Chapter Six: Very Cruel Chiremals, Nyan!
Ichigo strolled through the park on a Saturday morning, heading towards the mall. She now had a red poofy hat on her head which concealed her cat ears, and she had to wear baggy pants so her tail had plenty of room to move. No more short shorts for her…. She sighed.
What could go worse with her life? She had cuts on her legs from when Retasu fell in the gravel, her ears and tail were now permanently out, and she had to get rid of new Chiremal Animals. She hadn't even seen them yet!
She sauntered into the mall and looked around for things. She had gotten some money from her allowance and from Ryou, because he had finally given all of them raises. She now got fifteen dollars an hour. She had plenty of money to spare with the hours she'd had to put into he café!
She walked into her favorite shop, Mew Extravaganza, to see what else they had about her and the other Mews. Ever since that guy started those correct rumors about them, the store had skyrocketed in sales.
"Ohiyo gozaimasu," She said to the clerk as she came in, waving her hand and smiling.
"Oh, Momomiya-san! You're always here! A big fan of the Mews, are you?" The clerk started a friendly conversation with her. Ichigo put her hand on her hat to feel her ears and make sure they were in the right spots.
"You might say that, yeah…." She shrugged and walked on in the store.
The store was full of plushies and beanies and posters; but some of the items were weapons other Mews might use if they ever needed them.
"We'll never need those," Ichigo always muttered to herself. She walked by her least-favorite photo, one with her and Kisshu fighting together to get rid of that eagle Chiremal. Not that she still hated Kisshu, but it gave the people the wrong ideas about the Mews.
"Ichigo!" Moe's sweet voice rang in Ichigo's mind as she turned to watch her friend approach with Miwa and an armful of bags. "I thought that was you!"
"Oh, hi Moe! Miwa!" She took some of the bags from her friend and smiled. "What are you two doing here?"
"We're shopping!" Miwa squealed.
"Specifically for things for M.U.T." Moe specified.
"Um, yeah. That's nice. You might find some stuff in here." Ichigo and her two friends wandered to the back of the store when they heard an explosion.
Glass went everywhere, and customers squeezed into the corner of the store.
Ichigo was shoved into the corner, all the air knocked out of her. She had no sight of Moe or Miwa. Then she heard a gruff voice.
"W-who isssss M-Momo-m-miya Ich-Ichigo?" The voice scraped through her mind like fingers on a chalkboard. She covered her ears, but it spoke again. "W-WHO?"
Finally, Ichigo uncovered her ears and pushed through the people.
"I'm here." She said while pushing through. She stopped when she got to the front of the people. There were three LARGE locusts staring her in the face. Their claws were huge and their eyes were like humans.
"Ichigo?" Moe's voice was behind her. "Can you understand that thing?"
"Yes, I can." Ichigo called back. The one in the middle began to move its mouth, trying once more to speak to her.
"A-ah, sssssso yo-you're M-Momo-m-miya Ich-Ichigo. Or sssssh-should I ssssay: M-Mew Ich-Ichigo?" The locust cackled. Ichigo gasped. "B-but, llet m-me talk in a-a v-voicccce th-that eve-everyone c-can underssstand."
"What do you want with me?" Ichigo asked, trying to mask the urge to transform right then and there. Her pendant was in her sock again, so she couldn't get to it without them knowing.
"There, now everyone can understand us, not just the strawberry." The left locust said. His voice was no longer scratchy, and everyone could hear it. The locust on the right glided forward.
"We are the heads of the Rouge Chiremals, but you can call us the Rouges." It cackled and Ichigo stepped backwards.
"What do you want with us?" She screamed.
Now the one in the middle came forward. His tail was like a lion's, long and slightly furry. It touched Ichigo's hat.
"My, such a darling hat you have on, young one." The Rouge said evilly. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.
"Get your filthy tail off of me, gnat." She growled low inside of her throat, letting the Rouge know he had gone far enough tormenting her.
The Chiremal pulled its tail back and kept its eyes on Ichigo. Then it whirled around and brought its large claws intact with Ichigo's cheek. She stayed in the same spot, but there was a gigantic cut on her cheek. She touched it and looked at her hand. Blood. Her friends would soon feel the pain, she knew. She didn't want them to hurt because of her. She tried to hold it in.
X.X.X.X.X.X.
Everyone else was in the café sitting.
"Where's Ichigo-san?" Retasu asked.
"She took the day off," Zakuro answered.
"She's going to that mall by herself." Minto took a sip of her tea.
"She left without me…." Kisshu sulked.
"We've got work to do," Pai crossed his arms.
"But why did Ichigo take off then?" Taruto asked once more.
"Because she's worked hard enough for a while." Ryou didn't look up from his computer.
"She's having fun, na no da!" Purin screeched.
"Does anyone want cake?" Keiichiro walked into the room with a cake.
"Itai!" Purin screamed. She grabbed a hold of her cheek. "Is my cheek bleeding na no da?" She asked.
"No, but I felt it too…." Minto said, flicking her own. "I'll bet Ichigo just slipped and fell in a shop."
