xuri: Uweh, this is fun. xD I love these last few chapters the most, I think. They're so intense. So fun. So exhilirating. xD For me, anyways. And, oh my! ;O After this chapter, there's only one left! How time flies. ;3

But, anyways, I've been considering doing a bonus chapter, if you guys wanted to see it. Since I'm gonna kind of miss this story and the characters... but, yeah. I was kinda thinking of doing either a cutesy AU kind of chapter - sort of like the Petite Mew Mew stories found in some manga volumes - or a character sheet chapter, where I explain some of the OC charries in more detail, since there were a lot of little things about them I either didn't throw in or either got to only imply a little bit. ;3 Or both, if you'd like. Let me know what you guys think!

And check out the drawings on my profile if you haven't already. ;3 Thankies!

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Blend (chapter twenty-five)

..rage..

She was hallucinating.

"What in the he-- Ichigo?"

She had to be hallucinating.

Ichigo, with her head pressed up against the cement after she'd fallen, too weak and horrified to move, had almost gone unconsious. Almost. After Ari had released the power hold on her, made the images and screams and pain stop, she fell, and with pleasant numbness of her mind, was ready to black out. She didn't want to see anymore. She didn't want to feel anymore. Ari had done so much damage that she made Ichigo wish she was dead, as she lie in a heap against the sidewalk.

But the one thing that kept her from falling into the black and unfeeling world was the voice she heard.

But it couldn't be real. There was no way.

Ichigo inhaled shakily, her breath shaking and her chest and throat feeling bruised. Then, using her hands firmly planted on the ground as support, the cat girl pushed herself up, her vision fading in and out. Sitting up as tall as she could, she stared in a daze. She blinked.

Oho. That was no hallucination. The stares directed in that very direction told her the same thing. As well as the fact that Ari suddenly looked as dazed as Ichigo, herself, did.

"Kishu?"

Lo and behold. The green haired male alien in question stood there, looking to be in complete shock, his wide eyes fixed on the fallen Ichigo. At the same time, everyone else's eyes were fixed on him.

Including Ari. All the emotions, all the rage and glee and maniacal laughter etched on her face, had faded into something of a blank look. As if seeing Kishu standing there before her wiped all of that away. "...K-kishu-sama..." She breathed. But his attention wasn't on her.

"Koneko-chan... Ichigo!" Kishu repeated, immediately storming forward past the others to the fallen pink haired girl. Who, while still not believing her eyes, robotically stood to her feet, knees buckling, though she took no notice.

"Kishu... Kishu?" Ichigo mouthed with a frown, and, feeling a wave of dizziness overcome her, pressed a hand to her forehead, "What is he... what are you doing here?"

Halting infront of the girl, he stared at her in disbelief. "Koneko-chan, what the hell happened to you? I heard you scream, and I just --"

"You heard... me scream?" Ichigo stared at him with a puzzled glance. He nodded solemnly, touching her face with a serious expression. Ichigo winced. Even that felt like a bruise now.

"Hanajima was --"

Cutting himself off, his eyes widened as he quickly turned around, seeing the two other aliens on the ground in a heaping mess. Marzipan was turned with her back to him, so he couldn't tell whether or not she was conscious. Hanajima was, though, and her bloodied lips curled into a slight smile.

"Kishu-kun," she laughed to herself, letting her eyes close as she breathed heavily, "I thought you'd be gone by now."

"You're the one who called me here," he retorted, his hand still gingerly on Ichigo's face, "I can't leave that quickly, you know. Besides, you just took off all of a sudden, I didn't understand what was going on. You didn't finish telling me about the 'rage problem'. What was that all about? ...Hanajima? Why are you ---" Stopping, his eyes turned to look at the blue haired alien. "...Did she do this?"

Even as Kishu had rushed past her for Ichigo, Ari stood there, as if in a trance. It was as if she'd suddenly been blindfolded, and gagged, as so words seemed to escape her mouth, no emotion from her eyes. Slowly, as she heard his voice spilling in her direction, she turned around with wide eyes, staring straight at him.

"Kishu-sama..."

Ari murmured, and, quietly, began to step towards him. Slowly, slowly, and all Kishu was able to do was stare back at her with a strange look on his face. It didn't matter. She came closer until she was only inches away, staring up into his eyes, still a spaced out expression in hers.

Kishu, in curiosity and puzzlement, pulled his hand away from Ichigo and stared back, frowning. Then, he opened his mouth, as if to say, 'what?'

But before he could get the chance, Ari reached out. And she gently touched her hands to his face, staring straight up into his eyes. Kishu blinked. Then blinked again. Clearly, having no idea what was going on, even now.

"Kishu...sama..." she whispered again, and then, just as suddenly, her face darkened. The blank look slipped away as if a thin sheet, anger flickering in her eyes, her lips twisting into a scowl. But before Kishu could even react, her hands jerked from his face to his throat. And tightened.

"Kishu!" Ichigo screamed in alarm, and stumbled forward, only to lose her footing and fall before she could do anything. Her elbows scraped against the cement and she made a hissing noise between her teeth as she tried to dull the pain, looking back up at the spectacle before her.

