the café, they spent their time getting to know the city, and generally pestering the mews.

Quiche had made good on his promise to Ichigo that he wasn't going anywhere. His persistence was irritating at first, while Ichigo's breakup was still fresh. But Ichigo found herself slower to pull away from his touch, and smiling a little more at his attempts to flirt at work. On her 18th birthday, Quiche arranged for Lettuce and Pie to join them on a double date of sorts, where the two alien boys brought Ichigo and Lettuce to explore the lights and sounds of New York City. Ichigo had always wanted to visit the American city, and even though none of them spoke very good English, the four of them had a grand time splitting giant pizzas, sneaking into the observatory of the Empire State Building, and wandering around Times Square at night.

Now, as the summer was coming to a close, Ichigo hummed to herself as she tapped away at the cash register and thought about the adventure she was about to embark on. The three alien boys had invited the girls of Tokyo Mew Mew to come with them on their next trip to their home planet. After many long, serious talks with Ryou and Keiichiro, the mews all agreed that it would be best to send half of the team – Ichigo, Lettuce and Pudding – with the three boys, so that Tokyo Mew Mew could keep the café running and not have their entire defense team gone at once. Ryou and Keiichiro agreed that it would be good for the mews to establish a relationship with the alien government Quiche, Pie and Tart belonged to. After all, if they were establishing an alliance, it made sense for the girls of Tokyo Mew Mew to get to know the culture and people of the planet they were helping.

Ichigo was nervous for the trip, but her anxiety came with a twinge of excitement. She was glad she was going with Lettuce and Pudding, two of her closest friends. It was a new adventure, a new place, and nothing any human had ever experienced before. The mews were so close to the alien boys that Ichigo felt no sense of danger in accompanying them.

The only danger came from Ichigo's relationship with Quiche – Ichigo couldn't help but think of their conversation the night before her breakup with Masaya. Quiche's offer to give her anything she had ever wanted. Any life she could dream of. "I could even make you a princess, if you wanted."

Ichigo knew this trip was tempting fate. Striking matches near dynamite. It would be hard to dance around how she felt about Quiche while they were bound to be around each other all the time. She knew whatever protective wall she had up in her mind was going to crack.

The cash drawer clicked shut just as Ichigo felt a hand curl around her waist. Speak of the devil.

"What are you still doing here?" Quiche purred in her ear. Ichigo held her breath and felt her face growing hot. "We're supposed to be leaving soon. The other girls are waiting out back."

Ichigo let out a breath and looked up at him with a look of fake indignation. "This is my last check – why are you here? One of the guests is going to see you."

Ichigo reached up and flicked the tip of one of Quiche's ears with a finger. His ears were nearly back to their original size; all of the alien boys had stopped taking the shots of masking elixir in anticipation for their trip.

Quiche flinched, then snatched Ichigo's wrist out of the air. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and his trademark smirk.

That stupid smirk. Ichigo had resented it before, but now, it just made her blush.

Mint rounded the corner of the kitchen hall, drawing Ichigo and Quiche's attention. She rolled her eyes and groaned as she walked past them towards the freezer. Ichigo tore her wrist out of Quiche's grasp, embarrassed.

"Could you two save it for your trip?" Mint sighed. She pulled out a pre-made frozen dessert from the giant freezer and began to garnish it with whipped cream. "You really couldn't wait 20 minutes?"

"Mint!" Ichigo squeaked. "It's not like that!"

"It's totally like that," Quiche sang, slipping his hand from her waist. He waltzed backwards out of the kitchen alcove and into the back hall. He grinned at Ichigo and held his hands behind his head. "See you soon, kitten."

Ichigo clenched her fists at her side and let out a frustrated sigh. Her face was hot. She was sure she was red as a tomato. She recounted the change from her last check and shook her head.

"I swear, that idiot is going to drive me crazy," Ichigo muttered. She printed the receipt for the table's check and tore it from the register. When she looked up, Mint was already smirking at her with a knowing look.

"You like him."

Ichigo's blush deepened.

"I-I…I have to go finish my last table," Ichigo stammered. She turned on her heel and marched out of the kitchen. She could only hope her face would cool down on her walk through the dining room.

Ichigo rushed to change in the café restroom after dropping off her last table's check. She'd packed an overstuffed duffel bag for the week. Quiche had told her not to pack too much, since they'd have wardrobes waiting for the girls when they arrived. But Ichigo was a girl who loved her creature comforts, and packed more than a few sweaters, leggings and shoes anyway. She threw a couple dresses in her bag for good measure, just in case. Her mom and dad thought she was staying at Mint's vacation home in Hawaii for the week. She made a mental note to fake some selfies somewhere inconspicuous with Lettuce and Pudding during her trip.

Once Ichigo was changed into a day dress and tennis shoes, she slipped out of the café bathroom and hauled her giant duffel out to the back door. She used her back to push the door open, then tossed the bag off to her side on the grass outside. When she looked up, Ichigo saw that nearly everyone was already gathered outside, waiting. She had packed the most stuff by far. Lettuce was carrying a small rolling bag, and Pudding had only a backpack.

