Me: I'm back!

(Pops head out from sound-proof box) Zoey: Over-excited as usual I see.

Me: I have a right to be! My birthday's on Tuesday! And the publishers I sent my book idea to want the full manuscript. If they like that, then I'm going to be a published author!

(Pops head out of sound-proof box) Elliot: Aren't you on holiday too?

Me: Exactly!

Zoey: Enjoy your day then. (Both disappear back into box)

Me: Anyway, it's Dren's turn to do the disclaimer.

(Teleports in) Dren: It's about time! I've been waiting who knows how long!

Me: You have no patience, you're lucky I don't send E.A to kill you.

Dren: How about I just get on with the disclaimer and you don't call her out?

Me: Deal! On with the disclaimer!

Dren: Princess Mew Mew does not own Tokyo Mew Mew or anything to do with it, it belongs to Mia Ikumi.

(Flowery background and eyes sparkly) Me: Because if I did, Zoey and Elliot would have ended up together!

Dren: Now, wait a minute...

Me: On with the chapter!

I have used the English names in case, and the characters are OC.

In advance I apologise if I have got the ages incorrect but I tried, although I shall make no changes.

Summary: This is a rewrite of the series, it shall be based on the TV series, and each chapter covers that episode, except when it reaches the end. Although sometimes they go into my version of the event; also I have added appearance descriptions in case you don't know, but if you do, then excellent.

Here's Chapter Forty Eight!

Anyway...

Italic means prophetic view and thoughts

Normal means...well...normal


Chapter 48 A Labyrinth's Secrets

'A year is done, a secret unfolds... So will come the time of truth'

Zoey lay asleep in her bed, covers tangled and discarded on the ground; she tossed and turned over the mattress, her face became buried within her pillow. The light of the moon twisted through her open window, her curtains blowing across the night-filled room, its silver light shone upon the sweat that glistened over her fitful body. No matter how much she wanted to cry out she refused to scream.

Her dreams were playing the same scene over and over again. She was trapped within a sphere, unable to get out and break free; she could see Elliot standing outside of it, staring up at her in concern, and something else she couldn't recognise. His lips cried out her name but no sound could be heard. He then disappeared and another figure took its place, their body shrouded in darkness and their voice echoing all around her.

"Wake up..."

She shook her head violently; the burning on the back of her neck grew even stronger, desperate for her to surrender to their words. Then a glowing pink light appeared between them, she reached out to touch it. But in that instant she awoke.

Opening her eyes abruptly Zoey bolted upright, her breathing ragged and her body drenched with pouring orbs of sweat. With a shaking hand she ran her hand through her brown and ruby red hair and breathed out a sigh.

"That dream again..." she whispered.

Her wildcat eyes spotted her quilt on the floor, so she reached down and gathered it up in her arms, quickly arranging it back into its proper place around her. Her head fell into her hands, one thought running through her mind.

What is happening to me...?


Meanwhile from outside her window Dren was watching her, a smirk played on his face as he stared at her sleep-bound form, slipping slowly back into the depths of her dreams.

"The time is coming, drawing closer with every passing second. Soon my dear, you will know who you are."

With those words he disappeared into the night.


The following morning Zoey awoke from her slumber and climbed out of her bed, groggily elegant when she opened up her wardrobe.

As she pulled out her clothes a beautiful smile touched her lips, happily thinking about what day it was. It was the end of March and it had been exactly one year since she had become a Mew Mew, it was the birthday of the Mew Mew Project and they had arranged to have a day out to celebrate.

Pulling on a black three-quarter-length sleeve top studded with white rhinestones in the shape of a rose with a white miniskirt and black knee-high boots she glanced at herself in her mirror. Her pale face flawless and eyes of chocolate sparkling in the light, quickly she turned away and tied her gold bell around her neck with a white ribbon. She ran a brush through her hair and slid the gold bracelet she and Elliot had found two weeks ago onto her wrist. In a matter of minutes she was ready. Pulling on a white leather bomber jacket she quickly left the house.


Once she arrived at the cafe the wildcat was met with all her friends waiting outside for her. Kikki saw her approaching and quickly ran over to her side, a smile spread wide upon her face.

"Zoey, come on! We're nearly ready to go!" she cried.

Corina strolled over and looked up at her older friend.

"Yeah, Wesley's just finished packing up everything, though with all the stuff it looks like we might not all fit in his car," she explained.

At that moment running engines entered the air, rumbling upon the earth as their origins drew closer. They appeared in the driveway, Wesley's convertible pulled up, followed by a slick black motorcycle. Wesley climbed out of the driver's seat and smiled at the girls.

"Okay, we're all set. Climb in and we'll head out."

Bridget rushed forward, her face a mix of concern and confusion.

"But Wesley, how are we going to all fit? There's no way seven people can get inside!" she exclaimed.

The rider of the motorcycle climbed off and took off their helmet, a flash of sunlight blond glinted against the amber rays and crystal blue eyes shone beneath brilliant bangs. Elliot gave them a smile as his fingers zipped his black leather jacket up to his throat.

