Tokyo Mew Mew: Reborn
Um… yeah, sorry about the lack of updates on both my stories lately. I have no explanation, but I decided it was about time to start writing…
Chapter Two: A New Life
The wind still blew incredibly harshly as Ichigo stepped into the back of Ryou and Keiichiro's car, careful not to close the door on her tail. A small part of her mind was frantically trying to warn her against getting into the car of two perfect strangers. The rest of her mind was telling that part to go fly a kite. After all, basic logic didn't really matter now that she was part cat.
Keiichiro climbed into the driver's seat, struggling to keep his ponytail out of the air, and Ryou sat beside him. In a few moments, the car began to slowly drive away from the police station. Ichigo wanted to say something, to ask some sort of question, but she couldn't think of anything to say at all. Finally, Ryou spoke.
"So, I bet you're wondering exactly how and why you became like this."
For a long time, Ichigo said nothing. Finally, words began to spill out of her mouth with little thought. "Of course I'm wondering! And how could you take me away from my family? That's just cruel! I can't believe you did this to me! What was the point? What was the purpose? I –"
Ryou cut her off, saying, "We'll explain everything once we get to the café."
For the rest of the ride, Keiichiro was the only one who dared to speak, making a cheery attempt at small talk. If he realized that no one was listening, he didn't care, as he only stopped talking once the car actually pulled into a parking lot a few yards away from Café Shirobara. Ryou and Keiichiro then climbed out of the car, and Ichigo slowly followed.
The three of them continued down the path that led to the café's front door, fighting against the heavy wind the entire time. Once they arrived at the entrance, Keiichiro stopped and pulled out a key. He reached towards the door, about to unlock it, when someone screamed.
Keiichiro froze. He, Ichigo, and Ryou looked up in shock; each was looking in a different direction, unable to pinpoint the location of the screamer over the sounds of the windstorm.
"What… was that?" Ichigo whispered. No one seemed to hear her; instead, the others continued to stare off into space, as if that would somehow help them to find the origin of the noise.
Even more confused than ever, Ichigo looked up and to the right. Seemingly by chance, she suddenly realized where the scream had come from – for there, clinging desperately to the branch of a tree that just happened to be in the exact spot Ichigo was looking, was a girl.
The girl seemed to be rather short, at least half a head shorter than Ichigo, and had very dark blue hair pulled up in two buns, with a few strands hanging down in front of her ears. She wore a dress that was also dark blue, although a lighter shade than her hair and with a white collar, and the back of the bodice was ripped to shreds.
It was the ripped dress which made the wings on her back much more noticeable. Like the garment, they were blue, although a much lighter color. Underneath the skirt of her dress, there seemed to be a bulge, indicating that she had a tail as well.
Ichigo gasped. "Shirogane, Akasaka-san! Look!" she cried, raising her voice against the wind.
Ryou and Keiichiro looked at Ichigo; seeing the direction in which she was staring, they turned their heads to look into the tree as well.
"Is that another one?" asked Ichigo, even though she already knew the answer. "Another girl like me?"
Ryou nodded. "Yes, she is. That's the girl who obtained Ultramarine Lorikeet DNA."
"Help me!" the bird-girl called, her voice nearly drowned in the sounds of the storm.
"What do we do?" Ichigo called. "We can't just leave her there until it stops!"
"Why don't you climb up?" Ryou yelled back.
Ichigo recoiled in shock. "Nya?"
"Ichigo-san, you are a cat now," Keiichiro pointed out. "You can probably climb up the tree to get to her."
"But… in this weather?" Ichigo protested desperately.
Keiichiro only shrugged.
With a sigh, Ichigo ran towards the tree as quickly as was possible; the wind had changed direction and was blowing towards her now, and it was nearly impossible to even move against it. After what seemed like a lifetime, Ichigo finally made it to the side of the tree. The bird-girl had not stopped her desperate cries for help, and Ichigo wondered how she would ever make it to the top of the tree, which was almost as tall as Café Shirobara.