Ichigo grinned sheepishly as her friends eyed her bag.

"Did no one tell you to pack light?" Pie remarked with one raised eyebrow.

"I–uh, it's not that bad!" Ichigo insisted, crossing her arms defensively. "I just brought a few extra things!"

"Like your entire wardrobe?" Ryou said. Ichigo made a face at her boss. The door swung open again, and Mint and Keiichiro strode out.

"Headed out?" Keiichiro asked with a smile. He tossed a tea towel over his shoulder and wiped his hands off on his apron. "We'll miss all of you girls!"

"Yeah, don't have too much fun without us!" Berry added from her spot beside Ryou.

"This trip isn't about fun," Ryou corrected. "It's about diplomacy. I expect you girls to be on your best behavior. You'll be representatives of not just Tokyo Mew Mew, but of the people of Earth. Use your brains, and don't get into too much trouble."

"Geez, dad, thanks for the pep talk!" Pudding whined, slumping her shoulders. "We're gonna have fun whether you like it or not!"

Ryou opened his mouth like he was about to argue with the youngest mew, but stopped as the air next to Pie shimmered. Quiche appeared, stepping onto the grass and twirling what looked like a ring of keys.

"The ship is booting up – we should be good to go in a few," he said to Pie. His gaze fell on Ichigo, then on her bag. "Hey kitten, nice of you to finally join us ... now please tell me that's not your bag."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in frustration. "Ugh, why is everyone so concerned about what I pack? It's none of your business!"

"It's our business when it weighs down the ship," Tart remarked. He put his hands on his hips. "Now can we get going already? We're gonna be late if you all keep blabbing with each other."

Quiche walked over to Ichigo's duffel and picked it up. He swung it over his shoulder with a groan. "Ugh, what did you pack in here? Your rock collection? A whole bookcase?"

Ichigo elbowed him in the ribs. Quiche snickered and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ichigo didn't shrug him off, choosing to roll her eyes at him instead.

"Ready to go, everyone?" Quiche asked with a grin. Ichigo looked to Lettuce and Pudding, then nodded. Her face brightened with an eager smile.

"Ready!" Pudding chirped.

"Ready," Lettuce said with a long, content sigh.

"Let's go!" Ichigo cheered. Lettuce, Pudding and Ichigo exchanged hugs with the rest of the team and waved goodbye. Each of the girls took hold of the hands of one of the alien boys. With a deep breath, Ichigo said goodbye to Earth, closed her eyes, and felt the ground disappear from beneath her feet. The feeling was familiar to her by now, and she felt less dizzy as her thick, unbound hair gently whipped around her face.

When Ichigo finally began to get her bearings, she heard the sound of a metallic "clack" as her shoes touched steel. She opened her eyes.

The hallway in front of her was all slick, dark metal with low, dimly-lit ceilings. Some kind of electronic panel was off to her left, with an LCD screen displaying something in a language she didn't understand. All around her, green and blue light reflected all around the cylindrical hallway. Ahead of her was what looked like the cockpit – and in the window, she could see the vast, blue surface of Earth as they hovered above her home planet.

Ichigo felt stunned in place. The view of Earth – her Earth – was absolutely breathtaking.

Pudding rushed past her with a cry of, "Woah! This is so freaking cool!" She plopped down in one of the pilot's chairs and flipped open the cover to the controls on her armrest.

Tart followed quickly behind, yelling, "Hey! Don't touch that!"

Pie and Lettuce followed Tart. Lettuce murmured something to Pie – too quiet for Ichigo to hear. Pie chuckled and looked down at Lettuce like she was the sun. Ichigo smiled to herself as she watched them walk hand-in-hand.

"So, what do you think?" Quiche asked from beside her. Ichigo blinked and turned her attention to Quiche. He patted one of the control panels in the hall proudly. "She's a beautiful ship, right? I've been working on fixing her up all summer." He practically beamed with pride.

Ichigo furrowed her brow. She was beginning to understand that Quiche's obsession with his ship was not unlike a teenage boy's obsession with their car. In truth, the ship felt a little too sterile for her liking. She produced a grin that felt more like a grimace. "I mean, it seems nice? Maybe you can give me the grand tour later."

"Why, of course," Quiche said with a grin. "But first, you're going to take her for a spin."

He grabbed Ichigo's wrist and began to lead her down the hall and towards the cockpit. "Wait, what?" Ichigo cried, trotting along with Quiche to keep up. "You mean like, driving this thing? I can't even drive a car!"

"I'll teach you," Quiche said confidently. "It's easy, you'll see."

The two reached the cockpit of the ship. Quiche guided Ichigo to sit in what she gathered was the captain's chair. The swiveling chair was upholstered in stiff, maroon-colored leather. Ichigo felt like a child sitting in its wide seat.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ichigo muttered. Her eyes swept over the vast array of multicolored knobs, switches and buttons on the control panel in front of her.

