Permanent Effect

Dear readers,

Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. Every comment, kudos, review and follow means a LOT to me! I can assure you of that much, so thank you very much for all of these; especially after all the drama that had ensued in the last chapter. I also happen to know now, why the last segment was SO hard to write, edit and read; because it was OVER 8000 words long! Wow. And to think that we started with chapters that were under 3000 words.

And, yup! Elton has been officially crowned the jerk of this story. Knowing now who is, more or less, evil and who is good, we can start cleaning this mess up. Alright! Let's go! No more depressing stuff, it's time to make things right again! Let's rise and shine, shall we?

But before all that, can we also take a minute and appreciate the latest episode of TMM remake, along with all the Ryou and Kisshu scenes!? OH MY GOD! Can't wait for the last one to go!

The music I used for this chapter was Måneskin 'Supermodel'

DrDark7 – Thank you for yet another comment! Yes, Elton definitely turned out to be far more evil than expected haha. And karma is a thing, or, rather, it will be; I will make it happen and really soon, at that!

Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for yet another comment! Yes and yes. I really enjoy writing Taruto's scenes a lot as of lately, because he is simply adorable to write. And his interactions with other characters are always somewhat funny and easy to create as well. Elton should burn in hell, am I right? Well, give it a moment, maybe, just maybe, he will!

Sorakitten – Thank you for your comment and welcome on board! Do not worry, the fluff will appear soon. Apparently, I have tortured my readers enough with excessive drama and tension. Now, it's time for all the sweet fluffy moments and we're getting there! I swear!

Torichan – Thank you for yet another series of comments! It is as you say. A lot of things have changed now and some more changes are yet in store. I created all of this mess, so now it's officially time to give all the characters their well-deserved break and start cleaning it all up!

Kishlover985 – Thank you for yet another comment! I know, right? I knew immediately that I wanted to involve Gato in my story in some form, and the role of Yuri's advisor was just too good to be passed! I am also happy that you like Taruto in this fic. He and Ichigo are really friendly in comparison to most of the other stories I have read and the canon.

NeKoGirl – Thank you for yet another comment! I can assure you that there will be some major fight between those two, so if you are expecting a fierce battle for love or serious ass-kicking, it is coming! Yay!

As always, please enjoy and review!

I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

It took another full hour until a light knock on the door finally pulled Ichigo out of her hypnotized trance.

She was still sitting on the red carpeted floor, with her arms around her legs, staring at the far wall opposite to her, her mind swirling with all kinds of ideas and thoughts.

"Looks like, Pai's here," Taruto mumbled from his spot to her right, and he quickly rose to his feet to go and open the door for the elder alien.

Right, Pai was here to arrange Ichigo's ride back home. How could she possibly forget that part? But was it really that surprising that her brain had decided to work on-and-off? Taking into consideration everything that had happened and her progressive fatigue, Ichigo was somewhat bemused by her ability to still focus and respond to the events slowly unfolding in front of her without passing out or suffering from a stroke.

After Elton had left, Taruto had stayed true to his word and kept Ichigo a company; what more, he also agreed to help her with her bruises and even procured a breakfast of sorts. It turned out that, apart from his knack for dealing with plants, Taruto likewise possessed some serious healing abilities, which had made Ichigo's neck, as well as her right cheek, look as good as new. Her blouse, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. It took some serious contemplation on her part, but, in the end, the Mew Mew chose to throw her bloody piece of garment away and changed into a pink hoodie instead. It was either that or facing Pai's questioning eyes, and Ichigo was smart enough to know that the former choice was the one she should take, once the mental image of Pai's stoic face conjured up in her head; she could only hope that the purple haired alien would not be able to see right through her and, more importantly, that Taruto would keep his mouth shut, just as he had promised. A promise that Ichigo knew was hard to keep, indeed.

When Pai crossed the threshold, his posture momentarily stiffened in shock at the sight of two pairs of eyes instead of one.

"Oh, you're here too?" his tone betrayed a slight surprise at his little brother's unexpected presence but he stepped inside the small room anyway. His gaze darted between the alien and the Mew and the latter could swear that he was taken aback by this sudden change in his plans.

"Well, yea. I came here to," Taruto paused, shooting Ichigo a worried look before he caught himself and changed his demeanor altogether, adding a certain cockiness to his stance, "to wish the old hag a proper goodbye, of course. What else, duh!"

