Chapter 3: Mew Aquanya!

The girls slept all day through night. Ichigo and Lettuce were the first to wake up in the morning. They went to the huge bathroom to do their morning routines.

"I can't believe we slept all day through night!" Ichigo cried while loooking for some toothpaste, "Alright! They have strawberry-flavoured toothpaste!"

"Ichigo-san, don't you think it's strange that all of us were sleeping and were sleepy since we rode on the helicopter?" Lettuce remarked.

"Hmm," Ichigo brushed her teeth, "I never really gave it some thought. Maybe…"

Ichigo spat out her toothpaste suddenly and rinsed her mouth, "So that's why they invited us to a vacation!"

"What do you mean?" Lettuce asked.

"They're gonna do tests on us!"

"No offence, but why do you think that is?"

"Think about it! They probably put sleeping gas or something in that helicopter!"

Ichigo and Lettuce finished their bathroom routines and got dressed.

Ichigo stomped downstairs and cried, "When I get my hands on them, I'll knock it into their head that…" Ichigo and Lettuce got a glimpse of a beautiful meal table with plenty of fresh food ready.

"That they're very nice to make us all this food!" Lettuce finished.

The table even had colour-coded chairs to determine who sat where depending on preferences.

"Well I'm starving!" Ichigo said.

"Let's eat!" Lettuce exclaimed.

The two girls ate most of the food on the table. In about thirty minutes, Pudding came down, too. In about five minutes, a portion of the leftovers were gone. It was around this time that Mint and Zakuro came down.

"Why are there empty plates with barely even crumbs all over this table?!" Mint cried, "Couldn't you nitwits save anything?!"
"Well, the early bird gets the worm!" Ichigo remarked.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Mint cried.

"Eh, not offending the Tahiti Blue Lory infused girl!" Ichigo stammered

"You three ate most of the food from these fourteen plates?!" Zakuro added.

"Eh, there's a little left!" Ichigo held up two untouched plates.

"Yay!" Mint took the blue plate with what she liked on it.

"Actually, they were sitting here on the empty part of the other end of the table with the blue and purple chairs and we assumed you were gonna sit there and we didn't bother touching the pre-meal there because we knew you were gonna be…never mind!" Lettuce stammered.

"Right…" Zakuro said as she took the purple plate.

"Oh! You're all awake! Great!" Keiichiro entered the lodge.

"Why are you in here?!" Ichigo jumped up, "Can't you like, knock or something?!"

"Ichigo-san!" Lettuce said with the big anime sweatdrop thing.

"Well, we have some work to do! Come outside, I'll show you!" Keiichiro went outside.

"What he mean by work?" Mint asked.

"I hope he doesn't mean labour work without pay!" Ichigo said.

"Or maybe they want to make us do something incredibly painful and can only do it when there's no civilization around, na no da!" Pudding added.

"D-Don't think like that Pudding-san!" Lettuce stammered.

"There's only one way to find out," Zakuro headed outside and the other four girls followed.

Outside, they sat on some logs outside the lodge and waited for Keiichiro. In a while, Keiichiro and Ryou showed up.

"Good morning!" Keiichiro said with a smile.

"What do we have to do today, na no da?" Pudding asked excitedly.

"Well…" Keiichiro started.

"We found Mew Aqua in the area. We want you girls to go find it. We have scuba equipment for you. Have fun," Ryou finished cooly. The two men started to leave.

"NOW HOLD ON JUST A SECOND HERE!" Ichigo protested, "WE CAME HERE FOR A VACATION! WERE NOT GONNA GO DOWN THERE, FIND AN ELEMENT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THERE AND RISK HAVING THE BENDS!"

"Oh yeah, the aliens might come. Good Luck," Ryou said.

The polite man left the diving gear at the girls' feet and the blonde haired man and him left.

"ARRGGHHH! I'M GONNA GET THOSE TWO…" Mint, and Lettuce restrained the red haired girl while Zakuro and Pudding started to put on their diving gear.

"Hey look, they even put coordinates on this page, na no da!"

"Where do the coordinates show the Mew Aqua is, Pudding-san?" Lettuce asked.

Pudding paused for a moment, then said,"Pudding's not sure, na no da!"

"Here, give me that!" Ichigo snatched the sheet away, "The sooner we find out if there's Mew Aqua down there, the sooner we can yell at Shirogane about why we're doing this!"

