Chapter Six-The Ambush Abduction

"That really cool. I wish I haved powers like that!" Arissa was watching Tart at work from the control room in the ship. "What he doing that for?" She looked up at Pai questioningly. "Kisshu said you like clean places, not dirty..." Two months had passed since Arissa had been brought to Pai's base ship. She hadn't asked to go back home, and surprisingly, her health had not deteriorated. She rather liked being with the Cyniclons. Pai had been catching her up, and advancing her studied in mathematics and sciences, while Kisshu and Tart were teaching her their way of life. At her question, Pai sighed deeply, before reply.

"Yes, that's what we like, but see, the people of Earth have completely destroyed what we used to have. And in order to regain it back,we have to...put them to sleep for a long time."

"Are they getting hurted?" Arissa asked, watching the screen again. "They look sick..."

Pai laughed softly, picking her up now. "Aren't you full of questions today! Why don't we ask Tart when he comes back, alright? In the mean time, I want to see if you remember those things I taught you yesterday before lunch." He carried her out of the control room. Putting her down, he made a shooing motion. "I'll be in your room in a minute to check, alright?"

" 'kay, Pai..." Arissa scampered off without another word. Pai turned the corner, going into Kisshu's room. "Kisshu, we need to talk.."

"What's up?" Kisshu hopped down from his bed, curiously. "Isn't she getting big?"

"And inquisitive." Pai replied. His eyes narrowed in thought. "What if we start teaching her?"

"Teaching her..? You mean how to...make infusers...?" Kisshu blinked. The thought had never occurred to him for that. "But...she's human..." He replied, stating the obvious. "We can't teach her an ability she doesn't have."

"Maybe not that...but all humans have the ability to pollute and litter. It's practically built into their nature." Pai explained. "We'll get to see if she really is on our side."

"I don't like it." Kisshu told him, folding his arms. "I found her. I should get to say what we do with her." In truth, Kisshu would have preferred Arissa never going to Earth again. He still feared that she was young enough to be assuaged by the Mews or one of their leaders into staying.

"Kisshu, it's not fair to make her stay on the ship. She should be with children her own age. They could probably teach her better than we can how to pollute." Pai tried another tactic to get his way. "There's a fifty-percent chance she'll never even run into the mews. And if she does, one of us will be keeping an eye on things."

"And there's the other fifty-percent that she will." Kisshu snapped. "No. She stays here."

"Very well. You're the big brother..." Pai meant that Kisshu was the big brother of Arissa, not him, of course. "I just thought she might like to help us, since she's always asking us how we do certain things."

Kisshu watched Pai leave, as he levitated back up to his cot. We never said she'd ever go into a dangerous situation. Going down there guarantees certain trouble for her! I doubt even Ichigo would resist taking her and hiding her away from us if she had a chance to do it without me around. Maybe I could take her down there, and supervise her a bit, but it wouldn't have to be a long stay.

When Tart got back, Arissa pounced on him for answers. "How do it!"

"Heh...I was sort of born with that ability, and..." He started tickling her. "This one!" He laughed, listening to her giggle.

"Not fair! You cheat!" Arissa retaliated gleefully. And unknowingly, she hit a spot where Tart had gotten hurt. The young alien hissed in pain. "I sorry..." Arissa backed up a little. "Are okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'll be fine..." Tart forced a convincing smile, ruffling her hair. "You win this one, but I'll be back!" He left to go tend to his badly bruised side. Those Mews! I can't stand them! Who cares if Pudding sweet, and good at jacks! They almost killed me that time! Unbelievable! I can't believe we're raising one of those pathetic humans ourselves. Heh.. Arissa's not human! She's one of us now. Even though, she does look the way she does...He carefully bandaged his bruised rib. He'd purposely not told Pai or Kisshu about being injured. Those two were overly protective as it was. He wanted to take care of himself for a change. As he was ready to put the disinfectants away, he heard sniffling in the doorway. He turned to see Arissa looking sad, and sorry. "Arissa, what's wrong?" He squatted as low as his bandaged ribs would let him.

"I hurted you...I no meant to..." She looked at the floor, until Tart cupped her chin in his own hand.

"You didn't hurt me..." He stood up now. "Our enemy did. You know those mean mew mews I told you about? Well, Pudding wasn't there this time, so I had to deal with the others, and they weren't nice." He held out his hand. "Did Pai give you your lunch yet?"

