TOMORROW'S SOLACE

-- Ch. 02; Act. 01 - See right through me. (version. Ichigo)

I was still feeling a little guilty about the scene at the cafe when Masaya arrived at my house that evening. Okay... so I was feeling a lot guilty...

"Is something wrong, Ichigo?" Masaya asked with sincere concern. His smile was cheerful and welcoming, and his amber eyes were gentle. Oh, how I loved that smile. I could feel myself weakening. I really didn't want my guilty conscience to ruin our date.

"N-no, not really..." I giggled nervously.

Masaya saw through it, "What happened?"

I sighed in defeat, pulling my boyfriend out the door with me. I caught a glimpse of Mom giving me the thumbs up from the top of the stairs and made a face. No doubt Mom had distracted Dad when the doorbell rang to avoid him unleashing his wrath on the two of us. My dad overdoes the whole "overprotective father" thing.

"It's just Shirogane. He walked in on us when we were talking about his parents. I think he was pretty upset about that," I finally explained.

Masaya nodded his head, "I see. Well, Shirogane's an orphan, isn't he? I can understand. I don't remember anything about my real parents... or... if I even had any... but to be close to parents and to lose them at such a young age. To keep holding onto their memories... I bet it hurts him a lot. Maybe that's why he acts the way that he does."

I glanced up into Masaya's face. Even though Shirogane seemed to hate him, Masaya was willing to consider Shirogane's feelings. I couldn't help but smile at this thought. Masaya was just... an amazing person. I'd have to do something for Shirogane later to apologize. Something easy, hopefully. After all... it was my fault this time.

"Yeah, but, enough about that..." I interrupted shakily, but my usual pep was quickly returning, "You promised me a date! Right?"

His smile widened, "I do remember promising you that, where would you like to go?"

"How about we go to the shopping district?"

-- Ch. 02 - How to blow a secret identity. (version. ??)

So this was Japan... It was much more crowded than I remembered, although I wasn't entirely sure if these things had actually happened to begin with. The funny thing with memories is... sometimes your mind makes them up and then convinces you that they're real.

I was a man with a mission. And that mission was finding the fabled leader of some superhero group called "Tokyo Mew Mew". He was supposed to be incredibly bright, young, and from the sounds of it, not someone you'd want as an enemy. I'd have to be careful.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through, nya!"

Harajuku was a busy place. I had to fight my way through the crowd just to keep on the sidewalk, but it was not enough of a hassle to keep me from realizing that some girl in this crowd... was meowing. Could she be one of the Mew Mews, or was she just some up-and-coming idol? Or just another otaku?

Scanning the area, I finally found the subject. She was hurrying along with an armload of shopping bags. How her boyfriend managed to keep up with her, I could not imagine, but he looked exhausted.

"Let's rest for a while, okay?" I heard the redhead whine when they had finally escaped the crowd. She didn't seem to be sure if her feet were going to hold up long enough to carry her back home.

"Yes. That might be a good idea, Ichigo," her companion agreed. Even he sounded grateful for the suggestion, and so the couple made their way to a nearby bench to sit for a spell. I, on the otherhand, made my way around them to observe them more closely without being detected. They looked Japanese. They also didn't seem to be otaku, but who could really tell?

"Ouch!" the girl called Ichigo was knocked onto the sidewalk before she could even reach the beckoning resting spot. At first I thought she had simply tripped, but the vibration that started at he soles of my shoes and travelled up my legs proved otherwise. An earthquake?

"What was that?" the boy demanded. Nobody else bothered to answer his question, but Ichigo was hoisting herself back to her feet.

"I don't know! But could it be...? Ah-!" I heard her shout.

The earth beneath me gave another violent lurch, and I quickly noticed that the people in the area around us had begun shouting in panic. The sidewalk started to clear rapidly as people tripped and shoved past one another to get as far from the area as possible. When I was heaved roughly in the side, I nearly lost sight of them.

"Masaya, look!"

The crowd had finally cleared, and when I had spotted the couple again there was a huge demonic-looking fox standing before them. Its sharp canines were dripping with saliva and three long tails flowed behind it like whips.

I was not about to stand in the open like an idiot... so I ducked into the bushes a few feet away. It was probably foolish to watch from this proximity, but...

"A Chimera Anima? But I thought we had finally defeated them all!" Ichigo gasped, "Masaya, what should I-?"

"Transform, Ichigo! I can't help you this time...!" Masaya replied urgently, "So be careful!"

"Right!" Ichigo's face wasn't showing the confidence that her voice did. She looked unsure.

"Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorpho-sis!"

The teenaged girl before me began to glow. Light bloomed around her as two fuzzy cat ears protruded from where her human ears had been and a long tail uncoiled behind her. Silky material appeared to drape over her skin in the form of a dress and matching accessories. I was beginning to wonder if I hadn't just stepped onto the set of an effects-heavy live action magical girl show. But I knew better. The feeling in my gut told me that this was all real. That girl, Ichigo, was one of the ones I was supposed to be looking for. She'd be able to take me to Ryou.