"That's... that's Kishu, 'Kishu-sama'?" Kona was frozen where she was, unable to believe her own eyes.

"Who?" Yumi and the others were lost, because, in reality, only Ichigo and Ari seemed to know the alien at all.

"Kishu. Kishu, the alien Ari's 'defending' by destroying Ichigo. The alien Ari's in love with." Her voice shook, out of complete confusion and bewilderment, "So why is she... why is she ----?"

"Ggg...ggh!" The shock fading from his face, Kishu closed one eye and tried to pry Ari's hands off his throat. She stared at him darkly, angrily, that unmistakeable power floating all around her once more as if gathering, attracted to her fury. She wouldn't let go. Kishu felt immense pain in his throat, as she held on tightly, so tightly, and managed to lift him above eye level a few inches off the ground.

"You traitor," she spat, tightening her grip without hesitation, "You weakling! Because of you and your weakness, we've all had to suffer. Because of kitten and her spells, you failed. We failed!" He teeth clenching together, and her knuckles went white. Suddenly, a sly, maniacal grin appeared on her face, as a blue substance appeared and slithered down her arms. Synthesis. "Why didn't you see?" Her voice was lower, but still strong, echoing with the sound of enraged power, "Why...couldn't you see? Even after you failed, the only one in your eyes was her! Theenemy!" There was something gleefully dark in her voice as the Synthesis snaked around his neck, tightening whilst staying attached to her arms, "I despise you. You're nothing but manipulative, weak, blind... you don't deserve power!"

"W-what are you --" Kishu managed, his voice strangled, cracked from the pressure applied. Ari didn't let up. But the Synthesis retracted as her grin of menace grew, wider, wider, fading back into her body. And then, as a look of realization suddenly dawned on the green haired alien's face, he was dropped to the ground, muscles contracting in a giant inhale.

He couldn't stop her. She just said, strongly, slyly, "You don't even deserve life," as she suddenly pinned him to the ground, pressing her hands against his chest. His own yellow eyes widened in terror as his mouth opened, like a gaping fish, one shaken cry erupting from his throat before a light emerged from his chest. Ari seemed to draw it out with her hands, like a sticky, glowing substance, gathering into one near-solid form. And then his eyes glazed and his body fell limp against the ground, face pale, expression dead.

Holding the glowing mass between her hands, his energy, his life force, Ari stood to her feet, staring down at it with pure, insane delight. And a tear slid down her cheek, the only sign of life emotion behind the anger that had consumed her. The darkness that took over her mind.

And she looked down at him, laying there lifeless. And she laughed. Her shoulders shaking, her grin wide and uncontrollably maniacal, her eyes stricken with pleasure and tainted happiness.

Ichigo felt breath leave her. "She's..." None of the others understood what had happened. They knew it was threatening. Just not how threatening it really was, "...she... stole Kishu's power!"

"What?" Kikyo turned to stare at her in shock, but Ichigo said nothing. Fear suddenly threatened to consume her again. But Ari didn't take notice. Other things captivated her interest.

Without even looking at them, Ari held her hand out to the side. Hanajima's eyes widened, and she tried to push herself up, tried to get away. But it was too late. Just as Kishu had, she let out a cry as the force was drained from her, leaving her empty on the ground, as well as Marzipan, the energy gathering before them and retreating to Ari's outstretched hands. Glee was scrawled on her face, as the light shone brightly on it. She was like some terrifying Goddess, overwhelmed with her own power. Overwhelming others at the same time.

And suddenly, Ichigo understood what she was about to do. Her eyes grew in horror, just as Kishu's had before they went dead, before they lost all signs of life within them, "Stop," she strained, tried to be heard, but her voice was meek, cracked, as she struggled to her feet, staring in horror, "Ari, stop!"

Ari just looked at her wickedly, golden eyes glinting. "Why would I stop?" She mused, the corners of her lips twitching, "The game's only just begun."

And she raised her hands into the air. Ichigo cried out in protest, tried to gather her bell to stop her, but it wasn't possible. The air suddenly whipped more violently around her than it had before, raising her into the air in a torrent of wind and energy. She stood there, grinning, fabricated power floating right before her. All around her. Arms raised into the sky, power swirling, consuming, eminating terror; the muscles in her hands tensed, head leaning back, eyes staring blindly at the intense light above, pure ecstasy scrawled on her face.

She was going to play, and she was going to win. For good.

"Fusion!"

The light burst, like a bubble, pouring over Ari's body, consuming every inch of skin , twining around her like thick and binding rope. Brightness emitted from it more strongly with every passing second, so much that anyone surrounding had to shield their eyes from the overwhelming amount of light. Ichigo's breath caught in horror.

She'd been powerful before. Powerful enough. But now... she could see Kishu, and Marzipan, and Hanajima, laying lifeless, powerless, soulless. Ari had gone too far. Ari had absorbed power she should have never come into contact with...

And as it grew brighter, Ichigo and the others heard laughter from within. Glee, victory, acceptance of power. Ichigo's shoulders tensed and she shuddered, tears pricking at her eyes. This can't be the end... this can't be the end!

