Chapter 4

Bitter Truths

Ichigo stared at Kish. She knew he was strong, but to be the sole survivor out of hundreds of waulrinswi… How did he survive?

Kish looked away, scratching his neck uncomfortably.

"I don't understand." Zakuro said slowly, breaking the silence, "How can you not know what you're up against if Kish is still here?"

"Well that's because –," Tart began.

" –I can't remember anything." Kish finished. He crossed his arms staring determinedly at the hardwood floor, "I remember arriving with my team, exploring a bit, then, nothing. When I came to, I was somehow back on the ship. There wasn't a scratch on me yet everyone else was dead. I don't know how or why I'm alive…"

"You don't remember anything?" Ryou asked, disbelief edging the tone of his voice.

"I don't." Kish confirmed, daring Ryou to contradict him.

"Well that's helpful." Ryou scoffed.

Ichigo's temper snapped.

"Shut up Shirogane! He says he can't remember! What more do you want?" She screamed, her hands fisting at her sides.

"I want to know why they're here." Ryou snapped back.

"Because we need your help." Pai said firmly.

"And what do you expect a group of adolescents to do?" Ryou demanded, throwing back his chair and jumping to his feet.

"If I'm not mistaken, these are the same "adolescent" girls we battled two years ago." Pai replied flatly.

"This is different!" Ryou insisted.

"Different?" Pai repeated, drawing himself up to his full height, "Two years ago a majority of the Mews were twelve. None of them had any combat experience yet you specifically selected them to battle aliens with mediocre powers at best. What was running through your head when you made that choice? You had no qualms about sending children into battle then."

Ryou was now positively shaking in outrage. Akasaka also looked highly uncomfortable.

Ichigo frowned. She'd never really thought about her qualifications to be a Mew before. What Pai said made sense. Neither she, nor any of her team, had ever been trained in combat. She could hardly win verbal wars against her classmates and she most certainly had never had any weapons experience prior to becoming a Mew. The only one of them who really had any training had been Zakuro, though she'd only taken self-defense lessons. So, how on earth were a bunch of adolescent girls get chosen to carry the weight of the world?

Ichigo glanced around at her team to see her own questions solidifying on their faces.

"How come you chose us to be Mews?" Berry asked slowly, "He's right. We were not the most qualified to take on such a situation. It would've been better for the government or even the military."

"Che, the government never gets anything done." Ryou snarled.

"But children do?" Tart pressed.

"We didn't have much choice!" Ryou yelled, "Believe me, I would've preferred to have trained operatives go up against your invasion force but –!"

"The Mew Project was illegal." Zakuro said so softly that Ichigo was surprised she'd heard her at all.

"What?" Mint breathed.

"The project was illegal." Zakuro repeated, her gaze zeroing in on Ryou, "You brought the project before the government didn't you? But they turned it down. The animal's DNA that we share are all endangered. Why didn't I see this before? It was illegal for you to extract their DNA and furthermore, it was illegal for you to infuse the DNA into a human!"

Ichigo held her breath, waiting, praying, that Ryou or Akasaka would immediately shoot down the accusation and tell her she was crazy, that that wasn't the case, but none came. Ryou merely looked away while Akasaka covered his face in his hands.

"I think you have some explaining to do." Tart said coldly to the two of them before draping an arm over Pudding's shoulders. Pudding looked like she was about to cry, and Ichigo couldn't blame her. She too felt the hurt and betrayal inflicted by the truth.

Ryou pinched the bridge of his nose, still refusing to make eye contact with his expectant audience.

"H-How about I get some cake. I have a fresh pistachio one this mor –," Akasaka stammered.

"We don't need cake we need truth!" Zakuro interrupted heatedly.

Akasaka sighed in a defeated manner.

"The Mew Project began years ago with Ryou's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shirogane." Akasaka began, "Mrs. Shirogane was the head researcher in the preservation of endangered animals while Mr. Shirogane was an astronomer. Both of them worked for the government at the time because unidentified flying objects had become more frequent. The government could no longer afford to dismiss the call for an investigation. Mr. Shirogane was put in charge of that investigation. Months later, a ship did crash."

"That would've been our first scouting team." Pai intervened, "Were the bodies ever recovered?"

Akasaka shook his head.

"The team would've been ecstatic if they were, but everything was burned to a crisp except for a handful of tiny creatures."

