A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Holidays and a lot of other things delayed this. But I made sure it was super long for all of you to enjoy! At least 3,000 words longer than Chapter 2. I really do hope all of you like this, as most of this chapter(about 8,000 words) are brand new. The entire first half of the chapter is new actually, as I felt Tsuki needed more time to develop herself and her 'symptoms'. I also included a new part where the Mew Mews meet alien Tsuki! I hope you all enjoy it~


BEEP!

I yawned.

BEEP!

I grumbled.

BEEP!

I rolled over.

BEEP!

"DAMN, I'M UP!"

My fist slammed down on the button atop the blaring alarm clock. Sunlight streamed into my bedroom from the lone window above my nightstand. I could feel the sun's warmth upon my face as I stepped into the light next to my bed. My hair was mussed up and I felt groggy. A tingling, itchy sensation spread across the side of my neck and I absent-mindedly scratched at it. My night of chaos with the predicites had gone well for the Mew Mews I assume, since there were no blaring sirens or the sounds of an alien-triggered apocalypse outside.

I shuffled over to my dresser and slide my fussy purple bathrobe around my thin and nude frame. As I did up the belt, my left hand returned to scratching at my neck. Sleepily, I made my way into the kitchenette and began to make some breakfast.

I wonder just what the Mew Mews have in mind for today… I know they've now managed to assemble four girls, but I do not know all of their names. Maybe that should be my mission objective for the day.

After breakfast was made, a delicious plate of bacon and eggs with toast, I slipped a piece of toasting my mouth so I could carry the rest of the food to the table. Absent-mindedly I glanced at the clock, which also has flip cards that display the date. Instantly the toast fell from my lips to the floor.

"THURSDAY?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THURSDAY?!"

I slammed my plate down on the table and scrambled up onto the counter to examine the wall-clock. I knelt on the counter with my bathrobe coming undone, but I was determined to prove I was sane. It appeared to be counting time correctly, but there was no way that date was right. I had gone to bed Saturday night and now it was Thursday morning… Something wasn't right. I quickly ran over to the living area and flipped on my television. The news came on and my eyes immediately moved to the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Lo and behold, the date was the same as the clock.

NOT HAPPENING! No freaking way!

I bolted into the bedroom and grabbed ahold of the alarm clock. It was extremely strange that it had gone off this morning and not woken me at all the other days. That's when I noticed that the digital clock face seemed screwy, and that it had a small dent in the top. I must've really smashed it last week, and I was lucky that it went off at all.

"Just great..." I groaned, and slid down to the floor.

I spent the rest of my morning calling the school to explain my lengthy disappearances. I then telephoned Zoey, who said she had been by my apartment several times with homework but that I had never responded. I apologized and asked to meet her at the café this afternoon.

Later, I sat at one of the adorable tables, notebook and pen in hand, just observing the customers of the cupcake café. I was also watching the new waitress, Kiki. I had neglected to learn the name of both the green-haired girl and the rather lazy but snobbish girl who always seemed to take a cup of tea rather than work. Actually, it seemed the green-haired girl was absent at the moment. Granted, my purpose here was to find out more about them and I had Zoey to here to help me, so I need not stress anymore.

Energetic Kiki giggled loudly and the proclaimed herself to be 'Kiki The Great' before she began to perform a plate spinning act in the middle of the dinning area. I clapped, and smiled. She was very full of life and sweet. I was recording her love of acrobatics in my notebook when Zoey approached my table.

"Tsuki! I've been so worried about you. You sounded great on the phone, so what's been wrong?" the redhead inquired.

I smiled weakly, and folded my hands across my notebook, simultaneously covering up my notes.

"Oh, I've been struggling with a virus as of late. My doctor continually orders bed rest, so I've been sleeping a lot. Don't worry though, I'm not contagious and I'm feeling much better today!"

Zoey shrugged, accepting my Swiss cheese story. I was lucky that she wasn't the brightest bulb. I only hoped I didn't have another bout of my sleeping sickness, otherwise I was going to be in big trouble with Deep Blue.

Passing me a glass of water from her tray, Zoey stated, " Well, I've missed you a ton. My friends from the café have been keeping me company, but it's not the same without you around."

"I'm sorry about that. Also, you haven't introduced me to your co-workers, I remember them helping me home after the party, and I met Kiki in the park, but I still haven't had a formal introduction," I replied.

Zoey gasped, and immediately leaned down towards me. She smiled and said, "The girl, the one drinking her fancy-smancy tea, is Corina. She's… okay. Oh, and the girl we bumped into on the way to school, Bridget, also works here on most days. She's super nice and helpful. I don't want to disturb Corina from her tea though; she'd get really angry!"

"Well, don't worry about it then. They seem like great people. What have you been up to lately?" I asked, making quick notes about the names while Zoey's eyes were averted.

"Oh! We all won this lovely vacation to a hot spring! It was so relax- er…It was nice to be out of the city, I guess. Um, and then we went for dinner at Corina's home. You would not believe the size of her house, and then there's her brother-" Zoey was cut-off mid-sentence by a familiar male voice.

"Zoey, you've been talking to this customer for over five minutes and haven't even taken her order yet. There are six other tables waiting for you."

Both of us look up to see the blonde haired man, Elliot. His blue eyes were piercing and his tan skin stood out amongst a room full of fair and pale skinned people. He was rather attractive truth be told, but since I had a feeling that he orchestrated the Mew Mews, he was my 'sworn' enemy.

At least I can fantasize. The imagination is a wonderful thing!

"Elliot! I'm sorry, I was just catching up with Tsuki. You remember her from the party? She's been very ill recently," Zoey hurriedly explained.

Elliot looked me up and down, and with an indifferent face he turned back to Zoey, "Yes, I remember. Go help take care of the others tables. I'll help her."

I exchanged looks with Zoey, but she reluctantly shifted her tray and then moved onto another table. Elliot slide into the seat across form me, and I closed my notebook. I was definitely wary of his intentions.

Damn, his eyes… They really are enticing.

I smiled my best smile, trying to play the part of innocent schoolgirl as best I could. I had only experienced limited interactions with Elliot, this was our first true conversation, and this was where he would get his first real impression of me.

