Magnetism
Dear readers,
Thank you for stopping by and reading my story. Hereby, I would like to thank everybody, the new readers, as well as the 'old' ones, for their continuous support and love. We already have ten chapters out. That is crazy! And twenty more are to go haha. Stay tuned!
By the way, I cannot believe that the week when the Tokyo Mew Mew remake is finally out is almost here! The feels, the feels!
DrDark7 – Thank you for your comment! Yes, this chapter is probably the last one during which Ichigo can still display at least some sort of sanity haha. That shall change soon though. Or not? Let's find out!
NeKoGirl – Thank you for your comment! I am glad that you like Ryou and Ichigo in this story. They have a really special relationship, don't they? And I see what you mean with the possible 'love' but in this story Ryou mostly maintains the role of sort of 'objective' friend that Ichigo seeks whenever she subdues herself to one of her fits.
Kishlover985 – Thank you for your comment! Haha, you're welcome! I personally totally love MCR but when I listen to them, I get too emotional and cannot concentrate enough to write. Their songs do give me a lot of ideas and inspiration though. And, yes. I intend to update weekly. That is a promise!
Sheli93– Thank you for your comment! I am glad that you enjoy reading my fanfiction so much. There is a lot yet to happen since we are quite literally one third in the story now. I hope that you will enjoy what follows as well and just as much!
Cam3ulia – Thank you for your comment! I am sorry that I made you scared. That was not my intention! Hopefully, this chapter shouldn't be as frightening but I will not vouch for the rest that are yet to come haha. And, I am also very happy that you enjoy my writing. That is so nice to hear!
As always, please enjoy and review!
I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew
"Ryou, you look so gorgeous in your white suit," Ichigo's face slightly reddened when her eyes landed upon the beautiful sight of a blonde man who also happened to be her boss.
"And what did you expect? That I would roll out of my bed and go naked? I don't think so," the said male drawled, obviously annoyed at her compliment.
Ichigo rolled her eyes at him but could not help and continue to admire his fine appearance. Even if Ryou was an emotionally-stunted jerk with social intelligence of a size of an orange most of the time, Ichigo would be lying if she did not deem him a very handsome and attractive man. A simple fact which was now only more foregrounded by the way his white jacket clung to his broad shoulders. For a split of a second, she had almost forgotten that she was dealing with her annoying boss, as she let her gaze roam over his good-looking features. Almost.
They said that all boys looked hot in their suits, they were not wrong.
"That is not what I meant, geee. You're impossible," Ichigo eventually sighed and she trained her eyes back on the crowd around them.
Low whispers and hearty laughs broke out among the attendees, as everyone awaited the big opening of the ceremony. They were now standing in a large hall fraught with bodies of various size and shape, which were united solely by one common trait: they all brimmed with power and sheer anticipation for the intergalactic ball. Tokyo Mew Mew were definitely not the only ones who had put a bit of effort into their looks. In fact, everyone was dressed to the nines. Some aliens were wearing high heels, or what to Ichigo looked as high heels, on their limbs, whereas others sported elegant loafers with flat sole. This became especially noticeable when Ichigo realized that the number of shoes did not necessarily have to match with the number of the limbs. And, also, when she was asked directly by one alien, whether or not her actual arms were used as feet and should therefore also have some shoes on them.
"So, you humans are in possession of only one pair of legs like the Cyniclons?" the strange-looking creature asked, inspecting Ichigo's body with curious precision.
Ichigo sent him a confused look, as his numerous fingers traced the joints of her arms relentlessly. She had never seen so many rings on so many fingers but, again, she had never met any other aliens with the exception of the Cyniclons.
"Uh-uh, could you please stop touching me?" the Mew Mew leader squeaked, before her face flushed in embarrassment.
"My apologies," replied the alien courteously and he let go of her body, smirking in realization, "it figures, you and the Cyniclon species are both Earthlings, so your physical make-up and genes are not that dissimilar from each other."
Hearing this, Ichigo's thoughts involuntarily turned to Kisshu because of that comment. Although the guy right in front of her had surely not meant any ill-will, she could not shake off the terrible feeling that she would be soon met with a challenge of her life. There was absolutely nothing similar about her and Kisshu; that was mainly why her understanding of him constituted such a huge problem for her psyche. Her heart somewhat dropped at this idea.
"Thank you," Ichigo smiled fondly in spite of her inner turmoil and the alien took it as a cue for his leave.
"If you excuse me, now," he bowed deeply and moved back to find his companions.
"Seeking attention from old farts, hag? I didn't know you were in that kind of stuff," looking up, Ichigo spotted Taruto's floating form in the air, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
"My, my, if you don't look dashing, Taruto," Ichigo snickered, as her eyes took in his formal attire.
"Taru-Taru," Pudding cheered and caught a hold of his ankle, successfully pulling him down in the process.
"Will ya stop with that?" Taruto snapped but shortly recovered when he felt Pai's arm rest on his shoulder.
