Mew Amai

Episode 8 Part 2

Night had arrived, the moonlight glistening on the surface of the water. The party inside the ship was winding down a little, and the girls were all helping to clean up, minus Amai, who was still on deck. The twisting of her emotions had slightly settled, but they still nagged at her.

Her gaze moved up to the moon, which was big and bright in the sky above. "I can't let all this push me around, but I can't ignore it, either. What am I gonna do?" A sigh left her.

Suddenly, there was a dim glow that radiated from the water, lasting for barely a second, yet Amai saw it, as well as felt something warm in her chest. She looked around. "What was that? What did I just feel?"

It was like a pulse, quickly there, then not. It was a nice feeling, but was so strange and sudden. Amai looked around again, yet her eyes saw nothing. Maybe she imagined it?

BAM!!!

Something slammed the yacht, shaking it violently. The water turned a deep red color, like wine. Amai held onto the railing tightly, gasping when giant Chimera fish sprung up from the water. "What is that?!"

Ryou and the others came running up. "Chimera Animal?!" Pudding pointed up at the sky. "The aliens are here!" They were, indeed, but they were not Kisshu. One was a boy with brown hair and orange eyes, around Pudding's age, the other was violet-haired and had near-black eyes, at least Retasu or Zakuro's age.

Amai's lungs clamped. She was right, there were more of them.

"Oh, my God."

"They're not the same one as before." "Another new enemy?!" Amai swallowed and turned to her friends. "Come on, guys!"

"Retasu isn't here!" Pudding stated, but Zakuro urged them that they needed to handle the situation first. Transforming, Tokyo Mew Mew sprung into action. A few hits were made, but it was too difficult to fully destroy the creatures when they went underwater, as Mint said when she was smacked into Ichigo.

Amai carefully avoided getting whacked by large tails and fins while trying to keep the monsters above water long enough to make an impact on them.

"What do we do?!" No one had an answer. They only thing they really could do was keep trying. Amai had just dodged one Chimera's swipe when the feeling in her chest returned.

"What?"

It was a bigger feeling, warmer, even. She gazed down to the sea, where a spot was glowing a bright blue and spreading all around, wiping the poisonous red away. From that spot shot out Retasu, the lower half of her body a mermaid's tail, with one of Pudding's siblings in her arms. "Retasu!" She shouted along with Mint and Ichigo. Pudding pushed up a Chimera's jaws. "You saved him! Huacha!"

Amai grinned, proud of Retasu. Slamming behind her made her turn, and she saw Zakuro flinging Chimeras onto the deck with her whip, the shape of it like a fishing hook. That made it easy for Amai to deliver the finishing blow.

After the chaos was gone, Pudding embraced her little brother. "Huacha, I'm so glad you're okay!" She turned to Retasu. "Thank you so much, Retasu!" Mint grinned at the greenette. "I knew you could do it if you tried." "Th-thanks." Retasu blushed, embarrassed. Amai stepped up. "You jumped into the ocean even though you couldn't swim! That's so like you!" The blush on Retasu's cheeks darkened.

"Retasu..." Ryou said, the girl's head lifting up. "Good job." His comment made her beam, and she walked over to him. "Thank you! It's all thanks to your magic drink!" Ryou looked confused for a second, then he smiled. "Oh, that was just a regular orange juice."

"Huh?!" Retasu was shocked, but he went on. "Have you ever heard of the placebo effect? When you drank it, you believed it would make you stronger. When you jumped into the ocean and were able to swim, and when you saved Huacha, that was all you."

Retasu looked down. "Just me?"

Ryou placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's right. When you tell yourself you're no good, and that you can't, you slam on your own brakes and lose the ability to do things you're capable of." He leaned down a little. "Have more faith in yourself!"

He stood up straight. "Right, shall we head home?" He let go of her shoulder and walked away, Retasu's eyes following him.

The following day at the café, Retasu was in a much better mood. She stood a little taller and carried herself with more confidence.

"She's more confident in herself." Amai said, watching her friend work with the others. "And confidence influences performance. It's vital." Zakuro added.

Ichigo stepped forward, determination on her face. "You can do it if you believe, so I'm gonna believe in myself!" Before Amai or anyone else could question her meaning, the redhead grabbed one of the tablecloths. "One, two..."

"Wait, Ichigo, don't!"

Too late. Poor Ichigo tumbled over, teacups and plates following close behind. Everyone just stood there, deadpan expressions on all of them. Amai sighed. "Oh, Ichigo."