Welcome, and thanks for being patient! here is the first chapter re-written!
its a bit of a short introduction, but i needed some background to really get started. I'll be more active going forward, i promise!
--Chapter one: Paradigm not found--
"We have about 10 minutes before we begin our descent into Tokyo, Today's forecast will be a high of 51 degrees, and a low of 41. Humidity is at 69%, so it may feel cooler. If you're visiting, welcome to Tokyo, the big Mikan, and for those of you returning, welcome home!"
A soft sigh gently breached heart shaped lips, a chin resting on a hand, ruby chocolate optics gazing out a window, ruby red hair tied in two pig tails at the base of a delicate neck.
Ichigo was caught in somewhat of a trance as she looked upon the clouds, tired from the fourteen hour trip she was about to conclude.
She had just come back from visiting her boyfriend, Aoyama Masaya, who was studying in London to become a wildlife biologist. As much as she had cherished the time they had been able to spend together, over the course of a two week school break, she had come to feel rather homesick. She missed her friends, her parents, and hell, even her boss when he was pestering and picking on her.
She had high hopes that they would be able to figure out the logistics and reach a compromise on who would eventually move to where, but she was happy she didn't have to think about that now. Of course she missed Aoyama dearly, but she wasn't sure if the colder weather, English language, and western culture of London made her eager to leave her life and family behind in Tokyo.
"Attention all attendants and passengers, please buckle your seat belts, and prepare for landing…"
She buckled her seat belt, preparing to land, feeling butterflies of relief and excitement, a soft smile gracing her features as the feelings of familiarity and comfort returned to her. She was back home, back in her element, and back at ease.
She breathed another soft sigh, closing her eyes and laying back in her seat, deciding to stay that way for the remainder of the descent into her home. She wasn't looking forward to having to return to work the next day; with the jet lag she was preparing herself to experience.
Ryou Shirogane, the leader of the Mew project, and her incessant boss, had already texted her that morning (would have been afternoon in Tokyo) chastising her for her absence, with the silent promise of giving her twice the work load when she returned.
Her eyebrows furrowed; work. Oh, the working environment that had come under a surprise development a little less than a month ago.
Ichigo grumbled to herself, with the most recent dynamics in the mass of chaos that created her workplace at the café, she really wasn't looking forward to it.
The plane landed, coming to a stop in Ota city, officially reaching the Tokyo International Airport. Ichigo released her seatbelt, stood up, and patiently waited for her turn to exit the aircraft.
One by one the patrons took their leave, determined to get to their destinations. She did the best she could to get through baggage claim, catch a taxi, and head back to her district of Tokyo.
As happy as she was to be home, she had a feeling the honeymoon bubble that she had been residing in the past two weeks was about to burst, and a feeling of mild dread settled in her stomach.Time had been slowly changing things, morphing her teenage dreams into more adult realities as she neared the last half of the decade, and she wasn't so sure she was fond of the changing tides, rippling against the barriers of the reality she worked so hard to hold on to.
The trip had been great, and it wasn't the first she had taken to be with her beloved, but it was the first that had given her a lot to think about; and she wasn't looking forward to unpacking physically, or mentally….
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The young teen squealed in delight, clasping her hands together, stars in her blue eyes as she looked at the waiter catering to her during her time at the infamous Mew Mew Café.
"Oh, wow! So you're from western Europe…!? That's amazing, it's so exotic….!"
The charismatic male gave her an award winning smirk, his golden eyes sparkling with mischief as he leaned towards her, one hand planted firmly on the pastel-colored mini table, his voice low and alluring.
"Yeah, it's a different world, but my friends and I are definitely a fan of the Japanese culture, and the women here are definitely worth admiring…"
The brunette that accompanied the blonde practically had hearts floating above her head as the two young women gushed over the waiter while indulging in his flirtatious nature.
Tart sighed, shaking his head, a scowl on his face as he burst through the kitchen door, carelessly tossing his dirty plates into the sink
"OI! Kish is womanizing again, and it's making me damn queasy! Can someone tell him to lay off and actually help us work!?"
