There will be a lot of twists & turns.
I have finally edited all the chapters to the best of my ability-& with Grammarly-including adding more to almost all of the chapters.
For Ichigo, Ryou, & the twins, everything is great. However, thing become rocky with Ichigo's father. Secrets are uncovered & who was once thought dead, are not.
I DO NOT OWN TOKYO MEW MEW OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS! I ONLY CLAIM THE STORIES & CHARACTERS I CREATE!
Ryou and Ichigo have been together for over a year now and couldn't be happier.
Kai and Mai were now four and a half and have come a long way from where they first started a year and a half ago.
Today Kai and Mai were going to take a test to determine whether they start school next year (five months) or not.
"Are you two ready?" Ryou asked, watching Kai and Mai.
"Yeah!" Kai excitedly exclaimed.
"No." Mai softly answered.
"Why not?" Ichigo asked, concerned while Ryou, Sakura, and Shintaro stood there.
"I'm not smart like Kai; I won't get in." Mai answered, looking down.
"I'm sure you'll do just fine. You're smart in your own ways." Ryou sincerely told Mai, kneeling in front of her.
"Daddy…" Mai softly spoke, hugging him, followed by Ichigo.
"Let's get going." Ryou instructed, picking Mai up; Kai refused to be carried and walked instead.
"You two will do fine." Sakura told Kai and Mai with a smile as she and Shintaro watched them leave.
Three Hours Later:
"Parents of Kai and Mai Shirogane?" A teacher called, bringing Kai and Mai out.
"That's us." Ryou and Ichigo replied, standing up.
"You two must be very proud." The teacher stated with a smile.
"How'd they do?" Ichigo asked, looking at the teacher.
"They both did just fine. Mai is your typical little girl; she'll be able to enter kindergarten next year. And Kai—well, he's an extraordinary little boy. Don't get me wrong; Mai is a very special little girl. With that said, we would like to put Kai in a special class for genius students. We have a few classes—one for each grade; there are five other kids his age in the Kindergarten class we'd like to place Kai. We do it this way, so that they can graduate with their twins. Yes, three of the others in that class have a twin sister or brother. We see it happen a lot with twins who were born early. Not all twins are like this of course; sometimes they're both really smart, and other times they're both average. But every now and then, we get twins where one is really smart while the other is average. Your twins happen to fall into that category. And you never know, as they get older, Mai might pull a one-eighty and be super smart as well. Either way, you'll love them both just the same." The teacher explained, trying not to offend Ryou or Ichigo.
"That'll never happen." Kai and Mai muttered at the same time.
"That's enough, you two." Ryou and Ichigo scolded before Ryou picked Mai up; Kai stood by Ichigo.
"Well, it's true—especially since she has autism." Kai stated, being a brat.
"Sorry. We just found out she has autism the other day; they say she's a little higher functioning." Ryou informed, looking at the teacher.
"Yes, you put that in her file." The teacher politely noted.
"Right, I forgot about that." Ryou sighed, holding onto Mai.
As of late, Kai has gained an attitude, and Mai had become afraid of him.
"Well, they can start next year. He can start basic kindergarten, but I promise you; he'll be especially bored." The teacher informed Ryou and Ichigo.
"Thank you." Ryou thanked with a smile before they left.
"I don't want to be in regular kindergarten with Mai; I want to be in the smart classes." Kai complained once they got home.
"That's fine—but it's not going to happen if you're going to continuously be mean to your sister. What's going on between you two? You used to be so protective of her." Ryou replied, looking at Kai.
"I had no choice; mom was psycho, and we didn't have anyone to protect us. Why are you always taking her side anyway?" Kai asked, becoming enraged.
"Kai, we don't take sides, but you've been nothing but mean to Mai lately; you've pushed her down several times. You know she has arthritis. What's going on with you?" Ryou asked again.
"I wish I was an only child; I wish she were dead." Kai darkly answered, earning a spanking.
