Disclaimer: I do NOT own Tokyo Mew Mew or any of the canon characters. All I own is this story and any characters not seen in the series or manga (i.e. Piper and the Crisects).
A/N: Kinda lengthy but you might understand the story better if you take a minute to read this first. It's certainly not required though.
Okay, a few things to mention here:
This is my first Tokyo Mew Mew fanfiction so please be patient with me and any errors I might make. I've only seen the series through twice (same goes for Mew Mew Power, which was only halfway dubbed and differed a bit from TMM).
There'll probably be some spoilers involved for anyone who hasn't seen the whole series yet. So if you haven't and you don't want any spoilers then I suggest you wait to read this until you've seen all the eps…and maybe read the manga and its sequel.
Pairing-wise, (sorta counts as a spoiler) I don't think Pudding will ever wind up with her much older betrothed fiancé Yuebin. She really doesn't seem interested in him in that way and the age difference and maturity levels just further prove its unlikelihood. I'm not saying Pudding's immature (goodness knows she's very responsible and dedicated), just that she'll always have a fun-loving, childlike quality about her. That's what makes Pudding, Pudding. Plus Pudding never really chose him, and if anything I believe she'd only accept him as an 'onii-chan'. The relationship between Lettuce and Ryou is likely to go one of two ways: he comes to return her feelings and the two eventually become a couple, or he continues to see her only as a friend and ally he wants to protect (as with the other Mews) and she comes to accept that. Either way is certainly a possibility, but should the second happen it could leave Lettuce to further explore her feelings for Pai. Again, I have no problem with Ryou/Lettuce or Pai/Lettuce. Both seem feasible to me (heck so does Zakura/Ryou but eheh, moving on). In this particular story I've chosen to stick with the Pai/Lettuce pairing though. So hopefully now that I've explained my reasoning I won't get flamed as though I were some author who just randomly slaps characters together. That's just not my style.
And because this will probably seem the most OOC to anyone who reads the summary and notices the Minto/Kisshu pairing I'll just say that—while it's a stretch—I do believe it has a chance. Of course it's nothing that'd happen overnight and would definitely take time. Kisshu's flirtatious personality would probably help in breaking the ice though (or get him slapped). And Minto's loneliness (especially in the absence of Zakuro and Ichigo) might make her more accepting of their former enemy. At any rate they're both a shoe-in for driving each other nuts. But, heh, we'll see...
Destinies Intertwined
Chapter One: ALIENS! Old Friends, New Foes, Past Woes
As Fate would have it, the Tokyo Mew Mew were low in numbers on the day the newest threat to their planet arrived. Large hulking creatures, the Crisects, stood at least nine feet tall. Their exoskeletons were of a rusty red, like a lobster before it's boiled. The new alien menace possessed several appendages, among them a set of long, jagged pinchers. A cross between crustaceans and centipedes the seemingly barbaric invaders had an intelligence level that no one would've ever expected of a giant lobster-bug. All things considered, the situation was definitely not good.
Still the remaining Mew Mews—Minto, Lettuce, and Pudding—were ever vigilant in their duties to protect the unsuspecting citizens of Tokyo. With the help of Ryou and Keiichiro (the mysterious men behind the scenes) they managed to track down their disgusting adversaries and drive them back through the holes they crept out of, and often before too much collateral damage occurred. That was the truly frustrating thing about their new enemies, instead of teleporting from location to location as the Cyniclons had done, the Crisects traveled to and from the city via temporary dimensional portals. So short-lived were the miniature wormholes that it was increasingly difficult to get a good lock on them. The sensors the scientific duo had set up throughout the city provided little assistance, leaving the Mews to rely on their instincts and follow the screams.
