Deep Blue's power hummed in Masaya's gut, deep and low.
It awoke the moment they entered the strange atmosphere. Masaya swallowed the feeling into the pit of his core, stomping it down as far as it would go.
He didn't want to scare the team by telling them it had already begun to stir.
He didn't want to scare Ichigo.
Everyone had such confidence in him. Everyone believed he'd be able to pull his powers to the surface, like a rabbit out of a hat. At first, he'd doubted his abilities fully. He'd been worried he wouldn't be able to summon them on cue. But on the strange planet – Novutera, he remembered – the power buzzed throughout his veins like a low static, and bubbled up in the pits of his subconsciousness.
It knew it was home. And it wanted out.
Luckily, he wasn't alone. Pie, Lettuce and Cici were with him as they managed to hide somewhere off to the side of the main city center's hangar. Once they'd found a place to hide him and Lettuce, Cici and Pie made quick work of delivering instructions to soldiers passing through the space, asking pointed questions and making careful demands for what felt like ages. Eventually, she returned to the hiding spot for the humans – a supply closet for spare parts.
"We have our audience," Cici announced as they ducked into the closest. She stared pointedly at Masaya. "You're to make an appearance in ten minutes, in the main common space of the compound."
"Make an appearance as … Deep Blue," Masaya clarified warily.
"The last remnant of Deep Blue," Cici corrected. "I don't care how you do it. I was able to get a small list of names just now, and these defectors aren't the brightest of the bunch. They'll fold to whatever you say, as long as you can summon the power."
"Right," Masaya sighed. Anxiety tore at his chest, his heart beating wildly in his throat.
Ten minutes passed by in an instant as they discussed the rest of the plan together. Pie and Lettuce teleported together first, to make way for Masaya's arrival in the main common area. Lettuce seemed anxious to appear alongside Pie in the commons center. Pie reassured her kindly, but firmly before they disappeared into thin air.
Cici turned to Masaya.
"Ready to go, my lord?" she asked with a grin.
Masaya did a double take. Cici's gold eyes, coupled with the title of "lord" …
He felt a snap of anger in his gut. The power stirring within him tried to ride the anger to the surface of his consciousness. He squashed it quickly and nodded. "Let's go."
"Close your eyes and hang tight," Cici instructed. She held out a hand to Masaya. He took it, and immediately began to feel dizzy. He closed his eyes just as the ground disappeared beneath his feet.
The sensation of teleporting was like flying. It was almost euphoric, feeling as if he was floating in the sky of his own will, weightless. Masaya wondered if one day, he'd be able to open his eyes and see what it looked like as they moved in the liminal space between locations on the strange planet.
Masaya felt his feet touch the ground and his body settle back into gravity. He opened his eyes to see close to one hundred eyes staring back.
The euphoria disappeared. Fear took its place.
Cici cleared her throat.
"Brothers and sisters," she addressed the crowd. "I've heard stirrings of what's been happening over the last few days regarding the Emperor's condition and the subsequent lockdown. I'm here to tell you that you've been deceived. The Emperor hasn't simply fallen ill, and his nephew isn't simply stepping in his place. You are all in the center of a planned coup."
She paused for a moment as hushed whispers broke out among the crowd. "I'm unsure how many of you are aware of that fact," Cici continued. "For now, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
"But first, you were told to gather here to witness a show of power from Deep Blue, who was previously thought to be deceased. Standing here with me is Masaya Aoyama, the human boy who is the chosen host of Deep Blue."
All of the eyes left Cici and snapped to Masaya. The whispers in the crowd grew louder, and more chaotic.
"How are we supposed to believe you?" shouted someone in the back.
"What grounds do you have to accuse Prince Orion of treason?" said another.
"The evidence is mounting by the minute," Pie cut in, off to the side. He surveyed the crowd carefully. "Some of you may have unwittingly assisted in carrying out Prince Orion's will, believing to be carrying out the wishes of the Emperor. That couldn't be further from the truth."
"What about him?" shouted someone else, pointing to Masaya. "This kid looks like a regular human to me!"
"He doesn't even have powers like Tokyo Mew Mew!"
Masaya struggled to get a grip on his nerves. His neck felt hot on the collar of his shirt. Sweat beaded on his brow. He had to summon his power. But it felt near impossible with the overwhelming blanket of anxiety shrouding his thoughts.
He looked up at Cici, panicked. She met his stare with a determined look, narrowing her eyes.
Catlike gold eyes.
It clicked.
Masaya drew a deep breath, closed his eyes and began to tug at his memory. He teased out the recollection of his conversation with Ichigo just two days prior. He began to call forth the memory of every detail she'd told him about her mission. He remembered how Ichigo had described her interactions with Quiche – dances, parties, and a kiss. He remembered the look on Ichigo's face as she told him that she loved another.
And this time, he allowed himself to really feel his reaction.
He allowed himself to wander down the dark path that told him she loved him even when you asked her to be your forever. He allowed himself to feel the pit of rage that had been stewing and bubbling in his gut since he'd last spoken with Quiche. He allowed himself to revel in the thought that he had been right about Quiche the whole time.
And that made him furious. More furious than he had ever been.
He let the reins of the fury slip from his fingers.
Immediately, the monster in his gut roared to life and began to rise in his throat like vomit. Masaya doubled over on his knees, panting as he felt his whole body convulse and contort in shape. His scalp itched as his hair grew long down his back. People were screaming around him. He fought to gain control of the anger again, scraping back what little semblance of control he still had on the power overtaking him.
He looked down at his hands, gasping for air.
Still olive-toned. No long, talon-like nails.
It was still him. He was still in control.
Masaya swallowed the urge to vomit and stood up straight.
The entire crowd of onlookers dropped to their knees. They all watched him with absolute terror in their eyes, hands over their hearts. A few of them were crying. It had worked – the alien race must have all sensed the surge of power. They fully knew what stood in front of them.
