xuri: Dun dun dunnn. xD Oh how I loves cliffhangers. Don't you loves cliffhangers, dearest readers? No? That's alright. I'll just bore you with meaningless chatteringness. Yaaay, chapter eight. Eighteighteight. Which means there are eighteen chapters left. Whoah. How cool is that. No, really. How kewel. Uh huh. Bored yet?
midori complex: Thank you. :3 I'm still a bit concerned about the overall oc-ness of the story, but it's good to know I can at least keep Ichigo in tact. For the most part. x3 She's the hero, after all, and heroes need to be...er... themselves. xD
SamKo: Aw, that's just because you're special. xD And a headless chicken, apparently. Lovely. Yay, it's a good OCs story. :D Hopefully I can do as well with actual show characters in future fanfics... because that's what counts, yays. Thankies.
Applecake: Forgive me! xD Really, though, if you want a rough estimate, a chapter should be going up every day. As long as there's been at least one review. At varying times. So. Yah. x3 Fwee, Ari needs love. Really, she does. -hugs Ari plushie- Although she can't much beat Ryou-kun... I do loves my Ryou-kun...
BridgitKiido: Ooh, but of course. I like the one better here anyways. And they aren't really that different, so it's not like it would be particularily entertaining to compare. xD Myyy, I do love cliffhangers. They pop up in several more chapters ahead, mostly because I didn't want to take two weeks to complete a chapter that I could just cliff-hang in one. Lazy route. x3
I really won't have to say this many more times - really, I won't - but I don't completely own the idea of Roxi. Just so no lawsuits go on. For... whatever reason.
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Blend (chapter eight)
..Twisting Truths..
The silence lasted a very long time. Nothing budged. Not so much as a sound was made. Or, maybe it didn't last as long as Ichigo had percieved; Roxi seemed completely oblivious to the taunting and surprised glares being exchanged between Ari and the redhead. So, before the silence became so thick that the Strawberry girl swore she could have choked, Roxi broke it.
"Who's this?"
There was a polite, yet demanding, tone in her voice as she motioned towards Ari, who smiled wryly. Ichigo opened her mouth, but the other one beat her to the chase.
"Chiyako Ari," She said lightly, casually flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder and striking a semi-pose, "Transfer student from Kyoto. Came to Daikan a few weeks ago."
Roxi stared blankly, which obviously annoyed the alien-in-disguise to no end. Before she could say anything haughty, the brunette's eyes lit up.
"Oh! Right!" She smiled, nodding slowly, "I heard about you," This seemed to please Ari, "You're in Ichigo-chan's grade, neh? You must have at least one class together! So, you guys are friends? Why haven't I met her before?" Now she was on Ichigo again, smiling curiously.
Ichigo sweatdropped."Er... I wouldn't say that--"
"We're more 'casual acquintances'," Ari noted coolly, "Oh, well, That doesn't mean we can't be friends, does it? I do believe you're much better dressed than Momomiya here,"
Red head twitched. Grr, she's really getting in her shots when she can, huh...?
"Eheh, thanks! I'm Hataru Roxanne," She chirped in reply, ignoring Ichigo's boiling rage in the background, "Call me Roxi, though. We should do something sometime..."
"Why not now? You don't look tired or anything, unlike Momomiya," Ari sent a pitiful glance back at the other girl, "She'll go home and caffeinate, I'm sure. Here, I've already been to a great shopping mall here. I'm sure you've been there - it's..."
"H-hey!" Ari had now begun to steer Roxi away from the deserted lobby, and Ichigo. The left-behind hurried to catch up to them, grabbing Roxi's free arm protectively, "Don't just leave me here!"
"What do you mean? We're just going to get my luggage..."
"What, don't you want to go check out that mall, Hataru?"
"Oh, yeah, we can definitely do that. And I told you you could call me Roxi..."
"She's doing it again!" Ichigo shouted, jumping out to clutch Roxi's wrist as Ari attempted to break away from the clinging girl. Roxi was beginning to look annoyed, and Ichigo put on an apolegetic face. Roxi... you need to know how much danger you're in!