Apparently, Taruto was not a complete idiot and neither a backstabber. Good. Ichigo had no idea how Pai would take it if he knew what had earlier transpired between her and Elton, and she did not even want to imagine how that would make Kisshu feel. But maybe Kisshu would not care in the slightest. For him, she was as good as dead. Besides, Kisshu himself was the one who had orchestrated her untimely flight back home. There was a very good chance that he would not lift as much as a finger for her. Not anymore. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a cheat and a liar so whatever Ichigo said or did, he would not believe her either way. And there was always the possibility that Elton would pin his actions on her or simply twist the whole narrative against her yet again.

"I see," Pai did not seem to be fully persuaded, that much could Ichigo tell from his facial expression, but, for some reason, he did not deem it necessary to pursue the topic any further.

"Thank you, Taruto. You can go now," his eyes flickered from his brother to the girl still sitting on the floor, "Mew Ichigo, I would like to speak with you in private. Would you happen to have a moment?"

"Yeah, sure," she balked but sprang back onto her feet in a flash, only briefly nodding to Taruto before he vanished.

Now that her and Pai were alone, Ichigo could sense the change of the temperature in the room and she involuntarily shuddered at the feeling of uneasiness that had suddenly enveloped her. She knew Pai would not make a move on her, nor try to violate her in any way Elton had attempted. Still, she felt somewhat intimidated by him, mostly due to the fact that she was never quite sure what was on his mind. That is why his impromptu request to have a word with her had a tad bit confused her. She was positive of one thing though; whatever reason was behind this private conversation that Pai had intended to have with her was legit. Always the strategist, the elder alien never did anything before thinking it through first, and this did not appear to be any exception.

As if on cue, Pai turned around and gestured towards the two empty chairs and the table where she and Mint had been regularly bickering while having a breakfast. Ichigo noted the strange emotion reflected in his obsidian eyes, when his burning gaze followed her every movement. Usually, Pai was stoic and completely impassive. That was the Pai Ichigo was accustomed to. But the Pai she was eying now looked different. His face simmered underneath his well-crafted mask of indifference with something that Ichigo could not quite put her finger on. She could read fear, anxiety, confusion or was it irritation that was carved in his features?

"Have a seat," he pointed to the chair to her right and she obliged instantly.

Pai sat himself opposite to her, and they relapsed into the uncomfortable silence that Ichigo so much dreaded at once.

Nobody said anything for another minute or two but his unwavering intense eyes kept boring into hers with unrelenting capacity. He was observing her, every blink of her eyelash, every heave of her chest. When it reached the point that it all felt almost unbearable, Pai decided to talk at last.

But the words that came out of his mouth caught her completely off guard.

"Do you have feelings for my brother, Mew Ichigo?"

"…"

Ichigo looked up at him, shocked. The thought that she would have an intimate conversation about her personal life and with Pai, of all people, had never entered her mind; alas, that seemed to be the case.

The purple-haired alien studied her expression meticulously, gauging her reaction from every conceivable angle.

'Why do I feel like I am being interrogated like some kind of criminal,' Ichigo thought sullenly.

There was nothing menacing in the way how Pai had worded the question. Rather, it was its content that had thrown her off. Ichigo could easily lie and flatly answer 'no,' as she had done last week with Ryou. But somehow, she had a feeling that her answer here and now was much more profound and significant. As if what she had currently to say about her situation had some more permanent effect on her future and could determine the course of her life forever.

Permanent, huh?

Ichigo did not like the sound of it and the dismay clearly showed on her face.

"Do you have feelings for my brother, Mew Ichigo?" Pai repeated his question. Patiently, but with the exactly same tone and precision.

"Why do you ask me such a thing now?" Ichigo countered, meeting his eyes and then glancing away just as quickly.

"I care about my brother and I want him to be happy," Pai answered simply, as though that was the most obvious thing in the world, "Which is why I am making sure nothing is standing in the way to deprive him of this happiness," he gave her a pointed look and Ichigo blinked, when it finally clicked in her mind what this was about.

He wanted her to stay put and not jeopardize Kisshu's wedding. Her heart sunk at the grim realization.

"Huh? You cannot be serious! Kisshu doesn't even love Yuri!"

"And he loves you?" Pai deadpanned, rendering Ichigo speechless, all air immediately sucked out of her form.

Unable to answer, she averted her gaze back onto the floor.

"I-I don't know anymore. H-he did," she paused, recollecting all of her memories from the past few days. All the kisses and touches they had shared. All the smiles and witty banter. All the laughs and moans, "And I think he might still...but I don't know that for certain."

Pai remained silent, as he gave her a long, scrutinizing stare, his expression giving nothing away; his tone still leveled; his obsidian eyes totally unreadable.

"Do you realize that your presence on this planet is utterly unnecessary? My brother is in hysterics due to your inappropriate behavior and his fiancé does not fare any better."

