The Calm Before the Storm

Dear readers,

Thank you for stopping by and reading this fanfiction. Hereby, I would like to thank everyone who has left comments, kudos, reviews and follows on my story! Really, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much!

Now, after all the sweet romance from last time, we are about to face some serious confrontations. Drama alert, drama alert! Something's gotta give, so buckle up! It is again a 2 in 1 chapter!

In addition, please bear in mind that, for me, Cyniclons are a nation of graceful and extremely elegant aliens but, at the same time, they also don a certain level of eeriness around them, which is what makes them especially formidable enemies, at least in my eyes. This concept will be further explored in the upcoming chapters and even though we will not be seeing much of Cyniclon society, I will try my best to sum up their cultural values and mannerism within the characters I am using to my best ability.

The playlist for the following segment goes as follows:

Blood+ OST 'Diva's Theme Song'

D12 'How Come'

Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for yet another comment! Yeah, Pai seems to be on the safe side now. What about the rest of the Cyniclons, though? Will they be as equally understanding?

KawaiiCutie12 - Thank you for yet another comment! Yeah, I also totally ship Lettuce and Pai. In fact, I knew from the very beginning that I would like to employ at least one scene with Pai and Lettuce as well, even though Kisshu and Ichigo will be in the center of it all.

DrDark7 – Thank you for yet another comment! I am happy to see that you have enjoyed all the fluff from the last chapter. Kisshu in love seems, indeed, sweet, does he not?

Sheli93 – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so happy to see that you enjoyed the last chapter. The following one might strike a little different tone, but we aren't done yet, worry not. There are still so many things that need to be resolved first before we can finish it here.

MarikoXoD – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so happy to see that you have enjoyed the last chapter so much. Sorry that it took so much waiting! It's Kishigo forever, am I right?!

NeKoGirl – Thank you for yet another comment! Glad to hear that you liked the previous chapter so much! I hope that you will enjoy the following one as well, even though it strikes a little different mood. Let me know your thoughts!

As always, please enjoy and review!

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

He feigned a sorrowful sigh.

"Have you ever thought about why our grapes are only violet or green? Why not any other color?" he asked, as he eyed the little bulk of fruit with scrutinizing look on his face, totally invested in his own trait of thinking.

"Perhaps, due to the fact that everybody could understand that way that they do not contain any poison in them," Yuri asserted from her chair, taking another long sip of her tea leisurely.

"Exactly my point. The bare difference in color. Just imagine that, my dear cousin. If we grew an artificial kind of grapes infused with some lethal poison, what a deadly weapon that could be," Elton's eyes were dazed when he experimentally broke off one grape from the rest, rotating it critically left and right, before he plopped it slowly into his mouth, savoring the taste on his tongue.

"I do not have to remind you that we are at an intergalactic peace at the current moment, Elton, now, do I? Cyclonia does not wage any unnecessary wars, I made sure everyone understood that at the summit."

"Right," his gaze momentarily flicked to hers and he let out a light chuckle, "The question is for how long it is going to stay that way."

"As long as I am in charge, I can promise you that much," she replied tersely.

Elton seemed like he wanted to retort but had thought better of it. Something then changed in his facial expression, as his visage notably loosened and a mischievous smile curved his lips.

"Any hot gossip you want to share? I hope that the boring summit overcompensated for all the fun you have missed around here."

"The queen of Etolia still hates you, if that is what you are asking. She even refused to come to our celebrations, especially because of you, Elton. Could you perhaps behave yourself at least once in your life or is it that difficult for you?" Yuri sent him a nasty glare but Elton only smirked.

"She should be happy that I said yes to her in the very first place. It was a complete waste of time and effort. If we ever create one of these deadly grapes, I will personally see to it that she is fed them first."

"Elton!" Yuri admonished in a harsh voice but he didn't give it a hoot.

"What, she is a bitch! Just because you can put up with her does not mean I will."

"That is not the point, Elton," Yuri shook her head, when she set her tea aside, "did you cause any trouble while I was gone? Anything I should be aware of?"

Elton's face lit up, as his eyes glowed and his grin widened, but he remained quiet.

"Your silence is unnerving."

"Perhaps I have simply nothing to say for now," Yuri continued to eye him warily, "Plus, it's not like Gato would not inform you, should there be anything amiss."

