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Valediction
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Disclaimer
If I owned TMM, do you honestly think Ichigo wouldn't be with Ryou? Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't own TMM.
Summary
On the flight to England, Masaya comes to a startling realization. Ichigo returns from the airport changed, and this could mean the downfall of the others. Are the recent attacks the work of Kirema Animas, or perhaps...One of themselves? IchigoxRyou
Author's Note
My schedule is nonexistent. Sorry, folks.
Also, this is coming to a close - as stated before - so if you want more IxR fics from me, check out the Life Trilogy starting with LoC. It's not as popular as this one, but it will be updated much more frequently than this one has had a reputation of.
Oh, and some violence this chapter – as always when Monster!Ichigo is involved.
Now, enjoy nine pages of my spoils! (please?)
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Chapter 12
Transformation
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Ryou
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I don't know what I was thinking. At all.
It was the wrong move, and that was confirmed by her feeling frigid and stiff in my arms. But I still couldn't bear to let go.
Please…just let me have you for a moment…just one…
I felt a strange tingling sensation and opened my eyes. I immediately released the girl I was holding.
Did I say girl? I meant girl-turned-creature.
Somehow or another me admitting my feelings to her caused her to transform back into that form. I felt a stab of hurt; did my feelings make her depressed? This thought wasn't exactly comforting…
Her slit eyes concentrated solely on me and I felt fear begin to course throughout my veins. After what happened last time…
I shuddered. And that made it smile.
No, her. Not it. Somewhere in there was Ichigo – and if I could communicate that I knew that fact she would change back like last time.
…Right? I hope.
"Ichigo, I know you're in there," I manage to spit out under the cat's penetrating gaze.
But all she did was smile. It sent a shiver down my spine, that grin did.
She came toward me, but I backed away. She kneeled before me on the floor, her fingernail-claws scraping the floor, her canines fully shown in that smile, and her narrow eyes fixated on my face.
"So you do love me," she purrs, a smug look about her features.
"No," I speak determinedly, "I love Ichigo." That was probably also a bad move, considering it caused her to lunge forward with a mighty swipe at my shoulder. The creature grabbed my chin, and spoke in a voice that caused me to cringe.
"I am Ichigo."
It stroked my face, much to my disgust.
"And you're just going to have to accept that, dearie. After all, I'm your fault, aren't I? If you hadn't created your trivial 'Mew Project' I wouldn't be here, and that woman wouldn't be dead."
…
It was my fault, wasn't it? I made Ichigo this way, I caused her to become this, it was my fault that woman had died.
It was my fault…
-x-
Rettasu
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Watching Akasaka-san and Minto-san is actually pretty entertaining. Minto-san really does act completely different around him.
I finish washing the dish I was working on, and I'm proud to say it remained unscathed. Maybe I was getting better at this.
Crash.
I cringed and looked to the plate I had just dropped. Maybe not. Minto-san turned and gave me a look, but it wasn't callous or something of the sort. If anything it was one a babysitter might give to a child, as much as I dislike how that analogy would apply to this situation.
I grin sheepishly as Minto-san rushes to greet the young couple that has just arrived at the door. Better her than me, really. It looked like it was their first time here and I certainly didn't want to give them a bad impression.
I hummed softly as I returned to my task of cleaning the dishes.
CRASH!
I dropped another plate, but this time with good reason. Pain had suddenly shot through my collarbone. I hurriedly opened part of my uniform to examine it and saw my mark - glowing. I was suddenly struck by the memory of Purin-san. And then all I could think of was Ichigo-san.
Ichigo-san, Ichigo-san, Ichigo-san!
-x-
Keiichiro
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"Hello, and welcome to the café!"
I slightly turn me head from setting down a customers order to the direction of Minto-chan's voice. A smile graces my face as I return to my work.
"Oh, yes, and can I also get a…"
In my mind I process the customer's order, but something else is nagging me as I return to the part of kitchen where the completed orders are located.
I find Minto-chan there; most likely retrieving the new pair of customer's order. She turns in my direction and gives a slight smile when she sees me. She grabs the plate with the order on it and is about to take a step when she falls to the floor and the plate crashes to the floor.
"Minto!" I yell in a panicked voice.
"M-my…back…" she speaks brokenly, as if every word causes her pain. I hastily undo part of her uniform on her back, searching for the cause. I find her mark glowing a bright blue.
"Minto-chan?"
I look to her face, and see a blank look about her eyes. What's wrong with her?
"I…chi…go…"
My mind suddenly flashes back to when Minto-chan told me of the time when something similar had occurred with Purin-chan. But then, Purin-chan did not appear to be hurting.