"You NEVER say that about your sister! Not only you two brother and sister; you're twins. You two are supposed to be there for one another." Ryou strictly scolded Kai.
Meanwhile, Ichigo stood there in shock—not at Ryou spanking Kai; but because of what Kai said.
"What's going on out here?" Shintaro asked as he and Sakura after Kai ran inside.
Once they got inside, Ichigo explained what was going on; Sakura and Shintaro were shocked.
"I would watch him around Mai from now on. I know they're only four, but you never know with that kind of rage. I'd be really worried for Mai." Shintaro firmly told Ryou and Ichigo as Ichigo held onto Mai protectively while Ryou stared in shock.
Ryou had heard that twins (siblings in general) could become jealous of the other. Ok. That could be considered normal. But he had also heard that one twin could become a psychopath—but that was rare.
He didn't want to believe that Kai could be a psychopath, but he couldn't keep ignoring the signs.
Kai had become angrier and angrier as of late, and Mai has become afraid of him.
Not to mention, they have both been more withdrawn lately—both in different ways:
Kai keeps himself locked up in his room.
Mai doesn't eat or sleep like she used to.
"We'll keep an eye on both of them." Ryou calmly replied.
Just then, a knife went flying at Mai.
Ichigo saw the knife first and was able to get Mai out of the way, making sure she was unharmed. However, in the process, she was cut instead.
"Ichigo, are you ok?!" Ryou, Sakura, and Shintaro asked, extremely concerned as Mai started uncontrollably crying.
"I'm fine; just get Mai out of here." Ichigo urgently replied, holding her arm.
"Right." Ryou agreed, going to get Mai.
"I'll take her and Ichigo; you and Shintaro stay here and deal with Kai." Sakura insisted, looking at a horrified Ryou.
"Right. Go with Grandma." Ryou told Mai after agreeing with Sakura.
"Daddy?" Mai asked, scared.
"We'll be ok." Sakura promised, taking Mai from Ryou before quickly walking out the door with Ichigo.
Once they were safely outside, Ryou and Shintaro looked back at an angry-looking Kai.
"Kai, why would you do this?" Shintaro asked, staring at Kai.
"Why would you try to kill your sister?" Ryou asked, pissed off.
"Why? Why? WHY?! I'll tell you why! She's always getting all the attention! No one ever pays attention to me! I wish she were dead!" Kai furiously yelled.
"Kai—I give you and your sister the same amount of attention! And so does your mother!" Ryou yelled back.
"But Mai has arthritis; she needs more attention. If she weren't around, you'd have more time with me! You and I have more in common than her; we're both super smart! She's retarded!" Kai yelled, walking down the stairs.
"Your sister isn't retarded; she's just a little slow. She'll eventually catch up; she just needs time." Ryou told Kai as calmly as he could.
"She won't if she's dead. Then we can get rid of Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa; it can be just the two of us." Kai informed, eerily calm.
"Kai, I love your mother, sister, and grandparents very much—just like I love you." Ryou told Kai, pleading with him.
"Why? Why can't it just be us?" Kai asked, becoming upset and frustrated.
"Because it can't; we're all family. Kai, you need help." Ryou answered.
"Daddy!" Mai cried, running into the house.
"Mai, go back outside—NOW!" Ryou yelled with more force in his tone than he wanted; he also had concern laced in his voice.
Mai froze at the look in Kai's eyes—and being yelled at like that. Then, in a matter of seconds, it quickly became too late when Kai threw a pocketknife.
"Mai!" Ryou and Shintaro yelled, horrified.
Sakura and Ichigo ran in along with some cops, only to stop and stare in shock.
It happened so fast; Mai didn't know what happened. All she knew was that her stomach hurt.
"Daddy?" Mai asked, confused, placing her hands on her stomach just below where the knife was stuck.
