THIS TOOK SO LOOOONG! But I was determined to get it done before I left for my vacation on the 13th so... here you go. I'm obsessed with Tokyo Mew Mew again so... I had to write another fic for it. And you guys know me, Zakuro x Minto all the way xD So if Yuri or this pairing isn't your cup of tea, why did you click on the link for this anyway?

For all of you who DO like Yuri and DO support this lovely pairing, I hope you enjoy! This is a gift for all of you :)

All of the long scenes in normal font are scenes that are currently happening; any of the long scenes written entirely in italics like this are flashback scenes. Just so you guys know.

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own shit of Tokyo Mew Mew or Mew Mew Power. If I did, Ichigo and Ryou would be going out, Lettuce and Pai would be an official couple, Pudding and Taruto would have kissed in the anime, and the Zakuro x Minto pairing would not just be 'hinted' at. It would be completely canon.

Don't Cry

Zakuro, Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding ran hastily along the streets of Tokyo, car horns honking at them angrily as they mindlessly passed through traffic. They had transformed back from their Mew forms only a few moments earlier, allowing the heavy rain to drench their clothes. The howling wind was vicious, stinging the wounds that havocked their bodies and causing their hair to whip around in a blinding mess, but the four Mews pushed on. They had to.

The purple haired model tightened her hold around the raven haired dancer in her arms, cradling Minto's head closer to her chest. Zakuro noticed blood on her clothes that didn't belong to her, which just made her run even faster. Just a couple more minutes and they would be there. They had to make it. Oh please, God, they had to make it!

"We need help! Somebody, please! Now!"

After the wolf Mew hysterically kicked open the hospital doors, Ichigo's outburst caught the attention of many citizens in the waiting room, and, thankfully, the attention of a doctor. He rushed over immediately with a mobile bed in tow.

"What happened?" he asked, running his gaze over the raven haired girl in Zakuro's arms.

"She fell down a lot of stairs. She hit her head badly," Zakuro explained quickly through locked teeth, her normally calm tone stricken with worry.

"A-And we think her arm might be broken," Lettuce added shakily in concern.

"Please, you have to help her na no da!" Pudding begged to the man, feeling tears form behind her eyes.

"It's going to be alright, just put her down gently."

Zakuro did as the doctor told her and gently placed Minto down on the bed, her sapphire gaze never leaving Minto's face. By this time a nurse had arrived to help pull the bed through the lobby, the Mews following so that Minto wouldn't leave their vision. The doctor pulled out a mini-flashlight from the chest pocket of his uniform, opened up Minto's eyelids, and shone the light in both of her chocolate eyes, checking for any reactions.

"The patient is unconscious," he informed his fellow worker and the four Mew Mews while clicking off his flashlight and putting it back in his chest pocket. "Her pupils are unequal and unresponsive."

"What? What does that mean?" Ichigo asked hurriedly.

"Is she going to be okay? Please, she has to be!" Lettuce said in fear, her heart pulsing in uneasiness for her friend.

"Please, relax," the doctor responded without missing a beat, his expression suddenly becoming much more serious. "You have to give us some room." The Mews' responses died in their throats, but they continued to follow.

"What's her condition?" asked a nurse with a clipboard after she approached, her hard gaze attached to the bird Mew's form.

"Patient is unconscious," the doctor repeated to the new nurse. "Possibility of a broken arm and other fractures. Likeliness of a serious head injury."

The nurse scribbled this down on her clipboard like a machine and then announced to the doctor and the other nurse where to take her. The Mews' minds were racing too much in worry for Minto to even comprehend a word of what the nurse was saying.

After Minto's bed made it through a set of doors that led to the Emergency Room, the nurse blocked the Mews' way, and told them in a serious tone, "I'm sorry, you can't go any further."

"I don't care; I promised her I'd—"

"—I'm sorry, but you can't go any further," the nurse cut off Zakuro's reply before closing the doors on them. Zakuro's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes glaring through the small window of the doors as she watched the doctors take Minto away.

"Minto-oneechan's gonna be alright, right na no da?" Pudding asked, feeling her body start to shake. "I-I mean… she can't just…"

Lettuce pulled Pudding into a hug, but whether it was to comfort Pudding or herself, she wasn't sure.

Ichigo felt her expression drop even further as her eyes rested upon the form of her purple haired teammate. Zakuro was frozen, her eyes hidden by the shadows of her bangs. Her arms were trembling violently at her sides, and she could see the slightest bit of her wolf fangs protruding from her lips. Seeing the model so genuinely furious was a rare sight in itself, but what truly broke Ichigo's heart was that she knew the exact reason why.

"I-I'm gonna go call Minto's family. They'll want to know what happened—I'll tell them the same story we told the doctors, of course." Ichigo's voice was quiet as she spoke, but she gained recognition from her teammates. "Lettuce, can you call Shirogane and Akasaka-san and tell them what happened? I'm sure they're worried about us by now."

The green haired girl nodded stiffly.

Ichigo was quiet for a moment before she forced a smile onto her face, knowing that it was now more than ever that she had to be the brave leader. "Minto's strong, you guys. I know she'll make it through this."

Twilight flooded over the horizon just as Café Mew Mew closed up shop. Ichigo shooed away the remaining customers as Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro all proceeded to clean the tables. Minto was sitting at her special table drinking her tea—no one expected her to help, so she didn't bother. Consuming her delicious elixir was much more important to the bird Mew, anyway.

"Man, it was such a zoo today!" Ichigo complained, leaning against a chair.

"Well, when so many people have birthday parties here, of course it's going to get crowded, Ichigo-san," Lettuce exclaimed with a laugh, patting Pudding's head when the younger girl hugged her from behind.

"Honestly Ichigo," Minto joined in after taking a sip of her tea. "If all you do is complain, the work will never get done."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the red haired girl replied bitterly, scowling in annoyance at her snobbish teammate. "Maybe if you actually got off your lazy butt for once, this work would get done a lot faster!"

"Now why would I do that when it's so much more fun watching you work like a slave?"

Ichigo could swear she felt steam shoot out of her ears.

Zakuro was leaning against the far wall watching her teammates in amusement. She allowed a gentle chuckle to bypass her lips, too quiet for anyone but her to hear. It was nice when the peace lasted this long. They hadn't been bothered by the aliens in over two weeks—

"—Girls!"

