Solace in Solitude
Dear readers,
Thank you for stopping by and reading this story. I cannot believe that there is only one more chapter + an epilogue (chapter!) left ( °▽° ). Time flies! Again, thank you everyone for your kudos, reviews, comments and follows. Seeing that this fic has received so much love feels indeed wonderful! Here is another 2 in 1 for you (and extra long at that!). I had no intention of splitting this one, as I wanted to leave everybody with the feeling that it's sorta obvious what will happen next, and something to be truly excited about! (*^^*)
The music I used for this segment was Paula Abdul's 'Straight Up.'
Lulyy Elizabeth Vaca - Thank you for yet another comment! Elton was punished at last! The payback time is over, and only the good things are to happen from now on! Stay tuned!
KawaiiCutie12 – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so happy to hear that you like Yuri. I adore her character too, and Gato as well; even Elton to some extent, but he is a complicated guy.
DrDark7 – Thank you for yet another comment! I am so happy to say that no one is going to torment Ichigo anymore. Except for Ryou, but their endless bickering is just so much fun to write!
Kishlover985 – Thank you for yet another comment! You're so right with your predictions every single time haha! And no, it is not weird. I love Pai and Ryou together, they have so much in common, you know?!
NeKoGirl – Thank you for yet another comment! Ichigo will be rescued and there will be no more disasters in her life, I swear! Enough is enough. Now all we have to face is the happy ending!
As always, please enjoy and review!
I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew
"What do you mean there was a signal?" Mint inquired with only thinly-veiled apprehension in her voice.
Even if it was decidedly uncharacteristic of the snobbish and ever arrogant blue lorikeet Mew to fret or give in to panic, the last days on Cyclonia had proved that even Mint was only a human after all. And, infused with an animal DNA or not, she held onto her last nerves regardless of the helpless situation. They had been running in circles for quite some time now and though their bodies began to experience fatigue, their minds were as sharp as ever. Maybe a little too sharp.
"Just what I said," Ryou replied curtly, his own sarcasm barely held in check, "There was a signal from Ichigo's pendant a little south east from you, but before I managed to get a closer look at it, it vanished."
"Do you think something bad has happened to her?" Lettuce, always the worry-worm, asked in a foreboding tone.
"Not necessarily," Ryou responded with calmness that did not correspond with his anxious expression, not that the girls could see it, "But I just don't understand it. How could she possibly disappear from the radars without powering down first? That is the most baffling part about that all."
However much the communication speaker dimmed Ryou's answer, no one could fail to discern the clear concern that was relayed through his words.
"It's actually not baffling at all," Taruto quickly cut in from next to the semi-scared and semi-surprised Pudding, "Ichigo was probably travelling via some alternate dimension, which is not really uncommon here on Cyclonia. I have a feeling that we won't be able to do anything but wait for now, though."
An audible series of gasps followed the little alien's proclamation along with various exclamations of protests and bitter objections. As expected, Pudding's response was nothing short of curious, whereas Lettuce remained looking absolutely stunned and Mint went ballistic. The only ones who had refrained from any kind of reaction were, of course, Zakuro and Ryou.
"Have you lost your mind?" the blue lorikeet Mew asked crossly, "You really think that after all of this, we will just sit and wait doing nothing?"
Taruto rubbed the back of his neck, drawing a sharp breath.
"Let's just say I have a hunch, alright?"
"A hunch, na no da?" Pudding echoed.
"Yea. Usually, teleportations are a temporary thing, meaning you will disappear but reappear elsewhere at some point, even if you travel through various dimensions at the same time," Taruto explained matter-of-factly, "But if the radars still cannot pinpoint her exact location, then that could only mean that Ichigo is not moving through alternate dimension but is rather stuck in one. And there are merely two people on our entire planet who can create such dimensions that are as powerful as well as impenetrable that nobody can get inside or out without their permission," he paused dramatically, alluding to what everyone already thought to be the case.
"Wherever Ichigo is, she is either with Yuri or Gato."
The ever present jet black darkness persisted to assail Ichigo's senses with all of its ghastly alacrity.
There was no left, nor right; and neither any bottom, or visible ceiling that could persuade her mind that there was at least something around her, besides the murky nothingness that continuously seeped through her body, drenching her in its endless shadowy undertones. Be it not for the fact that she was still securely held by the chains in the air, she would have probably already lain on the floor, if there was one, drained or passed out in the aftermath of the maddening landscape surrounding her.
Was this the way how Cyniclons punished their enemies? Secluding them from the real world above until they were eventually stripped of their last shreds of sanity and succumbed to the realm of madness? Was this what was about to happen to her? Would she be forced to watch her own demise? To see how her body would rot and decompose, as her organs would, one by one, cease functioning in front of her eyes?
Ichigo was gradually coming to terms with her gruesome fate but then, quite suddenly, there was a sound, rather subtle but loud enough for the Mew Mew to hear, which pulled her out of her grim reveries, as an unexpected feeble light of blue filled her line of sight. And behind that light, little by little, the darkness seemed to slowly disperse along the lean elegant figure with long silver hair until, at last, it was gone and Ichigo was met face to face with the alien princess standing right in front of her.
"Hello, Ichigo," Yuri greeted her jovially.
With a flick of her pale fingers, the chains around Ichigo's limbs disintegrated, sending the human girl falling down onto the floor in an ungraceful heap of flesh and bones.
"Yuri," Ichigo exclaimed in disbelief when she recovered and started massaging her sore wrists and butt in the process; apparently, the room was not as bottomless after all.
