Welcome to the second installment of the Alien Uprising Trilogy: Alien Upgrade!

*EDIT* This will be updated sporadically until further notice. Explanation in second chapter.

This story is rated T for violence, blood, hint of lime, character abuse, etc.

Pairings included: Kish/Ichigo, Pie/Lettuce, Tart/Pudding, Shinji (OC)/Mint, Ryou/Zakuro, Keiichiro/Rin (OC), Masaya/Homare (OC).

I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew, and I never will. However, I do lay claim to any and all OCs this story includes.

I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter One:

Ichigo frowned as Kish let out a hacking, painful cough. She gently rubbed his back as he wheezed.

"It hurts," Kish moaned, rubbing his chest with his hand as he leaned back against the pillows.

"I know it does," Ichigo said soothingly. She cupped his warm cheek in her hand, and he leaned his head in, her skin soothingly cool against the fever. "And I know you're in pain. Just relax, Rirī's working on making you something so that you can sleep."

Kish nodded and leaned against her, Ichigo wrapping her arms around him.

Ichigo looked across the room, where Lettuce was going through a similar process with Pie, gently stroking his ears to get him to relax. In between the two couples was Pudding, lying on Tart's bed, Tart gently stroking her hair and holding her as she coughed.

Lettuce and Ichigo met each other's gaze sadly. They were both worried about their boyfriends and teammate. It had been a two days since the New Year's Eve battle, and Kish, Pudding and Pie had been sick for a little over twenty-four hours now. The cough had started out innocent enough, but within a few hours it got so that they could barely breathe and couldn't keep standing.

Lettuce waited anxiously as Rirī placed her ear against Pie's back, his forehead leaning against Lettuce's shoulder. The healer-in-training frowned and gently eased Pie back into his previous position of lying against propped up pillows. To both girls' relief, Pie's eyes were still closed, indicating that he was still sleeping.

"I think we're going to have to take them to the hospital," Rirī said, gently placing her hand on Pie's sweaty forehead. She scowled at how warm his skin was under her hand. "I think they have pneumonia."

"Rirī," Ichigo said softly as she ran her fingers over Kish's hair, the teenage boy sleeping restlessly despite the sleeping medication Rirī had given him. "I'm starting to think that this is beyond being sick."

"What do you mean?" Rin asked as she entered the room carrying a tray full of glasses of water.

"I mean, I think there is something wrong," Ichigo said. "I've just got this feeling that there is something really, really wrong with them, but we're overlooking something."

"I think Ichigo's right," Mint said as she, Zakuro, Ryou and Keiichiro entered the room. "There is something happening to Kish, Pudding and Pie. The way they are now, I don't think there is any possible way for this to happen overnight."

"I agree," Rirī said. She took a deep breath and said, "We're missing something. A little key fact that could help us help them."

"It's like we have to play the game from kindergarten," Zakuro said. "You know, when the teacher sets down an apple, an orange and a pear and asks what they have in common."

"We just have to ask what Pudding, Kish and Pie have in common." Keiichiro said.

"They have all been sick a lot," Rōzu said from her chair.

"That's right," Rin said, remembering. "They all had laryngitis last month."

"And colds in November," Ichigo added.

"And the stomach bug in October," Lettuce said. "But how does being sick then have anything to do with them being sick now?"

"No one else got sick," Ryou said. "That must mean that something happened to only them that didn't happen to anyone else."

"They all had nightmares followed by seizures," Mint said, trying to wrack her memory.

Tart suddenly sat up straighter, his eyes wide.

"Mylo's knife," He muttered.

"What about it?" Rin asked.

"They were all hurt by Mylo's knife," Tart said. "Originally Kish when Mylo tried to kill him, Pie when Mylo stabbed his leg, and Pudding…" Tart looked sadly at the girl sleeping beside him. "Pudding was sliced when she saved me."

Everyone turned to look at Rirī.

"Is it possible that there was something on the knife that has made them sick?" Zakuro asked.

Rirī scowled but nodded.

"It's not uncommon for Cyniclon warriors to put poison into or on blades," Rirī said. "It also makes sense as to why when Masaya and I studied Pie and Pudding's blood samples we found an unusual amount of white blood cells. Yes. I believe they've been poisoned."