"Calm down Bridget, let me explain. You, Renee, Corina and Kikki will go in the car with Wesley," he explained. His eyes then met those of his fiancée's. "So that means you are going to be on the motorbike with me, Zoey."

Zoey laughed and looped her arm through his.

"Fine with me, I've always wanted to ride on your bike."

With that decided the teenage boy handed Zoey a black motorcycle helmet matching his own and climbed back on his ride. She climbed up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, her face buried into his back and her eyes closed beneath the visor. Meanwhile Wesley slipped back into the driver's seat with Renee taking a seat beside him and the rest of the girls slipping behind them. When they were buckled and ready they set off.


They zoomed through the streets, wind battered against the vehicles' metalwork, skimming over them in a streamline down the crowded roads.

Kikki, Corina and Bridget were talking happily in the back of Wesley's car, laughing as the porpoise told of the interesting tales of the students' antics from her college, a constant battle of wits and pranks.

"So what happened then?" the lorikeet asked in between giggles.

Bridget took a deep breath to cease her laughter before continuing.

"She walked in and the bucket of slime fell from the door and landed on top of her. Then the teacher walked in and scolded her by giving her even more work to do," she explained.

"I wouldn't want to be in her shoes!" Kikki chirped.

Their laughter then continued, louder than ever before.

Though none of them noticed what was going on in front of them.

As Wesley gripped his hands upon the steering wheel his girlfriend rested her hand upon his thigh, her nails teased his skin through the fabric, making small circles within the creases. The man cast his eyes down then glanced at Renee out of the corner of his eye, a smile touched his lips.

"Renee, what are you doing?" he asked softly.

The wolf looked away from the window and looked down at her hand. When she saw where it was placed a striking flush befell her cheeks. Quickly she removed her hand, stuttering and stumbling for an explanation for why it had landed there; in the end she bowed her head.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me," she mumbled.

His winter grey eyes returned to the road, a slight chuckle escaped him.

"You know they're going to find out sooner or later," he commented.

"Let's just keep it secret for a little bit longer. I promise we'll tell them soon." Renee said.

He nodded his head.

Meanwhile Zoey held herself tightly against her lover, wisps of her hair slipped out of her helmet and whipped against her face, a smile touched her lips and her eyes closed into her own piece of bliss.

Elliot looked over his shoulder at her and smiled to himself, in all the time he had known her she had never been so calm, and so troubled. He glanced down at the bracelet around her slender wrist, the coil around his heart strengthened, he felt the weight it seemed to have on her, her crying out in pain from the very touch of it upon her skin. His hand moved off one of the handles and pressed lightly against her joined ones around him.

The words that left his lips were solemn and strong, barely more than a whisper over the revving engine beneath him.

"I promise I will keep you safe, my princess."


Within two hours they arrived at their destination.

Out in the forest, miles away from the city, a river ran over through the trees and a tall mountain looming over them, silhouetted in a glorious late morning sun. The group set off from their vehicles, with Kikki instantly bounding towards the river, her laughs echoing wildly from her lips and a gleeful smile across her face. Bridget immediately dashed after her.

"Kikki, not so fast! You'll get hurt if you're not careful!" she cried.

Corina gave a sigh and went off after them.

"Here we go again, she's going to land herself in trouble one day," she commented.

Shaking his head at their antics Elliot grasped onto Zoey's hand and looked over to the two oldest members of the group.

"We'll keep an eye on them," he said.

Wesley opened up the boot of the car and pulled out a barbeque.

"Okay, we'll take care of lunch then," he smiled. His eyes glanced over to Renee, exchanging sweet nothings without words, a secret smile shared, he then looked back to the engaged couple. "Just make sure those three stay out of trouble."

After they agreed on the plan the young couple went after their friends towards the river, leaving the wolf and her lover to their own devices.


At the riverside the tamarind stood at the water's edge with the eighteen-year-old by her side. Taking off her shoes she dipped her toes into the lapping water. Instantly she took her foot out and leapt into Bridget's arms.

"It's so cold!" she cried.

Corina walked up behind them and rolled her eyes at the youngest.

"That's because, Kikki, that water is from melted snow. I'm surprised you didn't freeze, spring hasn't fully come round yet," she explained.

At that moment Zoey and Elliot came over to the riverbank. The wildcat knelt down upon the grass and cupped her hands into the water, glistening diamonds falling through them in waterfalls. The cool breeze rippled through her hair, a smile touched her lips.

"The air feels really nice, like spring is beginning to spout through the confines of winter and bring forth new life, new hope for the future," she smiled.

Elliot picked up a flat stone and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed. "Hey, Zoey, you remember our trip to the lake last summer?"

She nodded her head and watched as he skipped the rock across the water, hitting the opposite bank with ease.

"Amazing! Even after nearly a year, you can still pull that off," she cheered.

The group burst into laughter, watching as Kikki followed after the stone and across to the other side of the river.


Meanwhile back with Wesley and Renee they had just set up the barbeque and were getting ready to start cooking lunch.