The monster in his chest screeched and shook at his consciousness, but Masaya was determined to contain it.
For everyone.
For the alien race, who were so terrified of him – or, who he could become.
For Ichigo.
Masaya drew a long, shuddering breath.
"I am the last remaining spirit of Deep Blue," Masaya said. His voice felt powerful. It echoed off the high ceilings and rattled through the room like a curse. "Earth was the source of healing for this planet. And Earth is an ally of its people."
Masaya lifted his chin and looked out over the crowd.
"Make peace with Earth. This is the last and final command of Deep Blue."
Every second felt more precious than the last.
It felt like forever before Quiche was finally able to teleport Zakuro, Mint and Berry up to a safe hiding place in the compound center, along with Ichigo's body. Every second that ticked by felt like too long for Ichigo to lay completely unresponsive, taking in slow, shallow breaths.
Her body felt like it was growing colder. Quiche hoped he was just imagining it.
He teleported Zakuro up to the safe room first, then moved Mint next. The moment he exited the teleportation, he felt the sharp sting of unease pulling at the back of his mind.
Deep Blue's power … it was alive, and it was strong. The strongest Quiche had felt since his death. Aoyama was doing his job. He'd managed to put on a show.
At least he was good for something.
When Quiche finally teleported the last of the mews — Berry — up to the small room he'd selected to move them to, he turned to Zakuro and motioned with one hand.
"Give me Ichigo," he instructed. Zakuro, who'd been holding Ichigo in her arms while Quiche finished transporting the mews, narrowed her eyes and reluctantly gave her over to Quiche. Quiche held Ichigo against him in a vice-like grip.
He hadn't been imagining it; she was getting colder.
"Deep Blue's power is awake," Quiche told the group. "I felt it a few minutes ago, so whatever Aoyama is doing, it's working. Now, where is this rendezvous point?"
"In the center of the compound," Mint answered. "I'm assuming you know where that is?"
"Yes, but the center of the compound isn't exactly discreet," Quiche muttered. "Are you sure Aoyama has this place under control before we blow our cover completely?"
"We don't have a choice," Mint argued. "Now come on, let's move."
Mint reached over and unlocked the door leading out to the main hall. She stuck her head out and looked both ways before turning to look back at Quiche.
"Which way to the center?" she whispered.
"Right," he answered.
Mint motioned to the rest of the group to follow her, and broke out into a run. Quiche followed the others, cautiously glancing around to see if they had been spotted. The hallway was clear to their left, but he was sure they'd run into more people the closer they got to the compound center.
Deep Blue's power burned at the back of Quiche's mind as they drew closer. He began to worry whether Aoyama had it totally under control. What would they do if Aoyama wasn't aware enough of himself to tell them how to revive Ichigo? What would they do if Deep Blue really wasn't dead, and his spirit managed to claw its way back into Aoyama's body after all?
Quiche knew he couldn't think like that. But his focus was jumbled, panicked — after all, just a few hours ago, he was convinced he'd never see the light of day again. Gliding down the beautiful white halls of the city center, light streaming in from the outside world, Quiche wished he could enjoy his freedom under less horrifying circumstances. Their work was far from over, and even though the small group was rushing down the hall in a dead sprint, it still felt too slow.
Just ahead of him, Berry shoulder checked a civilian entering the hallway from the left. "Sorry!" she yelled over her shoulder.
More people came around the corner up ahead, rushing in the other direction with a panicked look. Military, Quiche observed. The moment they saw the group running their way, the group of soldiers froze, but didn't draw their weapons. A good sign.
"Clear the way," Quiche barked, "we need medical attention now!"
"You returned," one of them gasped. The soldiers gaped up at Quiche in awe as they stepped out of their way.
Just ahead, Quiche saw the compound center was teeming with soldiers leaving in every direction — some in groups, some alone. Hurried chatter and loud whispers crowded the echoing spaces, words like "conspiracy" and "treason" bouncing off the walls. The lingering personnel began to stop and stare at Quiche as if they'd seen a ghost.
Quiche felt the sharp bite of Deep Blue's power the moment they made it out to the open air and towering glass ceilings of the compound center. It didn't take long for him to spot a dark blue coat and long, inky black hair across the common area. For a moment, it felt like he couldn't breathe. For a moment, he wondered whether his old master and god had really truly been resurrected.
But then Aoyama turned, and Quiche could see a boyish face and human eyes staring back at him.
Something flashed across Aoyama's expression, and Quiche felt a sting of fury burn in the back of his mind.
"What happened to Ichigo?" Aoyama roared. He took long, powerful strides across the marble floor. Aoyama's voice didn't sound like his own. "What did you do?!"
"What did I do?" Quiche snapped. "You think this is my fault?!"
Aoyama approached with all of the fury of a fast-moving hurricane. He reached out, and Quiche stepped back, holding Ichigo closer to his chest.
"Don't touch her!" Quiche hissed.
Deep Blue's anger shrieked and thrashed in Quiche's mind, a powerful force biting at his consciousness. Aoyama's expression grew darker— almost unrecognizable. For a brief moment, Quiche thought Aoyama was going to hit him.
"Both of you, stop it!" shouted a voice from behind Aoyama. Quiche stiffened at the familiar shrill of his mother, who was right behind Aoyama, the heel of her boots clicking on the marble as she stomped over to where they stood.
"Good lord, Quiche, what did they do to you? You look like hell," Cici muttered, looking Quiche up and down with a grimace. Pie and Lettuce were right behind her. Pie looked relieved to see Quiche, nodding reassuringly as Quiche briefly caught his eye.
"Quiche is only alive because of Ichigo," interrupted Mint, who glanced between Cici and Ichigo's body. "We need Aoyama's help to bring her back."
"What are you talking about?" Aoyama said. His brow furrowed, his eyes softening as he glanced around at the group. The anger quieted to a low simmer.