Lettuce looked at him with a sigh, shaking her head, her face pulling into a tired look as she spoke, "I know it's a bit…..unorthodox, but it has been bringing in more customers….having you three around has really driven the business up, you know?"
Tart scoffed, tilting his face up to look at her, his high voice carrying somewhat of a bite, "Oh, please! We're not on earth to flirt with women, we're here to find out where the chimeras have re-appeared! That instance on the train a few weeks ago was concerning, but you guys just want to frolic about and take your sweet time-GAHH!"
He landed on the hard tile floor with a thud, the smallest and most energetic mew wrapped around him like a tourniquet. "Tar-tar, we're working together today…!", She exclaimed in delight, her mouth wide in a merry smile.
He stumbled to get up, trying to swat her off, "For Christ's sake, Pudding, you do this every day! Cut it out, will ya'…!?" His grumpy requests were futile as the youngest of the groups continued their squabble.
It would be easy for the light blush on his face to go unnoticed as the two continued to wrestle around the kitchen where the pastry magic took place.
Lettuce chuckled, watching them in amusement as Kish pushed the door open with his back, twirling to face them, empty plates in his hand with a scowl on his face, "Will you two quit it, already? We have work to do."
He put the plates down in the sink as Tart flushed, finally wrestling away from Pudding, holding her flailing body at an arms length as she tried to cling to him, biting back in a sharp tone, "Oi, you're the one too busy womanizing to do your damn job, you jerk!"
Kish scoffed, crossing his arms, lowering at Tart, " Oh, yeah? Says who, you? It takes time, Shirogane and I are tracking down any leads we can find."
Tart scoffed back, jumping away from Pudding as Lettuce made her way to the younger mew, temporarily distracting her and informing her of her duties for the day.
"You know, you've been real pissy since the hag when to go see her boy-toy over seas! Cut the crap!"
Kish growled, his eyes narrowing, "I have not been "pissy", as you call it wimp, I'm just frustrated that we haven't gotten any decent leads on the chimeras, not that you've been any help in that department…."
Lettuce turned her head, noticing the growing tension between the two aliens as she cut them both off, hoping to restore some semblance of peace, "Don't start fighting, guys, if you start brawling, your charms will come off…..and Ryou won't be happy if any more dishes get broken this month…."
They both shot her a look, but fell in silence all the same, Kish pursing his lips, wanting to bite back for Tart's comment. The three alien boys had returned to earth, and were currently working at the café as a cover, and to also occupy their time.
Keichiiro, Ryou's assistant and also the head chef at the café, had found a way to develop small charms that the boys wore on a chain around their necks, infused with magic and technology to hide their normal features.
All of them looked more human, especially with the ears and skin tones, but kept their unique eye colors all the same, even though their optic shapes took on a more human appearance and rounder pupil.
As Tart took his leave of the kitchen, Lettuce looked at Kish, noticing the way he followed Tart's retreating form with a glare, deciding it was best not to try and lift his spirits.
Kish found himself getting a notice to head to the basement to have a conversation with the Mew project leaders in the form of a note, reading it over with his auriferious eyes, sighing.
He crumpled the note, mumbling, "What a shit show……", and with that, he headed towards the basement, the color of pink invading his mind, no matter how he tried to push the thought away.
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"MOM! DAD! I'm home….!" Ichigo kicked her shoes off, dragging her luggage in the house, her eyes tired and her hair disheveled from the long trip home.
"Mom….!? Dad….?", She looked around the small first floor, finding a note on the breakfast counter in the kitchen; she picked up the sticky note and read it. 'Hi darling, I hope you had a safe journey home! Your father and I will be home later, we went out to catch a movie. There are leftovers in the fridge, we shouldn't be home too late. I assume you'll be sleeping by the time we get back, so I will see you in the morning. We missed you so much, maybe next time, we could limit it to a week…?'
A small smile graced her lips, she had missed her family so much. Being with Masaya had been great, but when he had been studying at school or out for his internship, she had felt lonely. Being in a foreign country so far away from her family and friends had been rough in those moments, and she had battled her sense of homesickness in the stead of self company.
