Well hey again! You guys have certainly put me between a rock and a hard place. But I've done my best. Personally, I don't know what I think of this chapter, but I did my best w/ it. Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Turn Around (part 1)

She cried. She didn't know anything else she could do but to cry. No one knew what to say. They stood behind her and watched her cry. Taruto tried to remain quiet, but sobs frequently escaped his lips. He, however, had Pudding to comfort him. No one dared to move to Lettuce, or speak to her. She was falling apart and none of them felt as if they could put her back together.

Kisshu remained stoic. He knew now that Pai was gone, he had to keep everyone together. He had to take on Pai's role and so he could not show the emotions that were aching to be set free. He wanted to swear, thrash, and destroy anything and everything. He wanted revenge on whoever was in charge of the sick game that they were still playing. He swore silently to himself that he would get it, but right now, everyone needed a leader, and it had to be him.

"Lettuce," Kisshu spoke, everyone looked at him, shocked that he was the one to address her. "Lettuce," he repeated, "I know it hurts, I know how you must be feeling." Lettuce remained silent. "But, we have to keep moving. Pai's death would only be in vain if we did nothing. We have to survive this. That's what Pai would've wanted."

Lettuce's head slightly turned. She slowly grew quiet until her cries turned into small gasps of air. She tried to calm herself. Ichigo moved behind her and placed a hand on Lettuce's back.

"We're here, Lettuce."

Lettuce looked at her leader. She took her hand and Ichigo helped her friend off the ground and to her feet. Lettuce turned to look at the group for the first time since she had been pulled out. She couldn't see them very well and her eyes ached from the waterfall of tears she had just experienced.

Ichigo kept her arm around Lettuce as they walked forward. Ichigo looked to Kisshu. He nodded and motioned for Pudding and Taruto to start moving. They slowly walked forward following Lettuce's pace.

!&&!

Kenji sat, legs folded on the ground. His eyes were closed, but he felt a presence enter the room.

"Hard at work I see," Yito hissed.

"Please don't distract me, Yito," Kenji replied, eyes still closed. "I must concentrate."

Yito glared at him before continuing into the room, "That's right," he started, "harder to maintain a dimension when there are people actually inside it, isn't it?"

Kenji furrowed his brow, but ignored Yito.

Yito felt anger rise inside him. He couldn't take it anymore. He was ecstatic when he heard news that he was chosen for an important, elite mission, but now it made him sick to his stomach, the things he had done. He was nothing more than a killer. Master didn't want his hands dirty, but he needed the job done. Yito looked to the game board.

Kenji's eyes shot open as he heard a crash behind him. He turned to see the board at Yito's feet.

"What are you doing!" Kenji yelled as Yito continued to stomp on the board.

"I'm sending in my resignation!" Yito called.

Kenji's eyes widened as he had forgotten about the dimension. He quickly closed his eyes and concentrated.

"What are you doing?" Yito asked.

"You made me lose focus, you idiot!" Kenji yelled angrily. "My dimension is shifting uncontrollably."

"Fix it!" Yito commanded, thinking of the lives in the dimension.

"I'm trying," Kenji whispered bringing his hands to his head. "For now I can only control the shifts." Kenji paused. A smirk appeared on his face. "I can do something with this."

Yito's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about."

"I'm closing the walls around two of them."

"Kenji, don't!" Yito spoke, his tone a vicious warning.

"Why not? Master will be pleased, two in one." Kenji whispered, his mind still concentrating.

"Kenji!"

"Don't distract me!" Kenji spat. The room was silent for a second before Kenji opened his eyes and looked to Yito. "One of them got out, but at least I was able to get rid of the other."

Before Kenji could even close his mouth, Yito's arm was against his throat. Kenji's head collided with the wall behind him as he took on Yito full force.

"What is wrong with you!" Yito said through gritted teeth. His fist was clenched and with one move he could kill Kenji. One strong enough blow to his throat and Kenji would regret what he had done.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Kenji breathed. He could barely speak, but Yito could understand him.

"You're heartless," Yito started, "No, you're spineless. You don't want to do this but you won't go against Master. You're a coward."

Yito pulled his arm away from Kenji's throat. Kenji sank to the floor and started coughing while holding his sore neck.

"You're nothing but a traitor," Kenji coughed.

"We're killing them for a mistake we made!"

"We're killing them to prevent that mistake," Kenji spoke defensively, "With the Mews and Cycniclone team out of existence, the Cyniclone race will die out thus leaving us their planet and the mew aqua to reform it. We won't have to fight with them and be exiled to the outer galaxies in search for a home and life. We were sent to the past to rid the future of them and their effect on it. We're only ensuring our survival, Yito."

"I don't like it," Yito whispered.

"It's not really up to you, Yito," a voice hissed from behind him. Yito turned to find Master glowering down at him. "You disagree with our plans, Yito?" Yito looked to Kenji before answering.

"It's not my plan, so don't say 'ours'" Yito responded. Master narrowed his glowing purple eyes.

"Pity," He hissed, "A waste of a good power."

!&&!

Taruto looked over to Kisshu. They were flying up to see if they could get a good view of the terrain. They had left the girls, partly to tend to Lettuce, who had had another emotional breakdown, and partly because it would have been best for them to go with just each other.