"I just wanted to speak to you about how you've been doing," Elliot said in a relaxed tone.

My health? We barely know each other! Did I forget that we progressed through another step of human relationship building? I studied that so intensively… There's no way I missed that!

"Excuse me? I didn't realize you cared so much about your customers," I chuckled, trying to understand his sudden interest.

Elliot blushed suddenly, seemingly embarrassed by his poor choice of words. "Oh, I mean… After what happened at the party…"

He's cute when he blushes.

"Ah, I understand. I wasn't really…horribly injured. I doubt my illness is related to that. I was experiencing certain issues before that…man abducted me. Thank you for your concern."

That reminds me, I need to speak with Dren. I wonder what havoc he's been causing as of late.

Elliot leaned forward over the table, trying to keep our conversation a little more private. He spoke in a hushed voice; "You haven't told anyone about that…man, have you? No family, friends, no police?"

"No, I don't have any family living with me and I didn't really have the time to speak to the authorities. Should I have?"

"NO! I mean, there's no need. I've taken care of it. Actually, I was also wondering… Your illness wasn't related to any strange behavior, was it? Maybe…animalistic?" Elliot inquired, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

I raised an eyebrow, questioning his strange inquiries.

"Animalistic? No. Just lots of napping," I laughed nervously.

"Ah, well… Sorry to bother you then. Would you like some tea or a pastry, maybe?" Elliot sighed, standing up.

"That's unnecessary. I was just here to speak with Zoey. Have a wonderful day," I smiled, also getting up.

Elliot nodded, and I collected my things before turning to leave. Just as I descended the outside steps, I saw Bridget run past me and into the café while carrying some sort of newspaper. I shrugged it off, figuring she was merely late. Once I had walked a fair distance form the café, I slipped off into a thick shrub. With no one around to see, I teleported myself into the green dimension.

Still in human form, since I was far too lazy to switch back and forth repeatedly, I started to search for Dren. The dimension wasn't huge, but it wasn't hard to hide in it either. I peered around the Greek-style ruins that offered some decoration. That was when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Spinning around, I came face to face with an upside down Dren, a smirk plastered across his pale face.

"Long time no see! How are ya?" He asked.

"I'm fine, thanks. I just wanted to check in. What have you been doing with the Mew Mews lately?" I responded, sitting down and crossing my legs.

"Damn, there's a lot to tell, I hope you're comfortable."

I sighed, and leaned back against the wall. Lacing my fingers behind my head, I nodded to signal that I was ready.

Dren crossed his arms and began, "First of all, I need to tell you that I found a fifth Mew. I was trying to attack a random couple in the park last night, and out of no where this tall girl in purple attacks the predicite. I'm fairly sure the human couple saw, so I figure it won't be long before the Mew Mews figure it out."

I sat up instantly, remembering something. Bridget had come running in late with a newspaper. Had she seen an article on a girl saving that couple? If so I needed to get back to the Mew Mews, there was no telling how long it would take them to track her down.

"Really? If that's the case, I can't stick around, I need to make sure the Mew Mews don't get to her."

Dren disappeared, and then reappeared behind me, he ran his finger up and down the side of my neck, gently stroking my bare skin. His warm breath sent shivers up and down my spine. I felt his lips brush my earlobe softly and causing my knees to become weak.

Then I heard him murmur in my ear, "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on this next Mew. If you stick with me for a while, I'll show you how it's done. I'll even tell Deep Blue tonight after I lure her out once more."

I sighed; I was out of touch because of my absence. Even Dren was getting a head of me. I felt disgusted to be doing worse than my idiot comrade who couldn't even make a predicate last. Then again, my army of predicites had no effect either. One way or another, I needed to keep up with this next Mew.

"Fine, I'll let you lead. But screw it up, and I'm in charge."


Dren's plan was interesting and slightly well thought out, but I still thought I could do better. He'd told me to stay with him for a couple days, but like I was going to stay in the green dimension. My apartment was ten times cozier. I didn't even stick around to see him draw out the other Mew Mew, especially since his plan included her getting away a second time.

I never should've agreed to this. He's going to screw it up, like always.

Tired, I warped into my bedroom and picked up my notebook. Dren had only agreed to let me go home because I promised to be at some church at a certain time the following evening. Human religion was something I had studied extensively, and I felt it was an inappropriate place for a confrontation; disrespectful in a way. But apparently it was the best place to catch the fifth Mew Mew alone.

Sitting at my small desk at the foot of my bed, I began to sketch the small keychain device that Zoey used to sense predicites. Since I didn't own a camera, I figured for now, sketches would be my best bet. Then I realized how horrible of an artist I am.

Damn, even my stick figures are bad. Maybe it's time to go shopping…

I slammed my notebook shut and sighed. I'd have to get an instant camera the next day. As I stood up, my neck became itchy again. Irritated, I scratched at it and shuffled into my bedroom's attached bathroom. On the counter, next to the sink were a couple bottles of lotion. Taking care of human skin was quite complicated, so I had purchased a few skincare products when I arrived. Then when I tried to inquire about Zoey's skin care regiment she lent me a bottle of her favourite, Strawberry Sensation. Tonight, I was going to see if it helped at all. I popped open the cap and took a quick whiff.

Mmm, surprisingly accurate strawberry scent. Since 70% of taste is smell, this must be quite delicious!

Happily, I squirted a generous amount into my palm and took a great big lick… Then I immediately turned to the toilet and vomited. A foamy, bitter and floral taste filled my mouth, and I just about lost the entire contents of my stomach. Coughing and sputtering pink lotion, I hurriedly poured myself a glass of water from the bathroom sink. The icy, tasteless fluid swirled in my mouth, yet failed to overpower the sour chemical flavor. I spat the water-lotion mix in the porcelain bowl of the sink and tried again.

It took twenty minutes, several glasses of water, and four rounds of brushing my teeth to get rid of the soapy taste. I was very very wrong about that lotion. It was obviously not edible.