"I am sorry. I did not mean to," Ichigo slumped further down in her chair, silently wondering whether or not Pai would likewise blow his fuse and engage her in a hissy fit.

It made her think of Ryou, and his brittle words immediately found their way back to the forefront of her mind.

'Is jeopardizing the intergalactic peace not enough for you? How many more people do you need to wreck until you're finally satisfied?!'

Ichigo kept her eyes firmly fixed on the carpeted floor, fully ashamed of herself, her guilt mounting with every following second. Both Ryou and Pai were right. She was basically wrecking Kisshu's life, just like she had wrecked Masaya's, only this time, more people were involved, with the uncertain future of Cyclonia and Earth included. Would she ever learn? How many guys did she have to break so that she would stop, really?

And why did it feel different now?

Different from all the other times that she had claimed that she had fallen in love with someone. Was it because her heart could no longer respond to anyone else but him? Was it really due to the fact that Kisshu was the only person whom she truly, ardently and selflessly loved? But how could she possibly explain that to Pai? Ichigo knew that as far as the Mews were concerned, they would all support her no matter what. Even Taruto seemed to be on her side. Pai, by contrast, not so much, yet still more likely to be convinced than Ryou, at least in Ichigo's perspective. Would convincing Pai help her predicament in any way, however? What was she supposed to do with Kisshu when he was not even able to leave his room at this point? And what about Yuri, Elton and Gato? Would Ichigo's staying on Cyclonia equal to causing even more anarchy or would she thereby basically ask to be raped, imprisoned, killed or a combination of that all?

Was she scared?

And was she scared more for her own safety or Kisshu's? That was the question she ultimately dared to ask and answer.

"I-I just want Kisshu to be happy," Ichigo forced out, once her mind cleared out and she could face Pai with clear conscience, "I want him to be so very happy that he would be able to be himself and find joy in his life even if it is not with me," she finished and looked back at herself in surprise by the earnestness of her own words.

"Mew Ichigo," Pai drew her attention back onto him and she lifted her gaze to meet his and gasped.

He was no longer emotionless, in fact, his features etched with sympathy, whereas his eyes were brimming with warmth Ichigo would never deem possible Pai had even had in him. The change of his expression was so remarkable that it had made her realize that even his voice slightly softened, before it promptly hardened again.

"If you truly love Kisshu, now is your last chance to tell him. But if you are merely searching for a source of short time entertainment," his face rather darkened, "I must ask you to leave and never return. Am I being understood?"

"Yes, sir," Ichigo answered instantaneously.

"Good. Your escort will be here in less than five minutes."

"You're not gonna fly with me?" she asked, disappointment clear in her tone.

"No. An associate of mine will do the flying. Sadly, I have to stay here and take care of…..certain matters," Pai said evasively.

Translation, I have to stay here and make sure Kisshu does not do something stupid.

Ichigo looked to the side. Pai was so polite to her, even if he had absolutely zero reason to be. It was almost touching. Perhaps, it was this particular side of him that had made her green-haired friend so smitten with the alien; the side of him that was rarely shown and shared with the outside world.

Ichigo was stuck in the realm of thought, so it took her a second to realize that Pai was again talking to her.

"-I have nothing else to say to you," he raised from his seat but then paused and glimpsed over his shoulder one last time, "Once you board this ship, there is no way back. Now, if you excuse me."

Ichigo did not react, yet her eyes remained locked in a dead stare with his, understanding the message fully. She watched as his fine contours began to distort until he slowly disappeared and she continued to eye the spot for a moment longer, while her mind whirled with million thoughts of what was and what could be.

She wiped out the moisture that had garnered in her eyes, her initial fear of Pai long gone.


"Miss Mew Ichigo, are you ready to go?" a male timid voice sounded through the door accompanied by soft, hesitant knocking.

"Coming," Ichigo shouted back as she got a hold on her backpack and slung it across her shoulder.

When she opened the door she was confronted with another stoic face with elongated ears, but, contrary to all of her previous guests that day, the Cyniclon standing in front of her did not seem to ooze self-confidence, or arrogance, as she had expected. By contrast, he appeared almost nervous, when he tugged a lock of red hair behind his ear. He was definitely not much older than her and, judging from his posture, similarly uncomfortable.

"Are you the person who is going to give me a ride home?" Ichigo asked, as she continued walking with him down the empty hall side by side.