"Don't mind Momomiya, she's a tad insecure." Ari waved off Ichigo's antics as if they were a child acting up.
Reluctantly, Roxi nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. "Hmm... Well, she has been acting up lately," She turned a concerned glance towards Ichigo, "Ichigo-chan... are you and Masaya-kun okay? We barely see you two together anymore--"
"Wah! What's that supposed to mean?" Completely forget about Threat-A-La-Ari, Ichigo stopped in her footsteps, hands on her hips. She looked insulted by the comment. "For your information, Aoyama-kun and I are perfectly happy! He just has a lot on his plate, and I'm respecting that!"
Ari smirked, obviously picking up some way to frustrate Ichigo even more. "She's in denial," The whisper to Roxi only managed to further enrage poor Ichigo. That had been Ari's point, after all.
"I am not---!" Her voice wisped away, disappearing into thin air, her jaw still open. A sense of uncertainty crossed over her. Not because of the conversation - no, no, she knew Masaya and her were fine - but there was a sudden disruption. A sense that something was wrong, very very wrong...
Just as quickly as that feeling came, a ripple cracked through the air. And, within seconds, a pointy-eared figure clad in girlish battle gear stood on the same lobby floor, a calm grimace on her face.
Alien number two. Ichigo froze to the spot, suddenly paralyzed and overwhelmed. Sure, she'd gone over this scenario in her head, over and over again, coming up with ways to explain the unexplainable to her good friend Roxanne. But she hadn't expected Ari to show up... let alone Hanajima, too.
At first, Ari didn't really look like she knew what to do at all. Right away, she appeared irritated and disrupted; then, suddenly, thoughtful, as if this worked out perfectly for her. Roxi looked completely confused, out of the whole plot altogether.
"Er... Ari-chan...where did that girl come from...?"
Ari was silent. Then, turned away for a moment, she sighed - a heavy, exhausted sigh. For a fleeting moment, Ichigo thought the alien was tired of this and would just leave. No such luck.
"Have you..." Ari turned solemnly towards Roxi, staring her straight in the eye, "...noticed any strange marks lately? Abilities? Cravings? Behaviors?"
It took a moment for Ichigo to realize she'd heard that before. No...no way! She's interrogating my friend! Just like...
"W-what are you talking about?" Roxi sputtered slowly, with wide eyes. There was a lot of doubt on her face, but even Ichigo could hear the strain in her voice. The red head felt her heart fall. So, Roxi already knew something was abnormal about her. And Ichigo had never even noticed, or been able to do anything to help...
What kind of friend am I...?
"Strangely shaped marks on your body. The ability to do things you've never been able to before..." Ari's voice was soft, comforting, but Ichigo could nearly pick up the slimy and conniving tone masking itself beneath. But she was silent. Roxi already looked frightened enough - if Ichigo suddenly jumped out with alien accusations now, just imagine how her friend would feel, stuck in a situation liek this.
"Well, I..." Suddenly having a change of heart in the matter, the brunette tilted her head thoughtfully to the ceiling. Now Roxi no longer looked distressed; the look on her face more said 'I guess I can trust you'. Which mortified Ichigo - she had barely known Ari for three minutes, and already was confiding in her? Though attention had been pulled from her, Ichigo glanced at Hanajima uneasily. She was calmly rested up against a wall, watching calmly, trying to read Ari without changing her own expression.
"There's this. See?" Continued Roxi, who held out her palm. In the center rested a faint, pink heart with another outlining it. Ichigo stared in disbelief. How did I never notice that? "And, I guess I have been better at rope-climbing in P.E. lately. Even though I'm a lot more tired..."
Roxi didn't see. Ichigo did. For one moment, Ari's golden specked eyes narrowed, glowing with hungry interest and spite. In that one look, Ichigo was suddenly reminded how much Ari seemed to hate her. Despise her. What did I do...? She must be after me for some reason... But Ichigo didn't have the slightest clue to what it may be.
"Hataru," Ari said solemnly, the look of bitter amusement turning serious again, "I don't know how to tell you this, but it must be told. Otherwise your powers could fall into the wrong hands..."
