Hey all! Time to be shocked and… uh… further shocked! Well, maybe not, but it felt like a suspenseful chapter to ME. Where we last left off, Lettuce sacrificed herself, everybody's shocked, Lettuce is alive! What the heck does she mean 'Hello Master' to Pai? I should make a note for you, for those of you who don't know Kanae, it's the longest Japanese alphabet, since I believe there are 3 sets. Anyway, just remember that it's the Japanese alphabet/symbols, if you didn't know.
Enjoy!
Pai, for the second time within that day, stared at Lettuce in absolute shock. The first time had been because she had appeared without warning, coming in to save her best friend all alone and without help.
The second time was, to put it simply, because she was alive.
But how could this be? And what in the world did she mean by Hello master? He looked at the mew now. Her friend, mew Ichigo, was frantically calling out to her friend in relief, but Mew Lettuce paid no heed. In fact, Lettuce seemed to only be focused on him. Not in the way she had shown all those other times; there was no timidity, no sense of propriety. She gazed at him openly, almost daringly. Her lip was curved faintly up in amusement, but it wasn't soft and sweet, it was taunting, provoking. It was like she was…
Pai's eyes widened in realization. No, it can't be! But… He looked at her more closely, his astonishment and horror growing. It's the only possible solution, the only way this can be explained.
Lettuce hadn't survived at all.
But his creature, the Chimera Anima, had.
Lettuce- no, the Chimera, as if sensing his confusion, spoke up. "I suppose I'm as surprised as you are. I had aimed for that," she gestured with a rough jerk of her head in Ichigo's direction, "but then the second one had jumped in and I was forced to merge with her instead. It's a miracle that I even survived! But don't worry." She smirked with a self-satisfied gleam in her eye, forming a face that had never been seen when Lettuce was still inside. "That past host was so weak, but just strong enough for me to survive the transformation." The smirk stayed plastered to her face, making Pai feel somewhat sick. "The previous owner is gone," she added quickly, as if an afterthought, "you'll have no further interference from her."
No. Pai couldn't take looking at his creation any longer and turned towards his computer in mute shock. She sacrificed her life for nothing. He felt bile rise from his stomach to his throat, and he had to fight down the urge to puke right there in front of everyone. Lettuce, she did all that to protect the ones she loved, and it proved worthless.
A darker, more heartless part of him tried to push away the uncomfortable feeling of remorse. It doesn't matter, isn't this what was always planned for? The ideal host changed, that's all, the main plan is still able to commence. Pai clenched his teeth together in anger. Did he really just think that? The most kind, gentle, and wonderful girl he had… had loved, was just killed trying to protect her friend from him, and that is all he could think of? That his plan was still safe? Bitterness encased his heart like ice. It's just as it should be Pai. Just as you wanted it to be, remember? Remember how you wanted so much to forget her, to just pretend like she meant nothing to you? Well here's your chance, you self gratifying prick. You got your wish, your plans are safe, and she's gone.
He could feel his creation assessing his attitude with confusion of its own; something he wished feverishly it would stop doing, when Ichigo's voice rang out.
"What?"
All eyes, including those of an annoyed Chimera, turned to face the mew, who was looking at her past friend's body with shock. "What the heck are you playing at?" Ichigo gazed wildly at the creature below her. "Where is Lettuce?"
"Dead." The Chimera looked indifferently at the mew, her tone so heartless it made Pai cringe hearing it come from Lettuce's body.
Ichigo's face grew red with fury. "You liar! She can't be dead! She couldn't have died!" She wrestled with new ferocity against the plants binding her. "Let me down from here, let me down!"
The Chimera narrowed its eyes at Ichigo crossly, another face Lettuce had never made towards her friend. "She. Is. Dead. Though, I would have preferred to have the form I was meant to take," a nasty smile of satisfaction flitted briefly across her face, "your soul looked much more appetizing than that weakling's had been."
The mew leader lost it then, furious broken words ran from her mouth, lashing at her target with viciousness that shocked them all. The Chimera, for its part, simply frowned deeper at the irritation.
Pai's senses began to return to him, and he watched his creature's (and his past love's body) carefully. The Chimera turned towards Ichigo and waved her hand mockingly at her. Ichigo took this as a taunt and began screaming even louder, but Pai knew immediately what it had done.
She had released some of the spores.
Pai watched Ichigo intently, waiting to see the affects of his creature's power.