Ryou and Keiichiro rushed up from the basement, their entrance earning the attention of all five waitresses.

"What is it, guys?" Ichigo asked hesitantly, already knowing what the answer was.

"A Chimera Animal just appeared over in Central Park!" Keiichiro announced.

"Hurry and get over there, ladies!" Ryou ordered.

"Ugh," Ichigo moaned. "Just when I thought this nightmare was over. How can this day possibly get any worse?"

"Quit your whining, Ichigo." Minto stood up with a wide smirk, setting down her teacup smoothly. "I suddenly feel full of energy. I'll be able to take out that Chimera Animal no problem."

"As much as I love your sudden new enthusiasm, Minto," Ichigo said, her tone serious. "It's been awhile since the aliens have last attacked. We really shouldn't underestimate what they throw at us."

Ryou's eyebrows rose at this, pleasantly surprised at the catgirl's thoughtfulness.

"I'm not worried," Minto shrugged. "Besides…" The bird Mew wandered over to her purple haired idol and grasped onto her arm. "I know if things get too dangerous, Oneesama will protect me."

Zakuro was still for a moment before a small smile warmed her face as she nodded down at Minto, much to the astonishment of everyone in the room.

Minto, just as surprised, blushed in adoration as she held Zakuro's arm closer.

When Ichigo called the Aizawa mansion, both of Minto's parents and her older brother Seiji weren't home—which didn't surprise her—but Minto's grandmother answered the phone, and once the red haired girl explained what happened, Minto's grandmother rushed over to the hospital.

After Ryou and Keiichiro received Lettuce's concerned call back at the café, they hurried over just as quickly.

The hours just seemed to melt by. They were in the dead of the night now and they still hadn't received a word of Minto's condition. Ryou and Keiichiro were standing off to the side, murmuring to each other with distressed expressions. Minto's grandmother was sitting in one of the waiting chairs, staring blankly at the ground. Lettuce and Pudding occupied the two seats next to her, eyes red from crying. Ichigo sat on the chair next to them, her hands fidgeting uncertainly in her lap as she watched Zakuro pace in front of them. Overtime, Ichigo noticed that the purple haired girl's expression morphed from anger, to shame, to worry, and then to sadness. Sometimes it was a mixture of all four.

Zakuro's state unnerved her, so without thinking, Ichigo shot her arm outwards and gripped Zakuro's hand.

The wolf Mew jumped at her touch, and Ichigo flinched at the harsh glare that was just aimed in her direction, but Zakuro's gaze softened when she realized what Ichigo was doing. The model took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, as she gave her leader's hand a light squeeze.

None of them wanted to admit it, but at that point, they were all assuming the worst.

It was past midnight when the doctor from before finally emerged from the doors they were not allowed to go past. He stalked over to them, and they all jumped up from their seats in nervous anticipation.

"How is she?" Zakuro asked before anyone else could even open their mouth.

"How's Minto?" Ichigo echoed, clutching onto Zakuro's sleeve. The others stayed silent, too worried to speak.

"Her arm is broken, as you all assumed. It didn't require surgery, though, so it won't take too long to heal. But…"

Everyone tensed.

"… But what?" Ichigo asked numbly.

The doctor looked away, a deep frown etched on his face.

"But what? Don't avoid the question!" Zakuro's rage boiled over as her claws dug into the man's thin shoulders. "What's wrong with Minto?"

He winced at her iron grip before taking a step backwards to relieve himself of the pain. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before looking back up at the several pairs of eyes anxiously awaiting his answer.

"But her head trauma… it's just… too severe. It's amazing she's alive at all. I'm sorry… but it's not very likely that she'll ever regain consciousness. It would take a miracle."

And for a moment, the world just stopped spinning. It was chokingly silent as they let the doctor's words seep beneath their skin. None of them spoke. None of them cried.

It felt like their souls had just been torn out.

"You… can come see her now. If you want to." The doctor's words were distant as he spoke. "Follow me."

Lettuce, Pudding, Ryou, Keiichiro, and Minto's grandmother followed immediately, and Ichigo would have too had she not noticed Zakuro as still as a statue. She actually had to pull Zakuro along by the hand. It was difficult—similar to when a firefighter had to drag the heavier weight of an unconscious body out of a burning building. Not an easy thing to do, especially in this case because Ichigo was feeling pretty frozen herself.

They arrived at Minto's room a few short moments later. The second they stepped inside, Zakuro felt a surge of feeling travel through her body, and she pushed herself in front of her friends so that she could see the bird Mew clearly.

There was a large, bruised lump bulging from the left side of Minto's forehead, the rest of her face slicked with other bruises and scrapes. Any of her natural skin tone that was revealed to the eye was pale enough to compare to that of a corpse. A large cast bathed the bird Mew's broken right arm to prevent any further damage to the limb. There was a clear tube attached to her uninjured arm and others attached to her chest. Another thin tube was circled horizontally around her face and wrapped behind her ears, flowing upwards into her nose.

Seeing someone looking like that on a TV screen was one thing, but seeing it in real life… and seeing its affects mutilating one of your friends…

Zakuro couldn't stop herself from falling onto the stool that was next to Minto's bed from seeing Minto in that condition. Her heart felt like it had just imploded until nothing but emptiness was left in its wake. Her body felt as heavy as stone and her sapphire orbs were wide in horror.

She was traumatized.

Minto's grandmother began crying uncontrollably, running to her granddaughter's side and petting her hair. Lettuce and Pudding held each other, sobs cracking out of their throats, their eyes unable to leave Minto's form. Ryou forced himself to look away, his body shaking from anger. Keiichiro placed a hand on the blonde man's shoulder, forcing himself to look away from Minto as well. Ichigo wrapped her arms around Zakuro's shoulders from behind, squeezing the older girl tightly as she cried silently to herself.

They all stayed by Minto's side for at least an hour, taking turns holding her hand and whispering how much they loved her. The doctor had stepped out a long time ago, giving them some privacy.

After awhile, they all had to leave for some reason or another—Ryou and Keiichiro to head back to the café and check for further disturbances from the aliens; Lettuce to inform her family about the situation; Pudding to take care of her younger siblings; Minto's grandmother to look over the mansion—but they all promised they would be back tomorrow.

