Hurt Chapter 13:
Sleepover, Or More?
Next day, Normal POV
It was 5:30, and Lettuce had just arrived. Pai had gotten there a few minutes earlier, and of course Kisshu and Taruto were already there. Ichigo, Lettuce and the Cyniclons were going over what they were going to do when the other Mews came. The plan was simple; Kisshu, Pai and Taruto would wait until Ichigo and Lettuce came to get them, and then they would come downstairs and talk over Pai's plan with the other Mews. It was a simple plan, but pulling it off might not be easy. Pudding probably wouldn't be too hard to convince, but Zakuro and Mint were a different matter. However, if Zakuro was convinced, Mint probably would be too, considering that Mint practically worshipped Zakuro.
Ichigo's POV
Ichigo was nervous about this, and she could tell that Kisshu and Taruto were as well. Pai was harder to read, but Ichigo guessed he was at least a little nervous about this. Lettuce was strangely calm, but since it was her idea, Ichigo decided that was the reason.
Finally it was 7:20. Ichigo instructed Kisshu, Taruto, and Pai to wait in the guest room, and stay quiet. They went to the guest room, and closed the door, settling down to wait till Ichigo came back. About ten minutes later, Zakuro arrived with Mint not far behind. Soon after, Pudding arrived too. Ichigo and Lettuce had set up the living room as the area where they were going to be. They put out snacks and set up like it would be for an actual sleepover. Ichigo had also brought in an extra couch from another room.
After everyone had settled down, Ichigo shared a short glance with Lettuce, then stood up. Everyone went silent, looking at her.
Ichigo took a deep breath. "Minna, I actually asked you all over, not for a sleepover, but for a meeting. I said all-girls so Ryou wouldn't be here. Lettuce and I came up with a plan, and we have something that we needed to discuss with all of you before going to Ryou." Ichigo nodded to Lettuce, who got the message, and went upstairs.
Normal POV
The other Mews were puzzled, until they heard Lettuce say softly, "It's okay, you can come down now."
Then Lettuce came back down, but she wasn't alone. Zakuro, Mint and Pudding's jaws dropped as Kisshu, Pai and Taruto walked down the stairs after Lettuce. As they reached the living room, the other Mews tensed slightly, until Ichigo walked over to stand with Lettuce and the Cyniclons. The remaining Mews were shocked when Ichigo went straight to Kisshu, and took his hand.
"I-Ichigo? What's going on?" Mint asked.
Before Ichigo could respond, Lettuce said, "We have been talking, and we think we have a solution to the fighting. The Cyinclons have decided to abandon their leader, Deep Blue, in favor of a plan that we came up with."
"How long has this been going on?" Zakuro asked.
This time, Ichigo replied, explaining, "Kisshu came to my house two days after the dream Chimera Anima incident, and ended up collapsing. I've been taking care of him ever since. The day after he collapsed, Taruto showed up with a bunch of medical supplies, saying that he had abandoned Deep Blue. He helped me care for Kisshu, and he's been staying here as well. Pai showed up two days later, saying that he also abandoned Deep Blue. It took more time for him to convince us that he meant no harm, but he truly has changed, and he's actually the one who came up with an alternative to fighting. Pai has been staying on the Cyniclon's ship, but I invited him over to talk today."
"Ichigo, I know this may seem off-topic, but do the aliens have anything to do with Aoyama-san's disappearance?" Mint asked.
"Yes and no," Ichigo replied. "One day while Kisshu was still sick, Aoyama showed up and asked to get back together. I refused him, and he tried to kidnap me. Taruto saved me, and broke Aoyama's wrist. Before he left, he told us 'this isn't over'. I called the police, and they said they'd handle the search."
"How did you explain your escape?" Mint asked.
"I told the police that Taruto was my little brother. I think we're getting off topic though," Ichigo said.
"Very well, so what's the plan you all came up with?" Zakuro asked.
Ichigo nodded to Pai, who stepped forward and said, "I believe that if we could get enough Mew Aqua, it could be used to revitalize our home planet. Unfortunately, you Mew Mews have most of the Mew Aqua. We have some, but not nearly enough to heal our planet. If you gave us the Mew Aqua, we could take it back to our planet, and make it better than Earth."
"How are we going to get this past Ryou?" Mint asked.
Ichigo said, "Well, that's why we're having this meeting. I called you all here because Lettuce and I believe that if we all tell Ryou that we've decided on a better way of solving this, he'll cave, eventually."
"Easier said than done, but it's a possibility," Zakuro said. "Alright, Ichigo, I'm in. Mint, Pudding, what about you?"
"Hai!" they both said.
Ichigo and Lettuce smiled, as did Kisshu and Taruto. Pai… well, he just nodded. "Good," Ichigo said. "Let's get the sleepover part started now!"
The others all cheered, except for Zakuro and Pai, of course.