"When you stabbed yourself to kill Deep Blue," Zakuro said to Aoyama, "Ichigo was able to somehow pour all of her power into you to keep you alive, but it cost her. You were able to revive her again that day. How?"
Aoyama looked between Zakuro and Quiche.
"You mean she … with him…"
"Yes," Quiche muttered, locking eyes with Aoyama. "I was nearly dead. She gave me all of her power, and immediately lost consciousness afterwards." He narrowed his eyes. "Now that we're all caught up, tell me how the hell you revived her before, and make it quick."
Aoyama drew a long breath and closed his eyes. Curiously, Quiche saw the long, inky black hair begin to draw itself up his back, shortening slightly. The burn of Deep Blue's anger began to shrink and fade from his consciousness. And then, when Aoyama opened his eyes, his face suddenly looked like it belonged to a human boy again.
"The moment I woke up, I had a feeling like the power in me wasn't mine," Aoyama said — calmly, evenly. "I had this urge to give it back. You feel it too, right?"
Quiche furrowed his brow and nodded.
"So, give it back," Aoyama said simply. He nodded to Ichigo's body. "I can't help you revive her, Quiche. You're the one holding her power now. Give it back to her the same way she gave it to you."
Quiche glanced from Aoyama down to Ichigo. As much as he hated to admit it, Aoyama was right. He had felt like the power in him wasn't his. And he certainly felt the itch of the foreign, bright and bubbling power to return.
But…
Quiche glanced up at Aoyama again. His hair was nearly back to normal, the blue fading from his clothes.
The human boy smiled at him with tired eyes.
"It's okay, Quiche," Aoyama murmured.
Almost as if he understood.
Almost as if he was letting go.
Quiche drew a long, steady breath and listened to the power thrumming inside him. It was bright and happy, dancing through him like the leaping cat he'd had carved on his swords. Uninhibited, agile and altogether powerful. He focused on the sensations of the power until he felt it buzzing in his fingertips.
Give it back to her.
Quiche felt the rest of the world fall away as he drew the power up and out of his body, leaned in, and kissed Ichigo.
The power began to leave him immediately. He felt it ripping from his muscles and tearing at his skin. Startled, he drew back within seconds and realized that Ichigo's body was beginning to change. She appeared to power down to her normal human form, her body glowing and lifting slightly from his arms. When the transformation was finally complete, her body fell back into his grip. He caught her clumsily and stumbled back a step.
The whole compound center was silent. Everybody stared down at Ichigo.
Waiting.
Hoping.
A few more seconds ticked by.
…
It was taking too long.
Quiche felt panic rising in his throat. It didn't work. Something was wrong.
Maybe he'd pulled away too quickly. Maybe she wasn't supposed to change out of her mew form. Maybe she—
A twitch of her eyebrow.
A gasp of breath.
And Ichigo opened her eyes.
It felt like she was swimming towards the surface of a vast, still ocean.
The crushing weight pushed in on her body from all sides. She was cold, and her lungs felt like they couldn't draw in enough air. But she kicked her legs … and kicked, and kicked, and thrashed frantically towards where warmth, and light, and relief from the dark, endless depths. She flung her arms out, though she couldn't see them. She pushed and pushed herself until she could see the water — or sky — or whatever it was above her begin to lighten to a hazy golden hue. Her soul burned in exhaustion, but she was so close, so close to the warmth, so close to—
She gasped for air, relishing the sweet feeling of a deep breath filling her lungs. She could feel the muscles in her face, in her fingertips, in her toes. She could feel something warm around her. She could smell metal and sweat.
Ichigo opened her eyes.
She was here.
He was holding her.
They were alive.
"She's—" came a woman's voice from off to the side.
The word broke the stillness, the tension over the room. And before Ichigo knew it, she was wrapped in a crushing embrace as Quiche held her against him, burying his face in her hair.
She felt her throat tightening, tears springing to her eyes as the weight of it all began to sink in. He smelled terrible, and he was slick with dirt and sweat, but Ichigo didn't care as they held each other, their hearts beating together, feeling like this is how it should have been all along. Something powerful stirred in Ichigo's chest, and she knew this was right. She knew this was true.
It had taken all these years — years of fighting, screaming, crying, laughing and going down all of the wrong paths to finally arrive here, in this moment, where Ichigo felt like time was too delicate to let go of. As if the moment she separated from him, he'd be taken away from her again. Every second felt so precious. Now that she finally understood, every breath they took together felt like a gift.
"All this time," Ichigo whispered into his neck, choking back a sob. "I get it now. After everything … it was always you."
Quiche's arms slipped from her back, releasing her and allowing her toes to touch ground again. He pulled back just enough to look at her, and drew her face up in his hands.
He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
"Ichigo, I—"
"Well, isn't this a nice little reunion?"
Immediately, Ichigo found herself picked up, and thrown back and behind Quiche. He drew his swords in a fraction of a second, backing up so that Ichigo was hidden from view.
She peered around Quiche's arm and saw Orion walking out of one of the hallways, his arms extended in greeting.
His icy blue eyes flicked to Ichigo just briefly before roaming over the rest of the group. "I just had a lovely chat with my uncle and the rest of your posse. Turns out I've been … demoted."
"You better not have hurt them!" Berry blurred out to Ichigo's left.
"Oh, not to worry," Orion replied coolly. "My uncle has taken great care to give your friends preferential treatment … even taking the word of a servant over that of his own blood."
Something sharp bit through his words. Ichigo felt a shiver crawl up her spine.
Orion's expression darkened. "Your little trick with the vessel of Deep Blue's power was clever, I'll admit." Ichigo glanced over at Masaya, standing off to her right. Masaya's appearance was normal as he trained his eyes on Orion. His fist was clenched; his knuckles white. "The soldiers seemed to buy it," Orion continued. "Well done, Masaya Aoyama. I've heard much about you. None of which was particularly remarkable. And now I see that you're nothing but a small, soft-faced human. Pity."
"Will you ever stop fucking talking?!"