Ichigo stayed behind longer than them to keep an eye on Minto—and Zakuro. Her chocolate orbs softened; Zakuro was gripping Minto's hand like her very life depended on it, and she hadn't inched from her position on the stool since she sat on it.

Wiping away the last of her tears, Ichigo leaned down to deliver a soft kiss upon Minto's forehead before looking back up at the model. "I'm… gonna go home now, Zakuro-san. I'm sure my parents are worried sick about me."

Zakuro didn't even look at her.

"Shouldn't you be getting home, too?" Ichigo spoke more firmly.

"… I will." Zakuro's voice sounded far away, and her gaze still didn't leave Minto's face. "I'll leave in a few minutes… I just…"

Ichigo sighed gently to herself in understanding. She walked over to her purple haired teammate, embraced her tightly, and placed a kiss upon her head. "Goodnight, Zakuro-san." Ichigo departed after that, closing the door behind her.

Zakuro let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding, lowering her head as she felt her body start to tremble.

She stayed in that spot the entire night, never once letting go of Minto's hand.

When they had all arrived, Central Park was practically in ruins. The beautifully designed stone fountain in the middle of the park was destroyed, its remains spraying water everywhere. Rough cracks and large depressions painted the ground, lampposts and benches broken and scattered. Garbage littered the area, and gardens were torn up and withering.

The last of the citizens finally scurried away once the Mews laid eyes upon the Chimera Animal that had caused all the panic and destruction.

It resembled a large lobster—much larger than most of the Chimera Animals they had faced in the past. Its claws were humongous and when it slammed them into the pavement beneath, nothing but a hollow space remained. Its other eight walking legs behind its two front ones were rapid, a blur to the mortal eye, capable of moving its large body over great distances with ease.

Once the Chimera Animal noticed them, it let out a gurgling growl sound before charging towards them. Knowing that they didn't have much time, each girl pulled out her Power Pendant and placed a kiss upon its surface.

"Mew Mew Minto!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce!"

"Mew Mew Pudding!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro!"

"Mew Mew Strawberry!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

As they all shouted out their transformational cry, a white light enveloped their bodies. A warm sensation flowed through their blood as they felt their animal DNA take over. Battle clothing appeared, animal parts popped out, and once the light faded, they all emerged as the warriors of Tokyo Mew Mew.

Each of them obeyed their reflexes and leaped out of the way just before the oversized lobster slammed into them. Ichigo thought it was a little strange how neither Kisshu, Taruto, nor Pai was around to guide the Chimera Animal, but she decided not to let it bother her. With a smile, she struck a pose and said,

"For the Earth's future, we'll be of service! ~Nya!"

A young man with raven hair burst through the hospital doors loudly at around five in the morning, catching the attention of a nurse. With deep, ragged breaths, he asked where Minto was being held, and he hurried in that direction the moment she told him. He opened the door to her room, shouting her name in worry.

His outburst caused Zakuro's head to jerk in his direction. The man shivered at her cold gaze, but he immediately forgot about her the moment his eyes set on Minto. His expression dropped as he rushed to her side, placing a hand on her cheek and using the other to pet her hair.

"Oh God…" he groaned in heartache, his caress through Minto's wavy locks slowing. "Is she going to be okay?"

Zakuro didn't know if that question was directed at her or not, but she remained silent. She didn't even know who the boy was, let alone care. She just squeezed Minto's hand tighter.

"Hold on… you're… Fujiwara Zakuro, aren't you?"

Said celebrity frowned slightly, looking up into his chocolate eyes. Her frown deepened; those eyes looked so familiar to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please, forgive my rudeness." The boy with raven hair shook off his surprised look, holding out his hand. "My name is Aizawa Seiji. I'm Minto's older brother."

She wasn't really interested in his introduction, but since he was Minto's brother, she acknowledged his existence and shook his hand.

"It's an honor to meet you, Fujiwara-san… I just wish it could've been under different circumstances." Both of their expressions saddened, Zakuro losing her frown. She stroked the back of Minto's hand with her thumb while Seiji once again ran his fingers through his younger sister's hair.

"I hope I'm not coming across as a crazy fan of yours, Fujiwara-san—because I'm not. I don't know a thing about you, actually," he reassured, his tone softening when he realized the purple haired model wasn't looking at him. "It's just… Minto is such a huge fan of yours. I'm sure she'd be ecstatic to know that her idol is holding her hand waiting for her to get better."

Zakuro forced a small smile onto her face, looking up to meet his gaze. "I'm sure."

"Are you two friends?" Her orbs hardened. "She talks about you a lot—but a part of me was never sure if she had actually met you or not. You know how fans can get."

She nodded stiffly. "We're friends."

Seiji nodded at this with a smile, turning his attention back to his younger sister, placing a ghost of a kiss upon her forehead. "Do… you think she'll ever wake up?"

Zakuro's head lowered, her voice no louder than a whisper, "… I really hope so."

Silence followed, for a couple minutes at least. It was tense and full of melancholy.

"You were her support."

Zakuro's eyes widened slightly as her head rose to look at him, except he wasn't looking at her. He was staring at Minto's bruised face, a sad smile staining his lips.

"When we were younger," he began to explain, "she would always dance for me. I happily watched; I was so proud of her. She had the most beautiful smile, and dancing for me delighted her so much that she smiled all the time. We both loved each others company—to the point of us being inseparable.

"But after I got busy attending my private school… we completely lost our communication. I was so deeply involved with my studies that I didn't have time for her. I… didn't see her smile much after that."

Zakuro felt her muscles tense, a growl bubbling in her throat. She glared daggers at the side of his head, silently wishing that she could somehow harm him simply by looking at him.

"It was many years later when she discovered who you were, Fujiwara-san… probably right at the beginning of your career. I don't know what it was about you, but when she listened to your music, or read something about you in a magazine, she was just… relaxed. Happy."

Any anger that was on Zakuro's face vanished in an instant, her lips parting.

"What was her favourite song by you… 'Don't Cry,' I think it was. She adored it. She used to blare it in her room all the time," the raven haired boy chuckled in remembrance. "Minto used to cry a lot until she heard that song. Then, instead of crying… she began to smile. It's hard to explain it, but… it was as if hearing your voice gave her a reason to smile again."

Zakuro's heartbeat accelerated, and as she took in the young man's words, she found it impossible to say anything back.

