Chapter 1

Kaida yawned as the first rays of morning light came through her window. She rubbed her eyes sleepily with one hand as she used the other to slowly prop herself up in to a sitting position.
The first day of summer, and I have to spend it working at the Café she thought with a grumble. She flung her covers off and slid her feet into a pair of sandals lined up beside her bed. It was a small room, but she was good at working with space. The baby blue bedspread went well with the light golden walls and royal-like vanity her grandmother had given her. She loved the calm and cute feeling it gave her, as opposed to her younger sister's frilly, pink "princess" theme. She threw on a ruffled strapless top and a white skirt, did her hair up in a bun, and ran out the door.

When she arrived at Mew Mew Headquarters, the shop was already open. Confused, she walked in slowly.
"Hello?" she called out.
"Kaida. You're late." a voice answered back. Kaida smiled.
"I'm right on time Ryou, you're the early one" she laughed.
"Whatever, you don't even have to work today. Since no other Mews have been found, I'm covering for you while you investigate a strange sighting. People have reported seeing a creature looking similar to a stingray...and right around where a man suddenly became violent and attacked his wife" Ryou replied, serious and almost cold. He sliped a piece of paper into her hand. Kaida nodded and took off sprinting, but had paused enough to deliver a soft "Thanks" to Ryou. She ran to the forest; the one where nobody was around at that time of day.

"Mew Mew Kaida, METAMORPHO-SIS!" she called out. Her pendant shimmered and she transformed in an instant. Viewing the crinkled paper in her hand, she followed the directions to the place of the sighting. When she arrived at the proper street, a huge, abandoned hotel loomed before her. Some of it's windows were broken and ivy had begun to creep up its outer walls. The erie feeling sent a shiver up her spine.
Tentatively she stepped closer to the old building.
What am I thinking? I'm a Mew Mew, I can handle anything! she thought, disappointed with how she had reacted. Her courage flared and allowed her to enter the hotel.

Wind whistled through the empty room as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The dusty old lobby looked like a tornado had ravaged through, judging by the mess. Kaida coughed on the dust as she moved toward a crippled staircase to the left of what used to be a reception counter. As she ascended them, the stairs creaked and groaned threateningly under her weight. She kept her ears sharp for other sounds that could warn her of the alleged enemy. Five stairs from the top, she heard a snap as the step below her feet collapsed, and she began to fall through the hole. At the last second a hand grasped hers tightly, and pulled her back to solid ground.
"You ok?" a girl about her age asked kindly. She was a Mew Mew.
"I-I'm fine. You...you're a Mew Mew!" Kaida gasped. The girl introduced herself. Her name was Mew Shiki.
"I'm Mew Kaida" she replied to Shiki.
"Why'd you come here of all places?" Shiki asked sincerely. Kaida explained about the mysterious sighting and how Ryou had thought it was an alien.
"I'm looking for that bunch too. They stole my most prized possession from me. And I intend to get it back" Shiki said angrily, suddenly more fierce than she had first seemed.

The two stood and began to cautiously climb to the top of the stairs. When they reached the top, the stood at one end of a long hallway with many doors on either side. A silver lamp began to flash on and off, illuminating the faded red floral carpet. A figure teleported into view, face darkened by the shadows. It stepped into the light of the flashing light bulb.
"It is an alien!" Kaida exclaimed. Shiki narrowed her eyes. The alien had dark brown hair and bangs that swept to the side. His ears stuck out sharply.
"I am Glax. The one who will enslave Earth for my kind!" he sneered at them. A dark blue stingray-looking creature that seemed to swim through the air swirled around Glax, its bright, bubble-like green eyes shifting. It's tail ended with a thin stinger.
Aren't we supposed to be at peace with their race? Kaida thought worriedly.
"Two Mew Mews. This will complete my research." he mumbled half to himself. He signaled for the circling alien to attack, which let out a high-pitched screech as it charged forward.