"Taruto, control yourself. We are in the mid of our festivities. Bear that in mind," Pai's chilling voice came from behind him, vocalizing a threat.
"Yeah, right," Taruto swatted his hand, but his temper visibly loosened.
Upon a closer look, Ichigo saw that both of the aliens were donning a black suit and a tie on them. Whereas Taruto's was crimson red, almost matching the color of her dress, Pai's was dark purple. They looked stylish and very graceful. Be it not for the elongated ears, they could easily pass as two mere human boys going to a prom.
Perhaps we truly are not so dissimilar.
Ichigo's musings were suddenly interrupted by Pudding's joyful squeal.
"You look so pretty, Taru," the youngest Mew quipped at Taruto, making his cheeks turn pink at her loud proclamation.
It took him a while to compose himself, but, averting his gaze, he opened his mouth and ultimately replied.
"Thanks. You don't look that bad yourself, monkey girl," he forced out, his eyes transfixed on the floor.
"Awwww, is Taruto being cute and lovey dovey?" Ichigo mocked but Ryou quickly interjected before the little alien could throw another tantrum.
"It's time to get ready, am I correct, Pai?"
"Indeed," Pai nodded solemnly, "When the main door opens, please find your designated seats."
"Wait a second, where is Kisshu?" Mint inquired, eying the purple haired alien suspiciously.
Ichigo internally thanked her stars that it was Mint that had posed that question. Of course, she had noticed Kisshu's absence immediately as well. But she was too much of a scaredy cat to ask for his whereabouts, knowing full well that Taruto would taunt her and Pai's eyes would be nothing short of skeptical at best. Luckily, Mint was not held back by any such personal limitations.
Notwithstanding, Ichigo could not brush off the thought that the green haired alien had been intentionally evading her. This belief was further solidified by Pai's next words.
"Kisshu is already inside," he answered and turned just in time to see Ichigo tense up, "You will see him shortly too. Don't worry."
"Yea, or at the party. Cause that's what he came here for anyway," Taruto cackled before he and Pai looked away from the Mews and teleported instantly.
Not a moment later, the big stainless steel door heavily creaked and soon began to open.
Ichigo had not considered it conceivable that the building complex could feature such a gigantic auditorium within its area. Looking around herself, she nervously sweat dropped at the sheer size of the podium which was slowly getting filled by numerous Cyniclon figures, all dressed in dark blue ceremonial military uniforms with golden stashes attached to them. There were also gold rank insignia and cords on their shoulders, as well as a few badges pinned onto the left side of their chests. Ichigo thought they looked better than their regular uniforms, fancier and definitely more festive.
"Oh, I see them!" Lettuce announced and everybody followed the line of her index finger until Taruto and Pai came into sight.
Ichigo noticed that they both must have briskly changed after their short chit-chat before the event, since they were sporting the same kind of ceremonial attire like the rest of the Cyniclon warriors ahead of them. Ichigo chuckled at Taruto's grumpy expression, as she watched him find his correct spot between Pai and another Cyniclon. The little alien was undeniably the youngest of all the people assembled, but that did not mean that his face showed any less enthusiasm; once he had stopped and turned to face the audience, his features hardened almost beyond recognition and Ichigo had for the first time in her life witnessed how conscious Taruto was of his duty as a military person.
She continued to look on until her gaze fell upon the familiar emerald green hair and her stomach lurched uncomfortably.
It wasn't that seeing Kisshu would make her feel nauseas or anything, but he looked handsome, simply so handsome in his new fancy uniform, all dressed up and with his golden eyes gleaming, that Ichigo felt her heart involuntarily flutter in her chest, in spite of her mind giving her every reason not to. The feeling of uneasiness churned in the pit of her lower belly and Ichigo briefly contemplated why she had been declining his advances all these years ago, when all she truly cared about now was to win his affection back.
When Kisshu assumed his position in the parade, one last person appeared right behind him; an extremely good-looking guy himself, with light blue hair, a little shorter than Kisshu's, and side-swept bangs stepped on the podium with a lopsided grin on his lips. He had the same electrifying intensity in his eyes, and there was a couple of earrings and studs in his right ear which twinkled brightly in the light when he moved. Ichigo stared at him with keen interest, as his inane charisma pulled her attention onto him.
"You know, if you don't want to score with Kisshu, this boy does not seem a bad second choice," Mint's low voice cut through her thoughts, instantly snapping her out of her reveries.
"Mint, oh my god," Ichigo cried out but she was promptly shushed by Ryou's hand.
"What did we say, Ichigo? No scenes," Ryou uncovered her mouth when he was sure that the girl understood the language he was using.
Upon her release, Ichigo sank back into her soft seat in resignation and resumed watching the events that began to unravel in front of her.
Once the blue-haired Cyniclon stopped short next to Kisshu, all the aliens placed their right hands on their chests and simultaneously shouted an unintelligible order before they knelt down in perfect synchronization.