"Quiche, no," Pie scolded from behind her. "Absolutely not."

"C'mon, Pie, lighten up," Quiche whined. He perched on the armrest of the captain's chair next to Ichigo. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"We crash the goddman ship into the asteroid belt on the way out, that's what!" Tart exclaimed. "I wouldn't trust the old hag to ride a bike!"

"Hey, you take that back!" Ichigo yelled, glaring up at Tart. She felt the heat of a challenge burning at her neck. She turned to Quiche, "Now how do you turn this thing on?"

Quiche smirked and let out a low laugh. "I knew you had it in you, kitten," he purred. He pointed to a series of green buttons in a row above an LED panel. "Press the first, second, and fifth buttons and leave them alone until they stop flashing."

Ichigo reached up to the panel and did as he instructed. A low hum emanated from below the cockpit.

"Uh, Ichigo?" Lettuce interjected anxiously. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Nope!" Ichigo chirped, feeling a mix of adrenaline and reckless confidence surging through her chest. She noticed all of the lights on the panel had gone still. She looked up at Quiche. "Okay, now what?"

"I'll do this part," Quiche said, amusement oozing from his tone. He reached over Ichigo and tapped on the screen. It lit up with more words in a language Ichigo didn't recognize. Quiche's slim fingers moved nimbly over the screen, quickly tapping a sequence of options from a complicated-looking menu. Ichigo's cheek was up against the warmth of his chest as he leaned over her. A hint of cloves mingled with the scent of the leather chair.

"Okay, course is set," Quiche murmured, drawing away from the control panel. He glanced down at Ichigo and pointed to a handle in front of her. "When you're ready, grab the throttle there and push it up. Slowly."

Ichigo gingerly placed her hand on the throttle. Its grip was too big for her to close her fingers around. She exhaled slowly and looked over at Lettuce and Pudding, who were watching off to her side. Pudding gave her two thumbs up and giggled, unfazed. Lettuce grinned nervously – her best attempt at being encouraging.

An amusing thought presented itself in Ichigo's head. A grin broke out over her face. "Should I say the thing?" she asked her friends.

"Wait, what thing?" Tart asked incredulously.

"Ooo! Yeah! Say the thing! The Tokyo Mew Mew thing!" Pudding chirped. She bounced up and down in the co-pilot's chair and clapped her hands.

Lettuce let out a snort of laughter and nodded, "Sure, why not?"

Ichigo nodded. She drummed her fingers on the grip of the handle and sucked in a breath.

"For the future of the universe…!"

"Are you kidding? This stupid catchphrase?"

"Shut it, Tart!" Quiche barked.

"...Tokyo Mew Mew will be of service, nya!~"

Ichigo pushed on the throttle – hard. The entire ship shot forward with a lurch. Earth disappeared behind them in the blink of an eye.

And just like that, Tokyo Mew Mew went screaming and tumbling into their next adventure across the universe.

(A.N./

Finishing this story is SO bittersweet. I want to say thank you again to everyone past and present for reading this fic all the way through to the end. I hope you've loved this journey just as much as I've loved writing it.

Now, on to the fun part – what I write next. :)

I am by no means planning on quitting writing for this fandom. You all are too much fun to write for, and I'm not planning on getting out of this middle-school-regression phase anytime soon, lol. Indulge in some nostalgia with me and help me pick what TMM fic I write next.

Option 1: I write the sequel for this fic. It picks off pretty much immediately after this epilogue and goes /deep/ into all of the nerdy lore of the alien planet, political intrigue, and lots of royal/fantasy drama. It will be rated M for reasons you can probably guess (spoiler alert: the reasons are smut). It will be overall a little more mature than Fickle Fourteen. I'm 99% sure everyone who's liked Fickle Fourteen will adore the sequel.

Option 2: I write another, totally new chapter-fic I have about half-outlined that takes place smack in the middle of the original Tokyo Mew Mew canon, when everyone is still fighting each other. I don't want to give away too much of the fic, but it's a darker, sultry slow-burn Kishigo (of course) where Ichigo is forced to make alliances with the aliens for an antidote after she is poisoned by a chimera during a battle. Think hurt/comfort, sickfic, classic enemies to lovers – ALSO would be rated M (or maybe a spicy T?) for *cough* reasons. This fic would not require anyone to know anything about some of the lesser-known parts of TMM canon (like a la Mode or Re-Turn), so it could have a lower barrier to entry to read than Fickle Fourteen.

Option 3: I take a break from chapter-fics and write a couple one-shots. I have a few ideas kicking around in my head for smaller pieces of fic. Do you want to see more bite-sized stories from me? Let me know!

Picking one of these over the other doesn't mean I don't write the other two – I'm just trying to figure out what idea to flesh out next! Please, please let me know what you'd love to read.

And as always, please leave any last thoughts on Fickle Fourteen! Thank you again to all of my wonderful readers from the past few months. You all are wonderful and so inspiring.

Cheers, and on to the next story!~)