The man picked up the charcoal and started stirring up the embers and sparks when his girlfriend rested her chin against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. Her hands trailed up his chest and toyed with the fabric of his jacket, fingers playing with the buttons holding it closed.

When her lips pressed lightly to his neck Wesley knew something was up.

"Renee...what are you doing...?" he asked, his usually calm demeanour slipping beneath her sensuous touch.

The wolf met his winter grey eyes with her sea blue ones and sighed into his shoulder, suckling her head into his neck.

"Wesley...we've been together for almost a year. I know we promised to do it tonight, but the others are at the river and this might be the only chance we get. If there's only one thing I can ever give you, let it be this. Please..." she whispered.

He stared into her eyes, entered her soul and saw how much she wanted it. He wanted it too, but it was risky. What if the others came back? What if something went wrong? But her eyes were enough to melt every doubt. Hesitantly Wesley nodded his head.

"Alright... Get in the backseat and we'll get started. I hope we're ready for this..." he murmured.

Renee gave a smile and kissed him sinfully on the lips before leading him to the car and pressing her back against it with him on top of her. As she removed his jacket and her own he left his mark on her newly exposed neck and opened the door. They then climbed into the back of the car.

...

...


Back at the river Zoey and Elliot sat on a rock overlooking the water. Bridget, Corina and Kikki had gone off picking berries nearby, leaving the engaged couple alone. The wildcat lay back and stared up at the aquamarine sky, a contented sigh escaped her lips. Her lover looked down at her, a smile spread across his face.

"You okay, Zoey?" he asked.

She turned her head towards him, meeting his eyes. Slowly she sat back up and laced her fingers through his.

"I'm fine, I'm just happy. I can't believe it's been a whole year since the Mew Mew Project began, since I became a Mew Mew. I can't help but think how unbelievable it is," she explained, inching her body slightly closer to his.

Elliot wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed her against him, his cheek rested atop her head.

"It is incredible, and I will never forget that day, even then you knew how to kick predasite butt," he laughed.

Zoey's face then grew serious, her eyes on her fiancé's face, slowly trailing down to his neck, the collar of his black leather jacket going almost up to his chin. With a hesitant hand she moved her fingers lightly against his neck. Feeling her feathery touches upon his skin Elliot looked down at her in confusion, and fear.

"Zoey...?"

She met him with her chocolate orbs, bright pink seemed to flash around her pupils for a second before returning to normal.

"Elliot, Wesley said that when you were carrying out the final test you injected the wildcat DNA into your neck... If you don't mind, I want to see it...please?" she asked.

Elliot breathed a sigh and undid his jacket, letting it fall from his shoulders, down his arms and land on the ground behind him. Zoey's eyes widened at the sight.

On his neck was a bright pink mark, similar to a heart with swirling designs around it, matching her own down to the letter. Without realising what she was doing she laid a gentle kiss against it, catching Elliot by surprise, making him breathless at her loving touch.

"Zoey..."

Her name tumbled from his lips in a whisper. As she drew away she looked up at him and smiled.

"I know it's not something you like showing people, but you let me see it. Thank you..." she whispered.

The male tilted her head up to his and brushed his lips lightly against hers. Resting his forehead against hers he gave her a gentle smile.

"It'll be something that only your eyes will ever see..." he murmured.

It was at that moment that Wesley called out from the camp.

"Everyone, the barbeque is ready."

Zoey, Elliot, Bridget, Kikki and Corina made their way back to the car site and saw the steam billowing off the metal grate, skewers with meat and small peppers lining down metal rods, sizzling in delight and begging to be eaten.

The wildcat glanced up at the secret couple as she picked up one of the kebabs. Their clothes were mussed and their hair ruffled, slight flushes played across their cheeks and smiles played on their faces. She smiled and took a bite of her meal. Her insides tingled from the sensation, warm delicious meat cooked to perfection with tangy peppers slid down her throat in pleasure.

"This is delicious! Having a meal out in the mountains is really good," she said.

Elliot wrapped an arm around her waist, he held her against him and smiled as the group enjoyed their food. Wesley then looked up from stoking the barbeque.

"Recently, it's been a very hard time for everyone. For the first anniversary of the team we needed to do something special, it's good to have fun sometimes," he explained.

The teenage boy nodded his head.

"There are still many things we will have to do," he commented.

Zoey's eyes cast down into the embers, flickering in the light, for a brief moment they seemed to flash bright pink.

"The fighting will be over soon," she whispered. Her eyes then returned to normal.

Elliot looked at her, his eyebrows arched. There was something in her words that filled him in both concern, and worry.

Shaking his head he released her waist and headed over to the car.

"Girls, I'm afraid there's a reason for inviting you out here today," he explained.

Wesley nodded his head sadly.

"The truth is that there was a response from Blue Aqua close by," he confessed.

A gasp caught itself in Zoey's throat, her mind going into overdrive when she thought of what it could be.

"You think it might be the True Blue Aqua?" she asked.

Elliot got out a small computer from the boot and handed it to his guardian.

