The next day at the café Zoey showed Elliot and Wesley the note, Elliot looked it over and asked, "And Dren was to deliver this to you?"
They all nodded, Elliot looked at the penmanship on the letter and said, "I suggest you be there by the time suggested, because it be horrific if who-ever this is lived through to his threat."
"Okay." Zoey answered.
Wesley then looked at the note and said, "Elliot, I think there's something you're forgetting."
Elliot looked at him and asked, "Yeah…what?"
Wesley then took Elliot into the kitchen area, on one of the counters was a cake with a photo printed on the frosting with seven candles on it, in the picture would appear to be younger versions of Elliot and Wesley, but also in the picture was a third kid, he had a magenta and beige sweater vest on and a black dress shirt under that, this other kid also had grey eyes and maroon colored hair. His smile seemed to reflect some sort of innocence.
Elliot took one look at the cake and said, "I never wanted to see this photo again."
"Elliot…you have to stop trying to forget what happened, it was seven years ago." Wesley told him, there suddenly came a crashing noise from the dining area.
"I'll go check it out." Said Wesley, Elliot looked down at the cake and looked at the face of the third person.
"I choose not to remember because he was my friend." Elliot thought to himself. Elliot then blew out the candles, took them off, picked up the cake, and threw it in the trash.
After work the girls agreed to meet at the church at five before six, that way they could be there early and possibly get an early jump on whoever wrote that letter to them.
Zoey was the first to show up, followed by Corina. "Who do you bet is waiting in there?" Corina asked.
"Don't know," Zoey responded, "but I'm not liking the vibe I'm getting off that place right now."
Bridgette showed up next, follow by Kikki and Renee, they all looked at the place, "Well, let's go inside and see what waits." Said Zoey.
Inside was pretty much the same as the last time they'd been here, suddenly they heard the bell chime seven.
"Mewdamorphoses." The girls all shouted as they went through the whole costume change spiel, they waited a bit.
About a few seconds later Dren, Sardon, and Tarb appeared. "Well kitty cat…nice for you to show, your host for this night will be here shortly." Dren told them.
"We thought it was just supposed to him and us, not you jokers too." Renee commented.
"Don't think of us as opponents, babe, just think of us as spectators." Dren told her.
"Yeah, if you five think we're not so tough…then you've been tasting the appetizers for long too long." Tarb said with a laugh.
Suddenly a black cloaked figure appeared behind the three of them, they stepped out of the way of the figure.
"So you're the one who sent us that message?" Zoey asked.
"Yes…I was, little girl." Replied the cloaked figure.
"Well you picked the wrong planet to mess with, 'Mew Mew style, Mew Mew grace, Mew Mew Power in your face!'." Said Zoey.
The cloaked figure looked at Sardon and Dren and asked, "Is she always like this?"
"Yeah." Replied Sardon.
"Pretty much." Said Dren.
"Well then, I guess I should be a gracious host and introduce myself, I am Htarw, General of the Cyniclon armies." Htarw told them, "Now I'll allow you to ask me one question, before we get what you came for underway."
"What's with the heavy breathing…are you sick or something?" Kikki asked.
Htarw took a few seconds to think the question over, then said, "No…you just have to topple about a thousand cities, and conquer a planet or two to be like me." He then looked at the others and said, "No other questions? Fine…then finally this cloak can come off!"
Htarw then took off the cloak to reveal a suit of armor underneath, Requiem in its scabbard strapped to his back, he quickly unsheathed his blade and said, "Okay now since I'm willing to be a gentleman about this, I'll let you attack first…not like it'll do any good though." Htarw said to them with a chuckle.
Corina was the first to attack with an arrow shot, but then Htarw used the broadside of his blade to deflect it. Corina stood looking dumbfounded, Htarw just laughed and asked, "Is that all you girls have to back you up?"
Kikki tried her 'Tamborine Trench' attack, but Htarw leapt into the air and with a mid-air summersault dodged that too, "I'm not impressed." Htarw hissed at them.
Renee then tried using her daggers special ability, not to slice Htarw with the ribbons but to tie up his left arm so she could keep him from moving. Htarw gave a false look of being worried and said, "This is it? Okay…well then, now it's my turn."
