In this chapter there will be some sci-fi parts. I only made them up and they're probably unscientific. I just needed some cool sentences. Also I changed one thing: the Cyniclons have been here for two months now.

Always running into her

Montana, Winter Resort

The first few days of the skiing holiday went really well. The weather was great, not too cold and full of sunshine. Zoey had a chance to do all the things she'd been planning to do during the last semester. She and her friends, Sarah, Haley, Chris and Andy, were outside all day.

In the mornings, they had breakfast together, than headed for the mountains. They slid down all of the slopes, tried every track and ski lift. That was usually while there was daylight. In the evenings, they skated all around the frozen lake, next to their nice cottage at the foot of the mountains. Later they had dinner, and after that, they enjoyed themselves in the sauna or in the hot tub.

And during the nights, when everyone else had already gone to sleep, Zoey slipped out to the forest. She enjoyed running free, like a wildcat, among the snowy trees and under the light of the golden stars and silver moon. She was in her Mew Mew form, but wearing purple coloured tights and a her pink winter jacket. The catwoman outfit would have been to cold by itself. The moonlight gleamed on her her waving, pink hair while the snow was glistening around her.

She really enjoyed these wild nights. Being in the forest, inside the mountains, close to nature. Breathing in the super clean, frosty air. Running a few miles, then climbing on a tall pine tree (ponderosa could reach even 67 meters in height) and looking around the lanscape. The moon usually illuminated everything, so she didn't even need her night vision.

In the night after the third sporty day, the snow wasn't even glittering, it was actually glowing in the moonlight. That made her smile widely. It was just her, standing upon a really high pine looking around, and the nature. The snowy trees, the hills, the night animals wandering around, the soft breeze playing with her hair and the moon with the stars glimmering in the dark sky. It couldn't have been more perfect, until…

She felt something odd, something weird. It was the same type of aura, she felt when she had been around the Cyniclons. Thanks to her magical cat powers, she was able to sense the aura of people and distinguish them. She could identify the aura of a human, a Mew Mew, an animal or of an „alien". She could also tell how many of those auras are in the nearby (how many people are present) and how powerful they are (how strong those peolpe are). She could notice anyone reaching for her as well, and if she knew those people, she could recognize them one by one.

Now, what she felt was shockingly familiar. She hadn't realized it back in NYC, but it was the same feeling. Like someone was watching her. And like that someone was… „No, it can't be!" she got scared. Right at that moment, she perfectly remembered that aura from six years ago. „But it can't be! No way! …Why would Kisshu be here!?" She quickly look around searching for the long-eared guy, but there was no Cyniclon around. At least she didn't see any of them. „My stupid mind is playing with me!" she shook her head. „He's probably back on his planet."

She decided to rush her way back to the cottage, and finally take a sleep. It was around 2 am already. But she couldn't get rid of the feeling anymore, like she did in NYC. Even though, no alien seemed to be around, she couldn't be sure. „What if…?! What if he's indeed here?" Zoey kept on dwelling on this during the way back to her friends. „What would she say to him? Should she even speak to him at all? Is he still in love with her?"

It was so strange, but when thought of love, she actually started to feel some kind of attraction …towards the guy who left six years ago. She never really realized it then, but now as she sensed that aura again… she realized, that it might hadn't only been Kisshu, who'd been having feelings for her. Although, they were supposed to be enemies, she always felt so excited in his presence and not always negatively.

Zoey kept on thinking about him.

Maybe it was his persistence. Not the one he used when desparatly wanted to make her his, but the persistence with which he wanted to obtain the Earth for his people. It was so noble and caring, if she gave it a thought. Maybe it was his humor, the ability to make fun out of the saddest situation. Maybe it was his cunning smile. His laugh. The cool moves he used during the fights. His strength. Not just his powers, but rather his strength of not giving up, even after so much defeats. During the final battle she actually felt like liking him.

„I did like him" she admitted while running between the woods. No one did she ever talked about it, but still. And she felt like she would like him now. If she saw him again, she'd probably tried to make things right between the two of them. but again: Why would he be here? And why is she only admitting this feelings to herself six years after he left?

She looked up at the glowing sky one last time, befor she entered the cottage. „Kisshu! What is going on? Is this really you?..."

…

Montana, Tectum, a few hours earlier

Kisshu and Pai were checking on the reparation and improvement of the spaceships that carried their people to Earth. They were standing outside the ships with the engineers. Taruto still hasn't come back from Japan. His co-leaders were a bit worried about him, but they had other priorities.

- Nice job! – Pai said to the egineers. – Inhance the efficiency of the quantum field generator with four percent, and we'll be ready to go!

- Yes, sir!

- Make it fourteen! – Kisshu claimed decidedly. Pai looked at him in surprise, but when their eyes met, he understood Kisshu's point. - If we want to find a hospitable planet within realizable time, the ships need to be much faster than before!

- But sir…, that would be nearly impossible – one of the engineers objected.

- Nearly! – Kisshu emphasized that one word. – But if you raise the frequency of the quantum oscillations by lowering the temperature of the plasma condenser until it reaches the critical level…

- With time, the walls of the quantum generator would be overheated due to the interference with the high level quantum vibrations – an other engineer stated.

- Instead of using the metals we found on The Pit – Kisshu suggested, - change the cover of the quantum engine and try using an alloy of tungsten and platinum. These two elements can be found on the Earth in small quantities if you look closely. The new alloy will be three times more resistant than that old one, which contained way too much vanadium. The tungsten raises the melting point of the walls way beyond the temperature the quantum vibrations could induce, and platinum makes it chemically resistant.