It was Quiche this time, his voice laced with venom. "For someone who just lost everything, you sure as hell didn't lose your insatiable need to hear yourself talk."
Orion's gaze fell on Quiche. He looked him up and down. Slowly. With calculation.
Ichigo's hand gently touched Quiche's back. He was shaking.
"And then there's you," Orion sneered. "Like a goddamn cat with nine lives."
"It's seven against one, Orion," Quiche snarled. "Give it up already, and save us all the dramatics."
Orion raised one brow. "Seven, you say?" he repeated. His eyes flicked to Masaya before they found Ichigo, stil peering around Quiche's arm.
Ichigo immediately felt small. Orion stared at her with a burning hatred that nearly made her heart stop.
"Mew Ichigo is without her power…" Orion mused aloud, his gaze finally leaving Ichigo and traveling to Quiche, "…and you're miraculously alive. Maybe the 'cat with nine lives' wasn't so far-fetched after all. The leader of Earth's defense used up all of her power. She's nothing but a regular girl."
"Touch her, and I will break every bone in your body," Quiche snarled.
"Now, now … no need to get defensive," Orion said with a small smirk. "I don't—"
"Orion, what are you doing?"
A small voice echoed in the hall as a girl came sprinting up behind Orion. Ichigo recognized her with a start — it was Kori, the girl Orion took to the Solstice Festival as his date. Her blue hair was disheveled, and it looked like she'd been crying.
He didn't even turn to look at her as she ran up behind him, glancing around at the group of mews and others before turning to Orion. "Everyone— they're saying you've been lying to them … they're saying the Emperor stripped your title. Is that true? It can't be, right? Right?!"
Kori reached up to pull Orion's face towards her.
And several things happened all at once.
Orion backhanded Kori across the face, hard enough that the sound echoed off the ceilings like a clap of thunder. Kori fell to the ground with a smack. And Lettuce jumped forward and shrieked: "No!"
The tension in the room snapped, and it was suddenly a frenzy.
Orion saw Lettuce jump forward, and he drew something out of the air. It was hardly a second before the gleaming knife left his fingers. It grazed by Lettuce; she shrieked, her screams punctuated only by the sound of metal meeting metal. Ichigo hadn't even realized Quiche was gone until he was forcing Orion back on his heels with his swords pushed up against Orion's thin, long blade.
Quiche hadn't hesitated one moment. He was hungry for revenge.
Zakuro and Mint rushed to Ichigo's side. "Are you okay?" Zakuro asked solemnly.
Ichigo nodded and forced herself to tear her attention from where Quiche was muttering something to Orion, their swords still interlocked.
She had a strange sense of deja vu.
"I'm fine," she said warily. "While I was asleep – it sounds like the plan worked."
Zakuro exchanged looks with Mint. "We were with you the whole time." Mint said hurriedly. "We don't—"
"Everything is under control," came Masaya's voice from Ichigo's left. She looked up to see him place a reassuring hand on her back. "The soldiers all bought it. We performed some kind of vow as a sacred last rite for Deep Blue and sent them away. You, Quiche, Zakuro, Mint and Berry all arrived a few minutes later."
Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement, and Quiche and Orion both disappeared. Orion appeared on the other side of the compound center, floating high above the ground. He laughed, cold and cruel, as Quiche appeared first in the air, facing him ... then reappeared closer to the ground, in the air between Orion and where Ichigo and her friends stood watching.
"You're weak!" Orion yelled. "Did you really think I'd make this easy for you, after everything you've taken from me?"
Orion disappeared. Quiche whirled around and disappeared too.
Ichigo gasped as she felt something in the air change behind her. Acting on pure instinct, she leapt two steps forward and turned around.
Orion strode out of the space where she'd been. His eyes locked on Ichigo.
Ichigo scrambled backwards and stumbled, feeling her breath catch in her throat. Then, she looked up just in time to see Masaya punch Orion square in the jaw.
Orion stumbled to the side in shock as the rest of the team and Masaya scattered away from him. Orion whipped around to snarl in anger at Masaya. Then, Quiche tore out of a ripple of air in the same place Orion had appeared, and Orion's sword locked with Quiche's again.
Orion bore his teeth and suddenly ducked low. Quiche slashed downwards but missed, throwing himself over Orion instead as Orion's white head of hair disappeared into a teleportation through the floor. There was movement down the hall, and Ichigo whipped around to see Pudding tearing around the corner, followed closely by Tart, Ira, Momo and finally, Ryou.
"Sorry we're late to the party!" Pudding called with a grin.
"Look out!" Mint screamed as they approached.
Luckily, Orion reappeared close to where he'd disappeared, throwing himself at Quiche with renewed fury as he dove for his throat. Quiche ducked and slashed at Orion. Quiche only narrowly dodged Orion's swing.
Ichigo gasped. Her stomach felt like it was filled with helium. She began to wonder how they'd ever separate them – their movements were so fast, and they seemed to appear and disappear around each other at random. What could they do to get them apart? They had to do something.
Pudding and her posse rushed to where Ichigo and the rest of the mews stood in a spread-out formation. All eyes watched Orion carefully as he and Quiche disappeared, then reappeared, higher and higher in the air, their swords meeting every so often in a shrill clap of metal.
"What's going on?" Ira called to the group. "We just got done with the Emperor. Orion spoke to him after we did and it … appears that didn't go well."
"We'll catch you up later," Cici offered. She helped Kori to her feet, and brushed the last bit of dust off of Kori's back. The young girl looked dazed, but okay. "Orion is backed into a corner, and he's fighting like it." Cici continued. "Watch your neck. He's been a bit…"
"…stabby," Berry finished, cringing.
"Though, that was a nice punch, Aoyama," Ryou remarked, glancing over at Masaya. Masaya nodded once, but kept his eyes on the battle above him, massaging his hand as his eyes tracked every movement.