Htarw then gave the ribbons around his left arm a brisk tug, Renee then went flying from her spot towards him, he then brought his arm out and clothes-lined her.
Corina tried to attack again, but once again Htarw used Requiem to deflect the shot.
Bridgette then tried her 'Deep Sea Surge' attack, Htarw saw it coming and said, "Requiem…Crimson Tide!" Just then a red colored version of Bridgette's attack met hers head on from the tip of Htarw's sword, end result his attack forced hers to rebound back at her.
Kikki once again tried her 'Tamborine Trench' attack again, only this time Htarw stook his sword into the ground and brought his leg up to his chest and shouted, "Requiem…Unholy Divide!" Htarw then smashed his heel against the hilt of his sword with unbelieveable force, the force of it forcing her attack to go left and right of the blade's broadside.
Htarw pulled the blade out of the ground and held it to his side and said, "Now it's time for me to end this," he then brought the sword back behind him with both hands and shouted, "Requiem…" he then started bringing it back to his front side and said, "FINAL JUDGEMENT!"
As soon as the swords' tip his the ground, a gale force wind blasted from it…throwing all save for Zoey across the room. Htarw looked at her and said, "Now you're alone, 'out of fashion, out of date, now the general decides your fate!'."
"Strawberry Bell," Zoey called out, "Full Power!"
She watched as the surge of the attack struck Htarw head on, for a few seconds she thought that might've brought him down, but suddenly she saw the faint make-out of a blade slash through her attack, she stood in horror as Htarw looked into her eyes, and then a pained expression as he gave her an uppercut to her gut.
Zoey fell to her knees, the wind knocked out of her.
"Is this all that stands in my way?" Htarw asked, he looked around him and scoffed and said, "Pitiful."
Htarw started to walk away as Zoey was got up and said, "Hey…I'm not through…through with you…yet."
Htarw looked at her and said, "Yes…you are," he then turned away and said, "When I saw you I knew Elliot had continued the Mew Project, I thought the results would stand a chance against me," he scoffed again and said, "but…now I see I was wrong, you girls never stood a chance against me from the start, you're no fighting force threat against me,"
He then turned and pointed at her and saying, "you and your friends are just a look-pretty, girly colored, fluff squad."
"How do you know Elliot?" Zoey asked angrily.
"You had your chance to ask questions, foolish girl…but, if you wouldn't mind, give this message to Elliot for me?" Htarw asked, then he whispered something into Zoey's right ear and said, "Now repeat it to me so I know you know what to say."
Zoey did as Htarw asked and he said, "Remember that."
He then stood up, re-sheathed Requiem, and said, "Okay boys, lets get out here."
Later Zoey and the others told Elliot and Wesley what had transpired at the church.
"This General Htarw sounds like one tough cookie," Wesley said, "but believe me girls, we won't stop until Elliot find a way to help you defeat him."
"Oh, and Elliot…Htarw gave me a message to give to you." Zoey told him.
"Okay…let's here it." Elliot said unconcerned.
Zoey cleared her throat and grimly said, "I'm back Elly…it's a whole new game for you and I."
Elliot then sat upright and asked, "w-w-w-wh-what did you call me?"
"Elly…does that mean anything to you?" Zoey asked.
He looked at the girls, then at Wesley…then he looked back at them and said, "You girls go home and get some rest, we'll close up for the night."
When the girls departed, Wesley put his hand on Elliot's shoulder and asked, "Are you going to be alright?"
Elliot looked up at him and said, "It can't be him…it just can't, he wouldn't allow that to happen to himself."
"Sleep on it Elliot, see how you feel about it." Wesley told him.
Meanwhile, back at the Cyniclon hideout General took off his helmet (though I won't let you see the face yet), and took from a pouch he had around his neck a small silver frame, in the frame was a faded version of the photo that had been printed on that cake earlier.
"I know you Elliot Grant, you'll try to confront me to see if it really is your old friend." Htarw said, then he thought, "Yes…but then you'll see I've changed, you'll see the path you, Wesley, and your father should've chosen."
He then put the picture back into the pouch and then mentally laughed to himself.
Note: When I called him General Chao…I didn't mean those little cuddly creatures from that one game, Chao means 'Great One' in another language.