Authoress Notes---

Satou: I WROTE THE CHAPTER! Yes, it's short, but I untied my story knot. Now I can hopefully update more regularly.

Ichigo sat sadly in the Cafe, her grey gaze locked on yet another letter. Kisshu had been sending her apologies non-stop. He really did seem to love her, but unless her cat ears and tail appeared, Ichigo wasn't convinced. She was supposed to turn into a cat if he liked her back, but she wasn't a kitty yet! This couldn't possibly be right... But... She should be happy... Kisshu loved her and she was still a human... So why couldn't she bring herself to smile?

"Ichigo-oneechan's depressed na no da." Purin said matter-of-factly as she passed the table Ichigo was sitting at. Ichigo's sadness hadn't been attractive to customers lately, so Ryou was having Ichigo work in the back, where she washed dishes and got trays ready.

"I know." Minto said miserably, "How annoying... She still gets paid and everything..."

"Minto-san..." Retasu said in a quiet, concern way, "You shouldn't be so mean... Ichigo-san's going through a tough time right now, we should comfort her."

Minto just shrugged it off and walked out from the back room with a silver tray, bringing tea out to table 3. Purin took one sad look at Ichigo, then bounced off with 3 trays balanced on her hands and head, while Retasu walked out in a forced-cheerful way to greet customers. This was such a gloomy day at Cafe Mew Mew...

But around noon, things suddenly changed. Ryou called for an afternoon break, and the Cafe closed up for an hour. This was new, and had never happened before, so the Mew Girls were very surprised and concerned. Even Ichigo looked up from her letters to ask what was wrong.

"Emergency meeting." Ryou explained swiftly, "Keichiiro discovered something about the Mew Aqua."

"Really na no da?" Purin exclaimed excitedly, as she always did, as she hurried into the basement. The other four girls were soon to join her, and the basement lights went out so the TV screen was more visible.

"So, what'd you find out?" Minto asked with a shrug, watching a video taping of her flash across the TV screen.

"We've discovered that the Mew Aqua has a positive effect on you five." Keichiiro explained, "And is able to stablize your human form for a while longer..."

"As in...?" Retasu said carefully, wanting a better explanation.

"He means that whenever a Mew Aqua is activated and used in our favor, it effects your human form. Every Mew Aqua will keep you human longer, even if by all senses of logic you should be in your animal form. Everytime a Mew Aqua is used for our team, it effects all of you."

"That makes sense." Minto said simply, casting a glance to Ichigo, "Isn't that great, Ichigo? That must be why you haven't got cat ears, or a tail, or haven't turned into a cat. Kisshu still likes you."

Ichigo nodded, smiling brightly, "Yay! So how long will the effect la-"

As if on cue, Ichigo's ears and tail suddenly popped up, the poor girl shrieked before covering them with her hands and falling to her knees.

"Noooo! Not now!"

"Sadly, we discovered this just as the effect wears off. If we don't find Ichigo some Mew Aqua in 2 days, she'll turn into a cat." Keichiiro said firmly.

"Oh no!" Retasu gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

"That's terrible na no da! That means Ichigo-oneechan and Kisshu-oniichan can't be together much longer na no da!"

"What're we going to dooooo?" Ichigo whined, still trying to hide herself as her tail swayed nervously, "I dun wanna become a cat!"

"We find Mew Aqua." Zakuro said firmly, stepping up, "Shirogane-san, can you locate any traces?"

"No." Said Ryou with a slight frown on his face, "But we're creating a sensor on Masha. We've also found that if you're near a Mew Aqua and feel a strong emotion, you'll glow blue."

"Why does the good guy always glow blue na no da?" Purin interupted randomly.

"Purin-san, we don't have time for tha.." Retasu started, but Minto cut her off.

"Dunno. Guess that means I'm the good one here, though, huh?"

"Purin's a good guy too na no da! She's the brave lion of justice na no da!"

"You're a monkey." Minto snapped, "And I was just kidding."

"You mean you're a bad guy na no da!" Purin demanded, whacking Minto over the head with a Cafe menu, "Ucky buggo GO!"

"OW!" Minto shrieked, covered her head, "I was just joking, Purin!"

"Minto-oneechan is a villian, we must capture her and desect her brains na no da!"

"You will not!" Minto screeched, narrowly missing another whack in the face from the menu, "Stop it, Purin!"

"Purin-san, please..." Retasu said quietly, trying to grab Purin and hold her back, though Purin jumped away in time.

As all the this went on, with Ryou and Keichiiro staring miserably in the background (Until Purin decided to whack Ryou and Keichiiro too, seeing as this had now evolved into a game in stead of battle between good and evil), Zakuro kneeled down near Ichigo. The poor girl Ichigo was trembling all over, her grey eyes turning a bit pink like her cat eyes as her cat form slowly began to take over. The black color of the girl's ears and cat fur was creeping up her hair, the roots now black and slowly taking over the pink color, and her canine teeth were becoming more noticable.

"Ichigo?"

"I don't want to be a cat!" Ichigo protested, "I'm so happy with Kisshu! This isn't right!"

"Ichigo..."

"I've got so much to do! I want to become famous as a human, and I like being a Mew, and I love my part time job, and I can't be with Kisshu if I'm a cat..."

Zakuro sighed and got up, patting Ichigo on the head for comfort as she rose to her feet once more.

"Ichigo, don't worry. We're going to find Mew Aqua, ok? Just focus on being your usual cheerful self..."

"Yes, Ichigo-san. Everything'll work out." Retasu said in hopes of comforting the poor neko, having somehow wormed herself out of Purin's new game, which now involved whacking people with a broken keyboard instead of a menu.

"Minna..." Ichigo said happily, a weak smile on her face, "Right! Of course. Thank you, everyone..."

"Your welcome." Zakuro said with a more natural smile. This smile caught the eyes of Minto, and the lorikeet girl rushed over.

"Oneesama, what's going on?"

"Ichigo's just a bit sad. Don't worry, Minto." Zakuro said simply, smiling at Minto. This was enough to turn the blue mew bright red, and she giggled in delight as Zakuro gave her a pat on the head as well before walking off.

"Where are you going, Oneesama?" Minto asked sadly.

"A model shoot. It's for a magazine. I'm supposed to look like I naturally do..."

"Oh..." Minto said quietly, sad not to be able to spend anymore time with her role model.

"... So I was wondering if you'd like to join me..."

"W-What?" Minto stuttered, face cherry red and eyes wide, "W-Why?"

"It's easier for me to smile naturally when you're around, and a smile is better than my usual frown. Would you like to join me for the model shoot? I doubt anyone would mind if you join me in some pictures..."

"Of course! I'd love to!" Minto blurted, hurrying over to Zakuro, "I'll change out of my uniform right away!"

And with that said, Minto rushed off to change, and go to the photo shoot with Zakuro, a huge smile on her face.

"That takes care of Minto-san and Zakuro-san..." Retasu said quietly, "Now what?"

"Let's go shopping na no da!" Purin exclaimed, done playing.

"... Why? And for what?" Ichigo asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh. We could get you a hat, Ichigo-san, so no one sees your ears... Unless you don't want to..."

"That sounds good. Mind if I join you?" Ryou asked, done nursing his poor head after "playing" with Purin. The joys of keyboard wounds.

Retasu's fae turned cherry pink and she nodded slowly.

"Y-Yes. Would you like to come?"

Ichigo giggled. This was going to be so much fun!

Don't worry, Kisshu-kun. With friends like these, I'll be human forever!