"It's nice to see that I can always rely on my relatives in the times of need, right cousin?"

Upon hearing that, Elton slowly got up from the red velvet couch whereupon he had been resting until then and came closer to Yuri. Leaning into her, his eyes glinted with the fiery blaze too intense for a lighthearted conversation the two of them had shared.

"You know that that's the only reason why I have never tried anything on you, because you are my cousin, Yuri. Sometimes, it's hard though. For instance, with that dress you wore for the opening ceremony. How it draped around your body…made your supple chest foregrounded. A total fantasy," his gaze drifted down her front and Yuri recoiled as if repulsed, "let me concentrate on not fucking things between us and don't assign any more tasks to me for the time being. Self-control with you around is a task itself. If you don't believe me, why don't you use that royal super power of yours and see for yourself? Read my mind, Yuri, and behold what presently occupies my thoughts," he laughed, cupping her cheek in one hand, but the alien girl swiftly smacked him away.

She hated when he was like this, frivolous and with no boundaries. As long as she had known him, Yuri had never fully understood him. What exactly had made him into this cocky bastard he was now. She had her theories, of course, but she never really had a chance to confirm any of them. She knew he was in so many ways similar to her fiancé but there was something about Elton that knew no limits, limits Kisshu was at least partially aware of. Was it the fact that Elton was born a noble man with everything practically spoon fed to him on a silver plate? Should she do something about that now that most of their blood line was already gone? They were, so to say, the last direct descendants of the royal family, with the real Cyniclon blue blood still pouring in their veins; a thought which oftentimes felt unbearably isolating at best, especially in terms of their forced seclusion from the rest of the citizens. They called it protection, however, Yuri knew better than that. It was a precautionary measure orchestrated by the government, if anything; the fact that neither her, nor Elton, were Deep Blue loyalists was probably the only reason why they were still alive, the only difference between them truly being that whereas she had learned how to grieve her losses and past trauma in solitude, Elton had become an arrogant prick with massive ego and zero consideration for others. But, even if there were times when Yuri felt like killing him off like now, Elton was her only family, as well as a friend, she had left and could fully trust, minus Gato, of course.

And something about that notion had always softened her perception of him.

Maybe, deep down Elton was just a frightened and lonely kid and this obnoxious manifestation of his inner feelings was his only way of dealing with his loneliness as a means of his coping mechanism.

She herself found it extremely difficult not to lose focus and retain her sanity amid the world fraught with ancient rules, class expectations and royal intrigues. Despite its technological advancement, the Cyniclon patriarchal society rendered as constrictive and limiting as ever; a simple concept which not only pertained to one's personal growth and character, but also to the fragile life or what was left of it on Cyclonia with Deep Blue and their family lineage deceased and the changes instigated by Mew Aqua in force. Elton, being a male, had it always somewhat better than Yuri, as he could enjoy far more freedom and was generally less prone to be taken advantage of due to his noble pedigree or gender. Still, that did not make his living in such a warped world any better.

Maybe he was just as lonely as her.

"Why don't you let go and forget that we are blood related for a moment, Yuri, and we can have some fun?"

Or maybe he was just born a jerk.

"You're disgusting. I would never do anything with you, even if you weren't my cousin," she eased away quickly and he let go of her shoulder with no real remorse in his tone.

"I know, you have Kish for that now," Elton chuckled darkly as his amber eyes temporarily gleamed and darted back to hers, "or do you?"

Surprised, Yuri felt her body momentarily stiffen at the unexpected surge of his attack, but, with a blink of her eye, she managed to dissolve his effort instantaneously.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, when she forcefully shoved him away.

Elton staggered backwards and fell back onto the red velvet sofa, with legs wide apart and that annoying smug smirk ever present on his face; undaunted, he almost appeared to be enjoying the abuse.

"It's ok, Yuri. I like a strong woman on top," Elton snickered, peering at her from his sprawled position, and it took every sense of her willpower not to hit him then and there.

He was astute and without doubt entertained by all of this to no end, which is why it had made no sense to give in to the temptation to argue with him any further. They were both keenly aware of the fact that she had had debriefing with Gato earlier that day, so she could easily read between the lines why he was actually here. She didn't need to look into his mind to know that. These silly mind games and lighthearted taunts were in place just to kill time. He was waiting, as much as she was waiting, for the oral confirmation of what they both had already reckoned was true. And, for that, neither of them fortunately had to wait much longer.