Well, lesson learned. But that scent was deceivingly good…

Glaring at the bottle, I hesitantly squirted a small amount of the lotion into my palm. My neck was still itching and I could only hope that this provided me with some relief. I moved my hair out of the way and then gently applied the pink lotion to my itch. A cool relaxing sensation spread across my neck and the itch faded. Once the lotion was rubbed in, I washed my hands and proceeded to go to bed. Slipping off into a wonderful slumber, all I could smell was strawberries.


"How the hell do I make this thin-"

A flash of light blinded me and a clicking noise startled me. I nearly dropped the small blue and white instant-film camera. As my vision returned, a small photo was ejected from the bottom of the camera. I snatched it up and waved it around as the instruction manual had told me. Eventually, an image of me with an extremely dumbfounded look on my face became clear.

How lovely…

I stood outside the church that Dren had told me to wait by, and had decided to pass the time by learning to use my new camera. Apparently, I was supposed to point it in the other direction.

Shaking off the blinding and tucking away the photo in my pocket, I looked around for any signs of Mew Mew activity. All that I saw was a large flock of crows flying by, and an oddly dressed woman in a cowboy hat enter the church. Frustrated, I snuck over to one of the windows and hid behind a bush while peeking inside. I wanted to see what humans looked like up close while they prayed. The woman, who was the lone person in the church, walked up to the highest altar and knelt down. For a woman in Japan, a cowboy hat was strange attire; it was more common to see in North American cultures than in Asian culture. I watched closely, until I heard voices and running footsteps. From my peripheral vision, I caught sight of the very colourful Mew Mews running into the church. What happened next was a myriad of confusion.

Dren appeared, followed by an army of crows, and the woman revealed herself to be the fifth Mew Mew. She looked a lot younger when transformed, and seemed very defiant of the other Mew Mews. As Dren's crow army grew, the windows shattered and I was forced to shield myself from the flying shards of stain glass. Dren seemed completely focused on destroying her and I watched as the pair dueled, but I knew Dren was losing. He was even hurt by the end of it all. The Mew Mews defeated the giant crow, and then a rather pissed looking Dren disappeared. I had been snapping photos the whole time. But the next part of the encounter was far more interesting. I had been so sure that the fifth Mew Mew would be warmly welcomed and that their little team would be a complete fighting force. But I was very wrong. I took more photos, and when I saw the fifth Mew Mew rejected Corina entirely… I knew Dren and I had a chance. I snapped one more photo when the fifth Mew Mew tossed Corina aside and turned her back on her own kind. It was a beautifully cruel scene that I knew might come in handy for later.

Quietly, I packed my camera away, and remembered Dren's injury. Worried, I warped myself back to the green dimension. Swirling colours of green, brown and burgundy surrounded me. Up ahead, I could see my fellow alien hunched over against one of the broken stone columns. I frowned. I may have a bit of a rivalry with Dren, but I definitely didn't want to see him hurt. I closed my eyes, concentrating on my true self. In a few slow breaths my form shifted to that of my dark-haired pale alien body. I could only heal Dren in this shape, so it was no use staying human.

"Was that how you planned it?" I inquired, placing a hand upon his shoulder.

Dren spun around, but when he caught sight of my face his expression fell and he shrugged off my hand.

"Mostly," grunted the green-haired alien.

I sighed and folded my arms. My comrade seemed almost bipolar. Excited to see me in one moment, unenthused the next.

"Well, now that you've failed, may I take the reigns?"

"I didn't fail! We're moving into part two of my plans… We're going to end these Mew Mews once and for all; with the fifth's Mew Mew cooperation, of course," he chuckled, still gripping his injured mid-section.

I rolled my eyes and knelt down next to Dren. I raised my hands and placed one over another, then hovering them over the wound. Concentrating, a small blue light appeared beneath my hands and Dren's wound began to heal even faster than normal.

"Where the hell did you learn that trick?" he asked, still avoiding eye contact.

"I chose to be trained as a war medic when I joined the Earth program. It was the only rank I could take that would still allow me to pursue my studies of humanity while still fighting for the cause," I stated in a monotone, completely focusing my energy on healing his wounds.

Dren cast me a confused look, "But I've never seen a medic do…that. Usually there's a device involved."

I sighed and pulled my hands back, the wound was mostly sealed up and would probably only cause him slight pain from now on.

"I know. I modified my medication and surgical devices to displace their energies into one beam, and then having placed them face up in the exact same spot, I can create a small portal through which I can direct their power. This way, I carry around less junk and heal more efficiently. Unfortunately, it drains the power cells of both devices, so Ill have to replace them when I return home."

My comrade shook his head and began to rub his formerly injured abdomen. He turned his body away from me, as if he couldn't stand to be near me. I felt a little rejected, and confused. One moment this guy is all over me, the next he won't touch me. I didn't understand.

"I'll need some help though. Normally I wouldn't ask, but I'd rather not leave this to chance. I created a small self-destructive dimension in which I will capture a couple of the Mew Mews. I want you to stay there and await them, then keep an eye on them until the dimension collapses in on itself. Can you do that, Miss Scientist?" he sneered.

"Uh, yes. I'll do whatever you need. But remember our deal, you fail and I lead," I replied, before snapping my fingers and disappearing from the green dimension.


The following evening came quicker than I thought, and it felt good to remain in Cyniclon form so long. I stayed in this form so that when the Mew Mews did arrive, they wouldn't recognize me. I would have to remain silent, however, for my voice would remain the same.

Man, it feels like I've just had an awesome stretch. Very refreshing to be my old self. My neck doesn't itch either!

Looking around, I had to hand it to Dren, his dimensional creation work was almost flawless. The scenery he created was gorgeous too, a lush endless meadow of beautiful flowers. My only issue with the dimension was the sky. Not only was it not blue or any other relaxing colour, but also it was the obvious ominous swirl of a temporary dimension. It was lazy, sloppy mistake. It was like buying a house and not putting up any drapes, just not attractive and showing little interest in appearance. The only reason I didn't change it myself was the fact that it was self-destructive and would be a waste my energy that was needed to change forms later.

I floated around above the meadow for a while, waiting patiently for Dren's plan to work, which I highly doubted it would. After this, I was definitely done being a Cyniclon for a little while. I had missed a lot of school and I felt Zoey was beginning to question me intentions.