It was so quiet with nobody strutting around. Again, it was fairly early and everyone was probably too hangover from the party of the previous night. Nevertheless, she was happy about the lack of commotion since she really did not want to hear any more heated dialogues or bear witness to sad or angry expressions. Now, she would have at least six full hours all to herself, minus this guy perhaps, but if she stayed in the main seating area, crouched in one of the red velvet seats, she would be alone and she heavily doubted that he would go anywhere near her unless Ichigo specifically asked him to do so.

"No. I am here only to accompany you to the spaceship," he smiled in a gentlemanly manner but Ichigo sensed that he was far more apprehensive than he had let on.

She wondered how much he had known, or whether Pai had clued him in on some more confidential details that had not been made public yet. All the same, it was fairly pleasant, to walk down the corridor with him like this. He did not press, he did not yell, he did not ask and he tried to be as formal and problem avoiding as possible. He was perfect in that matter and that is why Ichigo was suddenly so saddened by the thought that they would have to part ways soon. Hopefully, the pilot would be as sparing with his words, or she could at least pray for that.

"I see. Thank you. Eh, what is your name?"

The alien next to her did not flinch, nor stop, but from the peripheral view, Ichigo could see his jaw going momentarily slack before he replied.

"Ren. The pleasure is all mine," Ichigo grinned and dipped her head in acknowledgement but did not say anything else, enjoying the last moments of silence that surrounded them.

Next time Ichigo was looking for a boyfriend, she would go for someone like Ren. A strong, silent type, who did not let his volatile emotions bubble to the surface in a matter of few short moments. If only Kisshu was like him. If he was rational, logical and calm, would things end up differently? And, wait a second, was Kisshu not rational the whole duration of her stay here? Was she not the irrational one who had been running after him day and night, until she eventually got him where she had wanted? He told her numerous times that he was not single and yet she pursued him. What a paradox, if she were to compare their situations now and back on Earth. Their roles got reversed and funnily enough, they still did not make it.

Would things be different if they were both single? Was this the moral of the story? Never to chase after people who were already taken, even if they might still harbor deep emotions for you?

Yes, she should make sure that her next boyfriend would be strong, silent and, above all, available.

If she ever was in a search of a new boyfriend, that is.

"Mew Ichigo?"

"Hm?" she answered absent-mindedly.

"Are you ok? You seem a little ill."

Ichigo stared at him in a bit of shock, once she snapped to her senses, mulling over his unexpected question that had, for some reason, left her lungs without air.

"I-I," she was searching for the correct words but could not quite convey how she felt, "I'm okay. Just nervous before the flight. The flight jitters, you know. That's all," she laughed lamely, massaging her temples in what she merely hoped looked like authentic embarrassment.

"Understood. We are here," he motioned to the huge hangar into which they suddenly stepped and Ichigo marveled at the enormous stainless ship which looked almost ready for her take-off, "your pilot will be here any minute. I trust that I can let you wait here for him alone?" he gave her a wary look and Ichigo nodded solemnly.

"S-sure," she replied with a meager smile.

"Have a safe flight then," Ren bowed and the air around him started to shimmer.

Once he was gone, Ichigo shifted her attention back onto the ship, admiring its elegant features. It was highly emblematic of Cyniclon culture; with its sharp, flawless edges and graceful engravings, Ichigo thought back to her first impressions she had acquired by travelling to Cyclonia on Pai's spaceship. How much time had passed since then? Was it really a matter of a few days, something close to more over a week? And was it enough? She felt like she had been here half a year at least. Was it due to all of the havoc she had wrecked around herself? Or the notion that she had nothing waiting for her back on Earth, except for her friends, parents, Keiichiro and Masha? Could she really try to forget and leave everything behind?

'Once you board this ship, there is no way back.'

The longer she had stared at the open door that directly led to the cockpit, the fiercer Pai's words kept invading her thoughts. Would they hunt her with the same kind of intensity even when she was back home? And could she truly run away from her feelings for Kisshu for good?

'No,' she knew the answer to that question even before her inner voice gave a response.

There was no point of running away. Especially, since she had spent the magnitude of her time on Cyclonia running after what she had wanted.

Running away would be cowardly at this point.

It seemed, at first glance, as the best decision, but, in all actuality, it did not solve anything; running away would not ease her conscience, it would make her even more desperate and she could not leave knowing that Kisshu's image of her in his head was stained.

She had to clean her reputation, turn on a new page, a blank page, and stop hiding behind the other Mews and Ryou or anybody else. It was up to her to make things right, and her only. Some small voice in the back of her mind informed Ichigo that this was going to be a bad idea, as her conscience continued to tug at her, but all she could hear were Pai's words goading her on.

'If you truly love Kisshu, now is your last chance to tell him.'

The adrenaline rushed to her brain.