"Nuh uh. I wanted wait for you." She let Tart lead her out of the water closet, and down the corridor.

"We won't tell Pai and Kisshu that I got hurt, right?" He asked her now. "It'll just be our little secret, okay?"

" 'kay!" Arissa grinned up at him. "I glad you not dead."

"That makes two of us!" Tart laughed again. "Let's eat!"

Later that night, Kisshu bundled Arissa up for their short excursion down to Earth. He hadn't talked to Pai, or Tart about this. He wanted to do this for Arissa, and see how she fared. And while I'm at it, I'll show her how to litter. He hid his smirk,when he picked her up. "Ready to go?"

"No..." Arissa tried to get down. "I want Tart go too..." It was no secret that Tart and Arissa were extremely close.

"Well, Tart's sleeping right now. He had a long day. Tell ya what,kitten. We'll bring something back for him. How does that sound?" Kisshu couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. It seemed to him that Tart and Pai had somehow taken his place in Arissa's heart.

"'kay, Kisshu." Arissa let him hold her without struggling now, as they departed.

The air was cool, and calm down on Earth. Kisshu let Arissa down to play in the park they had landed in. "Stay close by,Kitten." He watched her tear over to the swings excitedly,as he leaped into a tree.

"kay, Kisshu!" Arissa promised excitedly. It felt strange for her. She felt heavy, and a little nauseated, but otherwise, the little girl felt like she'd somehow returned to familiar territory. Arissa ran over to the swings, and began to push herself on the swing.

"You're taking a big risk, bringing her down here, you know." A familiar voice spoke up suddenly. Kisshu looked behind him to see Mew Ichigo.

"Maybe..." Kisshu said, preparing to summon an infuser. "Isn't it past your curfew?"

"That's none of your business!" Mew Ichigo summoned her own weapon. She glanced behind her briefly. It was just as she and her teammates had planned it. Pudding was distracting Arissa with some of her acrobatic tricks.

"Hey, get away from her!" Kisshu yelled. "Arissa, run!" He yelled in pain when Ichigo's Strawberry Check blasted him out of the tree, and into the ground. "Ichigo..." He struggled to sit up. "Please..."

"Save it." Mew Ichigo replied. But even as she said, it didn't sound as fierce as she'd intended it to.

Arissa...Don't leave me,kitten. Don't go with them...Kisshu struggled to his feet, heading over to the swing set to get Arissa. "Get away from her!"

"We're not done yet, Kisshu!" Mew Ichigo landed in front of him, blocking his path. She spoke softly then. "I won't hurt you, if you just let her go." The two enemies just stared at each other silently then.

Mew Lettuce and Mew Pudding had a difficult task as well, and that was getting Arissa to go with them. "Calm down, little one. We're not going to hurt you..." Mew Lettuce tried to sooth her.

"Her hurted my brother!" Arissa shrieked, glaring at Mew Ichigo. "Get 'way from him!"

Mew Pudding had tried her best to distract the child, but it had all been ruined when Kisshu fell out of the tree. "He's not hurt,see?" Pudding pointed. "He's fine." She had a lot of experience taking care of younger children, thanks to watching over her brothers and sisters.

Mew Lettuce picked Arissa up. "You have to come with us."

"NO! You hurt Tart! I no like you!" Arissa kicked and thrashed violently, bursting into tears. "Kisshu!"

Mew Lettuce tried to keep her hold on Arissa, but in the end, the younger child got free, trying to run towards Kisshu.

"Oh no you don't!" Mew Mint jumped in her way, and scooped her up. "We've been trying to get you back for months!" She held her firmly, yet kindly, attempting to sooth her.

"Let her go!" Kisshu glared at Mew Ichigo now. "You're scaring her! Is that what you wanted to do, Honey?"

"Ugh! I've told you already, I have a boyfriend! Don't call me that!" Mew Ichigo replied, ignoring his first remark.

Kisshu's heart ached.. He was about to lose Arissa, and it was all because he'd wanted to teach her a few things. Yet...a part of him wondered if this was what was best for the child. In a rash movement, he turned to Arissa's struggling form. "I'll be back for you, Arissa! Just be strong." He left quickly, before he could change his mind. Luckily, he didn't have to hear Arissa burst into heartbroken sobs, as Mint,Ichigo,Pudding and Lettuce headed back to Cafe Mew Mew with her.