To compensate for the lack of fighting power the three Mews had decided to patrol the city in shifts. Ryou would even help out in the cafe when things got hectic or had been too quiet for their liking. Though it didn't stop him from grumbling about it when the need arose. Minto had surprisingly stepped up to assume the role as leader until Ichigo, Berry, and the others returned from their mission in America. It wasn't as though she was thrilled about the opportunity, but with Pudding struggling to support a houseful of younger siblings and Lettuce's indecisiveness and lack of assertion, she had felt it necessary to be the one to take charge during battles. But she often made remarks about wanting Ichigo to hurry back and 'fill her post'. For their own parts, Lettuce and Pudding deserved to be commended for their dedication to the team. Aside from the added stress of constantly being on-call with no reinforcements the ordeal was tiring and interfered with their personal lives more than ever before. But, be that as it may, they were Mew Mews and understood the need to make sacrifices for the greater good.
After all, no one ever said defending the world would be easy.
"Mew Mews!" Ryou's voice cried urgently from the video screen on Lettuce's cell phone.
She held the device out for the girls to see. They'd been spending a leisurely day at the mall (for once) when the familiar ring tone had sent them all darting out the nearest exit door.
"Ryou onii-chan!" Pudding gasped, "Are the aliens attacking again, na no da?"
"Yes, we've detected their energy signals emanating from the park by the local middle school. You must act quickly to prevent casualties. Hurry Mew Mews, transform!"
No sooner said than done the three ordinary teens transformed into the super heroines known throughout the city as the Tokyo Mew Mew.
"Mew Mew Minto-"
"Mew Mew Lettuce-"
"Mew Mew Pudding-"
"-Metamorphosis!!!"
When they arrived they found the Crisects' portals spread out across the area, dark swirling vortexes contrasted sharply against the otherwise picturesque park setting.
"Oh no!" Mew Lettuce gasped.
"They're everywhere, na no da!" Mew Pudding exclaimed.
"We'll have to split up." Mew Minto decided.
They exchanged determined looks and curt nods before racing off in various directions. Screams were already ringing out around them as helpless citizens crossed paths with the giant space monsters.
Producing a pair of castanets the green Mew shouted, "Reborn Lettuce Rush!" and sent one of the bug aliens toppling back through its portal before it could attack the cowering picnickers.
"GAH!" an ice cream vendor dunked behind his cart when one of the rust colored Crisects targeted him. The series of garbled clicks and hiss-like noises that followed were impossible to understand yet somehow extremely threatening.
"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" cringing he dropped beside the back wheel and covered his head. This has to be a dream! Some horrible, crazy, totally harmless dream!
The creature above him loomed over the cart to strike.
"HEY!"
Mew Pudding struck a challenging pose and waited for the alien to face her. If it were possible for something that looked like a lobster crossed with a centipede to appear confused then that was certainly the look she received.
"Pudding won't let you eat the Ice Cream Man, na no da!" she declared while brandishing her weapon theatrically, "This is Pudding's favorite place to get banana flavored icy pops, na no da!"
Confusion shifted to anger as the alien charged her.
"Pudding Ring Inferno!"
When the vendor chanced a peek around his cart he was met with the unbelievable sight of a space monster trapped in a giant gelatin mold.
"Gah!" he gasped and fell over while Pudding sheepishly flashed a victory sign.
Meanwhile, in a completely different region of space…
The Cyniclons were having their own problems. After finally making their planet livable, with the help of the Mew Aqua retrieved from Earth, yet another threat to their existence had come. And this time it came in the grotesque form of the carnivorous Crisects.
For millions of years their artillery had been dwindling. Technological advancement suffered from the lack of resources in their once harsh and inhospitable environment. When the planetary conditions did improve their species had been so preoccupied with enhancing the planet and rebuilding their civilization that building up their defenses had taken a backseat.
Now a solemn figure stood before a large holo-projection of one of the more heavily populated sectors of their capital city watching grimly as red dots began popping up and bleeping across the map. The invasion alarm blared promptly.
