"Ichigo! It's not doing anything…!" Mint shrieked, quickly rolling and diving to the right to avoid getting hit by the foreign electric blasts. Not only did they have the super chimera to deal with, but now they were also being attacked by a man mad with small elven ears and facial markings.

Capsi grinned wickedly, forming small explosive orbs in his hand. He tossed them back and forth as to play with his prey, hovering above the chimera that slowly stalked forward while readying another attack. "Your attempts at fighting back are rather entertaining…..but still no match for us."

Ichigo threw herself from Kish's hold as his eyes widened, trying to turn his direction to gain ground to catch up to her.

"Ichigo, stop….!"

She panted hard, her arms moving as her boots hit the ground over and over, running full speed ahead for the chimera. She slammed her feet into the ground when she got close enough, jumping as hard and high as she could. She flipped in the air and started to come down, holding put her weapon as it started to glow.

"Ribbon strawberry surprise!"

The beam of energy hit its intended targets. Capsi and the chimera slid back a few feet as he shot a glare up to the source. His silver eyes widened a bit at the sight he saw.

There, in the sunlight, pink eyes looked at his own with determination, wavy pink hair fluttering about in the wind. She had black cat ears that sat on top of her head, and the most adorable tail behind her. She looked like a porcelain doll floating through the air, a cute little heart, shaped accessory with a bell in her hand to match her delicate and feminine fashion.

Quickly recovering he smirked and pulled back a bit, readying another lightning orb, juggling it in one hand. "My, my…..what do we have here…? How un-lady like of you….." He threw it her way as it traveled rapidly through the wind, heading straight towards her.

"Ichigo!"

Kish slammed into her, pulling her put of the way right before the ball hit her. He growled down at her, obviously displeased with her. "How could you be so reckless!? Are you TRYING to get yourself killed…!?"

She smacked his good arm, biting back. "Hey, I had to do something! Spare me!" She pushed his arm off her, jumping her way down to the ground, landing in a partial crouch as she glared up at her enemies.

She raised her weapon to the side, her eyes meeting the silver ones suspended above the group.

"For the earth's future, I'll be of service! Nya~!"

Pie rose up in the sky, striking down his fan, pushing waves of aero energy towards the threats. Tart was to the east, throwing his bombs.

"Take that!"

—————————————————————

Kish looked down as aliens and mews alike continued to throw attacks, dodging and weaving. Throw. Dodge. Weave.

He clenched his fist. His other arm was out of commission, so there wasn't much he could do. "Damn it….I can't just stand by…."His eyes wandered over to Ichigo as she lit up and cooled down with pink energy, creating barriers and attacking with her feline reflexes. He knocked his jaw back and forth. He knew what he had to do. He just really…..

Really.

Didn't want to do it.

As Tart threw another bomb, he caught Kish out of the corner of his eye dissipating into nothing, shouting as he waved an arm in frustration. "Where the HELL do you think YOU'RE going!?"

"Tart, behind you!"

Pudding jumped up, grabbing his leg and pulling him down with gravity as he yelped in surprise, tumbling to the ground with her. A lightning ball and a beam pierced the air where he had just been.

Lettuce closed her castanets from her latest attack, panting with the effort. "We can't keep this up….!"

Berry and Mint were starting to tire out, too. Ichigo looked around at her teammates, trying to quickly come up with a solution.

Pudding was visibly trembling with fatigue, trying not to give it away in the pattern of her breathing.

She didn't want to give her opponent the satisfaction of admitting she knew they were in deep trouble.

—————————————————————

Kish was perched in a tree, on looking the people in a park far across the side of the city. He was scanning the humans closely. Most of them were coupled up or with children. His frustration rising by the second. He didn't have much time, he just needed someone that was adult in age to walk off alone.

His arm was still weak and he was barely able to raise it. He internally cursed at himself for not asking Tart to make an herbal salve to help the healing further along. Why hadn't either one of them thought of that earlier?

He took the sling off, tossing it to the side. Flexing his muscle caused him to wince and prickles of pain shot up his arm. He looked down at it then back up just in time to notice a man wondering into a church.