Casting a quick eye around the clearing, Ichigo ascertained that nobody was around before she took off and, within the next second, disappeared.


The mood in the room was more or less sour. It felt empty, so empty and wrong; and it did not help in the slightest that nobody said anything to destroy the gruesome quietness that was both excruciating, as well as ever present. Nobody spoke; nobody moved, invoking the perfect image of a still picture, whose fluidity was disrupted solely through the colorful hues of the sun that were continuously streaming through the thick velvet curtains.

At least not until Mint breathed out another deflated sigh and reclined in her chair, her eyes trained on the world outside of the glass window. She had been this silent ever since they had returned back from the beach. And it was not that hard to figure out why.

"I just can't believe that she left. And we stayed here. Without her," Mint repeated for what must have been the tenth time in the past hour.

"That is what Ichigo wanted," Zakuro responded in a calm voice from across her seat.

Her visage did not vary a lot from Mint's but, again, Zakuro had never showed much of emotion to begin with.

"I just don't understand why it had to come all down to this," Mint mused, her chin propped up in her hand, as she continued to stare out of the window with an impassive look on her face.

"Well, it did seem troublesome from the very beginning," Lettuce chimed in when she appeared from behind the corner with a tray of cute pink cups and a kettle of hot tea; a thick cinnamon smell immediately wafted through the small room.

She set the tray in front of the blue lorikeet Mew whose gaze remained as vacant as ever.

"A courtesy of Pai," Lettuce added, as if that was supposed to catch Mint's attention, but it didn't.

The green haired Mew eyed her companion warily before she turned around to regard Zakuro.

"Would you care for a cup of tea?" she smiled in a good-natured way.

"Yes. That would be nice. Thanks," the elder Mew replied. She accepted the cup and took a long sip before she went on, "How is Pai handling it?"

"Not so well," Lettuce began tentatively and pushed her glasses further up her nose, once she had put the kettle back down on the tray, "But I did expect that much. He said that Kisshu is completely out of it. Nobody knows what is going to happen. There will be a trial though, or so Pai thinks."

"I see," Zakuro gave a curt nod and they automatically reverted back to the thick silence.

"It is just so unfair," caught up in their own thoughts, both of the Mews startled at Mint's brazen tone, "I know that Ichigo is an idiot and all that. But obviously both of them are devastated by what has happened. Isn't that a proof enough that what they felt for each other was real?"

"I know, but it does not change the fact that Kisshu had committed treason, not to mention infidelity," Lettuce hung her head down.

"Could you shut up?!" Mint's voice rose by an octave, "How many couples do you think would go after each other with so much passion and energy if they really did not want to be with each other?! Why do other people and circumstances have to stand in between them? And why should they even listen to them in the very first place?"

"Mint," Lettuce breathed out, taken aback by her friend's strong reaction.

The blue lorikeet Mew exhaled sharply, as she let her eyes set on the tea cup in front of her, "I'm sorry. I just don't agree with all this. Thank you for the tea, though."

"Mint, if there was anything we could do, we would do it, you know it. Even Ryou tried, despite his former claims. There is nothing we can accomplish at this point but wait-"

"like cowards," Mint finished.

"like friends of someone that we really care about," Zakuro corrected.

Mint seemed as if she wanted to argue some more but before she was given a chance, the door to their room flew open and in came a very loud and fuming Pudding and significantly quitter but still very red-faced Taruto.

All of the Mews turned their heads towards the chaos of the new screaming sounds, except for the blonde, who had already her eyes glued on the aggravated alien.

"Well, Taru. Tell 'em, na no da!" Pudding commanded with a snap of her fingers.

"Pudding, I told you I can't. I gave her my word," Taruto growled in a low tone.

"You told me!" Pudding pointed out.

"I know, I know. A big mistake," the little alien groaned and pulled a face.

"What is going on here?" Mint asked in indignation. Hearing those two fight definitely did not alleviate all the inner frustration she had been battling ever since this morning.

"It was all Elton's foul play, na no da! He is the one responsible for Ichigo and Kisshu's break up," Pudding remarked sagely.

There was a pause.

"Pudding, you can't just go around accusing people," Lettuce recovered first and shook her head in mild disapproval.

"But it's true! And not only that! He hurt Ichigo too, if Taruto didn't come here in the morning, Elton would have sexually assaulted her!"

"What?" Mint and Lettuce shouted in unison, whereas Zakuro sent the alien in front of her a dubious look.

"Yea, I sort of came in the nick of time. Clothes still on, if you know what I mean," Taruto answered a bit sheepishly.

"Who else knows about this?" the elder Mew's visage became pensive, prompting him to continue.