But nothing happened.
The Chimera pursed her lips in anger and waved her hand agitatedly towards the mew once more, but still Ichigo remained as she was. The experiment let out her breath in a hiss. "What is this trickery?"
Pai hadn't counted on this. It seemed that, just as he had made careful precautions that Cyniclon DNA couldn't be affected by the spores, forms of altered human DNA also was resistant. Therefore, all mews were immune to the creature. Not that this will alter the plan much. After the spores were spread, what was left of Tokyo Mew Mew would be quickly over powered and subdued. The defeat of the human race was imminent.
A sudden thought sparked in his mind, but he quickly cast it aside. There's no way… there can't be…
"Master."
He turned back to his creation. She gave him a shrewd look that told him she was sensing something amiss in her creator. Pai didn't particularly take comfort in the fact that his experiment was so perceptive; in fact, it concerned him more than anything. "Master," she repeated, from Lettuce's lips, again. "My children are ready to begin, whenever you are ready."
Pai felt his face, which had not been in control for the past few minutes; conform back to its façade of calm. Of course, the plan. He nodded his head, gazing expressionlessly back at his creature. "Then let us go." Pai turned to Kisshu and Taruto, who looked solemnly at him despite Ichigo's continuing rant. "Take her to the cell; I'll decide what to do after our plan is initiated." He placed his hand on the Chimera's shoulder and teleported away without another word.
Xxx
"She WHAT?"
Zakuro suppressed a grimace. "Lettuce couldn't get a hold of you, or anyone for that matter, I was the only she was able to reach before she tried to get to Ichigo."
"Did you try to stop her? How did she plan on getting to the Cyniclon ship of all places?"
Minto, whom Zakuro had just managed to pick up from her ballet rehearsal, had a worried scowl on her face. Hearing the question being yelled out the cell phone, she listened attentively for what Zakuro would answer.
"I don't know how she planned on getting there, for all we know, it still didn't work and Ichigo is still in danger. I did try stopping her," Zakuro paused as she maneuvered the car, her eyes narrowing slightly, "but if Lettuce has a chance to save Ichigo and the rest of us were unavailable, I'd still want her to try."
Ryou seemed to be having a bit of a fit on the other end of the line, cursing towards the aliens seemed to be the most prominent thing escaping the mouth piece. "Of all the times for this to happen! Kidnapping Ichigo, this probably has to do with the code I broke through earlier… what if…" Ryou's voice faded out for a few seconds as he and Keiichiro quickly conference away from the girl's prying ears. He turned back so they could hear him. "There's a good chance that the Cyniclons are planning an attack, a BIG one. What are you doing right now?"
"What Lettuce asked me to do." Zakuro turned on her blinker and pulled onto the exit. "I've already picked up Mint. We stopped by Pudding's home, but she wasn't there, apparently she's at some kid's party right now, we received some directions from the neighbor watching her siblings and are going there right now."
"Good, keep me posted. We've just reached our destination. As soon as we're done here, we're heading straight back to the café. Meet us there asap!"
"Got it." Zakuro said before quickly turning off the phone and concentrating on the road.
Minto glared out the window. "Ichigo would make everyone worry like this, right after one of us is saved, another gets caught! That idiot…"
Zakuro glanced at her companion and easily deciphered what the glowering teen really felt.
Fear.
And Zakuro would be lying if she said that she didn't feel the same way. "Don't worry." She turned onto another street after glancing down at the written directions.
Minto looked at her in surprise. "Zakuro?"
The teen idol offered her a small smile, "Ichigo and Lettuce will be alright; everything will turn out fine. After all," she looked back to the road with a rare smirk on her face, "we're Tokyo Mew Mew."
The raven haired girl gave her own smile of thanks for the encouragement from Zakuro. "Yes, your right." She glanced back out the window with a mock sigh. "I will have to beat that idiot red head when she gets back though; for making us all worry."
Zakuro smiled once more before concentrating on finding Pudding. God, I know there is a God. Please, let Lettuce and Ichigo be alright, don't let anything happen to them.
Xxx
The Chimera looked out over the vast expanse of concrete and metal that lay before her. She had already known her destination; Pai had spoken of it to her even before she changed so she would know exactly what to do when the process was complete. Once she was ready, he would take her to Tokyo Tower, and then the end of the human race would commence.
