Chapter 2
Cyniclon ship
Pai teleported back to the ship where he was greeted with the sight of Kukki, Kisshu, and Taruto talking about their previously failed plans. "Ah, you're back." Kukki said. "Good. We were just discussing about where all the past attacks went wrong."
Pai made a grunting noise. "I have already figured out why you three failed. You all underestimated their powers. You just played into their advantages." Kukki said looking at all three. "You need to use their weaknesses against them."
"I am well aware that we underestimated their powers." Pai stated blankly as he crossed his arms. "Every day their powers are getting stronger."
"If you destroyed them right in the beginning then they wouldn't be getting any stronger." Kukki said in a matter-of-fact way.
Pai rolled his eyes. She did have a point; however he believed that they first need to conduct research on them and all the humans.
"So what are their weaknesses?" Taruto asked.
"I will have to see their powers for myself. However I need you three to attack them while I watch from afar. This way when I attack, it will take them by surprise and we will be victorious." Kukki explained.
"Very well." Pai said. "We should come up with a new plan first."
The next day: Café Mew Mew
Lettuce was sweeping the floor after the lunch rush. She was thinking about her conversation with Pai yesterday. She did not expect him to say that their talk was pleasurable. "Lettuce, are you okay?" Ichigo asked. "You seem to very quiet today, quieter than normal."
"Oh…I'm okay." Lettuce said giving a smile.
Mint sipped her tea while Ichigo wiped down the tables. "Mint can you help for once?" Ichigo asked.
"After my tea." she said as she took another sip of tea.
"Ichigo! Alien alert! Alien alert!" Masha chirped out.
"What?! Right now?" Ichigo yelled. "Where Masha?"
"Thirty feet away." he chirped as he flew around in circles.
"That's right outside." Zakuro said coming out of the kitchen with Ryou and Keiichiro, the three of them having heard Masha chirp about the presence of the aliens.
They all ran outside to see the Cyniclon's floating above the café. "Get out of here! We have cleaning to do!" Ichigo yelled.
"Oh Koneko-chan, you can clean after our battle." Kisshu stated with a wide grin on his face.
"Yes. You will have to pick up the rubble of your base of operations." Pai stated as he summoned his fan.
"We won't let you destroy our café!" Ichigo yelled. She looked over at the others and nodded.
They all took out their pendants and kissed them.
"Mew Mew Ichigo-"
"Mew Mew Lettuce-"
"Mew Mew Mint-"
"Mew Mew Pudding-"
"Mew Mew Zakuro-"
"METAMORPHO-SIS!" they yelled transforming.
Pai raised his weapon and yelled "Fuu-Hyou-Sen!" Sending shards of ice at the Mew Mews and the building. The ice shards broke the glass of the café.
The Mews put up their hands and arms to protect themselves from the attack. Ice shards flew at them with such speed cutting their arms and legs when it him them. Ryou and Keiichiro stayed further back to avoid the attack.
Pai was using all his strength; he wanted to prove to his sister, who often mocked him for being a late bloomer, that he was in fact a strong warrior. "Why is his attack so strong today?" Mint asked the others.
"I'm not sure." Ichigo said.
"It does seem like he is trying even harder." Zakuro said.
"What should we do?" Lettuce asked. "We can't fight like this if he keeps this up."
Pai finally stopped his attack only to mock them. "What is the problem? I was really looking for a fight." he said coldly. Although inside he could feel his chest ache, his stomach began to get a sharp pain, and he became lightheaded.
The Mew Mews looked over their skin to see blood slowly running down their legs and arms. "Oh, Koneko-chan is hurt." Kisshu said in a mocking way as he teleported behind her. "I'll clean you up." he said licking her arm where the blood ran down. "Mmm…so sweet." he said licking his lips.
The hairs on Ichigo's neck stood on end as did the hairs on her tail and cat ears. "Eww! Get away from me!" she yelled slapping him in the face.
Kisshu grabbed his red cheek that felt on fire now. "Aww! What a shame. We could have been so beautiful together." he said laughing floating back to his brothers.
"This is the end for you all!" Pai yelled attacking one more time. "Fuu-Hyou-Sen!" he aimed his attack at Ryou this time. Ice shards glistened in the light as they sped towards him.
Lettuce jumped in front of Ryou, facing her back to the attack as she pulled Ryou into a tight hug. She did her best to protect him as the shards cut up her back.
She thought about what Pai had said about how the next time they met it wouldn't be pleasurable. He was right, it wasn't pleasurable; it was completely painful.
"Humans are so pathetic." he thought to himself as he watched Lettuce protect Ryou.