He immediately made the spatial jump into the dark and brooding space.

The man was wearing holy clothing. Kish mentally winced. He didn't have time to hesitate on his resolve knowing his team was fighting a losing battle. He teleported again behind the disciple of a higher power.

The priest turned around with a soft questioning look. "Can I help you, young man….?"

Kish sighed, lifting his good hand. "Yeah…..I need to borrow something…."

A light started to form as rings of blue power started pulsing towards the priest. The priest gasped, grabbing his own throat, finding it hard to breathe. "What…..are you….!?"

The light rings started to pulse and produce more rapidly as they grew larger, sonic sounds enveloping the human spectator. He fell to his knees, his eyes going blank. A small crystalline mass of shards started to emerge from his chest.

His limp body fell to the floor in a deathly still state as the crystal made its way into Kish's good hand, a light emitting from the middle of the form. Kish clutched it in his hand.

He'd be a liar if he said he didn't feel any remorse for borrowing the holy man's soul to do something he hadn't done in years. He closed his eyes, willing forth a rare and compatible alien parasite. It was a strong specimen he had never used before but he needed all the power he could muster if he was going to win.

His eyebrow twitched as he pushed the crystal inside the jellyfish looking floater, infusing them together. He grabbed the prototype as he looked up at the alter of a higher power he wasn't sure existed.

He knew he was going to receive backlash from every single member of the team for his actions. He knew this is what made him untrustworthy, despite the good deeds he tried to use to amend his sins. This is what made him a miscreant.

But, if giving up his right to be perceived as anything good allowed him to protect Ichigo with everything he had, it was worth it.

Even if she hated him for it.

He disappeared from the church; traveling back to the site of conflict, ready to face the consequences.

—————————————————————

Ichigo dropped to her knees, breathing hard, her body trembling.

Her whole team was tired as the figure that revealed himself to be Capsi floated to the ground, a few feet in front of her, his chimera behind him looking ready to attack.

He smirked, crossing his arms and looking down at her. The two aliens had been hit in a blast, laying on the floor unconscious. Berry was trying to crawl towards Ichigo, her loveberry rod in her left hand.

Mint and Zakuro were knocked out as well, holding hands on the grass. Pudding leaned over Tart, looking at him with wet tears, her hand on his face. Lettuce was drooped over a tree branch, on the verge of an unconscious state as well. Scrapes, cuts, and bruises covered the tired bodies.

Capsi knelt on one knee in front of Ichigo, gripping her chin and tilting it up. "You put up quite a fight, ma belle, I'm impressed…." She yanked her face away from his grip, looking at him with a hateful glare.

"What do you want….? Why are you attacking earth….!?"

He smirked, grabbing her chin and pulling her back. "I'd say in due time you'd figure it out….but it looks like this is a one and done battle, yes?"

She scoffed, pushing his hand away. "We never give up….." He stood and sighed. "I do admire your defiance, but…..I'm afraid my dear, this has to be goodbye….."

He drew a sword.

She closed her eyes.

A clash rang through the air.

She opened her eyes and looked up, gasping. There was Kish, blocking the sword with his Tonfa, a flash appearing before her eyes.

Forgive me, my lord, deep blue-sama….

Kish pushed the sword away with his tonfa, striking with his good hand, a dark and foreboding look on his face, his eyes tinged with a red color. "If you dare touch Ichigo, it'll be the last thing you ever do, asshole!"

Her eyes softened. He was protecting her again. He was injured and he was protecting…..where had he disappeared to in the first place?

Kish was filled with adrenaline as he pushed his opponent back a few feet, quickly swooping up the cat girl and jumping high into a tree, setting her on the branch. He gave her a stern look. "Stay here." And before she could question him, he was back on the ground.

Kish held his hand high in the air, his unique and deadly jelly parasite appearing. He grit his teeth as the air picked up and the wind started to crackle with mana.

"FUSION!!!!"