"You mean these?" Kish asked, pulling out a small, see-through creature with tiny, weaving Pilli, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I can't say for sure." Akasaka replied, "Mr. Shirogane let me in on a lot of his research, but Mrs. Shirogane preferred to keep her studies a secret. Any way, it was at this time that Mrs. Shirogane was called in to study those. From what I was allowed to hear, those creatures had the ability to morph creatures and create –."

"Chimeras." Ryou finished.

Akasaka fell silent as Ryou took over.

"In nature, there are naturally occurring chimeras. It's a genetic disorder in which a human has two sets of DNA." He began.

"How is that possible?" Berry interrupted quizzically.

"In the embryonic stage of development, cells forming the embryo split, forming two separate embryos. This is the process that creates identical twins. However, if one of the embryos were to reabsorb the other, the individual would carry two sets of DNA. This is a chimera.

"Using this information, my mother used the alien species as hosts to carry the desired DNA of a certain animal. She then allowed the alien to fuse with an egg of another animal, creating the first multi-creature chimera.

"My mother brought her findings and her creation before representatives of the government. At first they were impressed and published her success. The population, however, was not. Animal rights activists and religious groups denounced her work with claims that this kind of testing was cruelty towards the animals and that it was not humans place to be God. There was enough uproar that the government recalled the publications and ordered the destruction of the chimera. They then told my parents to destroy all their research and they were never to do such experiments again." Ryou sighed, massaging his temple, "Obviously, my parents didn't listen. They continued to experiment to the point were they were working to be able to allow a human to carry animal genes. I volunteered as their first test subject, but that obviously didn't work. A little while later, when I was ten, they created another chimera with human features. However, it was highly unstable and went on a rampage. That rampage killed my parents."

"After that we moved to America and completed the work his parents couldn't." Akasaka continued, picking up from were Ryou had left off, "It was also around that time that a lot of people were beginning to panic over a place in the United States called Area fifty-one. I looked into it and was able to piece together the garbled stories of alien sightings. I had a hunch that Earth was in danger of an invasion. Ryou and I built a small spacecraft that we were able to get into Earth's orbit with out detection. From there we were able to watch for an invasion force. Then, we perfected the Mew Project as a means of offense. All the animals you girls are infused with are either territorial or agile. Even with out fighting experience, the animals' reflexes and would keep them alive."

"Ok, but that doesn't explain the frilly dresses or the weapons." Mint replied skeptically.

"We don't have an explanation for that." Ryou replied, "According to our research, you should've turned into a humanoid like version of the creature, as in the animal half would be dominate, not your human half."

Ichigo shuddered, picturing an image of herself, still the same height, but covered in midnight black fur, naked, and with large feline eyes. Yeah, she preferred how she'd turned out.

"I think the appearance and weapons probably had to do with the personality." Akasaka supplied.

"That's an interesting story and all, but how does this constitute not helping us?" Kish asked, reminding everyone of the problem at hand.

"Because they're accidents." Ryou forced out. There was an in take of breath from everyone except Berry, whose transformation had been a known accident.

"You said so yourself." He continued looking determinedly at Pai so as not to see the girl's hurt faces, "Trained operatives would've been the logical choice."

"But the girls are the ones sitting here." Pai said evenly, "Whether we like it or not, they've been bestowed with a gift and a curse, and right now, we need the help of their abilities."

"What makes you think they're capable of helping?"

"We are." Ichigo said firmly, causing every eye in the room to turn on her. She ignored them; "We will assist you in any way we can."

"Ichigo! You can't be serious!" Ryou exclaimed.

"I am serious." She told him, "We may not be the most qualified, but I for one can not sit here while people, sorry, waulrinswi, are dying. If there's something I can do to help, then I will give it my all."

"You don't even know what you're up against."

"There's only one way to find out."

"You could die!"

"I know."

"What about your parents?"

Ichigo opened her mouth then hesitated. In her minds eye she could see Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama, tears making fresh trails down the side of their cheeks as they stood over Masaya's coffin. What if that was her? What would her parents do if she disappeared only to die on another planet?

"I won't let anything happen to her or any of the Mews." Kish said defiantly.

Ichigo, whose eyes had strayed over to Pai, noticed his face twitch slightly. Never having been a particular fan of the girls and being the most sensible, Ichigo had a feeling Pai disliked making empty promises.

"Ichigo, what about your family?" Ryou asked again.

"I'm sure… I'm sure they'll understand." She lied.

She caught Akasaka studying her out of the corner of her eye, surveying her like he could see right through her. Ichigo averted her gaze to Ryou, standing stiffly and refusing to fidget or bite her lip.

"They don't know do they?" Akasaka asked quietly.

