OMGOSH OMGOSH LOOK HOW SOON I GOT THIS UP! Please be proud of me, I'M proud of me. But, I have a feeling you will hate me at the end of this chapter. But we can talk more of that at the end. Here's the intense scene!

Reisha wiped the grimy dirt from her face with a smile. She felt like she had just escaped a nightmare, like she had been about to die and someone had jerked her awake. It was a pretty good feeling. She hadn't done the gardening since Retasu had disappeared, and now that she was back, safe and sound, those weeds had to be taken out before they choked the tomatoes and leaks. I am one lucky mother. She thought as she yanked out a particularly stubborn plant.

After Lettuce had come home, she had felt alive again. There are no words that can express the true relief a mother feels when a lost child is found. And it was all she could do to keep from stopping Lettuce when she had to leave the room to grab something, or do homework, or take a shower, or even go to sleep. She thought of us every step of the way. Always making sure that she spent as much time with us as she could even when she has so much to catch up on! Not all moms are as lucky as I am to have a daughter so loving, let alone back from being thought dead!

Mrs. Midorikawa had been concerned, truth be told. Though Lettuce worked hard to make her parents worry as little as possible, she couldn't hide the fact that something was on her mind. Her mother had cross examined her, fearing the worst automatically. But her daughter had always been a terrible liar when pressured, and she could tell she hadn't been lying when she reassured her mother that she hadn't been abused or taken advantage of.

Yet still there had been something bugging her. Reisha could tell as easily as the difference between a banana and an apple.

Thank goodness Ichigo had come over. She had seemed somewhat uncomfortable when Reisha had found her on the door step asking for Retasu, but after her somewhat rushed exit, her baby girl had come down in much better spirits. Reisha smiled to herself as she continued to pull out the weeds. Thank-you, Ichigo. You really are the best friend my baby could ever have. It had always been a rough spot for their daughter; she was quiet and shy, and easily taken advantage of my some of the bigger bullies in her class. Ichigo wasn't like that. She didn't enjoy spending her days in the library or knitting like Retasu did, but she was probably the best friend that Mrs. Midorikawa could have asked for her daughter.

Ichigo and Retasu were actually heading to the strip mall for some girl time at that very moment. Some much needed girl time; Retasu needs to get her mind off this horrible experience. Reisha sat up suddenly. What if something goes wrong? What if those Cyniclons return? All logic pointed to the obvious: of course not! Still, maybe I should just call her…

Kakashi watched as his wife came in and removed her grubby gardening gloves. "Need any help honey?"

She smiled at her husband, giving him a peck on the cheek. "No, I'm almost done anyway." She reached for the phone.

Kakashi looked curiously at the number she was in the process of dialing. "You're not calling who I think you are, are you?"

Reisha lifted her chin slightly. "I'm only checking on her."

"Dear." Kakashi's hand came over the phone, pressing the 'END CALL' button gently.

Reisha sighed, a frown twitching on her face. "I have a right to call her! I'm worried! What if-" But she was cut off as her husband pulled her into his warm embrace. She leaned into him, letting his strong build support her and her worries.

He shifted his fingers through her messy brown hair affectionately. "Our Retasu is probably one of the smartest and brightest girl's out there. She's just as precious to you as she is to me, but you need to have a little faith Reisha! The alien's let her go; she's of no use to them. Besides," his tone became cajoling, "do you really think our daughter is going to go looking for them?"

Reisha rolled her eyes and kissed her husband. "Your right." She nuzzled her head into his shoulder. "Of course your right."

Xxx

Pai didn't know how long the moment went between him and Lettuce. Everything he had forced himself to act upon, fought with his soul to become, fled the moment he saw her again.

Just has he was about to kill her best friend.

All she had asked for when they had held her against her will was that they not harm her friends; that no one else would get hurt. At her most desperate moment she had asked that Pai would forsake his plan altogether and not harm the innocent. It was never Lettuce's own safety she was concerned about; it was always the constant protection of others.