"You're not just her obsession, you know." Seiji gave his sister another kiss on the forehead before turning his head to meet Zakuro's gaze. His chocolate orbs were firm yet gentle at the same time, and his next words were completely sincere:

"You're her everything."

The Chimera Animal was certainly stronger than any of them had expected, even though they had come prepared. Its speed was blinding; it was much faster than they were. Usually they were only able to dodge its lunges by a mere hairs length. Any counterattack they made seemed to be deflected off the hard shell that coated its body, much to the Mews' misfortune. If they let their guard down, this monster would crush them.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!"

Lettuce held out her castanet weapons as thick rays of water surged out from them. Her attack directly hit the lobster, but it didn't phase it. The liquid merely washed over the monster's body and evaporated away like nothing even happened.

"W-Why can't we hurt it?" Lettuce asked in worry.

"I don't know, Lettuce," Ichigo replied, hastily jumping away from the claw that just obliterated the ground in front of her.

"It's strong," Zakuro stated simply, staying in a defensive position. She angled her head to make sure that she could see Minto out of the corner of her eye.

All of a sudden, a sloshing sound could be heard from within the monster's throat, and then spheres of water began pumping out of its mouth. Crying out, Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding all dodged the large balls of water that were directed towards them. The liquid spheres exploded the second they hit the ground, spraying large droplets everywhere. Zakuro, in annoyance, shook her body and wagged her tail in an attempt to rid herself of the offending water that had splashed over her form.

"Did it just absorb Lettuce-oneechan's attack, na no da?" Pudding asked.

"I don't think that's it, Pudding," Ichigo said, her cat ears twitching as her brow furrowed. "I think it can do that on its own."

As if to prove the catgirl's previous statement as true, the Chimera Animal fired off more water balls at the Mews. Each of them avoided the attack, except for Lettuce, who intercepted the attack with one of her own. Both of the water elemental based threats collided in midair and burst, a shower of mist now licking at their bodies.

"This is really getting annoying," Minto pointed out, a vein throbbing in her forehead. She fluttered her blue lorikeet wings, flying herself high up in the air.

Zakuro's head rose gently, secretly observing the bird Mew's every move. She had to look out for her teammate.

"Minto Arrow!" the blue haired girl called out, her weapon forming solidly in her hands. She gripped her bow and arrow tightly and held it in front of her, closing one eye to perfect her aim. "Ribbon Minto Echo!" With a burst of holy sound, her magical arrow fired and struck the lobster on the top of its head.

With a low growl—but the Mews weren't sure if it was from pain or not—four of the lobster's walking legs popped off and began to wander rapidly on their own. The Mews were taken aback.

"W-What the hell?" Ichigo said, pouncing away on all fours from the leg that had just began to chase her, a panicked expression adorning her face.

"I didn't do it!" Minto cried out, hovering lower to the ground and firing more arrows at the Chimera Animal's body. Just like before, none of their attacks seemed to do any damage.

"T-This isn't normal!" the fish Mew stuttered, shrieking as another water ball was upchucked in her direction. She narrowly avoided it, falling to her knees, just to look up and see a leg hurriedly hopping in her direction.

"It's never normal, na no da!" Pudding stated, quickly helping Lettuce up. They both retreated from the leg, dodging other liquid spheres that were squirted towards them.

Zakuro frowned deeply, her sapphire eyes sharp and menacing. Even if this Chimera Animal did have a few unique features and battle styles compared to the ones they've faced before, it was still just a regular Chimera Animal. It shouldn't be taking them so long to defeat it.

With an inaudible grunt, she allowed her cross weapon to materialize in her palm, gripping it passionately. Running forward a few paces, she pushed off the ground with the balls of her feet, leaping high in the air. Her orbs quickly scanned the area; in a mere instant she had formulated exactly when, where, and how to strike.

"Ribbon Zakuro Spear!"

The length of her glowing purple whip shot out from her weapon in wild ripples. Zakuro twisted her body and flung her arm downwards, the divine punishment of her whip obeying her every command. It tore through the air like a bullet and a loud crack was heard when it hit the ground. Its length thrust outwards, piercing through two of the legs like they were hot butter. The wolf Mew pulled back her whip and willed her cross to disappear once the two legs she hit disintegrated into nothingness.

A blush tinted Minto's cheeks as she watched Zakuro attack. Everything the older girl did was graceful. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she struck… and, oh God, the way she twisted her body in the air. Minto could feel her heartbeat speed up as she thought about her idol. How did she ever get so lucky as to meet the one person who helped her get through all those lonely nights without even knowing? Zakuro's voice was always the most beautiful thing when it came through her stereo, but now, hearing her voice in person, it was like listening to an angel. A goddess.

Minto's blush darkened as she watched the wolf Mew land, running a delicate hand through her long, purple tresses. God, just being touched by those hands was a privilege. Anytime an accidental brush of hands was exchanged, Minto could swear a bolt of electricity would shoot through her entire being. Simply being near the other girl gave her the warmest swarm of butterflies.

Being in love with Zakuro was amazing, and even though she knew her feelings weren't returned, she enjoyed the experience to the fullest anyway. How safe she felt when Zakuro held her, and the warmth that spread in her chest whenever Zakuro would aim that rare smile towards her… Minto wouldn't trade that for anything.

The blue haired girl felt herself smile. You stopped my tears, Oneesama. It's because of you that I'm able to smile again. I would do anything to pay you back for that.

Zakuro sighed, but didn't relax. She only managed to kill two of the legs—the other two were busy distracting Ichigo, Lettuce, and Pudding, giving the actual Chimera Animal the advantage. It was firing water balls at them from every angle, to the point where they were getting too difficult to evade. They had better dispose of the monster soon, otherwise things might truly turn dire.

"AHHH!"

Zakuro froze, her fur standing on end. Oh no…

The wolf Mew bolted around just to see Minto caught within the vice grip of one of the monster's claws. Minto screamed, struggling to get loose, only to have the beast squeeze her tighter.

"Minto!" Zakuro shouted her teammate's name, running towards her, only to be stopped in her tracks when the other claw managed to trap her within its grip. Cursing without shame, the purple haired girl fought violently against the jaws clamped around her, but it was in vain. She could feel the air being forced out of her lungs, and her arms were caught behind her back. She couldn't even summon her weapon.

