Chapter Nine-The Littlest Cyniclon

"I still don't think this is going to be a good idea." Tart told Kisshu. They were in some park with Arissa late one night. Pai doesn't really think she's ready, does he?" He watched the youngster with her new fan toy. "Be careful, Arissa. We don't want to leave too much evidence that we've been here." He shook his head. "She's got next to no control.."

"I know, but there's not a whole lot we can do about it. Pai's already made up his mind. I'm supposed to try and teach her how to make infusers. I didn't think humans could do it."

"Pai's lost it." Tart walked over to Arissa. "Come on. It's time to go home." He took her hand in his. They were just about to leave when Kisshu hissed for them to stop. "What's your deal!"

"It's Ichigo...and lover boy." Kisshu picked Arissa up soundlessly, gesturing for her to be quiet. "We don't want the cat girl to take you away again, do we?"

"No..." She whispered softly. The little girl watched Ichigo and Masaya silently. "Tan 'ttack them?" She held up her fan, remembering what Pai had told her that day.

"Hmm. Good idea." Kisshu glanced over at Tart. "We'll call it a test run." He set her down again. "Just be careful." He and Tart watched from a safe distance, as Arissa approached Ichigo.

"Arissa! What are you doing out here alone?" Ichigo was instantly worried. She moved to pick the young child up, but was quite shocked when a gust of wind blew her backwards. "What in the world!"

"Take dat!" Arissa grinned proudly. "I'm a 'clon now, and I not coming wif you no wheres!" She waved her fan. "Wind dus'!" She glinted at Ichigo.

"Stop that!" Ichigo was panting now, after being thrown into a tree. She looked around wildly for Masaya, who had suddenly disappeared. "Masaya?" She looked back at Arissa. "Arissa, please. You don't want to be in with the Cyniclons. They're bad."

"No dey not! They don't hurts their young, wike we do. And they don't 'lute eifer!"

"But that's what they've been doing! They're slowly killing our planet, Arissa. Kisshu and his friends aren't nice aliens. And now they're trying to turn you against us too! I won't have it!" She stood up, and walked over to Arissa. "Give me the fan."

"Wind Dus'!" Arissa backed up a bit as Ichigo once again slammed into a tree. "Dis was a present from my brover! MINE!"

"That's it. I didn't want it to come to this..." Ichigo pulled out her power pendant, and transformed into Mew Ichigo. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"It means that this training session is over!" Pai came down now, and scooped up his foster sister. "You did well, Arissa."

"You three are sick! You think putting her in the middle of our fight is going to make things better? It's only going to make it worse!" Mew Ichigo glared at Pai. "Just give her back!"

"I 'taying with the 'clons!" Arissa clung to Pai tighter. "No let take me!"

"I wouldn't dream of it." Pai smirked at Mew Icghigo. "Let's go. Kisshu, Tart."

The three Cyniclons disappeared with her, leaving Mew Ichigo to stare in frustration.

"Have you two lost your minds! She could've been hurt!" Pai was trying to sooth the trembling child. "She's just a beginner. And you put her up against the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew!"

"So? You told me to start training her." Kisshu yawned. "I was just following your orders, genius." Though, Kisshu did admit he felt really bad for having put Arissa in that kind of danger so soon.

"C'mere, Arissa." Tart beckoned the young girl over to him. "Let's get you a snack, then it will be time for bed for you." He scooped her up. "She shouldn't be listening to you two argue. It's not good for her." He took the child out of the room.

Pai and Kisshu glowered at each other. Then Pai sighed. "When I said to start training her, I didn't mean for you to let her attack the mew mews. I meant to teach her how to use her life energy to make stun balls and things like that. It's highly unlikely she'll be able to make infusers, unless we..." He started to smirk slowly, turning to go into his lab.

"Unless we what!" Kisshu didn't like the look his elder friend had on his face. "Pai! What are you talking about!" He followed him until the laboratory door was shut in his face. "Don't think this is over!" Kisshu disappeared back to his quarters. He was starting to realize the real danger he had put Arissa in by getting her involved with them. If anything were to happen to her, he'd never forgive himself.

"What we doing here, Pai?" Arissa looked up at her friend, curiously. They were in his laboratory. Pai had her on a table, and was preparing various syringes and things for some sort of test. He didn't answer her at first. He came over, and laid her down on the table. "Pai?"

"Shh. It's going to be alright." Pai nearly muttered to her. He was about to put her to sleep with a chemical more potent than chloroform when Kisshu stormed in. "Don't interfere." He didn't even turn around.

"What are you doing! You promised not to hurt her, Pai!" Kisshu went over to where Arissa was laying. "What are you planning to do, Pai? Just tell me."

"I'm planning to merge some of our DNA with hers. Is that a problem? Once the procedure is completed, she'll have just about the same abilities as we do." Pai poured some liquid on to a cloth. "It won't hurt her too much because she'll be asleep." He came over to Arissa now. "Alright, Rissa. I just need you to breathe in deeply." He put the cloth over her mouth and nose, not forcing it. Arissa coughed miserably, trying to resist it. The smell was gross, and she hated it. "Stop struggling. It won't do you any good." He said to her now. He watched in satisfaction, as she began to go limp.

"You're crazy!" Kisshu tried to stop Pai, but only succeeded in being thrown back harshly. "Pai, don't do this!"

"Leave us." Pai said in his deathly quiet voice. "I can't do this properly with you screaming at me." He removed the cloth from the motionless girl's face. "I don't want to be disturbed for the next few hours."

Kisshu came over to Arissa, and petted her hair gently. "I am so sorry, little one. But...perhaps Pai knows what's best for your survival with us."
"Oh stop getting so sappy! It's not as if I'm killing her." Pai was annoyed with the younger alien. "Now get out, so I can get started." He escorted Kisshu out of his laboratory, and locked the door behind him. Then he returned to Arissa, and began his work.

Kisshu paced in his room, nervously. Please, Arissa. Forgive me. Forget Arissa. Ichigo is going to kill me! I promised her I wouldn't let the little one get hurt…and I know this is going to hurt…

"Penny for your thoughts, Kisshu?" Tart was standing there with a confused expression on his face. "Pai's got his laboratory locked…that's weird."

"He is fusing our DNA into Arissa." Kisshu replied now, muttering it. "She's going to be a half-cyniclon now."

"That's crazy. We've never done any of that." Tart replied. His tone was incredulous. "Makes me wonder what's going on in his head."

"Nothing per usual." Kisshu replied, materializing an energy bubble idly. "She won't live through this, and if she does, it'll be a miracle. If she lives through this, I probably won't. Ichigo will kill me.

"Are you two done talking about me?" Pai came into the room now, carrying a sleepy looking Arissa. "The procedure went fine." He patted Arissa's back. "How do you feel, little one?"

'Tired…" She gave a small yawn, and whimpered. "And my wibs hurt." She buried her face in Pai's neck.

"See? She's fine." Pai smirked triumphantly at Kisshu.

"You're lucky." Kisshu replied, seriously, as he took the sleeping child from him. "You just better hope you'll be fine when the Mew Mews find out." He walked off to put the young girl in bed.

"I'm not afraid of them." Pai called after him.

I'm not normally, but this is different. I just hope when she's older, she'll understand…Kisshu laid down next to his charge. "Please accept my advance apology.." He pulled her close to him, and then settled down for a nap.