Suddenly, they were all interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. They all looked up to see a giant crack in the ceiling of the compound center, and a cavity where Quiche and Orion flew out into the air above the compound. Glass rained down to the marble floor of the compound, shattering and sending little pieces skidding across the polished floors.
"Was that necessary?" Pie mumbled under his breath.
"Is there a way outside?" Ichigo asked, turning to look at the Viatorem in their group.
"We'll take the central bridge to the east wall of the city," Ira replied. She motioned to follow her. "It's open-air, so watch your footing."
The group ran after Ira as she led them to a foyer just off of the compound center. She slid a keypad up in the glass wall and punched in a code. "This bridge is dangerous since it's not enclosed, like the newer construction," she explained. "It stays locked to prevent young ones from falling over."
The glass slid up and out of the way, revealing a wide glass bridge, suspended by white metal beams and curling with carefully-manicured vegetation. The wind swept through the valley in perilous gusts; Ichigo could feel the wind whipping through her hair from the doorway. She swallowed her fear of heights and ran out onto the bridge. No sooner had she made it out a few steps, did she make the mistake of looking down.
It was a long, long way to the bottom of the city floor.
"Ichigo, come back!" Lettuce yelled to her from the doorway. "It's too dangerous to be out there! You don't have your powers!"
"I'm fine!" Ichigo called back. She scanned the sky for movement, frantically trying to track little glimpses of motion in the bright afternoon sun. Her jacket billowed around her in the shrieking wind. She felt a hand on her back — it was Zakuro, who stood next to her and looked up alongside her. Berry followed her, then Pudding.
"There," Zakuro said after a few moments, pointing off to Ichigo's left. "Above the east wall."
Ichigo followed Zakuro's finger and squinted into the patch of sky. Sure enough, two figures danced around each other high above the valley like two birds circling a nest.
Ichigo turned to see more of the team venturing out on the glass bridge. "Can we get to Orion without hurting someone?" Ichigo asked the rest of the team. "There's way more of us than him!"
"It will be difficult," Pie answered flatly. He drifted above the bridge, crossing his arms and watching the fight warily.
"I wish that moron wouldn't have just jumped into fighting Orion like that!" Tart added. "If he hadn't started attacking him one-on-one, we could've maybe contained Orion and put him in a holding cell."
"We can't imagine what's going through Quiche's head." Masaya called from his spot by the doorway to the bridge. Ichigo glanced over at Masaya in surprise, and saw the anxious grimace on his face. "If you'd just been tortured for days on end, wouldn't you do the same thing if you saw the person who hurt you?"
An unease settled over the group as they all tracked the battle high above them. Ichigo's gut churned; she didn't know if Quiche's renewed strength was enough to win against Orion if they couldn't get in between the two. After all, he'd had a brush with death not even an hour ago.
The wind quickly began to pick up, and Ichigo felt the hair on the back of her neck begin to stand on end. The whole team turned their attention further skyward. The afternoon clouds began to shift and change. The wind whistled past Ichigo's ears in a powerful gust that nearly made her stumble.
Then, the air around them died down into an eerie calm.
"Now what's happening?" Mint moaned from the other side of Zakuro. "Awfully convenient time for a storm!"
"Orion and Quiche are both very gifted with power over electrical current," Pie called back, squinting up into the sky. "It appears one or both of them are manipulating the electrical charge in the air to try to utilize the lightning."
"As if we needed any more dramatics," Tart lamented.
"My hair feels funny!" Pudding declared, rubbing her arms with her hands. Ichigo looked down to where they were standing.
The bridge was covered in metal beams.
"Everyone get off the bridge!" Ichigo screamed. The feeling of tension around them grew stranger by the second. The air seemed to buzz in her ears. Ichigo's skin felt prickly, and all of the hair on her arms stood straight up.
The mews scrambled over to the safety of the foyer. Ichigo felt the rising charge around them as if it was a low ringing echoing off the valley walls. Zakuro cleared the threshold of the foyer just as the first crack of lightning split the air around them.
The sound rattled Ichigo's teeth — she slapped her hands over her ears and shrieked, along with some of the mews.
"Pie, can you neutralize the air and bring it back down to normal?" Tart yelled, peering outside and chancing a look up at the sky.
"I can, but I'm unsure if that's wise," Pie replied. Sweat beaded on his brow, a rare betrayal of his emotion. "I'm not sure which one of them is generating the electric charge. If Quiche believes he can't beat Orion hand-to-hand, and he is indeed the one summoning the power—"
Another crack of lightning shook the floor. The crack in the glass ceiling of the compound split open further, drawing a jagged line further down the domed structure.
"… I would hesitate to remove his weapon of choice," Pie finished, staring up at the damaged ceiling.
"Well I'm not going to put up with those two destroying the whole damn place while we all watch!" Cici declared. "I say we neutralize the air and try to separate them before they kill each other, or someone else!"
Tart and Pie exchanged looks. The mews, Masaya, Kori and Ryou all looked between Pie, Tart and Cici before their stares landed on Ichigo.
Suddenly, Ichigo found everyone's eyes on her.
"What's the plan, Mew Ichigo?" Cici asked.
"I—"
Ichigo hesitated. She didn't know if it was her call to make. But not only was this mission hers to lead, it was Quiche's life at stake — and as they'd just made clear to everyone in the compound, Ichigo had the most to lose if Quiche was hurt.
Even without her powers intact, Ichigo knew she needed to lead her team just as she would in her mew form. Even if she didn't have her full power, she could still be the one to see the mission through. She felt the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders, and she knew she didn't have to be in a transformed state to assume the role of Mew Ichigo, the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew.
She was Mew Ichigo. Mew Ichigo was her. She could be whatever she wanted to be, with her powers or without. And right then, she needed to be a leader.
Ichigo summoned her courage and nodded.
"We'll neutralize the air and stop the lightning," Ichigo said finally. She clenched her hands into fists. The wheels of her mind began to turn as strategies began to piece themselves together in her imagination. "Everyone, listen up. I have a plan."
