Summary:

Kish and Ichigo are together and things are going smoothly--were going smoothly. Why is Kish the one having nightmares now? And how does Deep Blue fit into all of this? Who's the one that needs saving this time--and will Ichigo be the one to do it?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew or any of its affiliates because I'm more than content enough to eat a Klondike bar.

--

Chapter 1: No, Not Again…

Ichigo laughed, the giggles escaping before she could hush them. The red blindfold tickled the edges of her cheeks, making her want to push it aside; but she kept one hand at her side and the other nestled lovingly into Kish's. He fell right into her short outburst; they were addictive, as always.

"Just tell me where we're going!" she pleaded once more.

"We'll be there soon, Ichigo." But he just responded with the same answer.

It was extremely difficult for her to pout when he made her so cheerful. As a matter of fact, it was getting harder and harder to find things she could get mad at him for doing. Even when he got into the occasional mischief, it was just to do something for her. He ran four blocks last week with Mrs. Rheingold's Chihuahua, Snap, biting away at his heels. His answer was just:

"I tried to get Ichigo some flowers. How was I to know he liked my shoes so much?" He'd held up two pots of purple Dianthus as evidence he wasn't lying.

Snap had a fetish for fine Italian leather. Kish unfortunately had the money to buy some. At least he'd been in his human form.

The pots were resting on her balcony at home, gathering sunlight. They were brown pots with little black cats and strawberries scribbled all over them in beautiful paint strokes. Well, they were beautiful to her. Maybe not Da Vinci. When she'd inquired to the obviously handmade designs, he'd perked up and explained everything he'd been doing in a rush.

"I went to a Home Depot and there was this station for first time painters that let you choose some plants from the nursery and paint your own pot! I put kitties and strawberries on yours 'cause I know how much you like them! I even put hearts on the bottom of both of them with my name in the middle." He placed it over her head so she could see. "It's in white so you can see it clearly. Just keep it outside, and when they're older, we can put them in a bigger pot or we can make our own garden, huh? That'd be fun!" And Kish had launched into his usual excitable chatter.

It was a nice memory that she'd always love.

Ichigo turned her attention back to the present situation. She could feel grass beneath her feet. True, she had on sandals, but by the way she had to be careful not to plow into Kish with every step she took, it was her best guess.

"It's slippery--be careful."

"Thanks. I think I got that."

"Oh, so crabby, aren't we?"

"Only 'cause you're really late."

"You're smart. I'd assumed you'd already known. Just checking on you."

She blushed. "Thank you very much, then."

He noticed. "No need to be dazzled."

"Okay, you can shut up now."

"We're almost there."

"Get a new catch phrase."

"But it's true!"

"I never said you were lying."

He shook his head. "You can be so cruel sometimes."

"You'd have an idea of that, wouldn't you?" she replied airily.

"Where do you think I got it from?"

"No comment."

"I am now scared."

"And yet I'm the one being led through the dark by an alien with a blindfold over my eyes."

"We're here."

"You've been saying that all along and--we are?"

He laughed, snatching off the fabric that obstructed her view. His golden eyes filled her vision. Once again, Ichigo's face gained the regular red blush that seemed to creep up on her all the time. His eyes smiled and danced, never breaking from her gaze. So when they did so suddenly, she had to blink a few times to get their image out of her sight amidst the dots.

When the girl regained her bearings, Kish was already skipping ahead of her; his marble silhouette outlined silver by the moon. She could only gaze--mesmerized--at his tall, elegant figure twirling so deftly in the purplish-black night that was splattered with thin clouds and splayed with brightened stars.

He paused in his play and held out his hand; the wind kissing his emerald hair with a gentle breeze.

"Why are you standing there? Already taken aback and the lake is just around the corner."

"You don't even get it. You have no idea how perfect you are." she murmured, unknown to his hearing, and hurried to catch up to him.

--

Gathering her small, cool hand into his strong, warm one, he resumed to lead her through the defined, and naturally overrun by tree-branch debris, path. She tripped only twice on their way down the twisting walkway, which was a new high for the ditzy cat girl. She beamed proudly, her smile masked by the serene night. Why were they risking injury by going through this route, anyway? She fell silent to the crickets singing.

"They sound pretty, huh?" he went on conversationally.

"Yeah, they do." Ichigo answered, closing her eyes.

"We don't have them on our planet. I was surprised when I first heard them."

"What about when you first saw them?"

"Err…I uh…accidentally got so surprised and caught off guard that I…flewintoabuilding!" he rushed, the tips of his ears beet red.

"Oh, that must of hurt!" she cooed, "Did you have to pay for damages?"

He blinked and nearly tripped himself at her response. "Um, no. I just teleported away. Besides, we never paid for the damages caused in our Plan anyway, right?"

