Pretty in Peach
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I do not own Toyko Mew Mew or any part of Tokyopop, etc.
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Ichigo and Momo became best friends. Whenever they saw each other in the hallway, they hugged. Many thought they were sisters, they looked so alike. Blueberry was a bit of a friend too, but she definitely wasn't as close to Ichigo as her big sister was.
Ryou told Ichigo one day to take her best friend to the café after the rhythmic gymnastics competition to become a Mew and work at the café. This was just two weeks after thet found her to be a match for the adorable margay kitten. Ryou was to clear the area around the café so that the ray was sure to hit its target. His rich-boy connections were getting the police to let only those two on the very block. Ichigo was nervous and excited at the same time, but luckily not enough to show off her ears and tail.
The rhythmic gymnastics competition was on the coming Saturday, and Ichigo was to spend a lot of time practicing with Blueberry and the team. So for two reasons, Saturday was a big day, and Ichigo couldn't wait.
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Momo Shigami was definitely a perfect big sister. She loved Blueberry and would alway take care of her, and her new best friend, Ichigo was just like an adoptive sister to her. Her fellow third-years didn't fully accept the idea of mingling with little first years, so she wasn't totally popular in her class. She liked taking care of everyone, and often didn't take herself into consideration. Second years thought of her as a hero, and with only a month and a half until she graduated, they were sad to see her go.
At the rhythmic gymnastics competiton, Momo wore a pink collared shirt and a short black skirt with a pink headband to separate her bangs from the rest of her hair. Her socks were black, as were her sneakers, except for their white laces. She walked to the stadium with Blueberry, who was wearing her school uniform. She always walked her sister places, to protect and care for her.
Ichigo was waiting at the front of the stadium. "Here, Blueberry, let me show you where us competitors go." After waving to Momo, she led Blueberry away.
Momo waved back. "I'll be cheering you on!" she shouted before heading for the main entrance. She was early, so hardly any seats were taken. She sat in an empty front row, where she could see everything best. She sat there patiently, alone.
In just 20 minutes, about half of the stadium had filled up. Momo's row was still empty, but she didn't mind. The teams had begun to enter the arena, and Momo spotted the deep red and blue of her sister and best friend's hair in a flash and wooted, "Yeah, Ichigo! Go, Blueberry!" They waved back, and she grinned.
The competition wasn't to start for another 15 minutes, but the teams were now practicing and stretching. Momo noticed that Blueberry was already quite flexible and she wondered why she had never realized it before.
"Hey, Momo!" Came a voice to her left. Turning her head, she recognized the waitresses from the café, with the manager.
"Hey, uh.. sorry, I don't remember your names.. except for Zakuro, of course." She smiled and laughed nervously.
"Ah, it's okay," said the girl with green hair and glasses. "I am Lettuce. Lettuce Midorikawa."
"Lettuce, gotcha." Momo smiled.
The girl that Momo knew to be lazy introduced herself next. "Mint Aizawa," she said, bowing elegantly.
"I am Purin Fon," the shorter little girl with many braids answered excitedly.
"And I am Keiichiro Akasaka," the manager concluded.
"So.. is the special way to get a job at Café Mew Mew having a food-related name?" Momo asked curiously, noticing the connection. She also noticed that they all looked at each other nervously after she said that.
"Who.. said that there was a special way to get work at the café?" Lettuce asked, sweatdrops visible on her forehead.
"Oh, it was-" Momo realized Ichigo might get in trouble. "Just a rumor, no worries." She smiled. "I guess I'd be able to work at the café too, right? Since I'm Momo." She giggled.
The girls laughed with her, a bit more nervously. Momo was a little weirded out by the behavior. She suddenly realized that they were still standing.
"Come on, let's sit!" She said, opening her arms invitingly.
Smiling, they all sat down, Purin closest to Momo, then Lettuce, Mint, Zakuro, and Keiichiro. All of a sudden, Momo realized that someone had sat down on the other side of her - the owner of the café, Ryou!
"Hello, Momo," he greeted her. Momo nearly swooned, since she already knew that he was beyond cute. She wondered if she looked pretty, since she wanted to impress him somehow. She wanted to flirt with him.
But she knew nothing about boys.
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Ichigo went up to perform. Momo cheered, as did the Café Mew Mew troupe and Ichigo's crush, Masaya Aoyama. Momo knew they had a bond and she sensed that they were meant to be. She thought it was the cutest thing. Masaya brough joy to Ichigo, and that was a fact.
In a brillaint flow of grace and beauty, Ichigo astounded her audience with twists and turns that seemed as natural to her as breathing. The minutes seemed like mere moments and before they knew it, she had made her final backflip and bowed. The audience roared.
Blueberry went next. She was clearly nervous, despite the cheers from the rest of the team.
"Come on, Blue-chan! Give it your best shot, girl!" Momo called out as loud as she could. Blueberry caught her eye and nodded, posing to mark the beginning of her form. She had her right arm above her, holding a red ball, and her other arm behind her, with her left leg in a backwards tondu.