But as the light faded, revealing Ari, energy and strength practically glowing from her body, she knew it was. Ichigo could see, just by looking at her form, that they were beyond saving. Ari was the monster, and now she had control. The control, the ability, to destroy anything in her path.

"Ichigo-chan..." Roxi couldn't pry her eyes from the scene, her voice shaking and cracked, face no less pale than any of the others.

Ichigo let out a weak sob. "She took it," she whispered, feeling her brain go numb with fear, "...Kishu's power, she took it...and she used it on herself."

No one else knew what Kishu had been capable of, his ability to fuse human souls with chimera abilities. But they could tell by Ichigo's tone, by the power that engulfed their eyes and senses, that this was a horrible thing. That, as the light faded and Ari came back into full view, she had somehow fused the souls of three aliens with her own, with the power of the Fusion.

Ichigo saw her, standing there, and at glance, nothing had changed. Ari was still Ari. But the strength of emotion in her gold-depth eyes showed that she was not the same as she had been just seconds ago. Her power had grown, multiplied, and she stood there, emanating something capable of great destruction. Her focus settled on Ichigo, and her lips curled into a maniacal smile, baring sharp, blood thirsty teeth. She was no longer just Ari. She was an entire new being.

'Chimera Ari'.

"ICHIGO!" Kikyo burst forward with a cry, seeing that murderous gaze that had been set on the cat girl. She intended to stop it, to stop Ari before she could unleash the potential they could all so clearly see. Crying out, Mew Kitsune focused her Charm on the alien target, yelling out the incantation.

Ari simply turned lazily towards the fox girl, uncaringly, and she grinned. And just as the energy was about to blast right at her face, she effortlessly sprung up from her feet. That alone caught Kikyo horribly off guard, losing her aim and target completely within a split second. And then, her figure blurred, and she didn't realize what had happened until Kikyo felt a set of claws slash at her side, leaving her to cry out in anguish.

Ari swivelled around in the air, her grin not fading, a few droplets of blood splattered against her cheek. She held out one hand, from which now protruded long, claw-like nails, soaked in red. She watched with a grin as Kikyo, on her knees, let out shaky breaths, trying to stop the bleeding, her weapon several feet away. And Ari's golden eyes widened with delight, the pupils narrowed, cat-like.

"Fox in a box," she mused, stepping lightly over and looking down at the girl, who seemed to be in too much pain to notice. Ari's sharp teeth glinted, and she hissed, "A fox, a fox," A dark look suddenly consuming her face, she drew her hands back and plunged them towards the helpless girl's back.

"STOP! Ribbon Raspberry Dazzle!" Before her sharp, lethal claws could come into contact, a bright light flashed right for her. Ari whipped around and jumped up into the air, a pair of black dragon wings bursting from her back and carrying her high into the air, far out of hitting range.

"Wha! How'd she do that?" Yumi cried in disbelief, staring.

"Yumi-chan, get out of the way!"

Chimera Ari burst into a fit of cackling laughter, spreading her arms out as if embracing the skies, "What power, what power! I can do anything... I can be anything... this is my strength!" Without even giving a glare or twitch as warning, she changed direction and dove down for the horse girl, the wings folding in her back to streamline her shape.

Shrieking, Yumi seemed to catch on just in time, bounding out of the way and narrowly avoiding a head on clash with the alien. Just to prove how close they'd gotten, a drop of blood trickled down her ankle after she landed on the ground, panting.

Ari, on the other hand, made a smooth landing. Catching the ground with her arms as if it were a throw pillow, she pushed off, her arms suddenly leathery, strong. Neatly landing on her feet with cat reflexes, she whirled around, the maniacal look on her face only growing rapidly. Before the girl could even react, she thrust her palms into the air, which suddenly began to ripple, creating a high pitched ringing sound.

Gasping, Yumi's hands flew over her horse ears and she winced, the sound at such a frequency that only she could hear it. But it hurt her more than it could possibly hurt anyone else. Ari's grin only widened and she spread her palms out more, obviously increasing the sound. Yumi pressed and pressed, trying to block it out, but only succumbed to severe mental pain. Finally, she collapsed against the ground, her body tense and her face frozen in struggle.

"Yumi-chan!" Roxi screamed, tears subconsiously splashing down her face. She was afraid. Oh, she was so afraid, and completely petrified, shaking and staring in horror. There was no way she could stand up against Ari. With every mood she made, the alien seemed to draw on the Fusion ability, fusing her and the other aliens' souls with an array of different animals, all of which promised great power. How could any of them stand up to that?

"Two down!" Her voice was uncontrollably ecstatic as she laughed almost madly. Kikyo tried crawling feebly towards her weapon, but Chimera Ari unleashed thread from her finger tips, which shot out towards the fox girl and entangled her, almost like a spider's web. Arms bound to the side, she collapsed breathlessly, Ari's hands moving like a puppeteer's as she wove a strand of bonding thread around her throat. Mirth graced the alien's lips. "...you don't want to play anymore, Kitsune-chan?" And she pulled back viciously, Kikyo's head rearing soundlessly as she struggled against the pressure.