After grabbing a bite, she had run a bath, sinking her naked, tired body in the water, tilting her head back to soak in the oiled water, steaming from the collision of hot water and cold air. She closed her eyes, her brows furrowing as she tried to relax.
She ran her hands through her wet, ruby red locks as her eyes opening halfway, a sad and forlorn glaze over her gaze as she thought about the conversation she had with Masaya when he had deposited her at Heathrow to start her journey home...
--
Her smile was sad as she held his hands in hers, looking up at him, "I'll miss you, when are you coming home to visit…?" He smiled, squeezing her hand back.
"I'm not sure with this internship I have right now, but…..", He sucked in a breath before continuing, "…Ichigo, have you ever considered studying abroad…? You could…..come here, and….."
Her body froze as she locked up, all the scenarios racing through her mind. Leave home? Come live with Masaya? Leave her friends and family? Not to mention, trouble was starting to brew in Tokyo once more, and she couldn't shake the train incident from her mind.
He squeezed her hand reassuringly, "It's just…..something to think about, I just miss being with you….."
She nodded, a nod that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I….I miss you more than anything, but…..that's just…..I'll think about it…."
He nodded and gave her a hug and a sweet, simple kiss on the lips, whispering against her lips, "You're my cat……"
She nodded once again and stepped back, collecting her luggage, "I'll send you a text when I get home….."
--‐--
She took a breath, sinking into the waters. She was seventeen now, and she had spent her fair share of time in London. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with Masaya, she did, just under different circumstances. It was so hard to be there, and while her mew power had remained dormant, she had felt like a part of her was missing.
She proceeded to bathe herself, washing away the dirt, and hopefully, the troubling conflictions crossing her mind at that very moment. She was tired; it wore on her active mind. Could she find a new purpose in life? Could she really leave everything she had ever known?
Distance was supposed to make the heart grow fonder, not full of doubt and free falling insecurities, but the pair of doubtful emotions danced in her mind at the moment, and she feared that the dancefloor might eventually extend to her heart.
After her much needed bath, she got out and got ready for bed, entering her room, crawling into the cool, crisp sheets, shivering slightly as her damp hair added to the coolness of the atmosphere. She sighed and closed her eyes, pulling her comforter up to her chin, curling into a cat-like ball as sleep slowly started to overtake her, unaware of a figure floating outside her window, watching her with curious eyes, a dark and intentional grin spreading across an unknown face.
—————————————————————
"I've managed to track a few of the energy waves that resemble chimera energy in some of Tokyo, but there are no patterns in the locations or measures of strength…."
Kish had his arms crossed, leaning back against the cool metal counter, his eyes narrowed in focus as Ryou spoke, "That doesn't make any sense…."
Ryou shrugged, staring back at the alien with azure eyes, "I was hoping to send you and Pie to investigate, since this is your area of expertise….."
Kish looked to the big screen as the little red dots pulsed across the radar in varying degrees and sizes, his voice low and defensive, "Yeah, I could go with him tonight…..I'm not sure, but these parasites seem different than the ones we used…."
Ryou sighed, scratching his head, "I definitely don't want to hear that, in our battles against the Saint Rose Crusaders, we discovered they were able to manipulate the parasites that were left behind…."
Kish scoffed, standing straight up, "Hate to burst your bubble, blonde, but I won't make any assumptions or draw any conclusions until we have more information on the subjects."
"Hmmm…..I suppose that's the correct course of action for now, speaking of which……I do have a question for you, Kish…."
Kish had turned to start walking to the third floor of the café where he and the other two otherworldly beings were residing during their stay. With no words and narrowed eyes, he looked over his shoulder back to the Mew's leader, silently awaiting his question.
"…Why did you three really come back? And don't feed me that story about there being nothing left at home on your planet, or to simply return the gem. We are aware that the original gift of the mew aqua brought it back to flourishing life, and i also know you were welcomed home with formal titles and plenty of praise, this was sure a long way to travel to drop off a now powerless gem…."