A burst of light surrounded a form, glowing brightly as the wind picked up. Lettuce looked up from her place, her eyes hooded with the wears of battle. Pudding looked up as well, gasping. They all recognized the technique.

Ichigo couldn't believe her eyes as they watched the scene unfold. She couldn't believe Kish would resort to something so vile. She had seen this many times before as her hands covered her mouth.

His fusion chimera technique was a forbidden one as it used a human soul to merge with a parasite. The memories of some of their toughest battles came to her mind as her pink orbs remained glued to the spectacle.

The light subsided, revealing a kannushi in traditional garb with a tiger's face, as massive as the chimera that belonged to Capsi.

Bunny started to open her eyes, pulling herself slowly up to her hands and knees, the other mews and aliens also awakening due to the light of the spectacle. They stared on slowly with a mix of awe and horror as Kish levitated next to the monstrosity of his handiwork, his hand held high in the air as the being next to him grew in size.

His duster above his Capris whipped around in the wind, the fabric as feral as the act itself.

Kish pointed his finger forward, his eyes narrowed as they glowed with a swirl of vibrant red and gold.

"Chimera shinkotsu, ATTACK!"

The humanoid tiger leapt forward with a roar that shook the Tokyo Tower. It's paws landed on the ground, making the earth shake, headed for the wolf chimera.

Capsi gasped, flying back and up. He wasn't expecting this.

The chimera beings clashed in a fury of striking paws and fanged teeth, fighting each other in a brutal manner. Their perspective roars, growls, and snarls rang through the air is the most agonizing of ways.

Kish's eyes darted over the scene, looking for an opening as he leaned his body forward, a Sai appearing in his hand.

Capsi growled as he saw the opponent chimera gaining the upper hand, drawing his sword.

Both extraterrestrial life forces rushed forward.

Kish was gaining speed, flying towards the fight. His Sai started to burn white hot with light. Capsi was headed straight for Kish, raising his sword, crying out. Kish raised his arm back behind his head.

Hit the target…….

The Kannushi chimera slammed its body into the wolf, rearing it back as it's head snapped sharply to the sky, it's mouth opened and gathering its deadliest blow yet.

Capsi swung the sword.

Kish threw the Sai.

A lock of green hair with a red tie around it drifted in the air.

The Dragon Sai shot down straight into the wolf beast's mouth, piercing the ball of lightning energy, causing it to backfire into the creature. The creature howled as its body glowed, bursting at the seams. It created a large mass of thunderous energy, a white hot ball engulfing the two creatures.

Kish gasped as he looked back.

The long sword had missed his face by mere millimeters.

But it had cut off his left lock of hair. He looked back, heaving his body to look up from his freefall as he caught a glimpse of Capsi's angry face, his sword by his side.

The explosion had left only his fusion chimera whimpering in pain while it kicked its trembling legs, laying in the smoking crater that was the only evidence of its opponent beast.

He crashed into the ground on his injured arm.

—————————————————————

Capsi looked on as the other two boys scrambled up and hurried to the source of his defeat. He clenched his sword tightly, glaring down from high above as they worked to collect their injured comrade. His silver eyes narrowed as he caught another glance at the woman hanging on a tree from just beyond the battle ground.

He studied her intensely, her pink hair brushing against her face. He took in her pink dress and red boots with matching gloves. Her black cat ears. The bell on her tail. She was obviously unaware of his presence.

She was a magnificent creature. He raised a brow as she jumped down from the tree. She almost lost her footing as she scrambled to run towards the other girls that fashioned in a similar way.

His sword disappeared from his hands as he looked back to the fool that had dared cost him an easy victory. He scoffed, his eyes narrowing. He would surely be a problem going forward.

Capsi sighed, disappearing in his own spatial travel. He was going to have to work a little harder.

But the girl with the cat ears……she must have been the girl he had been watching from the window of a simple home in one of the districts. He had thought the guardians of the earth were just human.

He would surely have to learn more about her.

—————————————————————

Ichigo held out her strawberry bell, a soft light beaming from it to the suffering form on the ground as Pie picked up an unconscious Kish. Berry came to stand next to her. The form morphed back into a parasite, separating from the crystal in its body.

