DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN TOKYO MEW MEW. Doo doo doo.
Chapter Thirteen: Here's to the Tears
"Don't interfere, Ryou," Lettuce commanded him only glancing back at him for a moment before finally setting her final attack upon Ichigo.
The burst of energy danced towards a weak and fragile Ichigo leaning against the wall with tears of fear on the rims of her eyes. Smiles crept across the faces of the three aliens hidden behind Lettuce holding an upset Kish back. This was his worst fear, loosing the girl he admired the most at the hands of his own stupid mission in life. Fate was cruel and he was born on the side where he would have to be dutiful to his own master not allowing his personal life or feelings take control.
Finally the energy blast hit the wall with a loud crash blowing dust and smoke everywhere. Smiles of accomplish came across both Lettuce's and the alien's faces. When the smoke had cleared nothing was left. There was no sign of Ichigo and Ryou was no longer anywhere to be found around Lettuce. Her face flushed in confusion. Now she couldn't realize what had just happened. The aliens returned the confused looks only to have their eyes dance around the room until they landed on a Ryou curled in the corner clutching an unconscious Ichigo in his arms.
A piece of Ichigo's bedpost was lodged in his upper arm.
"Why the hell do you always come to her rescue," Lettuce protested while running up to the damaged boy and landing one slap across his already bruised cheek.
Hot tears of anger boiling over in her system trailed down her dirty cheeks as she glanced down at a concealed Ryou. He began to lift himself up and looked straight into the eyes of Lettuce. His eyes were serious with not only anger but fear of what Lettuce could possibly do next with her new found abilities. Laying Ichigo onto the ground safely beside him, Ryou grabbed Lettuce by the forearms forcing her to make unwanted eye contact with him. Her eyes were as equally bloodthirsty as his but now were masked with blood lust and revenge on the girl that had stolen his attention from her for all this time.
Blood was now gathering on the floor beneath them as they both stared into each others with determined looks. Her eyes darted around the room moving from his eyes, the puddle of blood beneath them, and then finally the wound in his arm. It was open and leaking. It was the product of her new personality. Her new personality wasn't supposed to end in his pain. All she wanted to do was impress him and make him notice her more than Ichigo. Now all that she had worked for was for nothing and he was becoming cold in front of her.
The bloodlust drained from her eyes replacing them with the same sensitive gaze that she always had. Now she was crying for what she had done.
"The enzyme's worn off!" Tart yelled from the corner above them with much anger in his voice.
Kish struggled out of their grip and floated down to aid the sleeping Ichigo in the corner. Only a few minor cuts and bruises were found on her body. No grave damage was done to her body. Her face was peaceful and somewhat like an angels only giving off small, quiet breaths in her sleep. All he wanted to do was hug and apologize for the fiasco that he had been apart of.
There was nothing anyone could do… Kish was lurking over the slightly shaken up Ichigo while Tart was moaning about loosing Lettuce on their side, but knew he couldn't do anything with his weak strength. While Pai had secretly wanted it to end though his face didn't show it, he was relieved when the enzyme was overpowered by the true feelings of the girl. Her face looked remorseful, confused, and overjoyed at the moment. The mark on the back of her leg where the plant had made contact just faded being stuck there for the rest of her life. It would be labeled as a constant reminded of what she had done for the briefest period of a time, being a pawn for the wrong side and how she shouldn't become something else.
Lettuce's eyes shot open as Ryou collapsed to the ground before him from the shock and pain of the blood exiting his body from the bedpost lodged in it. Panic was surging through her body as she glanced around the room. The aliens all retreated to the back of the room about to make their entrance in silence now that their new experiment had failed. Her eyes rested on Pai with desperation and with no tears to back them up. Now she had nothing to cry over and she was brave, there was no need for her to have the enzyme to make her more confident, she could be that way on her own.
"Pai," she called walking to the corner of the room and looking up at him, "please… you have to help him somehow. Don't act so heartless, I know deep down somewhere beneath your cold outer layer you do care about other people's lives. Also… you-you're the one who got me into this after all!"
The normal stoic expression that Pai was known for changed numerous times while she was speaking to him. At first his face melted at her words, but then become surprised and guilty when she mentioned him being the one who got her into this mess. There was no lying in it; he did have a hand in turning her into a weapon for their personal use. Kish and Tart glanced at him as if they were giving him permission out of their own morals and in curiosity to see how he would respond.