You are a cat now. Keiichiro's words echoed in her head, and she noticed that her eyes were filled with tears – most likely from the wind, but possibly from the reminder of her new life as well. Keiichiro was right, though – she was part cat. She could do it… probably.
Ichigo inched as close to the tree's trunk as possible. Closing her eyes, she held out her arms and leaped onto the tree, praying that the gale wouldn't blow her backwards. Her prayers were answered, and she opened her eyes to find that her fingernails had stuck into the trunk, almost like claws.
Ichigo began to gradually work her way up the tree, becoming steadily more determined to reach the top. Reaching the first branch, which was on the right side of the tree, Ichigo slowly climbed onto it, making sure to keep the nails of her left hand embedded in the trunk. The bird-girl was still much higher up, but Ichigo was at least getting closer.
Eventually, Ichigo had clawed her way up the trunk until she was positioned directly under the bird-girl. Pulling herself up onto the branch where the blue-haired girl was trapped, keeping one hand on the trunk like before, she stretched her other arm out towards the girl, but found that she was still too far away to reach her. "Of course," she hissed under her breath. There was only one thing that Ichigo could do to save the bird-girl, but it was extremely risky. Taking a deep breath, she decided to do it – after all, there was really no other choice.
Pulling her nails out of the tree trunk, Ichigo dropped until she was clinging with all four limbs to the branch. Carefully, she began to inch her way forward, holding on as tightly as possible in an effort to avoid being blown away. After what seemed like a lifetime, Ichigo was finally close enough to the bird-girl to reach out and grab her hand. Stretching out her arm, she yelled as loudly as she could, "Come on, take my hand!"
"Are you crazy?" the blue-clad girl yelled back. "If I do that, I'll blow away!"
"No, you won't! Just let go with one hand, and you'll be okay!"
Slowly and obviously reluctantly, the blue-haired girl let go of the branch with her left hand. Reaching towards Ichigo, she and the catgirl grasped each other's hands, but she was clearly still frightened. "Now how are you supposed to get us down from here?" she asked, fear evident in her voice.
Ichigo froze; she hadn't thought of that, and thinking about it now, she realized that she had no idea how to get down now that she'd climbed up. The winged girl simply stared at her, seeming to wait for some sort of explanation.
Ichigo didn't need to think long. A huge gust of wind suddenly blasted the two girls from the side; they struggled to stay in the tree, but to no avail. Both of them were blown off the branch and sent tumbling to the ground.
Ichigo screamed. As the two girls fell, side by side, the blue-haired girl suddenly spread her wings and began to hover in place, although she had to struggle desperately not to be blow away. Ichigo, however, continued to fall. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Is this the end?
Suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. Opening her eyes in surprise, Ichigo realized that she had landed on her feet – just like a cat. A scream from the other girl caught her attention; turning her head, she saw the girl being blown through the air only a few inches away. Ichigo reached out and caught her hand, pulling her back down to the ground.
"Thanks…" the girl said, seeming unwilling to express her gratitude. Ichigo was slightly annoyed, but decided to introduce herself anyway.
"I'm Ichigo Momomiya," she called.
"...I'm Mint," replied the winged girl. Ichigo could see that, for now, that was the only response she was going to get.
"Come with me," she instructed, turning and heading back to the café. Ryou and Keiichiro grabbed the two girls' hands as they approached, pulling them closer to the door. Keiichiro unlocked the café, and Ryou flipped on the light switch as the four of them stepped inside.
Café Shirobara was just as gorgeous on the inside as on the outside, with a pure white interior and golden, heart-shaped chairs. The tables were round, their tops featured interchanging rings of gold and white, and their stands were a luminous gold. A gleaming white counter sat near the entrance, with a golden cash register on top. The entire place was beautiful and spotless, but Ichigo didn't think that it would make a very good home. Turning her head to the side, Ichigo could see Mint looking around with interest, which quickly changed to frustration as she turned to face Ryou and Keiichiro.