With a yawn, I decided maybe some extra rest would do me good. I crossed my legs and place both hands behind me head. Floating comfortably, I let out a relaxed sigh and closed my eyes.

"AHHHHH!" screeched three high-pitched voices.

This is why I sleep better as a human…No rest for the wicked, much?

Looking down, three of the Mew Mews, Corina, Bridget and Kiki had been warped into the meadow dimension. They all looked terrified, save for Bridget who seemed very confused without her glasses. After a few desperate seconds of them trying to figure out what happened, the girls then started to look around and noticed little old me.

"ALIEN!" Kiki shouted, jumping up and down while pointing a tiny finger at me.

"Who are you!? I've never seen another alien other than Dren. Has he had a partner all this time..?" Corina inquired.

I merely smiled and floated around above them. Their powers were useless here as this was our domain. I was just a babysitter.

"HELLO? Answer me!" Corina shouted.

"There's another alien…? Are you sure?" Bridget stammered.

"Yes, Bridget onee-sama! She's right there! She's got long dark hair and bright purple eyes!" Kiki explained.

I smiled again and flew a small circle around the girls, which served to only piss Corina off even more. I landed in front of them, and sat down crisscrossing my legs. Kiki mimicked me and I giggled quietly. She was adorable.

"I don't think she's here to hurt us," Kiki stated.

Corina frowned and crossed her arms over her small chest, "Are you going to hurt us?"

I shook my head, signaling a response of 'no' to her question. That wasn't my job. That was the dimension's job. I was merely here to watch them, so I could interact for a little while and learn more about them. At the moment, I could see a frustrated Bridget squinting as hard as she could to try and see anything. Feeling bad, I figured I could give her a temporary fix while she was here. It would only work in our dimensions, but she just needed to see a little while before the dimension swallowed her up.

Carefully, I placed both of my hand over her eyes, then closed mine and concentrated. Corina called out, saying I should back off, but Kiki leaned in to see what was happening. Light glowed form the palms of my hands and when I removed them from Bridget's face, she blinked and gasped.

"I can see! Oh my goodness, I can see! Have you fixed my eyes forever?" she asked, looking up at me, her eyes finally connecting with my shape.

I shook my head and tapped my wrist to indicate that it was only temporary. Kiki began to wave a hand in front of Bridget's face, and Corina rolled her eyes, then refusing to look at me.

"Thank you still! I guess aliens aren't so bad… Just Dren," Bridget said, smiling up at me.

I chuckled and floated above them again. That's when everything changed, and I knew they wouldn't think much of me anymore. The ground began to shake and rumble, the flowers were swallowed up by golden quick sand. The girls screamed and thrashed, but I merely flew higher to avoid them mess.

"HELP US, PLEASE!" Bridget called out, reaching for me.

Part of me started to die inside when I saw that and didn't move. I longed to help them, but I couldn't, I had to watch as the sand swallowed them whole. But it didn't and I didn't have to watch. Suddenly, a large purple whip burst into the dimension, and along with it came the fifth Mew Mew. She rescued her comrades and they all disappeared before the dimension collapsed. I took my leave as well, knowing it would mean certain death to stay there. When I warped back to the human world, I landed outside in an alley way in downtown Tokyo. As I fell form the warp, a large amount of sand came out with me. I grunted and brushed myself off before standing up.

Well, looks like Dren screwed up again! It's my turn to lead now…

I focused on my human form, and shut my eyes. With a blink and a little bit of effort, I had shifted back to beautiful blonde, human Tsuki.

"NYA?!" came a familiar voice.

I quickly walked out of the alleyway and noticed I had warped into an alley right next to the famed Shibuya pedestrian crossing. Above the crossing were many TV screens, all of which portrayed a video of Zoey in her Mew Mew form. After a few embarrassed stutters, her and the other Mew Mew let out a heroic spiel and made some cute poses for all of Tokyo to see.

"I guess that's all of them then…" I sighed.

Turning to go home, I felt my neck itch and again. I absentmindedly scratched at the itch all the way back to my apartment.


It was early morning and the school's bell chimed twice as I stepped into the club room. I slid my outdoor shoes into my cubby and walked towards my classroom. Many students past me in the hallway.

"Hey, Tsuki!" Zoey shouted from behind me.

"Oh, hey Zoey," I said, turning around with a smile.

"Sorry I haven't talked with you much. I've just been a little bit busy," Zoey explained.

"Hey Zoey, could I come to the cafe with you today? I've been dieing for some of Wesley's cake," I said.

Honestly, really wanted to get to the Cafe today. The new Mew Mew would be there and I needed to learn more about her. Actually, I needed to learn more about every one of them. So far I had made zero progress on the weakness thing, and I need to get something solid before presenting my findings to Deep Blue.

"Oh sure! I'd love to have you there!" She said walking up the stairs.

Hehehe perfect. This is too easy.

It was a warm pleasant afternoon as I stepped into the park. The pink cafe loomed ahead and I quickly sped up my pace and entered the cute building. I finally spotted the new Mew Mew as I walked in and sat down at my usual table in the back near the windows. My human friend approached me with a smile and placed a glass of complementary water on my table.

"Hey, Zoey who's she? I've never seen her before," I asked, pointing to the girl in purple.

"Huh? Oh her. That's Renee Roberts. Famous Model. She just decided to lay low for a while and work here," Zoey said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, I see. Well you better get to work," I said, pushing Zoey towards the back room.

I whipped out my purple notebook as soon as the redhead's back was turned. Just as I wrote down the purple Mew Mew's name, I heard someone coming towards me. Quickly snapped, my notebook shut and turned around to face Bridget.

"Hello, Tsuki. Zoey wanted me to ask if you like something?" she asked with that sweet smile of hers.

"Umm, how about some jasmine tea for now?" I asked.

"Oh, of course. I'll be right back," Bridget replied, walking towards the kitchen.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Bridget slipped and knocked over an entire tray full of dishes. They clattered to the floor making all eyes turn to her. During the commotion, I sensed a familiar presence beckoning me. He was watching from outside. Quickly and quietly, I grabbed my bag and made my way inconspicuously out the door, taking the chance while Bridget had all the attention.