She gently plucked the cluster of gem shards from the air as Berry's rod morphed back into Ucha, Masha appearing beside him. She hated the shard to Masha. "Make sure this soul gets back to it's original owner….."

Masha swallowed it, flapping her wings. "Leave it to me!"

Ichigo looked at Ucha with a soured expression. "You had better go with her, we may need you to do the same should this happen again….."

Ucha sighed, "…Will you explain to us what happened later?"

She nodded as the robots took off. Pie held Kish over his shoulder, floating to Lettuce as he gently scooped her body in his other arm.

Tart gently grabbed Pudding and Zakuro's hands, Mint behind him, holding his shoulder. He shot a look at Ichigo, his voice calm. "I'll come back for you and the bunny girl."

The two conscious aliens disappeared, returning to the café to put the wounded down so Shirogane could start tending to the battle injuries.

Berry grabbed Ichigo's hand, the elder of the two looking down at her. Berry's lips were pursed as she hesitated for a moment. "….What's going on between you and the obnoxious one?"

Ichigo blushed lightly, her eyes widening slightly before softening. "What do you mean, Berry?" The younger one twitched her cream colored rabbit ears in irritation. "I mean, I never heard anything about the aliens. At least not enough to know what happened in the past. He's always all over you….."

Ichigo mentally groaned. She knew this was coming. She sighed. "It's nothing, Berry, just…..", she paused as she thought of what to say, "He….he's a wild card. Who knows?"

"What about Masaya?"

Ichigo stilled for a moment as she looked away. "I love Masaya……I always have…."

"So then why do you sound so unsure?"

Berry was looking at her with intense and interrogative eyes. She reared back a little, scowling. "Berry, Kish isn't a problem for us if that's what you're asking….."

Berry stepped back, scratching an ear. "Could have fooled me……you know, I really thought you and Masaya were soul mates…..maybe Tasuku was right…."

Ichigo blinked, taken aback by her comments. Who said Masaya wasn't her soul mate? As a flash of doubt crossed her mind, she tried desperately to will it away. She loved Masaya. She always had. But….

"What do you mean?"

Berry gave her a sad smile. "I told him I wanted a love like yours. He said I should want a love like the one I already have…."

Ichigo widened her eyes slightly.

A few months ago, she would have never questioned if her and Aoyama Masaya were going to end up getting married, start a family, and be happy. Her original 14-year-old dream had always been something she had clung to. Now she was standing in the same body as her former self at 17 years old.

Had her mind changed when she wasn't even paying attention?

She hadn't said anything, but thinking about it, it had started when she had lost her powers after the Deep Blue debacle, before the Saint Crusaders. One day, she had tried to call the cat inside her soul, but it didn't come.

She had panicked a bit, running to Masaya to comfort her in her anxiety. But, instead of being understanding, he expressed relief that they could finally put the past behind them and start getting back to normal. It had thrown her off.

The Iriomote Cat had become a part of her. It felt so empty those months without it. She had thought that she wanted the same thing, but when it returned she had felt like herself again. When she had told him she was returning to Tokyo to aid the mews once again, even though he had been supportive, she could have sworn she saw disappointment in his eyes.

He had asked her how long she would be away. He had asked her without words how long she was going to continue to be Mew Ichigo. He had told her once before the final battle that he didn't want her to fight anymore.

How could she just stop? She had been chosen and it had changed her life forever. It was unsettling that he didn't seem to understand that. Nevertheless, she had reassured him she wanted him to continue pursuing his dreams, and that she would be back as soon as she could.

That had been before the train incident. And now that there was a new threat she was at a loss on where to begin telling him that she would be defending earth a third time. She had hoped to have a few days to ponder on how to approach it.

The doubt in her heart only grew knowing he was going to object to her wishes.

Tart appeared once again, grabbing the girls' hands to teleport them back to the café.

She never responded to Berry's final comment.

