Hello dear anime-obsessed brethren! lookit, lookit, I actually got another chapter up within, like, a DAY of the last one! That's gotta be a record for me! *APPLAUSE AND CONFETTI* weehee! Anyways, enough of my ramblings, here's the story

Me don't own TMM

Chapter 6:

"When exactly did the visions start?" Pai asked.

Searadesi sighed. "A couple of months ago was when the feelings started, and the actual visions started soon after that."

Kisshu felt a little bad for her. They were in the cave systems, in the big, wide, gathering room, sitting at stone tables, having just finished with a hearty meal gathered on their exploration. They had found enough food for everyone in the community. Looking around him, Kisshu was amazed at how much healthier and vibrant everyone already seemed. Kaybler was planning on having them scope out sights for their new village tomorrow, so they could start building it as soon as possible. Now that the outside world was healed, there was no need for them to live underground any longer. Kaybler sure gets things done fast, Kisshu reflected.

Now, Pai was asking Searadesi roughly the exact same questions about her visions that Kisshu had asked her earlier, albeit in a more technical, intelligent way. Searadesi appeared stressed.

Pai thought about her answer. "And you can think of no change that occurred around the same time that could have caused this?"

Searadesi shrugged. "I was too caught up in Deep Blue coming and you guys leaving and everything to really notice a lot of what else was going on at the time. "

Pai frowned. "Deep Blue coming...hmm. Searadesi-san, would you mind terribly if I took a tiny sample of your blood? I would like to run some tests on it."

Searadesi looked surprised. "My...blood? Okay...right now?" Pai nodded, and took out a little card of paper and a tiny needle. He pricked Searadesi's finger, and held the card of paper under it as a tiny bead of crimson blood squeezed out. Kisshu just KNEW he'd learned that technique from Earth. Pai sealed the card in a protective bag and pocketed it, thanking Searadesi. Almost immediately after this was done, he left, to do the tests on it, Kisshu supposed. But if it were only that, why did Pai look so grim and anxious?

Searadesi had noticed it too. "Is he always like that?" she asked Kisshu.

Kisshu grinned in spite of himself. "Pretty much, yeah."

Searadesi laughed and said, "You know, you and I never really got introduced to each properly. I'm Searadesi." She held out her hand (the one that hadn't had blood drawn from it).

Kisshu said, "I'm Kisshu." He held out his hand and laid it against Searadesi's in the traditional Contraltian handshake of respect. Her palm was warm. He pulled away a bit too quickly, feeling uncomfortable. He looked away, and noticed Taruto sitting with his family, laughing and chatting. He felt a little lonely for a moment.

Searadesi had followed his gaze. "Do you...do you not have family around, Kisshu-kun?" Her tone was quiet and sympathetic.

Kisshu leveled his eyes at her and simply nodded, once, not wanting to enter into this subject at all.

Her voice was very soft when she answered. "Me neither." She did not press him to talk about it, and Kisshu wondered if she actually understood how he felt.

At that moment, Kisshu heard Kaybler's voice. Kaybler was standing up in the midst of the tables of happy, rejoicing aliens, calling for attention. "Alright everyone, settle down! Now, I know it's been a very exciting day, but tomorrow we need to get up bright and early too start rebuilding our village!" A mixture of cheers at the idea of getting a village outside again and groans at getting up early filled the air. Kaybler batted his hand at the people. "Don't give me none of that." There were titters. "Now, everyone, I'd like us all once more to give a big thank you to the people we owe everything to, Kisshu, Pai, and Taruto!" There was a great wave of applause, and everyone in the room looked at Kisshu and Taruto, cheering and clapping. Kisshu felt his cheeks grow warm, and without looking he knew Taruto would be bright red. Kish gave a half-hearted wave, hoping to fade away from the center of attention. Somehow, he had a feeling Kaybler was doing this just to tease him and Tart. Searadesi smirked at him just a little bit. "You're not one for attention, are you?" she whispered. He gave her a look that clearly said, Does it look like I am? She smiled.

Kisshu also felt slightly uncomfortable because, even if their actions had been for the good of the people, he, Pai, and Taruto had not been acting at all admirably for a while. They had been following Deep Blue's every order, fighting and injuring innocent Earthlings and even turning on one another, not to mention what they'd done to the Mew Mews….

"Alright, thank you!" Kaybler called. "Now, I want everyone to bed early tonight, because tomorrow's going to be a long day!" There were more groans, but after a minute or two people began to obediently shuffle off to their rooms. Everyone respected Kaybler to the highest degree.

Kisshu, personally, felt absolutely exhausted. It had been an extremely long day. Was it possible, was it really possible, that just the day before yesterday had been the final battle between Deep Blue and the Mew Mews? Was it really possible that just the day before yesterday, all three of them, Pai, Tart, and Kisshu, had died, but had been brought back by the strength of Ichigo's power?

He shook off those heavy thoughts and focused on his surroundings. Searadesi was standing up, about to leave herself. Kisshu stood up too. There were three main tunnels branching off of the main cavern, each leading to a network of personal spaces for separate families.

Searadesi smiled at him, her big silver eyes flickering in the light of the big bonfire in the middle of the cavern. "See you, Kisshu-kun."

Kisshu smirked. "Bye-bye, Searadesi-chan." He slipped into the more personal use of chan instead of san without even thinking about it.

Searadesi walked off towards the northern tunnel, while Kisshu turned to go towards the Southwestern one. People patted him on the arm and back as he went, bidding him good night and offering their thanks, which Kisshu still felt he did not deserve. He merely smiled at them all as he walked down the tunnel, which had a low ceiling and was dimly lit with torches placed on the walls at intervals. He passed many doorways until he finally reached the room that had been his ever since his parents had died.

The room looked the same as ever. Small, with one worn pallet in a corner. There was little furniture, except for a small squat table upon which rested two of his most personal belongings-the stone dagger that had been his fathers, and the carved set of reed pipes that had belonged to his mother. Besides those things, and a small, neatly folded pile of clothing in a corner, the room was bare. It looked like someone had been in to clean since last Kisshu had been there.

Kisshu blew out the torch that hung from the ceiling-every occupied room had one lit every day. He kicked off his boots, pulled the ties out of his hair, unwrapped his armbands, and finally, collapsed on the pallet, pulled the blanket over him, and fell into a deep, soothing sleep.

SOOO good times! Please review, and remember, I still want my survey question answered! The question is: What is your favorite anime/manga and character in that manga? Thanks, its just a me-being-curious question! Please also tell me your thoughts on Kisshu's character, cuz I still don't know if he's OC! Thanks for the reviews!

Kisshu (from inside my closet): LET ME OUT OF HERE! I DID NOT MARRY YOU!

Me: Oh, Kish, you say the silliest things! Now just wait, your dinner will be ready any moment now!

Kisshu: ANYTHING MADE BY YOU IS INEDIBLE

Me: GASP! WELL THEN