"Okay, so what's going on here?" she demanded. "Earlier this morning, I was just about to take my dog Miki for a walk. But then…" Tears began to form in Mint's brown eyes. "Suddenly, wings burst out of my back, ripping up my dress! I think I grew a tail too, and do you know what that meant?" When no one answered her, she finished with exasperation. "It means I had to run away from home!"
Ryou and Keiichiro stared; Ryou was unmoved, while Keiichiro looked taken aback with surprise. After a few moments, Ryou calmly answered, "You didn't have to run away from anything. And as for the wings and tail… that was our doing."
"What?" Mint screeched. "This is all your fault?" Pointing accusingly, she yelled, "Well, thanks to you, I was forced to leave behind my super-glamorous and wealthy lifestyle. I wandered around for hours, but suddenly a horrible windstorm picked up, and as you saw earlier, I had to hold onto a tree branch to keep from being blown away!"
Keiichiro stepped forward, attempting a kind smile. "Please, Mint-san, allow us to explain." Bowing low, he introduced himself. "My name is Keiichiro Akasaka, the manager of Café Shirobara."
"Ryou Shirogane, owner," put in Ryou, and Ichigo looked at him in surprise. How could a boy this young own such a beautiful restaurant?
Mint closed her eyes and sniffed; Ichigo couldn't help but think that she seemed to be very snobby. "I am Mint Aizawa, daughter of Kentaro Aizawa and wealthy beyond your wildest dreams."
"Oh, so you're fabulously rich, too?" Ryou commented with a smirk. "Small world."
"This is no time for jokes!" Mint spat, rapidly opening her eyes and glaring at him. "I left behind my home! My grandmother, my Miki… and my brother, even if he probably doesn't care. I left it all, and it's all your fault!"
"Mint-san, please calm down," Keiichiro requested soothingly. "Once we explain to you why this has happened, perhaps you'll feel better."
"I doubt it," Mint grumbled.
"I want to know, too!" Ichigo reminded him, raising her hand.
Keiichiro nodded. "We'll explain everything. But, Mint-san… the police have told us that you and Ichigo will need to stay in our café for a while."
"That's fine, I suppose," Mint muttered. "I can't go home anyway, and this place is pretty nice, I suppose."
"Actually, we'll have to call your parents and explain what's happened," Ryou informed her. "They might think we're crazy, but it's for the best."
"My parents are in Europe at present," Mint retorted. "My grandmother is home, but I don't want you to tell her anything. My parents are so stuck up they'll surely never allow me back home!"
"I doubt that," Keiichiro said. "Please come with me, and we'll call your grandmother together."
Mint looked as if she were about to protest, but instead only sighed. "Fine…" Mint followed Keiichiro into what appeared to be the kitchen, leaving Ichigo alone with Ryou.
"So, how are you doin'?" Ryou asked nonchalantly.
"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo snapped back. "This has been the weirdest day of my life! Speaking of which, where in the world am I going to sleep tonight?"
Ryou shrugged. "I guess Keiichiro and I will go buy some blankets and blow-up mattresses." Jerking his thumb towards the kitchen, he added, "Although the princess may not be too happy with that."
Ichigo buried her face in her hands and moaned. Spending the night in a café on a blow-up mattress along with the snobbiest girl alive? Of course, this wasn't just a one-night sleepover – for all Ichigo knew, it may never end.
The doorbell rang, snapping Ichigo out of her self-pity. Her ears perked up as Ryou moved towards the door, and she watched as he opened it, revealing Sakura standing at the entrance.
"Mom!" Ichigo exclaimed.
"Hi, Ichigo!" Sakura replied perkily. She held a large cardboard box in her arms, and Ichigo could just see the ear of her teddy bear poking out the top. "I brought some of your stuff with me. Your cell phone's in here, too – the police decided you can call your friends if you want, but your cell phone activities should be monitored."
"Man, they treat me like some sort of criminal!" Ichigo complained. "And I can't believe you brought my bear, mom."