When I got outside, I went around to the back of the pink Cupcake café. I saw Dren floating there, and crossed my arms. Normally, he didn't appear like this and would surprise me in a more 'exciting' manner.

"I wondered when you'd notice," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah...What are you doing here anyways?" I asked.

"Oh, just watching Kitty-kat. That's all," he said.

"That's right… You really are in love with her. I thought it was just infatuation with the species when you followed her around…but now I understand why you've failed so much. You don't want to hurt her, you love your sworn enemy. How intriguing that you succumbed to such a weakness… I seriously doubt she has the same feelings! Hahahahahaha! What a laughing stock, Dren!" I shouted, falling backwards laughing at him.

But before I could hit the ground he grabbed my chin and held me up in mid-air. I coughed and gagged; his grip was extremely tight on my throat. I must have hit a nerve when joking around. But I was tired of his pathetic attempts. I was going to lead now and I wasn't going to let his love for a human get in the way.

"Now listen here. I may like her, but it's not messing up with my job of taking over this stupid planet. On the other hand, there's someone I know that is letting their human side get the best of them all while they make friends with the enemy and act like one of them! I haven't seen you fuse any predicties in a very long time...I don't think Deep Blue will be too happy about this now will he?" Dren glared, digging his nails into my chin.

My eyes burned with fiery hatred at this. How dare he accuse me of such things. I was studying them, infiltrating them. It was his job to fused predicites and wreak havoc.

"Grrr! I'm actually keeping track of what's happening and gaining their trust enough for them to let me destroy them from the inside! I've got lots of information on them that you or I could use later on in my notebooks here and at home! So why don't you go make out with your human girlfriend and leave me alone!" I growled, glaring back at him.

A smirk appeared on his face. He then threw me right into the Café wall. I hit my head hard and a scream escaped my lips. I slid down to the ground and looked up at him. My vision blurred and I felt extremely dizzy. Damn, Dren was an asshole.

"What's going on? We heard a scream," Zoey said as her and the rest of the Mew Mews came running towards me.

"Dren! Why do you keep picking on Tsuki?" Zoey shouted as she stood in front of me.

"Hehehe, I have my reasons. Now lets play a game shall we?" he said, pulling out an infusor and a spirit.

I lost track of what was happening after this point. My head hurt and my vision still wasn't doing so well. I blinked a few times to see that little pink puff ball that Zoey called a key chain, looking down at me.

"Blah!" it muttered, spiting out a small golden pendant at me.

"What do you want me to do with this?" I asked it.

"Mew Mew Transform!" It stated, floating up and down.

"What do you mean? I'm not a..." But then the words Lion Mewtamorphasis popped into my head. I could clear see them in my mind and I felt this inner compulsion to say them, to unleash some sort of power from within.

"Uh oh..."

I'm a Mew Mew?! This can't be possible! But wait, I was with Zoey that afternoon she became a Mew Mew...That light...Aw Man! Deep Blue is going to kill me…

I sighed and stood up. My cover would be blown if I didn't do this, and I only ha myself to blame for it. If I had been more careful that afternoon, maybe that light wouldn't have hit me. Looking at the battle before me, Zoey and the others were doing horribly against this predicite.

"I'll just help. I won't destroy it, I'll help," I muttered to myself.

And with that I kissed the pendant and shouted, "Lion Mewtamorphasis!"

I began to change and I could feel it. A shimmering silver light engulfed my small form. I appear in this light, nude and transforming, ears and a tail appeared, and then came an adorable outfit to match my fellow Mew Mews. When I had finished transforming and the silver lights went away, I looked down at my self. My outfit was similar to Zoey's except where hers was pink mine was silver and where hers was red mine was black. My once pretty blonde hair was now a gorgeous platinum colour.

"Oh my..." I said while examining my hair.

"Tsuki?!" Zoey shouted, looking at me.

I shrugged and smiled weakly. This was all very new to me, and I felt very weird dressed like this. The accompanying ears and tial also felt strange.

"Okay, Black Cherry Ribbon Baton!" I said as a long silver baton with black ribbons wrapped around it appeared in my hand.

Geez, this is cheesy. But I mean I can just feel the power flowing through this thing. It's amazing! I guess, it functions rather simply…point and shoot?

"Black Cherry Ribbon Baton full power!" I shouted, aiming it at the predicite.

I expected the predcite to be down for the count, not for me to actually destroy it. As the predicite disintegrated, my attack kept going and hit Dren. He clutched his side, which then began to bleed profusely, before glaring at me and disappearing.

He's so gonna hate me for that...Stupid not knowing my own strength! But damn, this baton thing has a lot of power behind it…

When I turned around I saw Zoey and the other Mew Mews staring at me. I felt conflicted now. What had I become all of the sudden? I just betrayed my people in less than two minutes! Tears began to fill my eyes and pour down my cheeks as my conflicted emotions overwhelmed my willpower. I quickly took off running, knowing that I had just started something that I couldn't finish. The Mew Mews called out after me, but I didn't respond.

I stopped running when I was deep inside a forest within the park. I fell to my knees and cried. They were not tears of pain nor sadness, but tears of frustration and anger. I screamed in self-loathing and warped myself to the green dimension.

I reappeared there, and instantly began looking for my comrade. I hoped I hadn't injured him too severely and that I would soon be forgiven. I didn't hate Dren, we were rivals and I took a joke too far. Then I hurt him for no good reason. This was my fault and I was worried that nothing could be done to fix it. I searched the ruins, his usual spot, and found Dren was sitting there resting.

"I'm so sorry...I never meant to do that, I swear! That stupid puff ball gave me the pendant and told me to transform...I was only trying not to blow my cover...but it shouldn't have been at your expense..." I stated, looking down in utter shame.

Silence filled the green dimension and my gut twisted in shame and despair. I didn't desere his words. I had betrayed my own people simply by transforming. I should've pushed back that urge, fought it harder…Or at the very least teleported away.

"I'm very sorry. Yell at me...scream at me...Do anything just please don't hate me..."

Why am I telling him this? Could I possibly...like him? No no no! I don't like him! I can't like him! Rivals. Must be rivals…but I still care… Oh, why me? Why now?!