Another few seconds had passed before Ichigo lifted herself from the ground and eyed the princess nervously. They stood in silence for a long while. It was awkward and it had made the Mew Mew somewhat uneasy.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Ichigo. I just wanted to ensure that we can talk in private, barren of any unnecessary company. That is why I asked Gato to procure you and bring you here," Yuri said, as she approached the human girl cautiously.
Ichigo gave her a wary look. Yuri appeared as gorgeous as ever, but there was something different about her since the last time they had talked; but that was all before Ichigo had become a traitor and slept with Yuri's fiancé. Did Yuri come here to finish her off? They were way past the friendly banter that they had once exchanged during the welcoming party. Then and now seemed like a whole different world and this notion itself was enough for the much-needed reality check. Ichigo knew she could not evade the unavoidable forever, but she could at least get a basic idea of her surroundings first.
"Yuri, where are we? Gato mentioned something about the other dimension. And I have been in a couple of them before when we were still at war, but this feels totally unfamiliar," Ichigo shuddered, the queasy feeling never entirely leaving her body.
"Oh, yes. It should. That is the whole purpose of this place. It exists on its own and it is impenetrable from both inside and out, which means that nobody would interrupt us here," Yuri let out a soft chuckle before she gestured with her delicate hand around, "Welcome to the another dimension, Ichigo!"
"Another dimension?" Ichigo repeated in confusion.
"Yes," the princess smiled brightly, "These are used as prisons mostly, as we can create them and control everything what transpires within them on our whim. Everything is a matter of our wishful thinking, so to say, and once the dimension breaks, it forever disappears with whatever or whoever is in them. It is a rather effective way of disposing of one's enemies."
Ichigo's breath hitched at the mention of this little detail but Yuri brushed her fear away quickly.
"It is remarkable, really. In most Cyniclons, these dimensions trigger unabated terror. I, however, find them strangely soothing. Sometimes, when I want to be alone or just need a minute to think, I often come here and find solace in solitude. It is the best place to contemplate, with no prying eyes and ears on you. Unless you decide to open any of the doors around, all you hear is only yourself and your own train of thinking."
Now, that Ichigo could understand; the rest there was to it, not really. All the more, when she looked around and spotted none of these aforementioned doors or windows around them. Then, another idea had struck her with equal amount of curiosity and panic.
"Is that why I can't use any of my powers here? Something similar to that trick that Elton used against me?"
At this, Yuri's smile slightly faltered but her gaze remained twinkling with amusement.
"Yes and no. I will show you," the princess closed her eyes and her whole body began consequently to glow in blue light, as a circle diagram with something that was heavily reminiscent of Celtic runic alphabet started to form around her form. The more the runic letters became visible, the more glaring the light seemed to feel, and Ichigo had to put a hand in front of her eyes, not to be blinded by its sheer brighteness. Once the darkness around Yuri completely evaporated, Ichigo could see that they were standing in a fairly normal room, not unlike that of Pai's lab, though without any technological devices aligned in the corner.
"This," Yuri motioned to the blue circle that kept illuminating the space around her, casting their surroundings in all kinds of shades of blue, "Is called a Blue Shield of Defense. Every single cell that you will find here is framed in one. They are very convenient, as they both restrain our enemies and, simultaneously, also deprive them of any power they might possess. In other words, once you become locked in these diagrams, you are fully exposed to our punishment in whichever way we see fit and with no possibility of escape. Only me and Gato can create and move in and out of these shields freely, no one else."
Ichigo watched Yuri with unconcealed awe in her eyes. She knew that the princess was not only breathtaking but also powerful; yet, that her powers were that awe-inspiring, she had no idea. In comparison to Yuri, Kisshu now looked like a toddler who had barely mastered half of the tricks Yuri could pull off; that thought itself had made Ichigo internally laugh before Yuri's voice redirected her attention back onto her.
"Speaking of which, I would like to also apologize in advance for Gato's rude treatment towards you, Ichigo. Please do not take his behavior personally. He was simply doing his job. Don't hold it against him."
The image of the bespectacled alien had made the Mew Mew's stomach do an unwanted flip, but, despite herself, she forced out a smile and plainly nodded.
"It's ok, no real offense taken."
"I'm glad to hear that," a small grin tugged at the corners of Yuri's lips, while she tried not to laugh at Ichigo's blatant lie.
"You do not really like Gato, do you?" Yuri queried with half-lidded eyes.
"N-no, it's just," Ichigo stammered, trying to find a better way of how to express herself through her jumbled thoughts.
'There is something weird about their relationship. He is fighting for her so fervently. Could he-?'
"Is he-is he in love with you Yuri?" Ichigo blurted out without thinking and immediately clamped her hand over her mouth at the sudden realization that she had really said it out loud.
Yuri gave her a weird look before she threw her head back and burst out laughing.
"Oh, no. Not at all. Or, I at least hope so," the alien princess suppressed a giggle once she continued, noting that Ichigo was far from convinced.
"You see, Gato has been with me ever since I was a little girl. My father had made him to protect me and help me with whatever I need. He is my knight for as long as he lives. The whole purpose of life is to serve me. It is his ultimate prerogative, as well as his sole duty."
Ichigo blinked, even more confused than ever.
"I'm sorry, but when you say your father created him for you, is he like not real or like a robot or something?"
Yuri's grin broadened.
"No. With us royals, it's rather simple. I will share a little secret with you, Ichigo. Something only the noble family knows, so unless you want to suffer from the horrible consequences of royal wrath, I suggest you keep your lips sealed in regards to this matter.