Ichigo ran over, wasting no time. Normal attacks weren't working. Ari's power was beyond that. So, what would? "Roxi!" She cried, and the fearful brunette looked at her before nodding, taking a deep breath and holding her Cherry Wand out before her. Ichigo tried to keep the tears of fear from her eyes as she aimed carefully.

"Ribbon Cherry Burst!"

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

The two lights merged together effectively after being released at nearly the same time, swirling in quick fury towards their target. It struck the thread binding Kikyo to Ari's hands, and it snapped, loosening the hold around the girl's throat and allowing her to fall limp to the ground, filling her lungs with air. At the same time, Ari was unable to pull away from the binding, and the light that reached her mostly struck her hands, having a burning effect on them. Recoiling with what first appeared to be a look of pain, Ari turned on her heel to face the offending Mews. Roxi and Ichigo stiffened.

Demonic. She was demonic. Small, thick horns had appeared along the crown of her head, her teeth sharper and more visible than ever. Large, tattered dragon wings graced her back, fading into the thick and almost scaley skin that had covered her arms and legs. Now bits of spider's silk thread hung wrapped from her fingers. And the power had not faded - if anything, it was still growing at an unbelievably constant rate.

And those eyes...

The only appearence of pain they had seen on her Demon-Goddess face thus far melted into that familiar look of delight-driven-rage. And she would not remove her gaze from them. Chimera Ari's eyes widened, as did her grin, and her feet were angled so she could spring at them at any time, from any place, to any effect... they wouldn't see her coming...

"Mitsukai Ken!" Brooke flashed by in a whir of black, the tip of her blade slicing Ari's shoulder. The alien blinked and turned, to see the half-angel girl glide by, using her wing to her advantage by spreading it so she could make an easy and swooping turn for a consecutive attack. But Ichigo saw that the girl wouldn't get the chance.

"Brooke!"

"Brooke-chan!"

"Haahh!" Her teeth clenching as she let out a cry, Ari swiftly swung her hands out, a power bursting from her hands that imitated a strong wind, catching onto Brooke's wing and tossing her back into the air until her back slammed against the gate, her body crumpling in a heap. Chimera Ari then whirled around, her focus quickly shifted to the two attackers. Ichigo wouldn't give her anymore chances.

"Kikyo! Brooke!" She sobbed in agony, and then swung her Bell outward, wings bursting from the heart center. "Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!"

The light that flew forth was interupted by a pale, mad-struck face, glee written across her features. Too late. Too weak. Ichigo felt a claw at her neck before she could even see Ari fully...

Footstep. "Daigeki Sono Meimei Nanatsu!" And the two were blown apart by a massive burst of elemental energies, a combonation from Shinta's sword. The swordsman stood there himself, both swords outstretched, glowing with an intense aura. Ichigo managed to land back on her feet. Ari seemed to try to use her wings to catch herself, but the angle wasn't right - she went skidding across the pavement, laying still as she rolled to a stop. Shinta, breathing heavily, relaxed, falling to his knees and allowing the swords to set against the ground. The fight was over. Ari was -

- not dead. Everyone else seemed to think so. The alien lay limp against the ground, her eyes shut, warm and fresh blood trailing down her shoulders, arms and face. But Ichigo didn't let her guard down. She couldn't. It couldn't have possibly been so easy - Shinta's attack had been powerful, powerful enough to push Ari back and create a collision with the ground, but how was that enough to bring such a strong demoness down?

And Ichigo was right. As soon as everyone seemed sure she was dead, or at least down, her golden eyes flashed open. And before anything could be done, the air burst and swirled around her as she raised herself to her feet, floating just inches above the ground, her eyes nearly shot with bloodthirst. And there she was - the perfect demoness. Wings outstretched, eyes red with fury, claws extended, all her powers heightened to the utmost.

There was no where to run.

Kona reacted more quickly than the others. "Get down!" She shouted, and, leaping up into the air, she aimed her circular weapon toward the alien, "Ribbon --"

Twisting her body in an almost elastic fashion, Chimera Ari swatted Kona from the air effortlessly, the cat girl crying out as she collided with the ground, resulting in a thick cloud of dust. And as the others rushed to help her, to help the other two, the power engulfing Ari gave a powerful flare and she held her palms out, eyes glinting.

"Game. Over."

Dropping to the ground, her legs split enough so she could bend and slam her hands against the earth. It had massive impact. Not only did the contact cause the ground to shake, it began to split, to move and shift, severl chunks of solid land raising up and dropping down. None of the girls could keep their footing. None of them could stay standing long enough to run before they were trapped beneath slabs of rock, dirt, and land. Yumi and Kikyo's helpless bodies were pinned tightly beneath all the debris. Kona's leg and tail were caught between two thick sections, Roxi's chest was trapped, and Brooke and Shinta had both disappeared for the most part beneath all the rumble. When it finally stopped at Ari's will, Ichigo was the worst off. Her legs and arms were pinned effectively, so one move could mean tearing a limb. And she was exposed. Completely, and utterly exposed to Ari's power.