Slowly, my pale green-haired comrade stood up and came towards me. Dren put his hands on my shoulders still not looking up once. I braced myself for what he might do. Though all I felt was that I was pushed backwards.

"Go make your report to Deep Blue. I've done it one too many times and it's your turn to give him the bad news," Dren said, still refusing to look at me.

I nodded and floated towards where the Master was waiting for a report. Dren wasn't going to talk to me for a while, and I knew he needed space. My report would take at least an hour, so I could only hope he would speak to me afterwards. I slipped away into the other room and knelt down before the glowing light that represented our leader on this mission.

"Tsuki?" he questioned as I floated into the teal coloured mist.

"Master, I have some bad news to tell you...you see I'm a Mew Mew..." I tried my hardest to explain it to him knowing that I would be in big trouble when I finished. I told him everything I knew about the Mew Mews, all that I had documented, and all that I had experienced as a Mew Mew. Standing before him in said form, I let him examine that shape so he had a better idea of what we were facing. By the time all was said and done, I felt better having explained it all. What my Master's decision came ot be was a huge shock.

"You'll be staying a Mew Mew and fight with them until you can condemn them. Though I suggest that you don't destroy any more predicites," Deep Blue said in a normal tone.

"Yes, of course. Thank you," I said in gratitude as I left the teal mist.

I came out into the green dimension again, still dressed as a Mew Mew and saw Dren floating upside down deep in thought. His wound seemed mostly healed and I sighed in relief. It would've killed me had I done any major damage. I wasn't truly evil on the inside. Hurting people wasn't generally in my nature.

"Are you okay? Does it still hurt?" I asked, placing my hand on his side.

I could feel him shiver when I did that. His eyes opened and he was slightly startled, but quickly shook it off.

"No, not really, Kitten," He said, backing away from me.

"Kitten? Why are you calling me kitten?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"You are a cat after all. I couldn't think of a better name for you. And besides you owe me," He said, lifting up my chin so we were eye to eye.

I smiled back, as warmly as I could muster at the moment, "Uh right...I can live with that."

"Oh, really? That's good to hear." he said wrapping an arm around my waist. Though what surprised me was that he wrapped the other arm around me as well bring me into an embrace. Dren had yet to be this intimate with me for any reason. I never pictured him as hugger.

"Now, no more trying to hurt each other okay?" he whispered.

I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was smirking. What was happening? Did Dren actually enjoy my company more than he let on? Or was he going to hate me again the next time I saw him? I was beginning to wonder whether he was bipolar.

"Y-yes." I answered, my face a tomato red.

And let me tell you, that's pretty hard to do for someone who's as white as a ghost.

"Well then you should get back down there. The Mew Mews are probably looking for you," Dren said pulling away from the hug.

"Right..." I said, patting Dren on the shoulder.

I waved quietly and warped back to the middle of the park. It was dusk, and the street lamps were lit, lighting the park with their yellow glow.I could hear Zoey calling out my name. They must have been looking for me. I walked towards her voice and ended up behind her. I placed a hand on her should and she jumped. Her ears and tail popping out as well.

"Zoey?" I asked.

"Tsuki! There you are, we were so worried!" she said, taking my hand and pulling me towards the Cafe.

"Oh, okay..." I answered as I was literally being dragged towards the Café. Once inside she sat me down at a table and called Elliot and Wesley.

"What is it, Zoey?" Westly asked.

"I found her!" she answered, jumping up and down.

Elliot sighed and came over to me. He looked me up and down, his blue eyes scanning over my silver Mew Mew body. It was strange, and I felt a little awkward being so closely examined by him. I could even feel his warm breath on my neck as he leaned over my shoulder to look down at my tail.

"She looks like a Mew Mew, but where's her mark?" Elliot said as he glanced back at Zoey.

"Ah...mark?" I asked.

"I'll show you mine and we'll find yours," Zoey said taking me into the back. Once there she lifted up her skirt to show me a little pink heart shaped mark on her thigh.

"Now let's find yours..." Zoey said as she looked at my left arm.

Se ad me transform back into my human body and then began her search. I looked at my right arm and then down at my hand, gesturing a tiny dark spot on my wrist. Shaking her head, Zoey continued to search. While she lifted various parts of my clothing in search of this mark, I began to scratch at my neck again.

"Hey, what's that on your neck?" Zoey asked, pointing to the itchy spot.

I removed my hand and Zoey used a mirror to show me a small pink infinity symbol on my neck. That's what had been itching all along, I'd had a Mew Mew mark.

"Yes, that's it! Okay, now we can go show Elliot and Wesley," Zoey said, pulling me out into the front again.

Both men had been patiently waiting in the other room, Elliot stood up immediately when he saw me, and I gestured to the symbol on my neck. The blonde haired man leaned in, and I felt him gently run his fingers over it. I shivered at his touch, and tried to contain myself. I was definitely attracted to him, but there was no way I could do anything about it. Especially since I'd already ragged on Dren for loving Zoey.

"Okay, we found her mark, now can she work here?" Zoey asked excitedly.

"Yes, Zoey, she can. Just come back tomorrow and we'll get you your uniform," Wesley said with a smile.

"Um, alright!" I answered, still a little caught up in everything.

"Come, I'll walk you home, Tsuki!" Zoey said, pulling me outside.

That's when Elliot rushed forward and grabbed Zoey by the arm. The redhead stopped immediately and looked back at her employer. He seemed indifferent again, but Zoey wore a worried expression.

"I'll walk her home, I think you should stay here and go over the menu with Wesley," the blonde man said, almost demandingly.

"Okay, well, have a good evening, Tsuki!" Zoey said, waving happily.

I smiled and sighed, "Thanks, Zoey. For you know...everything."

Yeah, thanks. With your help the Cyniclons will have this planet in a matter of days.

"You're welcome! I love to help new friends, especially Mew Mews!"

"Yeah...That's me now... I'll see ya at school," I said, walking away with Elliot by my side.

"Bye!" she shouted, waving from the café doors.

Elliot and I walked in silence for most of the way home, but when the wind blew between us, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me close. My cheeks flushed and I tried to hold back my excitement. I hadn't been wearing much, a sleeveless top, and a short skirt with knee-high socks wasn't exactly the greatest attire for a chilly night.