The engineers took their time to think about it, but finally agreed with Kisshu's suggestion.

- Yes, it could work. Thank you, sir! – they said, and walked away to start working on the plans of the new quantum field generator. „The new terminal velocity of the ships will be so much higher" they guessed.

After they disappeared inside the ship, Pai turned to Kisshu with even more suprise than before.

- What is it, Pai? – Kisshu asked calmly. – Do you think there's an error in my plans?

- Actually, no. Your suggestions were remarkable.

Kisshu smiled with satisfaction. If Pai says something is remarkable, than it definitely is.

- So what's the matter?

- Since when have you become an expert in quantum dynamics and space-drive-system engineering?

- Since I became interested in the topic – Kisshu sighed with a smile on his face and folded his arms behind his head like it wasn't really a big deal.

- And when was it? – Pai insisted. He couldn't imagine how his friend, who was always more obsessed with fighting skills and weapons, was able to figure out such great solutions for their drive system problems. - You can not become such an expert in weeks!

- I really like it when you call me an expert – the green haired guy grinned. – But, to be serious, I've been studying this kinda stuff since I was a child. My grandfather was an engineer too, in case I haven't mentioned it before. He was so passionate about his job that it inspired me to learn more about this field.

- I had no idea… - Pai sighed while shaking his head. He started to realize how many things he just didn't know about his co-leader.

- Well, you've never asked... – Kisshu grinned again. Although, thinking of his long gone grandpa made him feel sad, he tried to look jolly. Grandpa wouldn't want him to get lost in his sorrow, that literally no one of his close family made it to Earth. He had no siblings, nor did his parents. Those parents had died just before he went on his scouting mission on Earth, and his grandparents years before. Actually, the only grandparent he knew was his grandpa whom he loved so much. But he would have wanted him to be happy and successful in science, so he continued studying and keeping his head up.

- I'm sorry your family couldn't make it – Pai placed his right hand on Kusshu's shoulder. It was like he's read his mind.

- It's not your fault – Kissu claimed. Deep down, it felt so nice having his friend's hand on his shoulder. During the last few months he, Pai and Taruto became really close friends. They actually started to consider each other family. – Besides, I have two brothers now.

Pai knew what he was talking about. He cared about Kisshu and Taruto just as well. Even though, he had a younger sister and Taruto still had his parents, three of them have grown so close lately that they could call each other family.

- And this brother is very proud of you right now – Pai stated while putting his other hand on Kisshu's shoulder too, and looked into his golden eyes. – You're becoming a true leader. A kind of leader our people need.

- You too are becoming one – Kisshu replied. He was quite grateful for the praise, otherwise. – And Taruto is developing. It's what I've always wanted. A chance to help my people to live a better life. But it's so hard, trying to please everyone…

- Heads up! – Pai „commanded". – You're doing great. …Besides, you don't need to please everyone. Being a leader, you rather need to focus on what they NEED and act that way! Sometimes people don't know what they need and want unreasoned things. That's when we step in!

- You're right, Pai. I only hope to always know what my people need…

- Don't worry. Three of us will figure it out – Pai looked at him supportively.

Finally, Kisshu put his hands on Pai's shoulders as well. They held each other for a while like that, looking into each other's eyes. Then they parted and Kisshu teleported out of Tectum to breathe some fresh mountain air.

…

Montana, above the mountains

Kisshu streched his limbs and filled his lungs with the fresh air of winter. It was night outside the dimension. The moonlight was glistening on the snow covering the land. A soft breeze played with his hair and clothes. He looked up at the stars and enjoyed their beauty for a while, until… A strange feeling took charge of him. It was the same aura he felt a few days ago *. It belonged to the same person he used to love six years before.

*Thy Cyniclons were able to sense auras just like the Mew Mews. What's more, they were even better at this skill. Especially those who had serious combat training like Kisshu, Pai and Taruto. Besides recognizing the auras of different people, they could easily say what the owner of the aura was feeling or whether that person was sick or healthy. Furthermore, they could steal the spirits of humans, as they did six years ago. However, that ugly thing they were not about to practise again.

„But what is she doing here?" he asked himself. Then looked down and discovered her on a tall pine tree. She was in her Mew form, checking out the landscape. „Why here?" Kisshu shook his head. „Why spending her vacation so far from NYC?" Is there a reason that she chosed the exact same place for her winter holiday where he created the shelter for his folk? „What now?"

He couldn't resist taking a closer look at her. She looked so wild and free, it made him happy too for a moment. But he didn't let himself to be too much distracted. „It would be better to be more cautious from now on!" he thought. „The last thing we need is this kitty to discover our secret city in the nearby!" Nearby… in case we can call an other dimension nearby.

In that moment, he noticed that Zoey was looking for something. „Has she noticed me as well?" To make sure she wouldn't discover him, he teleported himself behind a huge rock not too far away. That's where he watched her as she jumped off the top of that pine and rushed her way home. Something told him that home now means that cute cottage in the valley that he and his friends discovered a few days ago.

Actually, they'd tried to search for a place, to attach their dimension to, where no humans really lived. As it was the end of november they hadn't realized that there had been a winter sport area just one mountain away. Luckily, the humans couldn't sense the forcefield of the alternative dimension, nor could they detect it with any kind of their technology, so they were safe for now.

Kisshu took one more deep breath and teleported himself back into Tectum. Even though, his people were already about to go to sleep, he still had much to do. He wanted to promise himself that he would never try to search for Zoey again risking their secret, but he wasn't sure he would keep that promise. „After all, what trouble a little stalking could cause?"

...