"And cut only her cheek?" Zakuro questioned. "And why did the pain suddenly stop? And there's no blood, not even proof that anything was ever there." Everyone was silent after that.
X.X.X.X.X.X.
Ichigo made no sound. Made no move, nothing. She just stood there, looking at her hand.
"Ichigo!" Miwa found her friend with blood on her hand. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"We're going to show everyone what you are, strawberry." The Rouge whispered to her.
"Miwa, move back." Ichigo mumbled, trying to keep from crying. She shook her hand onto the Rouge, splashing blood onto them and the floor.
"But Ichigo—"
"I SAID—" Ichigo shouted the words out of anger. She took a deep breath and calmed down. "Move, back…." Miwa and the rest of the people huddled even tighter into that corner.
Ichigo was planning to act like she was tying her shoe, then grabber her pendant and jump up to the second floor where she could transform without anyone knowing. She moved onto the ground and almost had her pendant in between her fingers when the Rouge struck her again.
She screamed in pain and flew towards a wall. Posters and plushies went everywhere, stained in blood. Ichigo wiped her blood away from her eyes and mouth, and sighed.
She held up her fists. If she couldn't transform, then she would fight them by hand.
"Oh, the young one is getting brave," The one in the middle said. It cackled and rushed towards Ichigo.
Ichigo jumped into the air and kicked the Rouge, sending him flying into the air.
The other two flew after her. She jumped once again, landing on one so she could propel into the air and smash his face into the ground at the same time. Then she landed on top of the other, landing it on the other grounded one.
"Don't mess with me," She growled. "You'll regret it, nyan."
"We'll see about that. You have no weapon." The ones on the ground sputtered. Ichigo ran over to a spear sticking up out of the ground. It was supposed to be one of the Mew weapons, but it was as good as any. But it was cemented into the ground, to prevent theft. Ichigo jumped once more into the air and whirled around, kicking a cut clean across the bottom of the spear, making it come loose.
"Ichigo, you can't be serious! The last time you fought like this was with—" Moe tried to talk her friend out of it.
"I know, I know, but I have no choice." Ichigo shuddered at the thought of that man coming back into her thoughts.
The three Rouges came at her again, and a battle ensued. Those three against a non-transformed Ichigo. For five minutes she dodged through it without a scratch, but then they got the spear out of her hands.
Ichigo had to refer back to kicking. But this time they ganged up on her. They pushed her into the middle of them and began slashing her around with their claws.
"Ahh! Ahh!" She kept screeching every time they hit her. Her scratches were getting worse and worse, but she tried to hold them in. I have to get out of this myself, she told herself.
Her pendant started beeping and vibrating. She gasped.
"Ichigo? Ichigo, are you there?" Ryou's voice came out of her pendant.
"No, please, not now…." She whimpered.
"Isn't this fantastic!" One of the Rouges said. She was hit again. This time she didn't whimper or anything, trying to wait until Ryou hung up the line on her pendant.
They hit her again. This time was unexpected, and she let it slip through the defense she set up for her friends.
X.X.X.X.X.X.
"Okay, now I think something's up." Ryou said, coming out of the basement. "Ichigo isn't answering her pendant and—"
The four Mews and Ryou all froze in their spots.
"Hmm? Nani, Purin?" Taruto waved a hand in front of his yellow friend.
"Are you guys alright?" Kisshu asked Minto right in her face.
"Kisshu, move!" Keiichiro warned the alien.
Soon the café was full of screams as five people went down to the floor, holding their legs. Then they all passed out.
"I'll get the first-aid kit!" Keiichiro ran out of the room.
"Zakuro! Retasu! Are you alright?" Pai knelt down and examined their right legs.
Claw marks. Pai laid his hands on their legs and mumbled something. Their legs lit up and the cuts were gone.
"Kisshu! Do the same to the other two. Taruto, heal Purin." Pai commanded. His friends nodded and went to do their job. "Retasu? Zakuro? Open your eyes." Pai laid Zakuro's head on his folded legs. "Please, hurry up."
Zakuro and Retasu finally squinted in the light.
"What happened?" Zakuro saw who she was laying on and turned a deep red. She sat up.
"I remember my leg hurt so much, then I was here…." Retasu looked around. She saw Kisshu working on Minto and Ryou. "Shirogane-san!" She bolted over to him.
"He's alright, just give me a minute." Kisshu said. "There."
Ryou sat up and looked around.
"Ryou! You're—!" Retasu slapped her hands over her mouth. She had said his given name! "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"It's alright." Ryou smiled. "I kind of like it, Retasu." He stressed her name to show he really meant he didn't mind.
"Purin is okay now, na no da!" Purin jumped up. "But we gotta find Ichigo no da!"
"Right! Let's go!" Minto stood up shakily and they all ran out of the café.
"I'll teleport to the mall and try to help her!" Kisshu disappeared before anyone could object.
Right after everyone left the café Keiichiro came through with the first-aid kit.