"Baby, no. No. No. No. Don't pull it out; you have to leave it in." Ryou told Mai when she tried pulling the knife out.
"It hurts." Mai told Ryou, tears starting to fall.
"I know, Baby. It's only for a little bit longer and then someone else will take it out for you. Ok? Turn around. I'll carry you. How about that?" Ryou told Mai before asking.
Mai didn't respond; she turned around and waited.
Carefully, Ryou picked her up and laid her in his arms, slowly rocking her.
He was so focused on Mai that Ryou failed to notice the police arresting Kai—not until he heard him yelling.
"Dad help!" Kai yelled, struggling against the police.
"I can't help you. I want so badly to help, but I can't." Ryou sadly told Kai as he did his best to keep Mai calm while Ichigo kept enough pressure on Mai's stomach to keep her from bleeding out until EMTs got there.
"What do you want us to do?" The officer asked as his men got a good hold of Kai.
"Get him help; he needs help—even if we can't see him anymore." Ryou and Ichigo said at the same time with tears in their eyes.
"Dad… Mom… What a bunch of suckers? I'll be out by eighteen or twenty-one. And if she's not dead by then, I'll make sure she will be. All of you!" Kai yelled before police took him away.
"We're here for the little girl." An EMT urgently spoke, coming in with a stretcher and two other EMTs.
"Daddy… Mommy…" Mai weakly cried.
"Don't worry, Baby; we're right here." Ryou and Ichigo promised, gently laying her on the stretcher.
"Only one parent is allowed with." The EMT firmly told Ryou and Ichigo.
"Daddy… Mommy…" Mai weakly cried, scared.
"Ichigo, you go with; I'll drive behind." Ryou sternly told Ichigo.
"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked, shocked; Mai was Daddy's girl.
"Yeah. She needs her mother. Plus, she's not the only one who needs to be looked at; your arm is still bleeding." Ryou insisted, helping her into the ambulance.
"Ok. See you there." Ichigo replied.
"Can we come with?" Sakura asked; she was afraid he was going to be mad because she called the police.
"Yeah, that's fine. And thanks for calling the cops; he apparently needed that." Ryou replied, getting his keys.
"Let's get to that hospital for Mai." Shintaro told the two.
When they got to the hospital, Ichigo was in the waiting room, arm bandaged up.
"What's going on?" Shintaro asked as Ryou went straight to Ichigo.
"She's in surgery." Ichigo answered, becoming upset.
"It's ok; she'll be ok." Ryou hugged Ichigo tightly before letting her go to her father.
"How are you?" Shintaro and Sakura asked as Ryou paced.
"I'm ok; it wasn't that deep. All they had to do was make sure it wouldn't get infected and then bandaged me up." Ichigo answered before she went to hug Ryou again.
"No stitches?" Sakura asked, stunned.
"Nope. Ryou, sit down before you have a heart attack." Ichigo answered and then ordered.
"Right." Ryou mumbled, sitting down.
"I told them that you were her father and had legal rights." Ichigo softly told Ryou with a hint of sadness in her tone.
"Don't worry; you will once we get married. You are her mother no matter what. Both her and your DNA prove it." Ryou assured Ichigo, holding onto her.
"I love you." Ichigo told Ryou with tears in her eyes while Sakura and Shintaro held each other.
"I love you too." Ryou returned Ichigo's love.
Two Hours Later:
"Mai Shirogane's family?" A doctor called from a door.
"How is she?" They all asked.
"She's alive and out of the woods. The knife missed all her vital organs; however, it did go in deep. She is one very lucky little girl. But I suppose, the one who threw the knife was just a little boy—her twin?" The doctor answered and then asked in shock.
"Yes. Please don't ask us, because we don't know other than he claimed we didn't give him enough attention." Ryou replied.
"Every now and then—in rare cases—one twin can turn out to be evil." The doctor informed.
"Can we see our daughter now?" Ryou asked, changing the subject; he didn't want to talk about Kai anymore.