Didn't it happen because of Ichigo? Was something wrong?
In a flash, I consider running to the basement where Ryou always seems to preside, but was suddenly hit with wariness at leaving Minto-chan alone.
How can I help them both?
"When I touched it she collapsed, and when she woke she was fine."
I cautiously brush my hand over her back to where the mark presided. As soon as my hand touches the mark, Minto collapses.
It stung to see her like that, but it was better than the former state. Gradually, she began to stir, and slowly hoisted herself into a sitting position where I kneeled beside her.
"Minto-chan are you-"
"We have to help Ichigo."
I sighed at her determination, but was actually very impressed and proud. Her drive was astounding.
Suddenly, her arms moved to her back and met bare skin, and she hurriedly tried to redo her uniform as a blush spread to her face as did one most likely appear on mine.
"I'm sorry - I was just worried and I wasn't sure what to – here, let me get that for you-"
I quickly reattached Minto-chan's uniform, heat rising to my face.
Akasaka Keiichiro: Takes off clothes first, actually THINKS about what he's doing later…
I feel embarassed with myself before remembering the matter at hand. Minto-chan, of course, jumps up to go assist Ichigo. (She most likely remembers Ichigo running off into the basement after Ryou)
"Wait, Minto-chan. You're probably not the only one who was affected. We need to get Purin-chan and Rettasu-chan, too."
She nods in agreement. "Rettasu was cleaning dishes earlier – she's probably still there."
We both rush to the washing room, only to find both Purin and Rettasu on the ground. Minto goes to Rettasu as I aid Purin. Both collapse as we touch their marks, only to reawaken afterwards.
"Ichigo-san, is she…?" Rettasu questions; though unfinished, we knew what she was saying.
"That's what we're about to go find out," Minto speaks firmly, quickly adapting to the leadership role.
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Ryou
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"She doesn't love you, you know," the creature speaks with a biting edge, further breaking my will and resolve, "But I do."
"I…will never love you!" I yell as firmly as I can muster. "Even…even if Ichigo doesn't love me, I will never love you!"
It looks at me with anger, though it is soon replaced with faux pity. "Ryou, Ryou…you would rather waste your love than never feel the joy of someone loving you back? The way you view things is certainly twisted."
"You're the one who's twisted," I spit out. Silence follows, though it looks at me with a smug smile.
Unbidingly, I voice my mind, "You're different than before."
It laughs mirthlessly before speaking, "Before was an incomplete me, Ryou. Her heart had not slowed near enough earlier for me to retain all of my emotions."
Just how sad did my confession make her? Does she really hate me that much?
"How does it feel knowing that your love caused her misery?" it speaks in a striking tone, seemingly reading my mind.
"I…"
I couldn't answer; it was hard enough without saying it. I direct my gaze to the floor in an action of sadness.
"I won't do that," it purrs, "Not to someone like me."
"I'm not like you!" I say angrily, though the level was not near as much as before.
"Yes you are, Ryou – you have some of the same DNA in you; you are so much like me," she tones, actually daring to place her clawed hands on my shoulders. I push them off, but less violently than I intended to. "You can become just like me, Ryou; we can be together and I will love you more than she ever would," she breathes, and I find myself doing what I thought I'd never do:
Actually considering that ludicrous idea.
But Ichigo doesn't love me, right? She hates me. But this Ichigo – she loves me; she said she did. So I can still love Ichigo…just have her loving me back.
"I can just think it, and it will happen?"
She nods, a look of triumph and hunger in her eyes.
"…And you…you really will love me?"
"Of course," she speaks gently, though her smirk never registers in my mind.
I hesitantly touch my arm as I take a full look at her. I see the claws, tail, ears, her canines, and…her eyes; her eyes that held an inhuman gold color with no pupil and just a hint of…chocolate brown.
Ichigo!
This was not Ichigo; not the girl I fell in love with! How could I even let myself consider that creature after what she did before, when I never truly loved her? I didn't think my selfish wants could take me wherever they so desired – nor did I want them to.
"Never!" I yell, letting out all of my emotion.
The look on its face was shocked at first, but soon turned to feral anger.
"Why do you hate me! You love me, don't you? Why do you hate me!"
"Why do you hate me! You love me, don't you? Why do you hate me!"
She violently thrashes her claws at me, powerful force behind each strike, sending my reeling into the wall. Blood was openly spilling now and I found myself thinking of Ichigo.
At least I let her know…
I heard only one last thing before it all went blank.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
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Minto
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"Has Ichigo-san transformed into that creature again?" Rettasu questions me, a glint of fear in her eyes.
