Hi again! Sorry it's been so long since the last update. School has started again and I have exams coming up :( Still, there's no better way to put off studying by writing fanfiction, right? heh heh

Hope you enjoy, and happy Halloween!


Ichigo felt hope run through her, immediately followed by a chill. What could the Mews be thinking? Coming to the aliens dimension?

She voiced this thought. "What the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo exclaimed. If the Mews were surprised by her outburst, they didn't show it.

"We're here for you, Ichigo." Lettuce said. Ichigo didn't know what to do. The Earth still existed, and needed her. Kisshu was strangely silent next to her.

She would never have thought this before, but Ichigo knew that if she wanted to return with the Mews, Kisshu wouldn't stop her. He wouldn't be happy about it, but the time for deception had passed. What Ichigo wanted to do now was her choice and no-one else's.

The Mews were silent, Ichigo would have expected Pudding to speak up by now. That girl had never been able to keep her mouth shut back on Earth. Then she realized… The Mews had never seen Ichigo as an alien before. Over the last week, Ichigo had grown used to her lengthened ears and enhanced senses, she had forgotten that they weren't normal.

Ichigo scanned their faces, and it was the faint look of horror on Mint's face that made her decision for her.

"No." She said.

"No?" Pudding echoed, her expression of shock replicated on the faces of the other Mews.

Ichigo shook her head. "I have- I need to stay here. It's complicated-"

"It's complicated, Ichigo? It's complicated, the reason that you're betraying us?" Mint sneered. "I think you'll find that it's not very complicated at all! You're working with the enemy!" She declared.

"Ichigo, please." Pudding cried. "Ichigo, I miss you. We all miss you. Aoyama-kun misses you!" Ichigo hadn't thought about Aoyama-kun the entire time that she had been in the aliens' dimension. She had also only barely thought of the Mews… Ichigo felt bad, but then shook her head.

"Why won't you come with us, Ichigo?" Zakuro asked simply. "Is Mint correct? Do you work for the aliens now?" Zakuro had chosen her words carefully, not going outright and saying that Ichigo had become an alien. At first, Ichigo was grateful for this. Grateful for Zakuro not mentioning her new species.

But it was her new species, and no amount of denying it would change that. Besides, Ichigo had gotten to know the aliens recently, their strengths and weaknesses, and had come to the realization that she was no longer ashamed to be an alien. She wouldn't let Zakuro, or anyone mess with that.

Lettuce was the hardest to say no to. "Ichigo, we need you. Please don't feel like we'd abandon you for something that wasn't your choice. Please don't abandon us." Ichigo felt tears come to her eyes, and walked backwards quickly. Ichigo had an obligation to the aliens, she wasn't going to abandon them. The Mews could survive without her.

"It's true, then." Mint snatched every opportunity she saw. "You're leaving us. For the aliens."

"Don't use that as an insult!" Ichigo snapped, finally speaking again. "You're not above them- you're not above us, so don't act like you are."

"The aliens are going to destroy the Earth. Do you not care?" Zakuro shouted, finally losing her cool.

"No! No they're-" Ichigo tried to stop the emotions from heating up too much, but it was too late.

"RIBBON, MINT ECHO!" Ichigo didn't have time to process that Mint was aiming an arrow at her, another Mew, before a blue arrow came flying at her. Kisshu knocked Ichigo out of the way before it hit her. He didn't seem nearly as surprised as she was.

Ichigo got up, and summoned her bow. "I suppose we see everyone's true colors when things get tough, hey Mint?" Ichigo snarled, finally losing her cool. She pointed her bow at Mint, but aimed slightly to the right. She didn't want to hurt Mint, no matter how much Mint wanted to hurt her. She just wanted to scare them off. The alien's dimension, the prophecy, it was all too dangerous for them. Why couldn't the Mews see that?

Her arrow flew past Mint's ear, neatly grazing the side. Enough that Mint would feel it and know that Ichigo wasn't joking around, but not enough to hurt her.

Mint looked up in rage. Mint and Ichigo had been the first Mews and, while they hadn't always gotten along, they'd had a bond. A bond that had been battered and beaten down the moment that Ichigo changed species.

"RIBBON MINT ECHO!"

"RIBBON ZAKURO SPEAR!"

"RIBBON PUDDING RING INFERNO!"

"RIBBON LETTUCE RUSH!"

Ichigo should have known… she should have known this day would come. The Mews and Ichigo would never be on the same side again.

There was a second when Ichigo didn't know what she would do. Maybe she should have just stayed there. Let the Mews' attacks wash over her and end her life.

But she didn't.

Ichigo leapt to the side, drawing her bow and arrow as she did so. In quick succession she shot three arrows at Lettuce, Mint and Zakuro, making them leap out of the way.

Pudding stepped forward. "You can still change your mind!" The normally energetic child attempted, but even in doing so, prepared for attack. Even Pudding knew that it was hopeless.

Ichigo had a heavy heart as she aimed her bow at Pudding. "Go home, Pudding." She said.

"If that's your only answer, then you are the enemy of Earth, and I will fight you!" Pudding declared, even as tears poured from her eyes.

Ichigo took a deep breath and aimed her bow.

"NO! ICHIGO!" Ichigo looked up to the other side of the room. Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto were battling Mint, Lettuce and Zakuro, though with much less hesitance than Ichigo. It was Lettuce that had called, and Lettuce who was now sprinting across the room, stumbling over her feet but managing to find her way right between Ichigo and Pudding and right in the way of the arrow coming from Ichigo's bow and now settling in Lettuce's chest.

A scream echoed throughout the room. It wasn't until her lungs started hurting that Ichigo realized that she was the one making it.

Lettuce stood for a few seconds after the arrow lodged itself in her flesh, before collapsing. Ichigo stumbled forward, whether to go to her side or collapse next to her she didn't know, and didn't find out. Mint pushed her back with sagging arms and yelled at her from a tear-streaked face.

"Ichigo…" Lettuce's voice was raspy, but Ichigo would have known it anywhere.

Ichigo couldn't respond. What could she say?

"Ichigo… I… will always… consider you… my first real friend." Lettuce managed over the blood gushing up her throat and pooling in her mouth.

"Lettuce, I'm sorry, I-" Ichigo forced out of her dry lips, but Lettuce didn't hear it.

Lettuce would never hear anything again.


Just a note for your reviews, yes my preferred name is Satan :)