"And how could you keep this to yourself?" Lettuce managed to make her tone sound curious rather than accusing.

Mint just stared.

"Geez, relax. Ichigo asked me not to tell anyone. Only you guys know and well Pudding here," he jerked his head to the left where the youngest Mew bounded up and down.

"We have to let people know about that! And Yuri too!" she exclaimed with a fist raised high up in the air.

"And what would that be good for exactly, especially now that Ichigo is gone?" Zakuro inquired when she took in the change of Taruto's facial expression.

"Here's another piece of news for you, Mew Mew," he smirked, before he added in a louder voice, "She did not leave!"

"WHAT?" another sharp intake of breaths followed this proclamation, while they all gawked at the alien as if he was from outer space, which was not that far away from the truth.

"What do you mean by that?" Mint raised a suspicious eyebrow, finally taking an active part in the discussion at hand.

"Exactly what I said, she did not board the spaceship and disappeared god knows where," Taruto shrugged nonchalantly, making all of the Mews look on in shock.

"Which is why we HAVE to do something!" Pudding quipped in an energetic way.

"Even if that was the case, and Ichigo was still on Cyclonia, it does not change the fact that Kisshu has cheated with her on Yuri and engaged himself in a public scandal."

"Yes but if we don't tell Yuri about this, it would all look like it's only Kisshu's and Ichigo's wrongdoings and that's not fair, na no da!"

"I don't know about that. Kisshu had a chance to reject Ichigo and he didn't. Even though she kept pursuing him and eventually wore him down, that does not change anything. No matter how you look at it, both Ichigo and Kisshu are to blame," Zakuro said sullenly.

"But Kisshu and Ichigo both did it because they love each other, na no da!"

Mint exchanged a look with Pudding that said it all. This was worth fighting for.

"Whereas Elton did that out of spite and jealousy," the blue lorikeet Mew opined.

"And because he is evil, na no da!"

"These are still only trifles, not adding much to the overall picture," Zakuro rationalized.

"But we gotta make sure they are known trifles!" Pudding squeaked in protest.

That determination in Pudding's voice was enough to startle the older Mew and she found herself a bit stricken by it. Even Lettuce's features somewhat softened.

"Not to mention that Yuri will probably not go against Elton," Taruto interjected, "she never has thus far."

"Of course she will, don't be silly," Pudding chided.

"Don't count on it."

"But why not?" Lettuce asked and Mint's eyes reflected the same question in her gaze, although she held her tongue.

"I dunno," Taruto scratched the back of his head nervously, "They have this kind of weird pact with each other or something. Elton had done much worse shit in the past, even with Kisshu, and Yuri has never stopped him. I don't see a reason why she should now," his eyes narrowed, "Especially considering the circumstances."

"But he is a delinquent," Mint snapped back.

"Listen, birdie. It does not matter, ok? He is a noble, so normal peasant rules don't apply to him. Don't look at me. I ain't happy with that either," Taruto barked out gruffly.

"Do you think we could talk about that with Yuri herself? Maybe that way, she would understand our perspective a little better?" Lettuce's voice sounded extremely soothing and hopeful and maybe something about these two qualities calmed Taruto's nerves enough to make him feel less agitated than he had been a second ago.

"Doubtful," he countered in a much more relaxed tone, "Plus it's not like she will accept any of you."

"Then we gotta ambush her, na no da," Pudding declared totally oblivious of Taruto's discomfort.

"Are you crazy?" asked the baffled alien, his jaw dropping a little.

"Well, it does not seem like we have any other choice, does it?" Zakuro pinned her gaze with his own, silently challenging him, "And we need you to help us with that, Taruto."

The little alien found himself strangely awestruck by the sheer audacity that her words implied, but he glared up at the eldest Mew either way.

"Again, are you all crazy?! Absolutely not!" he took a step back, crossing his arms defensively.

"No, but we do care about Ichigo and Kisshu and you will help us, if you care about them too."

Taruto looked disturbed. Obviously, he had been battling a war within himself; one that, on the one hand, willed him to go against all of his learning, values and principles for the sake of saving his family. Was getting older really such a drag? If only he could go back to being a child and leave all the difficult decisions to Pai, his life would have been so much easier. His eyes swept across the room where all the determined faces around him confronted him with various degrees of desperation and pleading.

Taruto closed his eyes with a serene sigh, pressing his lips in a very tight line. He parted them only when he spoke again.

"Fine."