Ichigo nodded to Pie. "Pie, you'll need to get up somewhere with a good vantage point to see Quiche and Orion, and do it without being spotted." Then, she turned to Cici. "How much weight can you carry?"
"As much as you need," Cici said with a knowing grin, watching Ichigo give orders with a glint in her eye.
"Good, you'll be Zakuro's wings," Ichigo said. She glanced around at the group. "We'll need Tart to hide and wait for a signal, but in a different location than Pie in case either of you is spotted."
Another clap of lightning ripped through the air. Ichigo ducked and slapped her hands over her ears.
The crack in the ceiling grew longer, splitting the glass with a stomach-churning popping noise. Ichigo wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked from the ceiling back to the team in front of her.
"Ira, move everyone else to shelter," Ichigo demanded, nodding to Ira. "The glass above us is too dangerous."
"What about you?" Ira asked.
"I'll be fine," Ichigo replied firmly. "Go, now!"
Ira nodded and waved at the group. "We'll shelter in the kitchens," she instructed. "Everyone, follow me!"
"Lettuce, stay here," Ichigo instructed as the group began to clear out. "I need you in case the lightning starts something on fire."
Lettuce nodded and rejoined the smaller group. Ichigo glanced over her shoulder to see Masaya hesitating at the back of the retreating group, walking backwards with a look of grave concern.
Ichigo nodded to him reassuringly. She forced a small smile on her face. He nodded in return before turning to run back to the sheltering group of humans and Viatorem.
Ichigo turned back to the small task force in front of her: Pie, Tart, Cici, Zakuro and Lettuce.
"Okay, now listen carefully," Ichigo said hurriedly. "Pie is the first to move. The moment you see a break in the fighting, bring the charge in the air down to normal as fast as you can. That should throw those two off for a second, so that's when Cici and Zakuro come in. Cici, you need to teleport with Zakuro in the air directly below Orion in that moment of pause. Zakuro should be able to catch Orion's leg in her Zakuro Spear and pull him away from Quiche."
"That timing is going to be tough," Cici remarked.
"It's the best we can do," Ichigo replied. "Finally, the moment Zakuro's whip catches on Orion's leg, Tart is going to use his vines to grab onto Quiche and pull him away from Orion, fast. Then, everyone else can grab hold of Orion, and bring him down to somewhere we can keep him pinned."
"Oh man, Quiche is going to be so pissed at me," Tart muttered under his breath.
"Right, but we can't just attack Orion," Cici remarked. "We need to separate them both so that Quiche doesn't act recklessly and blow up the plan." Cici nodded to Ichigo. "Clever. You're a brilliant strategist."
"We don't have much time, so let's move now," Ichigo instructed, brushing off the compliment so as not to waste time. "I'll hide here in the foyer of the bridge. Lettuce, stay with me. Zakuro and Cici, find a better vantage point so you can teleport at the right time. Pie and Tart, go now."
The Pie and Tart exchanged looks and nodded. "This had better work," Tart muttered warily before disappearing into the air. Pie was close behind him, and they were down to four.
"I know where to hide — there's an open-air courtyard with overhead shelter along the east wall," Cici told Zakuro. "It's out of sight from the sky. Let's go."
Cici held her hand out to Zakuro, who took it with no hesitation. They disappeared together, and then, it was just Lettuce and Ichigo in the doorway leading out to the glass bridge.
Another clap of lightning nearly shattered Ichigo's eardrums. She winced, covering her ears and exchanging terrified glances with Lettuce. Both girls stuck their heads out to look out into the valley and scan the air.
Ichigo spotted Quiche and Orion easier this time; they were lower now, just above the valley walls. She realized with a start that Quiche was fighting with only one arm — the sword that was usually strapped to his left arm was missing.
Suddenly, she was interrupted by a gasp as Lettuce grabbed hold of her arm. "Ichigo, that house!" Lettuce exclaimed, pointing behind them. Ichigo looked over her shoulder, and saw it — there was a house in the valley just beyond the compound with dark, hungry flames licking out of one of its windows. Ichigo's stomach dropped. She didn't know if the house had people in it, or how long it had been ablaze. But worst of all, it was far enough down the side of the valley that it would be out of range for Lettuce to strike from their current hiding spot.
Before Ichigo could say anything, Lettuce tore away from Ichigo and ran out towards the bridge.
"Lettuce, wait—!" Ichigo shrieked, reaching out to her friend, but it was too late.
Lettuce skidded to a stop, drew her castanets and fired her attack at the building: "Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"
A rush of water crashed over the structure, enveloping the house with hissing steam as the fire choked and died. The plume of smoke and mist rose from the house in a massive gray cloud. The air was thick with the smell of charcoal and burning wood.
Lettuce had done the right thing — and possibly saved lives. But as Ichigo ran to her and grabbed her wrist to drag her back from the bridge, she glanced skyward and saw her fear realized.
They'd been spotted; Lettuce's attack had drawn Orion's attention. Orion and Quiche looked down at them, and Ichigo knew she had only seconds to move.
Ichigo yanked Lettuce with her, taking the bridge in huge strides as the air began to prickle and change around her. The felt the familiar buzz in her ears, and it felt like her hair was rising from her neck. Finally, she used all of her strength to push Lettuce through the doorway, and dive from the end of the bridge to the safety of the marble floors.
The second Ichigo's foot left the bridge, the air seemed to shatter around her. The lightning struck the bridge in a powerful charge that exploded in hot, white light. Ichigo shrieked and skidded to a landing, rolling to a stop on the cold marble floor. Her ears were ringing, and her toes stung like they'd been burned.
"Ichigo!" came Lettuce's voice from above her. "Are you okay?" Her voice sounded watery, like she was speaking to Ichigo underwater amidst the ringing in Ichigo's ears.