Pai stopped his attack as the sharp pain in his stomach turned into a searing, stabbing pain. His eyes widened as the pain grew intensely. His heart began to pound, it squeezed tightly. He clenched his chest with his hand and his stomach with his other hand.
He collided with the ground and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Kisshu and Taruto flew down to see what was wrong. "Pai, what's wrong?!" Taruto asked concerned for his brother.
"Don't worry about me! Just destroy the enemy!" he said through clenched teeth as he glared at the Mew Mews.
"But Pai…" Taruto began.
"Do as you're told!" he said cutting Taruto's sentence off. Taruto winced at Pai's words. Pai closed his eyes tightly, hoping the pain would subside.
Ryou picked Lettuce up and brought her inside to take care of her wounds quickly. Kisshu rushed towards Ichigo with his sais drawn. "You're mine now, Koneko-chan!"
"Ribbon…Mint Echo!" Mint yelled as she shot her arrow at Kisshu.
Kisshu flew up before the arrow hit him. "Oh, the birdy wants to play too." Kisshu said mockingly.
"Ribbon…Pudding Ring Inferno!" Pudding yelled sending out an attack at Pai. Taruto stepped in front to protect Pai, who was now a crumbled ball on the ground.
"What is happening to me?!" Pai thought to himself. "Not now! Not while Kukki is watching!" Pai was filled with anger and embarrassment. Anger that he had once again got beaten by the humans, and embarrassed by the fact that they didn't even land a hit on him to make him collapse like this. He would never hear the end of this. "How did it come to this, I am doing all that I can!"
Lettuce quickly ran out with Ryou, blood now wiped off her skin, cuts covered in some bandages. Taruto held off the attacks that were coming towards him and Pai. Pai slowly stood up and stared at Lettuce with hate filled eyes. Lettuce ran over near the others to help them with Kisshu, who was attacking Ichigo and Zakuro with his sais.
It was her fault yesterday. It was her fault that she protected Ryou. If she didn't protect Ryou then he would be dead, and then the Mew Mews would have no boss to help them save the Earth. It was her fault for them not being able to reclaim the Earth and save their people. "It is all her fault!"
He teleported right in front of Lettuce and threw her to the ground.
His hands pinning her wrists to the ground, his knees pressed firmly on the ground. "Why will you not just give up?!" screamed Pai. "You know how troublesome you all have become?!"
"We are fighting for our planet, for our friends, our families." Lettuce said struggling to escape from his grip. "Pai-san, let go, you're hurting me." she said as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Excellent!" he said with an evil grin on his face.
She continued to struggle and thought for a moment about what to do. "Gomen-nasai in advance!" she said blushing and closing her eyes.
Pai raised an eyebrow, curious to what she would be apologizing for. His eye widened as he then knew why she had been apologizing as he felt a knee impact him in-between the legs. He instantly let go and grasped at where she had just kneed him.
She slid out from underneath him and ran over to help Ichigo. "Again Gomen-nasai Pai-san!" she yelled looking behind. Now she could confirm that by human standards that they had the same anatomy as males on Earth, even though she personally never seen a naked male before.
Pai tried to stand up but it was a fruitless endeavor. He was in too much pain. He heard someone teleport next to him, thinking it was Kisshu or Taruto to help him back up. He looked over through squinted eyes to see Kukki standing over him with crossed arms.
Ichigo and the others stopped fighting when they saw Kukki. "W…who are you?" Ichigo asked.
Kukki looked at the Mew Mews. "My name is Ikisatashi Kukki." she said.
"Kukki, what are you doing?" Pai asked. "You were supposed to just observe. You are ruining our plan." he said making a grunting noise as he began to stand up.
"Sorry I couldn't keep watching you get your ass kicked." Kukki said smugly with a slight grin on her face. "You used all your strength up just to attack them, and then got a knee to the groin."
"Just shut up and help us destroy them." Pai said bending over slightly with his hands on his knees.
"That's enough for today." she said looking at Kisshu and Taruto. "We're going to head back."
"But they are badly wounded" Taruto said "wouldn't it be better if we destroyed them now?"
"Now is not the time." she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." she said looking over to the Mew Mews. She grabbed Pai by the arm and teleported away with him, followed by Kisshu and Taruto.
The Mew Mews stood there in silence for a moment. "Was that…their sister, na no do?" Pudding asked.
"It appears so." Zakuro said. "It looks like we have another Cyniclon to deal with now."
"Yes. But right now we should tend to everyone's wounds." Keiichiro said leading them inside.
"Right." they said.