"O-ok," Ichigo squeaked, quickly considering whether she would save herself all the possible trouble of blabbing if she had said right here and now that she was not interested in hearing whatever Yuri was about to tell her.
But that would be pointless and a total lie. Even though she had been fighting Cyniclons for years, there were so many things Ichigo did not understand about their culture and the sudden realization had made her blush. How much was there to know about them, really? She thought that she had known enough but, evidently, she was barely scratching the surface of what it truly entailed to be a member of their society. And, maybe it was a good thing she did not know before. Would she have otherwise started an affair with Kisshu if she was aware of everything there was to their world? Yes. Whatever Yuri was about to divulge to her was important to know, Ichigo concluded; and she would be damned if she had let this opportunity slip between her fingers out of fear or stupidity. She needed to know; knowing would help her understand better.
"You are already familiar with the fact that all royals have special powers, right?" Yuri began albeit it seemed rather obvious that it was purely an attempt at a rhetorical question.
"Y-yeah," Ichigo cringed but nodded.
"There are many different types of royal powers on Cyclonia. You have witnessed a few already," Yuri shot her a furtive glance before she resumed talking, "but the trick is that we not only wield them but we can also transfer them on someone else, if we want to, that is."
Ichigo's eyes widened in understanding, willing Yuri to continue.
"Naturally, a descendant of a royal member automatically inherits the royal powers through their blood line, but if we deem someone trustworthy, we can provide such an individual with our royal powers as well, to an extent and capacity we see the most befitting."
"So that's how," Ichigo breathed out softly.
"Gato got his royal powers, yes," Yuri finished with a triumphant smile, "Obviously, his abilities are generated from the bond that was created between him and my father, because that is how my father intended it to be, but yeah, to put it simply, as long as I live, or until one of us dies, he has to protect me with his own life."
"That is strangely romantic," Ichigo mused, somewhat dazed by this new piece of information, "He is really like your knight. Though a pretty creepy one at that," she pulled a face when a mental picture of Gato's impassive stare entered her thoughts.
"Haha, if you say so," Yuri laughed, waving her hand in a fairly amused manner.
And it was then, at the sound of such genuine laughter, that Ichigo paused a little, fully realizing that this was absolutely not what she should have been discussing with Yuri at all. Was Yuri pretending? No, that laugh sounded a little too genuine to Ichigo's ears to be fake. Still, she could not comprehend how it was possible that Yuri was not fighting her? The princess hadn't even slapped her, nor screamed at her. Was this just a little detour before they were really going to talk about what had happened? The imminent false sense of security preceding the moment when the gloves were off and claws out? Elton was also friendly at first, and only after he had gained Ichigo's trust, did he strike. Was Yuri about to do the same?
Something in Ichigo's face must have changed in the following second, because when she and Yuri reenacted eye contact, the princess's visage hardened momentarily before she reopened her mouth and spoke again.
And though Ichigo internally braced herself for the impact, she had not been expecting the apology that came out of Yuri's lips next.
"I would like to apologize for my cousin's behavior as well. What he did to you was unacceptable and, rest assured, that he is being punished for his acts, as we speak. Observe," out of nowhere, a small hologram appeared in Yuri's palm showing Ichigo the said Cyniclon chained and suspended in the air in a very similar way she had been before.
"I am sorry. There was no reason to chain you to the wall like that. Unlike Elton, you didn't really deserve it," Yuri remarked, wrinkling her brow in dejection.
"B-But, Yuri, I," Ichigo started hesitantly.
Yuri sighed in exasperation.
"Sadly, Elton is not very good at handling his emotions. God knows he is a handful. And so is Kish. They always were troublemakers. Both of them. Already when they were little kids. It's a miracle nobody has ever skinned them alive," Yuri grimaced, somehow lost in her memories.
"I am not trying to tell you that what my cousin did to you was right. But I would like you to understand that being a Cyniclon was for a really long period of time mainly about violence and survival, Ichigo. Most of our families died out before we received the help of Mew Aqua, and when we finally did, it only brought upon more deaths and Civil War after my uncle's, Deep Blue's, fall. I saw all of my family members that survived the prior harsh conditions commit suicide out of their shortsightedness and sheer loyalty to the throne with my own eyes, and so did Elton. Things did eventually calm down but, clearly, some of us have put up with the changes better than others."
Ichigo was staring at Yuri in astonishment. She was conscious of the fact that the Cyniclons needed the Mew Aqua for their existence. But to actually hear what its presence meant for their survival was just heartbreaking.
When she recovered, she asked a bit timidly, with her eyes dropped to the floor.
"I-Is Elton alright?"
In spite of all the horrible stuff he had done to her, Ichigo felt a sudden pinch of sympathy for the blue haired alien after hearing about all the hardships he had had to endure. She could imagine that his values oscillated on a completely different spectrum than hers. And she could not understand but she could forgive.
"Yes, pretty beat up but all good. Don't worry about him. He just needed to be put back in his place. Sometimes, he is forgetting what it means to be an adult and he still runs around acting like a petulant child, so all the beating he received was completely justified," Yuri dismissed her worry with no real remorse in her voice.
Justified, huh?
Ichigo's thoughts quickly turned to Kisshu. If Elton was beat up and held up tight, what had happened to Kisshu? Was he even still alive? Could she ask Yuri such a thing? Wouldn't she be pushing it a little too much by asking that? She, the girl who had slept with her fiancé hardly believed that she had any right to pose such a daring question.
"Kish is ok, if you are worried about that."
