A Friend

Dear readers,

Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. I would like to thus thank everyone for their comments, kudos, reviews and follows. As always, you guys made my day, especially considering that we are back onto the drama track! And, granted. There has been a LOT of drama in the last chapter. I know, I know. Everything is a mess once again! And there is a little more mess to go! But we still have at least 5 more chapters to fix it all up + an epilogue! So worry not, we are not done yet here!

This following chapter was the hardest for me to write and edit like ever. I don't know why. If it was the different emotions and motivations of the respective characters, or just the plot flow or that I've been really busy this week? Hard to say. By the way, any latest thoughts on the anime? Because I mean I am still like come onnnnnn. Kisshu is a definite YES and Ryou a maybe. But Aoyama Masaya, really? I mean really? No way! I guess I am officially a Masaya hater for life haha

The music for this segment was a tough cookie too, no jokes. I played various songs and felt like it still wasn't what I was exactly looking for. So, in the end, I would say it all boiled down to 3 tracks: 30 Seconds to Mars 'The Kill (Instrumental),' BTS 'Boy in Luv (Instrumental)' and Death Note OST 'Near Theme.'

P.S. This is another of these 2 in 1 chapters of sorts, since I did not feel like splitting it anywhere in half again. Cliffhangers be damned! Aw well!

Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for yet another comment! I am happy to see that you still enjoy my story. We are not finished yet. And, yup! Elton is sort of the main antagonist of this fic. You guessed it right; although there is a lot more to reveal about his background and character too.

KawaiiCutie12 - Thank you for yet another comment! Hahaha, if I created a poll now, I am pretty sure that Elton would be ripped to shreds. And kinda rightfully so, at least for the time being. Luckily, this is a Kishigo story!

DrDark7 – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so sorry if I made you angry or sad with my last update. I swear that this is the last drama/tension filled chapter and then we will finally start with fixing all this mess. Or, at least, that is the plan!

Kishlover985 – Thank you for yet another comment! Do not worry, I am pretty busy now myself. And, it is as you say. I partially wanted to make it a bit 'realistic' so there had to be some fatal consequences involved, especially from the Cyniclon side. Kisshu still has time to come around, rest assured. We are not quite done here!

Sheli93 – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so sad to hear that I made you cry. Somehow, I manage to do it quite often, don't I? Well, I swear that this is the last intense and sort of scary/dramatic chapter and then we will start fixing things from scratch. Everyone wants Kishigo together, am I right? If the anime does not make it happen, this fanfic will!

Usagi1988 – Thank you for your comment and for joining us on The Road to Perfection! I am so sorry that I have made you cry. Oh my! It seems like that is all I am doing as of lately with this story. One more super dramatic chapter and then we are good to go and start making everything sunshine and unicorns again! By the way, really thank you for your kind words. If my text moved you, it makes me super happy, since that shows that I somehow managed to deliver what I wanted to convey. Let me know your thoughts on this one too!

NeKoGirl – Thank you for yet another comment! I am really happy that you liked the last chapter. It was very drama-packed, as is this one. Let me know what you think about this following update too! As for your question, I would say that Elton is just really good at emotional manipulation that he has somehow managed to deceive even Kisshu himself! Plus, they are best buddies in this fic, which makes it all a little more credible.

As always, please enjoy and review!

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

The whole day had appeared to be an utter mess for Ryou Shirogane.

First, his computer had not been loading properly, which had completely thwarted his scheduled video call with Keiichiro as a result. Then, his data analysis did not seem to correspond with the results Pai had procured to him earlier that day and the weather was, more often than not, too hot so that the moment the blonde had assumed his seat at his desk, his brain was fried. And, of course, to top it all, he could not forget about Ichigo and how she had so graciously broken the news to him about her affair with Kisshu, which had made everything else pale in comparison.

In short, nothing had gone right that day. And, what could have gone right turned to colossal shit. Everything.

Ryou's vein twitched violently in his temple.

What was she even thinking? Why hadn't he stopped her when he had had the chance? What if there was to be another intergalactic war and only because of Ichigo's idiocy? Was there any way of how to repent for her unapologetic behavior or should he consider that a lost fight?

There had been so many annoying questions presently bugging his mind that Ryou could not find it in himself to take a deep breath and focus.

Unsurprisingly, this took a toll on his work ethics as well, since he had spent the last half an hour staring absentmindedly ahead of himself, lost in his own head, instead of devoting all of his time and energy to his original research as he had vouched to do.

Great. Just great.