"It was from a few days ago, a very faint reaction from Blue Aqua appeared around here." Wesley stated as he gazed down at the small monitor.

The teenage boy looked over towards the mountain, his eyes intense and blazing.

"We need to start searching. From the readings it's over there."

He pointed towards the peculiar shaped peak.

The wildcat took in a sharp breath, the bracelet on her wrist seemed to get heavier.

"That mountain...I can't help but get a strange feeling from it..." she breathed. Quickly composing her eyes flickered in determination. "Still, we can't let the Cyniclons take it before us. We need to fight hard and stop them! Let's go!"

The team nodded their heads and turned to the twenty-five-year-old, he gave them a smile.

"Everyone, I apologise for not informing you sooner, but please do your best."

As they walked off Elliot grasped lightly onto Zoey's shoulder.

"Hold on a sec, Zoey," he murmured.

His fiancée looked up at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Elliot?" she asked.

"What did you mean when you said the fighting will be over soon?" he asked. His words were but a whisper. "Who are you really?"

Her body tensed at his words, but she kept her composure, her eyes lit up in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Her thoughts became a jumbled mess, the weight of her wrist even heavier than before. Only one question sprung to mind.

Who am I?

Her mind filled with the images of her dream, playing over and over again in a single loop. She was quickly brought out of her trance by her lover's hand against her cheek.

"It's okay, Zoey...I promise to protect you and the others," he said softly as they followed after the others.


Within minutes they were making their way up through the inside of the mountain, its hole-filled boulders surrounding them in bizarre forms as they walked up the path. Zoey had made her way to the lead and gave a silent sigh, her hand travelled down to clutch the bracelet, it seemed to have gotten even heavier.

"So, it's finally come to this," she whispered. Quickly she gained a determined smile to her face and powered onwards. "Come on, let's find it quickly. Who knows how far ahead the Cyniclons have gotten."

Meanwhile from above, unnoticed and floating, Dren watched them climb higher into the mound. His amber eyes trained upon that of Zoey, her brown and ruby red hair was blowing around her shoulders and her skirt swayed about her legs. His lips curled into a cruel smirk.

"You have kindly accepted my invitation, Zoey. And you've brought guests, how kind. I thoroughly look forward to spending time with your lover," he said to himself. His smirk grew even wider. "By the end of the day, your power will begin to be unleashed."

Back with the group they began to make their way down a narrow chasm. Bridget gripped her arms in a shiver and flitted her eyes around nervously.

"This place is a little scary," she commented.

"The Blue Aqua is in a place like this?" Corina questioned sceptically.

The tamarind pointed up at the hills excitedly.

"These hills are amazing! They make such cool shapes!" she cried.

Elliot couldn't help but roll his eyes, her enthusiasm was endearing, her interest in the world too adorable for many to resist, a smile touched his lips as he explained.

"It's caused by erosion from the rain and wind. Nature creates this scenery over tens of thousands of years. What they form sometimes is almost incredible."

The wildcat pointed off in two different directions, gesturing to exactly what he meant.

"There's a rabbit just up there, and over there is a crab, both of them formed from that."

In utter joy Kikki bounced off down the path, the calls of concern from her friends to slow down falling on deaf ears as she disappeared around a corner.

After walking for what seemed like hours they were still walking deeper and deeper into the mountain, weaving this way and that down corridors and passageways. Zoey felt a tremor of uncertainty run down her spine, something wasn't right about this whole thing. Renee's words broke through her thoughts and brought her back to reality.

"This seems just like a maze, it's like we can't return," she stated.

Above them the sky appeared to have turned a shade of midnight black, streaked through with blood red scars. The lorikeet's face became thoughtful when she saw it.

"I wonder if it's going to rain? The sky's gotten really dark," she commented.

The twenty-two-year-old nodded her head.

"A mountain's weather can change really easily."

Zoey bit her lip, her eyes widened when she saw the long bloodied wounds that lined the sky.

"Everyone, stay close. Be careful not to stray too far," she ordered. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Just then Minimew popped out of Zoey's pocket.

"Zoey! Alien! Alien!" he cried.

Her chest tightened at his words, her instincts were right, there was something seriously wrong.

"That proves it! They're looking for Blue Aqua!" she cried.

Suddenly the earth began to shake, cracking in chunks beneath their feet.

"Earthquake?" Corina gasped.

"S-S-Scary!" Kikki cried.

Renee looked up to the sky, her eyes widened at the sight.

"Look! The sky!" she yelled.

Zoey gripped her arms and dug her hand into her pocket, desperately trying to grasp hold of her power pendant.

"That's..." she stammered.

Boulders then began to fall down, tearing away from their homes and crashing down to the ground around them, barely missing the group from a crushing death. The wildcat dodged an oncoming boulder with ease and yelled out to her friends.

"This is getting dangerous, we've got to transform!"

They nodded their heads and drew out their power pendants.

"Power Pendant, Mewamorphosis!" they cried in unison.

