Chapter 5 - Lucia

Lucia Tyler boarded the plane with her father and her wolf guard, Eregot.
As she ascended to the last step of the compact staircase of the plane, she looked around Heathrow airport, perhaps for the last time.
England. Dreary grey, wet in the winter and autumn, and pretty much same in the summer. But this was her home. All her memories rested here. And she didn’t want to
leave. Even though there was nothing left for her here- Lucia had been born and raised here, gained and lost, for the fourteen years of her life. Bad memories were wrought in
with every building she knew but good memories made her cling to the place.
But now it was all going to be ripped out of her grasp.

**********
Natasha happily sat down at the table, mouth watering at the range of yummy Japanese and Russian delicacies her parents had made that Sunday evening.
‘yes,’ thought Natasha, pouring some borsch into her soup bowl, ‘the best thing about having parents from two different countries is that I get loads of different meals every day!’

**********
It had been about six hours into the journey when Lucia woke up.
She looked around the cramped economy class cabin. She sat by a closed window, Eregot taking up the seat next to her with his head on her lap and her father behind her. All the
windows of the cabin were closed, probably to let the passengers sleep. Lucia didn’t care.
She opened the window beside her and gazed out at the starry sky.
In a few more hours she would be landing at Tokyo airport.

**********
Natasha lay half awake in her bed.
‘I wonder how we’ll find the other mews?’ she whispered to Riri, who was curled up under a hanker chief on her bedside table.
Natasha rolled over to see that it had already fallen asleep and was making little snoring sounds.
She smiled and fell asleep.

**********
It was late at night when the plane landed at Tokyo international airport.
Lucia found her self woken by her father. The next hour and half were a blur to her:
Getting off the plane, waiting in line to have the passports checked, flashing special
Notes at guards who questioned them about Eregot, collecting the delayed baggage
And then finally the cab journey to Lucia’s new apartment block.
The next hour after that was spent un packing. Lucia’s uncle who lived in Tokyo had
been kind enough to buy them basic supplies and furniture, as well as enrol her at a near by school, where Lucia was to start at tomorrow. So, after everything was finished, Lucia
And Eregot went to their new room and went to sleep.

**********
The next morning, Natasha found herself once again waking early.
‘Must be the panther DNA.’ She said to her self. After getting dressed and having breakfast, Natasha decided to head over to school early. With Riri attached like a
keychain on her bag and her pendant in her pocket, Natasha was on her way.
Then she ran back home because she forgot all the necessary contents of her bag.

Eventually, Natasha did arrive at school, fifteen minutes before the bell.

**********
Lucia stood alone at one corner of the school yard. She was alone since they had not let her bring Eregot to school. She had come to school extra early and gotten her timetable
Already and now she had nothing to do until lessons began. Lucia sighed. This was how it was going to be for the rest of her time at this school.
Lucia heard distant foot steps. She peeped out from behind her corner to see a girl her own age approaching. The girl took notice of Lucia and appeared to be coming towards her.

**********
Natasha had noticed a girl peeping out at her. The girl didn’t look very familiar, with short brown hair and glasses, and didn’t seem to be from around Tokyo either.
Guessing the girl was new, Natasha walked towards the girl, meaning to try and make friends.
Yet as soon as she came close to the new girl, the girl abruptly walked past her and into the school building.
‘well that was polite.’ Natasha murmured sarcastically.

**********
After school that day, Natasha went to work at the café. It had now been a week since she and her friends found out they were mews and by now the had gotten used to the routine.
Natasha and Bella waited on the customers, Rinzen took the front desk and Keiichiro and Madison worked in the kitchen whilst Ryou Shirogane sat around on the far away table
27 and did absolutely nothing.
‘why is Ryou so damn lazy?’ Bella complained to Natasha as they were collecting some
plates from the kitchen.
‘I dunno-guess that’s what managers do.’ She replied.
‘yeah, well he should at least help out a little.’ Bella huffed as she went on her way to serve some cheesecakes to table 9.

**********
Lucia sat on her new bed in her new house in her new town in her new country.
It all felt alien to her. The walls. The windows. The floors. The cupboards. Everything.
Different. New. Not the same.
Lucia stood up in rage and threw her quilt at the opposite wall, tearing it to shreds in the process.
Breathing heavily due to her sudden outburst, Lucia slumped to the floor of her bedroom.
The door creaked open and Eregot stuck his snout in.
‘am I disturbing you?’ he said in his low voice.
‘no…’ Lucia sighed.
Now, many people would have screamed or had a violent heart attack if their pet wolf
spoke to them. Then again, not many people had a pet wolf. And Lucia Tyler was not like
many people.
Lucia had had Eregot since she was six. And he had been her life long friend since that day she first met him. Her guardian, her protector, her friend; Eregot the talking bear wolf.
And in a way, she too was a bear wolf.
For Lucia Tyler was not ordinary for one, most important reason.
Lucia Tyler was a mew mew.
‘Lucia… I may have something that might cheer you up.’
‘nothing will cheer me up.’
Pretending not to hear her, eregot continued.
‘in a park nearby, theres a café. In this café there are two men who have worked together for years.’
‘so there are guys who like oth-’
‘not the point. Also working at this café are four very different girls who all share one
similar trait. One trait that sets them apart from everyone else. A trait you too possess.’
Lucia looked up. Now she was interested.
‘their mews, Lucia. Just like you. And they need you. They may not know it but their searching for you.’
Lucia stood up.
‘Eregot, show me where they are.’

**********
It was six thirty-two and café mew mew was closed. Natasha and bella had stayed behind, as it was their turn to help their bosses clear up.
All of a sudden, the doors of the pink café opened with a WHAM! and everyone staired at the open doorway.
There, barley more then a silhouette against the setting sun, a girl stood.
Natasha could only just make out her features. Then she realised. It was the same girl from the morning!
‘I’m here because I’m a mew.’ She said in a gruff accent. Natasha guessed it was cockney.
‘umm…excuse me?’ said Bella. ‘we’re mew fans too, but there aren’t any mew mew’s here.’
‘don’t lie. I know your mews. Eregot tol’ me so.’ She said, gesturing at a large wolf that was standing obediently beside her.
‘well, even if we are mews, you aren’t’ Bella stated snootily.
But at that moment, anger flared inside the girl.
Lucia leapt at bella and began to punch and scratch.
Natasha stood frozen for a second, everything was in slow motion.
Bella’s screams…
the wolf running in and trying to remove the girl…
Keiichiro and Ryou trying to help but being pushed away by the wolf…
Natasha snapped out of it and went past the wolf to help pull the girl off her friend.
Finally after two agonising minutes, she and the wolf succeeded in freeing the girl.
She now seemed to have just come out of a daze. Then the girl looked at bella.
Her eyes widened.
Natasha followed her gaze. She gasped. On the floor, bella lay unconscious, bleeding
From her nose, mouth and the multitude of wounds the strange girl had inflicted on her.
Natasha couldn’t bear it. She turned around to confront the other girl, but saw her distant figure fleeing the café.

**********
After calling an ambulance and Bella’s parents, Natasha and her two bosses stood out side the café.
Natasha was still in shock. She felt a hand on her shoulder and found Keiichiro looking comfortingly down at her.
‘you’re friend will be fine. Don’t worry.’
‘but…why did that girl do that? What did she want with us?’
‘well,’ said ryou. ‘she wanted to find her team.’
‘what?’
ryou turned to face Natasha.
‘that girl was a mew.’

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