"How did you?" Ichigo asked in surprise upon which Yuri smirked, eyes ablaze.
"I can read minds, Ichigo. An ability that was passed onto me by the former king, my father. That is one of my ingenious special powers. Each royal has something. You have already seen Elton's abilities, I assume?"
Ichigo shivered at the memory.
"Paralysis."
"That will be correct," Yuri confirmed, "He is rather good at it. Gato can do that too, but his specialty is congestion, which enables him to cause any body to abnormally fill with blood or block the respiratory tract, which together with paralysis is, indeed, a deadly combination. Even though I must admit that our powers work way better with Cyniclons than with humans, as, apparently, I cannot decode everything you think all the time," Yuri smiled before she added, "But even if I didn't read your mind, your face gives you away easily. You should never gamble, Ichigo, you would not win much."
"Funny that you mentioned that since my best friend keeps telling me exactly the same thing. Maybe I should start to gamble just to prove you guys wrong," Ichigo muttered, placing a hand on her hip, before it had dawned on her who she was actually talking to.
"I-I am sorry. I-I didn't mean to-," she took a deep breath as she spoke again, "Yuri, I would like-"
"It's ok," Yuri smiled at the flustered Mew, "I don't blame Kish for what he did. And neither you."
Ichigo's eyes widened in a barely concealed shock and Yuri had to suppress a titter not to laugh at her again.
"You are wearing your heart on your sleeve, Ichigo. That is a good quality, no need to feel ashamed about that."
As Ichigo failed to respond in any meaningful way, Yuri continued to watch her obvious struggle a little longer until she decided to let that poor human girl be.
"If you have something on your mind. You can always ask. It is better to ask."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Ichigo called out, suddenly realizing that Yuri could hear her thoughts either way.
Man, that must be so annoying to be able to hear people all the time.
"It is," Yuri conceded and Ichigo shrieked when it had occurred to her that she had done it again.
She inhaled sharply.
There was no stalling now. With all the cards laid on the table, Ichigo felt it was only fair to broach the unspeakable head-on. She felt like she owed that to Yuri in the very least, since the alien princess had not hurt her in any way, even if she had every right to do so.
"Yuri. I-I don't understand. I did such a terrible thing to you and yet, yet you are here talking to me as if-?"
"You're a good girl, Ichigo. And an honest one too. I liked you from the start when we met and that is why I decided that I will let you have Kish."
Upon hearing this, Ichigo's head shot up, her mind not really processing what her ears were picking up.
"The truth is," Yuri went on, "I care about Kish very much. He is amazing and will forever have a special place in my heart. I have genuine feelings for him but I don't love him. Not like you do. I always exercise control when I am around him, but never in my life have I lost my balance when I was with him.
"Oh, that? I am just excessively dramatic and prone to hysteria, that is at least what Ryou always tells me all the time," Ichigo laughed lamely, knowing fully well that Ryou was totally right about that statement.
Yuri smiled.
"I don't agree. I think that if someone can instill such strong emotions in you, it is a gift and a proof that you and that person belong together. I know that Kish would marry me out of duty if I really asked him for that in the name of our nation, but seeing him this week with you has made me realize that I cannot wake half of the emotions in him that you can within a matter of a few seconds. He acts completely different around you and I could never compete with that. That is why I want to entrust Kish in your hands from now on, Ichigo."
Ichigo stared in mute disbelief, as her eyes watered and a sense of gratefulness washed over her.
"Thank you, Yuri. You are going to be a great leader," Ichigo whispered with a thick emotion lacing her tone.
"With or without a man?" the princess asked cheekily.
"With or without a man," Ichigo replied back with tears in her eyes before both of the girls broke into a soft laughter.
"Take good care of him, Ichigo. And don't be too hard on him. Just a little, so that he knows his place and does not take you for granted."
"I will try my best," Ichigo nodded vigorously, wiping her tears away.
They embraced and said their goodbyes, and then, with a push of Yuri's hand, Ichigo was sent through a shimmering ripple away.
The incessant typing on the keyboard was the only sound that accompanied the occasional sighs and groans in the otherwise quiet room. It had been a few hours since Ryou Shirogane had joined the Mews and continued to stare at the black screen of his laptop in utter concentration. A few extremely long hours that had tested both his aptitude, as well as his patience, and that had led, so far, to absolutely nothing. But it hardly mattered. In spite of Taruto's cautionary words, Ryou Shirogane was determined to hijack the alien system by any means possible. Where there was a will, there was a way, or so he thought. Yet, the longer he had kept struggling with the unbending security codes, the more exerted his body was until, eventually, his twitching hand slammed against the desk and he let out an angry growl.
"Damn it, I cannot access it!"
"It is ok, Ryou. We just have to wait. Ichigo will reappear at some point," Zakuro affirmed as she uncrossed her legs in a way that only a supermodel could.
That was easier for her to say, Ryou thought. Ever since they had discovered that Ichigo might be with Yuri or Gato, the whole team had become adamant in their belief that the only way of preventing collective madness was to stay together and possibly at the place that Ichigo was most probable to return. That is why they presently resided in her and Mint's room, with Ryou's laptop on the table, and all of the Mews scattered at various positions across the chamber.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," the blonde stood up and took a cup of coffee that Lettuce offered to him with a weak smile on her face.
"There, I see a signal, na no da!" Pudding suddenly called out, making everyone flinch out of their skin, while Ryou began sputtering in shock.
"Move over, Pudding," he shoved her out of his way promptly but before he could zero in on Ichigo's location, the air in the room shivered and out jumped Ichigo.