In a matter of seconds they were fully transformed, quickly followed by Elliot as he became bathed in bright blue light and took on his form as the Blue Knight.

Once their transformations were complete the ground split apart beneath Zoey's foot, forcing her to step back, leaving her cast away from the group. Renee instinctively saw what was happening and yelled out.

"Everyone, gather together in one group before we get split up!"

Although it was too late. The ground broke apart into five groups. Kikki and Bridget were together, the younger holding onto the older girl desperately as they tried to keep balance. Corina was alone, her knees crouched to the fall, a pleading cry of rescue to her idol left her lips. Renee was in the same state as her, she couldn't understand what was going on, and there was nothing she could do in such a short amount of time.

Elliot meanwhile only had eyes for Zoey, she stood on her platform silent and poised, her eyes filled in startled fright, the ground beneath her crumbled as she floated away.

"Elliot!" she cried.

The second the ground was about to disappear beneath her he leapt and brought her away from danger. But in that split second he was distracted the ground collapsed. As he disappeared down into the darkness below and everyone disappeared into the distance he heard his lover cry out.

"NO!"


Down below in depths of darkness a single crumbling platform floated, nothing supporting, nothing moving, it remained motionlessly aloft in its place. Upon it lay the unconscious form of Elliot. He had returned to his human form and lay on his front, his breathing slow and steady. His hand moved slightly, becoming a clenched fist. His eyes sprung open violently and he got himself to his knees.

"This is...it can't be..." he murmured.

Laughter then crashed through the silence, cruel, malicious, he could recognise it anywhere. A voice entered his ears, laced with sarcasm and dripping with sadistic pleasure.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Blue Knight? Or would you rather be called Prince of Earth?"

Elliot bolted his head upwards and saw Dren flying above him, a smirk set on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Dren! What have you done here, you...!" he roared.

The alien prince floated down and stopped before him, his face scolding mockingly, as though he was talking down a small child.

"Temper, temper. You wouldn't want Zoey hearing such foul words from your mouth, would you?" he asked laughing.

The teenage boy regained his composure, but only just, and spoke as he got to his feet.

"Where is she? What have you done to her?" he yelled.

Dren rolled his eyes and drew his twin blades.

"Calm down, she's fine...for now," he smiled, pointing one of his swords to Elliot's chest. "As to what I've done, that's not your concern. Even if you win or not, I still get my prize."

Elliot looked at him in shock, never had he heard such a thing. Zoey and the others were lost within this place and he was stuck with the alien who would happily have his head brought to him on a platter. Everything was becoming more worrying by the second.


Meanwhile back at the car site Wesley was staring in shock at what was happening on the screen of the computer, warning alarms were going off and everything was going berserk.

"What's going on? I can't reach the others. The whole mountain's surrounded by an alternate dimension field. This is getting really dangerous, I can't even track their whereabouts," he exclaimed. He glanced to the backseat of his car, thoughts of what happened earlier flooded his mind. "Renee...everyone, get out of there soon!"


Back in the mountain Corina was stuck within a long dark tunnel. She constantly cried out for help or someone to answer her, but was only left with the echoing of her voice.

"Renee? Anyone? Can anybody hear me?" she called. Her fury began to surface and she kicked a heeled foot against the stone wall. "This stone wall!"

She flew up and tried to break through it, but was quickly thrown to the ground again, leaving her sore and helpless.


Kikki was doing the same thing, although much to her thanks she wasn't alone, Bridget knelt by her side and checked her for injuries.

"Are you alright, Kikki?" the porpoise asked.

The tamarind shook her head.

"No, my usual power won't come out. It's like this place is draining it from me," she replied.

The eighteen-year-old let a gulp slide down her throat, gently bringing the eleven-year-old to her feet.

"So this means...we can't get out of here?" she stammered.


Meanwhile Renee stood in her own darkened hallway, her back rested against the stone and her hands clenched painfully against the surface. Slowly her hand began to move away.

"Somehow, it seems we've fallen into a trap," she muttered.

Her hand touched her bare stomach, fingers stroked lightly against the flat underside; a sense of nausea filled her but was quickly pushed back as she drew out her whip and lashed against the wall.


However Zoey seemed to be in a far stranger state than the rest, she was running down her stone corridor, footsteps pounding rapidly on the ground as she made her way down the winding path, not noticing as she ran up a set of steps.

"Anyone? Where did you go?" she called. Worry sprung and took root within her heart, her thoughts travelled back to when Elliot had disappeared. "Elliot! Elliot!"

She continued to dash up the stairs, unknowing that what she was about to encounter would be the beginning...of the end.


With Elliot and Dren the alien prince had taken a place above him, smirking cruelly and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Elliot glared up at him in fury, his hands clenched at his sides so tightly they were close to drawing his scarlet blood.

"The labyrinth of the alternate dimension...why have you brought us here?" he inquired viciously.

Dren tilted his head in curiosity.

"You know of this place?" he asked.

The teenager gave him a smirk of his own.

"If my father only taught me one thing, it's this. 'Know your opponent.'"