"Powers?" Roxi stared blankly at the girl before her. Ichigo's eyes widened, but she restrained herself. Not yet... no outbursts yet, Ichigo... Once Ari so much as mentioned 'injections', 'transfomations', anything like that, she'd come to the rescue. Right now, Ichigo couldn't tell if this was just Ari taunting her or not.
"Yes," She smiled slyly, "Powers. Like Hana and I have." Ari motioned for the brown haired alien to step over, "We're all in the same situation, Hataru. And we need you to help..."
That's it. That was exactly the phrase she was looking for. Now Ichigo had the OK to come in and save - "..." Ichigo opened her mouth to shout, but no words came out. None. She tried, and tried, but she couldn't make a sound from her lips. Then she noticed a high pitched buzzing in her head, preventing her from doing much everything. It was so loud it made her dizzy, but not so dizzy she didn't see the Illusion's Staff tucked behind Hanajima's back.
No...No! She's using her power of illusion to mess with my brain...! Ichigo tried, once more, to utter a single word, but found she was still unable to. The buzzing continued, pounding in her ears, and she stood there helplessly.
"How am I supposed to help?" The interrogated girl seemed to be in a confused trance. As if she were so intrigued by this that all emotion had been wiped off her face. "I don't... have any - "
"Come with us." Ari stated simply, and outstretched her hand in a friendly manner. "We're all cursed this way. We can work together, towards the same cause..." Even as she spoke, the air around her dissolved her disguise, leaving her exposed in alien form with pointed ears and strikingly golden eyes. Roxi seemed unaffected.
"I can help...?"
"Yes. You can. You have the power, Hataru Roxi... We can all help each other through this. We can make you normal again."
Perhaps it wasn't the normal that captured her interest so much. It seemed to Ichigo like Roxi didn't care for that at all. Simply the fact, the promise, that she would be an important member of something. Not just a sidekick, or an extra. A part of something bigger...
With a nod, Roxi stepped forward and came close to Hanajima, looking at her strangely. "I'm Roxi," She said softly, eager to learn her other teammate's name. All seemed to have forgotten Ichigo's presence completely,
"Hanajima," She replied slyly, a smile appearing on her face. Her sinister eyes glimmered, triumphantly. Ari has done well... She's quite a good actress, I'll admit.
With the alien's attention diverted, even for only a split second, the stronghold her powers had on Ichigo weakened enough so the girl could escape from it. Just as Ari was about to grab Roxi and teleport her away with them, Ichigo jumped at her and screamed. "Roxi! STOP!"
Hanajima and Ari looked alarmed, then the former formed a cross look on her face. Infiltrated. Scowling, the two turned towards the brunette girl, who seemed to be waking up, blinking and looking down at the strawberry girl clinging to her arm.
"Ichigo-chan?"
"Roxi, I'm so sorry - " Ichigo looked up at her friend, still refusing to let go, tears sparkling in her amber eyes, "-I'm so sorry! I should have never kept these secrets from you. I should have acted more quickly. I should have found you before... I'm so sorry!"
"What..." Roxi stared down at her wide eyed, conflicting whether she should try and back away or find out what her friend was rambling so tearfully about, "What are you saying...?"
"She's kept a secret from you. A terrible, terrible secret..." Ari explained in a hushed voice. Ichigo frowned. It's not like I can't hear you...
"Secret? Ichigo-chan, what is she talking about?" Turning back to her red haired friend, Roxi looked at her trustingly. Ichigo gulped. Now or never, I guess.
"Roxi, I've never told you, because I never thought you'd have to know. But now -"
Roxi looked frightened suddenly. Ichigo felt as if she could crumple to the ground. I've let you down, haven't I, Roxi?... Oh, I'm so sorry...
"You see, Hataru," Ari continued talking, as if the sudden distress was none of her concern, "Little Momomiya here's been harbouring a deep, dark secret. The powers you have - the curse that will forever burden you - she's helping the boy who started it all."