"Ichigo!" Lettuce and Mint both exclaimed at the same time, while the monkey Mew immediately tackled their leader into a warm hug.
"It is good to see you again," Zakuro said, her tone equally relieved.
"Guys, what are you all doing here?" Ichigo asked somewhat taken aback by their unexpected presence when Pudding had finally let go of her.
"We? What are you doing, Ichigo?"
The snarky voice had made the confused Mew momentarily freeze and when her chocolate eyes met icy blue, Ryou could swear that he saw a flicker of fear in her gaze before she abruptly looked away.
"Ryou, I-," she whispered still too affected by their last conversation, but her train of thinking was shortly cut off when he crossed the room in few wide strides and pulled her into a tight warm embrace.
"R-Ryou?!" she choked out but instantly relaxed once she heard his smooth reassuring words.
"You, idiot. Thank God you're ok."
Had her voice not been so strained and muffled against his chest, the blonde would have probably caught her reply, if he really wanted to. But, for now, all that the male scientist truly cared about was the fact that he was holding the sobbing cat girl firmly in his arms, safe and sound.
The next morning was largely uneventful and nothing short of ordinary.
After Ichigo's return, everybody had decided to call it the day and go to sleep at last. Even Ichigo, regardless of her doubts and complex feelings, had hit the sack with no hesitation. It was only upon the morning, however, that she had finally realized that today was their last day on Cyclonia and they were to leave tomorrow. This notion was shortly confirmed, when she found on the table an ivory envelope that had been delivered to their room along with a delicious looking breakfast that had not failed in making her mouth water.
"They really outdid themselves today, don't you think?" Mint observed, as she scanned the delicacies in front of her with a slight smirk on her face.
"Seems that way," Ichigo mumbled, reaching for the envelope that read 'To Ichigo' in emerald neat handwriting on it.
For a moment, a thought had crossed her mind that the letter could be from Kisshu, which had made her fingers briefly pause before she ripped the seal open with a loud tear and pulled out a small card that matched the envelope in its elegant style, as well as color.
"What does it say?" Mint peered over her shoulder curiously, once she saw Ichigo's befuddled reaction.
Our last celebration is today in the evening. See you there. Yuri
"Yuri is inviting us for the last party tonight," Ichigo answered, tossing the card aside, somewhat disappointed.
"Well, that is pretty nice," Mint said while she plopped another sugar cube into her tea, "Why do you seem so upset about it? You should be happy that she was so gracious with you. I know I wouldn't."
Now, that held true.
Ichigo could still not believe that she was alive. And that the whole thing seemed to have been somewhat resolved without any necessary wars waged against Earth or even God's intervention in force. A part of her was shocked and incapable of digesting the sudden turn of events, whereas the other half felt that there was still so much, much more to untangle. The problem was that Ichigo was no longer sure, if she wanted to untangle it all. The present felt so calm and peaceful, for a change. Should she not let the sleeping dogs lie? Why to complicate things again now that everything appeared to have fallen back in place? Not to mention that Kisshu had specifically asked her to leave Cyclonia and stay out of his life. Should she not follow his wishes? What did it matter, really, that she had gotten everyone else's blessings, if the one person whose opinion mattered to her the most did not care about her any longer?
"I don't know if I should go there, Mint. I don't really feel like partying, you know," Ichigo shrugged honestly.
"There is literally no way that you are not going," a vicious sound came from her left as a hot breath tickled the soft skin of her neck, making her hair stand on end.
"Ryou?! How did you get here?" Ichigo screeched, scooting to the edge of her chair the farthest away from him.
"He's been here for more than five minutes, Ichigo," Mint pointed out, giving her best friend a weird look.
'Was I spacing out again?' the Mew Mew leader contemplated, while her eyes swept up and down Ryou's resolute face.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Ichigo admitted with a sigh.
"Whatever," he leaned against his seat and fixed her with an angry stare, "What do you mean that you're thinking of not going? We are here as ambassadors of our planet. So you might as well rule that ridiculous idea out of your head right now."
"I just-I don't know. Kisshu might be there. And, well even if-if he's not there, I don't know. It would make me sad and-and if he was there, I'm not sure what I would like say to him," Ichigo sighed again and propped her chin on her palm in frustration.
"Well, then forget him," Ichigo looked up at her boss as if he had asked for the impossible, "And go there only in the name of Tokyo Mew Mew. We are in an alliance with Cyclonia," he grabbed the ivory card from the table and waved it in front of her eyes to accentuate his words, "And Yuri invited you herself, so don't breach her trust, Ichigo."
Hearing this, Ichigo's face contorted with guilt as she dropped her gaze onto her lap, refusing to listen to his voice of reason anymore.
Suddenly, Ryou raised to a standing position, startling both of the girls at the table.
"You going already?" Mint asked casually, only half interested.
"Yes. There is still some more business I need to take care of," Ryou replied nonchalantly and Mint nodded in understanding.
"Ichigo," he caught her eye when he stopped by the doorway and glanced over his shoulder back at the table, "I expect to see you there tonight."
Ichigo gulped and shook her head in a totally ambiguous manner that neither confirmed, nor denied her attendance; however, it was obvious that she would be there; there was no way that she would wanna face Ryou's wrath again.
The blonde gave a smile before he slipped through the door and closed it behind him. He was conscious of the fact that Ichigo had not entirely given up on her romantic dream, and he knew exactly what he had to do to make that dream a reality.