"Pai!" a green haired alien teleported into the room and dropped down behind him. "What's going on Pai? Don't tell me that-"
"It's another raid," the elder Cyniclon confirmed. "The aliens are attacking again."
In the midst of all the chaos one young boy was weaving in and out of the stampeding crowd trying not to get trampled. The little blond clutched his ocarina protectively and darted about in a zigzag pattern until he came out on the other side of the fleeing Cyniclons.
It was only then that he found out what they'd been running from. An army of mutant centipedes were chasing them across the city! Those who couldn't reach the safety of the inner dome were as good as bug bait!
The child stiffened when he suddenly felt the presence of death standing just over his shoulder. Shakily he turned to see two bone-crushing pinchers strike down at him.
"YAH!!"
Hair on end he scrambled to get away and nearly got clamped in two several times over. The boy's mind raced frantically as his pursuer chased him back in the opposite direction.
Oh man! Oh man! I'll never make it to the inner dome in time! He chanced a glance over his shoulder… "AAAHH!!"
It's right on my TAIL! I've gotta get outta here! Gotta hide somewhere! But—WHERE?!
His orange eyes darted about for a hiding place but with the Crisects storming around everywhere there was nothing within reach. That only left one alternative…
Taking a hard right he began sprinting toward the closest vortex he could find. He wasn't sure what was waiting for him on the other side but at the moment anything had to better than where he was.
Suddenly another Crisect emerged from the portal and spotted the child coming toward it. With both pinchers raised to attack it bounded forward to catch him.
The Cyniclon youth noticed the second alien just in time. Squeezing his eyes shut he struggled to concentrate despite his racing heart. The Crisect lunged for him and both pinchers stabbed the ground with enough force to split it open. But the blond had managed to teleport away just before the blow was dealt.
He reappeared a few feet behind the alien, tripped, and wound up rolling through the portal before it swirled shut.
Back on Earth Minto was firing arrows at the Crisects as their portals appeared around the lake. Standing atop an overturned rowboat she prepared to fire another when a new portal opened up behind her.
"Reborn Mint Ech—AAHHH!!"
The bird Mew was suddenly bowled over by a tiny bundle in an oversized tunic. She landed in an undignified heap beside the dingy and grumbled about 'having all the luck'.
A piercing shriek of rage reminded her the danger wasn't over. Quickly she leapt to her feet and drew another arrow through her bow. Once she had the rampaging Crisect in her sights she released it with a cry of, "Reborn Mint Echo!"
The creature fell and tumbled into the water. She wasted no time in dashing over and taking aim for another shot.
The Crisect floundered about in the shallow water, stuck like a turtle on its back. With a triumphant smirk she threaded the arrow. "Reborn Mint Echo!!"
Forgotten for the moment the child scrambled to his feet and quickly patted himself down until he found the cherished ocarina tucked inside one of the folds of his tunic. "Phew!"
Then his gaze drifted up to the strange blue-haired lady standing at the lake's shore with her back to him. He watched as she fired her weapon at the massive lobster-bug in the water. The force of the blast sent it skidding across the lake to the opposite shore. She fired again and the creature coiled up like a giant centipede. This time the force sent it bouncing up the steep hillside and straight through the portal.
Success! Minto couldn't have been more pleased with herself. Though she mentally reminded herself to complain later about what an unfair disadvantage having the team split up caused her. Things would be so much easier with Ichigo and Onee-sama here to help.
She sighed and turned to leave only to find the tiny cannonball from before looking up her with wide orange eyes and arms hung limply by his sides. A beige hood covered everything but his face and bangs.
"Hey bird lady! Where am I?"
"B-B-Bird lady?!" the blue Mew stammered at the insult. "What a vulgar thing to say! My name is Minto—err—uhm—MEW Minto! And what do you mean 'where are you'? You're in Tokyo of course!"
Tangerine orbs blinked in confusion. "Tow-ki-o?"
Minto rolled her eyes. Honestly, some kids! "Yes Tokyo, as in Tokyo, Japan. It's one of the largest cities on Earth!"