The face she wore in front of him right then was the exact one he had envisioned in his mind. It was filled with panic, fear, and (perhaps only when she looked at him) hurt. But it wasn't for the reasons he had thought. He had envisioned her face would be like this when she was going to be attacked, when she was already going to be eaten alive by the spores from the Chimera Anima.

Instead, she wore that face not in fear of her own safety, her own life, but of her friend's.

Pai was so dazed by her arrival that he didn't even consider drawing his own weapon as Lettuce summoned hers and poised for attack. Not at him, as Pai had somewhat faintly predicted, but at the vines holding Ichigo captive. It probably surprised everyone when it was Kisshu that stopped her. One moment he was gawking just like everyone else, the next he flew across the room and smacked the castanet's from Mew Lettuce's hands just as the words were forming on her lips. She gasped in shock and went to reach for them again, not even thinking to try and fight off Kisshu. But even if she had, Kish had already teleported behind her and was grasping her thin wrists, pinning them to her back. Her slight cry of pain almost sent Pai snarling towards Kish in an attempt to rip of his arms, but the golden-eyed alien looked straight at him, reading his thoughts like a book, and this realization stopped the eldest Cyniclon short. He had just been about to attack his own comrade to save Lettuce. Something that Kish was more likely to do. Or, at least, had been thought likely to do.

Till now.

It was Ichigo's shout that finally brought him out of the strange trance. She strained against the vines desperately. "Lettuce!"

Pai turned and regarded his choice of sacrifice, and the mew, sensing his gaze, turned her hot angry eyes on him. "Make him let go of her, don't you touch her!"

"Pai!"

His attention was once again centered on the porpoise mew, his heart wreathing at her look. "Please Pai, don't do this!" She struggled feebly under Kish's iron grip. "You can end this; you can stop this from going any further! Please, thousands of lives will be pointlessly wasted!"

Taruto came over and sneered at her, his surprise finally fading away. "You wish! Once Pai activates the Chimera, we'll finally beat you guys!"

"Are the lives of the innocent really-?"

"Shut up!" Taruto glared at her arrogantly, but Pai could detect the young boy's uncertainty. "You're just here to save the stupid old hag! Besides, your people don't deserve to be saved!"

Lettuce gritted her teeth, her eyes pleading. "You're wrong-"

"Aw jeeze, are you going to cry like a little baby now?" Taruto forced his voice to crack into a high mocking note. "You going to whine and beg for mercy 'cause you're so scared?"

"Clamp your trap shut you obnoxious brat!" Ichigo gave him a glare that would curdle milk. "When I get out of here, you're the one who's going to beg for mercy!"

Taruto jerked slightly under the mew leader's anger. "I don't think so granny!"

Lettuce looked back to Pai. "Please, Pai…" She drew a sharp intake as Kish made his grip tighter.

The green-haired Cyniclon looked directly into Pai's eyes, not even once glancing at his beloved play thing. "Just do it."

The tone that so rarely was ever uttered from his friend's mouth, the fact that he was taking the situation so seriously, finally broke Pai from the unconscious grasp the green mew held over him. I need to do this, this is what I've worked so hard to complete. Without looking back he turned and typed the activation code.

Xxx

Ichigo had seen the look Pai had given Lettuce when she had rushed into the room. She knew without a doubt that Kisshu had been telling the truth. And she was also easily prepared to loath the alien who had broken her best friend's heart, and if she got the chance, re-beat the crap out of him. Unfortunately, her time for such things was over.

The tank that held the creature began to hum increasingly louder, lights blinking and circuits connecting to bring about the final blow. The lights began to glow ever brighter, centering at a core point that seemed trained to her position. The creature watched with gleeful, restless eyes as the light increased.