"Ichigo-neko..." Ari's grin widened as she lowered herself to the ground, taking her sweet, sweet time. There was no one to fight back, after all. No one to keep her from her desired target. And still the power flared strongly around her, as if charging up to one vital and fatal attack. Ichigo couldn't even struggle, and her Bell was somewhere buried beneath all the rock, far out of her reach. She could only stare into Ari's golden eyes, trying to keep fear from brimming from her own.

"Finally," the blue haired alien's voice was low as she stepped forward boldly, the wind fabricated around her picking up. She locked gazes with the cat girl. "Finally. I have you. There's no where to run. No one to save you, neko, precious neko. Not from me. Not from this power..."

A laugh lightly rumbling from her throat as she advanced on, slowly, her eyes glimmered mischieviously. Murderously. And she examined her hand, as if seeing her own strength vibrating from her skin right before her. "...I don't just need revenge anymore," Her grin re-appeared and her hand suddenly clenched into a fist, "I can do anything. I can be anything. I can complete Kishu-sama's mission, our mission... I can take back the Earth. And this time..." Blue flame engulfed her body in a burst of power. Her wings went rigid. "I can do it myself!"

Clasping her hands together, that maniacal expression remained, strongly, and all her power seemed to gather there. She wasn't going to do any unfinished. Ichigo could feel tears pricking at her eyes, her face paling. No. This was the end. She could see, they could all see, as the flame and the energy all gathered around one focal point, binding together, charging.

Ichigo wasn't just letting herself down. All the others were at risk. And just like before, the Earth was at risk. She'd failed. Not only for herself, or her well being, or for Kishu and Hanajima and Marzipan, but she'd failed ultimately. And she wouldn't even get the chance to say 'I'm sorry'.

"Bye bye," Ari's voice was disturbingly soft as she raised her hands up in the air, in perfect silence. Then a grin cracked itself onto her face, eyes widened with glee. "Momomiya Ichigo!"

I'm sorry...

There was light.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

And then, a rush of water and air dousing the flame, interupting Chimera Ari mid-attack. Ichigo remained in a daze. Was she dead?

"Ichigo... Ichigo-san!"

She blinked, suddenly hearing rapid footsteps and a flash of green hair as wide eyes greeted her. It couldn't be. "...Lettuce?" Was this some kind of flashback? Maybe it would be like a review of her memories, before she was carried off to the afterlife. Ichigo was glad. She wanted to see her friends, one last time...

Only, she saw Ari again. Drenched, still in her demoness form, anger spiralling all around her. Why was she in this? When her life flashed before her eyes, wasn't Ichigo supposed to be greeted with pleasant memories instead of foul ones? And even as she thought to herself, the memory Lettuce still in the corner of her eye, Ari seemed to get angrier and angrier. Leaning back for a furious attack.

There was an all too familiar rumble in the ground, and another bright flash. "Ribbon Pudding Ring -- Inferno!"

And just as she'd reeled back for a hit, a trench filled with light hit her, sealing her in an oversized blob of pudding. Ichigo watched curiously. What did this all mean? Suddenly, Pudding's face appeared, breathless, but smiling, "I did it! I did it, Ichigo-oneechan! I stopped the bad guy, na no da! Why are you covered in rocks?"

Rocks? Ichigo realized the rocks were still there. She tried moving an arm. She still felt the pain. So that meant she was still alive. Which meant...

"Y-you guys!"

With Ari temporarily stuck in the translucent blob, a rope of purple whisked by, attaching itself to the heavy rocks and lifting them gently off Ichigo's limbs. A few of them were shattered by arrow, and the others disapeared as a result of flashing pink light, until Ichigo was free of the trap. The green haired Lettuce, worried smile ever present on her face, leaned down to help her up.

"Ichigo-san, you can stand, can't you? Please, don't push yourself, you're bleeding,"

Still in disbelief, she allowed herself to be helped up and supported against Lettuce's shoulder, feeling her own senses coming back to their normal strengths. Then, looking up with wide eyes, she saw them. Mint. Zakuro. Berii. Pudding. And Lettuce, who was acting as a temporary standstill crutch for her. Unexpectantly, she found herself blinking back tears.

"Everyone... you - you came back!"

"Of course we did!" Berii piped brightly, resting her short staff along her shoulder with a grin, "You don't think we'd let you get yourself in too much trouble, do ya now?"

"I don't know how to describe it," explained Lettuce tentatively, as she allowed Ichigo's arms to ease away from her as the pink cat girl attempted to stand on her own, "but one day I just got this... strange feeling. Intuition, I think some call it, but I knew I had to come back. And I guess we all felt it, because we all suddenly met at the airport, and because of that we knew something was wrong, so... we came here."

The others nodded solemnly in agreement, as Ichigo was somewhat dazed, unsure whether she should consider this a dream or reality. They were all here. Everyone. And she found herself smiling through tears of joy, though it faded rather quickly when she remembered the situation.

"...the others... they-!" Turning with a start, she saw Zakuro catch sight of one of the others buried beneath the rubble, and nod.

"I'm on it," she said briskly, and, slipping her Crosswhip back into hand, she immediately created a band of light that snapped across the air, digging them out and gingerly lying them back onto the ground. All the while, the others watched in curiousity when they realized these 'others' had animal parts, much like them, as well as pendants resting on their necks and various marks.

