Chapter Six - Autumn's Mirror
Fifteen minutes and one hot shower later, I was sitting at a table across from my two guests. Pudding, as always, was bubbling over with energy and chattering non-stop. Lettuce was all smiles, although I did get a few reassuring glances from her as Pudding continued. Reassuring in that she meant nothing by what she was saying.
"Shirogane-oniichan talks in his sleep, too, na no da!" she squealed, narrowing her eyes at me and leaning across the table.
I sweatdropped silently. Darn my luck.
"So, who do you think smells like strawberries and cream na no da?"
I sputtered and choked on my tea. Lettuce jumped from her seat and immediately began patting me on the back to make me stop.
"I'm... fine..." I said, raising a hand. I cleared my throat, knowing that my face was about three different shades of red right then. Darn my luck...
"So! OOooh! I know!" Pudding leapt onto the table.
"Pudding-chan, that's really not a very good idea," Lettuce warned the younger girl.
"Your blush is all the evidence Detective Pudding needs! Shirogane-oniichan must be fantasizing about the girl he loves na no da!" she placed her hands on her hips, proud that she had figured out my "secret" and smiled broadly. Can I make that ten different shades of red?
"Oh my gosh! Ryou, are you alright! Do you have a fever?" Lettuce asked worriedly.
"I'm okay."
"He doesn't have a fever, Lettuce-oneechan! He's blushing na no da! See? I wonder who the girl is..." Pudding began rubbing her chin in thought.
"D-don't be s-silly!" Lettuce squeaked, her face turning red now.
"And I bet it's Lettuce-oneechan na no da!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Lettuce screamed, diving at Pudding to make her stop, "N-n-n-no! Impossible!"
"But Lettuce-oneechan had a crush on Shirogane-oniichan for the longest time, na no da. So that must be it!"
"Na, Pudding, I just swallowed my tea too fast... I didn't blow on it and because of that it scauled my mouth, this always happens..." I managed. My ears itched, indicating that the state of my complexion had not changed.
Pudding stared at me for a moment, then sat back down in her chair sadly, "Pudding was so sure Shirogane-oniichan had a crush na no da. How could Pudding's intuition be wrong na no da?"
"I told you..." Lettuce scolded, finally managing to breathe again.
"I wanted it to be true na no da! Then I could use the love predictions machine on Shirogane-oniichan and his girl na no da, and share the secret family love potion na no da..." she sighed.
"Now that that's over..." I started, recovering, "Would you like to come with Lettuce and me to visit Mint's house in Kyoto over Christmas?"
Pudding stared for a moment before answering, "Pudding wants to see Mint-oneechan again, but Pudding has brothers and sisters to take care of na no da. Pudding can't expect Shirogane-oniichan to let them come along too, and Pudding can't leave them alone na no da."
"I see..."
"Shirogane-oniichan will just have to convince Mint-oneechan to come back to Tokyo with him, " she said with a depressed sort of shrug. I felt sorry for her. It didn't suit a sunny girl like her to be sad.
"Pudding," I started in a serious tone. She looked up at me curiously as I continued. "I'll do my best to bring us back together. All of us. Somehow. Somehow, I'll make it happen."
Pudding grinned a lopsided grin, "Good luck! You'll need it, na no da! Tokyo Mew Mew will reunite even without the DHA na no da!"
Lettuce giggled as the girl bounced around hyperly, "I think that's DNA, Pudding-chan..."
It was a big promise, but it was agreed. I had them on my side, Keiichiro wouldn't be gone forever, and we knew where Mint lived. Surely Zakuro could sneak back if the rest of us gathered. Even for a day, if only for a day. That only left Ichigo.
"Uki ukiukiukiuki!" Pudding laughed as she immitated a monkey, snatched my arms and began spinning around the room. I almost fell flat on my face before bracing myself and catching my balance. The room was wobbling.
"Dizzy, dizzy na no da?" she asked me with a laugh.
"Uh... yeah..." I managed, stumbling for a seat as Lettuce sweatdropped in the background.
-
The summer sun began to fade and the air grew chilly. From my second story window I watched the leaves change from green to gold to crimson and chocolate, and spiral down from the trees to touch the Earth below. The pool had closed for the summer, and that left me with nothing much to do. I had to make excuses for myself to even leave the cafe. A trip to the library. A walk in the park. A visit to the harbor or zoo to just sit down on a bench and observe nature as it continued on without me.