Maybe it was all just a matter of bad timing. Or, perhaps, was it the vacation mode that had made him far less alert and intelligent?

Yea, right.

Ryou would have to be a total idiot or borderline delusional to truly believe that. And, sadly for him, he was neither of these things. Despite how difficult it was for his brain to begrudgingly accept the fact that his whole life and the existence of Earth were threatened yet again, Ryou began to understand that he should not have underestimated the emotional distress experienced by one whimsical human girl so easily. This was a great example of his lapse of judgement and, unfortunately, the planet Earth was to pay the price for his error.

He should have stopped her, that had been made blatantly obvious already. It was entirely his fault which would soon translate into a complete Earth annihilation as a consequence. But was there really a way of stopping her? She would find a means of how to outsmart him even if he had put a ball and a chain on her leg. Or, worse, the rest of the Mew Mews would help her, as had already been made a case.

Silently, Ryou hoped that if he had allowed himself a couple of hours of solitude, his problems would be somehow miraculously resolved by themselves. Yet, from the looks of it, nothing had changed in the meantime. No matter how many cups of coffee he had drunk, he still felt tired, grumpy and useless as hell. There were no answers to any of his questions that had kept gnawing at him and that inability, as well as the sense of helplessness to come up with any sort of plan or solution, immensely pained him; to the point that he could not concentrate on his research and that was something that had really made him crazy mad.

As his tired eyes swept across the toneless room, Ryou realized it was already morning. He looked at his wrist watch and sighed.

5:42 am.

And he was still nowhere close to finish any time soon.

Really great.

Ryou reclined in his seat and inhaled sharply, thinking whether or not he would end up in a looney house if he kept talking with his inner voice like that. A sudden creak of the stainless steel door pulled him out of his conflicting thoughts at once, and he quickly swiveled in his chair to regard the shadowy figure lingering in the door way.

For a brief moment, the blonde remained at a loss for words; was it due to her audacity to show her face to him so early, or the notion that she looked like death and it was almost six o'clock in the morning, he could not tell.

"Your mom did not teach you any manners? First you knock and only then you enter. Oh wait a second, probably not. Since boundaries pose, in general, a problem for you, am I right?" he taunted, a hint of sarcasm coloring his tone.

He was not ready to overlook the fact that they were still in the middle of an argument with each other. Not yet.

"R-Ryou-"

Already by the way her voice was breaking could he deduce that she had been crying.

Great, another hindrance. And just when I wanted to get back to work.

Ryou let the tense silence sit between them for a little longer. Partially, since he was sure that he had shared with Ichigo everything there was to say during their last exchange already, and partially because he was intrigued why exactly she had decided to bother coming to him again, knowing fully well that her presence in Pai's lab was totally unappreciated. There was nothing else to say to her anymore. He had warned her repeatedly that her continuous advances on Kisshu would lead to a disaster and his hypothesis had proved correct. Why was she here then? Unless, something else had happened; something unexpected which had possibly resulted in another series of issues which she could not remedy on her own. Yes, that seemed highly likely; and whatever that enigmatic it was, it screamed loud and clear that Ryou's cautious words and predictions held true in the end. To his own amazement, there came no personal satisfaction from the fact that he had been right all of this time, though. Quite the opposite, actually. One quick glance at her crestfallen face had made his spirits sink and it was not until he had remembered that she had been lying to him and kept it a secret that his anger immediately boiled in his veins all anew.

"Did I not tell you that this would happen?"

Her eyes met his and her facial expression tampered into a scowl.

"Well, did I not? Because I am pretty sure I did, Ichigo. And look at yourself! You are here crying in front of me and suffering yet again."

"R-Ryou, please."

"Please what?" he bit back.

"I-I just need your-" she trembled underneath his blue piercing stare, entrenched in evident disapproval.

"My help?" he finished incredulously, "And why? Not to listen to me again? And go out of your way to do the exact opposite? Sometimes, I wonder, are you doing it to spite me, Ichigo?"

"Of-of course not," Ichigo squeaked.

"Because it sure as hell looks that way to me. I need to work so whatever you have to say, make it quick," the blonde folded his arms across his chest in apparent indignation.

She stayed quiet.

"Well? What is it? I don't have a whole night for you," he prodded, his patience running thin.

"D-don't be selfish now, please," Ichigo held his gaze and watched with curious fascination as her boss's face all of a sudden turned beet red and his brow beaded with perspiration.

Selfish?

Ryou mentally replayed the word a couple more times in his head, before his mind finally allowed him to process its meaning and generate any follow-up thoughts.