"Um, thanks. I guess I should've worn a sweater."

"Don't mention it… So how are you, by the way? Still, dealing with that illness?" Elliot replied.

I shook my head, "No. I seem to have conquered it for now. But I'm really exhausted. Would it be okay if I rested for a couple days? I don't want it coming back."

Elliot looked down at me and smiled, the first smile I'd ever seen him wear. He looked very handsome when he did that.

"Of course. I leave you be until Wednesday, but I expect to see you at the café that afternoon."

I smiled back, and nodded happily. I could manage that. I would need to rest and recuperate before I could handle another Mew Mew transformation. I felt zapped of all my energy.

Within another minute or two, we arrived at the entrance to my apartment building. Leaving the warmth of Elliot's arms, I opened the door. Turning back to look at him, I waved and offered a sweet grin.

"Thank you for walking me home, and keeping me warm," I chuckled.

"No problem. I look forward to seeing you at the café!" Elliot called, waving back.

Closing the door, I shook my head and then walked up the stairs to my apartment. The halls were empty as it was quite late and most of the other tenants in this building were elderly.

"Oi...Not my best day..." I muttered, digging out my keys.

Just as I opened my door, I came face to face with my green-haired comrade, floating upside down in my kitchenette. I screeched in surprise, but he hushed me and pulled the door closed.

"Shh. Relax. No need to tell the whole world I'm here," Dren stated, flipping right-side up.

I sighed heavily and ran a hand through my light blonde hair. This was tiring. What did he want now? Could I have no peace?

"Why are you here, Dren? You could've blown my cover."

The pale alien smiled, and placed both hands upon my shoulders, "I'm here for a sleepover!"

My eyes bulged and I pushed him away. I was exhausted, and this seemed super forward, even for Dren.

"What? Don't you have a place in the green dimension to sleep?" I asked in an exasperated tone.

"Well, yeah… But it's soooo lonely there! I mean, I've been up there all alone since we got here. Can't I just have some company for one night? You owe me!" he asked, flashing me the puppy dog eyes.

Damn, those amber orbs are hard to resist…

I shrugged and nodded, too tired to argue with him. Besides, a little company might be nice for a change. My apartment did feel kind of empty.

"Yay! Oooh, I'll get the bed warmed up!" he squealed floating into my bedroom.

"You'll what? That's my bed!" I shouted, chasing him into my small bedroom.

The alien was already tucked into my light green sheets with my lavender comforter pulled up to his nose and snuggling with one of my two pillows.

"But where will I sleep?" he pouted.

I frowned. I had a single bed, it wasn't meant for two people. If we…cuddled, then it might work. But I didn't know if I really wanted to cuddle. We'd only just hugged to day, and that was a huge step for our relationship just as rivals. Either way though, the extend contact with another living being would be comforting after such a stressful day.

"Argh, alright. We can share… Just no funny business, okay?" I stated, snatching up my pajamas from the dresser and walking into the bathroom.

As I started to change, Dren shouted, "Aw, but that's the best part of sleepovers!"

I shook my head, then grabbed the bottle of lotion from the bathroom counter. I applied it to my mark as it was still itchy, then finished changing. When I was dressed in my fuzzy sheep pajama bottoms and my loose blue t-shirt, I shuffled sleepily back into the bedroom.

Dren pulled back the covers form the side of the bed closest to the wall so I could get in. I flicked the lights off and crawled into bed. It took some maneuvering, but both of us eventually found a comfortable position on our sides with him laying behind me. Dren nuzzle the top of my head, and sighed happily.

"You smell good…" he murmured in my ear.

"Thanks. It's a strawberry lotion. Promise you'll be gone by morning, right?" I replied.

"Yes, of course. Nighty night, Kitten…" he sighed, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I blushed a little, and closed my eyes. We weren't doing anything. Just sleeping. Eyes closed, clothes on. Nothing was happening. After a few moments, I felt Dren's slow warm breath on my neck and I slowly began to drift off into sleep.

It's nice, having someone here… Even just for a night.


Two days later, Wednesday had arrived sooner than I expected. I had stayed home to catch up on old homework and the Mew Mews let me be, so I was a bit out of the loop. Hopefully today, as I started my first day of work, I could finally get up to speed.

I sat down in the school library to write in my purple notebook again. I had wanted to touch up my notes and mention all sorts of details about the girls, Elliot, Wesley, and the café, but had been too swamped with schoolwork. Today had been a normal day, except for Zoey hanging around me at every waking moment. I had finally lost her at kendo practice and came here. I reached into my bag and searching for my notebook.

"Huh? Where'd it go?!" I said, dumping everything out of my bag.

Pencils, paper, stickers, hair ties and candy all poured out on the old worn wooden table. Nothing was purple nor notebook shaped. I was in a lot of trouble. My most recent notebook had some extremely incriminating ramblings and descriptions.

"It's gone! AH!" I cried.

"SHHH!" the librarian said to me, putting down a spy novel she was reading.

"Yeah...Why don't you go suck on that damn book," I muttered, packing up my things and walking out of the library.

I walked up and down the halls of the school in search of my ever-important notebook. I checked my locker, all of my classes, the gym, the cafeteria, and even the bathroom.

"Where did I last have it?" I asked myself.

I remember writing in it on Sunday. I made notes about Renee, her modeling career, her odd Americanized sense of style… Then Dren showed up and the whole Mew Mew ordeal…

"The Cafe!" I shrieked.

Quickly, I ran outside to where Mark and the other boys were practicing kendo and grabbed Zoey. Wordlessly, I then began to drag my friend towards the park and our afterschool job.

"Why are we in such a rush?" Zoey asked.

"Well, um...I just wanted to get an early start on my new job!" I lied.

The gullible girl believed me and didn't struggle against my dragging. After five minutes, the glorious pink café came into sight. When I opened the doors, I was tackled by Kiki.

"Tsuki onee-chan!" she said, hugging me tightly.

"H-hi, Kiki..." I choked, gasping for air.

"Come on in! We're about to open!" Kiki stated, releasing me from her fatal hug and pulling me into the kitchen.

