Chapter 1: Shaken

Umeko stirred in her sleep.

"Okāsan! Okāsan!" She heard footsteps approach. She was scared. Mommy was gone and people said there was a bomb. She had heard it was dangerous in here. She began to sob. Where were the Mew Mews?

A fair-haired teenager in white poked her head around the coats. White rabbit ears, white cat tail, a white Mew Mew costume. It was the new white Mew Mew!

"I want to grow up to be a Mew Mew when I grow up!"

"Don't hurt the Mew Mew!"

An explosion. Fire…no…no! Who was holding her? It was tight, comforting.

The fire hurt. It was hot and suffocating.

Umeko moaned and flung out her arm.

Beep! Beep! BEEP! BEEP! An alarm screamed in Umeko's ear. Her eyes snapped open, grateful to the alarm clock. She shut off the alarm and sat up. She swung her legs off the bed.

What a dream…how long had she been away now? Six years? NO, her family left when she was five and now she was fourteen. That made it nine years. Nine years since she had left Japan and her beloved Mew Mews.

Umeko shook her head and stood. She needed to get ready for school. She wanted to be remembered for her style.

The last day of school. A monumental annual event. Today was even more important. Umeko graduated from eighth grade today. Good-bye, middle school. Today was a right of passage.

Umeko's heart raced as she walked up the aisle. Today was the day. Oh, she had waited so long for this. Nothing could ruin this day.

"Well, Umeko-chan, you're a big, bad ninth grader now," her mother squeezed Umeko close as they walked to the car.

"Hai, Okāsan," Umeko replied in her native tongue.

"We're going for ice cream," her mom announced. "I think this is worthy of celebration."

Umeko jumped into the front passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. A short ride brought the family to a Friendly's restaurant.

After their orders arrived, Umeko's mom began.

"Umeko-chan, as you know, we moved here to America several years ago. Your father also recently lost his job. Well, he found a job," she hesitated here, "but it's not in the United States."

Umeko stopped drinking her milkshake.

"Wh—what do you mean?" Why was her stomach so tight? She hated how her voice had cracked at the beginning of her question.

"Well, we're moving, Umeko-chan."

"Where? Where are we going? Why now? Can't we wait!" The questions seemed to burst out of her. Her voice wasn't normal. It wasn't hers shouting these questions. It was someone with a high, squeaky voice.

"Umeko-chan, calm down!"

"Calm down? Why—how! You just told me we're going to leave my friends! How can I be calm about that! How could you do this to me? You ruined everything! I hate you!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Umeko regretted them. Except, she realized slowly, they were completely true. She hated her parents right now. How could they justify this? How could they? She had finally made roots here. Deep roots and they were demanding she cruelly rip them up in a minute! She couldn't believe they thought this was right!

Umeko stood quickly. Her heart was in turmoil and her head was spinning.

"I wish I had never been born! I wish you weren't my parents! I wish I had been born to anybody but you!"

She ran towards the exit. Her heart was breaking and her eyes stung. Her vision was blurring from unshed tears. She burst out the doors into the sunshine.

Why did her mom have to mar this day? The one that was supposed to be filled with joy? Now all her dreams, her hopes were in ashes in her hands. And nothing could mend them.

To say Umeko was slightly uncomfortable on the plane flight to Japan was an understatement. She spent half the flight in a fitful sleep interrupted by frequent tossings of her cookies. Also, the pillow provided was lumpy and smelled like daisies…sort of. The scent only made her lose her stomach's contents more often. The other half of the flight she spent squeezed between two humongous businessmen. When she finally stumbled off the plane, Umeko's family moved towards the baggage claim.

"Umeko-chan, since today's Sunday and you don't have to unpack, why don't you go exploring?" Umeko's mom suggested at breakfast.

"Hai," Umeko grumbled.

Umeko left soon after breakfast and wandered. She felt drawn but at the same time just bored and lost. At last she stopped and looked at her surroundings.

"Oh!" she gasped as her eyes spotted the cute little café. All the windows looked like hearts. It almost looked like a castle except it was all…pink. The red roofs reminded her of the masques in America. Still, it was pretty. "Kawaii!" she squealed. She ran to the door. "Tokyo…Mew Mew…Mewseum."

White rabbit ears, white cat tail, white costume. The new Mew Mew. Black cat ears and tail. Pink costume. Brown monkey ears and tail, yellow costume. Blue wings and feathered tail, blue costume. Purple costume, lavender-grey wolf ears and tail. Green costume, white ribbons.

"Berry!"

"That little girl…is she injured?"

"No, she's fine. She just fainted."

"I gotta go in there," Umeko said. She opened the door.

"Ohayō!" a tall man with long dark brown hair greeted her. "The museum is free and in honor of our beloved Mew Mews."

"Arigatō," she replied and wandered off.

Eventually, she stopped.

"DNA merger," she read aloud. "Injected the animal DNA into the Mew Mews."

She glanced up. It was strangely beautiful. It looked like a fountain. Then she noticed it. It was slowly beginning to glow brighter.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" she screamed as it suddenly became blinding. Wind rushed by her. The world vanished.

Where am I? There's a light. The light seemed to change shape. A dormouse?