She had been the one who had fucked up; who had pursued her own goals and agenda and disregarded everything and everyone around her, the future of Earth included, and, still, she had the guts to call him selfish? Him, of all people, who had done nothing but work day and night to progress with the Mew Project for the benefit of humankind at the expense of his free time and sleeping hours. And she called him selfish?

The pulsing vein in his temple burst then.

And at that precise moment, for the first time in his life, Ryou Shirogane had lost it.

Ichigo heard the chair scoot against the marble floor, when he stood up so quickly that it gave a loud screech, but it was nothing in comparison to the sheer yelling that he exhibited only a second later. If he had not been shouting then, he sure was now. And Ichigo visibly recoiled at the dark glare he had aimed at her, along with every single word he had thrown her way.

"Selfish?! You call me selfish? Ichigo, I have done nothing but provide you with constant emotional complacent for the past few months. I was there whenever you needed me or subdued yourself to any of your emotional tantrums. I am sorry that I used you for sex once. I really am. But for fuck's sake you cannot continually hold it as an excuse against me to come and beg for help and self-assurance whenever your sorry-ass pleases! Or is it that you can't forgive me that I succumbed to my animal instincts and did not refrain from fucking you?! I did it for you, Ichigo! To help you! And God knows that I already paid my fair share of dues for that. How much longer are you gonna go and haunt me down for it until you finally realize that I am not interested in hearing any of your soppy love drama shit? I don't care, you hear me? Whatever you're doing, I don't give a shit! You are screwing your life so hard, are you here because you want to screw mine too? Is jeopardizing the intergalactic peace not enough for you? How many more people do you need to wreck until you're finally satisfied?!"

His breathing felt rapid, and, unsurprisingly, there was no other sound filling the room when he came to a grinding halt, apart from his strained heaves.

Ryou grimaced.

Since when had he become so snappy and apoplectic?

But that was hardly the main concern of his, as of yet.

He wanted to take his words back; mostly, because Ichigo was not the only one to blame for this chaos and also because what he had said was not entirely true. Of all the times that Ryou could vent out his inner anger, this was not a good time. Actually, it was the worst time possible.

And he did that.

And to Ichigo, of all people.

One look at her startled expression had informed him of his grave mistake a little too late, and it did not take long until that surprise transformed into a dejected face etched with pain.

He noticed her glistening tears resurface first when her eyes widened in shock before she took a step backwards and, without another word, bolted out of the lab, leaving Ryou in dead, solitary silence again. Only this time, it was pregnant with even more exasperation.

Ryou continued to stare at his monitor in utter trance, realizing two very important notions.

He should not be working graveyard, unless he wanted to retain at least some people skills.

And that he hated himself.


The moment the crying Mew Mew leader closed the door shut behind her, an all too familiar angry voice screamed at her from the other side of the room, startling her in the process.

"Ichigo! Where the hell have you been?! I heard a ripple in the air and when I turned around, you were gone. You have some explaining to do, Missy! I am sure that-" Mint stopped abruptly, as she took in her best friend's dire disposition.

Her whites were red, eyes puffy and the snot coming down her nose had made Mint scrunch up her nose in disgust; Ichigo had been crying, there was no mistake about that. But why?

"Ichigo?" it was Zakuro's monotone voice then that caught the auburn-haired girl's attention but it was not until Lettuce stood up and came to her that Ichigo verbally responded.

"I-I am going b-back home, guys," she let out slowly, her gaze glued onto the carpeted floor.

"What?" Mint exclaimed, her face the picture of puzzlement.

"But why, na no da?" Pudding yawned from the bed tiredly; apparently, even her energy levels had their limits.

"B-because it-it's for the best," Ichigo replied vaguely, refusing to meet anyone's inquisitive stares.

"Ichigo," Lettuce tried softly, "Did something happen between you and Kisshu?"

At the mention of his name, Ichigo's throat tightened and she clenched and unclenched her fists.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Ichigo, you know you can tell us anything, right?" Lettuce reached out to touch her shoulder but the Mew Mew leader took a quick step back.

"I said I don't wanna talk about that!" Ichigo yelled, making both Mint and Lettuce flinch in response.

Zakuro remained unfazed, whereas Pudding offered her the briefest of bemused glances, having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

"Ichigo, does Ryou know about this?" Zakuro's sharp question cut in, forcing the Mew Mew leader to temporarily lift her eyes from the floor and hold the elder Mew's hard gaze.

It took another few seconds until Ichigo bowed her head and subsequently nodded.