Kish looked back ahead, his eyes narrowing further, his lips turned down in a scowl as he considered his answers carefully, "….It seems that the call of unfinished business was answered, don't you think, Shirogane?"
"….I just hope that unfinished business has nothing to do with one of my leaders."
Kish said nothing, continuing to ascend the stairs, his footsteps echoing the secret lab of operations, his voice floating back to the blonde genius, "Pie and I will go investigate the sites of energy tonight. Make sure to send me a text with the coordinates, and we will report back what we find."
Ryou didn't respond, watching his figure dissappear. He sighed, looking back to the computer screen, starting to text out the locations the males would need in their mission. He had a bad feeling about this that he couldn't quite shake, and he would be a liar if he said he wasn't worried.——————————————————————
Kish ascended the last of the stairs, the darkness in his eyes only mirroring the darkness in his mind, the tendrils of chaos whipping at the barriers in his mind he had put up in the last few weeks.
He did his best to deter the subtle questions of his intentions from the others, much to his chagrin, mumbling under his breath, "Nosy bastards should learn to mind their own business..."
He approached a closed door, knocking, his tone harsher than he meant it to be, "Oi, Pie! open up, we have something to do!"
Pie, the eldest and most rational of the three, opened the door with a knowing look, his weapon materializing on his back, his arms coming to cross his muscular chest, "I'm aware, Ryou texted me on whats going on..."
Kish nodded, his long ears and slit pupils reappearing as he removed the charm from around his neck, his classic uniform materializing along with his own Tonfas, slightly floating in the air.
Pie also removed his charm, tossing both of them on the bed, "Tart is already asleep, and I'd rather not wake him for the investigations, lest he be brash in the face of any surprises..."
Kish nodded in agreement, holding the handles of his blunt but effective weapons of choice, looking at Pie with his resting sharp gaze, a grin gracing his features, "Let's not waste any time, then...I do hope we get something to play with for a bit, things have been so boring around here lately..."
Pie scoffed, his eyes narrowing, "Now is not the time for games, Kish, If that's the attitude you're going to adopt, then maybe you should stay behind as well..."
Kish chuckled, sighing and shaking his head, "Don't you ever let go of that serious disposition you always carry? I swear..."
He clicked his tongue, teasing his elder, "Don't worry, i don't plan to misbehave too much..."
Pie scoffed again, looking towards the window, "Why they picked you to handle such an important role back home, I'll never know...it's time to grow up a bit, Kish. The mannerisms of your younger years no longer suits you..."
Kish rolled his eyes, grumbling, "I don't need a lecture, let's just get this done..."
and with the conclusion of the bickering, the elder aliens started to fade, dissapearing towards a common goal, venturing out to find the sources of the loud silence that threatened the earth once more, both a little anxious that this time, they had too many unknown variables...
——————————————————————
Ryou watched as the beeping on the computer alerted him of the sudden dissapearance of two of his newest team members.
He watched the locations closely, waiting for the green dots to appear where the red ones currently resided.
He typed out a text to Ichigo for the morning, agitated that she hadn't been by that evening, didn't she know by now that a mew mew didn't have the luxury of being utterly lackadaisical...?She was his most infuriating, but most vital team member. Mew Berry was a close second, but Ichigo...
She was his prodigy.
He murmured to himself, continuing to type on his phone. He had gotten the trio of otherworldly beings their cell phones to keep in contact right after the train incident. He had hired them as part of his team and given them a place to stay. He knew that they were gonna be needed in the near future, for what exactly, he didn't know, and he wasn't thrilled to find out.
"Girls, get ready…….the world is in trouble again, and this time….I can't find any paradigms……"
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END CHAPTER!
I know this one was short, but I wanted to rewrite more of a backstory and set the stage a bit, this story IS rated M for a reason, but it will be a bit of a slow burn! I have this whole continuation in my mind, and I want to convey it properly!
Rest in peace, Mia Ikumi, thank you for writing the beloved characters of my childhood, recreating it for me as an adult to revisit, and leaving endless possibilities with the short TMM Re-turn!
I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as I will, and yes, it will be #teamkisshigo