"You should come to the festival, it is our tradition, Kisshu," Pai relented, although it was as clear as day that his little brother had already decided to be as difficult as possible.
Pai fully understood that Kisshu needed time to heal both physically as well as mentally, but given the current circumstances, he did not perceive the intended solitude as any real option.
"Trust me, after everything that has happened, the less our nation sees my face, the better," the younger alien grimaced, tormented with the continuous images that had kept invading his head.
"Yuri was rather generous with you. Are you trying to tell me that you are going to pass this opportunity due to your hurt ego?" Pai countered, tilting his head slightly.
"I am not trying to tell you anything," Kisshu spat, folding his hands over his chest in growing aggravation.
"Kisshu," Pai let out an exasperated sigh.
He was mentally preparing to scold his brother for his extremely childish behavior but a sudden knock on the door had made him stop. When the door opened and revealed the unexpected visitor, Pai's surprise significantly escalated as he was met face to face with the blue-eyed human scientist.
The two geniuses nodded at each other's presence in recognition, while the green haired alien arched an impatient eye brow at their non-verbal exchange.
"You've got a minute?" Ryou turned directly at Kisshu who eyed him with a prominent scowl and hostility written all over his face.
Noting the tension between them, Pai gave a low bow and, in the next moment, teleported himself away.
"Why are you here?" Kisshu hissed in malicious tone, which only increased in its intensity now that there was merely him and Ryou in the room.
"To talk," the blonde human replied calmly and when his blue icy gaze met molten gold, Kisshu's eyes narrowed.
"We have nothing to talk about, Ryou Shirogane," Kisshu gritted through between his teeth before he cast his eyes away, favoring the sight of the sun behind the glass window instead.
While Kisshu had considered their conversation over, Ryou still had far more things to say.
"It was out of desperation," Ryou remarked simply, catching the attention of the green haired alien at once.
"Huh?"
"Why I ended up sleeping with Ichigo," Ryou went on, a drop of sweat slowly forming on his brow at the dark piercing glare that Kisshu had aimed at him, "It was out of desperation, really. I remember that night when she came to me. She was a total mess. I didn't know what to do about her. It was so painful to see her so alone and on the verge of breaking. And then I ran out of ideas, so to say. So I hugged her and you can figure out the rest. I felt terrible about it afterwards. And I don't think she felt any better. But for that moment when she felt like killing herself, I could not think of any other alternative of how to help her. It was a one-time thing and it meant nothing."
"Cool, why are you telling me all of this again?" the alien bit back.
"It was because there was no one else for her, Kisshu. No one who would truly love her and devote his time to her. Ayoama went to England and ever since then she became completely unstable. And with the Mew project on a break, her mental well-being did not fare any better."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Kisshu prodded, his hands now clenched in a pair of shaky, angry fists.
"Because out of all the times she has confided in me, I have never seen her more determined and desperate to fight for someone she has claimed to love ever before. Kisshu, Ichigo is madly in love with you. However ridiculous it might seem to you now, it's true. She is totally and hopelessly in love with you and everybody around her can see that."
Kisshu stayed silent, with his eyes transfixed back on the outside world.
"Come to the festival tonight, Kisshu. Please. Not for your sake, or mine, do it for her," Ryou pleaded and, for a second, Kisshu derived a weird sense of satisfaction from seeing the stoic blonde so desperate and vulnerable. But this feeling soon dissolved once the alien realized what the human implied.
Kisshu gave him a long appraising look, as if to reassess Ryou's worth, his next words cold and hard.
"I would like to be alone now."
The cell looked exactly how he had remembered it. Hell, he could swear that it even felt the same way; and no amount of years could convince him otherwise. How long had it been since he had arrived here? One day, two days, mere hours? That was the main difficulty with these dimensions, there was no time; only darkness; a heavy encompassing darkness that devoured everything from within.
"Now, look at you. Maybe I should raise the amount of torture in this cell a bit, seeing that you can still breathe just fine," Yuri said once her figure emerged from the portal.
"I was reliving memories," Elton chuckled, refusing to meet her gaze just yet, "I haven't been here since I broke that ancient vase your father loved so much, do you remember? Good times."
"Yes, he locked you up in one of those cells until you cried your eyes out. Of course I remember that," Yuri smirked when she saw Elton's head snap upwards.
"Is my punishment over? Is that why you're here?" he blinked and something shifted in his gaze.
"Maybe," she trailed off, "If you choose to be honest with me."
He gave her a withered look before his head hung low again.
There was a long pause and Yuri knew that the more quiet Elton had become, the more he was thinking about her offer.
"Yuri, do you think that there is ever gonna be someone who is gonna love me so ardently like Ichigo loves Kish?"
Yuri's lips curled up.
"Well, that depends," she ran a hand through her hair as a smirk found its way on her pale face.
He raised his eyes from the ground and listened intently.
"If you ever decide to cast away that cocky mask of yours and be yourself for a change, then maybe someone will."
"Hmm. But if I lose that cocky mask, what will be there left of me?" he inquired sadly and Yuri's smirk dropped, "I just don't understand. Kish. He made himself looking so vulnerable, so exposed. I was so jealous, Yuri. I wish I could do that. Is it the curse of being a royal? That we can never really convey how we actually feel?" he whispered, his face screwed in a painful expression.
"Perhaps, but we can always change that. There is no need to live our lives according to the old codes. I disagree with that notion completely," Yuri's smile resurfaced.
"Well, that certainly gives me hope haha," Elton laughed and, with a snap of Yuri's fingers, he landed neatly on the dark floor.