Yuri was about to reply but she never finished her sentence because there was a tell-tale ripple in the air and soon afterwards, she found herself face to face with her fiancé.

"I wondered, when you'd show up, Kish," she smiled a small smile, once her blue orbs rounded on him.

She heard Elton cackle from behind her and she pursed her lips in annoyance.

"Do you mind?" Yuri narrowed her eyes at him when he did not seem to move an inch and still sat stretched out on her lunge sofa, cross-legged and nonchalant.

"I don't, actually. But I know that you do, or you will," he winked at her before he reclined back and put his hands behind his head, "I'm sure Kish has something important to tell you and I think that I should be here because I have something important to say to both of you as well. Now, Kish, will you start, or should I?"

Yuri's eyes flickered between the two boys she had known all her life, as they stared each other down, the loaded tension thickening between them. And, it wasn't until Kisshu's voice redirected her attention back fully onto him that she started comprehending by the way his lips quivered that what she had heard earlier was really true.

"I'll go first," Kisshu declared with resolution in his voice that Yuri recognized as the one he only used when he was giving commands during the battles.

With his gaze transfixed on hers, Yuri first saw his mouth move before her mind registered his words that inevitably followed and, despite herself, her breath hitched in her throat at the seriousness of his tone, so unlike Kisshu, which had made her even more secure about the nature of the conversation that was slowly befalling upon them.

"Yuri, there is something I need to talk to you about."

He sounded professional, businesslike, detached even.

And she was wondering by then if she should simply inform him that whatever he was to report to her, she had already known, since Gato had done the job of telling her for him. This was merely a confirmation; a small gesture on his part, really, to be upfront with her, since, apparently, he valued their friendship enough to tell her in person and at least tried to be the one who would divulge this piece of information to her, even if it was more than obvious that everyone in the room had already known what he was going to say.

She fixed him with a level-headed look, as she perused her fiancé's unwavering posture before she poured herself another cup of tea. She saw Elton from the corner of her eye, leaning forward on the sofa with a cat-like expression playing across his features, and she cast her gaze away.

Taking a long sip, she swallowed and shifted her focus back onto Kisshu, her face blank, eyes vacant and void of any emotion.

"Well then, start talking."


In spite of all of her effort, the rumors about Ichigo's affair with Kisshu had spread throughout the apartment complex with lightning speed. Everyone knew. And everyone judged, with some being less than more discreet than others. Be it the Cyniclons or other aliens, whenever Ichigo met anyone in the hall now, she was often faced with either furtive whispering going on behind her back or dead stares that she decided to meet head-on.

One thing was for sure, she was no longer invisible to anybody's eyes, nor deaf to their hot insults.

As she continued with her stroll down the corridor, she caught another series of hushed words like 'temptress,' 'slut,' or 'human trash' but she plainly chose to ignore them. There was nothing she could say or do to change the trajectory of these remarks. The only consolation Ichigo could give herself was the fact that the heated disapproval was stemming mainly from their fear of the unknown; that kind of fear that was completely justified. They were scared and unsure, and Ichigo could fully understand that, despite how much their words had stung her.

It seemed that walls had ears and everyone was intently listening for any kind of trace that would determine the outcome of the events. With Kisshu being engaged to Yuri, and with the plan of him being the next ruler of the kingdom, the Cyniclon people had become uncertain about their life, as well as their Cyniclon values, and rightfully so. Ichigo would be frightened too, if she were one of them. Notwithstanding, more than the Cyniclons's future, her biggest worry was Kisshu now. What would his people do to him? If she was getting snarky looks and nasty comments, what would happen to him? Would Yuri get him imprisoned? Or order Gato to kill him? Ichigo could not calm down, nor sleep in the event that something like that would happen. From the interaction she had had with the princess, Yuri did not seem like the kind of person who would hold grudges to Ichigo. But would she bet Kisshu's life on that when she could have gotten it all wrong?

No way in hell!

Another question that constantly plagued her mind, gnawing at her conscience with unrelenting capacity, remained if these few moments of absolute elation with Kisshu were truly worth all of this chaos into which they had inadvertently plunged themselves. For whatever Ichigo did, she could not shake off the encroaching fear that enveloped her in a thick veil of uneasiness, burying all of her former optimistic beliefs of them being happy together alive.

