Hello! Okay, okay, so I know it's been...way too long since I've uploaded. I really have no excuse other than that I wasn't quite sure how to write this part of the story, and had a bit of writer's block. So sorry for the delay! I promise to get the next chapter up more quickly. :D Thank you so much for reading!

Chapter 12: Returning

Traveling in the ship was always kind of disorienting. Kisshu stared at the control panel's screen, trying to stop his head from spinning as stars flashed by in the inky depths of space. For the moment, he was steering-he, Pai, and Taruto switched off. Currently, Pai was in the back, getting some rest, while Taruto, Arigo, Marzac, and Brittlee squabbled good-naturedly over a gambling game.

Kisshu absentmindedly flicked the ship's steering controls, turning the ship to avoid an upcoming meteor. His mind was on other matters. They were going back to Earth. He was going to see Ichigo again. And he really had no idea how he felt about that.

He heard footsteps approaching and turned his head slightly to see Searadesi standing behind him, examining the control panel and the window through which they could see space rushing by. She cocked her head, silver eyes widening a bit in awe.

Kisshu smirked. "Pretty cool, huh?"

She smacked the back of his head. "Well, excuse me. We haven't all traveled the universe like you." She sat down in the chair next to him. Behind them, Kisshu heard Taruto shout, "No fair!" Sounded like someone was losing.

"Guess you've forgiven me for forcing my way on this journey, huh?" Searadesi smiled teasingly.

Kisshu stared straight ahead, trying to maintain a stony façade, but he wasn't really angry at her anymore. She'd been right: they could use her on this journey. Dangerous or not…

He'd just have to protect her.

Kisshu said wryly, "Don't push your luck." Searadesi grinned. But after a moment, her smile vanished, and she suddenly looked preoccupied. Not looking at him but focusing her gaze on the control panel, she slid her finger along the edge of it, and said, "Kisshu….can I ask you something?"

Slightly unnerved by the change in her demeanor, he answered, "Of course."

She took a breath, "Are you…." She stopped, seemingly searching for words. Then she turned to him and said seriously, "Do you think you're still in love with Ichigo-san?"

Kisshu's brow furrowed, marveling that she had asked about the exact thing that was on his mind. Honestly, he really didn't know. He didn't want to love Ichigo: he knew it was a hopeless love. Ichigo was very happy with Aoyama. But he still didn't know how he felt.

Actually, what he was really wondering at this moment was why Searadesi looked so grave asking the question. What did it matter to her?

Kisshu opened his mouth to answer, not quite clear on what he was going to say, but he never had the chance, because at that moment, Searadesi gasped and said, "Kisshu! The ship-"

She didn't have time to finish her prediction, because it fulfilled itself in the next moment. The spaceship gave a great shudder. Kisshu snapped his attention back to the control screen. A red light was flashing an emergency alert. Standing up, Kisshu yelled, "Taruto! Get Pai!"

Kisshu hurriedly pushed certain buttons, trying to find the source of the problem. Pai, hair sticking up on one side of his head and clearly just having been woken up, sat down next to him and said urgently, "What happened?"

"I don't know!"

Pai's fingers were flying over the buttons, accomplishing far more than Kisshu could. A flashing diagram of the engine popped up on screen. "The engine's failing!"

Crap. "Why?" Kisshu demanded.

"Something came loose. It's not going to hold up much longer."

Kisshu cursed. One glance behind him showed Arigo, Marzac, and Brittlee clutching their chairs, looking terrified, as the ship shook. Taruto was floating behind Pai, ready for orders. Searadesi was clinging to the wall, her expression calmer but clearly more aware than any of them just how bad this could be. She met Kisshu's eyes. "If we don't do something now, we're going to die."

Cursing, Kisshu got up, yelled, "Taruto, help Pai!", and materialized out of the room, into the engine room at the very back of the ship.

The engine was smoking, great acrid black clouds rising from its cogs. Kisshu examined the spot that smoke was emitting from and saw that the wires and machinery seemed to be rusting through and falling apart. Damn! They should have known better than to trust something that came from Deep Blue!

The worst of the damage, however, seemed to be because of a metal piece that had come loose from its socket. Kisshu quickly transported to the supply closet, grabbed a wrench, and popped back into the engine room. He shoved the metal piece back into the socket and tightened it with the wrench.

Almost immediately, the smoke pouring out began to lessen. Kisshu waited a moment, seeing if any new disaster would spring up. When none did, he cautiously flicked the side of the metal piece. It felt sturdy enough, but clearly, the engine was in bad shape.

Kisshu popped back to the main space of the ship. The tremors of the ship had stopped, and the control panel had stopped flashing lights. Kisshu said to everybody, "The engine is falling apart. I think I've got it temporarily under control, but I don't know if this ship is going to be able to carry us back home."

There was a moment of contemplative silence, and then Pai said, "We'll worry about that when the time comes. I'm sure Ryu and Akasaka will be able to help us repair it. We've got about another hour or so until we get to Earth, Kisshu. Do you think it can last till then?"

Kisshu nodded. Pai said, "Get some rest. Taruto and I have things under control over here."

Kisshu didn't think he was going to be able to get any sleep; he was way too wound up at the thought of being on Earth again. He sat down next to Searadesi without thinking about it. She looked a bit pale from their nearly deadly almost-crash, but otherwise alright.

Kisshu asked, "You alright, Seara-chan?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm just….that could have been really bad."

Kisshu patted her hand. "It's all alright now."

And in all the commotion, he completely forgot the question she had asked him.

"We're almost there!" Taruto yelled excitedly.

Kisshu jerked away, sitting up straight in the chair he'd been dozing in. Rubbing his eyes blearily, he looked up and saw that they were fast approaching earth-the green, blue, and white planet was growing larger on the control panel's screen by the second. Kisshu walked forward and looked over Pai's chair, watching as Asia slowly grew larger…then Japan….then Tokyo. The ship shook as it soared through the atmospheres, and everyone in the back grabbed hold of the walls to hold steady.

In what seemed an incredibly short space of time to Kisshu, they had landed in a deserted field on the outskirts of Tokyo.

I PROMISE to get the Mew Mews in the story in the next chapter! I really wanted to accomplish that in this chappie, but I simply couldn't write any more on this one. I can't wait to get Ichigo in this story! :D Thank you for reading and please review!