—————————————————————

Keichiiro looked across the room at Ryou, who was staring at the monitor in complete concentration. The blonde brows were furrowed as his eyes darted back and forth on the screen, studying the stills of the newfound enemy. Who was he? Where did he come from? What was his plan and why?

Keichiiro's voice broke him put of his deep thoughts. "I think I found something. I think I found a way to fight them."

Ryou immediately stood, walking over to the other research screen, leaning over his partner, his eyes fixed on the notes of research that scrolled slowly on the massive computer. "What do we got?"

Keichiiro looked up at the screen as he typed away on the hi-tech keyboard. "The readings from the sample took me a while to figure out. The parasites used on the chimera don't come from the same part of the galaxy that Pie and the others come from. They have a completely different vibration. It's almost as if they are magically engineered, not made from authentic life force."

Ryou stood straight and placed a hand on his hip as his eyes stayed fixated on the moving words. "So what does that mean for us?"

"Well, when I examined the scale, it looked like the luminosity was a large amount of tiny particles of elemental energy, not the residual power of a main energy source, which explains why we can't exactly separate a "parasite" from the animal it's infused in to. Instead we have to neutralize the element it's combined with to turn the animal back to normal."

Ryou nodded, looking down at his partner. "Any suggestions?"

Keichiiro smiled. "Absolutely, I think I know what might work. Let's let everyone rest, and tomorrow we can call a meeting so I can explain how this works and how we should go about fighting back."

Ryou patted his shoulder with a grin. "You're a genius, my friend."

The latter cleared his throat. "This will be tricky, but…..we'll have to find a way to give the mews an element to harness along with their usual power. We may need them all to take another infusion to be able to do so….I'm working on that right now. It should be done by morning. I'll need Pie, Kish, or Tart to assist me."

Ryou sighed. "…I also need to address the incident with Kish from earlier. That can't happen again, and I need to know it won't. Putting another human's life in danger is not acceptable, and I would be a liar if I said it didn't cause some doubt on whether or not he can play by the rules…."

Keichiiro leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "I agree, but I think this was an act of desperation. Keep in mind, we were very close to losing…."

Ryou sighed. "It still doesn't make it okay, it goes against everything we stand for. First the killing of the first animal, then using the soul of a human….."

The dark-haired man nodded as he stood up. "It needs to be acknowledged, yes….but let's not jump to any conclusions until you talk to him…"

As one of the duo went back to the research, the other one went up the stairs to talk to the most rational of the boys.

—————————————————————

Kish was floating in a green liquid on the ship hovering right above the earth, the healing fluid slowly repairing his body.

His eyes were closed as he allowed the feeling of a healing burn to wash over him. It hurt, but he needed the assistance if he was going to be any use to anyone in the upcoming war that was brewing.

He tried to soothe himself with thoughts of silken red hair and the scent of strawberries and cashmere.

He couldn't remember a time where his life hadn't revolved around Ichigo Momomiya.

From the first time he had seen her she had slowly started to consume and fascinate him. He had orders to kill her back then, and instead he bided his time trying to figure out how to have both; a world where he stayed true to his lord and her at his side.

He ended up a traitor, all because a fixation blossomed into an obsession before blooming fully into an all consuming albeit unrequited love.

He had spent too much time diving into the depths of his fantasies. They contained a world where she was his. It had eventually driven him to the brink of madness before he made a resolve that she was the precious thing that mattered to him the most.

And he had lost his life over her. And she had lost her life over a human vessel that couldn't protect her without the power of his lord.

He had tried to return home and forget about her. He had indulged in the attention of being an exclaimed hero; despite the whispers of those who acknowledged his treason.

But even in the dark with another one of his curious kind exploring his body, he hadn't been able to stifle his desire for the one that he had never been able to possess.

The prospect of returning to earth had taken his breath away. Each alien had his own agenda to follow when they selfishly convinced Shirogane they had nowhere else to go. Tart would never admit it, but when it was mentioned he could see Pudding once again, his eyes had widened with a wonderment that Kish recognized.

Strawberry silk……

Cashmere caresses…..

He didn't care if it made him the villain.