The Trouble Bracelet Chapter 9
From the Heart
Sorry to make this kinda religious, but please don't take it personal. And please don't make your reviews too harsh - but I understand if they are. I'm sorry I haven't had any new material out, so here this is.
Kish and Ryou ran to Ichigo's side at the exact same time.
Her eyes opened, but only for a second, "I love you, Ryou, Kish and Masaya. OK, maybe not Masaya so much anymore, but I love you two so much." There were tears in her eyes. She inhaled a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you, any of you. But I have to." Another deep breath, "God is waiting for me. I spoke with Him. He's waiting to make me an angel." She breathed again, slowly, very slowly, "I shouldn't keep Him waiting. My Grandma, she's waiting, too. I need to go see them." She closed her eyes.
"Ichigo! Don't go!" Ryou and Kish shouted frantically, almost at the same time.
Ichigo opened her eyes, frowning, "I have to," Ichigo said weakly. She turned to her friends, "Save the world, Mew Mews. You can do it. I know you can. And one more thing. Guys," she paused for effect and turned to the guys, and also catching the rapid breath she was losing, "I love you. Don't ever forget those words, or me. I'll see you when your time comes. I will see you, and I will kiss you, the both of you. But I don't want to see you soon, not today, not tomorrow, not for another thirty-some years. I have to go now, but I'll see you. I know I will." Ichigo's eyes closed again, peacefully and dramatically.
"NO!" Ryou shouted, pulling the ring off Ichigo's finger, "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! COME BACK!" The other Mew Mews stifled cries could be heard.
"NO!" Mint yelled, dropping to the floor, "NO, NO, NO! Why did it have to end this way! NO!"
Zakuro sank to the ground, too, knowing what she should say. She should say, "Mint, you know what we have to do. We have to defeat Kiomi once and for all." But no words would come. No actual sentences were formed. A few beginnings of sentences, but no actual sentences. She hugged Mint and cried with her, but Mint wasn't swooning over her as usual. Lettuce knelt on the ground beside Mint and Zakuro, crying with them. 12-year-old Pudding was already crying like a baby, and Zakuro reached out her hand and pulled Pudding toward the group. "She'd want us to be happy," Zakuro said finally.
Kish leaned over and kissed Ichigo for the last time, whispering, "Goodbye, my Strawberry Kitten." And Ichigo must have heard since her lips curled into a smile, "I love you, but I must move on, I suppose."
He walked away and joined the group of Mew Mews. Now Tart and Pai had joined the girls in the mourning of their friend, and were crying sympathetically.
Ryou leaned over and kissed Ichigo, Ichigo's eyes opened. Ryou stood up to call to his friends, but Ichigo jabbed his knee and he bent over her and listened to her words. The words were soft, but he still heard them. (He was paying extra attention since he didn't want her to jab him in the knee again!)
"I've had a lot of kisses today," she said, "but yours and Kish's had to be the best. I love you. I'd want to marry you if this hadn't happened. If I was never captured and you were at my house right now, I would have told you this then. But I'm not, I'm getting ready to change into my angel dress and God, it's pretty. I love you. So here, I do. I do want to marry you, but you have to understand that it can't happen now. But don't ever forget me. Cuz the day you forget me, I'll know and I'll forget about you. It's okay to forget me a little, and move on, y'no, but don't ever let your heart forget. It's okay."
"I don't understand," he said, "What's okay?"
Ichigo thought about saying, "God, are you totally dense?" But she knew that would hurt his feelings. Instead, she said quietly, "It's okay to love again. Don't prevent other girls from loving you just because I'm gone. Be happy, and make sure the others are happy, too. But it isn't over until the Starbucks man dies. Just be happy, and kill Kiomi. Make that be the thing that makes you smile today. Remember the good times."
Ryou nodded, "Can do."
"Which one?"
"Both."
"Good, now kiss me before I go."
Ryou laughed and leaned forward to kiss Ichigo.
"That tasted good," Ichigo said when they were done.
Ryou laughed hard and stared at Ichigo.
Keiichiro walked over, teary-eyed, "What's so funny?"
Ryou glanced at Keiichiro, "Oh, just laughing at..." he broke off and looked at Ichigo, "At something Ichigo said the first time she told me how she felt."
"What are you looking at, sicko? A dead girl's boobs?" Keiichiro joked.
"No," Ryou replied, "An angel."
There was a squeak in the creaky floor and Zakuro stood up, "Let's go," she said.
Mint stood up beside her, "For all living creatures."
Lettuce stood beside her, "And for ourselves."
"And for ones not here with us," Pudding said, adding that in to what Ichigo used to say. The others smiled.
"Tokyo Mew Mew!" Ryou and Keiichiro said.
"Tokyo Mew Mew!" the aliens said.
"Tokyo Mew Mew!" the Mew Mews said, hugging each other.
I guess that wasn't a very happy end…well…it's NOT the end…but you know, it wasn't a very happy end to the chapter, and you know…sorry…WAY out today!