Mint had tried to calm her down numerous times, yet to no avail.

The only person who would be able to make Ichigo relax was Ryou, who had unequivocally refused to talk to her ever since he had discovered what had happened between her and Kisshu.

Of course, he had to find out the worst way possible.

And, as expected, he was not happy when he had come storming into her and Mint's room earlier that day with the new item of juicy gossip he had just so happened to have heard in the hallway. When Ichigo had confirmed that the veracity of this statement was indeed true, she had flinched and froze when she saw Ryou's hand shook so vehemently the she was afraid that he would hit her.

And he would have hit her.

If Zakuro hadn't stopped him then and there.

Muffled cries and loud gasps consequently filled the small room, as Ryou's stern voice reverberated through Ichigo's body until he had shared with them exactly what he had thought about her reckless behavior. He did not scream, nor shout. In fact, his voice came off as cold and strangely collected, and, save it for the slight tremble in his fingers, nobody would be able to tell at first glance that he was trying his hardest not to explode.

"Ryou, that is enough!" Mint cried out standing in front of Ichigo and partially blocking his viewpoint, too appalled when his angry hand found its way back in the air.

Ichigo was quaking underneath his lingering gaze at this point.

But not only due to the harsh language he had employed; her main source of terror sprang far more from her ultimate understanding of what he had alluded to all along. This was never only about her and Kisshu, and, at last, this thought had fully sunk in the stubborn head of hers as well.

Ichigo looked up just in time to see how the prominent scowl on Ryou's face deepened and his eyes flashed angrily at the blue lorikeet Mew, once he retracted his hand back to his side and averted his gaze down. She half expected him to throw another tirade of insults at her. But he didn't and neither did he bark out that they were leaving Cyclonia with immediate effect.

It took another few seconds for his shoulders to eventually slump and for his mouth to open and begin moving in an articulate manner again.

"I hope that you are conscious of what you are putting at stake, Ichigo," said the blonde icily before he turned on his heel and exited the room.

And, somehow, knowing that he was so strongly against her actions, had only exacerbated the state of Ichigo's former sense of unrest and made her quake some more.

In truth, Ichigo missed Ryou terribly. His support and smile. But him as a friend, mostly. Before, she hadn't seen him in days due to his busy schedule in Pai's lab and her constant avoiding him on purpose. And, now, with all the new developments of her relationship with Kisshu coming undone, Ichigo was not sure if the best thing would be to keep distance and let Ryou process it all first, or try and talk him into understanding straight away.

In the end, and, solely based on Lettuce's gentle recommendation, she chose the former.

Still, she could not deny that she felt like someone who had just lost a limb. Ichigo was so used to having Ryou around in the times like these that she did not know whether she would be able to function without him; or with the knowledge that there was a vast distance that now sat between them, tearing them wide apart.

Secretly, she wondered if they would ever be able to overcome the differences in their opinions after this. But every single fiber in her body wished that they would, and that it had better be sooner rather than later. Ryou was her most trusted friend. And, right now, Ichigo needed his kindness and support more than ever.


It was almost unbelievable that this gruesome nightmare of a day came to an end at last.

As she was lying in her bed, striving indisputably hard to organize her thoughts and all the claustrophobic events that had happened within the last several hours, Ichigo could not help but sigh in relief. Ryou knew, the Mews knew and Kisshu would make sure Yuri knew as well, although Ichigo was slightly doubtful how the princess would not have known already with everyone around the apartment complex gossiping and Gato as her main advisor on a roll. Why did her mind still keep bursting with alarming images one right after another then? Why did they play over and over like a reel of horror movie from which she could not tear her gaze away? She wished that she could sleep it off like Mint, whose soft breaths and reassuring presence had provided Ichigo with a false hope that everything was fine and that she was merely overanalyzing things. It was just that she had not seen Kisshu since they had parted in the late morning yesterday when he had convinced her time and time again that everything would be alright, and that he simply needed some time to break the news to Yuri in person. Now, it was way past midnight, almost morning actually. Did his delay mean that something bad had happened? And why the hell had he not shown up already? Yuri did not seem like the overly emotional type; regardless, Ichigo could not imagine any girl who would not be taken aback, not to mention angry, if her fiancé came to her all of a sudden and called their engagement off.