And suddenly, Ichigo understood the predicament she was in. She hadn't realized how serious it could be if Ari got to Roxi first - how hard it would be for her friend to differentiate between who was telling the truth, and who was twisting it. Her blood felt cold now. I shouldn't have hesitated..! "I..."
"He did this. And she's gone along with it all the way - being a little guinea pig, supporting his theories, making sure that we all suffer under his cause. You'll never be normal again if you don't come with us. She - " Ari glared in Ichigo's direction, "She is the enemy. She is a part of this conspiracy."
Roxi appeared horrified at these descriptions, and immediately stared at the mark on her palm. By the expression on her face, it felt like a burn, a scar. Closing her hand, she looked over at Ichigo with wide eyes.
"Is this true?" She demanded, but in a soft voice.
Ichigo froze. "Well, uhm..." She bit her lip, "...yes. But it's not what she-"
"You see?" Retorted Ari, stepping protectively beside poor, confused Roxi, "See how your so-called 'friend' lied to you? Kept these horrible secrets? If she really cared about you, wouldn't she have told you?"
"I do!" Ichigo shouted, stepping forward, "Roxi, I do care about you. You're my friend. I'd never lie to you if I knew this was going to happen - !"
"More lies," Ari hissed accusingly, "She doesn't care about you. Only your powers. She wants to use you for her and her boyfriend's project!"
"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Ichigo exploded, clenching her fists and glaring hard at Ari. Roxi barely took notice. To Ichigo's dismay, it seemed like she wasn't even listening anymore.
The brunette slowly lowered her head, sadness and confusion brimming in her wide eyes. "I guess..." She murmured, almost mechanically, "...you did lie to me..."
"Roxi..." Ichigo relaxed her fists, sorrow drawing across her face. "...I never wanted any harm to come to you...I never wanted you to be involved in this!"
She didn't seem convinced. There was an awkward, saddening silence that lasted for quite some time, until Ichigo saw movement from the corner of her eye. Ari's pale hand shifted, lightly, to the side, gently touching Roxi's shoulder. Her fingertips were barely brushing against the skin, so Roxi didn't even notice. Ichigo didn't think that there was something wrong with this... until she realized Hanajima was gone, too. Amber eyes widened, and she gave a jolt when she realized the rippling in the air, the fading of the two images standing before her. It seemed almost as if it were going in slow motion, playing out right infront of her, gradually.
"No!" Ichigo screamed, and dashed forward, "Mew Mew Strawberry, Metamorpha-sis!"
Before she'd even tackled into Roxi, a pink light swallowed the girl, transforming her into Mew form. Pink dress, tail, ears and all. Still choking back tears, she clung to her friend protectively, having knocked her away from Ari's transporting grasp. The alien appeared no less than infuriated with this action, and snarled at her. Roxi looked disoriented, and then, suddenly, very alarmed.
"This is me," Ichigo cried breathlessly, backing away from her and holding her arms out at her sides, "Roxi, this is me. This is my secret. My truth. You have to understand -- I don't like it either! All the time, at least. I've learned so much from this experience, but at the same time I've suffered. Nothing can be done about it. Not yet. Not until Tokyo Mew Mew has fulfilled its ultimate goal. Roxi, you haven't been cursed - you've been chosen to help on this mission! On our mission!" Her voice was strangled, as if this were a horrible struggle, and her eyes pleaded at her brown haired friend, who appeared torn up on the spot.
"Why believe her?" Ari, seemingly having calmed down, hissed in a low enchanting voice, "She lied to you, after all."
"Only to keep you from danger!" Snapped Ichigo in return.
With wide eyes, Roxi looked at Ichigo helplessly, and then at Ari, and then at the ground, before taking a meek step backwards. With the object of interest out of the way, golden and amber eyes met, holding icy glares, unmoving. Pale fists clenched around materializing daggers. A pair of pink-gloved hands outstretched to clutch a heart shaped bell, the owner's eyes looking apogetically over at the bystanding girl.
"Roxi," She said quietly, and then lowered her gaze. Straightening up, Ichigo centered her focus directly on Ari.
"I'm sorry."