"Are you going to join the party tonight?" she asked when she failed to detect any movement.
"No, I'd rather stay here. I would like to think some more. Can I?"
"Wow, you are going to turn down a night of pleasure? That would be a first," Yuri teased, finding it amusing that he was acting so bashful.
Elton shot her a glare before his lips cracked into a small grin.
"Say whatever you want but I want something real. And I doubt I would find it among the party schmooze and booze tonight."
"Well, as long as I have known you, I have never heard you say a wiser thing in your entire life haha," Yuri laughed.
"The only problem is how else am I supposed to meet girls if not at the parties?" Elton whined in mock desperation.
"You can try the military academy, or the library because, that is exactly where you are going to be spending most of your time now. Your punishment is still in force," Yuri retorted briskly.
"School uniforms, heh? Is that really a punishment, Yuri?" he cooed back, a dopey look already forming on his face.
"You're a lost case," Yuri sighed.
She was about to turn around and leave but a sudden tug at her dress had made her stop and regard Elton again. His expression vastly differed now; the flamboyant playboy had turned into nothing but a scared child.
"Hey, Yuri," he called after her.
"Yes?"
"Do you think that Kish will ever forgive me?" Elton asked after a while.
"I don't know. What you did was pretty lousy," Yuri replied with a shrug upon which Elton's ears dropped.
"Give him time, he might come around one day," she concluded before a mischievous smile played across her features, "Besides, you both are going to be seeing each other rather soon, as he is retaking the Morality course as well."
"What?! Not fair! All the girls will go after Kish then! Why are you doing this to me, Yuri?" Elton pouted in indignation.
Yuri only chuckled but paused when she saw Elton's pout falter. His eyes then filled with something akin to seriousness which was so incongruent with his face that it took a second for Yuri to hide her shock.
"Thanks, Yuri. I know that this might seem weird and all but l just wanted to say thank you for being there for me. I have hard time trusting people and I am happy to know that I can trust you."
She sent him a warm smile.
"You're welcome," Yuri put a hand on his head and gave him a light pat, "Don't think too much."
Lost in his own thoughts, Elton barely moved when Yuri's elegant contours disappeared.
Ichigo would never expect that the spacious auditorium wherein the first welcoming event had taken place could change to that extent. Again, she had experienced firsthand that Yuri's powers were enormous and that there was practically nothing that the alien girl could not do. As she continued to eyeball the glorious furnishing and decorations around her, Ichigo felt completely mesmerized. There was so much sparkle and glitter everywhere that she could swear she would get blind if she had kept staring around herself like that. But the best part was the ceiling. There was no disputing that. It was hard to tell whether Yuri had used some optical illusion or truly ripped the walls apart, but all Ichigo could see when she looked up was the sky. A beautiful night sky that brimmed with stars and distant planets and evoked the vibe that they had truly been in the outer space; which they were with all kinds of aliens around them; together, for one last evening.
It was strangely nostalgic, or, at least, that would be the way how Ichigo would describe her present experience to anybody else back home. In so many ways, she was taken back to the first opening party. Both events happened at the exactly same spot; for both of the events everybody dressed up, both of the parties carried some sort of grave importance; whether it was to begin the festive season, or to end it, respectively. Was it really almost two weeks since their arrival to Cyclonia? So many things had transpired within such a short span of time; their powers resurfaced, they all became Mew Mews again, though only temporarily; she met so many interesting people and things; she fell in love. This trip was a lot, indeed.
Ichigo was so absorbed in her own musings that she hardly paid any attention to the sudden ripple in the air to her left.
"So how do you like it?" Yuri appeared next to her, earning a soft shriek of surprise from the startled Mew Mew.
"Eeek, you scared me!" Ichigo squeaked before she let her eyes roam around the room again and voiced her opinion, "It is truly beautiful! And so are you!"
To no one's surprise, the princess again looked amazing. Her evening dress hugged her figure perfectly and the violet color had only made her blue eyes more pronounced. Ichigo wondered how it was possible that someone so pretty was also so nice and, more importantly, how could anyone ever cheat on someone this pretty and nice. Was Kisshu really an idiot?
"I'm glad to hear that," Yuri grinned, turning around to address the others around her, "Are you, guys, having a good time?"
"Yeah, the punch is like so much better. I can't thank you enough," Mint laughed as she raised the small glass back to her lips.
"Glad to hear that too," Yuri smirked, "If there is anything else that you need, please let me know. Or Gato. We will take care of it with no hesitation."
"You must be pretty busy with all the social schmooze," Zakuro observed sagely and Yuri nodded, closing her eyes in silent acceptance.
"That is correct. But it is my duty to make sure everyone is satisfied," Yuri's smile widened again, "There will be a speech soon as well, but after that, it's a bit of 'free-for-all'. And all's on the house, so don't hold back," she winked.
"Thank you, Yuri, that is extremely kind of you," Ryou said on behalf of the whole team, "Thank you also for taking such a good care of us throughout our stay," he bowed, actually bowed, and Ichigo's eyes bulged.
"What the hell?! Since when do you bow?!" she exclaimed, a complete shock etched in her features.
Ryou sent her a dubious glare.
"Unlike you, I understand the royal protocol and can show gratitude when provided with one," he shot back, eyes narrowing at her in annoyance.
It was at that time that Ichigo had realized that no matter how emotional they had been together for the past few days, nothing would ever change about her relationship with Ryou. He would always be the same insufferable jerk.
"Riiiiiiight," Ichigo drawled, "Last time you saw Yuri, you could not even give her your damn hand!" she snapped hotly, her cheeks red in anger.