She felt guilty.

Because she liked Yuri.

But she loved Kisshu; that was the only difference.

Ichigo had tried her hardest to push aside that queasy feeling that had momentarily gripped her at her heart, favoring a much needed sleep instead and, to her own surprise, it worked. Taking it as a signal, she called it finally a day and let her eyes lids slide shut, entering the dream world shortly after.

It was only when she found herself in a drowsy state of pink lollipops and weird looking unicorns that a sound of impending teleportation made her stir in her sleep.

"Kisshu?" she asked tiredly, too dazed from her sleep.

There was no verbal response to her question, but she felt a hand snake around her waist possessively, as a warm body firmly pressed her closer to his.

"H-how did the meeting with Yuri go?" Ichigo mumbled, her world still a blur, when he began kissing his way down the nape of her neck, earning a little whimper here and there, while his hands continued with his arousing dance.

"Sssh," he put a finger on her lips, effectively silencing her, and Ichigo's breath hitched as his other hand grasped her right breast aggressively, making her gasp both in surprise and anticipation. Closing her eyes, she threw her head back at the sudden rush of pleasure that began quickly pulsing throughout her body.

The moment his skilled fingers ghosted above the waistband of her pajama shorts, the auburn-haired girl had to raise her hand up to her mouth to stifle a moan.

She was embarrassed. Happy but embarrassed. In spite of the fact of how pleasant it all felt, Ichigo could not help but feel pretty stupid for doing these kinds of things with one of her friends sleeping directly opposite to her. It was not that she wanted to stop, but she would have much more preferred some privacy instead of blatant exhibitionism. Thank you.

"W-wait, Mint," Ichigo managed in between her erratic breaths and it seemed as if it had ultimately clicked in is mind what she had been referring to, for he paused for a second only to briskly teleport them both in the next instant.

The room into which they had arrived appeared completely dark and strangely familiar to Ichigo. Had they teleported into Kisshu's room? Was it even safe with all the drama now? However, whatever doubts she might have had went straight down the gutter the minute his fingers continued to work their magic all over her skin, while his lips resumed their assault on the soft skin of her neck.

When she felt him pull at the waistband of her shorts, she shuddered and leaned further back into him, giving him the much sought-after access he craved. And, it did not take much longer until his hand slid up her thigh, drawing little circles as it made its way right in between her legs where it settled, that Ichigo's feminine moans turned into a clamor of desperate cries of utter pleasure and she let go completely.

"Oh my god! Please don't stop. I love you!"

It was beyond anything she had ever experienced; a notion to which she could merely testify through her ragged breathing and loud moans. Her excitement was almost unbearable and, should he have not held her firmly in place, her knees threatened to buckle at any point. She wanted to touch him; to feel him too, but as her hand reached behind her head to tug at his green tresses, a horrible feeling that something was wrong suddenly loomed over her. Kisshu's hair was slightly longer now, so there was no way she would not be able to reach it, if she let her hand explore the area around his collar bone. And, more importantly, Kisshu most definitely did not wear any earrings in his ears. Ichigo's eyes flew wide open at that unexpected realization, as her mind became suddenly very alert of the luminous danger in the air. It was too late, though, since her captor must have sensed her unexpected stillness and paused at his antics with similar abruptness. For a second longer, only their rapid breathes echoed in the room and Ichigo wondered what would have happened if she had simply turned around and hit the person behind her or kick him in between his legs, as it stands. Her dilemma was shortly resolved, when her mind registered a familiar male voice.

"You see? It is that easy. One day she loves her boyfriend, the next day she loves you and today she loves me," though a little raspy, Ichigo could recognize Elton's mocking immediately.

That was, nonetheless, not the real reason why her body suddenly fell into a silent stupor. She knew this was far more than a simple abduction with the goal of sexual intimacy on Elton's part. He was far too sharp and direct for that. There must have been some other ulterior motive why he had appeared in her bed in the middle of the night and teleported her away to his room. Wait a second, was this his room? She eyed her surroundings carefully but could not make out much of the darkness around them. It was not until her gaze fell upon the dark emerald green sheets on the bed close to her left that her suspicions were confirmed shortly after. Looking around herself frantically, Ichigo was confronted with the scenario that she was dreading the most. She felt as if someone had cut off her blood circulation.