It was uncanny how much Kisshu had resembled Pai the moment Taruto had glanced at him. Taruto didn't know if it was the fact that he was hallucinating because he missed his only father figure, or if Kisshu had truly looked like him. It was weird to picture the second one, because Pai and Kisshu were opposites. Taruto, however, glanced again, and he saw it again. It was Kisshu's face. It was stoic, like Pai's usually was. It wasn't determined, angry, or even smirking. It was just a face.

Taruto landed on a nearby wall. Kisshu looked down and landed beside him.

"What are you doing?" Kisshu asked, his voice emotionless.

"What are you doing, Kisshu?" Taruto asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kisshu asked. He tried to sound confused, but Tartuto could see through that.

"It's just you and me here, Kish," Taruto stated, "You don't have to put up a façade for me."

"Taruto," Kisshu tried to talk.

"You don't have to be Pai," Taruto interrupted.

"Taruto…" Kisshu whispered. He closed his eyes and smirked, "You're getting too smart for your own good."

"I miss him, too." Was all the young alien said. Kisshu opened his eyes and tears appeared. They wanted to fall, but Kisshu wouldn't let them. It was no longer because he was trying to be Pai. It was because he had to be Kisshu. He kneeled down and pulled Taruto into his arms in such a quick motion it surprised Taruto. The next thing Taruto felt, was Kisshu's heart against his ear.

"I miss him, so much." Kisshu whispered. Taruto's eyes widened before tears filled them. He quickly closed his eyes and grabbed Kisshu's shirt sobbing into it.

They stayed that way, holding each other, sharing a moment that they would both deny if it was ever brought into the light.

!&&!

"Lettuce, where are your glasses na no da?" Pudding asked. Lettuce seemed to be stable and to keep her from going back to the darkness of that moment, Pudding decided to keep her talking.

"I lost them awhile ago," Lettuce answered quietly. "I lost my pendant too, now that I think about it."

Pudding leaned over and looked into her best friend's eyes. "Can you see na no da?" She asked.

"Everything is a blur," Lettuce replied, "But I can see you staring at me, Pudding."

Pudding stood up quickly, embarrassed. Lettuce giggled softly. Pudding and Ichigo exchanged quick glances.

Ichigo watched as Pudding continued to keep Lettuce's spirits up. This is it, she thought to herself, This is all that's left of Tokyo Mew Mew. That fact sent shivers down her spine. They had lost two Mews, and two team members. It was only them left. They had to make it. If they didn't the future would be at stake. Ichigo looked up as Pudding waved her hands in Lettuce's face speaking softly to her. This was her family, she couldn't lose them.

Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted by an ear-piercing scream. Her head shot up. Her eyes grew wide with horror as she saw Lettuce's body begin to be engulfed by the ground. Lettuce struggled to pull her hands free. She managed, but her body sank deeper and deeper into the ground that now acted as quicksand.

"Lettuce-oneechan na no da!" Pudding screamed.

"Stay back, Pudding!" Lettuce yelled. She couldn't see Pudding, but she knew what she was thinking.

"I can help—" Pudding started, but was interrupted by Ichigo grabbing he shoulders and dragging the small Mew away from the sinking pit.

"Ichigo, let go! Na no da!" Pudding screamed, thrashing, "We have to save Oneechan!" Pudding's voice broke as tears streamed down her face.

"We need to think, Pudding," Ichigo spoke, frantically. She looked at Lettuce's scared face, "If you jump in there you'll get pulled in too!"

Pudding held her breath before breaking away from Ichigo's grasp. "We can't lose Lettuce-oneechan again, na no da!" Pudding screamed as she ran to Lettuce.

"Pudding don't!" Lettuce called, but Pudding was already in her arms. She tried to pull Lettuce free, but she, herself, was stuck. She and Lettuce began to sink deeper together, with Pudding in Lettuce's arms.

!&&!

Yito gasped for air, before he was pulled deeper into the darkness. He fought with all his strength to stay above the surface, but Master was taking joy in his pain. He made the hole become even deeper just so Yito would think it was the end for him before realizing he had more time.

"You will feel every pain we give to them ten-fold, since you sympathize with them so much," Master hissed, making the hole spit Yito out, only to drag him quickly back in.

"Kenji!" Master called over his shoulder, "How are the pieces?"

"I have two of them sinking as we speak," Kenji replied.

"Kenji, please," Yito gasped as he came back up for air. Master sent him spiraling back down into the darkness before he could say anything more.

"Well?" Master hissed angrily to Kenji.

"It's done," Kenji sighed, "They're gone."

"Good," Master whispered. He reached into the hole and pulled Yito out with his own hand. He threw Yito onto the ground. His body cringed as he tried to cough and breath at the same time. "You're lucky, you pathetic excuse for a soldier," Master spat, "I pulled you out."

He walked toward the door, crushing a yellow and a green game piece with his boot, as he exited the room.

Do not panic! More is coming! This is only part one! I will show more parts in part 2! Also you don't have to vote anymore! Everything from now on is my decision!

PS: It was two votes for Pudding two votes for Lettuce, the double kill was because of the tie

Alive: Ichigo, Kisshu, Taruto

Dead: Masaya, Ryou, Mint, Zakuro, Kieichiro, Pai, Lettuce, Pudding