The air in the middle of the podium subsequently rippled and in came two more Cyniclon figures. Only from the looks of it, Ichigo could easily tell that they both held a great deal of importance around them.
While the bespectacled male stood straight, his posture rigid, his green long hair, which was plaited and held together with a little bow, was slowly waving back and forth in the aftermath of the teleportation. The loose violet coat on his body also billowed around him and the padded shoulders and brown gloves that ended shortly above his elbows gave him the impression of power, control and sheer elegance. Still, regardless of his grand outlook, there was something concealed in his features that Ichigo could not quite explain but which made her flinch out of her skin and involuntarily shudder. Unlike the rest of the guys, he was likewise the only Cyniclon who did not wear the ceremonial military uniform.
It was not him, however, to whom all the eyes in the audience flicked and Ichigo was not mistaken in her assumption that he too was not the one in charge. This notion proved accurate when the bespectacled male knelt in similar fashion and let the girl standing next to him step forward and conquer the stage.
Ichigo could not tell if it was due to her voice, or her appearance, but the alien girl instantly charmed her with the way she carried herself across the podium. The long silver sequin dress that she dragged behind her was draped around her torso in all the right places, making her best bodily features prominent but not flashy or vulgar in any sense of that word. Her long silver tresses cascaded down her bare shoulders, evoking the image of a waterfall that was glittering in moonlight. She was breathtaking and not only because she was so unearthly pretty but because she emitted something that naturally drew people to her. Her blue eyes held a strange form of magnetism that Ichigo could not quite comprehend, but under whose spell she found herself within mere seconds.
"Everyone," the silver haired Cyniclon girl commenced, rendering the whole room speechless, "on behalf of Cyclonia, I, Princess Yuri, the daughter of the former King Rune, would like to thus warmly welcome you to our celebrations. Within the past few years, our planet has experienced a sudden turn for the best, which is indisputably the fruit of the honorable mission we conducted on Earth. I would like to cordially invite you to celebrate with us our heroes, our unbending spirit, our perseverance and joy for life. Cyclonia has never been better and I would like to thank you all for that. Please accept our sincere gratitude and join us in this merry period of our lives," she bowed gracefully and the crowd erupted into a collection of rousing cheers and high-pitched whistles.
"So they have a princess to rule them? That is quite surprising," Lettuce remarked, taken aback by the newly acquired piece of information.
"And she's strict and hot too," Ryou replied with this happy realization, "a perfect sexual fantasy of a woman."
"I will pretend I have never heard you say that," Ichigo wailed, covering her ears in shame.
"Oh please, I bet she is just putting up a brave front," Mint dismissed that idea altogether.
"Hm. Either way, it must be difficult for her, considering how patriarchal values still play a major part over here," Zakuro retorted and her detached tone made everyone consider her words more carefully. Except for Pudding.
"She is so pretty, na no da! I wanna have long pretty silver hair like her!" the monkey girl chirped and yanked at her blonde split ends with dissatisfaction.
"Do you want the pointed ears too, Pudding?" Ichigo joked but could not help but feel envious of the princess in front of her. She was the most beautiful girl that Ichigo had ever met, human or alien, and the Mew Mew leader could just wish that she would be as enchanting, suave and confident as her one day.
"But the guy with the glasses is kinda scary, don't you think?" Lettuce voiced her concern regarding the intimidating male and Ichigo was grateful that she was not the only one who had gathered that conclusion. Glancing back at him, she saw that he was just about getting up to stand beside the princess, as she continued to smile at her audience in a vibrant manner.
"That guy on her left is Gato du Roi. Yuri's main advisor. From what Pai told me, we should keep away from him because if he shows up, it usually means he's there to fix trouble," Ryou noted with an aura of dread looming around him.
Ichigo gulped and watched as the rest of the military personnel raised as well, which could only mean that the initial ceremony was officially over. As on cue, Ichigo's eyes darted back to the silver haired girl who raised her white gloved hand in the air and with a snap of her fingers changed the overall scenery around them.
Instead of their seats, the guests soon found themselves standing on a flat floor shining bright with their reflections, as the interior began filling with music, light, tables and stools all over the place.
It dawned on Ichigo that Yuri was transforming the premises to a more informal setting with her magical powers and she was right; not a second later, all kinds of alcoholic drinks and bar counters shortly emerged in various hands and laughter and loud talk was heard from across all different directions. The size of the auditorium too got even more gigantic, which provided the attendees with an extra space to mingle as a consequence.
Ichigo regarded her surroundings with a stupefied look on her face, before she broke into a smile and turned to her comrades.
"Alright, who's ready for a party?" she screamed in joy, raising her hand in a loud cheer.
"Me, na no da," Pudding's arm shot up to join her.
"Please don't be embarrassing, Ichigo," Mint shook her head at the weird behavior of her friends, but she could not restrain her own laughter much longer.