"Well, I knew you'd miss her otherwise," Sakura replied, looking slightly hurt.
"A teddy bear?" Ryou asked, a blank expression of surprise on his face. A few seconds later, he began to laugh hysterically. "How old are you, Ichigo – nine?"
"I'm 15, for your information, and there's nothing wrong with having a special stuffed animal!" Ichigo fumed. "Kumi-chan is very important to me, for your information!"
"Kumi?" Ryou repeated, still laughing. "You seriously named the thing Kumi? You really couldn't be a little more creative than that? Why not "Beary" – it's basically the same thing, but sounds a lot less stupid in English."
"I didn't name her that just because it sounds like 'kuma,'" Ichigo protested. "I also named her after the aunt who gave her to me, and she moved out of the country a week later!"
Ryou stopped laughing and froze, a look similar to guilt appearing on his face. Before he could say anything more, however, Sakura stepped into the café, looking down at the box. "There's a blanket in here, too, so you don't get cold. I'm bringing over some more clothes tomorrow, but your pajamas are in here, along with some new clothes for tomorrow. A toothbrush is -"
A loud crash from the kitchen suddenly cut her off, and Mint screamed shortly after. "How could you drop all of those plates at once?" she wailed.
"Who is…" Sakura began, confused.
"That's Mint Aizawa, the second girl Akasaka-san and Shirogane infused," Ichigo explained. "She's a bird… and a snob. We found her on the way to the café – long story, really – and now I have to live with her." Ichigo made a face of disgust in order to ensure that Sakura realized this was a bad thing.
"Oh, Ichigo, it won't be so bad," Sakura reassured her. "Just try to –"
"Excuse me?"
Turning her head, Ichigo saw Keiichiro walking out of the kitchen, followed closely by Mint. It had been Keiichiro who had spoken, and there was a note of urgency to his voice.
"Oh, you're Ichigo's mother, aren't you? I was just about to tell Ichigo and Mint why they have become part animal," he explained.
"Finally!" exclaimed Ichigo.
"Listen closely," instructed Keiichiro. "Ichigo, we have infused you with the DNA of an Iriomote wildcat. Mint, you were infused with the Ultramarine Lorikeet. While this may seem strange and random, our reasons for this are actually rather important."
"We need you to battle aliens," Ryou put in bluntly.
"What?" exclaimed Ichigo, Mint, and Sakura at almost exactly the same time. Fight aliens? Ichigo's head began to spin. How was this even possible?
"You see," Keiichiro began to explain, "alien soldiers from the distant planet of Gliese 581 c have begun to invade Earth. They apparently seek to take humans back to their own planet and use them in their armies, although I honestly doubt that we'd be of much use to them."
"Gliese 581 c?" Mint repeated skeptically. "I doubt that's even a real planet."
"Look it up, if you're so sure" Ryou suggested. "We've been calling it Glicie for short, but you'd better search for the full name, just to be certain."
"I can't even spell the full name!"
"The point is," Keiichiro interjected, "that we need you to use your newfound abilities to fight."
"Okay, so how in the world will flying and landing on our feet help us to save the world?" protested Ichigo.
"We're working on special weapons for you to use in this fight," Keiichiro explained. "We have discovered that the aliens have brought some sort of an extraterrestrial parasite to Earth with them. We're not sure what they plan to use them for, but we hope to defeat them before we have to find out."
"There are five other girls with powers like yours," Ryou finished. "Find them and defeat the aliens – that's your mission."
Keiichiro nodded. "Good luck, girls – the fate of our planet is in your hands."
Ichigo could think of nothing to say. She felt faint and only just managed to make her way over to one of the café chairs, sitting down carefully and holding her head between her hands. "This is too much," she moaned.
"This is no job for a super-rich lady!" blurted Mint.
"I'm sorry," Keiichiro apologized softly.
Ichigo knew that he truly meant it, but all that she could think at the time was, Why me?