Ichigo's face colored instantly, followed by twin black cat ears that drooped. Was she that easy to read?

"Do any of your relations know? Akasaka sighed, directing his question to the rest of the girls. He was met with an uncomfortable silence as they all looked determinedly away except for Pudding, "Pudding, you're the only one who told your family?"

She nodded.

"I didn't see any reason to keep it a secret from them. My siblings needed to know why I couldn't be there for them at times. My Dad still isn't home and we don't have a mother." She bit her lip then swiveled around to meet Ichigo's eyes a mixture of regret and fear marring her features, "I want to help Ichigo! I really do, but who will take care of my family if I'm not there? I can't abandon them! They're too young to take care of themselves!"

Ichigo stared dumbly for a minute as Pudding burst into tears. She was used to the cute, hyperactive girl, not the responsible eldest of the family. Then, she registered pity. It was too much responsibility to put on a girl Pudding's age.

"Don't worry Pudding. If the rest of us go it should be fine for you to stay."

Pudding's breathing eased, and she was able to manage a watery smile.

"No!" Pai interrupted sharply, a fleeting look of apprehension flashing across his eyes, "No." He repeated, looking calmer, "I'm sorry Pudding, but your reflexes are some of the finest. You're small enough to get in and out of tight spaces and your agility allows you to get in close to an enemy before they can even register what hit them. We need you Pudding."

Pudding now looked extremely torn. Her gaze shifted to the floor as she brought her knees to her chest. Her hands fisted in her hair. It was as close to the fetal position as she could manage in a chair as her eyes pinched shut.

"Listen, I know we've dropped a huge dilemma on your shoulders, but we need help now. Time is running short. We're dying."

"I'm going." Zakuro announced, standing up.

"This is troublesome." Mint grunted, but stood up as well.

"You guys have no idea what you're getting into!" Ryou groaned.

"Maybe not," Lettuce said, speaking for the first time, "but Ichigo's right. If there's a chance we can save some one then we need to try." She smiled and stood up as well. Berry quickly followed.

Pudding began biting her nails.

"Pudding, I will personally watch over your family." Akasaka said kindly, smiling warmly at the small girl.

The entire room stared in stunned silence.

"You're agreeing to this now?" Ryou gaped.

"You know the girls Ryou. Once they've made up their mind, there's no swaying them. You're that way too."

Ichigo's eyes gleamed in silent thanks. He nodded, but then his expression became solemn.

"But Ichigo, bring everyone back alive."

Her gratefulness was quickly replaced with apprehension. Suddenly, it felt like the fate of the world was in her hands.

She gulped and nodded.

"I'm sorry, but we need to go." Pai said quietly.

"At least give them time to contact their families." Ryou interjected, but Pai shook his head.

"I'm afraid we've already spent too much time while we waited for Ichigo to go to Masaya's funeral." Ichigo's breath hitched. She'd hoped no one would've breached the subject, "We need to leave now."

"Their parents deserve to know what's going on." Ryou shot back.

"Every second counts Mr. Shirogane."

"A phone call then!"

"They can call from the ship."

"You ok?" Kish asked as Pai and Ryou continued arguing.

Ichigo's shoulders slumped.

"What am I even going to say Kish? I've never told them, and now I'm going to suddenly be telling them out of the blue and disappear for something I might not even come back from. I don't know if I can do that to them. This is all happening so fast…"

Kish reached out and squeezed her hand.

"You'll come back Ichigo. I won't let anything happen to you."

A few more minutes of shouting and a dented table later, it was decided that Ryou and Akasaka would visit each girl's house to explain to their families who they were and where they had gone.

"Would it be alright for me to write a quick letter?" Ichigo asked, coming to a quick conclusion.

"As long as it's fast." Pai replied, "It better be written by the time the ship's fired up."

Ichigo nodded and thanked Akasaka for the pen and paper he quickly procured. She sat down at the table, pen poised over the paper as the rest of the room cleared out. Only Kish remained, sitting quietly across from her.

Dear Mom and Dad she wrote then paused. How could she possibly explain herself? She glanced at Kish helplessly.

"Just tell them the truth." He told her.

"Yeah, but how…" Ichigo whined.

"Just write. It'll come."

Ichigo placed the pen back on the paper.

I know this will come as a shock, but I'm a Mew. She studied the line for a minute before scratching it out. She started again.