"Here, Wesley told me to give you this!" she said, handing me a uniform like hers except in black and white. Then, as quickly as she appeared, Kiki jumped out of the kitchen and back into the dinning hall.

"Okay..." I quickly changed and looked down at the outfit. It was similar to the outfit my Mew Mew form wore and was rather flattering.

"Not too bad. I can live with it."

I walked out into the side hallway, only to bump into Elliot. The blonde man stumbled but caught himself. When he noticed who it was he had bumped into he smirked.

"Ah-Gomenasai!"I said, stepping backwards.

I was looking at the ground waiting for him to say 'you should watch where you're going'. But he never said it. I glanced up to see him looking down at my outfit. I blushed instantly.

"You look really... nice in that," he stated, turning to walk away.

Well, glad to have a male opinion, I guess.

I shook it off and began to look around for my notebook. I checked all the tables, including my own. Just as I was about to go around the back of the café, Wesley walked in carrying four big bags of groceries.

"Konnichiwa!" I said as he walked in.

"Konnichiwa, Tsuki-san. How are you?" Wesley asked.

"Fine. Hey, have you seen a purple notebook anywhere?" I asked.

The brown haired man gestured for me to follow him and we walked back into the kitchen. He placed the groceries down on the counter and then opened one of the drawers by the sink.

"Do you mean this?" Wesley said, holding up my notebook.

"HAI!" I shouted, jumping up and down.

"I found it outside after you took off. You should take better care of it," he said, handing it to me.

I hugged it tightly, praising my ancestors for this luck. Then turned back to Wesley. What happened if the book was open? What did he see?

"You didn't happen to read it...did you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-no. I would never read it without your permission!" Wesley stammered, holding up his hands in innocence.

"Good. See ya!" I said, walking out of the kitchen to start my first day at work.

People had started to shuffle in and a few tables were filing up. I walked over to a table in the corner with three high school girls and asked for their orders.

"Zoey, seems a little bummed today," Bridget whispered as she passed by carrying a tray.

"Hm?" I asked, looking over at Zoey.

"What I heard was that after that Dren tree poisoning thing, remember we had to kill the trees or the city would die, that her crush saw and knows she's a Mew Mew," Kiki said, balancing on her ball before she begun her act.

City would die? What does she mean by that?

I reached out and pulled the blonde child from her ball. She stumbled over and tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"Hey, Kiki."

"Yeah, what is it, onee-chan?"

"What do you mean by 'the city would die'?"

"Oh, well Dren poisoned five trees and they were..uh, what was it now... Oh, yeah! They replaced the city's O-oxygen with car-carbondi-dioxcide," Kiki said, trying to pronounce the gases.

"Oh, really?" I asked.

"Yeah! And if we didn't destroy the trees all at once they would make a huge explosion. Destroying the whole city!" she said with a smile.

"Uh huh..." I said, nodding.

He's gonna die...I'll kill Dren the next time I see him. He didn't even mention this to me when he stayed over!

I smiled, letting Kiki return to her act. I then turned back to the table I was helping, and finished recording their orders and passing out water.

Zoey moped for the rest of the day, which was one of the most tiring days of my life. And finally, when the day was done, we both sat down, nearly collapsing.

"Hey, is Zoey here?" Mark asked as he walked in.

Zoey quickly dove under a table, covering her head and telling us to keep quiet. I laughed and leaned back in my chair, too exhausted to care about her petty teenage issues.

"Zoey's playing a game! She doesn't want to be found!" Kiki said.

Zoey sighed and hung her head in embarrassment and Mark nodded in understanding.

"If she doesn't want to see me that's okay. Tell her I said hi," Mark said as he left.

"Game's over!" Kiki said as she knelt down by Zoey.

"Yeah...all over," she mumbled.


There was a big kendo match today and I had nothing better to do. Dren had been ignoring me every time I transformed and went into the green dimension, so I figured I should hang out human style today. So I slipped into my school uniform and ran out the door. When I got there, a bunch of girls were shouting, "MARK IS SO COOL!"

Perky...Gah...I hate groupies.

I leaned against the wall and watched the match. Some how I wasn't amused. Okay, most teenage girls would love to watch guys hit each other with sticks, but me? No way. It just bores me more. Okay, I'm not actually human so I don't count. But still, I'm so used to this world. After a while I saw Zoey walk in, most likely to watch her crush battle it out from the corner of the room. They were still struggling to talk to one another, and I figured it had to do with Mark see her as a Mew Mew.

He must view her as a monster… Or maybe that's just what Zoey believes he sees her as.

"I wondered when she'd come..." I said to myself, standing up and walking towards her.

But Mark got to her first and she ran. Both disappeared into the hallway and the was an audible sigh from the rest of the crowd when the star kendo player left the room.

"Hmm, this may be interesting," I muttered and quickly followed the two as they ran cross campus.

Mark finally caught up with her in the hall outside the math classroom. He talked to her, but she ran in the opposite direction. This time he didn't follow because...Some green slime pulled him into math class! Now ain't that a teenager's worst nightmare. Giant green slime and math class!

Mental note stop watching human teenage sitcoms on TV...

I saw Zoey run in for him, but then get thrown back out of the room. I figured it was a predicite holding him captive, and of course, Dren would be involved. He'd do anything to have Zoey to himself from what I had seen. Still, I had no clue what could've made that predicite. Maybe old Jell-O.

Does he have detention with last weeks lunch in there?

Zoey got up and transformed into her Mew Mew form and forced her way into the classroom. I then quickly ran after her, my pendant out so I could transform and 'appear' to be helping. I stopped at the door and looked in. There was Dren floating amongst some giant green slime, which was apparently choking Mark. Zoey was now also trapped in the slime as it had coiled it's way around her body. Dren was holding her by her chin, staring into her eyes. Their faces were centimeters apart.

He was about to kiss her.


A/N: Yay, such a long chapter complete, and so much of Tsuki's story has already been told. She is now established as a Mew Mew. It feels good to have gotten to this point and I'm excited to write out some of the bigger battles and such with her included. I'm also having fun working on Tsuki and Elliot's relationship. I would seriously adore some feedback. So, even if you just have a few words to say, Please Review!