"Oneesama!" Right then and there Minto forgot about her own safety once she realized that Zakuro was in danger. She tried so hard to get her Minto Arrow to materialize in her hands, but it wasn't working. From that position, she wouldn't even be able to fire off a single shot. The lobster was crushing her—she could feel some of her bones start to pop.

Suddenly, Minto felt herself being lifted unpleasantly in the air. She cried out in pain, in fear, as the lobster claw gripped her high within the air.

"Minto, no!" Zakuro growled loudly as she tried to claw herself to freedom, but nothing was working. She was helpless. "Minto!"

The claw unexpectedly shot downwards, taking the bird Mew with it. Zakuro felt her body freeze as the most horrified shriek she'd ever heard exploded in her ears.

"ONEESAMA!"

Zakuro's world stopped spinning. The physical pain that surrounded her body… it no longer bothered her. The cries of distress from her other friends… she could no longer hear them. The beat of her heart… she could no longer feel it.

She could only watch as the terrified Minto was thrust downwards; the sickening crunch of the bird Mew's fragile skull being cracked against the ground caused her wolf features to flatten downwards in peril. Her body started to shake, her sapphire depths widening even further as she saw Minto immediately lose her Mew form and unconsciously transform back into her normal, weak body. The claw let Minto go, allowing her limp form to tumble down a seemingly endless amount of stairs.

Zakuro could feel her heart beat again, but this time it was much different. Each pump of blood overwhelmed her with pain. Each beat the muscle drummed filled her with shame and anger. Every sound wave the life organ supplied reminded her… how that shouldn't have just happened. She promised Minto that she would protect her, and yet she…

Fury fueling her body, Zakuro's fur bristled as she leaned her head back and let out an enraged howl, one so loud that it easily grasped the attention of her previously distracted teammates. Breathing raspy, heavy growls, she allowed her rage to take over; by pouring all her energy into her arm muscles, she was eventually able to wriggle the limbs free. Gripping either side of the claw with one hand each, Zakuro began to push outwards, her fury giving her the strength to open the claw wide enough for her to slip out. Jumping upwards slightly, the claw snapping shut beneath her, she used her feet to push off the claw and leap much higher in the air. Letting out a scream, she willed her weapon into her hands and ejected her whip outwards without hesitation. The wrath of her anger slashed off both of the lobster's claws, as well as destroying the other two legs she missed before, causing the beast to screech in agony.

"Ichigo, kill it! DO IT NOW!" Ichigo shivered, feeling her heart throb in fear. Zakuro's insane glare was so intense—even from that distance—that she could feel it nail through her very soul.

Zakuro turned away. She couldn't waste any more time on that monster… she had to help Minto. As she was still in the air, she aimed her body to fall down the length of the stairs. The harsh wind stung her eyes, blurred them even—but she could still make out Minto's body lying immobile at the bottom of the stairs. Biting back a snarl, she forced her body to fall faster.

She landed roughly, nearly spraining her ankle as she rolled on the ground to comfort the impact of her fall, but she was beyond caring about herself at that point. She rushed to Minto's side and knelt beside her, taking the bird Mew's head into her lap.

"Minto! Minto! Oh God…" The shrill could be heard in the wolf Mew's voice. Her elegant fingertips were nothing but a trembling mess as they felt over the raven haired girl's body, realizing how shattered the girl's right arm was. Zakuro could feel her heart start to break as she caressed the bump emerging on Minto's forehead.

"No… this wasn't supposed to… I should've… you counted on me to… come on, Minto, please! You have to wake up!" Zakuro shouted in terror and heartache as she shook the younger girl's body. Blood began to trickle out of Minto's ears. Zakuro felt her canine ears flatten against her head and her tail nestle between her legs.

Minto wasn't responding.

The wolf Mew could faintly hear Ichigo finish off the Chimera Animal before her three fellow Mews were at her side.

"Zakuro-san, what's wrong? What happened?" Ichigo asked frantically just before she noticed the unconscious Minto. The catgirl's breath caught in her throat as she fell to her knees.

"Minto-oneechan!" Pudding cried out, taking hold of Minto's hand. "She… she shouldn't be sleeping right now, na no da! Pudding wants her to wake up, na no da!"

Lettuce gasped, a hand flying to her mouth, tears immediately pricking at her eyes. "Please… don't tell me she's—"

"Do not finish that sentence…" Zakuro's voice was low and terrifying, her eyes hidden by the shadows of her bangs.

"Z-Zakuro-san… w-what happened?" Their pink haired leader was gripping her knees, barely able to force words of her constricted throat.

"… Her arm is broken. She landed on her head and…" Zakuro lowered her head, to the point where the tip of her nose was slanting towards the ground. "It hurt her. It distracted us and it hurt her. It made me lower my guard, just for an instant… and that gave it the chance to hurt her."

"Zakuro-san…" Ichigo's voice was a hushed whisper, her eyes finally leaving Minto's bruised form to look at the older girl. Lettuce's and Pudding's orbs followed their leader's example after they felt their bodies start to tremble with fear.

Biting down on her tongue, Zakuro hurriedly gathered Minto in her arms, cradling her gently. "We have to get to the hospital, now! Let's go!" Without question, the other Mews took off after her, letting Zakuro lead the way.

Just after they had transformed back from their Mew forms, it began to drizzle, as if the spirits above were crying.

Over four days had passed since Minto was put in her coma. The bird Mew's condition hadn't gotten any worse, but at the same time it hadn't gotten any better. Her body was still limp, lying in that hospital bed like a corpse with tubes spilling out of her flesh. Not once did she open her eyes or make any sound.

The Mews came to visit her every single day since the tragedy occurred, but today, Lettuce was too busy with her schoolwork that she had recently fallen behind in, and all of Pudding's younger siblings had come down with the flu so she had to stay home and take care of them.

Ichigo was free, though. Technically. She had thankfully avoided Miwa and Moe after school ended—they would've babbled to her for hours about some random gossip otherwise—but it was only after that that she remembered she had made plans with Masaya that afternoon. She loved him, and she loved spending time with him, but right now she knew that looking after Minto was more important.

She called him and apologized after telling him that she had to cancel. He was a sweetheart about it though, telling her that they could reschedule to whenever she was free, and gave her his wishes for Minto to get better.