"Yes, of course. Follow me." The doctor calmly obliged, leading them to Mai's room.
"Mai…" Ryou and Ichigo sighed with tears in their eyes, running to their daughter.
"Daddy. Mommy." Mai weakly cried.
"I'm so sorry, Baby." Ryou apologized; he felt this was all his fault.
"No, I'm sorry; I should've been holding onto you better." Ichigo sadly apologized, blaming herself.
"I sowee." Mai sadly apologized, just as upset; she knew it was her fault for running back inside. She just wanted to be with Daddy.
"None of you are at fault. It's all Kai; there's just something wrong with him." Shintaro spoke up with his arms folded across his chest.
"Shintaro…" Sakura started.
"No, he's right; Kai is a sociopath. He felt no empathy for what he did; he even said he'd kill her and all of us when he got out." Ryou interrupted, explaining why he agreed with Shintaro.
"What are we going to do?" Ichigo asked, scared, holding Mai's hand.
"We do what we have to do. We make sure Mai is protected; she is our number one concern." Ryou answered Ichigo.
"I agree." Shintaro plainly agreed.
Ichigo and Sakura sighed but nodded their heads in agreement.
Right after that, Ryou and Ichigo woke up—covered in sweat.
"Just a dream…" Ryou and Ichigo mumbled, holding their foreheads.
"Mom? Dad?" Kai asked, standing on their side of the bed with Mai.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Ryou and Ichigo asked, immediately sitting up, looking at Kai.
"There's something wrong with me. And no, I'm not nervous about taking the school entrance exams tomorrow." Kai calmly told his parents.
"That hasn't happened yet?" Ichigo asked in shock.
"No." Kai answered, looking at her, confused.
"What wrong, Kai?" Ryou asked, looking at his son.
"I think Mai's in danger—and it's my fault. It feels like there's another presence in my body." Kai answered.
"Like you being possessed?" Ryou and Ichigo asked.
"Yeah. And Mai's seen someone walking around our rooms." Kai replied, looking at his parents.
"Is this true Mai?" Ryou asked, looking at Mai.
"Yes…" Mai softly answered, guiltily looking at her feet.
"I knew ghosts existed." Ichigo mumbled, freaked out.
"That dream you had, was a warning." An invisible voice informed them.
"Who's there? Kai, Mai—in bed, now." Ryou ordered, lifting Mai as Kai climbed in bed.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Ichigo, it's Grandma." The voice calmly spoke.
"What's going on in here? Mom?" Sakura asked, standing in the doorway, shocked when she saw her mother—who had been dead for eight years.
"I thought she was gone…" Shintaro mumbled before passing out.
"What's going on?" Sakura asked again.
"The twins are in danger." The ghost of Sakura's mother calmly answered.
"What do you mean the twins are in danger? How are we even seeing you?" Ryou asked, annoyed.
"Sakura, Ichigo, and Mai have the ability to see ghosts; all the women on our side of the family have that. You and Kai are able to see me as well because Mai has different abilities. Moving on… Kai is in danger of being possessed by the spirit of an older brother who was used to being the only child until his parents had a disabled child. The child only had diabetes, but still, the parents paid more attention to the new child. The boy was hit by a truck and instantly killed; he blames his parents. He now goes around, looking for parents like you with young children—one child is always disabled." The ghost of Sakura's mother very seriously explained.
"I don't know if this is real or a dream—but what do we do?" Ryou asked, unsure; he didn't want anything to happen to his kids.
"Mai needs to stay strong and keep Kai protected long enough for Sakura to cross the boy over. I've already talked to his family through their dreams and such—they've apologized and have been blaming themselves since the accident. The daughter, however, will not apologize; she's become kind of entitled. But anyway, Sakura is the only one who has had any type of training; she needs to cross him over." The ghost of Sakura's mother calmly informed.