"Earth…?" the little kid was awestruck. I'm really on Earth?
"Hmph," still miffed about the trouble he'd caused she launched into a snippy interrogation, "Who are you? And just what did you think you were doing back there? I was in the middle of an attack! Where are your parents?"
She thought back to how he'd collided with her from behind. The kid seemed to drop out of thin air. "Just where did you come from anyway?"
The blond snorted. "I fell through the hole, duh!"
Minto's mood wasn't helped by the rude reply. Reaching down she angrily jerked off his hood and gasped. Before her stood a young Cyniclon! His golden hair was tied back behind his unmistakably long, elfish ears. Bright orange eyes blinked up her as he muttered a simple, "What?" and shrugged.
The Mew Mew was dumbfounded. "Y-You…you're a…" she stammered in disbelief. How did he get here?
"Minto-san!" a female voice shouted in the distance.
"Minto onee-chan!" another, younger voice echoed. "Are you alive, na no da?"
"Pudding-san!" the first scolded.
Minto looked up toward the row of trees lining the top of the bank. "Lettuce… Pudding..."
The little Cyniclon panicked and wriggled out of her grasp.
"W-Wait!" Minto attempted to stop him but it was too late. He'd already teleported out of sight.
"Minto onee-chan, there you are, na no da!" Pudding squealed happily and slid down the embankment.
"Huh?" Minto turned around just as Pudding ensnared her in a bear hug.
"Who were you talking to Minto-san?" Lettuce asked, approaching at a much slower pace.
"Oh, um…" and the lorikeet girl proceeded to explain to her friends about the alien child who just 'up and disappeared' mere seconds before their arrival. Both girls were shocked to hear he was a Cyniclon.
"I wonder how someone from their world was able to travel to ours through a Crisect portal? Perhaps they're having trouble with the Crisects too?" Lettuce speculated.
"Pudding is worried about the little alien, na no da." the monkey Mew announced. "We should find him right away. Children can get into a lot of trouble if left on their own, no da."
"Pudding-san's right," Lettuce agreed, "he couldn't have gone far. We may still be able to catch up to him if we hurry."
"Right," Minto nodded. And the three parted ways again to search for the boy.
Hidden up in the foliage of one of the trees a pair of tangerine colored orbs peered down at the scene. Two tiny fangs protruded as his lips curled back into a smirk. "Minto huh?"
After hours of combing the park and surrounding areas with no luck the trio decided to return to base. They arrived back at Café Mew Mew at sunset and raced downstairs to ask Ryou and Keiichiro for assistance.
While the two scientists ran computer searches for any unusual energy signatures in the city, the girls returned upstairs to clean the shop. The air was tense as they tidied the dining area and waited for word from the basement.
Wiping her brow Lettuce leaned against the broom and sighed. "I wish Masha was still around." The other girls stopped what they were doing to listen. "His alien detection abilities would be a big help."
"It's better that he went with Ichigo, Zakura, and Berry onee-chans, and Tasuku and Aoyama onii-chans on their mission," Pudding chimed in, "since we still have Ryou and Akasaka onii-chans to help us, na no da!"
"But did they have to take Ucha too?" the lorikeet girl frowned.
"There were a lot of leftover predacytes running loose, no da." Pudding reminded her.
"The Cyniclons had to hurry back to their people so they didn't exactly have time to round them all up." Lettuce added. "With both Ucha and Masha helping them the others should be able to finish their mission much faster."
The three paused a moment then sighed in unison. With half the team missing and a major crisis on their hands they were really feeling the strain.
Suddenly the front doors were flung open and a beige colored blur streaked in! It flew over the tables, shot directly between Lettuce and Pudding, then collided with-
"OMPHF!"
"Minto-san!"