Even then she could feel her children shake within her in anticipation. They wanted to escape; they wanted to please their mother. Their master.
And speaking of masters. Something was wrong with hers.
She didn't doubt Pai, not for a moment. He created her; he was the master, the maker, the one who made her great. But he was upset by something, she could tell. But what could she do? What if… Her eyes widened slightly in panic. Did he know she was defective? Would she require termination for this? His expectations were so high, and already she had failed him! But, how could he know? He couldn't! She was there for every moment of his planning; he imputed all the data into her consciousness so she could know how to act without necessary guidance. She cast a sly glance in his direction. "Master," she buried her worry, her fear that he had seen the problem. "Have I done something wrong?"
He looked at her with a somewhat cold demeanor, nothing like how he was before she was reborn. His gaze was long and hard. "Do you mean Mew Ichigo?"
She couldn't read if he was probing or not, he was so good at hiding his emotions. It's best to play it safe and lie. But was it a lie? Mew Ichigo was a strange thorn in her side, one that should have been gone by then. "Why can my children not feed on her?"
The Chimera felt a little shock when he jerked under her question. Was such a thing strange? He knew perfectly well what she meant. Perhaps it's because of which mouth it is spoken from. She tried hard not to frown. Considering what I now know from the past host, it could be possible…
Pai turned his hard gaze from her and looked out to the horizon. "It's not a malfunction, if that's what you mean." His eyebrows narrowed in a way that sent chills through the creature. "A miscalculation on my part is the cause. When I made you specifically designed to hijack the human mind, it left no room for genetically altered, mutated, DNA."
"I see." A coy smile began to slither on her face. "Since this encompasses Tokyo Mew Mew, I suppose we can take care of them the old fashioned way then." Wouldn't you love that? To thrash your enemies until there's nothing left, to stand over them in defeat, watching the look on their faces as you give the killing blow! Yes, to see the master glorified in such a way!
No, he wouldn't.
A moment of shock spread across the creature's features, but she quickly brought her face back to its neutral expression. So, her deep dark secret had a voice.
Pai wouldn't hurt others just for enjoyment. The voice weakly glided into the Chimera's thoughts. She knew that the past host, Lettuce, should have been consumed by her, but when the process had occurred, try as she did, nothing the Chimera did could dissolve the soul. Luckily she was able to weaken the conscious enough to take control of the vessel. But it was an irritating could feel the blasted soul wandering blindly within her own previous body, trying to find some way to gain control.
The thought greatly annoyed the creature. You know nothing of my master! And how dare you speak so personally of him! Weak being, I have your body now, I know your past, I know what you felt! How foolish you are to have fallen in love with him. He has never seen you that way! I am the only one worthy enough of the master's attentions!
Give me my body!
The Chimera relished Lettuce's frustration, her weak, desperate attempts. She curled her hand out in front of her, gazing at the long pale limbs, knowing that the second soul within her was also watching the movement. Your body, is it? No, foolish soul. This body… she reached out both hands into the open air, and Lettuce, seeing what she was to do, cried out just as the Chimera released the spores into the air.
… is MINE!
Xxx
"Okay folks! Let's take it up a notch, na no da!"
The crowd of young first graders shouted out their appreciation and awe as Pudding juggled plates and lawn ornaments from the backyard while balancing on one foot on top of a large red ball. The adults, including the older brother who had visited the café to hire her for this, applauded the amazing talent while chuckling at the children's reactions.
Pudding herself beamed brightly at their excitement. It had been awhile since she got to host such a well paying show, and with free cake to bring home to her siblings, it would be one of the best jobs ever!
And she was determined to give the finest show she could. "Hey, Akemi! This one's for you!"
Akemi, the birthday girl, watched in awe as Pudding caught all her juggled items, set them on the ground, and somersaulted through the air up onto a chair, only to use her momentum to pick it up and send it landing on another empty seat. After two more were thrown perfectly onto the one lone chair, Pudding threw herself into the air to land on top of the mass of objects. The adult's gasps were drowned out by the wild cheering of the children, who became even louder as Pudding threw up some of her family's secret technique fire crackers that burst in Kanae symbols that formed Akemi's name. Glitter that was cleverly crafted into the small fireworks fell in one shining stream down onto the small crowd, who were now excitedly chanting Pudding's name. The youngest mew jumped down from her perch and took a bow. "Thanks everyone! You're a great audience, na no da!"