"Y-yes. I actually just t-talked to him in his lab," Ichigo clamped down on her bottom lip at her half-lie before she breathed out and continued, "I am sorry. I just need to be alone now. We will see each other at the Café Mew Mew in a couple of days. But for the time being, leave me alone, please," she pleaded.

"Fine," Zakuro stood up first and started for the door.

She ceased in her movement only when Mint's shrill voice caught up with her.

"You can't be serious!" cried the blue lorikeet Mew in disbelief but Zakuro's expression did not change one bit.

"Ichigo must have a good reason for all of this. If she needed our help, she would have already asked. I respect her privacy and you should too."

With that the purple haired Mew left the room unceremoniously, leaving a very stunned Mint behind.

Lettuce soon followed, with a slightly wobbling and not really awake Pudding in tow.

"What's wrong, why are we leaving all of a sudden, na no da?" the monkey Mew asked groggily, before she looped her hand around Lettuce's hip and together they exited the room in unison as well.

The last to go was obviously Mint whose skeptical eyes remained transfixed on Ichigo's, until she stepped out and finally closed the door behind her form, too angry and confused to understand her friend's gratitude.

"Thank you, everyone," Ichigo half-whispered to an empty room.

She then hugged her waist and, falling on her knees to the ground, burst into tears.


The old clock on the crimson wall was ticking at a languid pace, saturating both of the aliens present with its unwavering but definite existence of time and fate.

"He will be called upfront sooner or later. Surely, someone as clever as you is aware of that, are you not, Pai?" Gato raised his eyes briefly from his paperwork to peruse the purple-haired alien in front of him with a small smile; a smile that was colder and more false than anything Pai had ever seen.

"Of course, I am. I would simply like to request for some alleviating circumstances, as Kisshu's judgement was momentarily clouded by his emotional instability, not clear logic," Pai replied with far more forced politeness than he had imagined he was capable of producing.

He found it downright annoying, as being in Gato's presence and in his office, for that matter, did not settle well with the purple haired alien in the least bit. There was always something strangely eerie about this place, or was it simply that Pai did not particularly enjoy talking to Yuri's most trusted advisor in general? Perhaps he was merely jealous, since, as opposed to him, Gato was one of the few people who had remained absolutely loyal to the royal family and believed fully in Yuri and her abilities, even if others had doubted her. And that loyalty was the only thing about him that Pai could respect. With Deep Blue gone, it was obvious that Gato's position next to Yuri would only strengthen in power when she had officially assumed the throne and he had become not only her primary consultant but also her personal guard; an occupation he could perform rather well thanks to his royal powers; even though how exactly his blood line tied to the royal family remained a mystery to Pai. And, Pai did not like mysteries, as to him, mysteries could only be fueled by a lack of information and always deconstructed through scientific research and contradicted with facts.

Pai could feel sweat starting to build up beneath his collar, dripping slowly down his neck, when the unbearable silence prevailed. He was very much aware that Gato was taking his sweet time with his answers, a fact which was proven by the faintest traces of a smirk on the demonic alien's face, as though he could smell the fear radiating from the other from miles away.

"Alleviating circumstances, hm? That would sound like an awfully easy way out, now would it not, Pai?" Gato pushed his glasses up his nose before he leaned his body forwards and elegantly propped an elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand.

"That might very well be true, but my little brother is still young and foolish in his ideas of love and romance. Bear that in mind, please," Pai countered with an exasperated look of dislike.

At this, Gato ceased with his writing and he began to twirl the pencil between his fingers in what could only be perceived as deep contemplation.

"Is that so, hm? I wonder, how a person with such a poor prospect of feeling empathy and without a single shred of elegance can even think of ruling our nation?" he drawled, leaving the unwhispered challenge in the air.

"You know as well as I do that Kisshu is completely incapable of mixing work with emotions, one will have to go at the price of the other," Pai noted with reluctance, too embarrassed by his little brother's inability to keep his hands to himself.

Gato remained nonplussed, while he continued to idly examine his pristine gloves for specks of dust.

"Which is why the idea of having especially him as a leader somewhat scares me. An emotional wreck or a dehumanized tyrant, which sounds better to you, Pai? It almost makes me think of Deep Blue," Gato's eyes temporarily glazed, once he took in the change of the facial expression of the alien in front of him.

"How dare you!" Pai's temper snapped and before he knew it he was grasping Gato by his collar, earning an amused chuckle from the elder alien.