Both girls winced as she was knocked backwards and sent tumbling back into the wall. The loud CRASH sent Ryou and Keiichiro rushing up from the basement. Before they burst in Lettuce and Pudding cautiously approached their dazed companion who lay sprawled out in a disheveled heap of blue and white fabric.
Minto's head was spinning—as well as her eyes—as it bobbed from side-to-side. It would've been comical, had Lettuce not immediately feared the worst and overreacted, as usual.
"Minto-san! Minto-san!"
"Minto onee-chan!" their voices echoed in her head as Pudding shook her fiercely by the shoulders.
None too soon Minto's head was clear and her vision came back into focus. The first thing she noticed was that her friends were standing over her with concern written across their faces. The second was the feeling of an added weight resting in her lap.
Slowly and curiously she sat up and reached down to fix her apron back into place from where it had flipped up over her chest. When she pulled it down they all gasped in surprise at the sight of a long-eared, bright eyed ALIEN child!
"Yo, Minto-chan!" he chirped happily.
And thus was the scene when Ryou and Keiichiro stormed in. All three girls had their jaws dropped in shock, eyes wide, and stunned to silence. Meanwhile the little blond sat atop Minto beaming at them as though nothing at all was out of the ordinary.
Ryou approached first and inhaled sharply when he saw the boy. Keiichiro was right behind him but gave a much calmer response, as was his nature. "Ah," he smiled, "I see you've found him."
The Cyniclon looked from one to the other with a serious expression and said nothing more.
"Ahem!" Minto exclaimed when she managed to find her voice again. "Would someone mind getting this child off me?"
"Aw! He's so CUTE, na no da!" Pudding cried cheerfully as she bent down to scoop him up.
But the young alien jerked away so fast that it caused Minto to bump against the wall. He sat with his back pressed firmly against her, glaring distrustfully up at the monkey Mew. Pudding blinked in confusion.
"It's okay," Lettuce tried, "we won't hurt you."
"That's right!" Pudding smiled, "We're the good guys, na no da!"
Minto was rapidly losing her patience, as could be noticed by the tic mark pulsing on her forehead.
"Just how did he get here anyway?" Ryou wondered aloud.
"We're not sure, na no da." Pudding was still fixated on the wary little blond. "Ask Minto onee-chan, she's the one who found him, no da!"
All eyes—save Pudding's—turned to Minto whose face was reddening with anger. "I didn't find him!" she snapped at the spectators, "He rammed me from behind when I was fighting a Crisect and knocked me off a boat!"
"What were you doing on a boat?" Keiichiro asked innocently. With the little floating robots gone the two had less footage to go by when the Mew Mews were engaged in battle.
"I was—ooh—never mind! Just get him OFF of me! NOW!"
Ryou stepped forward but the kid obliged her himself. Hopping up he stood casually by her side as she accepted Ryou's hand and was lifted to her feet. Minto took a moment to smooth the wrinkles out of her uniform before turning to glare at the child.
"What in the world possessed you to come barreling in here and tackling me to the ground?" she demanded. "Don't you have any manners?"
"Minto-san!" Keiichiro coaxed, "Please, calm down. He's only a child."
"Yes Minto-san," Lettuce nodded with a bead of sweat forming on her brow, "he was probably just overjoyed to see a friendly face."
Pudding narrowed her eyes and muttered incredulously, "You call that a 'friendly face'?"
Minto's glare darkened. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"
"Back to the matter at hand," Ryou coughed, "We now have a lost Cyniclon on our hands and let's not forget that those Crisects could be back any minute."
"What should we do?" Lettuce questioned, stealing a worried glance at the boy. "He fell out of one of their portals. They may come looking for him!"
Keiichiro stepped forward and knelt down, "I am Keiichiro Akasaka," he introduced himself to the child, "please rest assured that you are safe here at the secret base of the Tokyo Mew Mew. You have my word that we will all do our very best to protect you."
The kid stared at him emotionlessly so he continued.
"It would help us a lot if we knew how you got here. Maybe we can help you get back home to your family?"