"I'm okay," Ichigo murmured. Lettuce helped her sit up, and Ichigo fought to blink the daze out of her eyes. Something in the air changed, the buzzing disappearing from the atmosphere. The sky seemed to go lighter as Ichigo's vision came back into focus. "Wait, is that—"
A purple light exploded over the valley, and Ichigo was back on her feet, scrambling to the doorway to see what was happening. Her balance felt slightly off-kilter, and her ears still rang as she squinted out to the open air. As soon as Ichigo reached the edge of the bridge, a flash of movement startled her; and suddenly, Orion's body slammed down on the glass surface of the bridge — hard. Zakuro's purple whip was tight around his leg. Orion let out a groan of pain as his sword slipped from his fingertips and disappeared over the edge of the bridge.
Cici flew into view and tossed Zakuro onto the bridge, where she landed gracefully and pulled the whip tighter. Orion twisted and moved to sit up; Zakuro quickly flicked the whip and slapped him back down on the glass with another hard smack. Cici dove in and landed on Orion, digging her knee into his back and summoning a small knife. She held it to his throat and held one of his wrists in place with her other hand. He tried to swing at her with the other arm, and missed.
Pie was right behind Cici, diving down and wrestling Orion's other arm to the ground. He glanced up at Lettuce and Ichigo and nodded.
Ichigo jogged back out onto the bridge.
"Are you hurt?" Pie asked Ichigo and Lettuce.
"We're okay," Ichigo replied, exchanging glances with Lettuce.
"Bunch of cowards," Orion hissed from his position on the floor. "Won't even allow me to finish a fair fight. How dishonorable."
Anger stirred in Ichigo's chest as Orion's words bit into her skin. How dare he. How dare he accuse them of being dishonorable, after everything he'd done.
"The fight was already over!" Ichigo said, stepping forward and glaring down at Orion. "You'd already lost way before you started attacking Quiche."
Cici glanced up at Ichigo in surprise. Ichigo could feel everyone's eyes on her as she continued: "If you want to prove your honor, just surrender now."
Ichigo's focus broke as she heard yelling above her. She looked up just in time to see Quiche landing on the bridge behind them and skid to a stop. Tart was close on his heels as Quiche readied his remaining blade on his arm.
Ichigo turned and threw her arms out wide. "Wait!" she screamed.
Quiche met her eyes with a look of shock. Something feral, something wild buzzed in his eyes as he focused on her. He swallowed hard. Tart stood warily behind him, eyes darting between Quiche and Ichigo.
Ichigo recognized the look in Quiche's eye. It was the same look as the day he'd carved Bram's eyes out of their sockets. Unabated fury — the thirst for revenge. It terrified Ichigo, but this time, she wasn't going to run away.
"We can't just kill him!" Ichigo continued, keeping her eyes locked on Quiche as if he was a wild animal; a tightened coil ready to release. "It's done, Quiche! It's over."
Quiche glanced between Ichigo and Orion, still on the floor of the bridge behind her. He exhaled a long, shuddering breath through his nose. Then, he waved his one remaining blade away, took two wide strides towards Ichigo, and swept her up into his arms.
Ichigo could sense the unease still present in the air around them; Quiche's whole body was trembling. He held her like he was scared she'd slip away.
"Is everything okay?"
A voice called out from behind them, followed by a growing chorus of running footfalls. The rest of the team returned from their hiding spot; Masaya was first to approach, cautiously surveying the aftermath in front of him. Pudding was right behind him, leaping ahead of the rest of the group and sliding out into the glass bridge. The rest of the mews, Ira, Kori, and Ryou followed close by.
Ichigo let go of Quiche and turned to the rest of the group that had just returned; Quiche kept one arm tightly wrapped around her waist
"Alright, now that we're all here, who wants to help me move this ex-royal to a holding cell?" Cici called out.
"Count me in," Tart replied, drifting over to the rest of the group in the center of the bridge. Kori looked on with concern at Orion, who glared up at Tart as he approached.
"Everyone's okay," Ichigo told Masaya, glancing around at the group as they approached. "Lettuce put out the fires and ended up causing a diversion for the team, too. No one was hurt."
"That's great news," Ryou remarked, coming to stand next to Masaya. He crossed his arms and nodded to Ichigo. "Not a bad job leading the team, Momomiya. Especially without your power."
"It will come back … the power, that is," Ichigo replied, recalling the days following the last battle with Deep Blue. Last time, it had taken a stretch of days before she could feel the cat's energy blossoming in her chest. But it always came back — warm, purring up against her lungs.
Ichigo heard a shuffling behind her, and turned to see Cici, Pie and Tart forcing Orion to his feet. He looked tired, and his eyes lacked the angry spark present at the beginning of the battle. But his glare fixed on Ichigo all the same.
Ichigo remembered in that moment what Cici had told her on the flight back to the strange planet. She remembered how Cici had described all of the ways Ichigo could be seen as a threat — her position as a gatekeeper of Earth, her femininity coupled with her enormous power, her role in the death of Deep Blue. And finally, the threat that was her closeness with his greatest rival. She saw it all in the hatred still burning low in Orion's eyes as he stared back at her.
Those eyes had been friendly, once — keeping a cool air of confidence as he flirted with her when she first arrived in the city. But Ichigo wasn't one to be controlled, owned, or fashioned into a political tool. Maybe if she hadn't made that clear so early on, Orion would have kept up his political game for longer. If she hadn't been outspoken, loud, messy and passionate Ichigo Momomiya, maybe things would have turned out differently.
In the end, Ichigo only had the present. And the present held a promise of hope for the future of the strange planet she'd only just begun to know.
She let out a long breath.
"I hope you find peace, Orion," Ichigo said softly. "Whatever this hate is in your heart, I hope you can find peace with it. And when you do, I'll be happy to talk with you again."
She meant it, truly. She hoped that someone with such horrid actions could still have goodness in them. Even after everything he'd done to Quiche, Ichigo still wanted to believe — for the sake of the nation, his uncle the Emperor, Kori — that maybe he could be better.