Dren shook it off and pointed his blades down towards him.

"No matter. That Blue Aqua response was a fake. I honestly didn't think that you'd all fall into the trap so nicely. Zoey did complain of a bad feeling, you really should have listened to her," he mocked. His face morphed into a sneer. "No one can escape the labyrinth. So, you and I can finally have a one-on-one fight, and Zoey will finally know what she is capable of."

Elliot gasped at that, what did Dren know that he didn't? The alien prince couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"Don't look so surprised. I know you've been suspecting it for some time. Haven't you ever wondered why she is able to keep fighting? Why she is able to have such power at the mere brush of her fingertips? She is the impossible, Blue Knight, and by far you are unworthy of her heart. And you know what? Your suffering is the key to unlocking her full power. So, let the pain commence!"

He shot a black lightning bolt at him, streaked through with blood red. The teenager let out a roar of pain as the electricity surged through him, shattering his nerves at its very touch and shredding through his skin like daggers. Elliot fell to the floor and clutched himself, a groan fell from his lips as he staggered to his feet. Dren gave a cruel cackle.

"There are a lot of things you've interfered with. The destruction of this planet, the prevention of our retrieval of Princess Mew Mew. But what you've interfered most with was Zoey, you've corrupted her," he said solemnly.

Elliot looked up at him, dirt and blood smeared his face as he continued to speak.

"She was isolated, perfect for the picking...that is before she met you. You made her smile, laugh, you filled her with hope and belief in this planet's future. You captured her heart and demolished every barrier that she had built ever since her birth, you've destroyed every shred of darkness and doubt that clouded it. So now, I will give you that suffering before you give her a final farewell!"

He fired another surge of electricity through Elliot's body, sending him flying. The boy then crashed back down to the ground. Dren floated down and knelt before Elliot's prone form.

"Still, why don't you transform into the Blue Knight? It would ease some of your pain. Or is it that you can't? Can you transform and fight me without having Zoey to protect?" he mocked.

Elliot growled and brought himself to his knees, small cuts bleeding down his body in crimson streaks, his jaw clenched and his bright crystal blue eyes hid beneath his blond bangs. With abrupt grace he extended his hand out.

In the blink of an eye a bright blue light consumed him, something appeared in his hand in a flash of white light. It dissipated and revealed what it was. Dren's amber eyes widened at the sight. In his hand was a sword. Elliot lifted his head slightly, a single eye glinted with power as his form slowly began to change.

"You may have split us up, but you will never take her away from me. It doesn't matter if we're apart, she's still with me no matter where she is!" he bellowed.

Battle then commenced.


Meanwhile Zoey was still running up her tower of stairs, her heart pounding when her bright pink eyes spotted a light at the end of the tunnel. She didn't even notice as lightning crackled around the rocks overhead.

Once she finally reached the light the wildcat felt a gasp escape her. She was at the top of the mountain, within a dome unseen by everyone, upon a platform floating in midair. In the centre was a podium with an orb floating above it. Taking slow steps towards it Zoey saw that something was within it, a gold tiara beset with elegant pink diamonds.

In that instant her eyes went blank, glazed over with no pupil flickering within them, set into the deepest trance. When she stood before the object she reached out to grasp it with both hands, her body compelled to put it on.

Time seemed to slow as she drew closer and closer. She struggled desperately inside her mind for control, her thoughts begging for freedom, one name fell through her lips.

Elliot... Elliot!


Back with Elliot and Dren their battle had taken a terrible turn, Dren had managed to knock the Blue Knight to the ground and had a blade at his throat, a smirk contorted on his lips.

"It's nearly done. In a matter of seconds it will be done. Why not just give up now and save yourself a great deal of pain?" he laughed.

Elliot glared at him darkly, his words no more than a solemn whisper.

"I made a promise that I would protect her at the cost of my life, and I intend to keep that promise."

The voice in his mind called out to her, hoping to break whatever power the alien prince held over her.

Zoey!


Zoey took a sharp breath, her hands shot back down to her sides, the pupils of her eyes returned. Shaking her head violently she clutched a hand to her heart, she thought she was hearing things, that her mind was playing tricks on her. But her heart told her that it wasn't, she had heard Elliot, and he was in danger.

"Elliot... Elliot!"

Instinct kicked in and she ran. She leapt off the platform and dived into the dark depths below, her body glowing in bright crystal blue light mixed with bright pink.


As Dren was about to deliver the final blow to his opponent when a being glowing in a mingling dance of crystal blue and pink came flying down and acted as a human barrier between them, the light a shield from the lightning attack. When the glowing ceased the two males could see who the person was.

It was Zoey.

Gasping in disbelief she composed herself and spotted her lover on the ground. She immediately ran to Elliot's side and wrapped her arms around his wounded form.

"Elliot! Thank goodness! Hang in there, okay?" she cried.

He slumped against her and buried his face into her shoulder.

"Zoey..." he murmured.

She only held him tighter and hid her face in his hair.

"What a cruel thing...but I promise you'll be okay..." she whispered. "For now, just rest... Can you do that for me...please?"