After this, Ichigo rushed over to the hospital. The nurse at the front desk nodded to her as she walked in; by this point, that nurse had memorized who Ichigo was and knew whom she had come to see, so she allowed Ichigo to go to Minto's room without any fuss.

The red haired girl had her hand on the doorknob to Minto's room and was about to twist it open when she noticed something in the corner of her eye. She looked upwards through the window to Minto's room, letting go of the door handle, just to see a purple haired girl sitting next to Minto's bed on a stool, holding Minto's hand.

Ichigo felt her heart ache, her brow furrowing in worry. It was like this every time she came there. Zakuro was always there in that exact same spot holding Minto's hand. Like it was her way of saying sorry for…

Ichigo shook her head, turning her gaze after hearing a nurse walking behind her in the hallway. "Um, excuse me…" Ichigo's words caught the attention of the nurse, who stopped walking and shifted towards her. Ichigo recognized her as the nurse with the clipboard from before, the one who wouldn't let them past the doors on the night they brought Minto to the hospital. From what Ichigo remembered, she was rude, too. "Has… Zakuro been there all day?" she asked gently, pointing to the wolf Mew in Minto's room.

To Ichigo's surprise, a look of pity overwhelmed the nurse's face, her hard eyes from before unusually soft. "That woman hasn't left the building since you all brought Aizawa-san here," the nurse stated, shifting her gaze to Zakuro's form. "No matter what I say to her, she won't leave."

The nurse walked away after that, shakily, as if the sight of Zakuro always waiting for Minto to wake up, even though it was hopeless, was too much to take.

Ichigo's heart throbbed, and as much as she tried to fight it, she felt tears form in the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away before entering Minto's room, softly clicking the door shut behind her.

Zakuro didn't look at her, and, at first, Ichigo decided to ignore her presence as well. The catgirl strolled over to Minto's side and said, "Hey, Minto."

The model frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

"Hope you're having a good sleep there," Ichigo continued, a sad smile on her face. "But you know… we all really miss you. We can't be Tokyo Mew Mew without you, you know?" She gently squeezed Minto's shoulder. "Besides, the tea is getting lonely. It misses its favourite taste tester." Ichigo leaned down and placed a soft, lingering kiss against Minto's forehead.

Zakuro's eyes fluttered closed—from tiredness, from Ichigo's one-sided conversation with her best friend, from worry—she wasn't sure. She squeezed the lorikeet's hand.

"This isn't your fault, Zakuro-san."

Ichigo's tone was serious enough to bite at the wolfgirl's ears and force her sapphire depths to gaze upon her.

"… Yes, it is."

Zakuro's tone was so hushed that if Ichigo didn't have her senses enhanced from being a Mew Mew, she probably wouldn't have heard it.

But she did.

"No, it's not," Ichigo argued firmly.

Zakuro hung her head low, not saying anything.

Ichigo's eyes softened. "What makes you believe this is your fault, Zakuro-san?"

"I shouldn't have…" The purple haired girl tightened her hold around Minto's hand. "If I didn't let her out of my sight, then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"The keyword there is maybe," Ichigo clarified. "Zakuro-san, we're Mew Mews. Every day we have to live with danger being around the corner, usually literally. It's our job to defeat the danger. But while the danger is still being danger, we can't stop it from being dangerous, even to us. There's no oath swearing we'll come out of every battle unharmed. That's not the way it goes."

Ichigo heard Zakuro's shaky intake of breath. "But this is too much."

Ichigo walked over to Zakuro and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "I know it is. I love Minto too, she's my best friend, and I promise you that we are going to get back at the aliens for this… but we can't be blaming ourselves. Minto wouldn't want that."

It was silent for awhile before the wolfgirl spoke again. "I couldn't do anything."

"What?"

Zakuro could feel her eyes start to get teary, and she absolutely loathed it. "The horror in her eyes… her desperation… how much she needed me to save her… how much she begged for it… and I could do nothing but watch as that monster crushed her skull against the ground."

Ichigo squeezed the older girl's shoulders. "There was nothing you could do."

Zakuro's body flinched, the image of Minto's terrified gaze, the shriek of her name from her lips and the crunch of her skull against stone all burning in her memory.

"Listen to me, Zakuro-san." There was something so sweet and genuine in Ichigo's voice now that it actually calmed the celebrity down for a minute. "Minto loves you. I'm sure she doesn't blame you for this."

Ichigo squeezed Zakuro's shoulders again and gave the older girl a quick kiss on the temple before departing.

The purple haired model was voiceless for a few moments, allowing her leader's words to sink in. When she finally raised her head upwards again, her sapphire eyes were blanker than ever.

"You love me," Zakuro spoke to Minto, sadness knitted deep within each syllable. She held the younger girl's hand as tight as she could, her soulless eyes sketching over Minto's bruised face. "You counted on me to protect you." Zakuro traced her fingertips over the bump on Minto's head.

"And I let you get hurt…"

"Ugh…"

At first, Minto didn't even have the strength to open her eyes. Her body felt like one huge ache, and her head was throbbing so much that she wished she could just fall back asleep. She laid there for a few moments, unsatisfied when her pain didn't lessen and sleep refused to overtake her. She slowly lifted up one of her arms—the other one simply refused to cooperate with her for some reason—and cradled her head gently. She could feel a large bulge on her forehead; it practically made her nauseous when she fingered it.

Taking a deep breath, Minto forced herself to sit upwards, releasing a ragged groan of agony after she did. She sat there for a few moments and waited for the waves of pain flowing in her body to calm down a little before she decided to open her eyes.

After colours and shapes finally began to register through her eyes, she frowned immediately. In front of her she could see lovely gardens and beautiful scenery harvesting the area—it was only then that she realized she was sitting on a grassy meadow. The sky was a bright baby blue, not a single cloud in sight, the buttery rays from the Sun making the leaves on the trees glow like gold. When Minto looked off further into the distance, she could see a bright white light.

She couldn't explain it, but it felt like the light was calling out to her. It was peaceful and inviting, sending warm sensations through her body that made all her pain from before disappear.

As good as she now felt, Minto couldn't help but be confused. I don't think I'm in Central Park anymore…

Her blue eyes gazed down at herself just to realize she was still in her Mew form; she flapped her wings to help herself stand upright. It was just then that another thought struck her.