Dear Mom and Dad,

You've always told me that I can tell you anything and that you'd support me in any decision I make. I ask that you support me now. I'm a Mew. My identity is Mew Ichigo. I've been a Mew for two years. I hid this from you guys because I feared your rejection. I heard you guys talking in the living room about how much you disliked my team. I'm sorry I hid this from you, and I wish I had more time to explain, but I don't. Mr. Akasaka and Mr. Shirogane are in my place for that reason.

However, the reason I'm writing this is to tell you both how much I love you. You taught me everything I know and I am so grateful for it. I am also so grateful for all your love and devotion you've showered me with all these years. It was through your teachings that you taught me the value of all life, which is why I hope you can understand my reasons for going on this mission. I can't turn my back on someone who needs my help. If there's some way I can save my friends from annihilation, then I'm going to put my best effort into it. That's the girl you raised.

A heart full of love,

Ichigo

Ichigo finished the letter and read over it several times. It was so jumbled yet sparse. There was so much more she could put in there: how she became a Mew, the waulrinswi invasion, the Deep Blue incident, and what they were going to be doing now, but she could hear Pai yelling for Kish, and immediately stood when Kish gently tugged on her upper arm.

She followed him across the café, the letter clutched tightly to her chest, and through the open door. Kish led her down the cement stairs and around to the back of the café, which was occupied by woodlands. He continued into the woods.

Just a few feet in, out of sight of any curious eyes, was a space ship. Not the type she'd seen when fighting Deep Blue, but a large, round, spherical ship. One that glistened alabaster white despite the shade of the trees.

Ichigo gaped at it in awe.

"That's not the ship you had last time." She voiced to Kish.

"No, but it was the only one available." Kish replied.

"What happened to your other ships?" She asked.

"They were destroyed." Kish stated flatly.

"How?"

"We don't know. One morning they were there and the next, every last bit had been torn apart and demolished."

"Do you think it was –?" Ichigo began, but she was interrupted by Pai yelling at them.

"Get on! We need to go!"

Kish and Ichigo hurried to the base of the giant sphere were there was a large, rectangular opening in its underside glowing a pleasant blue. Her team, the other two waulrinswi, Akasaka and Ryou stood just before it, waiting impatiently for their arrival.

"Ichigo, are you sure you're prepared to do this?" Ryou asked, his tone almost pleading.

"I'm sure." Ichigo confirmed with a nod, "Ryou, I have a favor to ask." She held out the sheet of paper, rolled neatly like a scroll, "Please give this to my family."

Ryou took the letter from her with a curt nod. She turned to Akasaka.

"You can't leave with out this." He told her, opening his palm to reveal a small pink machine with large eyes.

"Masha!" She exclaimed. She hadn't seen the small machine since the day she'd found out of Masaya's accident. Ichigo quickly took the computer, which sprung to life and flew to her shoulder. Masha nuzzled her.

Akasaka drew Ichigo into a tight hug.

"Stay safe. Bring everyone home." He murmured in her ear.

"I will." Ichigo promised.

"The ship's ready." Pai announced, "Please everyone, say your final goodbyes and board."

Ichigo hugged Akasaka one more time, then moved out of the way for the rest of the crew to say goodbye. Refusing to look back, she walked towards the soft blue glow like it was calling to her, Masha sitting securely on her shoulder. She held her breath as the soft blue glow seemed to intensify. Something was before her. She reached out her hand tentatively; unsure of what her fingers would meet until she felt something. Whatever was before her rippled like pond water, yet felt as light as air.

"Energy shield." Kish informed her. She looked back at him as he approached, "It's more effective for keeping a stable environment inside than sealed doors and latches."

"So we won't need oxygen tanks or helmets?' Ichigo questioned, drawing on her limited space knowledge.

"Exactly." Kish smiled, "Shall we?" He extended his arm like an old English gentleman.

Ichigo stared at him quizzically for a moment before lacing her arm through his and allowing him to lead her aboard.

She gasped. The interior was positively exquisite. It was like walking into a five star hotel. The tiling of the floor was built in rich mosaics picturing the elements and various waulrinswi deities. Lights lined the floor, giving the interior a soft, warm, glow. Strange floral arrangements grew out of the actual floor, making the areas they grew out of look like pieces of vegetation and their surroundings had been dug up and relocated onto the ship. Further ahead, the floor dipped into a sitting area, complete with couches, tables, and plush armchairs. Off to her right, the area looked like a mini bar and café. Looking left, she almost expected to see a check in desk, but was greeted instead by a spiral, marble staircase. While it seemed to lead to an upper level through a large hole, Ichigo frowned when she saw the same material as the floor. Her gaze drifted across the ceiling. It was an exact carbon copy of the floor: plants, furniture, lights, and all.