Before anyone could realize it, Blueberry swung her left foot around and spun on the other, throwing the ball into the air as she left her hands to swing freely above her head, creating a beautiful ballet appearance. She froze into place as she caught the ball with both hands. She then threw the ball again, did a backflip, and caught it gracefully with her left hand. The crowd cheered, Momo being the loudest. She was most proud of her sister.
The star of the moment tossed the ball and flipped foward twice, catching it again. More applause came for her, and she flipped again, holding the ball all the while. Momo screamed and shouted as she continued to flip and turn and dance with the ball. For her final stunt, she flipped in the air, ball above her, and it landed on her wrist as she landed on the mat. The ball then quickly traveled down her arm, over her shoulders, and down her other arm. As it reached her other hand, she catapulted it into the air and caught it. The crowd roared, and Blueberry bowed.
It was no surprise who won that competition.
Momo saw that the Mew Mew troupe had been part of the first group of people to leave. Momo sighed, she was already infatuated with Ryou. She found out that he was rich and had connections throughout Tokyo, and she couldn't help but find that extremely impressive. She hoped to see him everyday, and found a greater incentive to go to the café everyday.
Waiting for Blueberry and Ichigo, Momo sat on a bench outside the stadium. She wished she had he time to get flowers or balloons to celebrate the victory. She crossed her legs and opened her black purse, which held her wallet, her cellphone, her keys, and two blue pens. She took out her phone and played her favorite game, Tetris.
Momo went rhough several levels, getting really into the game. She loves puzzle games, the trickyness and smarts you needed to beat them. She wasn't the best of players, but she appreciated the brainpower it took.
"Boo."
Momo sceramed and nearly dropped her phone. She folded it and sighed. "Blueberry.." she groaned.
Ichigo giggled. "That was funny." She sat own on the bench beside Momo. Blueberry sat on the opposite side. Ichigo looked upwards, then down at her feet.
Momo couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, you got me good, huh, Blue-chan?" she put her arm around her little sister's shoulder. Blueberry grinned. Momo turned to Ichigo. "So, where are we headed, gymnasts?"
Ichigo smiled. "Actually, Momo, I have some news for you.." She took a deep breath for extra anticipation. "Ryou and Keiichiro want you to work at Café Mew Mew!"
Momo felt a rush like never before. Her dream of worked at the cutest place in the world had come true! She'd get the adorable outfit, free swweets, and money! And best of all, she'd have no choice but to see Ryou everyday. Her face glowed. "Oh My GOD!" She hugged Ichigo so tight that she couldn't breathe. "Oh, sorry.. " she aughed nervously. "Can we all go right now?"
"Oh.. um.." Ichigo looked embarrassed. "Blue-chan can't go.. she'd be bored, anyways.. Sorry." She smiled nervously.
"Oh.. but.. Blue-chan's never walked home alone.." Momo looked worriedly at her sister. "Oh, I know! I'll call Ken!"
"Um.. Ken? Who's Ken?" Ichigo asked.
"Our uncle," Blueberry explained.
Momo flipped her phone out again and dialed Uncle Ken's number. "Ken-san!.. Yes, it's Momo.. I was wondering if you could pick up Blue-chan from the stadium... Please? I've got a job offer.. no, she can't.. Oh, thanks! We'll wait for you then." She closed her phone. "He'll be here in twenty minutes."
"That was odd.." Momo muttered, looking behind her. "Why aren't other people allowed around here, but we are?"
Ichigo smiled. "You'll see."
Momo gasped. "Oh no, I'm going to be tested! I'm so nervous!" She started to turn red.
"It's not quite like that. You'll see."
"Okay..." Momo was confused.
As they walked down to the café, Momo realized something. There was a golden cat at the top of the café! She didn't know why she had never noticed this before. It seemed to be looking at her.
At the front of the café, they walked onto the soft grass. "Hold on, and wait here," Ichigo said. "I'll tell them you're waiting." Momo nodded.
Five minutes passed, and no one had come out to greet her. Momo sighed, still standing on the grass. It was somewhat aggravating that it was taking so long.
Suddenly, the ground started shaking. Momo gasped. "An earthquake!" She shouted, looking up at the sky. The golden cat's eyes were glowing, which caught her eye, and Momo, frozen in fright, screamed and covered her face as a large bright red light seemed to come right for her.
Instead of feeling excruciating pain as she expected, a strange tingling snesation overcame Momo, and she found herself glowing a orangey-peach color, clothes missing. She was in a dark but sparkling abyss. A distance away from her was what appeared to be a house cat. "Here, kitty kitty," she said, calling to it.
As the cat quietly walked forward, she saw that it had fur similar to that of a leopard. She had seen this wildcat in a magazine.. What was it called?
"Come on, that's a good kitty." The cat was about to reach Momo's outstratched arms, but as she reached down to grab it, it jumped over her. "Hey, get back here!" The cat jumped onto her back before she could turn around and then, she felt the cat sink into her. She arched her back as she felt cat genes flow through her, then with the warm sensation, she rolled into a fetal position. As she fell to the ground, it disappeared, and so she kept falling, losing consciousness as she fell, into dark nothingness.
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Please review. I'd like to know what you think before I post Chapter Three.