Ichigo read the chart a bit, "Ok, the point were supposed to be diving in is right over…here!" Ichigo went over to the spot they were to dive in.

She looked back at the team, "HEY! DID ANYONE HEAR ME?!"

Everyone except for Mint was in their diving suit, "Hurry up, Ichigo. Get dressed.

Zakuro handed Ichigo her suit.

"And why aren't you dressed, Mint?!" Ichigo cried.

"These clothes are so tight and they are so gross. Besides, who will pull you guys up onto the boat or get help when your sorry butts are in trouble?"

"Shut up," was all Ichigo said.

"And the boat is over there," Zakuro pointed to a boat parked ashore.

"Ok, let's go, na no da!" Pudding ran over to the boat, "Ok, Lettuce! Push, na no da!" She and Lettuce pushed the boat into the water.

"Ok, Mint-san. You can get in now," Lettuce helped Mint in.

"Everyone, row! Row to this coordinate!" Ichigo encouraged when everyone got into the boat.

In about ten minutes, they got to the location and their bodies started to glow.

"Alright girls! Let's move out!" Ichigo was ready to go down.

"I thought you didn't want to work," Mint said sarcastically.

"Well, this is like a sport!"

"Better get moving. The others already went down," Mint pointed to one of the shadows, "BTW, the suits have radio so you can talk to everyone here. Now be a good kitty and go down."

Mint pushed Ichigo out of the boat and into the water.

………………………………………………………………………

"Do you think we still need to run AQUA?"

"Yes. If we don't, it might happen."

"Let's hope it doesn't."

………………………………………………………………………

About 10 metres below sea level, Everyone's bodies were glowing even more.

"Ok, Lettuce. Tell me why you don't need a suit?" Ichigo protested.

"Uh, I can breathe underwater now. And I can swim now," Lettuce replied.

"But only when you're transformed?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, look, na no da!" Pudding pointed to something about 30 metres below them that was glowing blue.

The girls' bodies were glowing. It was Mew Aqua alright, but they were already 20 metres blow sea level. If they go down 30 more metres, it could be dangerous.

"It's not only one! Look!" Zakuro pointed to three more shining, blue things.

"Ok everyone, take one each! Be careful!" Ichigo said.

The girls separated and went near each Mew Aqua, their bodies glowing like a full moon.

Ichigo grabbed one of them. Lettuce, Zakuro, and Pudding grabbed one too.

Ichigo spotted another Mew Aqua, "Girls, radio Mint! Tell her to send Akasaka-san and Shirogane now! I'll get the remaining one!"

"But Ichigo-san," Lettuce protested, "That one is about 70 metres below sea level! You might pass out! I'll go with you!"

"No!" Ichigo protested back, "You have to bring yours back up! I can handle it!"

"Lettuce is right! You can't go that far!" Zakuro told Ichigo.

"Watch me!" Ichigo started swimming towards the Mew Aqua.

"Pudding!" Zakuro faced Pudding, "Take this Mew Aqua! I'll go with Ichigo!"

"Waah!" Pudding struggled with the Mew Aqua, but finally put it into a container that was provided. Lettuce did the same.

Zakuro swam towards Ichigo and grabbed her by the shoulders, "If you go to that Mew Aqua, the force of it might force you back up to fast! Then you'll get the bends!"

"So what do we do, Zakuro? We can't just leave it here!" Ichigo protested again, "If we do, the aliens might come!"

Zakuro checked their oxygen metre.

Our oxygen is running low…

"Ichigo! We only have enough oxygen to go back up!"

"Tell Mint to start pumping! She'll listen to you!"

"Ichigo, this is nonsense!" Zakuro shook Ichigo.

"Stop telling me what…" Ichigo then passed out.

"Ichigo!" Zakuro checked Ichigo's oxygen metre.

She didn't run out of oxygen...

"Zakuro calling rest of team. Come in."

"This is Keiichiro. What is it, Zakuro?"

"Ichigo passed out and there's still some Mew Aqua down here!"

"Ichigo passed out?! Did she run out of oxygen?!" Mint's voice was heard.

"No! Her oxygen was still ok! But mine is running low now! Please start pumping, Mint!"

"This is Keiichiro. Ryou has already gone down there! We are pumping some air! Hold your positions and look out for aliens!"