Ichigo suddenly realized that it wasn't just the light; something was tugging at her breast, though nothing was there. All at once the tug became a wrenching force, and she gasped in shock and pain. It repeated the gestured, and Ichigo suddenly realized what was going on; the machine was trying to steal her soul. She cried out as it wrenched at her again. No, she grit her teeth as tears started to fall down her face, it's not taking my soul out. It's just opening the door to let the Chimera in. How she was able to not faint or loose conscious through that excruciating pain, she would never know. What she did know is how clearly things had become, as her body seemed to realize this was the end and it wanted to fixate on what last bits of life it could take.

Ichigo looked over to where Lettuce was, and saw that she was crying as well, from a pain just as piercing but so much different than what Ichigo was feeling. I'm sorry Lettuce, I thought I had saved you, and in the end I'm the one who's going to help kill you.

She could see Taruto watching her, and she was surprised to see he looked about as scared as any child his age would have been.

Kisshu was just as bad. There was a panic on his face that, if Ichigo was able to think straight, didn't match the attitude he had been showing the others earlier.

She was going to look at Pai, but a sudden movement brought her back to her predicament. She didn't have the strength to fight against the vines any longer; only the absolute pain was keeping her body tense, she couldn't even consider trying to wreathe it hurt so much. The tank was opening now, the liquid hitting the air and turning instantly to fumes. The creature jumped on top of the tank, readying itself to plunge into Ichigo's heart.

And kill her.

Oh my God! Ichigo clenched her teeth so hard it became an ache of its own. I'm never going to see Masaya again! I'm going to be eaten by a rabid Chimera Anima! A scream escaped her as the final yank tore her open. Why? I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

A final scream tore through her just as the chimera flew at its prey.

Xxx

Lettuce watched in horror as the machine forced Ichigo's soul to become exposed, but rather than draw out her life force, held the gate open for the unnerving Chimera. No! Ichigo! Tears began to stream down her face. What can I do? The world is in danger, and Tokyo Mew Mew can't save it! Everyone will die, my friends, my parents, Ichigo! "Ichigo!" She turned vainly towards Pai, who didn't look in her direction. "Pai! No, please! You have to stop this!" The mew leader, her best friend, screamed out in pain, her body not even able to move against the waves of energy lapping around her. Tears sprang into the green mews eyes and then ran down her cheeks helplessly. "Ichigo!" The chimera's tank opened and the creature took a tentative step out, assessing its prey to make sure it wasn't going to get away somehow. Lettuce could see the moment its eyes locked onto Ichigo's soul that was shining freely from her chest. Retasu felt her ragged breath stop when her best friend turned and looked at her, eyes terrified and full of pain. No! Ichigo, oh please, someone save Ichigo! She felt her ragged breath turn to begging sobs. Pai, Pai, why do we have to do this? Why won't you stop?

Ichigo turned her head back and screamed again, louder than before.

"ICHIGO!" Lettuce didn't even register that the scream was her own. "ICHIGO!"

Retasu would never know why, but Kisshu's grip suddenly slackened. Her body reacted instantly and retched itself from his grasp, but it was too late to summon her castanets. She had heard enough to know what had to be done to save Ichigo, and the world. Hadn't she heard it before this whole problem even started from Pai himself?When she had stumbled into that clearing all those weeks ago?

The Chimera needed a strong-willed individual to survive.

Lettuce bolted from Kish and passed Taruto, who cried out in surprise. She knew what she had to do.

Xxx

It was Taruto's shout that caused Pai to turn just in time to see Lettuce running straight for Ichigo. No! If she get's near the light, she'll…! Knowing what would happen, Pai reached out desperately to grab her arm as she passed. It was as if time slowed, just for that moment. His arm, so much longer and more powerful than hers, reaching out as far as it could. He watched as his hand came close enough to hover over her wrist. As he closed his hand, he looked up and saw her give him the briefest of glances. Her face, normally so filled with serenity and kindness, was crumpled and broken in the need to help her friend. This look, which felt even more powerful than when he had been about to kill her, froze him for a moment.

A moment too long.

His hands wrapped around air, his fingers just brushing hers as she slipped from his grasp. Everything sped up, back to its normal time. Lettuce jumped for the light just as his Chimera lunged for Ichigo. He called out in vain, his voice breaking with the emotion he had kept hidden for too long. The hand that tried to stop her before reached vainly out, as if he could prevent her still. "LETTUCE!"