"Kish," she said slowly, "please tell me that there's a mirror on the ceiling."

"Nope. There's no ceiling or floor in here." Kish responded proudly, "You see, in space, you never know which direction the craft will flip, therefore, it's built to be convenient in every possible angle."

"This is so surreal." Ichigo breathed in awe.

"It's an amazing ship." Kish agreed, "But unfortunately, it's not the fastest."

"What is this one used for?"

"The royals mainly, or any one of high importance. It's a luxury cruiser."

"I gathered that much."

The rest of the group piled on board. Ichigo could hear the collective gasp of all her teammates, even Zakuro and Mint, who practically bathed in money.

"Everyone, please take a seat any where one is provided. There are seat belts on all the chairs and couches to get you through the take off. Kish, Tart, help me in the control room."

"I'll take you for a tour once we've broken orbit." Kish promised Ichigo before the three aliens disappeared with a loud crack.

"I suppose we should get buckled in then." Zakuro commented, leading the group to the couches and armchairs in the center of the room. They were arranged much like a hotel sitting area, with several groups of couches and chairs centered around a small glass table.

Ichigo studied the furniture as they got closer, the sound of the engine revving sent a humming vibration through the interior. She noted, as they sat down on a set of maroon couches, that everything was bolted tightly to the floor.

The whine of the engine was getting louder.

Ichigo quickly glanced around her seat looking for the seat belt Pai had spoken of. Berry tapped her shoulder and pointed behind her. She immediately reached back and felt the rough exterior of fabric against the plush feel of the couch. She pulled one, then two of those over her shoulder and found the last piece of the seat belt hanging from the front of the couch. These seat belts were designed much like a harness. Ichigo quickly buckled herself in, and felt a familiar tightening in her stomach of anticipation as the engine's growl grew even louder.

"Please keep your hands in feet in the ride at all times." Kish said cheerily over an intercom. It's sound was so acute that he may as well have been sitting next to them.

"Shut up Kish!" Tart yelled.

"I'm only joking! Keep your shirt on!" Kish laughed, "But please do remain seated until your captain gives you the all clear."

"We'll be leaving in five…" Said Pai.

The knot in Ichigo's stomach grew even tighter.

"Four…"

The floor beneath them shuddered.

"Three…"

Ichigo felt the ship groan and shift upwards.

"Two…"

This was it. No turning back.

"One."

The ship was no longer hesitating. It shot straight into the air.

Ichigo was thrown back into the interior of the chair. Even if she wanted to, there was no way she could've moved. The pressure was so intense. It felt like her limbs had suddenly gained thousands of pounds, sinking into the seat. Her chest was tight, her lungs constricted. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was impossible to breath. Everything felt constricted, like someone was trying to pull her through a tight tube.

Then, it was over.

Ichigo's ears rung in the deafening silence that ensued. She opened her eyes slowly.

It wasn't as dark as she'd expected. The lights kept their pleasant glow and the room was just as bright as it'd been back on earth.

Ichigo looked around at her team. Mint looked like her stomach had flown into her mouth; Lettuce had her head in her hands and was breathing heavily; Pudding had her head thrown back, gulping in oxygen like she'd been a drowning victim; Berry was covering her ears; only Zakuro looked somewhat fine, though her hand was shaking violently when she went to brush her hair out of her face.

Ichigo flashed her a shaky smile.

"Passengers, this is your Captain speaking." Pai's voice said over the intercom, "We've broken through the Earth's atmosphere successfully. We are now working to pass through its orbit. Please remain seated until then. Thank you.'

The intercom shut off.

Ichigo glanced over her shoulder. Through the energy shield Ichigo could see Earth rapidly shrinking into the vast darkness of space. It was strange. She'd seen pictures taken of the planet from astronauts that had been published in her textbooks, but it was not the same as actually seeing it. An image could not capture the vast, majestic feel of the planet, or the tug it exerted on its occupants as they tried to leave the safety of its interior. The pictures did not capture that radiating glow, or the complete and total silence that made the planet of life seem like the only one like it in the galaxy. It was breath taking.

Mother Earth's hold gave one last tug as they drew level with the moon, then, she had no choice but to relinquish it to the dark, empty, abyss of space as they deserted her orbit. They were beyond her reach now.

"We have successfully left the Earth's orbit. You may unbuckle your seat belts as soon as I –," the rest of whatever Pai was going to say was drowned out by Pudding giving an excited shriek. She immediately unbuckled and drifted into the air, revealing in the absence of gravity. She pushed herself away from the couch, flipping over into a backflip.