Before Lettuce could blink, Pai was down there kneeling besides her glancing at Ryou's cold face. Life was leaving him fast and the blood was still surging from the wooden plank lodged in his upper arm. With a steady motion he pulled the wooden plank out of his arm. Lettuce winced when Ryou made a moaning sound from the pain of the plank pulling out of his nerves.
"Don't worry," Pai murmured softly looking at Lettuce with kind eyes. "I won't let someone you care about so deeply die…"
Pai's hands began to glow a soft tint of a blue that was calming for Lettuce to look at. His hands fell upon the wound and it slowly began to close itself up leaving no noticeable pain to be seen on Ryou's face. The normal tint that his face usually had was slowly returning when Pai had finished. Standing up, he glanced down at Lettuce before leaving only to see her watching Ryou with adoring eyes. In a matter of moments, all three of them had silently retreated back home leaving Lettuce somewhat alone in a room hovering above Ryou.
A couple of hours, Ryou awoke to a room that had a green tint to the walls and smelled of sea water. There was nothing to be heard around him and the only feeling he had was the pain of the gash healed in his arm. Nerves were left damaged making him still feel sore. Lettuce's shining face appeared over him causing him to smile from ear to ear.
"Are you okay," she asked tentatively hoping he wouldn't still be sore at her for what had happened.
"I… um… am now," he answered sitting up rubbing the back of his head with the arm that wasn't injured.
For a couple of moments, they both sat there in total silence just staring at each other. Now Lettuce's enzyme induced confidence was gone, but that was just the way Ryou had liked her before. Maybe there really was no point in changing herself, but the only perks she had gotten from her enzyme experience was a new haircut and the loss of her need of glasses.
"Maybe you should go check on Ichigo." Lettuce still wasn't completely convinced of what there was between herself and Ryou, but he came to save Ichigo not her.
"Are you obsessed with Ichigo for some reason," he asked raising an eyebrow in question. "The girl's very dependent and I feel bad for getting her mixed up in the Mew Mew situation that's why she always gets my attention. I thought you were strong and that's what I like about you."
"Um… I thought… you-"
Lettuce's words were broken off by Ryou suddenly pressing his lips against hers softly causing her cheeks to turn a deep crimson color. This all felt right for some reason that he really wasn't doing this because he felt bad for her or anything that maybe they could build off of this moment. When the kiss ended Ryou gave her a content smile and placed his arm around her shoulder bringing her closer to him. Even though he wasn't good with words, his actions spoke enough for the both of them.
On the beach Lettuce stood there glancing out at the ocean before her. It had been a couple of weeks since the enzyme ordeal and now things were starting to get back to normal. The girls were especially happy to get the old Lettuce back and greeted her with an ambush of tightly given hugs. Pudding was almost in tears until Lettuce comforted her in that she would never change in that way again while Ichigo forgave her for the attack that was launched against her. School was completely different now that she was treated with respect by all the other students, but it's not like she cared anymore now she had someone to look forward to seeing everyday. She and Ryou finally started their relationship and now the jealousy felt towards Ichigo everytime he spoke to her was gone. Instead of her getting all of his extra time, it belonged happily to Lettuce.
The wind blew her short hair in her face and when she pushed it back she saw Pai floating in front of her with his arms crossed.
"I was hoping I would see you again," she greeted with a warm smile on her face. "I really wanted to thank you for what you have done for me. I guess… it's good to know I have somewhat of a guardian angel watching over me…"
"You are welcome," he answered simply watching as Ryou appeared wandering down the boardwalk probably coming to greet Lettuce. "I'd better be leaving now."
"Perhaps," she began sheepishly holding her hand to her lips for a moment and shooting glances up at him, "if… things don't work out…"
"Lettuce!" a voice called from behind her.
When she glanced back her face light up to see Ryou happily waving to her from the boardwalk instead of finishing her sentence she simply said, "I'd better go…"
For a moment, Pai watched Lettuce rush over to Ryou happily giving him a warm hug and a small kiss before they held hands and walked away. Maybe all that they had down really helped in the end, but he wished the ending was happy for everyone. Now Lettuce had the confidence and the person she had wanted.
The End.
Well... there's the end of A Change of Mew.
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed it. The story has been unfinished for over a year and now it finally has a conclusion. I hope the conclusion was to everyone's liking, but I had the feeling that I really had to finish it or I would not be very happy.
I haven't decided if I will do something else involving TMM next, but now I'm focusing on my new story, Blame It on Bad Luck. Read that if you wish. :D
Um... well thanks again. Please Review with your final comments and hopefully this will not be the last of my TMM stories.
Tootles.