The Blue Knight sighed but nodded his head, he let her lay him down.

The wildcat slowly got to her feet and glared up at Dren, who stared back at her with wide eyes, never had he seen such intensity.

"Hey! Don't look at me like that! It wasn't my intention to hurt him...much, I just wanted a one-on-one battle with the Blue Knight. I did ask him multiple times to give up and stop any more pain, but he refused every time, all because he was keeping a pathetic promise to protect you," he explained.

"It's not pathetic! He's brave and strong, one of the most amazing people I have ever met! Keeping that promise just proves that he's willing to suffer to protect me, it just shows how much he cares about me! That he loves me as much as I love him!" she bellowed.

Dren's mouth set into a scowl, a growl erupted in his throat as he powered up another attack.

"That boy has polluted your mind and heart, he is not worthy of someone like you! Why don't you understand that you don't belong to this place? You have no idea who you are!" he yelled as he unleashed another lightning strike.

The force of the impact sent the couple flying, splitting them apart to opposite ends of the battlefield.

Zoey crashed to the ground, a hiss of pain screeched through her teeth, but without hesitation she propped herself up, glaring up at her opponent with the fiercest hatred.

Although before she had the chance to retaliate Dren crossed his blades over her neck, pressing them so close blood beaded onto the metal. Her breath shook between her lips, she couldn't move, not if she wanted her head to remain attached to her neck. She didn't dare move, didn't dare breathe.

The alien prince leant over her, his lips dusted close to her ear and a smirk played over his face.

"Certain death. That's what your move has lead to, you should have just left this battle to play out on its own accord, you shouldn't have tried to interfere," he said.

He glanced down to her bloodstained neck, his smirk grew wider.

"That appearance, Zoey, it's more alien to you than you realise, even as a human you feel you don't fit in with everyone else. It must be painful, having to fight a war that you inevitably know you're going to lose. Yet you haven't broken, why haven't you broken?"

His hand reached down to the back of her neck, his fingers toyed and shredded the band that held her power pendant in place, a long claw grazed lightly over the skin. She only gave him a vicious glare.

"So what are you going to do now? Fight me? You really should just give in right now, it would save so much pain to everyone. So you're going to come with me, right?" he asked.

Zoey closed her eyes, her lips set into a determined scowl.

"I have been fighting you for a year, and I've with Elliot for almost six months. Even if he were to die, or start to dislike me, I will never leave him! I will never go with you!" she yelled. Her body began to glow crystal blue as she continued to speak. "Elliot is the only one who will capture my heart! If you want to kill him, you will have to kill me first!"

The light exploded from her and knocked him and his swords away from her. Dren staggered to his feet and watched her in shock and awe as she drew out her Rose Bell.

It was at that moment that Elliot snapped back into the world of the living and sprung to his feet, sword at the ready and poised to strike the alien prince. When he saw Zoey building up with phenomenal power he called out to her.

"Zoey!"

She looked towards him with bright pink eyes, a sigh of relief escaped her.

"Elliot...I'm so glad you're okay..." she breathed.

Elliot turned his attention to the stunned Dren and smirked.

"Leave him to me, Zoey. There's no way I'm going to let him get away with what he did to you."

With those words he pounced and struck him to the ground. Dren acted quickly and blocked, only to find himself kneeling on the ground, bearing the force of the Blue Knight's blade upon him.

"I will not let you touch her!" Elliot whispered venomously.

The alien prince smirked up at him.

"I'm glad I get to have a decent fight with you. Your suffering will surely break Zoey's spirit. I will kill you!" he roared.

With a burst of strength he pushed him back and readied himself to deliver the fatal blow.

Just then Zoey's body erupted in crystal blue. The two boys' eyes widened in disbelief, the pupils of her eyes were lost within a sea of bright pink and an almost invisible set of white angel wings shone from her shoulders. Her hair seemed to have returned to its original colouring and now fell to her waist, curling slightly at the ends.

"Get away from him! If you don't, I swear I will not hesitate to end you where you stand!" she yelled.

Her power shot up into the air as a pillar of light, her body hidden within its awesome intensity.

Dren teleported into the air and watched the proceedings, a satisfied smirk clear on his face.

Elliot watched her in amazement.

In four flashes of light the four remaining Mew Mews appeared at his side.

"Elliot!" Kikki cried.

"Elliot, where's Zoey?" Corina asked.

Silently he pointed towards the torrent of power, a blank, concerned gaze set in his eyes.

Meanwhile Dren watched from above and cackled.

"That's it! This is what I've been waiting for! Your power has begun to unleash! It's only a matter of time until you have awakened!"

He then teleported away before any damage was sustained.

Back with Zoey her mind was trying to process what was happening to her, the back of her neck burned terribly and felt as though it was melting every bone in her body.

"W-What...What's this...?" she stammered.

A feral scream shattered through her lips when more power was released, the pillar of light expanding even wider.

Elliot tried to make a dash towards her but was held back by Renee.

"Let me go!" he ordered.

