Chapter Ten: What's in your Heart

Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Tokyo Mew Mew, nor do I claim any of the ideas, images, or othermaterial of Tokyo Mew Mew and/or all versions/variations/spinoffs of the series. Tokyo Mew Mew was created by illustrator Mia Ikumi and writer Reiko Yoshida and all credit should go to them.

A/N:

The Last Chapter! YAY one story complete!

-This is my first FanFiction ever. Please review, and let me know what needs to be fixed and improved upon.

-If a sentence begins and ends with '...' then it is a thought and is not said out loud

e.x. 'I can't believe that'

Alternate Universe

"I have to leave, I have to fight." There was something burning inside Ichigo. Something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"What the hell! Why?" Kisshu was so relieved she had woken up but he had thought she would be happy to see him, or at least not cry all the time but even now she had tears in her eyes.

" Look I need to find something, I don't know what it is but I need to find it I have to find it!"

"After all this, all we've been through, all I've done for you… you're just going to leave. Do you think you can walk out of here! I won't let you. I'll stop you. I LOVE YOU!"

"Your love is a falsehood!" She couldn't help it, she yelled it. Somehow it seemed clearer to her now.

"Fuck you! You seemed to like me well enough before, what's changed?"

"I saw it," her voice was small, full of pain, "I saw what happened to your world. I know you must have suffered…but I can't. I can't let that happen. Not here, never here and never again."

"So you are going to single handedly save the Earth? Is it worth saving, look at your people. They don't even want to save themselves."

"I'm not alone, I have Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro, Ryou and Keiichiro…and even Masaya. And other good people. There is good and given the chance it will grow!" The words just swelled up in her chest and burst out of your mouth. There was such power in her, in her spirit.

"The only thing that grow in them is selfishness, greed and hatred. They don't want to change, they want to use and destroy. They want to hate."

"Some of them want to love!" That was it! That's what was in her heart…love. Love for all things, all people. Compassion and understanding. Love is what could save the Earth. Love for her friends and family and love for Masaya.

"Do you think he'll take you back?" The words dripped in distain. Kisshu knew it would hurt her, that the question would sting.

"I don't know but I love him anyways. Please understand that I love him more than even you love me. I love this Earth the way you loved your home. And I have to fight, I have to overcome my own shortcoming. I am not alone. I have a whole planet, and friends that will find me!" She didn't need to raise her voice; she knew Kisshu couldn't deny the truth in her words.

Kisshu was defeated. He realized the empathy Ichigo had for him but it did little to comfort him.

"They've already found you. It's been days, they know you're here they just haven't been able to get to you." Kisshu knew that whatever he and Ichigo had shared in this other world, in this pocket dimension he had created for them couldn't last.

"It's only a matter of time before they find you, and…and…you're not worth holding on to!" As much as Kisshu tried he couldn't get angry, couldn't muster the strength to hate her. 'This must be the kind of love she feels for..for…someone else.'

"I'm leaving. Please don't try to stop me."

"You idiot do you think I'd risk my life for you?" Ichigo could tell he was putting on a mask, he almost sounded like the normal Kisshu.

"I'll defeat you and those stupid Mew Mews the next time. If I had more strength I'd do it now but dealing with your sorry ass is exhausting!" The universe Kisshu had created started to slowly melt away. Sunlight flooded Ichigo's view blinding her temporarily.

"Just know this…" Kisshu yelled out to Ichigo.

"what you'll kill me next time we meet?" Ichigo called back.

"…my love was never a falsehood." Kisshu's voice faded as she fell to the ground.

"Ichigo! Pudding Pudding will catch her with my Pudding Ring!" But before Pudding could Ryou jumped up and caught her.

"Oh man Ryou took away all Pudding's fun!"

"Are you ok? Did he hurt you? I'll kill him!" Ryou usually calm demeanor gave way under all stress and anxiety the Mew Mew team had been feeling for the past week.

"No I'm fine really. How is everyone here?"

"How can you be worried about us? You're the one who was kidnapped for a week!" Lettuce was both touched and frustrated by her friend's concern for their wellbeing when she had been in so much trouble.

"A whole week! My mom's going to freak!"

"Don't worry, I explain to her that we were going on a fieldtrip but I don't know how long we could have kept her off our tail. You should thank me!" Mint was, though she never showed it, extremely relieved.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Keiichiro's kind expression was such a welcome.

"Yes. Is everyone here?"

"I came as soon as I could." Zakuro was, as ever, calm and collected. "I brought someone with me..." Masaya was nervously waiting to see her. He instantly grabbed her, pulling her into a painful hug.

"Tell me you're ok, tell me he didn't hurt you."

"I'm fine but…" she averted her eyes from his.

"Whatever it is we'll overcome it, together." Masaya didn't need to know right then what had happened, he only needed her safe.