There was no way that they would be able to teleport into Yuri's office with a mere flip of Taruto's hand, that much everyone knew with utmost certainty. Considering all the tight security that had been implemented against Cyniclons in this governmental area, it would be a little too convenient and easy to presuppose that a simple act of teleportation would do the trick. But that did not necessarily mean that they could not go about the whole situation in the good old fashioned way. All the more, now that they could use their pendants and Mew Mew powers again; everybody's confidence and strength had come back in spades with this happy realization.

Although Kisshu had seemingly decided to be dead to the world, Yuri, apparently, continued with running the office in spite of everything. This was a good sign, which only prompted the Mews to resume with their plan with an extra layer of eagerness. There was only the huge golden majestic looking door engraved with various mythical animals on it that separated them from the leading office and Yuri's presence now; and Pudding would be damned if she did not make it through the next time the door decided to open. There had been a couple of aliens coming in and out, but it was always so swift that nobody on the team had a chance to react to it in any productive manner, or to form a solid strategy to overcome such a hindrance.

The Mew Mews with Taruto in tow were all presently crouching in the air vent passageway at a dead end, eyeing the intimidating metal door and what was behind it in an utter frenzy. What sounded like a brilliant idea at first, faced some serious reality check the moment they had realized that the air vent did not go through Yuri's office but only circled around it. It could have been a safety precaution, or simply their bad luck, but now that they were aware of such an obstacle, their plan collapsed and they had to come up with a new one, or a plan b.

Luckily, Pudding was never short of ideas.

However, she had only very sporadically shared them with others before acting them out all on her own.

And, since Taruto's expression sizzled with desperation and lacked the resolution that Pudding needed, she could tell that this would be another of her solo missions that she would have to embark on by herself.

The sudden muffled noise informed her that her time was almost up and she prepared for her moment. She was the smallest and the most flexible of all the Mews, which gave her the best chance of getting in before the others could join her. It was only a matter of a few seconds, but if she was quick enough, she knew that she could make it.

There was a creak of the door.

On the marks.

And before anyone could say or do anything, Pudding kicked the vent grate real hard and lunged herself forward the minute she saw her opportunity.

"You can't go in there, do you even hear me?! Hey!" Pudding shoved Taruto's arms out of her way, as she jumped through the closing door, slamming it wide open in the last second.

She felt on her knees, hard, regardless of the soft carpeted surface underneath her, and let out a small yelp, but that scarcely stopped her determination.

"Princess Yuri," the blonde cried out immediately after her eyes fell upon the silver haired alien girl in front of her, "I-I need to talk to you!"

The alien princess in question was sitting cross-legged on the golden throne at the far end of the room, her long wavy hair hanging freely around her face. Her magnetizing blue eyes slightly widened at the sudden intrusion but did not fill with anger or shock. Her dress that flowed gently over her knees was white and elegant and nicely complemented the silver strapless sandals that she wore on her dainty legs with it. She was breathtaking and just as beautiful as Pudding had remembered her from the welcoming ceremony. If this was how a girl during a heartache in a relationship looked like, Pudding was sure she wanted to instantly start one too.

"This is ridiculous," Gato raised from his seat close to Yuri's left, ready to dismiss the little Mew but Taruto was quick enough to teleport right behind him and restrain his hands with his plants.

"Not so fast!" he yelled as he captured the bespectacled alien in his grasp.

"Thank you, Taru," Pudding chirped before she regained a straight face and addressed the princess again.

"Princess Yuri, Kisshu is innocent and so is Ichigo! It was all Elton's doing. He manipulated Ichigo into believing she was with Kisshu and then he used her confusion to manipulate Kisshu as well. He is the real jerk behind all of this, na no da!"

If Yuri was surprised, her expression did not show it.

"And why would I believe any of that?" she asked, her gaze firmly trained on the monkey Mew.

"Because she is telling the truth," Mint's voice came from behind them, making all the eyes snap at her at once, when she and the rest of the Mew Mews appeared in the foyers.

"This is no banquet to come and go! How dare you," Gato gasped in disbelief but Taruto silenced him in the next moment with another plant around his neck.

Mint took it as a sign to proceed. She fixed the princess with a resolute look and took a deep breath.

"Elton told me a lot about you when we were drinking together. He told me things he does not remember, but I remember them alright. He did it all out of spite. He is jealous, Yuri. Of Kisshu, always has been. Because Kisshu always had the right to do anything and live his life freely, while Elton as the member of the royal family could not. I know that he is important to you, Yuri. Elton told me about what happened when you were younger. How he saved you from a bunch of creepy older guys and how he has you wrapped around his finger ever since. One good deed can't buy him eternal freedom. Please Yuri. Don't turn a blind eye on his behavior like you did in the past. I don't know what all you already forgave him but I can't forgive him for hurting my best friend! He has hurt Ichigo and Kisshu too and he is hurting this nation and you as well. He has no conceptualization of what his actions may cause and he needs to be taught a lesson. Please, Yuri, don't allow your personal feelings to let him get away with that. He is despicable and deep down I know that you know it too. You are the first female to rule Cyclonia, don't you feel responsible for such a violation on women's bodies? Because I am sure that this was not his first, nor last sexual assault. How can you sleep knowing that?"