The older brother, Taeko, brushed through the kids to stand next to the party's main attraction. "Alright kids, shows over for now! Time for some cake and ice-cream, so if you'll just head to the table…" his voice was drowned out by the sudden stampede of sixteen screaming kindergartners. He turned back to Pudding as the other parents went to help get the kids situated. "Thanks so much for doing this Pudding, you're a huge hit!"
The blond girl beamed up at him and raised her arm in a playful salute. "It's all part of the job, na no da!"
Taeko turned as a friend called that the adults were heading inside. "Looks like we're going to take a brief break from the party," he smiled at the cheerful performer, "you know us old people; we can only take so much action." His eyes widened with a sudden idea. "Hey, would you actually be willing to watch them, just for a bit? You're so good with them, and they can't get enough of your performance!"
Pudding nodded her head in affirmation. "Of course! Pudding can handle anything! With siblings like Hanacha, Chincha, Luncha, Honcha, and Heicha, Akemi and her friends will be easy, na no da!"
Taeko smiled good naturedly. "Glad to hear it! Well," he turned to head in, "we'll be watching from the windows, but if you need any help, just holler!"
"Pudding-oniichan!" Akemi rushed over and grabbed Pudding's hand with her own that was sticky with frosting. "Will you eat cake with us? It's chocolate!"
Pudding smiled at the sweet natured girl, thinking of her own little sister. "Alright!" She allowed herself to be tugged towards the table, feeling a burst of happiness as the children shouted her arrival. Quickly being pushed into a small seat next to the birthday girl, the lone mother that stayed out to help serve the cake passed her a piece.
"Try it, try it oniichan! It's delicious!" Akemi urged from next to her.
Pudding, who didn't really say no to sweets under any circumstances, shoveled up a huge forkful. "Time to enjoy some cake, na no-"
"Augh!"
Everyone turned to look at the small boy who had cried out at the end of the table. He screamed again before falling over, just as the mother came over. "Riku! What in the world- AHH!" The woman's whole body tensed and reeled back, her eyes staring in fright skyward before she to fell to the ground unconscious. In a strange and terrifying succession, the children cried out and dropped like flies, the strange wave slowly coming down the table.
Pudding watched in shock. What's going on? Is it food poisoning, na no da? She looked down to Akemi, who was watching her party guests with a mix between surprise and growing fear. "What's wrong? Are you guys okay? Why-?" But she didn't get to finish, as, just like the others, some unseen pain suddenly seemed to hit her, rendering her speechless. She turned and looked at Pudding wildly. "P-Pudding…onii…" But before she could finish she fell off her chair and to the ground.
The youngest mew didn't know what to do. Their sick! Oh my gosh, what if it's really bad poison! "Mister Taeko!" She raced towards the house, seeing the parents rushing to the doors as well; they had watched their children suddenly fall down cold. "Taeko! Something's wrong!"
Taeko, the first one out the door, suddenly reeled back, just as the other woman had, crying out in pain. Pudding watched in fear as all the adults fell in the doorway and back into the house. "What's going on? Are you all sick?" She rushed between the people, trying to revive them somehow. "I-I'll call the police! And an ambulance! Just wait," she rushed into the house, "I'll find help, na no da!"
Xxx
"ZAKURO!"
The purple haired model looked up from the directions to the road at Minto's shriek and swerved the car, narrowly missing the one in front of her that had for some reason gone out of control. Both girls watched in horror as it careened off its given path and ran through a yard till it hit a tree, where the tires continued to spin and whirl as they kicked up grass and dirt. The apparent driver, a brown haired man, hung slightly out of his rolled down window, obviously unconscious.
Minto looked at the scene in shock. "What the heck just happened?"
The mews watched from the safety of the curb as the owner of the house came running out the front door. But, to their shock, the moment she met the open air she fell to the ground with a cry, not getting up again, just as the driver wasn't moving. Zakuro narrowed her eyes. What in God's name…? Her ears registered the clicking of the car lock being released. She turned just as Minto shoved open the passenger door. "Mint, no!"
The girl turned to her idol in distress. "I'm not going to leave those people like that! I'll be careful!"
"Wait!" Zakuro quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'm coming with you." Whatever's affecting them, Mint and I seem fine. The two girls quickly ran to the other side of the street, hefting the man out of his car so the accelerator pad could be let up and the car turned off. Apparently he was a father, as there was a little boy in the backseat, but he too was unconscious.