"Words are nothing!" Ari taunted, crossing her flame ridden sais, "Only words, Hataru. Remember that. She could just lie and keep secrets from you all over again!" Inhaling, the blue haired alien leaned forward, beckoning a spiral of blue fire to shoot at Ichigo. The cat girl pounced above it, having narrowly missed a direct hit.
"I would never keep a secret like this just to hurt you, Roxi... or anybody!" Somehow, Ichigo managed to spout as she positioned her Strawberry Bell towards Ari. "I just don't want bad things to happen!"
"Pay attention, Ichigo-neko!" In an instant, Ari appeared by the pink-girl's side. A smirk spread across her pale face. "They already are."
Ichigo shrieked and ducked beneath a slash, hopping to the side and steadying herself for an attack. Her fists tightened around the curves of the furry bell. "Ribbon! Strawberry Check!" She cried, aiming the pink light at her alien target. It hit head on... or, so it seemed. As the energy slowly faded out of sight, the blue haired girl still stood there, barely even drained at all. Ichigo's eyes widened. "What...!"
"I'd think you would have learned by now," Ari mused, resting a hand on her hip. She obviously saw no threat in this battle, eyes glinting with success. "that your same old tricks won't keep working. We're much more advanced than you humans, our kind. Our bodies can adapt and change much more quickly after being exposed to the roughest elements long enough." A grin twitched onto her lips, and she held her hands up tauntingly, "I've grown immune to your attacks, neko girl. They have no effect on me now..."
Ichigo stared in disbelief and horror, arm limp at her side. This...This isn't...! Even her thoughts weren't collecting properly. Before, her attacks had a devastating effect on both aliens. But now, as Ari said - nothing. Ichigo had absolutely nothing. Yes, she could dodge attacks here and there, but that could only go so far. Gah... why did I come here alone?
"Kyah!" Snapping back to reality, Ichigo realized just in time that a swirl of deadly blue flame was moving just inches away from her. With a yelp, she dove to the side, but was struck for lack of attention. She was able to get the fire out, but was left with a horrible burn in her side, causing her to double over in pain, her now-useless weapon sprawled across the floor. Ari had no interest in it. She lowered her sais, slowly, and made her way over to the defenseless girl, standing over her limp and shaking body.
"So easy," She murmured, and without a second thought kicked her roughly in the side. Ichigo gagged and curled up in a pitiful ball, sobbing into the carpet. Instead of destroying her on the spot, Ari raised an eyebrow and looked up at the quivering girl in the corner.
"You see? Even if she was telling the truth..." Ari effortlessly jabbed her in the side with her toe again, "...you don't want to be stuck with a weakling, do you? This is no game. You could get killed, Hataru, if you don't choose your alliances carefully."
Roxi made no response. Ignoring this, Ari glanced off to the side, where Ichigo's bag was perched lop-sidedly on a chair. Casually, she strode over, grabbing it carelessly in her hand and dumping out the contents all over the floor. A cellphone clattered against the ground, and she paused, setting the bag aside to pick it up in her hands.
"So this is the little mascot," With a devious grin, the alien grabbed the keychain-connected fuzzball and tore it off the cell, which she discarded like a piece of garbage. Tightly in her palm, she squeezed it, crushed it, until a light 'poof' signalled it went back to normal size.
"Huh? Huh? Ichigo?" It chirped in confusion, and Ari shrugged, gripping it by the tail. Masha's pink eyes widened in alarm. "Not Ichigo! Not Ichigo!" Promptly, the pink fuzzball began to fruitlessly struggle. Ari appeared mildly irritated by this, and sighed, lifting it to stare the thing straight in the eye.
"Nope. Not Ichigo. Now, give me Roxi Hataru's pendant."
When it refused to abide, mostly by jerking from side to side and crying out many incoherent phrases, Ari's jaw tightened and she tugged on it, tossing the fur ball over at Roxi. The girl caught it in surprise. "Ah..."
As Masha recovered from the soar, its little wings wiggled and its wide eyes looked up at Roxi's face. They stared at eachother for a long time. Then, the fuzzball regained a very joyful expression. "Masha found you! For Ichigo!" Happily, it opened its mouth, the golden tag pendant appearing as usual, set in Roxi's palms. She looked down at it strangely, as if trying to figure out what it meant.