"Without the DNA, eh?" I echoed Pudding's words to myself on one such occasion. There was a yipping and yapping from one of the coyotes in an artificial environment in front of me. I leaned out slightly over the railing to watch the carefree animal yawn, shake its head, and curl up for a snooze in the shade. Lucky. I wove my way through the exhibits. Polar bears, deer, various birds and reptiles all went about their lives without paying any mind to my presence there.
It was a lie. Though the girls' animal DNA had degenerated into an idle and now useless state, such was not the case with me. I was stuck this way. Half-cat, half-human. Forever. Period. Even the Mew Aqua could do nothing for me.
I heard a whisper behind me and turned, being met with an empty stretch of sidewalk. I did a double-take. No one. I must really be losing it... I took another step, but heard the sound again. Whipping around, I caught yellow eyes staring calmly at me. Eh?
The spotted animal blinked at me, ears twitching to the vibrations in the air. It was a brownish-gray color, with a short, compact body. I moved towards it and rested my hand lightly on the glass. 'It was you, ne?'
The endangered wildcat glared, growling slightly before taking a seat infront of me.
"You know who I am, don't you?" I voiced aloud.
The cat seemed to wink at me, and the whispering came again. Not in words, but somehow the calm feelings of the Iriomote Wildcat swept through me, and it was almost as if I could understand what it was thinking. Memories of its past life in the wild, questions about how long it'd be stuck in this glass-bordered forest and what had happened to the others of its kind. For all the cat knew, it was the only member remaining. There was also the creature's loneliness which shone around it like a silver haze. I assured it silently that more Iriomote Wildcats still existed, and that they existed back home. Surely with the right persuasion, once research was completed and the cat had recovered, they'd take it back home... right?
"I'll make sure they send you home. You're a rarity... and needed to sustain your kind. The researchers know that. Judging from that bandage, they brought you here for treatment. Once it recovers, they should let you go."
The cat nodded gravely.
"Heh, if it wasn't for your kind, I'd probably be in an insane asyllum right now," I mused, "Perhaps the term 'mad scientist' does apply in some cases. Normal people don't have conversations with cats... and normal people don't stay cooped up in a cramped room."
He shook his head and let out a meowing sound, twitching his tail in an annoyed manner.
"I see," I answered, "You're right ofcourse. Though we may have managed to save the world, the world may destroy itself anyway. My hope is that we humans take action before your kind is wiped out completely. It would be a sad thing. There's really a lot that we could learn from you."
"Daddy, look! It's a kitty!" a little girl's voice flooded my hearing and cut off his words completely. My head snapped back.
"So it is..." came the voice of her father.
"Kawaii kitty! Cute!"
The Iriomote Wildcat sprung to its feet and bounded off clumsily into the brush at the back of its inclosure, causing a loud wail from the girl who had been excited to see the animal.
"Now, now, honey. We can come back again some other time. Why don't we visit the monkeys?"
"Okay!" she chirped quickly.
I nodded at them as they passed, turned and began my trip back, 'Arigatou, and good luck to you.' I'll always be a link between both realms. Whether that's my salvation or my demise, only time will tell.
The edges of my mind still tingled as I walked home. The sky was clear and stars began to twinkle at the corners of my vision. Fading sunlight spilled across the expanse, painting it yellow, orange, pink, and indigo.
-
"Ichigo? What are you doing here?" I asked at sunset many months ago.
"Shirogane! What do you want?" the red-head had fretted, pulling at her dress a bit and looking in every direction but at me.
"...Nothing. Do you need someone to walk you home? Or are you waiting for...?" my voice trailed off.
"Aoyama-kun is meeting me here. Y-yes! That's it! He should be here any minute now! Right!" her face flushed as she glared at me stubbornly. Perhaps Ichigo never realized, but her lies were transparent. Only a total moron could be fooled by them.
"Oh... is that so...?"
"It is! ...uh..." she finally gave up, "Actually, my dad was supposed to pick me up, but there was a last minute order for some fancy party or whatever, so he'll be late."
I cocked an eyebrow at her, "What exactly does your father do?"
She frowned at me, "You play with your computers enough, I thought you knew everything about everyone." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes as I waited for an actual answer.
Opening one eye, the catgirl gave up with a sigh, "He's a sushi chef."