The room was pitch-black and, be it not for her feline genes, completely intelligible to a mere human eye, but Ichigo spotted another figure leaning against the wall at the far end easily. No sooner had he opened his eyes than Ichigo jerked away when she was met with the all too familiar gold shimmering light amid the sheer darkness.

"K-Kisshu," Ichigo gasped, while a flash of panic consumed her instantly.

He gave no indication that he had heard her at all and something about that stillness sent a creepy shudder down her spine.

She began to thrash around, in frenzy and fear, unable to control the mixture of emotions that was coursing through her. Her frenetic movements stood in a heavy contrast to his unmoving features. Only his eyes were ablaze, the rest of his posture completely motionless, his skin sallow in the weak light, limbs eerily paralyzed.

"Kisshu, it's not w-what it looks like. I-I thought it-it's you," she tried to level her voice, when panic began to shake her with terror.

Her protests were smothered by a mirthless chuckle.

"I would object, Ichigo," Elton interjected, "as it is exactly what it looks like. God, you turn me on. With all those moans of utmost pleasure, it is so hard not to lose my head. What do you think, Kish? Ain't she quite a sight? All aroused and flushed? It's just too bad her love is so fickle. I mean bad for you. I have no issues with that. Capricious or not," he sent Ichigo a lecherous grin, while he grabbed her chin securely in his fingers, "I still find her highly entertaining."

"You jerk," Ichigo managed to free her arm and wrenched her way out of his grasp. Glaring daggers at him for twisting the truth, she whirled around and let her fist collide with his jaw. Hard.

She could hear a bone cracking but he did not seem to be affected much by her administrations.

"So hostile," Elton's eyes lit up, when he rubbed his face where Ichigo had left a nasty mark a moment ago, "I like that. Wanna continue where we have left off, human girl?"

Fuming, Ichigo readied her hand for another punch but her effort was shortly nipped in the butt.

"Don't," Kisshu whispered, as he tightened his grip around her wrist. He was standing beside her now, holding her hand in his in midair.

"Wow, you care about me that much Kish? It's ok, I could take a hit or two from this earthling. If anything, it would get me going," Elton winked at Ichigo and she wanted to vomit, not quite sure if more due to his obnoxious behavior, or her inner fear that Kisshu had not looked at her directly once.

"Elton," Kisshu turned to face him, his voice low and clinical, "Thank you. I appreciate it. You can leave now."

"Your wish is my command, your majesty," Elton grinned widely before he bowed and subsequently teleported away, leaving Ichigo and Kisshu to themselves.

A pin could be heard dropping; it was that unsettlingly silent and calm.

The calm before the storm.

Ichigo's throat involuntarily tightened and went dry at the tension that had suddenly enveloped them; it was engulfing, stretching through the whole room with such a vivid palpable intensity that she felt as if she was choking on her own breaths; or, perhaps, that the oxygen must have been somehow miraculously evading her system altogether. There was not a single neuron in her body that could command her to move, let alone utter a single tone. She had no idea how long they had been standing there like that. With her hand still suspended in the air, tightly clasped in his. It could have been only a few long excruciating minutes but, to Ichigo, it felt like long infinite hours. If he weren't breathing, Ichigo would think that he was dead.

She was taken aback when she sensed an unexpected release on her wrist and she caught it with her other hand protectively. He was being cold towards her, she knew it. And he had every right to feel that way, should she have truly intended to have something going on with Elton, but she didn't, which is why this whole situation appeared totally preposterous to her eye. Why did the imminent conversation they were about to have reminded her so much of her break-up talk with Masaya? It seemed like a twisted joke, ridiculous in itself, as Ichigo could not fathom why in the hell she would replay this exact scene in her mind right now, but one look at Kisshu's relentless silence told her she might not be that far away from the truth; only this time, the tables were reversed, with her being the screaming and emotional one, while he remained cool and quiet.

Everything she had worked so hard to accomplish was coming unraveled at the seams.

She had to do something. Quick! Anything to try and goad a response out of him.

Don't shut me out!

With a sob, she buried her face instinctively in the crook of his neck but he pulled away quickly.

So much for the response.