"Most likely," I speak much more nonchalantly than I felt.
"But we lost our Mew Powers! What are we supposed to do, Minto-onee-san?" Purin voices my very fears.
"Well, we have to fight. And who knows – maybe they haven't left us at all. Ichigo can still transform, so I can't see why we can't if we really put our mind into it."
Rettasu still looks a bit fearful, so I reassure her. "Don't worry, Rettasu. We can do it."
But even I'm still worrying. Akasaka-san had clarified that the animal DNA was absent; but our marks reappeared, right?
My mind turns solemn as I think of Akasaka-san. He wanted so badly to join us, but I couldn't let him go. I told him that we were the ones with powers. "Not anymore!" he screamed, his voice laced with worry and concern. That didn't exactly help my confidence.
At out running pace, it doesn't take too terribly long to get to the basement and I open the iron door to find Ryou Shirogane a broken heap on the floor with his blood forming a puddle beneath him. At first I am too shocked to speak – it is the first time I have seen so much blood. But my shock soon turns to loathing and anger.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" I scream with all I can muster.
The thing turns to me and I'm suddenly very, very afraid.
Her tail – once adorned with an adorable bow – was now void of anything of the sort. Her ears were flattened in anger, and her fingernails grew so long they curved inward in a matter reminiscent to claws. But her face was the worst of it all.The canines were chillingly long and her eyes…they held no pupil, glowed golden, and the veins seemed to pop out from them. Yet somewhere in the gold, I thought I saw a speck of brown and for some reason it gave me a bit of comfort.
"And just what are you going to do?" she seethed, though there was a smirk on her face, "Kitty-cats eat little birdies."
A shiver was sent down my spine.
"Not this one!"
I close my eyes, attempting to feel the sense of my transformation but nothing comes to me. I try to concentrate so hard, but nothing will come…
"Minto-san!"
I open my eyes to see Rettasu in front of me, her arms stretched out in defense. But that's not all I saw.
"Ret…ta…su…" I manage to choke out, tears streaming down my face.
That thing's claws are protruding from Rettasu's back. They went…straight through her.
"Rettasu-onee-san!" I hear Purin shriek in horror; she was too young to see something like this…we were all too young, really.
The creature drops Rettasu from her grip, laughing scornfully, "Looks like the little birdie's got a bodyguard. Rather, the little birdie used to." Another laugh resounds; and I tremble in anger. I can do nothing.
"Girls!" I hear the familiar voice of Akasaka-san. What is he doing here?
I turn to face him, as does the monstrous being. He tosses Purin a vaccine gun. "Put it in your mark," he states quickly, running over to me as the creature prepares to attack. Just as it slashes toward me, he tackles me to the ground. That's the second time I've been saved today."Sorry," he huffs, "But I have to inject it since you can't reach your back." He starts ripping open the back of my uniform (Seeing as now that state of it hardly matters) when the being raises her arm in another attack.
"RIBBON PUDDING RING INFERNO!"
The creature is then locked in Purin's trap, unable to move as what I can assume is more animal DNA is injected into me.
I start to feel it again; the feeling from the first time. I close my eyes, and once I open them again I find myself in my familiar Mew suit.
"Keiichiro, get Rettasu," I speak urgently, shocked even at myself for using his first name.
He instantly runs to her body as the creature claws her way out from Purin's shell. He gracefully grabs her and takes her from the room and presumably to a place where she can get some treatment.
"Mint Arrow!" I cry as I summon my weapon – a good idea seeing as that monster had completely broken free of Purin's Pudding Ring.
She lunges toward me as I simultaneously shout, "RIBBON MINT ECHO!" Her outstretched arm and my ball of energy meet in midair, the force sending both careening backward. I thankfully dodge my own attack, but the creature is sent crashing into one of Ryou's many computer systems, sending various machinery from their place to atop herself. I can't even see her, there's so much piled up.
For a while, all is still, but then the rubble stirs and a figure rises in its wake.
"Pretty good, little birdie," she begins, her tone mocking despite her state.
"But cats have nine lives."
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Author's Note II
Egads! You know you smell a finale! Next chapter will be the last, followed by an epilogue.
Uhmm…there was A LOT more MxK than was planned in this – but hey, the couple's really growing on me! Yes, I know: 8 year age difference but uwaaa! It can be so cute. Please don't hate the fic just because of that, though...
Er…Sorry for the lateness, once again! I'll try to be quicker with the finale – and probably will considering I'm pretty excited about it.