"It is so easy to get a reaction out of you, Pai. No matter what these kids around say, you are a very caring and emotional person. I suggest you follow your own advice and work on your own emotional instability as well," Gato retorted in a calm icy tone that, for a change, did not correspond with the pleased look that danced in his eyes.

It took all of Pai's composure not to punch the bespectacled alien there and then; especially, when every neuron in his body commanded him to do so.

In truth, Pai did not like Gato. He would not go as far as to proclaim that he hated his guts, but there had always been a certain animosity between them, since, to Pai, Gato was a blind follower of orders rather than of rational mind. Nonetheless, at the current state of events, Pai was willing to forget each and every of his personal reservations, for his family's reputation was at stake. And, as regrettable as it seemed, Pai was not as ignorant as Taruto or selfish as Kisshu to forget that it was Gato that was the only person that could help to solve this mayhem of a situation. Pai was conscious that what he had been trying to accomplish here for the good past half an hour was a heroic act. Because, unlike the rest of the Cyniclons, Pai knew Gato well and was familiar with him enough to also know how exactly the alien operated; with Yuri's best intentions always in mind, Gato was nowhere close to turn a blind eye on Kisshu's misconduct, Pai was aware of that much. All the more since Ichigo was a human and a Mew Mew at that. This notion itself had made Pai realize that no matter how he worded it, Kisshu had committed a treason; for the power that the Mew Mew leader wielded in her Strawberry Bell, as well as over his brother, did, indeed, pose a far more impending threat than any of Kisshu's former flings in total ever could. There were the military tapes that served as direct evidence of his brother's enchantment with Mew Ichigo on Earth as well, and anyone who would see them would immediately come to the conclusion that Cyclonia could be in danger, as long as their leader would be exposed to the bad influence of the Mew Mew around him. Pai knew very well how slim his chances of appeal here were, but he cared about Kisshu, so he tried to repent for him either way; contrary to what his reason and logic dictated him to do.

A plan that rendered futile, notwithstanding.

Refusing to give in to the temptation of the immaturity of an eye roll, Pai sent Gato one last glare before he released his ruffled shirt from his grasp and cleared his throat.

"Understood," he affirmed somberly in a voice that, for Pai, was uncharacteristically uneasy.


Ichigo was alone in her room sorting through the last things in her backpack. She was extremely thankful that her friends had kept their word and stayed out of the way, since interrogation was the last thing Ichigo wanted to do at the present moment. She was just amid folding her white summer dress, still not entirely sure whether or not she was doing the right thing, when the tell-tale ripple behind her made her pause.

She whirled around half-expecting Pai, or better yet Kisshu, but she was faced with an uninvited guest and something in his eyes told her that it was not going to be a pleasant visit. Her initial feelings were soon confirmed once his mouth curved into an impish smirk and he decided to talk.

"Hi there, honey, missed me?" his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Elton?" Ichigo tried to hide her foreboding feeling of fear behind a fake bravado but her gaze kept darting sideways, taking a mental note of all the emergency exits the room had to offer. Sadly, there was only the door, against which the blue-haired alien was currently leaning, and the French window to her right. Eyeing the glass plates with hesitation, Ichigo briefly entertained the thought of jumping fifteen stories down and if her cat reflexes would save her, should she choose to resort to such a desperate option.

"I see you're almost ready to leave. Good timing, I wanted a little alone time with you anyway," he grinned, as his amber orbs momentarily drifted to the pile of clothes behind her only to quickly return to her form.

Remembering the reason why she was leaving in the very first place, Ichigo narrowed her eyes at him and sent him a glare.

"What do you want?" she barked out, her anger finally overcoming her paranoia.

"I came to say goodbye, of course. Maybe a little kiss?" he teased, pushing himself off of the door, his bangs flopping carelessly with the motion, "You surely did not think I would let you go without saying a proper goodbye now, would you?"

Ichigo swallowed a bile in her throat, as a strange sense of dread wafted through the small room. She watched Elton wordlessly, as he came towards her, stopping merely at an arm's distance from her. Summoning all of her courage and steeling her resolve, Ichigo crossed her arms over her chest and attacked anew, hoping this would make the annoying alien go away.

"I don't care about your goodbyes and any of your mind games! So if you have nothing better to say would you kindly fuck off?"

"But that's where you're wrong," Elton's eyes glowed, once his hungry orbs raked over her body, "We still have some unfinished business between us," he said, grabbing her chin and tilting her face up, so that they were only a few inches apart.