"My hands were otherwise occupied at that moment," Ryou shrugged nonchalantly.
"Oh my God, you suck!" Ichigo lamented, knowing that whatever she would throw at him, Ryou would simply throw at her back. There was nothing she could do but set her face into a fierce scowl and glare daggers at her stupid boss.
Yuri watched their interaction with fair amusement before Gato emerged at her side and whispered something into her ear, upon which the princess nodded.
"The pleasure is all mine, I will be seeing all of you shortly again," she bowed and, together with her main advisor, teleported away.
"She is really something, you know that," Ryou commented folding his arms across his chest in deep thought.
"Oh, don't tell me you have the hots for the princess now, Ryou?" Mint teased and Ryou sent her a tired glance.
"I wish. But I don't think I will ever have time to find myself a girlfriend with babysitting you all 24/7. Especially you, Ichigo."
"Hey! It was Mint that made that comment, I kept my mouth shut for a change, gee," Ichigo spread her arms around herself as if that would stop the relentless bullying, but it was Taruto's grumpy voice that had ultimately cut through their bickering at once.
"The hag is acting crazy again, what else is new?" the little alien grumbled under his breath.
"Taru-Taru!" Pudding squealed as Taruto and Pai came into view. They were both wearing their special ceremonial military uniforms and Ichigo wondered if that meant that there would be some kind of parade for the audience again.
"Are you gonna do some march like you did during the opening ceremony?" the Mew Mew leader asked with genuine interest in her tone.
"No, not today. Though we were strongly advised to wear our military uniforms by our generals. It is a rather important event for our festive time," Pai replied solemnly, straightening his posture a bit as he spoke.
"I'm so happy all this partying is finally over," Taruto huffed, tugging at his sleeves in irritation.
"Y-you look r-really nice, Pai," Lettuce stammered and Ichigo had to bite her lip not to start laughing at how red-faced and fidgety her friend had immediately got once her eyes landed on Pai.
Her smile soon faded though, when Ichigo realized that Kisshu was not with them. It somewhat reminded her of the first ceremony as well, when he had intentionally evaded her. Was he evading her now too?
So many things had changed since that night, and yet, some things had remained absolutely the same; like her current disappointment, for instance. But, wait a second! Should she be feeling disappointed? Wasn't this what she wanted? To have Kisshu out of her way? Just having a nice time with her friends without any drama involved? That is what she promised to Ryou, didn't she? The only reason why she had decided to come here was to represent, correct? Why did it then feel so wrong? Was she really in denial of her feelings again? Or was it curiosity that goaded her on, wanting to see Kisshu one last time?
Ichigo did not have to wait for Mint to intervene and ask for Kisshu's whereabouts tonight. She was way past being nervous around his brothers. Besides, both Pai and Taruto were her friends, or, at least, so did Taruto say. Why would she wait for someone else to ask the question, when she could ask it herself?
"Where is Kisshu?"
Pai and Taruto stared at her as if she was insane. Pai's expression, when his eyes slightly widened at her surprising forwardness, was particularly self-explanatory, but Ichigo still wanted to hear him say it out loud either way. She wondered if this was the first question in Pai's entire life that he could not answer readily.
The Cyniclon brothers exchanged a quick glance that said it all but it was not until Pai had cleared his throat that Ichigo was provided with an oral answer.
"Well," he began awkwardly while he sent a look at Ryou who just continued to watch the exchange in front of him with a bored look on his face; but before anything else could be said, the lights went out and on the stage at the far end of the room appeared Yuri, ending any conversation that had previously ensued in immediate silence.
"Everyone," she raised her gloved hand with a glass in the air, as her long silver hair streamed around her body like a moonlit waterfall, "I would like to hereby thank every single one of you for your time and patience. We have had a great time here on Cyclonia together and we cannot wait to see you all again during our future festivities. Please, raise your glasses one last time and drink with us to celebrate the life and perseverance of Cyniclons now and forever!"
The second the princess said this, various glasses of punch emerged in everyone's hands and those, who had already had a drink got an automatic refill. The moment was so special and powerful that even Ichigo, who had sworn never to touch alcohol ever again, lifted her glass proudly and followed suit, gulping the contents down, along with everybody else around her. Mint was right; the taste of the punch was nothing like before. Whatever they had done to the original recipe had paid off, since the feeling Ichigo now had on her tongue was sweet and delicious; in fact the punch tasted as something entirely different altogether.
What a great upgrade.
Upon finishing her drink, Ichigo watched as the light became bright again and the small podium vanished. Back came the loud music as well, while the rapidly moving sea of bodies around her began to engage in frantic dancing. She saw Pudding hugging Taruto eagerly, and the latter pulling away as grumpily as ever; she saw how Lettuce tugged a nervous lock of her green hair when Pai gave her another of his rare smiles in a reaction to something she had said; she saw how Mint laughed with Zakuro when Ryou gestured wildly to something to his left before he himself erupted into a fit of laughter; she saw the dragon-like creatures cruising around her; the little dwarf-looking aliens that had made it their mission to elbow their way through the crowd and she saw even the flying boxes that moved in the rhythm to the music before something green had caught her attention.
And, when she fully turned around, her breath hitched in her throat.
There, among all that continuous frenzy that had kept assaulting her senses, with a wide fanged grin plastered over his face and his arms folded in that confident cocky manner that only someone as arrogant as him could pull, he stood.
Ichigo blinked a couple more times before the reality around her kicked in and her mind went blank.
"K-kisshu?"