"Ichigo," Kisshu finally met her gaze and she averted her eyes down in shame when they made eye contact. There was no way that she would talk herself out of this one. No amount of tears could fix it. She had destroyed everything that had transpired between them and it was not even truly her fault. Even if she had told him the truth, he would never believe her. Nonetheless, she concluded, it was worth the shot.

Ichigo redirected her eyes on him and set her jaw back.

"Kisshu, I meant it when I said that I thought it was you, not Elton touching-" he cut her off with a wave of his hand abruptly and Ichigo's heart clenched at that curt action.

"You do not have to explain yourself to me, it does not matter," her face dropped, as another wave of guilt went through her body.

She tried her best to look him in the eye now, only to be pulverized by the dull emptiness with which she was regarded; the former love and deep admiration for her irrevocably gone. In fact, it seemed as if he was not looking at her but through her when he spoke; as though the spark in his eyes was completely squished and the usual glimmer she was so accustomed to seeing died down with it. The expression he was presently wearing on his face was blank, impassive and utterly unreadable.

"Kisshu, you HAVE to believe me," Ichigo begged, desperation clear in her voice.

To make a point, she put both of her arms around his shoulders in a faint hope of shaking some sense into him, but her efforts were quickly thwarted, when he easily brushed her away yet again.

"As I said, it does not matter, Ichigo," he lifted his gaze back to meet hers and Ichigo was horrified when she spotted the tears forming in the corners of his eyes, "I was ready to abandon everyone and everything for you, Ichigo. Again. Because I believed that what we shared was real. That what you said was real and that you meant it. Every single word of it. But, evidently, you did not."

"That's not true, I love you, Kisshu. I do!"

"Just like you loved Elton a couple minutes ago?" he shot back, skepticism evident in his tone.

"N-no, of course not," she managed and Kisshu's eyes narrowed at her.

"Tell me, Ichigo," he continued, his golden orbs never leaving hers, "did he touch you without your consent?"

"N-no, I mean y-yes! B-but..I thought t- I do NOT love Elton, Kisshu. I never did. I love you!"

"Or Ryou Shirogane? When did you tell him that you loved him? Was it when he claimed you as his or after you have cheated with him on Aoyama Masaya?" Kisshu asked frostily.

Ichigo's face fell.

He knew.

But how? Did Ryou rat on her? No, that was impossible; no matter what a rift they might have between them now, Ryou would never do such a thing, at least not without teasing her about it shortly afterwards. It must have been someone else. But who?

"H-how do you know about that?" she stammered, taking a step backwards in shock.

She looked like a deer caught in the headlights and that provided Kisshu with all the necessary answers that he needed.

"I am such an idiot, aren't I?" he ran a quivering hand up his face, fisting it in his hair in despair, "Was it really all just a game to you, Ichigo? To see whether you would get me to sleep with you in the end despite my duties and obligations?"

"N-no, of course not! Who told you about me and Ryou?" she pleaded, her voice barely louder than a whisper, but his gaze remained cool and unforgiving.

He gave her a long silent stare before he closed his eye lids and tilted his head to the side in exasperation.

"I have to give Elton credit for one thing. Regardless of his dubious procedures and ulterior motives, he never ends with a task unfinished. He was the one who supplied me with that piece of information, Ichigo. The piece of information which was, apparently, conveyed to him by one of your close Mew friends, and confirmed personally by you soon after. I guess, Mint never saw their drunken encounter as a way for Elton to get intel out of her as well now, did she? And neither did you. But I don't blame you, guys. Elton can be very convincing, his emotional manipulation greatly surpasses my own. Sometimes it kinda scares me. When he has first told me about you, I naturally refused to believe him, because I was completely blinded by my love for you," Kisshu laughed ruthlessly, as he trailed his cold eyes back onto hers, "The point is it is true. And your words are therefore unreliable, since your fickle nature changes according to your current circumstances to simply suit your own benefits."

"But, K-Kisshu-" Ichigo tried again, choking on her own cries of anguish.

"I want you away," he stopped her short, his tone formal but hard, "Away from Cyclonia and away from my life. Immediately. Pack your things. I will notify Pai to get someone to give you a ride home in the morning. Return to Earth and never come back. If your friends want to stay a little longer, I have no issue with that, but I want you out of my sight. You have five hours."

He shot her one more disdainful look before the air around him disintegrated and he teleported away, leaving Ichigo's weeping form in the dimly-lit room alone.