Ichigo and the others looked at the destruction inside the café. Glass was shattered all over, tables broken in half, and the walls having holes in them from the ice shards flying through the window.
"Well…I'm not cleaning this up alone." Ichigo said looking at the others, especially Mint.
Cyniclon ship
Pai walked over to his computer orb and pressed a button, bringing up a screen showing the inside of the Mew Mews basement. "Pai…are you okay?" Taruto asked.
"I am fine." he said. Pai was fuming inside. His sister didn't stick to the plan. And of course he had humiliated himself in front of his siblings by using up all his strength.
"Are you sure?" Kisshu asked. "You did get a knee to the old family jewels."
"Yeah Pai." Kukki said walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "How is the little fella?" she said chuckling.
Pai gritted his teeth. "I am fine."
"Well I will say this…besides using up all your strength, your attack was very powerful." Kukki said. "Good job Pai-kun." she said messing up his hair.
"Stop that." Pai said blankly. He hated when she messed with his hair, and used the honorific of –kun for him. He looked up at the screen to see the Mew Mews in the basement with Ryou and Keiichiro. They were using a tiny crystal of Mew Aqua in a vial to heal their wounds. "It appears they are using Mew Aqua to tend to their wounds."
Kukki walked over to the screen. "How are we seeing their headquarters?"
"I created a chimera animal to spy on them." Kisshu said proudly.
"Brilliant! This will prove to be useful in their demise!" Kukki exclaimed.
"He originally had it in their dressing room." Pai stated coldly as he looked at Kisshu.
"Oooooh! ~" Kukki exclaimed looking at Kisshu. "Do I need to have 'the talk' with you?" she asked jokingly. Kisshu and Kukki began laughing.
"What could possibly be so funny?" Pai asked rolling his eyes. "Our mission is to reclaim Earth, not to appease his hormones."
"Pai just because you don't understand your hormones doesn't mean you can stifle Kisshu's." Kukki said. "He's becoming a man."
"He is not becoming a man, he still is too immature." Pai stated.
"Um…" Kisshu said raising his hand and waving it "I'm still here you know?"
"I am well aware." Pai said coldly looking at Kisshu.
"I'd hate to be a buzzkill but what should we do now?" Taruto asked. "Should we come up with a new plan or do some research?"
"Well normally I'd say that too much research is a waste of time, but seeing as how Pai will be out of commission for a while we should do some research." Kukki said crossing her arms.
Pai turned to her and crossed his arms. "I have told you that I am fine. I will not be out of commission for a while."
"You used up almost all your strength attacking them. You are going to need time to recuperate." she said. Pai scoffed. "That's an order." Kukki said walking away.
Pai watched as she walked off, glaring at her behind her back. "Get out of my lab." he said looking at Taruto and Kisshu.
Both walked out leaving Pai to himself. "I must speak with Deep Blue-sama. I cannot allow her to remain here."
Pai teleported to their dimension with broken pillars floating all around. "Deep Blue-sama, we must have a conversation." Pai said calling out to his leader.
Pai was then teleported to another dimension where Deep Blue resided. He knelt down and stared at the ground. "What is it Pai?" Deep Blue asked.
"Deep Blue-sama, I know we have failed you lately, but I would like to make a request." Pai said.
"What is your request?"
"I request that you remove my comrade Kukki from this mission." Pai said with a slight smirk on his face.
"Why do you request this?" asked Deep Blue.
"I believe that she will actually be a liability to our mission. She is not qualified to complete our mission." Pai stated. Pai knew that wasn't true, Kukki was one of the strongest of the warriors that he knew. She was passed over for the mission in the beginning because she was a female.
A few moments passed. "No Pai. Kukki will remain on this mission, as the leader. I need a fresh perspective of this situation from a female."
Pai's eyes widened. "NO!" he screamed internally. "But Deep Blue-sama…"
"Silence." he said. "That is my order." Deep Blue then disappeared.
Pai clenched his fist and his teeth. Pai sighed. "I suppose I am stuck with her for the time being." he said quietly to himself.
The next day: Cyniclon ship
Pai was researching all the possible places that Mew Aqua was more likely to appear. "How's it going?" Kisshu asked.
"Fine." Pai said not looking at Kisshu.
"Are you able to teleport to Earth yet?" Kisshu asked standing next to Pai as he too stared at the screen.
"Unfortunally not." Pai said sighing. Pai noticed that Kisshu had a big red handprint on his face. "What is with your face?" Pai asked raising an eyebrow.
"Oh this…" Kisshu said placing his hand on his cheek feeling the heat coming off it "my Koneko-chan sure can slap."