A chill crawled down Ichigo's spine by the way he was shamelessly leering at her with such palpable lust, while he scanned her figure, and a nervous drop of sweat trickled down her neck, as her heart beat faster in her chest. She knew then that whatever fear she had been experiencing before was completely justified. All the more, when she saw his lips form a grim line, all pretenses discarded away, and she cursed herself for not believing in her gut in the very first place.

"I wonder what it is," Ichigo blinked, confused, as she stared at his suddenly very serious expression, causing all the collective hair on her head to stand on end.

"I mean, what makes Kish go after you so bad, even willing to lose and abandon everything. And for a mere human at that? What is it about you that is so intriguing? I want to find out first hand. I wonder," he tapped his chin and hummed thoughtfully, "If I do it with you, will I understand a little better, hm?"

Ichigo froze, feeling herself go into something close to a shock, when his other hand appeared on the small of her back and he pushed her roughly towards him. Fortunately, however drained she was, Ichigo still managed to briskly recover and retaliate.

"Stop!" she shrieked and tried to pull away but he had a tight grip over her body.

"You will show me, Ichigo. Whether you want to or not, we are going to finish what we have started last night," the alien chuckled darkly as he drank in her scared features, "and after I am done with you, perhaps I will get my answers straight. Or perhaps not. Not that it matters either way," he let out a hollow laugh right before he crashed his lips against hers, his hands immediately restraining her in her attempt to break away from his grasp. Ichigo shouted when their teeth clashed and she frantically squirmed under his weight, the panic mode in her brain fully activated and her breath shallow.

She tried to kick him but he was too accustomed to her fighting moves by now that he evaded her easily. Only after she had bit him in his tongue, did he release her and pull back for a short moment, an amused grin playing across his face.

Somehow, Ichigo had hard time believing that that obnoxious grin would ever go away.

"Feisty as ever, heh? You know, the more you fight back, the more you turn me on. Maybe you want it more than you are letting on?" Elton mocked before he reached out for her and forcibly grabbed her by her wrist.

Ichigo strived to thrash and kick but she began to understand that not even her cat genes, at least not in this form, would do her any good. When all of her moves failed, she resigned to the last option she had.

She screamed, startling Elton momentarily.

"Help, anyone! Please!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice throaty yet resolute, but it soon disappeared once his pale clawed hand covered her mouth, effectively silencing her.

"I like the fact that you're a screamer but don't bother. There is no one around. You see, I am not as dumb as you to come unprepared and with no plan to fall back on. Your little friends are outside while Kish pines all over you too drunk to form a coherent sentence, not to mention walk. And Pai's too busy taking care of him and all this mess you created. No one is gonna save you, Ichigo. It's just you and me."

Elton savored her horror-stricken expression, as he neared closer and pushed her down on the bed behind her, hovering over her form, his body still in between her thighs.

"This can be your dream, or your nightmare, I will leave that decision up to you."

He uncovered her mouth and let go of her hand and Ichigo instinctively realized this could very well be her last chance to make a run for it.

Making up her mind in an instant, she quickly kicked Elton as hard as she could, and this time she was successful, if his yelp could serve of any indication. He rolled off of her, groaning in pain and Ichigo could only thank her lucky stars that Cyniclon boys were not immune to kicks in their intimate areas.

She did not hesitate; not for a second, when she shot out of the bed with a lightning speed, aiming for the pendant located on the breakfast table opposite to her bed. She knew that there would be a chance to use it again, minus the friendly sparring contest, and this definitely qualified as one of those rare opportunities. She reached out with her hand, her fingers almost brushing against the slick golden surface, but before she could get a firm hold of it, a strong hand grasped above her elbow and pulled her back, making her pendant slip between her fingers and fall somewhere on the floor with a loud clink.

Ichigo whirled around and once she caught a sight of Elton's face, she raised her free hand automatically and decked him hard into his nose.

"You bitch," he snarled as he pushed her against the floor and followed her movement downwards immediately.

"I gave you a choice, kitty cat. Wanted to be nice and sweet. But it's gonna be a nightmare over dream then," he lied on top of her, with both of her wrists pinned in one of his hands, while his second hand slid down her hip and gripped her aggressively.

"Elton, stop. You're better than this," Ichigo tried, watching with plain terror the trickle of blood that ran down his nose and fell down onto her, seeping through her white blouse like a crimson poison.

"Am I, now? You think you know everything, Ichigo, but in reality you know shit. I don't like you. I don't like how Kish acts around you when you're near him. He changed. You changed him and I wanna get the gist of it what it is that he actually sees in you, because I am looking at you right now and frankly I am not seeing it. I am not seeing anything."