"Roger!" Zakuro replied.

Damn! Ichigo, wake up! Zakuro thought.

Ichigo! Don't die! Mint prayed.

………………………………………………………………………

Huh?

Ichigo woke up.

"Yay! Ichigo-oneechan woke up! C'mon everyone! Ichigo-oneechan woke up!" Ichigo saw a Pudding shouting to the rest of her teammates.

"Oh God, Ichigo," Zakuro said, "We all thought that was the end of you!"

"Ichigo-san! Are you ok?" Lettuce came.

"Guys, give her some room to breathe!" Mint scolded them.

"Ichigo, are you ok?" Keiichiro asked.

"Wha-what happened?" Ichigo was dazed, "What happened to the Mew Aqua?!"

Ichigo instantly sat up.

"Calm yourself, Ichigo." Ryou's voice was heard, "We have retrieved all the Mew Aqua. You passed out because one of our theories were correct. All of you, come to the base."

The two men lead the girls into a base they built. Mint supported Ichigo as they walked.

At the base, the two men showed the five girls the Mew Aqua, "This is the Mew Aqua you five found,"

Ryou held up five containers containing a Mew Aqua piece in each one, "Luckily, we struck a Mew Aqua resource. There was a lot of Mew Aqua here recently. We think it may have been here before, but we know the aliens will soon find out."

"Everyone," Keiichiro spoke up, "We want to scan you girls for the status of the DNA injected, starting with Zakuro-san. Then, it'll be Pudding, Lettuce, Mint, and lastly, Ichigo."

………………………………………………………………………

Twenty minutes later, it was Ichigo's turn. For Ichigo, however, it took her ten minutes instead of five (calculate it; 20 min. for four people).

"Why is Ichigo-oneechan taking so long, na no da?" Puddin asked.

"Let's hope nothing serious happened to Ichigo-san," Lettuce added.

"I know! Let's pass the time by talking about Lettuce's crush on Ryou-oniichan, na no da!"

Lettuce fainted.

………………………………………………………………………

"So what's the big deal guys?" Ichigo asked the two, "Why is it taking me so long?!"

"Uh, there's nothing bad on your results, it's just that," Keiichiro explained, "We're preparing something to test you with."

"Keiichiro, it's ready." Ryou came into the room.

"Ok Ichigo-san. Please stand in that chamber and close your eyes."

"Ok."

When Ichigo went into the chamber, Keiichiro pushed a button and some blue mist was sprayed onto Ichigo.

"NYA!" Ichigo cried, "Huh? Hey! My cat ears and tail are showing, nya!"

"Don't worry, it'll be alright," Keiichiro explained to Ichigo once she came out of the chamber, "You will, uh, have those for a while."

"O-ok," Ichigo replied.

………………………………………………………………………

Ichigo stepped out of the room and into the room the others were in.

"What'd they do to you Ichigo-oneechan, na no da?" Pudding asked as soon as Ichigo came out.

"Uh…" Ichigo stammered.

"Look! Ichigo-san's cat tail and ears are sticking out!" Lettuce exclaimed.

"What happened in there Ichigo?" Mint asked.

"Nya?"

"What happened?" Zakuro asked.

"Stop asking me, nya!" Ichigo burst.

"Why are you nya-ing so much Ichigo?" Mint asked.

"Akasaka-san and Shirogane said it was ok, nya."

The four girls huddled away from Ichigo.

"Ok, this is weird!" Mint said.

"You think they did something to her DNA or something, na no da?" Pudding remarked.

"Look at her!" Mint turned the others' heads to look at Ichigo.

Ichigo was acting like a cat.

"It's like she's on cocaine or something!" Mint said.

"But Ichigo-san wouldn't take cocaine!" Lettuce said.

"That's not the point!" Mint said.

"She could be just being her normal self; she's infused with a cat afterall," Zakuro gave her opinion.

"THAT, is not normal!" Mint pointed at Ichigo.

Ichigo was really acting like a cat.

"I got an idea, na no da!"

Pudding and Mint knocked Ichigo out.

………………………………………………………………………

Whew! Who knew Chapter 3 would be so long! (not even me!)

Sorry that I haven't been doing the Author's thing at the bottom. Plz R&Rnya! Oh no! Maybe the blue mist that sprayed Ichigo is contagiousnya! Find out in the next paragraphnya!