"Okay," Keiichiro said, taking a deep breath. "What kind?"

"I don't know," Rirī said. "If I did, I would have thought of it back when they had the seizures and nightmares. When the Mew Aqua was used to restore Cynnth, new species of plants appeared, and all the properties of those plants have yet to be discovered. If I don't know the poison, I can't find the antidote."

"This is my fault," Ichigo mumbled, grasping Kish's hand.

"How is it your fault?" Mint asked. "You're not the one who poisoned the blade or stabbed anyone with it."

"I threw the knife back at Mylo the very first time we battled him, remember?" Ichigo said. "And he caught it. I as good as hurt Pudding and Pie."

"It should be me," Tart murmured, pulling Pudding to his chest as he closed his eyes. "It should be me instead of her. She shouldn't have saved me."

Lettuce stood up, her eyes full of fire and she alternately glared at Ichigo and Tart.

"Look, you two, feeling guilty about other people's actions isn't going to help anyone, not to mention is frankly ridiculous. We need a plan, and we need it now." She said. Everyone stared at her in shock, except Rin, who chuckled blandly as she stared at the floor.

"You've been hanging out with Pie so much, Lettuce, you're starting to sound like him," She said. She lifted her head. "But you're right. We need a plan."

"I take it you have one," Zakuro said.

"That I do," Rin said, standing up. "We go to the only person in the universe who has more healing knowledge and expertise than Rirī."

"Mama?" Rōzu asked, her eyes wide. Rin nodded.

"Everyone pack a bag," Rin said. "We're going to Cynnth."

"Um, have the warrants for our arrests and subsequent deaths completely slipped your mind?" Rirī asked, getting to her feet as well.

"I know it's risky, but it's the best we can do," Rin said. "It's better than sitting here wondering which is going to kill them first: the pneumonia or the poison?"

No one could particularly argue with that point. Rin walked out of the room, calling behind her,

"We leave in an hour."

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"So what are we supposed to do when Mylo takes over the world because you're all on Cynnth?" Shinji asked. He and Masaya had met the others in front of the alien's ship to say good-bye.

"Masaya will fill you in on Plan Z," Ryou said, slinging Ichigo's duffel bag over his shoulder.

"And I've informed you I don't want to be what starts the Zombie Apocalypse!" Masaya said in an exasperated manner.

"Ah, come on, haven't you always wanted to be king of the undead?" Ryou teased.

"I don't even want to be captain of the kendo team!" Masaya exclaimed.

"Explain to me again why you all have to go to Cynnth?" Shinji asked nervously.

"It's basically a safety in numbers thing," Mint explained, kissing his cheek. "Because even though Kish, Pie and Pudding are going, there is no way they'll be in any shape to fight if they have to."

"And?" Masaya said, narrowing his eyes, glaring particularly at Ichigo.

"And what?" Ichigo asked innocently. "What's that look for?"

"And you are planning on usurping Mylo's cousin Topaz," Masaya said.

"Wait, Topaz as in crazy Topaz?" Shinji said. "As in the chick who—from what Rin, Kish and Tart say—is literally obsessed with Pie?"

"The one and only," Rōzu said sardonically.

"May I remind you that there is a more than likely chance Topaz has a bigger army on Cynnth than Mylo has on Earth?" Masaya said, exasperated.

"We're aware of that," Tart said darkly as he came down the ship's ramp. "We know we're taking risks, but we have to try."

"Besides," Keiichiro said. "We had Masha do a scan of the entire city, and Ryou and I searched Earth's atmosphere. Mylo's ship is here, but there are only a few aliens. Even at their base, there's only three of them, none of which we consider threats. We have reason to believe that Mylo has temporarily gone back to Cynnth to recruit. Hopefully, we can put a stop to it."

"What's going to happen when and if you get captured, then?" Masaya asked.

"Then we're just going to have to hope that the Mew Mew Zombies can hold off Mylo long enough for us to escape," Ryou said with a sarcastic grin. Masaya glared at him.

"Are you guys ready?" Zakuro asked, coming down the ramp. "Rin has the ship ready for take-off and she wants to take off in the next five minutes."