"Why can't you?" Sakura asked, annoyed; she wasn't into this like her mother was.
"Because I'm dead." Sakura's mother answered with somewhat of a scowl.
Just then, they all heard loud, banging noises coming from the kitchen.
"Fine… I'll do it." Sakura grumbled, leaving the room to go to the kitchen; Ichigo went with her while Ryou stayed in his room with Kai and Mai.
"Don't worry; everything will be ok. One way or another, everything is going to be ok." Ryou promised, holding Kai and Mai close.
"Daddy, I'm scared." Mai cried.
"So am I…" Kai admitted, holding onto Mai.
'There's the boy I know and love.' Ryou thought to himself, sighing in relief.
"You both have to be brave. Mai, you have to keep the bad spirit away from your brother—or he'll hurt you." Ryou instructed, holding onto them.
"Yes, Daddy." Mai replied, holding onto Kai.
"He's here…" Sakura's mother spoke.
"Go away!" Mai yelled, holding onto Kai.
"What is this?" The boy asked, annoyed.
"This is a loving family. Mom, dad, brother, and sister." Sakura answered, walking in with Ichigo.
"But he's not older—not by much." The boy noted, looking at Kai and Mai.
"No, they're twins." Ichigo stated, climbing back into bed.
"But she consumes all of your attention!" The boy yelled.
"No! Mommy and daddy love us both!" Mai yelled, holding Kai's hand.
"We both get equal love and attention. And if she gets more, I understand; I actually like to be left alone most of the time. She's my sister, and I love her more than anything." Kai calmly spoke, shocking the boy.
"No… Tha-that's not true." The boy stuttered, backing away.
"It is. And I will always protect her." Kai stated, hugging Mai close.
"And I love my brother and will do my best to protect him." Mai spoke, hugging Kai in return.
"And we will love and protect them both equally." Ryou and Ichigo stated with determination.
"No!" The boy yelled.
"Coal. That's your name, right? Your death was an accident; your parents are very sorry and wish they could've done something to help you every day that goes by. They visit your grave daily. Think about it; you know it's true." Sakura spoke in a soothing tone.
After a few minutes of going back and forth, Coal went from having a black aura to having a light pink aura.
"I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble…" Coal apologized, kind of mumbling as he looked down.
"It's ok; it's not your fault. But it's time for you to cross over. Do you see a light?" Sakura gently told the boy before asking; she was a bit annoyed and just wanted to go back to bed.
"Yes, I see a light. It's a light before I've seen a few times before." Coal answered, looking in one direction.
"Good. Go to it. Maybe you'll make some new friends on the other side." Sakura suggested with a soft smile.
"I'm sorry again. Goodbye." Coal once again apologized before walking into the light.
"See; that wasn't so hard, was it?" Sakura's mother asked, looking at her.
"I hate this job…" Sakura mumbled.
"What's going on?" Shintaro asked, coming to; then, he saw his mother-in-law.
"I will never leave you; I'll be with you forever." Sakura's mother told Shintaro with a wicked smile, causing him to pass out again.
"Mom!" Sakura exclaimed, annoyed.
"What? I never liked him; I always thought you could do better. Now Ryou—him, I like." Sakura's mother replied, causing Sakura to roll her eyes.
"I saw that young lady. Well, I'd better be going." Sakura's mother bid farewell.
"Well, I'm going to bed. Come on, Shintaro; wake up." Sakura sighed, shaking her husband.
"Is she gone?" Shintaro asked, once again waking up.
"Yes, she's gone. Come on; let's go to bed. Night you four." Sakura answered and then told the kids, getting her husband up.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Mai softly and innocently asked.
"Me too?" Kai asked, shaking.
"Of course." Ryou and Ichigo replied at the same time; they wouldn't have it any other way—that night.
That night, Ryou and Ichigo slept on their backs while Mai slept across Ryou's stomach, and Kai slept across Ichigo's stomach…