"How dare you!" Gato barked out angrily but Yuri remained silent.

She considered Mint's words carefully before she returned her attention to Taruto and ordered him to release her main advisor at once.

The youngest alien nodded solemnly and soon after Gato fell on his knees to the ground, his breath wheezing.

"Your highness?" he asked in shock when he took in Yuri's concentrated face.

"Gato, I want you to call in a brief meeting with both Kisshu and Elton present. Make it anytime within today evening, understood?" her voice was calm and unwavering but no one could miss the serious undertone that lurked from underneath it.

"Yes, your highness," he bowed and teleported away before shooting Taruto one last dirty look.

"Yayyyy," Pudding squealed as she started hopping up and down.

"Don't jump just yet, this still proves nothing, you know," Taruto opposed from his hovering position still in the air.

"That will be correct," Yuri confirmed, "Nevertheless, I would like to thank you all for your perseverance. The art of perseverance, as well as the courage to dare and succeed, are two of the main values that we deeply treasure here on Cyclonia. Today you all proved that we are honored to have you here with us and celebrate together the endeavors of our ancestors. Thank you. Now, please excuse me," she nodded and the air around her began to ripple until her whole form eventually faded away.

With both of the royals gone now, the majestic room appeared to be somewhat lacking, in spite of the red velvet curtains that screamed luxury from miles away along with the various lines of golden-framed pictures that hung all around the marble walls.

"W-where do you think she went?" Lettuce stammered with a hint of apprehension in her tone.

"It does not matter," Zakuro replied honestly, "we have to find Ichigo. There is still a chance."

"Yeah, but like where should we go?" Mint asked skeptically, "All we know is that she did not board Pai's ship. I have also not seen Ryou at all today. Do you think that the two of them could be somewhere together?"

"The laboratory," Lettuce supplied.

"That's it," Zakuro confirmed, coming to the same conclusion.

"Taruto, could you teleport us all there?" the blue lorikeet Mew instantly turned to the small alien with urgency.

There was no way that they could leave the premises through the meandering air vent passage again; if they wanted to reach Ryou in the next three hours, that is. And it was not like they could simply exit through the main governmental door either, as Ichigo's affair with Kisshu had significantly weakened the trust between Cyniclons and humans. Mint was sure that if they got spotted anywhere near the establishment, it could raise even more commotion and public outrage, both of which the Mews could definitely do without.

Fortunately, Taruto seemed to be in a rather cooperating mood for a change.

"Well, I'm in far too much trouble already to say no, now? Am I not?" he grinned, descending upon the floor right next to Pudding.

"Come on, Taru! I will give you a kiss if you teleport us there quick!" the monkey Mew beamed at him.

"Oh my god, shut up! I don't want no kiss," Taruto struggled to contain his bottled-up emotions, but to everyone else it was painfully clear that Pudding's comment had only proved that he was merely faking his disinterest.

"Everybody, hold onto me, group teleportations are pain the ass, but I will try my best not to mess it up," he muttered indignantly, stretching his arms in front of himself.

"You'd better," Mint prodded and Taruto almost smacked her, be it not for Pudding and her gentle squeeze of his hand.

"It will be okay, Taru," Pudding assured him.

"It is easy for you to say. Teleporting more than one person at a time is a rarity, since you can never really tell how it will turn out. You can end up scattered at various places around Cyclonia and maybe in one piece, but also in shreds. Now's probably a good time to tell you that group teleportations can mutilate bodies. Even Pai does not usually do them for that very reason."

His explanation was met with a mixture of shock and immediate dread among the Mew Mew faces but Zakuro's stern voice cut through the doubts like a knife through butter.

"It will be alright," her purple eyes melted for a millisecond before her voice assumed a hard edge to it again, "Now, do it."

"I believe in you," Pudding whispered with a smile and the little alien could not hide his blush at her enthusiastic support anymore.

He took a deep breath and looking around himself for the very last time, he allowed for his eyes to close as the air around them slowly began to shiver.

"Ok, here we go," Taruto exclaimed, holding onto Pudding's hand as if it was the last thing that had kept him alive.