"OOOW!" a blinding pain hit her in the back of her knee. But then it disappeared. And she felt warm, fuzzy, and soft like…like…like pink bunny rabbits!

Then the world began to return slowly. Umeko examined herself. She was wearing a cute outfit. She had light pink cloths wrapped around her lower arms and legs. She also had on a green dress and boots. The dress had a scooped neck and only covered her but with a few extra inches. It also had two side slits that came to the top of her hip. A pink bow the color of sunsets tied around her neck. Black mouse ears and a tail had suddenly appeared too. Then she saw the man with long, dark hair and another man with blonde hair and blue, almost aquamarine, eyes.

"Wh-What just happened?" she asked.

"Look, you must be shocked but you just became a Mew Mew. You had some Red Data DNA injected into you just now. It's normal to feel a little woozy—" the blonde guy explained.

"This is sooo cool! I've always dreamed of this! Ever since I was little! Oh, I can't believe this is happening!" Umeko interrupted.

While Umeko began to examine her costume more, the blonde guy conferred with the dark-haired man.

"Keiichiro, I thought that thing was unplugged!" Ryou hissed.

"It is! I just checked! I don't know how it activated," Keiichiro replied.

"Well, then how about the genes? Weren't they removed?"

"Well, yes, but it doesn't matter now. If they were in there, there're in the girl now."

"Yes…I suppose we just have to deal with the consequences. But there's no danger, no need for the Mew Mews. Why did she transform?" Ryou wondered.

"True. All the other Mew Mews lost their ability to transform about eight years ago."

"I guess we'll just wait and see."

"Hey! What are you guys talking about?" Umeko interjected.

"Nothing," Ryou answered flatly.

"Oh, we were just discussing what a beautiful dress that is and what a lovely Mew Mew you'll make!" Keiichiro soothed.

"You really think it's nice?" Umeko asked. "I mean I guess it is but well, I feel like it's really revealing. I almost feel like I have nothing on."

"That's because you do," Ryou muttered.

"Excuse me? What was that?"

Ryou turned around to face a very angry Umeko.

"PERVERT!" Umeko shouted and slapped him on the cheek her right hand. Her left hand moved defensively across her body.

"#$#♦!" Ryou swore.

"Ahem!" Keiichiro gave Ryou a meaningful look.

"Gomen," Ryou grumbled

"Um, how do I go back to normal?" Umeko had seemed to have forgotten Ryou's comment and ignored the swearing.

"Just think about it. Picture your normal clothes and voila!" Ryou answered tersely. He rubbed his injured cheek, which now sported a red hand.

"Just think of my normal clothes," murmured Umeko, closing her eyes. She felt bereft suddenly. She opened her eyes slowly. "Sugoi!"

"Okay, nice to meet you, whoever you are! Now it's time for you to leave!" Ryou began pushing Umeko to the door.

"Oh! Gomen! I'm Yuki Umeko. Nice to meet you. And you are?"

"Akasaka Keiichiro and Shirogane Ryou," Keiichiro said smoothly. "And may I just say it is an honor to meet such a lady as yourself," he leaned down to kiss her hand.

Out of nowhere, a closed fan came flying and hit Keiichiro on the head.

"Keiichiro! I thought you said you would stop flirting with other girls!" a short girl with black hair stormed over. Her brown eyes danced with rage. She grabbed his ear and began to pull.

Umeko stood watching this scene in shock. "Um, excuse me?"

The girl stopped dragging Keiichiro along behind her. "Yes?"

"Who are you?" Umeko asked bluntly.

"I am this scumbag's fiancée," she said. "My name is Aizawa Mint."

"Listen, I think there's been a big misunderstanding here," Umeko began.

"Oh no. No misunderstanding," Mint said. "My fiancée just can't stop being an unfaithful lecher!"

"Oh, no! We were just—" Umeko stopped. How could she explain with revealing her new identity?

"She's the latest Mew Mew, Mint," Ryou said.

"What?" Mint's mouth fell open.

"She just got injected."

"I thought you said you weren't going to make any more Mew Mews."

"It was an accident."

"Oh, like Berry."

"Yes."

"Wait, so I'm an accident?" Umeko asked. She felt tears pushing at her eyes. "I wasn't supposed to happen?"

A/N: okay well since I used quite a bit of Japanese in here I feel obligated to translate for you people who don't know it.

Okāsan- this means mother

Hai- yes, okay

Kawaii- cute

Ohayō- good morning

Arigatō- thank you

Gomen- sorry

Sugoi- amazing

Okay now honorifics. Chan indicates a friendly familiarity with someone the same age or younger. It's usually used for girls but sometimes boys too. (Not that I'll be doing that.) San is like saying Mr. or Mrs. Kun is the same thing as chan except it's used with boys. Sama shows lots of respect or admiration. Sensei means teacher.

Now the name order might be confusing. When Umeko introduces herself, she puts her last name first. This is the way it's done in Japan. Don't ask me why. I'm not really clear on that.

I also feel obligated to say sorry about the whole pink rabbit thing during the infusion. I couldn't resist. I said it in class and it was so funny and random I wanted to put it in. Oh, and the tossings of her cookies means puking in case you didn't figure it out.

Also I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.