The 'Plan' was what they referred to as the 'plan to take over the Earth, back when they were enemies and trying to run a dagger through each other's heart'. They were connected by an arrow now, shot by Cupid.

Suddenly, he pushed her roughly through a narrow passage in the bushes. She fell to her knees and looked up.

There was a glittering blue lake reflected in her eyes.

Kish pushed himself through, picking thorns and briars off his jacket.

"Sorry, but if I had hesitated, you might have gotten scratched."

He heard her about to say "You could have warned me!" and went on:

"If you had hesitated, you'd have gotten caught up in it--which is very bad."

She remained quiet and just stared across the vast expanse of water that granted a mirror to the white crater-embedded moon most people dreamed of seeing as clearly as she did at that moment.

Kish resumed his explanation, sitting next to her.

"I found this place a few weeks after I landed on Earth. It looks beautiful as ever in the daylight, but at night…it's like you expect fairies to jump out and skim the surface--illuminate the air with silver clouds of dust and all that magical splendor you still have a piece of you believing in to come out. And the way the air hugs the tree branches, making them sway and dip close to the water's edge, sending off ripples like soldiers, one after the other. It's just--extravagant, isn't it…? Ichigo?"

She was staring at him, her red orbs wide.

"This place that has no name,

This one splendor time has entrusted to me

And I give it to you.

I snuggle it deep in your heart between that space for me

And that sleeping wish I'm going to awaken

When you're strong enough to finally see

That glittering blue hue right outside of your vision,

'Cause I want you to see it and

I want you to stand next to me when I really do."

She sang quietly, the words a soft whisper escaping her lips.

He closed his eyes and laid back against the dew-encased grass, seeming to not notice it. His lids flickered and a smiled played on his lips. Cream rings pulsated his body and Ichigo saw the clearly. They triggered her own pink rings and they mixed to make an angel-light color halfway.

But Kish's breath stuttered. His eyes opened wildly and he spoke hurriedly:

"Something's happening. Get out! Get away from here now!"

"No! I'm not leaving!"

She jumped up and grabbed her pendant, flipping it into the clean night air and kissing it. Ichigo pushed off the ground and in a flurry of silver dew drops being sprayed, she landed on her toes as Mew Ichigo.

Kish's eyes were closed now. But his aura was still pulsating. There was a difference, however.

The soft cream aura was slowly being stained by sharp blue shades.

When his eyes reopened, they forced a Ichigo's mouth open, but she found no sound exploding into the secret of the night.

Kish's eyes were blue; rimmed with black and were now staring at her.

"Get out of him!" she screamed, rushing at the intruder.

Using his body, what was remaining of Deep Blue stopped the flailing limbs of the cat girl by grabbing onto both her wrists forcefully and gazing into her tearstained face. He said his sentences carefully.

"I've stopped growing. There will be no more return of me. I've realized that I can't ever retain any forms I choose, human or animal, alien or plant. My existence has been chosen to end." A bitter smile spread across his lips. "I was able to bottle up some of the last Healer's clan's magic before I finished them off. It came in handy. I had every intention of killing Kish off by giving him what was left of the power I'd acquired--the little traitor--then go after you in your weakened state of human mourning."

He sighed.

"But his body adapted nicely to the powers and though locked, proved no harm to him. So I just went after you. Even after it all, you two managed to stop me."

"You're lying!" she shrieked. "You're going to try to kill me or make me think I'm safe in my bed, when I'm really walking into your claws, right!? No! You aren't going to hurt Kish or me!"

His grip tightened.

"It's pushing me to the breaking point just doing this. Do you really think I'd have the strength to latch poison-tipped spikes under your mattress?"

She was silent as he chuckled sadly.

"I am going to leave you with a parting curse, however."

What used to be Kish's eyes slit into a dangerous blue glare. Ichigo's boot dug into the wet grass as she stared at the lethal ex-alien dictator before her. Talking to her. Explaining things to her.

"Who would you tell me any of this?" she asked quietly.

"You'll need to give me my credit at his funeral, won't you?"

With a long, straight cackle piercing Ichigo's heart with a damp fear, Kish's eyes dulled to a regular mustard seed yellow. Not his sunflower yellow--his topaz sparkle.

"Ichigo…" he breathed wearily.

Then he collapsed into her embrace, lids closing off her worried whimpers.

--

Yay! New story! Tell me what you think, okay? And if you think the title's alright, 'cause I'm not too sure about it.

Audience: Are you kiding? (scoffs) When are you ever sure about anything?

Me: (eye twitching) And thank you, anti-headache medicine.

Audience: (shrugs) It's a living.

See you later:

Porcelian-Carrier-67