"Hey, who are they?" Mint asked, cocking an eyebrow towards Ichigo with her hands on her hips, "So quick to replace us? My, things never change, do they, Ichigo?"

Ichigo blinked. "Mou, it's not like that! You guys weren't here, so we had to fight back somehow, and I'm not powerful enough, and - "

"Sooo, the aliens are back, huh, na no da?" Balling her hands into fists and grinning, Pudding raised them up in mock fighting stance towards the pudding-bound Chimera Ari, "We'll just have to send them back again to Taru-Taru's home! Na no da!"

Ichigo couldn't help but smile. "Minah..." But it was just as quick to fade as Lettuce spoke again, before she'd even gotten the chance to view her surroundings.

"Where is Shirogane-san? And Akasaka-san?"

There was only silence in response as Ichigo's gaze fell to the ground, and then, filled with tears, this time of anything but joy, to the area behind them. They turned around.

And they saw.

"...no..."

Lettuce was already crying. Soundlessly, tears were suddenly streaming down her face, her green eyes wide with fright, horror, and despair. The others didn't seem to be able to believe what they saw. Or, rather, the absense thereof. Where Cafe Mew Mew had once occupied, there was emptiness, and below that emptiness sat rubble, ash, remains.

"Oh my god..." Mint was not crying like Lettuce, but she instead looked like she was completely horrified. Zakuro's usual blank expression was something the same, for once, and Pudding was all tears.

"No way... no way, na no da!"

"Sh-shirogane-san...and..." Lettuce's voice choking from the sobs, she lifted her hand to point, "...Akasaka-san... they're...?"

Ichigo nodded, and found tears running down her own face again in silence. Aside from a choked sob from Lettuce, all was silent.

"She did this," turning to see Zakuro speak solemnly, Ichigo looked over her shoulder at the captive Ari who she was referring to, "didn't she?"

They all looked, and Ichigo was quiet. But before she could even nod, a light suddenly balled itself up, and the gel shook, before bursting into a million tiny, tiny pieces. Ari was released from her dessert prison, fuming with anger. And it seemed capturing her was a mistake - it only seemed to compress her power, concentrate it so it was even stronger.

And the anger seemed to only multiply it more.

"Neko!" She spat, but her smile suddenly grew when she saw the others. "...there's more of you, is there? Ahh, you're neko's original group, aren't you? Well, welcome hom --"

"RIBBON LETTUCE RUSH!" Screaming with tears in her eyes, Lettuce suddenly jumped forward, thrusting out her castanets and blasting the alien with a rush of water. Unphazed, Ari swung her hands out, creating a flaming barrier between the two, deflecting the blow.

"You're all weak!" She cried, and thrust her arms forward, sending the water straight back at the attacker. Lettuce screamed as she was sent flying back, hitting the ground soaked with water.

That seemed to wake the rest of them up. Grunting, Kona pushed herself from the ground and blinked, a few droplets of water in her eyes. Ari... They widened when she saw the sudden addition of five girls. Yumi was up as well, rubbing her head in a daze.

"Ara... Who're...they?"

"Lettuce!" Berii cried and pulled her wand out, "Ribbon Loveberry Check!"

Ari's wings spread out and she propelled into the air, diving clear out of the way and towards the offending bunny girl. "See ya, neko-usagi!" She yelled, her hands and claws aimed right for the blonde.

"Zakuro Pure!" Light whipped outward, wrapped itself around Ari's leg and jerked her backwards, keeping Berii temporarily out of harm's way. Mint and Pudding jumped in to take advantage of the situation.

"Ribbon Mint Echo!"

"Ribbon Pudding Ring -- Inferno!"

An arrow shot towards towards her, followed by a burst of light breaking through the ground. Even as Ari's movement was limited, perhaps even completely restricted, she grinned. Yanking her foot forward as momentum, she allowed the arrow to come into contact with her palm, drawing blood. But at the same time, she'd formed a small field against the force, which immediately fought to repel the attack from where it came, in turn sending the wave of energy back towards the two girls.

"Huuaaahh!" They were cut off as their own attacks caught Pudding and Mint, trapping them in a blob of jello-like-pudding just as Ari had been.

"Pudding! Mint!" Zakuro cried, though it was a mistake to draw her attention away. Having been connected to the whip, it was a simple matter for Ari to use it to fly over and connect her foot to the wolf-fused girl's face with force, easily knocking her over and heavily bruising her cheek.

"Heh," feet halting just inches above the battle ground, Ari felt her grin widening, and she looked up, amused. "Bravo, bravo. You've all put up a wonderful fight. It hasn't made the game worth playing, but it's been a delightful waste of my time," the air sparked around her as she raised herself into the air, out of harm's way. Ari's golden eyes flashed. "I'm afraid it's time for me to take the win. It's - been - fun!"

Letting out a cry, she clasped her hands together tightly, summoning an inhuman amount of energy all around her, as it sparked and lit about like a living flame.

"Berii!" Clasping her Strawberry Bell, Ichigo finished checking on the others and letting Mint and Pudding out of their seal. The bunny girl paused, holding her wand, and nodded.