The others nodded and said their good-byes.

"Good luck," Shinji said.

"Thanks," Mint said.

They all knew they were going to need it.

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Ichigo ran her fingers through Kish's sweat-soaked hair, trying to comfort him as he slept restlessly. He was still wheezing and now had a high fever. It was a five hour flight, thankfully, and they were about to land.

"Stay seated until I tell you," Rin's voice said from over the intercom.

Ichigo nodded vaguely, knowing Rin couldn't see it. Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the tears there would recede. She was scared, and she wanted Kish to be better.

"Ko-Neko-Chan?" Kish muttered in his sleep.

"Shh," Ichigo said gently. "It's okay, I'm here."

Kish didn't say anything after that, just kept breathing uneasily.

Ichigo felt a gentle thump, then the hum of the ship's engine die beneath her feet. Ryou and Zakuro entered the room, already wearing thick jackets and boots.

"Let's get him wrapped up," Zakuro said, giving a reassuring smile to Ichigo.

Ichigo, Ryou and Zakuro worked together to get Kish into his jacket, then continued to bundle him up in warm clothes before finally wrapping him tightly up in a blanket.

"He's going to over-heat," Ichigo said worriedly.

"Rirī says that they need to stay warm," Ryou said as he carefully picked up Kish. "Right now, it's below freezing outside. She doesn't want them to get worse than they already are."

Ichigo nodded and followed Zakuro and Ryou out the door.

When they got out into the hall, they saw that everyone else was bundled up for the trek outdoors. Tart held Pudding—who was wrapped like a burrito—to his chest, while Keiichiro and Rin together were supporting Pie, who was too tall and broad for them to carry.

"We are currently on the edge of the property," Rin explained. "The house is a thirty minute walk from here."

"Thirty minutes!" Mint exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"It's an estimate, considering the amount of snow," Rin said. "We cannot teleport, Rirī has already discovered that there are teleportation blockers up."

"Do we even know if your parents are here?" Lettuce asked.

"Yes, I did a life-form scan on the house," Rin said. "Two adults, one infant. Matches perfectly."

"Do they know that we're coming?" Ryou asked.

"No, the communication systems on the ship are still in need of repair," Rin said. She frowned. "I feel like there's so many ways this can go wrong."

"We can't think like that," Lettuce said. "We have no other options. If we don't make it to the house…"

Lettuce closed her eyes tightly and stopped talking, but they all knew what she had been trying to say.

They either succeeded, or Kish, Pudding and Pie died.

"Then let's stop wasting time," Tart said in a low voice.

The others nodded and they headed for the landing ramp.

It was night on Cynnth. They had hoped that it would be a clear night so that they could be guided from the light of Cynnth's two moons and the stars. But, no, it was snowing, and snowing hard.

"It has never been this bad," Rirī called over the howling wind as they trudged through the deep snow, fighting against the wind as they went.

"I think there's something wrong!" Rin yelled.

"Wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"Do we need to head back?" Lettuce asked.

"No, keep going," Rin yelled. "We're almost there! I see lights from the house!"

They didn't speak after that, and silently rejoiced as they saw candles in the windows of the stone cottage.

It was all quite literally a blur as they finally approached the door. They shivered as they watched Rōzu knock on the door.

They heard nothing for a long time. They looked at each other, frightened. What did this mean? Then finally…

"Who goes there?" A deep, male voice demanded from the other side of the door.

"Papa?" Rōzu called. "Papa, please open the door."

There was silence for a second.

"Rōzu?" The man's voice said. "Rōzu, mesume, is it truly you?"

"Yes, Papa, now please let us in!" Rōzu called, tears now in her eyes, happy to hear her father's voice after many long months without him.

The door creaked open tentatively. Behind it stood a man with waist-length auburn hair with one pigtail hanging against the side of his face and bright bronze eyes. The man was just barely taller than Pie, but just as broad. His facial features were a perfect blend of Pie and Tart's.

Rōzu threw her arms around his waist and he ran his hand over her head for a minute, looking around the front stoop at the others. He regarded the humans warily, but his eyes brightened as he met those of Tart, Rirī and Rin.

Rin gave the man a small smile.

"Papa," She said. "We need help."