Orion's face curled into a sneer. "What a privilege," he muttered, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
The reply made Ichigo feel sick to her stomach. She forced herself to remain stoic, and turned away. Quiche kept his hold on her as she turned. His stare lingered on Orion a bit longer, but he said nothing before he turned from Orion, too.
That turned out to be a mistake.
The moment Ichigo began to walk away, she heard a gasp, a scramble of feet, and suddenly, several things happened all at once.
Orion shoved Tart off of one arm, and pulled another small knife out of the air.
Quiche, almost instantly, pivoted on his heel and pushed Ichigo towards the rest of the group.
Orion's knife whizzed past Quiche's left side and just to the right of Ichigo's ear. The blade narrowly missed Ryou, who had just bent on his knees to catch Ichigo.
And finally, Quiche's dagger left his fingertips, and lodged itself deep in Orion's chest.
It had all happened over the span of a single second.
Ichigo fell into Ryou, who quickly steadied her. She whirled around and gaped at Orion, who dropped to his knees, clutching Quiche's dagger protruding from his chest. Ichigo felt like she would be sick. Blood cascaded down Orion's hands. His whole body was trembling as he gasped and gurgled for air.
"Orion!" Kori shrieked. She broke through the rest of the group standing in shock and came to kneel in front of him. She sobbed and desperately clutched at Orion's knees, looking between his hands on the dagger and Orion's wide, horrified eyes. "Oh no," she sobbed, "no, no, no…"
Ichigo swallowed the knot forming in her throat. The scene unfolding in front of her felt too familiar.
Suddenly, Orion yanked the blade out of his chest with the sickening sound of metal against flesh. Blood immediately began to pour down his abdomen. Ichigo felt like she was going to vomit, watching in horrified, wide-eyed shock.
Orion tossed the dagger onto the glass bridge with a clatter. He ground his teeth, and looked up over Kori's shoulder at Quiche.
His eyes held a venom, a pure hatred in them like a man gone insane.
"I will not die with your treacherous blade in my body," Orion choked out, his voice cracking as blood trickled down over his lips. His teeth were scarlet red. His eyes began to lose focus, his irises vibrating in the whites of his eyes as he struggled to stay upright. He narrowed his eyes at Quiche, squinting into the daylight. "Rot in hell."
Quiche looked down at Orion with a blank, emotionless stare.
"Save me a spot."
Orion's face twisted into a half-grin. Then, he fell forward, and his body slumped into Kori's arms.
A few seconds of stillness.
Then, the bridge broke into chaos.
Kori began sobbing hysterically; Zakuro, Lettuce and Berry all rushed forward to comfort her. Cici nodded to Pie, muttered something to him and disappeared.
"We have to alert the others," Tart yelled across the bridge.
"General Celia is informing the Emperor now," Pie replied.
Ira knelt down by Kori and began assessing Orion's body. Kori was too shocked to protest as Ira closed his lids and said some sort of small prayer. Ryou and Masaya turned to each other and began to speak in hushed tones, frowning and pointing to Orion's body, then gesturing to the members of the group.
"Are we all going to jail?" Pudding asked worriedly, searching for a reassuring face in the crowd. Mint said something in her ear, and patted her on the shoulder reassuringly.
Finally, after standing motionless for half a minute, Quiche turned around and looked at Ichigo.
He looked at her with fear in his eyes. "Ichigo, I—" he started. "I had to, he was too dangerous … I couldn't—"
Ichigo took two steps forward and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace.
She held him tight, feeling his body trembling in her grasp, and moved her hand up and down his back. "Quiche, it's okay," she murmured. "I know."
She knew he was terrified — not of the repercussions of what he'd just done, of Orion's grisly end, or of the wrath of the Emperor. She knew that the last time he'd brought someone near death, Ichigo had disappeared. She'd left him, and he'd descended into the worst pain of his life. His last memory of her had been the look of disappointment on her face; the words "I'm sorry." He'd endured extreme pain, torture, and psychological horrors beyond her imagination, and all while believing she hated him. He suffered without getting a chance to tell her goodbye.
It shattered her to think of it. And she knew it terrified him.
"I'm never going to leave you like that again," Ichigo murmured into Quiche's chest.
Quiche's arms folded around her in an iron grasp. He held her so tightly that Ichigo felt like she could hardly breathe. He buried his face in her neck and drew a long, shuddering breath.
And though the chaos unfolding around them continued, it felt it was just the two of them — together, and alive. It was all Ichigo could ever ask for.
The mission was done. The dust hadn't yet settled, but the threat was neutralized. They could begin to pick up the pieces of the mess they'd made, one step at a time. Orion's death was tragic, and Ichigo hated it in the deepest part of her conscience. She'd wished so badly for his redemption. She felt sick at the thought of the lost life. Yet, even still, Ichigo felt as though in the end, everything had worked out exactly the way it should be.
It would take a long time before the pieces of a stable, steady future would begin to fall into place. But Ichigo could visualize it more clearly now that she'd been through hell and back.
Now that they'd stopped Orion's plan, and Earth was once again safe, nothing felt too daunting for her. She felt like she could get through anything in the universe when she faced it with the strength of her friends new and old, the Mews, and now, her newfound strength together with Quiche.
She'd never felt so strong, so light, so limitless as she felt when she thought about the future ahead of her … a future with Quiche in it. Through all of the times they'd fought each other as enemies, the years he'd loved her, the years he'd given up on ever being with her – he was always there, right in front of her. Ichigo had hardly begun to scratch the surface of everything they could be. When she was with him, she felt powerful, strong and adored. She felt like she could laugh 'til her stomach hurt, or cry about nothing, and he'd love every minute of being with her. Even as they held each other on the glass bridge, exhausted and unsure of what exactly the future held, Ichigo felt a deep sense of relief settle over her soul at the fact that they were there together.
After all this time.
It was always him.