"K-Kishu would never-" she stuttered.

"What?" he asked bluntly, "Forced himself on you? Do yourself a favor and get real. You know next to nothing about our culture, or Kish for that matter. You are just a mere stupid human girl."

"I know more about him than you ever will," Ichigo shot back derisively and Elton's teeth clenched at that comment before his gaze darkened to an extent whereon it turned into a sadistic, murderous shade of dark brown.

Evidently, he did not like her retort, a notion which was only further solidified by his next movement when he backhanded Ichigo across her face with a loud slap.

She gasped in shock and looked at Elton with teary defiant eyes, her mouth stretched in a thin repulsed grimace.

He licked his lips, letting out a low throaty growl.

"Humor me then, Ichigo. Show me some backbone, will you? I crave understanding what is so enticing about you that drives my best friend whom you claim to know so much better than me over the edge. Boy, you must be one hell of a fuck!"

"You're gross!" she spat at him in disgust and, without thinking, knocked her head against his brow, earning a shrill yelp of pain from the alien as a result. He eased back, holding his burning bruise with one of his hands and when his grip around her wrists loosened, Ichigo used her moment of surprise to scoot away from him and started looking for her pendant for what felt like eternity. Her head throbbed with insufferable pain, but she tried her hardest to concentrate. And, sure enough, there it was, the golden glint just within her arm's reach. She scrambled back onto her feet and in a flash ducked underneath one of the chairs not that far away from her. Once her fingers curled around the little object, she instantaneously felt a rush of relief wash over her. Without further due, Ichigo turned around and kissed it, ready for her imminent transformation.

"Mew Mew Strawberry Me-" but she never finished, for her mouth, all of a sudden, stopped moving, along with every single fiber in her body.

The only thing she was still capable of doing was to breathe and stare in pure shock and fear, as the edges of Elton's mouth twisted in a devilish grin when he came fully back into her view. Holding his brow, he gave her a half-lidded smoldering look. Only this time, his eyes were no longer amber, nor brown but, instead, they flashed with blue hues; a stark contract to the red streak of blood that was now crusted on his bruised face.

What the-?

She was cut short, once she heard him snort, followed by a sound of soft muffled chuckling. Something about her apparent consternation must have made his grin wider and Ichigo mentally winced when she saw him erupt into a fit of maniacal laughter, as well as at the way it had rattled through her bones.

"Ichigo-Ichigo," wiping the blood off of his face, Elton shook his head in a playful manner, as he regained his breathing, "did you really think it would be that simple? Nice aim, though. But not quick enough. It's a shame that it had to come to this, but aw well. At least I can show you now, since you wanted to know more about me and Kish. The main difference between us. What being a royal means in this society. And that no matter how physically well-built you are, you stand no chance against Cyniclon nobility. Welcome to the world of royal blood, baby! Behold and taste what makes us so dreaded and fearful."

Ichigo felt a sudden strong push and the next thing she knew she was lying like a rag-doll back on the chilling floor with Elton on top of her, completely paralyzed. Every part of her body wanted to scream, wanted to fight and hit, but it was almost as though she was no longer in control of anything in her life. She could merely lie there, bearing witness to his touch on her skin without the remotest possibility to recoil or react in any meaningful manner. Her vision of the ceiling was soon obscured by a mop of blue tresses and she wished she was blind and her hearing was impaired when Elton's sickly voice graced her ears, while his earrings lightly grazed her cheek.

"To be honest, I have never been with a human before, so naturally I am quite intrigued," his eye twitched ever so slightly, as his free hand firmly cupped her breast, while the other rested around her neck, "Plus, I was hoping that you would want it rowdy. That way, I can fully enjoy myself."

She felt the pressure. She felt the fear; the sweat slowly building on her brow and she wanted to scream because she was terrified to the core when her body subconsciously began responding to his touch even if her mind was utterly opposed to that idea. She sensed the coldness and then the warmth, and something in between, which she could not pinpoint, nor cataloged, but whose effect had made it extremely difficult to keep her eyes focused and her lungs breathing. She struggled for air, once her windpipe turned traitorous on her. The last thing Ichigo could recollect was his head dipping down in her chest and the pressure between her legs as he roughly started tugging at her skirt before her vision faded away and she drifted into unconsciousness.

It could have been seconds, or it could have been minutes; hours even.

And then, out of nowhere, the pressure of his body suddenly disappeared and Ichigo was released from his grip, no longer held back by the forced stillness he had inflicted in her. Opening her eyes slowly, she first did not understand what was going on, as the little black dots continued to fill the majority of her vision, but when she took another deep breath and carefully propped herself on her now free elbows, another figure came into her view.

