Chapter four: Ichigo's Thunder

Slowly, she reached up and pet the soft, furry cat ears atop her head. The she spun around and grabbed Ryou's shoulders.

"You said the process was irreversible!" she shrieked. Ryou laughed.

"I could tell you didn't really want to part with your powers, so I just nulled them for a while."

"All of us?" Purin asked hopefully.

"All of you. In fact, Purin, since you're so system should have given in sooner than the others. However, you should all be back to the way you were by now."

"Only one way to find out," Purin reached into her pocket and pulled out her mew pendant.

"Come on, girls," Keiichiro coaxed, "you know you never got rid of them."

"Ichigo did," Kiichigo said. While Rettasu, Zakuro, and Minto got out their pendants, Ryou's girlfriend handed two things to Ichigo. They were her mew pendant and Masha in his key chain form. Ryou had taken Masha away and Ichigo had given her pendant to him because she didn't want to remember. Now that she knew she was still a mew mew, she was eager to transform, so she did, and the other mew mews followed her lead. After her transformation, Ichigo sighed happily. This was something she could do that Kiichigo, hopefully, could not.

"It feels so good to be back in this ridiculous outfit," Ichigo purred, "and the best part is I don't have to fight crime anymore! Oh, not that I didn't love saving the Earth, I just don't think I'd be as agile in my current condition."

"Condition?" Keiichiro was the first to react to the word. "Ichigo, is there something you're not telling us?"

"Well, there's something I want to tell you guys."

"You said you had a surprise for us," Rettasu spoke up, "is this your idea of a surprise?"

"Guys," Ichigo smiled, "it's okay."

"Ichigo," Zakuro's voice was accusing, "are you..."

Ichigo sighed, "yes. I'm pregnant."

Ryou paled, and the rest were momentarily silent.

"Well, congratulations, Ichigo!" Keiichiro said suddenly, then jokingly punched Masaya's shoulder and winked at him. The younger blushed.

"Yes, congratulations," Zakuro, Minto, and Rettasu said.

"Onee-chan's gonna have a baby?" Purin bounced up to the yamaneko girl and poked her stomach.

"Yes," Ichigo poked Purin's forehead, "and please, don't do that."

"Sorry." Purin smiled, but Ichigo knew she was sincere. Then the older girl looked at Ryou, who's face was beginning to show colour again.

"Ryou?"

"I'm... happy for you..." the blonde choked on his voice.

"Ryou," Ichigo smiled pitifully, "you said you were over it. Was that a lie?"

"What is she talking about, Ryou-kun?" Kiichigo asked. Masaya laughed.

"He never told you?" he asked. Kiichigo shook her head. Masaya explained, "Ryou used to have such a crush on Ichigo. He even ran away when he found out we were getting married."

"Ryou," Kiichigo turned, "is this true? Do you still love Ichigo?"

"Love!" Ichigo and Ryou jumped. Then the cat girl looked at the...

Wait, Ichigo thought, if we never lost our animal DNA, that means that Alto is still...

"L... love is such a strong word..." Ryou's voice was hardly reassuring, but it interrupted Ichigo's thoughts. Ichigo suddenly grinned, then looked over and winked at Masaya, who nodded and tried not to laugh.

"Ryou-kun," Ichigo said softly, slowly nearing the other. Her ears had turned back to normal and her tail was fading as she walked. "I never knew you loved me..."

"I... I didn't..." Ryou tried to back up, but they were still standing next to the limo. Ichigo's dress lost it's poof and merged with her leotard to become the dress she'd originally been wearing.

"Stop lying to me, Ryou," Ichigo's hair took on it's normal shape and faded to red. "It hurts me when you lie to me."

"Ichigo..." Ryou was blushing like crazy, and he could feel his tail curled around his leg. Ichigoreached out and held his face, and his ears turned into furry, grey, cat ears. Ichigo giggled and moved her face closer to his.

"You look so cute as a neko, Ryou-kun," her voice was low and tormenting, and her lips were becoming dangerously close.

"Don't... you're married..."

"I'm also part cat," their lips brushed as she spoke, "I need a male cat to be completely satisfied."

Ryou kissed Ichigo forcefully. Masaya face-faulted. Keiichiro tried not to laugh. Kiichigo and the mew mews just stood there. Ichigo held her breath, then dared to lick Ryou's lips, and suddenly their kiss was broken. She opened her eyes and smirked down at the grey cat in her arms. Alto blushed. "You tricked me!"

"I did," Ichigo nuzzled her cheek to Alto's and whispered, "but it was worth it."

"No it wasn't..." Alto whined. Ichigo shook her head and walked over to Kiichigo.

"I believe this is yours," she said, handing the cat over to its human form's girlfriend. Kiichigo glared as she took the cat.

"We need to talk," she said as Ichigo walked away. Alto sighed.