Minto turned to the model. "It's those stupid aliens, isn't it?"
Zakuro nodded in answer, quickly fishing out her cell phone. Within two rings a precise voice picked up. "Zakuro?"
"Ryou, something's going on. I think the Cyniclons have made their move."
"Wait!" Zakuro turned to see Mint running for the other side of the street, where a man was about to exit his house to see what was going on. Before she could even reach the end of the yard he was down, out cold just like the others.
"What's going on?"
"Civilians are falling unconscious for some reason, I had my suspicions that it was something in the air, but Mint and I are completely fine."
"Unconsious?"
"Yes, we almost had an accident with a driver a few moments ago; he and the people in his car were affected."
"Did he have his window down?"
"Yes."
Ryou swore on the other end. "God, this can't be happening, not now!"
Mint had trudged back to their side of the street, frowning angrily in worry. "Anything we should know Ryou?"
"It's what I've decoded; the Cyniclon's have put into play their grand plan. The people are probably being infected right now all over Tokyo from the chimera anima. I don't know why you aren't being affected by this, but it gives us a bit of an advantage. Have you reached Pudding yet?"
"We're only a few blocks away." A thought his Zakuro that made her heart sink. She turned slightly away from her curious companion. "Ryou, if they've started their plan, does that mean…"
"I don't know…" There was a profound silence on the other end, a heavy, heavy silence. "… but if I had to guess, I don't think Lettuce made it to Ichigo."
Zakuro took a quick intake of breath. It's not possible, it can't be.
"Listen, is Minto with you?"
"Yes." Zakuro's voice rang firmer than she felt.
"Don't say anything about this if you can help it, we don't know anything, for all we know, I'm misreading the patterns." His voice was reassuring, so falsely reassuring.
Zakuro quickly bit back her bleak anger. "Understood."
"We're in the car on our way back, but if they've started the plan, we'd better stay out of Tokyo for now. I don't know how well this plague can penetrate the air systems, but I'm not taking chances. It's up to you girls to take care of things for now. Find Pudding and head back to the café; if I don't contact you beforehand, try to reach me when you get there."
The teen model turned to her friend, who understood perfectly. They weren't too afraid of people seeing them and revealing their identities, not right then. In a flash Minto transformed. "Good luck Ryou."
"Same to you." With a click the line went dead, and Zakuro stashed her phone as she took out her pendant. Within moments she too was ready.
Mew Zakuro looked to Mew Mint, her eyes fiercely blazing. "We've got to find Pudding, let's go!"
With little more said, the two took off the rest of the way down the road.
Xxx
Even as Pudding hurried to find help, and Minto and Zakuro ran to find their comrade, the spores continued their deadly spread across the city. It had been a beautiful day, just as Retasu had remarked only a few hours earlier. The kind of day where the heat was in perfect balance with the cooling breeze, the type of weather people looked forward to. The Tokyo police station had their doors propped open to try and bring in the fresh cool breeze that perfumed the outdoors. The schools welcomed such weather, not one classroom keeping their windows closed. Zakuro's entourage, who had been somewhat disgruntled by the disappearance of their charge, had no qualms with searching for the lost model on such a nice day.
Even the Midorikawa residence couldn't afford to let such a nice day slip away, as could be seen by the various weeds thrown about and around the backyard garden. The back door itself stood slightly ajar, showing anyone who had been able to pass by at that time that something might have been amiss, as a single, delicate hand belonging to a woman hung helplessly outside, the smudges of dirt on her fingertips coloring the porcelain skin.
Xxx
From atop Tokyo Tower, the figure of Lettuce stood overlooking the city. A sneer was spreading across her face, one that spoke of nasty, cruel thoughts. "It has begun." Within her she felt hundreds, and moving into thousands of her children cry out victoriously as they made contact with their victims, the million more spores unable to find a host crying out screams of pain that faded quickly away.
And above it all, only able to be heard by the Chimera's soul alone, was a helpless, agonized cry of Mew Lettuce, unable to save even herself.
Talk about a negative situation. You'll see, it'll turn around, in a few chapters! Sorry for all the PxL fans reading this, as I know there wasn't a lot of love between the two this chap, it was more so to fill in the reader on what's happening to the outside world. Whaja think? Shocked, suspenseful, maybe scary?