Pai rolled his eyes. "Why did she hit you this time?"
"She didn't appreaciate that I teleported into her room when she was in the bathroom. She found me looking through her dresser." Kisshu laughed.
"Baka." Pai muttered.
"Maybe we should get you officially classified as pervert." Taruto said coming in, popping in a candy drop in his mouth.
"Oh ha ha." Kisshu retorted sarcastically.
"Both of you get out if you are not going to be of any assistance." Pai said.
"Don't be so grumpy." Kisshu said. "You need to learn to lighen up a little."
"If I lighten up then not an ounce of work would get done." Pai said. "Can you perhaps stop harassing the pink Mew and focus on our mission?"
"Obviously you've never been in love." Kisshu said placing his hands behind his head.
"I would not call that love." Pai stated.
"Do you know a lot about love Pai?" Taruto asked his brother.
"I have read some lituature on the chemical prosscess that creates the sensation of romance." Pai stated turning around to see his brother's faces in a blank expression. "Would you prefer to read it yourself?" Pai sighed seeing their dull expressions.
"Well…what was your first love like?" Taruto asked. "Did you like to tease her? Or were you really nice to her?"
"To be honest I have yet to experience my first romance." Pai said blankly.
Pai realized what he had just said. He didn't have a first love like most guys his age would have by now. Pai was even suspicious about Taruto's feelings for the yellow Mew Mew named Pudding.
"Then I suppose you can't lecture me on how I express my feelings." Kisshu said crossing his arms.
"Very well then." Pai said getting back to work.
"Well we're going to get going. Kukki came up with a plan to attack the Mew Mews today." Taruto said. Kisshu and Taruto teleported away, leaving an annoyed Pai behind.
Two days later
Pai had found a nice secluded grassy spot on a hill by the side of the dirt road. He was lying on his back indulging in self-defeat.
No matter how hard he tried to defeat the Mew Mews it just caused more problems. The major problem now being that Kukki was in charge of the mission.
He had still not recuperated from the battle three days ago, so he wasn't permitted to go along with his siblings to fight the Mew Mews. He hated that he wasn't allowed to fight with them. Kukki was using his lab to come up with plans, which he found infuriating. His labatory was his sanctuary.
His siblings would often return, unsuccessful in their recent attack, saying that they were making some progress by wearing them down and learning their attack patterns.
But the boredom was what was most frustrating. Pai liked to keep busy, but his sister insisted that he stay in bed or just relax.
Pai sighed.
The sun was bright and warm. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Whenever he was upset his mother always told him to close his eyes and take deep breaths in till he was calm again.
He missed his parents back home, especially his mother. He lay there breathing in deeply to clear his mind.
Seven o'clock
It was becoming dusk as Lettuce decided she would take a shortcut home today since they had to spend the last three days cleaning and fixing up the café. She walked down the dirt road and noticed something in the grass down the hill. She thought that perhaps someone was hurt and lying there. She quickly ran down to the person in the grass.
She got at least ten feet away when she noticed that it was Pai laying there. He was still spread out on the grass, fast asleep.
Lettuce moved closer to him slowly. "What is Pai-san doing here?" Lettuce asked herself. "He's kind of cute when he's sleeping." Lettuce thought as she watched him breath with his mouth slightly open. She noticed his head was resting on a rock. "That can't be comfortable."
She kneeled down next to his head and gently picked up his head, placing it on her lap. "I hope that's more comfortable." She began to stroke the hair out of his face. A look of happiness came over Pai's face, it was a minuet look of happiness, but it was noticeable.
Pai rolled over onto his side and curled up, head still on her lap. "He…is cute when he's sleeping." She wondered what he must be dreaming of with the smile that he had on his face. He pressed his head firmer into her lap and now wrapped his arms around her waist.
Lettuce began to blush bright red. She looked at her watch, and saw that it was getting late. "I should hurry home, but I don't want to leave him out here all night long by himself. It's going to get cold tonight, and who knows what animals are around." she thought. She wasn't making excuses, she did need to go home soon, but she didn't want something to happen to Pai. Even if they were enemies she could not allow herself to leave him and find out harm came to him. Plus he looked cute as he slept; he looked especially adorable when he started mumbling something in his sleep.
She sat there for a minute watching him and then took out a book out of her school bag. She started reading the book as Pai slept. Pai started to open his eyes slowly as he still had his arms wrapped around Lettuce's waist.
Pai couldn't see whose face it was since their face was hidden behind the book. "Ahh!" he screamed. He rolled off her lap and stood up. He noticed it was Lettuce. "Mew Lettuce?!" he asked blushing.