"Pudding, you were supposed to stay sitting until –!" Lettuce exclaimed, when all of a sudden the crafted shifted and revolved several times, ending with them all hanging upside down.

The rest of the girls quickly unbuckled and floated out of their chairs.

"What were you saying Lettuce?" Berry asked.

"I think I heard wrong." Lettuce mumbled, coloring up, "I thought Pai said he was going to turn on –,"

A humming sound went through the ship, and before Lettuce could finish what she was saying, all six of them were hurtling towards the ground. Ichigo quickly tucked and rolled in mid air, narrowly avoiding the glass table before landing gracefully on the couch.

" –the gravity." Lettuces finished sheepishly, rubbing an angry red mark on her forehead were it had hit the corner of one of the armchairs.

"Is everyone ok?" Zakuro asked.

They all replied that they were fine.

Ichigo leaped over the back of the couch, heading over to the energy shield. If she thought the Earth looked lonely, then the moon was positively desolate. It wasn't small by any means, that's how close they still were. If she squinted she could even see the American flag embedded in its surface. But compared to the Earth, it was small. It didn't have the same glow, and it didn't radiate of life and promise. It was as cold and empty as space.

"Wow, I never imagined I'd see the moon up close." Berry murmured, stopping next to Ichigo to watch as it slowly began to shrink away.

"I know." Ichigo agreed.

"Though, to be honest, I never dreamed of going to space." Berry giggled.

"What were you thinking of being?" Ichigo asked.

"A nurse." The blonde replied, " A lot of my family's in the medical field."

"Do they like it?"

"Most of the time, yeah. What about you? What have you thought about pursuing?'

Ichigo laughed humorlessly, "My Dad always asks me that question. I'm still undecided though."

"Well don't worry, you have plenty of time." Berry replied cheerily before walking back to the rest of the group.

Ichigo watched her go hoping she was right. She hoped that they all had plenty of time.

"Hello!"

Ichigo nearly jumped out of her skin. Quickly regaining her composure she spun around to face Kish.

"Don't do that!" She exclaimed.

"Do what?" He asked innocently.

"Appear behind me like that! What does it take to give a girl a bit of warning?"

"Oh lighten up." Kish laughed, slinging an arm carelessly over her shoulders, "I promised I'd give you a tour didn't I?"

Ichigo glanced uncomfortably at the arm around her shoulders. It was too friendly, too familiar. She ducked out of his embrace.

"Yes, you did, and you better show me every inch of it."

Kish's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Alright! Right this way –."

"Hold on a minute Kish.' Pai commanded, appearing in the room, "Would everyone please take a seat? There are some matters I wish to discuss."

Ichigo glanced imploringly at Kish. He shrugged, and the two of them returned to the sitting area.

"Currently, we are traveling at two thousand light-years per minute. That is the fastest this ship goes. This will bring us to Sorquseum Promos in about a month's time, Earth time any way. While you are here, you are our most honored guests. Please, make yourselves at home. As I understand it, Kish is going to give you all a tour." Kish began to make a sound of protest, but was quelled by a look from the older waulrinswi, "You are welcome anywhere except for the control room and my quarters. The control room because everything is currently up and running smoothly on autopilot, and I don't want anyone messing that up. I highly doubt any of you have piloting experience. My room, because I like a certain degree of privacy. So far, are there any questions?"

Ichigo shook her head.

"Good. Now, it has come to my attention that you girls are not trained warriors.
He held up a hand to hold off an angry retort from Zakuro, "You are experienced fighters. I, we, have already acknowledged this, otherwise we wouldn't be asking for your help. You are fighters, but you have not yet had to learn the art of survival. This is not your home. You're on a new turf. Meals are not prepared and served to you by your parents. Medical attention is not a block around the corner. You need to learn from the basics. Therefore, for the next month we're stuck on this ship, Kish, Tart, and myself will teach you how to survive. We will also train you in a variety of weapons as well as in hand to hand combat. This is not a vacation. Every moment on this ship will be in training except to for meals and sleep. When we touch down, we're at war, and you best be prepared."

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Here's the next chapter, and thank you to all who reviewed. I must say, it's been interesting to hear everyone's theories on what's going on with Kish. Don't worry, all shall be revealed in time.

Editors, I got my friend to come look at this chapter. You're still welcome to edit and send me a message with what I can fix. I just wanted to get this out as quick as possible.

Thanks!