What happened to the Chimera Animal?

"Oneesama? Ichigo? Lettuce? Pudding?" Minto called out her friends' names, a frightening sense of isolation hitting her when she apprehended that she was alone. The bird Mew turned around, hoping to find someone, anyone, but she saw something else instead that made her shiver.

In contrast to the beautiful and cheerful scenery that was to her north side, what she viewed there on the south was completely opposite. The grass at her feet had paled to brown in death and all the flowers and trees were withered. The sky emitted a crimson luminosity, the clouds above black with dread. Minto had seen some pretty scary things after she had become a Mew Mew, but viewing all this death and darkness brought forth a new type of terror in her that she could not describe.

She absolutely hated it, so she decided to walk towards the north side of the area where everything was calm and beautiful. Maybe if she reached that light, the darkness from the south would go away.

"You love me."

Minto paused mid-step. Did she just hear something? It sounded like a voice. No, she was going crazy enough as it was. She must've imagined it. She shook her head and continued walking towards the light, feeling warmer and warmer with each step that she took.

"You counted on me to protect you."

Minto froze; she was sure she heard something that time. It was a voice, a female one, one she recognized, but the voice sounded farther away now than it had the first time.

"And I let you get hurt…"

Gasping slightly, Minto turned around, her hand flying to her mouth when she saw Zakuro. The purple haired girl was in her Mew form as well, standing on the dead grass over in the darkness of the south side, her wolf ears flat against her head. Minto's voice got caught in her throat, and she felt herself unconsciously take a step backwards in the direction of the bright light. She wanted to feel warmer…

"Please… don't go."

Hearing the overwhelming sadness and desperation in Zakuro's voice immediately changed Minto's mind. The blue haired girl wasted no time in rushing over to the wolf Mew. The moment she reached her idol, the purple haired girl began talking again.

"I'm sorry," Zakuro apologized weakly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should've…"

"Oneesama?" Minto's head was swirling now, and it wasn't just from the pain that had suddenly returned after she had set foot on the dead grass. Never in her life had she seen Zakuro look so vulnerable.

"Please, this can't happen to me," Zakuro croaked faintly, making Minto shiver in concern. "Not again."

"… Oneesama?"

"Please… don't die Minto." Tears began to overflow from the wolf Mew's eyes, cascading down her cheeks. "… Don't leave me all alone."

"No!" Minto was horrified. The way her heart just began to ache was worse than any physical pain. "I would never do that to you, Oneesama! Never! I'll always be here for you!" Minto had never seen Zakuro cry, and she immediately knew that it was the most devastating thing she had ever witnessed in her life. She lifted her arm and tried to thumb away Zakuro's tears, but they just kept coming, to the point where the salty liquid was running over Minto's fingers.

Zakuro fell to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around Minto's waist, burying her face in Minto's stomach. "Wake up… please wake up," Zakuro sobbed.

And in that one moment, Minto felt everything click into place. The reason her body hurt so much. The reason why that place looked the way it did. The reason why she was alone until she heard Zakuro's voice.

The reason why Oneesama is crying…

The warmth that the light on the north side had brought her was forgotten about; the warmth of being in Zakuro's arms was so much greater. An understanding smile filled her features as Minto pet Zakuro's hair. The bird Mew leaned down and granted a ghostly kiss on the tip of Zakuro's wolf ear.

"You know I'd do anything for you, Oneesama."

The first thing that registered in her mind was pain, and a lot of it. First in her head—God, her head was throbbing like a son of a bitch—and then she realized her entire right arm hurt, too. It felt bound, like she couldn't even move it.

Minto opened her eyes slowly. The whiteness of the room blinded her for a moment, and she immediately understood that she was in a hospital. Everything in her vision was still a blur, but she could feel things. She could now regard the cast that enveloped her right arm—surely it was broken. She could feel tubes going in her skin and in her nostrils—were they keeping her alive?

Suddenly, Minto's orbs snapped open. She could feel something on her lap. Something shaking. Something warm.

Keeping a groan lodged in her throat, Minto angled her head downwards so she could see what was occupying her lap. Minto's eyes widened. It was Zakuro, sobbing and trembling as if she had just lost everything. Minto could faintly hear the purple haired girl mumbling, "Wake up… please wake up…" into the bed sheet of which she had gripped handfuls.

"Onee… sama?"

Zakuro froze from hearing the younger girl's voice. No, this couldn't happen to her. She was being mocked now. Making her hear that sweet voice calling her name after begging her to wake up… it was all too coincidental. Too perfect. Why were the gods toying with her emotions? It was just too cruel.

Minto was never going to wake up, all because she was unable to keep her promise…

"Oneesama? Are you okay?"

Zakuro's head jerked upwards, only to have her heart leap in her throat upon seeing those concerned chocolate eyes staring into hers.

Did she fall asleep? She couldn't be dreaming, could she? Oh God, she wouldn't be able to take it. Was Minto really…?

The bird Mew's eyes softened, as if the hideous shape her body was in no longer concerned her. "Oneesama… you're crying…"

Zakuro's body straightened upwards in an instant, her sapphire eyes widening as a hand flew to her mouth. She couldn't even feel her heart beating. It was like nothing was making sense to her anymore. "Minto… are you… oh my God…"

"Oneesama…" It was only now that Minto truly took notice of the condition Zakuro was in. Her long, purple tresses were greasy and in tangles, obviously uncared for recently. Her skin looked oily and dirty, and her eyes were baggy and red from crying. Her makeup was cracked and running down her face like streaks of tar, and never in her life had Minto seen Zakuro look so… guilty.

But, even with Zakuro in such a state, Minto still thought that the older girl was the most beautiful person in the world.

"Oneesama…" Minto started gently. "How long have I been here? Were you looking after me the entire time?"

Zakuro was too much in shock to answer. As if trying to reinsure herself, she slipped her hand back into Minto's after realizing how empty it felt. She squeezed Minto's hand.

Please, God, she couldn't be dreaming!

When Minto actually squeezed her hand back, a new wave of tears washed over Zakuro's eyelids.

Minto's heart clenched. "Oneesama?"