"Hai. Ready, Ichigo?"

Wordlessly, the two of them focused on the charging Chimera Ari. They weren't going to let her finish.

"Ribbon!"

Light glimmering from each of their weapons, Berii and Ichigo both stepped forward in almost perfect unison. "Double Berry... Check!"

Ari grinned as the light flashed up, putting her hands out to deflect the attack as she had done others. Her eyes widened in shock as the power barrier cracked, unable to further resist, and then completely collapsed, leaving her with the full blow of the two girls' attacks.

"Yaaahhhhh!" Shrieking in pain, the light tore through her, sending her plummeting to the ground. As she came into contact with the cement, she gasped and pushed herself up. A globe of light spilled from her body, unknowingly, touching Kishu's pale and limp hand and disappearing.

"You little..." breathing heavily, her shoulders shook as she raised her head to glare at them. There was no longer mirth in her eyes, and she once more crossed her arms over her chest, glowering. And there was that power again. In perfect Demoness form, Chimera Ari let out a cry as the air glared and raged about her, an electrical field flickering around her, brimming with energy and power. Holding her palms out, her anger grew, and with it the field seemed to swell, expanding dangerously.

"N-no way!" Berii gripped her wand.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "It's... it's going to go off like a bomb!" She breathed, feeling her knuckles tighten around her Bell. Just as she said, the field seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, the power within growing stronger and stronger, electricity running through the walls like sparks and flame. And Ari was in the center, channelling all of her rage into energy.

"Ribbon ---" Ichigo and Berii spun around to see Roxi and Yumi up on their feet, holding their weapons. Roxi still had tears in her eyes, and Yumi's jaw was clenched like she was in great pain.

"Raspberry Dazzle!"

"Cherry Burst!"

Both lights burst out and hit the field, but only disappeared, absorbed into it as more energy. Ari's eyes flickered. Ichigo fell to her knees.

Attacks wouldn't work. It was growing too fast, and there was no where to run, no way to protect the blow. Ari had complete control, the whole situation neatly in the palm of her hand.

"You're ---" Swinging her hands up towards the sky, Chimera Ari allowed power to envelope her in shadowy light, and she clapped her palms together, the center of all energy gathered there and ready to burst. "--- finished!"

There was light. But it was promptly halted as a pale hand shot out, broke through the barrier, and grasped Ari by the ankle.

"Stop, Ari!"

It seemed like a spell suddenly broke. Her clawed hands, which had been clasped, seperated instantly from a surprise no other voice could have caused her, the attack fading from view in an instant. Before anyone could process what had just happened, Ari's eyes widened and she whipped around to see Kishu there, clutching at her leg and breathing heavily. The life had somehow returned to his eyes after a fragment of his force had spilled from Ari's body, and he looked up at her now, almost pleadingly. The barrier faded and Ari's feet came into contact with the ground.

"K-Kishu-sama..." shocked, she stared, expression nearly blank again, "...you... know my name?"

Something like a chuckle escaped his throat, and his grip eased, if only slightly. "How could I not?... Even back at our home, our planet, you caused trouble. Making big scenes out of everything, always trying to break the rules... You even tried to get Deep Blue-sama to bring you on that first mission, but he said you were too...weak..." Breathing heavily, Kishu doubled over coughing.

Her shoulders drooping slightly, Ari turned to fully face him, bewildered. At the same time, light spilled from her body again, taking her Demoness Chimera features away as the forces were returned to Marzipan and Hanajima, as well as Kishu, who gained the strength to push himself up.

And everyone else, who had been in a state of paralyzed fear at Ari's ultimate attack, watched in melting surprise. One minute, their lives had been on the very brink of being destroyed, and now... all of a sudden there was no threat in Ari's eyes. Anger, yes, but no longer the threat that they had seen just moments before, her Demoness, her hatred. It was all gone.

At first, Ari was speechless. But it didn't seem to matter - as he climbed to his feet, he looked her straight in the eye, frowning.

"Why did you come here, Ari?" He said softly, "Why are you so bent on hurting Ichigo and the others?"

Anger seemed to etch itself on her face again, and she looked to the side. "She," Ari snarled, "caused yours and Pai-sama and Taruto-chan's mission to be a failure. It's all her fault, that we don't have this planet... it's her fault! All because that witch --"

Kishu interupted, looking surprised. "'Witch'? You mean koneko-chan?" Seemingly finding this amusing, he grinned briefly, his shoulders shaking slightly in short laughter, "Ari, Ichigo's no witch. Neither are the others. They're just defending their own planet, just like we want to defend ours. And you and Hanajima and Marzipan threatened that," On that thought, he glanced over to see the two aliens in question had managed to draw to consciousness as well, pushing themselves from the ground.

Ari gritted her teeth. "But this was our planet," it was clear enough, to Ichigo and the others as they watched, that that was not really her reason. Ichigo wondered, as she looked at them, if she'd been right after all. The way Ari's anger just seemed to slip from her face... it was as if -- "It was ours, Kishu-sama, and they've ruined it! And because of that, we were stuck on some desolate star, forced to live in poverty and under poor conditions! It's all their fault!"