When the lights had died down, Ichigo declared in a brave voice, "As always, for the future of the Earth, Mew Ichigo will be of service, nya!"

The Chimera Fox, however, didn't appear impressed. The creature turned burning red eyes on the pink catgirl, opening its jaws to aim a burning ball of flames in her direction.

"Nya!" Ichigo hissed, barely having time to react. She launched herself off the ground, flipped in the air, and landed a distance away, almost losing her footing in the process, "Maybe I should have been practicing all this time..."

"Strawbell Bell!" A pink heart-shaped weapon appeared on command. Ichigo reached for it.

The Chimera Fox was now dashing towards Ichigo, its tails striking in every direction like angry snakes, ripping two lamposts out of the cement and smashing a shop window.

Masaya took this opportunity to find a safer place to watch. He couldn't really do anything to help, or at least I assumed not, since he had not transformed himself.

Ichigo rolled out of the way as the monster shot past, "Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

Knocked backwards, the fox only looked more enraged. The animal lunged at Ichigo, sinking its teeth into her left arm.

Ichigo let out a scream, aiming a strong kick in the Chimera's eye, making it reel once more.

Ichigo fought back tears, but her arm didn't seem to be seriously damaged.

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!" Ichigo tried a stronger attack. At least the Chimera seemed to be hurting by now, but it still wasn't out of commission.

The fox emitted a high-pitched yelp, followed by another fiery blast that shook the ground around her and made the air crackle.

"Mew Ichigo!" Masaya shouted.

Before I knew it, Ichigo was rolling into my clump of bushes, which I must admit was not the best place to roll when fire was concerned. If she had had a little more reaction time, that is, if the fox hadn't been so fast, chances are she would have noticed the other occupant of the shrubbery. Me.

"Mew Ichigo, try aiming for its legs! If you can slow it down...!"

"Right!" Ichigo replied quickly before leaping out of the way again, the bell on her tail clanging loudly behind her. Ichigo turned her Strawbell Bell sideways and aimed it for the fox's legs like a boomerang, "...Strawberry Check!"

The Chimera Fox tripped and crashed onto its stomach, growling viciously, its tails flailing behind it and making large indentations in the pavement.

"This is it for you!" Ichigo announced determinedly, "Ribbon Strawberry SURPRISE!"

The fox snarled, its body beginning to glow. The glow soon seperated... one into a frightened looking fox kit, and the other into a jellyfish-like alien.

The kit immediately ran off into the brush.

"Oh no! The alien!" Ichigo gasped, dashing at the glowing blob and leaping to snatch it out of the air. For such a simple-looking creature, it knew well how to dodge. I would have liked to study it for a while myself.

"It's a pity you weren't better prepared..." came a voice from out of nowhere. The air infront of Ichigo rippled to reveal what appeared to be a female alien. She was very pale, with pointed ears and sharp teeth. Her golden eyes glinted in the moonlight, and a long orange braid swayed behind her in the breeze.

"What!" Ichigo gasped, taking a step backwards in surprise.

The alien smirked, grabbing the jelly-blob and stuffing it into what looked like a high-tech purse, "That's right. Kisshu and the others might have gone easy on you, but we won't make the same mistake. This planet will be our home once we get rid of you."

"What? But we gave you the Mew Aqua so your home could be beautiful again!" Ichigo argued.

"Ha, don't be silly. That's the very least you owe us. This planet was ours from the start. We have a right to it, unlike you weaklings who abuse it. In any case, it seems you passed my test, but I can't say that I enjoyed the show."

"You can't take this planet!" Masaya shouted as he made his way to Ichigo's side.

"Oh, so it's you..." the alienness sneered, "Just you watch us. We'll meet again... you can count on it." And with that, she vanished.

"NO!"

"Ichigo, she's gone..." Masaya pointed out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ichigo bit her lip and gave a short nod, returning to her normal form, "I... I know, but... what'll we do? How can this be happening?"

"We should go tell Shirogane what happened right away. He might not be aware of it, since things have been quiet for a long time. You girls need to be ready."

"But... suppose we can't beat them? I mean... we barely managed to last time... And even then-!"

Masaya patted Ichigo's shoulder, giving her a determined smile, "Don't worry. I know you can do it."

Ichigo looked like she wanted to cry again, but she finally forced herself to smile back at him, "You're right. I'm sure we can do it. Somehow."

"Then let's go now..." Masaya suggested, retrieving Ichigo's things.

"Yeah. Okay..." she agreed as she turned to follow him.

Now was my chance!

Before she could take a third step, I clamped my right hand down on Ichigo's shoulder, making the girl scream. She whirled, practically knocking Masaya over in the process.

"A... a... a ghost?" she whined, and it took everything I had not to chuckle.