The light that had exposed Ichigo's soul was cut from its initial target, and instead of the steady warm-up, it hit Lettuce full-blast. She screamed out at the intense shock of pain, her body being captured in the light so it wouldn't fall back to the floor. She curled desperately into the fetal position to escape the pain, but the light pulled her out of it, practically cutting her chest open to expose the shining soul beneath the flesh.

The Chimera started in surprise, trying to stop its process to the body, but the momentum was too great, and it slammed right into the open heart of the green mew. It screeched out in panic as it dissolved with into the girl, matching the volume of Lettuce's own cry.

Once it was fully inside her, her body once again curled up in agony, floating as if in zero-gravity under the energy waves. The lights began to flash crazily as the merging began its finish. It was an illusion due to the chaotic actions of the lighting from the technology, but it seems as if the light was escaping from Lettuce herself instead of dancing around her.

All at once, the delicate, frail mew's scream was cut off, the lights died, and the mew mew fell to the ground.

Xxx

Ichigo was shocked when the pain had ended, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. And even more so when she realized she was still alive. But why was she screaming? Then she realized.

It wasn't her scream. She watched in horror as the lights cut off and the body which had shielded her fell unceremoniously to the ground.

"Lettuce!" Oh God, no, God NO!

The aliens stared in shock at the dead body. Unable to yet grasp what had just taken place. Ichigo fought with renewed vigor against the vines. "Lettuce! Get up! Lettuce you have to get up! Lettuce!"

Xxx

Pai felt as if there was no longer any ground beneath him, in fact, that's probably why he had fallen to his knees without realizing it. Lettuce's body lay crumpled just below Mew Ichigo's struggling form. She was screaming, crying for her friend to get up. He had chosen Ichigo to be the sacrifice.

And Lettuce had taken the burden on herself.

He wondered if she had known, but she must have. She had heard him say it to Kish when they had captured her that day. She had known that the Chimera couldn't survive without a strong will.

So she took the blow she knew her body couldn't handle and more importantly, knew the Chimera could not handle. She had saved the world, and her best friend.

What have I done? Pai hadn't wanted to feel anything for Lettuce, he hadn't wanted to care, and he had fought against his very being to win. And now, he realized.

He had lost.

What have I done, what have I done, what have I done? He looked at the fallen body in desolation. The sight was beginning to blur in an unfamiliar way to him. Pai hadn't realized he could cry. He looked at the body again and froze.

Had he imagined it?

A single tear escaped before his eyes dried up in shock. There it was again!

She moved.

Ichigo also stopped crying, not believing her eyes. Kisshu and Taruto couldn't keep their jaws from dropping. With a shuddering sigh, Lettuce breathed in. Carefully she rose onto her knees, her arms shaking slightly.

"Lettuce! Lettuce you're alright!" Ichigo laughed with joy, it probably hadn't been intended, but it escaped from her anyway.

Pai watched the girl he loved in absolute shock. "Lettuce…?" She survived?

Taking a few quick breaths, the mew rose from the ground to face Pai. But instantly, Pai knew something was off. The way she was holding herself, how Ichigo's frantically excited words fell on deaf ears, told him there had been a change. Then she looked into his eyes. He didn't see the brave and delicate mew that could be read like a book. They were her eyes, but all he saw now was impassiveness, and a strange thing that he had never seen in Lettuce's eyes before.

A possessive gaze.

Mew Lettuce smiled faintly, almost in amusement, at the eldest Cyniclon. "Hello, master."

Please, please don't kill me. I promise you a happy ending, a HAPPY ending. Don't be too hard on Pai either, he has a lot of inner turmoil that for a guys as impassive as he is, really messes with your attitude towards women once in awhile. Things are about to heat up folks, but just remember, it's a happy ending. ;) you just don't know HOW it's a happy ending. Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers! You people ROCK!