"But they're the ones," he said calmly, "who allowed us to take the Mew Aqua to restore our own home, Ari. Without them, we'd have only destroyed everything and been back to square one."

Her golden eyes widened and drifted to the ground, and her anger seemed to deepen. Kishu noticed, but didn't wince or seem fazed at all. He waited for her to speak, for her to argue further. Kishu knew where he stood. If she tried to attack these girls, he would defend them with his life.

"But..." Ari put a hand to her face, exasperated. Hanajima and Marzipan watched from the side silently, their wounds still recovering as they kept eachother upright. Ichigo and the others watched, ready to attack, ready to fight against Ari if she snapped again. But, to their surprise, she stayed calm. Her head hung and she shut her eyes.

"That means, then... that you were really in love with her? With Ichigo?"

"...Eh?" Kishu blinked, not having expected that. Then, after a period of silence, his face softened, and he nodded, slowly.

"Yes."

"..." Ichigo blinked. The others blinked. And then they turned towards her. "Ehhhh?"

"W-what?" Ichigo took a step back, her face burning. Pudding was up in her face almost right away, though she had a slight limp from Ari's attack.

"Ichigo-oneechan, you never told me about your secret affair with Kishu-onii-chan! Aoyama-onii-chan's not going to be very happy, na no da!"

"P-Pudding, it's not like that!" Waving her hands around frantically, she looked from Kishu to the suspicious girls, back to Kishu, and back to the girls again. "It's not... I really... I don't --"

Kishu smiled, and shook his head. "I know." He turned back to Ari, "All that matters to me is that Ichigo is happy, and can smile like she always has. As long as she has that happiness... I don't care who she loves."

"Kishu..." Ichigo stopped, and lowered her hands quietly. Ari seemed a bit surprised, but still reluctant at the same time.

To her shock, Kishu grabbed her hand. "Come on," he said, tugging her in a different direction, "There's really no need to be fighting, Ari. We can go back now. Back home."

Ari hesitated, not moving from where she stood. And Ichigo saw that look in the alien's eyes. Not that inhuman, murderous one she'd been seeing so much in the previous fight. A different one. The real reason she'd come here, the real reason she hated Ichigo so much, the reason she looked at Kishu without hate or horrid intentions.

Ichigo felt a tiny smile ease onto her own face.

I was right.

"Alright," Ari nodded, and smiled, looking up at him quietly, "Let's go home. Kishu-sama."

Kishu turned to smile at Ichigo before they walked off, followed by Marzipan and Hanajima. The girls all watched them in silence, faint smiles on their faces.

Turning away for a moment, Ichigo walked over to where Kikyo, Kona, Brooke and Shinta all laid, helping them up. "Are you guys gonna be all right?"

"Yeah," a hand pressed to her forehead, Kona managed a smile as she helped Shinta up to his feet, "We're all... fine."

There were other things to worry about. But for now, they just watched them walking away, basking in that soon-fading feeling of peace.

"Thank goodness..." a tear slid down Lettuce's cheek and she sighed, a small smile on her face, "Shirogane-san... your sacrifice wasn't in vain."

"A happy ending for the aliens again, na no da!" Pudding chimed cheerfully. Ichigo nodded, slowly, watching as they went, supporting Kona by the shoulder.

"Yeah..."

But then, Marzipan halted in her step. Before they'd even fully noticed, she fell to her knees, clutching at her throat, gasping for air with a strained look on her face.

Hanajima spun around. "Marzipan?" But just as quickly, that look overtook her too, and she doubled over, her head hitting the ground. Kishu and Ari stared in horror.

"What's going on?" Ichigo cried in fear, taking a step forward. At that moment, both the standing aliens collapsed as well, paling in pain. "Kishu?"

Suddenly, the life began to draw from them again, in a liquidy, floating state, the energy force being pulled from their mouths, leaving their bodies limp and unmoving behind. They let out a final cry as their energy was yanked clean from them, gathering high up in the air, swirling together and combining. Ari's hand hit the ground as her body was left a shell, her own bright force joining the other two in the air.

Kishu lay shaking against the sidewalk, hand clasping his throat, body tense as he tried to fight off some invisible force.

"Kishu!" Ichigo and the others started rushing over, with frightened looks on their faces. Kishu's yellow eyes widened and he fell unmoving against the ground as the life slowly began to draw itself out from him, leaving with force.

"This is why..." Squeezing his eyes shut in pain, Kishu's back suddenly arched and he groaned, letting out one last breath, "...you don't try to cheat... with Fusion..."

And then he was silent as his own power joined the rest in one growing ball in the sky, all merging together. In a sudden gain of power, it burst into light, forcing Ichigo and the others to shield their eyes from the brightness.

"What is happening?" Berii cried in despair as the power whipped all around them, and as it finally began to dim, not one of them could answer. Because no one with their souls still in tact knew what was happening.

Not until the light faded, and they saw the horror faced before them.

-

Next Chapter:

The battle to end all battles has begun. With Kishu and the others out of the picture, will the Mews be able to take the fight on their own? Or will they lose more than they already have? Bonds are put to the ultimate test in this epic chapter as the final face-off takes place!