Chapter Six

ZAKURO!

"This is it!" Ichigo thought as Zakuro (they knew it was her now) leaned over them, "My time to die! First Keiichiro, then Pudding, now me. Maybe Mint will live happily ever after as the Lone Mew Mew!"

"Please have mercy, Zakuro!" Mint whined. Ichigo had never seen her so scared.

"What!" Zakuro hissed, "Have mercy on…you?"

"Don't forget about the little people," Mint continued to whine.

"Yeah, and the ones you already killed," Ichigo added shakily.

"Why would I kill you?" Zakuro prompted.

It went dead silent, "B-because you killed Keiichiro and Pudding already," Mint answered. Ichigo nodded.

"Huh?" Zakuro sounded appalled, "I didn't kill anyone. I almost got killed myself, but why would I kill people? I may be famous, but it hasn't gotten to my head."

More dead silence.

"Th-that's what Keiichiro said before…before…" Ichigo's voice trailed off.

"Before what?" Zakuro asked. A sorrowful look spread across Mint and Ichigo's faces, "No," Zakuro replied, "No, they didn't!"

"Yeah," Mint said, "apparently you were possessed and don't remember what happened because you, Ryou, and Lettuce killed…"

"No, guys," Zakuro interrupted, "no. We didn't. They did."

"They? Ryou and Lettuce?" Ichigo asked.

"No!" Zakuro snapped, "Kish, Pie and Tart."

"We never saw them," Mint replied, "And Pudding was with us the entire time!"

"Maybe when you think someone was killed by one, you should think about the other options," Zakuro smirked.

"You!" Ichigo and Mint gasped together.

"I killed no one!" Zakuro said firmly, "It was the aliens! Will ya listen to me!"

"Possession?" Mint suggested, "Mind-washing? Cloning?"

"I don't know, I just know the aliens did it."

"Where are the others?" Ichigo asked.

Zakuro sighed a heavy sigh, "Still there."

"At the aliens place there?" Mint asked.

She sighed again, "Yeah," she shook her head, "I tried to get them out of there, but I just couldn't. I saw a chance to get us all, but the aliens came in our captivity room early so…I left alone."

"But you know where they are?"

"Well…"

"Please no well, please don't let there be a well," Ichigo said with her eyes closed. When she opened them, she realized that everyone was staring at her, she said, "Oh, I said that out loud?" blushing. She looked left and right embarrassedly.

"Well," Zakuro said again, "It was dark, and everything seems to change in the dark," she looked at her friends, "Sorry?"

"I can't believe they're actually gone," Mint said, "After all that's happened. This has been a crazy year."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed.

"Ichigo's wedding and near death," Zakuro smiled while reflecting.

"Then Pudding's kidnapping," Ichigo brought up.

"And your accidental not-so-secret-identity," Mint smiled.

"Then Pudding's first death and, well, sorta birth," Zakuro continued.

"Now Keiichiro is dead," Ichigo said, "And Pudding's really dead," she paused, "for the second time that is," she got up, "I gotta go," she said.

"Go where?" Mint asked.

"Is it not OK for me to have my private business?" Ichigo snapped. The others smiled and held back snickers. Ichigo left.

A couple minutes later, Mint and Zakuro sat under the boughs of a small fir tree.

"I thought she'd be back by now," Mint said, "What with no toilet paper."

Zakuro smiled. In the distance, someone screamed.

"AHHHH! GET OFF ME, YOU CREEP! NO, LET ME GO! I DON'T WANNA GO WITH YOU! KISH, GET AWAY! HELP ME, SOMEONE!" Ichigo's voice wailed. Apparently, she had just gone a couple trees away, because they could hear the conversation perfectly.

"Should we go get her?" Mint asked.

"Let's listen first," Zakuro answered. They listened, but they heard nothing for a while, then, and earsplitting sound.

"KISH, GET OFF ME! I DON'T WANT TO KISS YOU; I DON'T EVEN LIKE YOU IN THE LEAST BIT! NO, LET ME GO! AHHHHHHHH!" Ichigo's voice trailed off into the distance getting quieter and quieter. The other two girls had got out from under the bough and gone to look for their lost friend, but she was no where to be found.

"Look," Mint said, bending down to pick up a piece of pink yarn, "A piece of Ichigo's sweater," she stepped forward, "And look, here's another!" Mint stood up, "She left a trail!" They began to follow it."

"I wonder where they took her," Zakuro said.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out!" Mint said. There was a rustle in the trees ahead, and four figures stepped out.

"Oh, my god!" Zakuro said, "It's…everyone!"

The two girls stood there, looking wide-eyed at Ryou, Lettuce, and amazingly, Ichigo, Pudding and Keiichiro.

"Oh, my god," Mint said.

-----------------------------------------------------------

So, please R&R, cuz I need your thoughts on the story. I know this one sucked! That's why I'm working on chapter seven right now…………..