"Transform!" Ari commanded loudly, "Come with me. I can help you lift the curse that even she's been placed under. Look at her now, though - weak. Unable to fight back. You don't want to find yourself in that situation, do you?"
Roxi didn't respond. She just stared down at her pendant with a blank expression. Then, her hands closed tightly around it, and she could feel a power welling beneath her hands, pushing up against her fingers, filling her mind and her body with warmth. That warmth seemed to be flowing through her arms, along her shoulders, and then pushing soft words out from her mouth, so naturally and easily.
"Mew Mew Cerise, Metamorphasis," She worded calmly, but clearly, the warmth growing as the pendant burst into a flurry of lights, pink and red. They twisted around her body, gently, and Roxi thought to herself drowsily that it felt almost like being wrapped in a warm, comforting blanket. The strange sensation ended as the light cleared away, leaving her standing there, almost completely unaware of what happened.
Having heard the utter, Ichigo tenderly lifted her head, even just that taking a lot out of her. Her pink eyes widened at the sight before her - a tall, still brown haired girl, wearing a bright red spaghetti strap dress with a poofed skirt, much like her own, and a pair of panda ears resting on her head. The girl's reddish eyes were just clearing up, as if she'd suddenly woken up from some bizarre dream. Only to be faced with some other fantasy, though this time it was taking up space in real life.
"Good. You did it," Quietly applauding, Ari grinned, tilting her head to the side, "Hataru Roxanne. You look powerful enough... We'd better go then. I won't make you take little Momomiya...yet. Unless --"
"Cherry Wand," Mew Cerise held out a glove-clad hand, a tall scepter with a large round orb on top appearing in it. At first, Ari looked confused, and then smiled wryly. Watching as the girl silently walked over to the helpless cat girl, her own golden eyes following every step. It obviously took Ichigo every ounce of her own strength to just lift her head, let alone move, as the brown haired panda-fused girl approached and then stopped at her side, looking down at the form blankly. All Ichigo could do was stare back, pleadingly, but also surprised at the same time.
"Roxi..." She said nervously, only to be followed by silence again. The two held stares for a long time, until Roxi held up weapon up, pointing it at a terror-stricken Ichigo. Ari's face was wild with delight.
"Yes, Hataru!" The alien shouted, grinning, "Take her out! Teach the traitor what the punishment is for lying... Show her how strong one with powers really can be!"
And still, Roxi said nothing, staring down at the pink-haired friend with an emotionless expression. Ichigo was terrified, her black ears laying flat against her head, her frail body trembling from all the hits she'd been taking. Defenseless. Unable to fight back. She could only watch, helplessly, as Roxi stood over her, wand pointed directly at her, silence thick in the air.
Then, just when it seemed she would open her mouth and say the words to finalize an attack on Ichigo, Roxi drew her wand back, bending over to look the girl straight in the eye. To her surprise, the look in Roxi's dark red eyes was soft and kind. She smiled a little bit, tilting her head so hair fell across her face.
"I forgive you, Ichigo-chan,"
Right away, Roxi in her Mew Cerise form straightened up, turning on the balls of her feet to face a stunned Ari. Before the alien could even show anger, she lifted the scepter and pointed it right in her direction, a stern look in her face. Once Ari snapped out of her shock, a dark frown crossed her pale face, and her eyes flickered.
"So this is your decision," The blue haired alien growled, her once faux-innocent exterior turning to one of obvious menace, "To place your trust in a lying friend. So be it. It's a shame, too... I can see you have power that will so be wasted..."
"I would never betray a friend!" Roxi shouted back, her gloved hands clutching into fists, "Even if Ichigo-chan told some lies, it was to keep me safe. I believe her. Unlike you, Ari," Her eyes narrowed, "You're the liar. You're the evil in all this, aren't you?"