"Ah, Gomen-nasai Pai-san!" Lettuce said quickly. She spoke even faster as she blushed red. "I was walking home and I saw someone lying on the ground and I thought they were injured and then noticed it was you, and you were sleeping on a rock which couldn't be comfortable, so I placed your head on my lap and I didn't want to go home cause it's supposed to get cold tonight and I didn't know what animals might be around here, especially at night." she managed to breath out in one quick sentence.
Pai's heart raced as his cheeks became pinker. His enemy had been watching him sleep. She placed his head on her lap. Pai was filled with rage and embarrassment, a strange combination of emotions. "Well…thank you Mew Lettuce." he said.
He believed in giving thanks when it should be given, and he did feel as though this was a time to give her a thank you. "You're welcome Pai-san." she said giving him a smile. Lettuce stood up and wiped her dress and legs off. She placed her book back into her school bag. "I should be heading home."
Pai watched as she began to walk away. "Mew Lettuce, would you like me to escort you home?" Pai asked straight faced. Lettuce blushed and began to open her mouth to say no but was cut off by Pai saying "It is the least I could do to repay you for watching over me."
Lettuce stayed silent for a moment. "Y…yes, Pai-san." she said looking down.
Pai walked with her down the dirt road in silence for a few minutes. "Pai-san, I'd like to say gomen-nasai again for the last time I saw you." Lettuce said as she looked at the ground. The past three days it was weighing on her mind and her heart that she injured Pai in-between the legs.
"It is fine. I should not have pinned you to the ground like that." Pai said. "Gomen-nasai."
"Did you say gomen-nasai?" Lettuce asked looking up at him.
"Correct. I am to understand that it is a way of saying I am sorry. Was I not using it correctly?" Pai asked raising an eyebrow.
"No you were. I'm just surprised that you apologized." she said giving a smile. "I appreciate you apologizing."
Pai gave a slight nod. They became silent again for a minute.
"May I inquire what book you were reading?" Pai asked.
"Oh, it's just a book about the history of Tokyo. It's for one of my classes." she said taking out the book to show Pai. Pai stared at the book and gave a nod facing forward again.
"Pai-san may I ask what you were dreaming about?" Lettuce asked looking at him as she placed the book back into her school bag.
Pai began to blush again. "I was just dreaming about my mother." Pai stated with a slight smile on his face.
"So he must have been mumbling about his mom. He must really miss her." she thought. "You must really love your mom. You looked so happy while you slept."
"Correct. I care for all of my family." Pai said. "I even care for Kukki, although she is a thorn in my side." he thought to himself. "I would really enjoy seeing my mother and father again."
"I care for my family as well." Lettuce said giving him a smile. "It's nice to know we have something else in common."
Pai glanced over at Lettuce with a blank expression on his face. "Perhaps she's correct; it does seem that we have common interests like literature, and our dedication to our families. But I'm sure that is all that we have in common.
"My house isn't much further from here. I should be fine now." Lettuce said bowing.
"Very well." Pai said. Pai teleported away as Lettuce walked down the dimly lit alley to her house.
She noticed as she passed the one perpendicular alleyway that three boys began to follow her. She quickly picked up her pace not noticing that she had taken a wrong turn. She had ended up at a dead end, cornered between the walls and boys behind her.
Lettuce turned around to see the three boys standing there blocking her only escape. "What do we have here?" the one boy asked with a smirk on his face.
"What a pretty girl you are. Are you lost cutie?" the second one asked.
"Um…no…" Lettuce said nervously. "I must have taken a wrong turn. Please excuse me." she said as she tried to pass by them. They stepped in front of her again.
The one boy placed his hand against the wall by Lettuce's head. "What's the rush?" he asked. "What's your name, because I have to know it?"
"Lettuce." she said nervously.
"Maybe we could have a little fun?" said the third boy.
Lettuce blushed. She was scared, she was terrified. Thoughts rushed through her head of what could happen to her. She was well aware of what they exactly wanted.
"NO!" she said pushing him back.
"Come on let's just have a little fun." he said grabbing her wrists pinning her to the wall.
"LET ME GO!" Lettuce yelled as she struggled in his grip. "HELP!" she yelled calling out to anyone nearby.
The boys all cornered her. One held down her wrists, one pried open Lettuce's legs, and the other one placed his hands on Lettuce's waist and thigh.
She could feel the one rub his hand up her thigh and start to lift her dress slowly. Lettuce began to cry, tears running down her face. "SOMEBODY, PLEASE, HELP ME!" she screamed. The one boy took out a pocket knife and cut the strap to her dress.