"Four days," Zakuro replied quickly, her voice hoarse. "You've been here for four days. We've all been… really worried. We were starting to lose hope that you would ever…"

Minto squeezed Zakuro's hand with all the strength she could muster. She repeated her earlier line, "Were you looking after me the entire time?"

Zakuro shut her eyes tightly. "I… didn't want to leave you alone…"

Minto almost felt herself smile—but she couldn't. Not yet. "I… got hurt pretty badly, huh?"

"I'm sorry," Zakuro said, her voice rising and falling during different syllables. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never should have…"

"Oneesama, I don't blame you for what happened," Minto reassured hurriedly, Zakuro's mood scaring her much more than the Chimera Animal from before did. "I was just careless, that's all."

"But I promised you that I'd… you counted on me to protect you… and I let you—"

"—You did not let me get hurt," Minto spoke firmly, getting Zakuro to finally look at her again. "That thing trapped you as well. The moment it did, I tried to save you, too… but there was nothing either of us could do. It was all just bad timing. I don't blame you."

"… But I should've—"

"I was dreaming," Minto exclaimed, cutting off her idol's apologies. "It's weird, actually." Minto let loose a gentle chuckle. "The more I think about it, the more it feels like it was more a decision than a dream."

The purple haired girl frowned in confusion.

"When I first opened my eyes, I didn't wake up here in this room. I woke up in an area that had two sides to it. One of them was beautiful and peaceful, and there was a warm, bright light at the end of it. It felt like it was drawing me towards it."

Zakuro's eyes widened in sudden realization. She could feel her heart slam against her ribcage. "Heaven…"

Minto nodded. "When I looked over to the other side, everything radiated darkness and suffering. The environment was dead and reeked of horror and pain. I was terrified just by looking at it."

"… Hell."

"That's what I thought at first, too."

Zakuro's frown deepened. "What?"

"Life," Minto explained, her gaze intense and thoughtful. "The scary side to that place represented the state of pain I was bearing through in life. It showed me all the pain you guys were suffering through, and the amount of pain the world was suffering through as a whole. Life is plastered with tragedy."

Zakuro's eyes lowered as Minto's words filled her ears.

"So, naturally, I walked towards the light. It made me feel all warm and peaceful, after all. I got pretty close to it, too."

"… What made you decide to turn around?"

The wolfgirl's voice was full of sadness and was no louder than a murmur. Minto smiled.

"You did."

Zakuro's eyes widened. She slowly lifted her head to meet Minto's gaze.

"I heard your voice," Minto clarified, "calling to me from the other side. Your voice saved me from all those lonely nights of my childhood, and now it saved me again."

The wolf Mew felt more tears drip from her eyes as she remembered back to the conversation she had with Minto's brother a few days ago.

"I ran over to you without a second thought. I saw you crying, and then you hugged me, and it was right at that moment that I knew I had to wake up."

Zakuro found it difficult to force words out of her mouth, but she had to know the reason. "… Why?"

Minto's expression softened as she slowly lifted her uninjured arm to cup Zakuro's cheek, gently thumbing away her tears.

"I couldn't stand to know that Oneesama was crying and I wasn't there to wipe away her tears."

Zakuro's orbs widened, warmth spreading in her chest. Her tears flooded over as her eyes fluttered closed. Her lips parted and sobs were emitted as she daintily held Minto's hand against her cheek.

They stayed that way for a long time, Zakuro crying while Minto was comforting her. In a way, to Minto, this reminded her of that time at the bird sanctuary when she had made up with Zakuro and she was reduced to a quivering mess in Zakuro's arms. It felt like they were replaying the same scene except with opposite roles.

But after awhile, she felt her heart start to ache again. The sight of Zakuro crying… the sound of her sobbing… it was still the most devastating thing Minto ever had to go through.

"Okay, it's hurting too much now…"

It was just a mutter under Minto's breath, but Zakuro's wolf senses were sharp. She heard every word, and she immediately panicked.

"What's hurting? What's wrong Minto? Are you okay? Do you want me to get the nurse?"

Minto smiled softly at how uncharacteristically worried Zakuro was acting. She began to stroke her cheek.

Truthfully, it wasn't the physical pain that was hurting her.

"Oneesama," Minto began, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Can you do me a favor?"

Zakuro nodded, squeezing the hand upon her cheek. "Anything."

Tears trickled down Minto's face as she replied:

"… Don't cry anymore. Smile for me."

Zakuro's breath hitched. One, from seeing Minto cry, and two, from recognizing the lyrics to her song. She could feel her heart beat faster and faster from the amount of love that was shining out of the raven haired girl's eyes.

The wolf Mew leaned down swiftly and placed the tenderest kiss upon the bump on Minto's forehead. Minto blushed, a smile brightening her face. When Zakuro pulled back, even though she was still crying, Minto could see her lips curve into a beautiful smile, as if everything she lost had just come back to her.

Their lips met in an understanding kiss, warmth flourishing from both of them. They squeezed each other's hand tightly.

Minto was going to be okay. In the end, Zakuro truly did keep her promise, and they both discovered who the spaces between their fingers were made for.

Phew! DONE! Usually when I write stories I kinda make up a plot-line beforehand... this one I just wrote down whatever came to mind, so I hope it made sense and was enjoyable xD I actually debated for awhile whether or not to make them kiss at the end, but I eventually decided yes because... I already made Minto admit in the story that she's in love with Zakuro, and I wanted my fill of the Zakuro x Minto smoochies. Can never get enough of those xD

It's only after I reread this that I notice how friendly Ichigo is being with Zakuro. If you heavily squint like an insane Yuri obsessed freak, you could even catch hints of the mild and one-sided Ichigo x Zakuro xD But still, this story is aimed 100 percent at the Zakuro x Minto pairing ^^ It really shows Zakuro's vulnerable side, ne? Even she's allowed to cry sometimes.

The song mentioned in this story called "Don't Cry" is one of Zakuro's character songs found on the CD, "Tokyo Mew Mew Character Songs Collection Disc 5 Zakuro" (obviously, this CD can only be found in Japan, but you can listen to the song on Youtube). It's actually sung by Zakuro's voice actress Junko Noda. In my opinion, she has a very beautiful voice, and I love both of Zakuro's character songs that she sang, and obviously, she did a superb job at voicing Zakuro-oneesama (and, of course, MASHA).

Anyways, hope you all liked my story! Please review, as feedback is always appreciated :)