Before the alien could even muster a sarcastic response, Roxi drew both her arms in, holding her Cherry wand upright and grasping the golden ring hovering around the orb , her fingers touching the jewelled surface. "Ribbon!" With a jerk of her hand, she pulled back, setting the ring into a speedy spin and generating some sort of light for the orb, "Cherry Burst!" A bright flash of red blasted from the tip of the scepter, straight for Ari. However, the alien caught on just quickly enough, and teleported out of the way, re-appearing at the panda-girl's side.
"So foolish. Maybe next time you'll choose your side more carefully," She swiped a dagger, pressing it against her neck, "I might consider giving you another chance..."
"No way!" Roxi yelled, whacking the alien with her scepter and stumbling out of her grasp, aiming it back towards the alien and summoning her energy.
"Roxi!" The brown haired girl looked over and saw a wounded and scratched up Ichigo standing up as straight as she good, retrieved Strawberry Bell in hand. She smiled. Roxi's face lit up. "Thank you. We'll do this together, okay?"
Roxi nodded happily. "Okay!"
In unison, the two transformed girls pivoted to face the alien, who looked a little baffled, but still fairly angry. Holding her daggers up together, the flames folded into eachother, forming a spark at the tips of her daggers. "You'll both fall together, then!" Ari shouted, wasting no time in blowing the flaming spiral forth.
"Wah!" Ichigo shrieked, grabbing Roxi's arm and leaping out of harms way, carrying her loyal friend along with her. Landing back on the ground perfectly (though with the not-so-catlike-Roxi a little shaken), Ichigo held out her Strawberry Bell and grinned at Roxi, who, once she caught her balance, outheld her Cherry Wand.
"Ready?"
Roxi smiled. She nodded. "Ready."
"Ribbon Cherry Burst!" Roxi yelled, spinning the golden ring around the staff and directing the cherry coloured energy right for a cornered Ari.
"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!" Right away, Ichigo flung her bell out, unleashing an upgraded version of her Check attack. The former alone caught Ari off guard; but now she was hit by two very powerful attacks, nearly knocking her to the floor in a heap. She'd adapted and grown immune to Ichigo's old attack. But these were both completely new ones, and they weakened her significantly.
Breathing heavily, she glared at the two girls, who stood unmoving. "Bad move," Was all she said before dissolving into the air.
For a minute, it was quiet.
"Yeah!" Roxi cheered, a look of relief washing over her face, as well as a wide smile. Turning excitedly to Ichigo, she held her arms out. "We did it, Ichigo-chan!"
Ichigo blinked and then smiled, nodding. "Yeah, we did," Her smile faded and she looked down at the ground for a moment, "Roxi... I meant what I said. I really am sorry that I... that I..."
"Heyy, I told you I forgave ya, didn't I?" Roxi waved it off in a hurry as if it were some unwanted scent, "You had your reasons, I know, Besides..." A devillish smirk appeared on her face, "I wouldn't want to have to share my powers, either,"
Ichigo grinned. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" She playfully put a hand on her hip, detransforming in a poof.
"What else, the awesome cat-likeness? Gah, Ichigo-chan, you're soo lucky. Pandas are like... lazy."
"That's not true. They're just..." Ichigo paused, tilting her head towards the ceiling in thought, "Just..."
"See?" With a lighthearted laugh, Roxi transformed back to normal as well, stowing her pendant away in her pocket. "Let's get our stuff, anyways. I bet my parents are anxious to hear about my trip."
"Oh? What about me?" Ichigo pretended to seem hurt as she followed the girl to retrieve their things.
"What about you?"
"Aren't you going to tell me about your fabulous Hawaii trip with Miwa?"
"...Nah."
"Why not!"
"Come on! You're the one with the super cat powers. You've had enough fun."
"Ahh, you're not on that again, are you?"
"Nyah! Fine then, I'll leave you behind!"
"Wah, Roxi! That's not what I meant! Wait up, don't leave me!"
--
Next Chapter:
Now that Ichigo and the Blend Mews have completely joined forces, Ari's more vicious than ever. A few new truths are revealed, as is a new face - but does this mean a new ally, or a new foe? In a world where there is deception around every corner, it's becoming more and more difficult to see what's an illusion and what's reality.