Orange eyes blinked at him a few times then turned up to face the sulking bird Mew. Minto jolted when she felt a small hand reach out and take hold of her dress hem. Looking down she saw him staring up her with big, imploring eyes. She felt a sudden tug in her chest. What's the matter with me? And why does he have to keep looking at me like that?
"Well," Ryou's voice broke the silence that had fallen over them, "for some reason he seems to be attached to Minto." Said Mew shot him a dirty look. "So it's best that he stays with her until we can figure out a way to send him back home. Minto, maybe you can get him to talk to you?"
The blue-clad waitress huffed and folded her arms. "I think it's a ridiculous idea! Just how am I supposed to get him past Nana and the housekeeping staff?"
"You'll figure something out," Ryou dismissed her objection. "It's a big mansion. You've got plenty of room to hide him."
"Why can't he just stay here with YOU?" she shouted and stamped her foot.
"Keiichiro and I will be too busy with research to look after a kid." he waved the matter off. "And besides, it's better for one of you to watch over him incase the Crisects attack."
"Then let Pudding do it!" she jerked a finger at the monkey Mew.
"Pudding would love-"
"Pudding already has enough children to take care of," Ryou interrupted.
The blonde Mew slumped forward, "-oh, right, na no da."
Minto started to feel cornered. "Then what about Lettuce?"
"Um, it's not that I don't want to help," the porpoise girl murmured sadly, "but my house is a lot smaller than yours Minto-san. It would be even harder for me to hide him from my parents and Uri. I'm so sorry!"
Minto exhaled loudly in defeat. It looked like she was stuck with the brat.
"So you see," Ryou boasted a smug grin, "it really is best that he stays with you, Minto."
"Fine!" she growled, "But the rest of you owe me! And don't bother asking me for anymore favors, not after this!"
Everyone seemed okay with that. The Cyniclon couldn't have been happier with the decision. Minto was his first choice, whether she liked him or not didn't much matter. Attention was attention and at least here he wasn't getting overlooked. He had a feeling his reluctant caregiver wouldn't dare to take her eyes off of him for a second. This is going to be so much fun!
Back on the unidentified child's home planet Pai was once again staring at the holo-projection of their capitol city. This time he was grimly surveying the damage done by the latest Crisect attack.
Again the air rippled behind him with teleportation energy. This time however, his green haired companion was not alone. Beside him a smaller Cyniclon with chestnut brown pigtails hovered. Both regarded the oldest with looks of concern. Pai had always been the more serious and realistic member of the group. The lavender haired alien seemed the most cut-out to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders, though sometimes he became so fixated with the end result that he got carried away with the means. Such was evident in the way he'd ruthlessly persisted in extracting information from the Mews' robot Masha after capturing it on a fluke.
"Kisshu, Taruto," he acknowledged them without sparing a glance, "as you can see from these images the red zone in Sector 12 has been nearly demolished by the alien invaders. This time five people were killed, and nine others injured. And this was only a small scale attack. If this continues the city will be in ruins within a week."
"What about the inner domes?" Kisshu queried, "Shouldn't they provide us with protection against the aliens?"
"If we'd had more time to perfect them, upgrade them, and make them more durable against technological attacks, perhaps they might. But as it stands," Pai turned to his comrades with a grave look in his cold, calculating eyes, "our defenses simply aren't strong enough to hold them off much longer."
The floating figures gasped and exchanged distraught glances. "So what should we do?" Taruto blurted helplessly
"Our only hope is to recruit outside forces to help us battle the enemy. Otherwise our people stand no chance of victory. The aliens will destroy us all."
"You mean ask for help from some other species?" Kisshu questioned. "From another planet?"
"Hm," Taruto struck a thoughtful pose, "who do we know that we could ask for help?"
"There is only one choice," Pai stated emphatically.
"The Tokyo Mew Mew." Kisshu finished.
To be continued…