In front of her, with his back turned onto her, and his arms wide spread, stood Taruto, and Ichigo was never more eager to see him.

She registered that he had been talking only shortly after when his angry growl floated to her ears.

"You sick bastard! Aren't you ashamed?"

As she squinted from her position on the floor, she could see that Taruto was talking directly to Elton who was at the current moment crouching on the red carpet a little ahead of her, his jaw held by his right hand, while his other hand tore away the remaining plants that vined over his body.

Surveying her state, Ichigo figured that Taruto must have come in the nick of time, since her clothes still remained firmly in its place, even though a few buttons on her blouse were missing.

"Aren't you ashamed? Since when has this newly found devotion for humans gotten into you, pipsqueak? Are you fighting your own kind for the sake of an intruder defacto an enemy?" Elton snarled with malicious intent in his eyes.

Ichigo gulped and cast her gaze away. Elton was right. Despite whatever had happened between Tokyo Mew Mew and the Cyniclons, they were not of the same race and never would be. There was no way that humans could be viewed here on their planet as their equals, especially so many million miles away from home and with the affair and outrage that Ichigo had caused within their society. That is probably why Taruto's next words shocked her so much.

"She is not an intruder. She is a friend," Taruto declared with no hesitation in his voice, "In fact, the only enemy in this room is you!"

Ichigo stared at Taruto's back in barely concealed surprise and from the corner of her eye she could see Elton for a fraction of a moment glaring at her until his eyes shifted back onto the little alien in front of him.

"Love freaks," he muttered, when he disposed of the last plant on him and, standing up, he sent Taruto one last nasty look before teleporting away, "I will not forget this, just so you know," he held up his hand in a motionless gesture of a goodbye.

"I didn't expect you too," Taruto bared his teeth and only upon Elton's departure did he finally relax his posture and sighed.

"Stupid idiot," he murmured, as he turned around and faced Ichigo, who was still pretty much sprawled on the floor.

"You're more trouble than you are worth, hag. Do you know that?" Taruto remarked, while he knelt down to her, checking for any visible signs of bruises and injuries. His sight slightly narrowed when he spotted the fingerprints on her neck and the swollen cheek on the right side of her face, but, apart from that, she looked fine.

"Taruto," Ichigo breathed out and she could feel the first tears forming in her eyes.

"Yea?" he asked, finally meeting her gaze and taking in her crying expression.

"I-I," she gasped, as she swiftly wrapped her arms around him, earning a sudden shriek from her companion in the process, and began sobbing into his little shoulders, "T-thank you."

"Hey! You do not need to squeeze so hard, I don't wanna get wet," he huffed in mock irritation.

But Ichigo knew he was only making that up to mask how he really felt about the whole situation. She would never, of all people, expect Taruto to show up to save the day, but he did and Ichigo was immensely grateful for that. Be it not for his intervention, the auburn-haired girl would be scarred for life, even more than she already was.

"Are you alright?" the little alien asked in all seriousness after a few moments passed between them.

She pulled away and looked him in the eye.

"N-no, not really. But it will change soon," she smiled back at him and let go of his body.

"Thank god, finally."

"Come on, I thought you're used to it from Pudding already," Ichigo half-joked, which seemed to be a miracle per se, considering her horrendous situation.

She expected Taruto to yell at her or form some sort of dry comeback, but, to her own surprise, he did not. His cheeks colored, of course, however, he did not deny nor confirm her statement. And this particular lack of reaction had made Ichigo realize just how much he had really matured. She was instantly pulled back to the welcoming ceremony when she had seen his hardened expression for the first time, not unlike the one that he had been wearing today. Perhaps, it was high time to stop perceiving Taruto as a little kid, since he was evidently capable of much more.

The person who was kneeling in front of her might still be younger than her, but his eyes already held a depth of maturity, though Ichigo was sore to admit that out loud, she could not rival.

"Taruto?"

"Hm?"

"Please don't tell anyone about this. I don't wanna make everybody even more worried than they are," Ichigo whispered in a soft tone.

The grumpy alien eyed her suspiciously for a while but eventually nodded in silent agreement.

Getting up, he was about to leave but Ichigo quickly snatched his little wrist.

"C-could you perhaps stay here with me before Pai picks me up, please? I-if it's not that much to ask," she trailed off.

He gave her a confused look before he exhaled sharply and sat back on the floor.

"Fine, hag. As you wish."