"Oh... I had no idea," I replied truthfully, but with a hint of sarcasm which must have only annoyed her further.
"Yeah, well, I'm not really in the greatest of moods. So, if you don't mind... could you just?"
"Sure. I'll walk you home. I feel like it," I answered with a smirk.
"I didn't mean that!" she fumed, "I wanted you to leave! Baka."
"I'm the baka, huh? How else are you going to get home? It could be a long wait. Besides, this is Tokyo, it really isn't safe for you to be standing around at dusk in the middle of the city. Who knows what sorts of people show up at night?" I pointed out.
I watched her little mind process what I had just said, "...go away!"
"Do you really want me to leave you here? Alone. At Night. I will if you want."
"...no." she finally gave up. A disapointed expression on her face. I had won again.
I grabbed her arm and gave it a tug, "Well, hurry up."
"Don't walk so fast!" she protested loudly, "My legs aren't ridiculously long like yours are."
"No, they're ridiculously short."
"Are not!"
"You're right. They aren't."
The girl yanked her arm away and huffed, "You know what? I really don't get you! You're such a jerk, and yet, I have proof that you can be nice! Just take Lettuce for example. Why is that? If you really expect me to keep working for you, why don't you just act human for a change?" she grumbled.
"And what would you do... if I did?"
"I'd whine less at work? I'd try harder?" she gave a shrug. She really didn't have an answer.
"That's all? I'd say you already try pretty hard."
"That's not the point. Quit changing the subject. I'm not some sort of genetic weapon or whatnot, you know!"
I paused, "I know, Ichigo."
"Uh... eh?" she blinked up at me, clearly confused.
"I know you're not just a weapon."
"Oh! So you do see me as a weapon! I had hoped you had gotten past that."
I let out a slight laugh, but it was a tired one as I continued walking, "I know. You're a girl with your own feelings and your own life."
"Good, we're getting somewhere."
"Anyways... I'm sorry. If you thought I was being mean to you."
"W-what?" she blinked more. Her face flushed slightly.
"I just appologized to you. Figure it out. This'll be over soon and then you'll never have to work at the cafe - or see me - again."
"U-uh... that's not what I meant..." she hesitated.
"What did you mean, then?" I inquired, turning.
"It's not that I mind, really. I mean... well... you did this for your parents, right? And this is for the entire world. That's why we fight. And, what you said... back on Christmas Eve. Tokyo Mew Mew is here to protect the people close to us, correct?"
"You were listening."
"Ofcourse I was listening! I'm not as stupid as you think I am! So... that's why I'll see this through to the end. For the people I care about."
"I didn't think you were stupid, just slow," I replied with a smirk.
"Hey!" she protested, but I patted her head to silence her, making her flinch slightly out of reflex.
"This is your house, right Ichigo? Try to get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you. Ja ne."
"Uh... yeah..." she stood there dumbly on her front porch.
"Take care, I won't go easy on you tommorrow just because you listened to my speech."
"Yoouuu!" she growled, "Shirogane, you really are a jerk, but... then... Argh! You make me so mad because you won't just let me hate you!"
I shrugged.
"Thanks for taking me home I guess..." she muttered in defeat.
"Couldn't let the boogeyman get you, ya know."
"I'm too old to believe in that, ya know," she mocked me.
"Yeah..." I murmured.
-
Without realizing it, I had passed the cafe and now stood a few blocks from Ichigo's previous residence. I rolled my eyes, scolding myself that my mind would wander. There was one light on. Her parents were probably eating dinner about now. That thought reminded me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. With a sigh, I retraced my steps back to Cafe Mew Mew. Entering the door, I immediately put on some water for tea and for boiling noodles. As I snatched a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, I realized that I had a message on my answering machine.
I pressed the 'messages' button.
"One message received. Accesssing. Beep! Mr. Shirogane, this is President Sasaki of Tokyo University. I'd like to meet with you at your next convenient time to discuss hiring you as a professor here. Please call me back as soon as you can at..."
I dropped the bottle I was holding. It bounced off the floor and rolled under the counter. There was no way this was happening. Could Sasaki-san and his board really be interesting in hiring me? The timing was too perfect.
Just then, a scream came from one of the pots on the stove as it began to boil over, ripping my attention away from the electronic as I hastily moved to silence it.
A/N: Next up, Chapter 7, "Face to Face", nya.