"Hey! Where is everyone?"
X.X.X.X.X.X.
"St-stop it!" Ichigo screamed, tears now streaming down her face as she took the blows one-by-one. Anger took over the last of her fear and she could feel her hand turn into a cat's claw. She meowed loudly, lashing out at one of the Rouges. It fell away from the circle and let Ichigo loose from their wrath. She stood in front of the now terrified people with her face to the Rouges. She was furious. "How dare you come in here, trying to attack a defenseless person? I won't have it!"
The Rouges came at her again, but she met them head on, punching them this time. They all fell to the ground.
"Leave me alone." She growled. "You're pathetic, trying to attack people instead of the Mews. Why would you do that?"
"Grrrrr… KILL HER!" The leader (it seemed) Rouge screamed. They all ran towards her again. She just stood there.
"No," She knocked them back again. "Go away. Don't come back."
The three struggled up from the ground, and flew away.
"But we'll be back!"
Ichigo waited until they had left and fall onto the ground on all fours, just breathing. She was in pain, with all the cuts on her. Her whole face probably looked like her hair, now.
"Ichigo, are you alright?" Moe and Miwa asked when the Chiremals left.
"Don't… don't touch me… I can… can g-get through this." Ichigo smiled at her friends. "I'm just resting." She forced herself up off of the ground, holding her arms together for balance. She stumbled once and fell back over.
"K-Koneko-chan?" Kisshu's voice was scared and surprised. Ichigo suppressed the pain in her neck and lifted her head to the alien. "What happened?"
"I-I'm fine…." Ichigo felt her legs tremble veraciously as she stood once more. "Just a couple of s-scratches…." She was totally out of energy and was about to fall to the ground once more.
"Don't you dare tell me that." Kisshu's voice was dark. He caught her from falling. "You're not fine." He looked at her wounds, then growled. "I can't heal this on my own."
"What are you doing with Ichigo?" Moe tried to get the girl away from Kisshu.
"N-no." Ichigo stammered. "He's alright; I'll be right back…"
Kisshu jumped lightly into the air and disappeared, melting back outside the mall.
"Kisshu! We're here!" Minto was waving her hand in the air while running. Then she saw Ichigo. "Oh my gosh, what happened to her?"
"I don't know, she couldn't tell me." Kisshu laid her on the ground.
"Chiremals…" Ichigo breathed.
"Don't speak right now, Ichigo." Zakuro placed a finger across Ichigo's lips.
"I can't heal her on my own, so help me, guys!" Kisshu growled at his friends. Pai and Taruto instantly knelt down next to the girl and began mumbling the incantations to heal her.
After a few moments, her cuts began to lessen. The blood disappeared from her face and body, and the scabs that formed on her body closed over themselves.
Soon Ichigo was well enough to sit up and breathe properly.
"Now, tell us what happened." Kisshu kept a tight hand on Ichigo's shoulder, supporting her so she could balance.
"I was in the mall, then the wall exploded. These things came out! They called themselves Rouges and hit me. I couldn't transform with so many people there. I had to fight by hand." Ichigo explained between breaths.
"It's a wonder you got out alive!" Keiichiro placed a hand on her head and rubbed it.
"I don't think their first intension was to kill me, Akasaka-san." Ichigo said, trying to stand. "They were trying to take my hat off. When I put up a fight they decided to kill me."
Footsteps were pounding into the ground towards the group.
"Ichigo!" Two frightened voices exclaimed. "Are you okay? Ichigo!"
"Moe! Miwa!" The two hugged their now healed friend.
"You're okay! We were so worried! We thought you were going to die! You're not, are you?" Moe and Miwa simultaneously asked.
"No, I'm not," Ichigo grinned. "I'm still me, nyan!"
-----
Two weeks later, no one knew who the mysterious caller was that knew the Mews. They tried everyone they knew, and it still didn't seem to work; no one knew all that information about them so quickly.
One day, once the Café closed, Ichigo was sent into the kitchen to bring out the cake and plates for the aliens and humans to eat on.
"We still didn't find out anything today!" Minto smacked herself on the head. "We're falling behind."
"We're working on it, don't worry," Zakuro reassured.
The door opened next to Retasu, who was cleaning a particularly stubborn stain on one table.
"We're sorry, but we're closed for the day." She absentmindedly stated.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just looking for someone…." The man's voice had a certain ring to it, Retasu had to look up.
The brunette man's chocolate eyes wandered to room for any sign of help, and Retasu came to his rescue.
"Do I know you?" She asked him, followed by an intrigued Minto. "You look familiar."
"Yeah, na no da!" Purin and Zakuro met the man at the door, nodding. "You look like someone we know!"
"Well, I'm looking for a Momomiya Ichi—"
The man was interrupted by ten plates dropping onto the ground, cake spattering not far behind.
Ichigo's voice was full of fear, both when she gasped and when she spoke.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
THE END!
I know, bad place to stop, but the next chapter shall be better! And sorry for the long updates, I've been drowned with school work! I'll try to speed it up a little!