The wolf shook her head and drew her whip.

"Elliot, it's too dangerous!" she yelled.

"But Zoey..." Elliot began, however she cut him off by speaking.

"We need to put up a shield. Come on!"

The others nodded their heads and the four of them built up a barrier around them.


Zoey's power only continued to expand. It had gotten strong enough to burst through the confines of the mountain and begun to enter the sky, blinding all around it with sheer might.

Wesley watched from the car site below in amazement, the beeping of power into overdrive had gone through the roof.

"What is this? This energy? It's like nothing I've ever seen...it's impossible!" he gasped.

Warning bells rang in his head when he saw how close the power surge was getting, so he ran. But not fast enough, because he, along with the team's vehicles, was sent flying from the power.


The power finally reached its peak and created a massive explosion, filling the air with billowing grey smoke. When it finally cleared Renee, Corina, Kikki and Bridget stood silently in awe, never in their lives had they seen such power.

"That was amazing..." the tamarind gasped.

"What on Earth just happened?" Corina asked in confusion.

"Something made the stone walls disappear, and made sure that we could reunite." Bridget explained thoughtfully.

The wolf seemed to ignore their whole conversation, she only stared at the two lovers on the ground.

"Elliot?" she called.

The girls realised that he was missing and looked over to where he was.

Elliot sat on the ground with Zoey lying in his arms, she had reverted back to her human form and her body was covered in scratches, quickly knitting over to become ivory skin once more.

She was unconscious, her breathing slow and gentle, her chest shuddering with every inhalation. He shook her gently and held her close.

"Zoey! Zoey, are you okay? Zoey!"

The wildcat cracked her eyes open and stared up at him. Elliot couldn't help but notice the bright pink flecks floating around her pupils before they disappeared into the chocolate depths of her eyes.

"Elliot...?" she rasped.

Elliot breathed a sigh of relief before setting her down on the ground.

"Zoey... I'm glad you're okay."

Zoey looked at her surroundings as she propped herself up with her hands, her head pounding painfully.

"Elliot, what happened to me?"

He merely shook his head and offered his hand.

"It doesn't matter now, we'll talk about it later. Can you stand?" he asked.

She gratefully took it in hers and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

The girls immediately came rushing over and wrapped their leader in an embrace.

"Mamma Mew Mew!" Kikki cried.

The wildcat laughed happily, though it was still weak from the power outburst.

"Everyone, it's okay. Thank you for worrying."

"I'm relieved, everyone is safe." Bridget cried.

They removed themselves from the hug and turned around.

The sight they saw was unbelievable. For they were stood at the edge of the mountain, or rather what had been the mountain. In its place was an enormous hole, gaping in the ground like the craters on the moon's surface. The tamarind gasped at the sight.

"Amazing hole!"

A shivering chill ran up Corina's spine.

"I can't believe we lived through this..." she gasped.

"Frightening!" Bridget quipped.

Although their words fell upon deaf ears, Zoey's eyes stared down at the scene, her breath shook in her throat and her hands clenched at her sides.

She felt Elliot lace her hand into his and held her close, comforting her with his warmth and kisses to her forehead. Over and over he kept muttering the same words.

"It's alright... Everything's alright now..."

But was it? Was everything really okay? Only one question was within her mind.

What is happening to me?


Meanwhile Dren sat on a pile of rubble nearby, a smirk playing on his face as he stared up at the clear blue sky. Sardon and Tarb appeared before him and bowed their heads. As they regained their posture the oldest alien spoke.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" he asked.

The alien prince nodded his head and ran a finger over the edge of his blade, his eyes on the crimson blood that decorated it. Tarb then leapt into the conversation.

"What on Earth happened?" he asked.

"There was a tremendous energy response, unlike anything I've ever seen." Sardon explained.

Dren laughed loudly, there was no denying it, he had succeeded in his plan.

"I risked my life in doing so, but I achieved what I wanted. The princess's power has begun to unleash, it'll only be a matter of time before she'll be ready for the taking. I can say for sure that in a month at the latest that she finally know who she is," he explained.

His smirk grew wider as he watched Zoey's blood disappear from the metal blade.

"Within a month, you will become your true self, the Princess Mew Mew...Zoey."


At last the identity of the beloved princess is known. Within one month she will know her true self, and so will bring the beginning of the end.


Me: Things are kicking off now!

E.A: You leave it 'til now to reveal her identity to the readers?

Me: Hey, come on! It builds up tension!

E.A: Okay, calm down.

Me: Thank you for all your glorious reviews. And please note that constructive criticism is welcome.

E.A: Although flames aren't welcome. She gets very upset if there are any.

(Produces large notebook) Me: Note to self- Next chapter!... And balance Sixth Form homework...

(Throws notebook out of way) Me: ...Anyway time for me to be signing off.

Me: Until next time, my lovely readers and reviewers! Nya!

Everyone: On behalf of Princess Mew Mew, we apologise for the prolonged delays that will be coming until the end of this story.

Please R&R!

At least one good review and I'll update the next chapter.