Chapter Six

I don't want to fight. I can't stand the thought of my love getting hurt

I can't stand to see him die.

I can't stand to see her die.

I have to fight, to save my beloved from the death that lies ahead if they resist.

I'm sorry, Dren.

I'm sorry, Zoey.

But now it's time to fight.

I don't want to fight him. I can't stand the thought of hurting him. I don't want to see him die.

I want to go home and sneak him candy drops again.

I want to end this war before it starts, and tell him how I feel.

I don't want to kill him against my will. I want to go home. I want to go home! Tears are flowing down my face!

I'm sorry, Tar-Tar.

I'm sorry, Sardon.

But now it's time to fight.

I don't want to fight her. I don't want her to die so young. I don't want to have to kill her because of Deep Blue's orders.

I want to tell her I don't hate her.

I want to tell her that I love her.

I don't want this war to start. I don't want to die without telling her how I feel.

I'm sorry, Kiki.

I'm sorry, Renee.

But now it's time to fight.

I'm standing in the front line, with Renee and Kiki standing next to me. We all have sad looks on our faces and are trying not to cry. I can't take this any more! I have to say it!

"I'm sorry Dren. I love you…" I heard Kiki and Renee saying similar things about Sardon and Tarb. Elliot was briefing us on our mission, but I wasn't listening. I didn't even care. We were about to land on the battle stop. And I burst into tears.

"I don't want to fight! Can't we make peace with them?" I couldn't stand the pain.

"I know you think you love Dren, but you have to fight. If you can't attack, at least defend yourself," Elliot told me. I think he was trying to comfort me, but he was obviously not used to this.

"O-okay," I said. I was finally crying out loud.

"It's okay, Zoey. Just keep holding on. You're not alone, remember that." I said thank you to Renee, who actually was better at comforting people than Elliot. And got ready as the gate to the plane we were on opened.

We were beginning to fight. I couldn't stand attacking, so I mostly defended – myself, and the others when they needed it. Then I saw Deep Blue. He was the one who caused me all this pain, who hurt Dren and me and left us heartbroken. It was him. HIM! I launched an attack with all of my might. It was the strongest Rose Bell I had ever created, but it had barely touched him. I screamed in a crazy manner. I had been driven mad, and shot him with all of my weaponry. He was still barely hurt.

"MEOW!" I screamed, sounding like a wild cat. I had been driven nearly to the point of insane as I saw him attack. A million small daggers came in my direction. As I jumped in the air, they followed me. THEY HIT! One that had been deflected to the side crushed my ribs and burst one of my lungs out. I was covered in wounds. The blood came so fast it had covered my skin as I began to fall. I tried to scream, but no words escaped my mouth. I was sure I would die, when someone caught me as I fell.

It was Dren. I had tried to thank him, but I felt blood come to my lips.

"Don't talk! You'll die! I'll protect you." He was panicked, betraying his leader… all for me. Mark wouldn't have done this. Wait… didn't Mark hurt me in the first place? I'm confused. And I think I'm going unconscious…

"We'll help too," said Sardon, with Tarb at his side. Sardon began to wrap me up in bandages, and tried to help me breathe.

"Us too! We don't want Zoey to die!" Kiki said, and they began to fight off the enemies.

I'm gonna die. If I'm gonna die, I have to tell Dren how I feel. "Dren… I… love…" I fainted at that moment, with one last thought.

Dren, I love you.

"Dren, Zoey passed out!" Tarb yelled in my ear.

"Is she dead?" I asked anxiously.

Sardon bent down and listened to her heart. "Not yet. But she will be soon if we don't get her out of here."

"Easier said than done," I replied. Although now definitely was not the time to be doing this, I could feel my 'duh' voice starting to take over. "Is there any way we can get away from all the fighting?"

"There probably is, but unless we want to be killed, I don't suggest taking it." That's one thing I hate about Sardon. He's almost always right – no, scratch that, always right – even when you want him to be wrong.

"Well we have to get Zoey out of here quickly, or the next wayward shot could kill her."

"Um, guys?" Tarb asked, nibbling on his bottom lip, a bad habit I thought he'd kicked. He always did it when he got nervous, and since he used to get nervous every two seconds, it was kind of a repulsive sight to see him eating his lips all the time. "Why is everybody attacking us instead of them?"

"Uh, maybe that has something to do with the fact that Dren betrayed our clan by saving Zoey?"

"Hey, don't pin the blame on me, Sardon!" I yelled. "You two are both traitors as well."

"Good point."

"GUYS! Have you forgotten where we are? Now is not the time for sibling rivalry! We are in the middle of a battle in an interplanetary war, and we currently have an unconscious girl who needs serious medical attention. And you two think it's a good time to be fighting over who's the bigger traitor?"

"You're right, little guy. Sardon, Tarb – get Zoey away from here."

"How?"

"I'll clear the way or something. Mew Mews – get back to fighting. Fight hard so Deep Blue doesn't notice we're sneaking Zoey away."

"Nice plan, Dren. There's just one little problem. Where do I fit into all of this?"

"D-d-d-Deep Blue!"

"If you think you can get away with your plan, then you've got another thing coming. No one is leaving this battle alive. That is, no one on their side."

"That's what you think," I said, without thinking about who I was saying it to.

"Did you just talk back to me?"

"Uh… yeah I did. And if all you're going to do is ask me pointless questions, then can I please take Zoey to get treated?"

"And what exactly makes you think I'm going to just let you walk away from here unharmed?"

"Um… because I'm your favorite?"

"You were, before you got involved with that human. Now I'm starting to wonder whether I should let you leave the battle alive."

"Guys, this is no time to be bickering like cats and dogs!"

"Stay out of this, fool!" Deep Blue sent Sardon flying into Renee, which made Renee turn bright red.

"HEY! YOU DON'T HURT SARDON OR ZOEY AROUND ME!!" Now I was mad.

"Are you trying to challenge me to a duel? You do remember what happened the last time you challenged me to a duel, don't you?" He had a point there, and if I was calmer, I probably wouldn't have done what I did next.

"I…" My sais materialized in my hands.

"DON'T…" They had turned white-hot – a new level of anger for me.

"CARE!!" My sais grew HUGE, and I was now driven mad with anger.

"Alright then," he said, still super-calm. "Let's fight."

By now everyone else had stopped fighting and was watching the two of us.

"Uh, Dren?" I head Tarb say from somewhere behind me.

"Don't," Sardon said, putting a hand on his shoulders. "Just don't. He's too angry to be calmed down now."

"You got a point there, big bro."

I slashed my sais in the air before Deep Blue could do anything. I missed, and he nearly sliced me in half (thank God he missed too). The aftershock from the blow sent us both flying, and I nearly crashed into a still-unconscious Zoey (luckily I caught myself in time). The fight started to seem like a never-ending tug-of-war, and neither sides were ready to give up. I've gotta do this, I told myself. I've gotta fight for Zoey's safety. If Deep Blue wins, he'll kill her!

That thought gave me the courage I needed to do what I did next. My sais picked up on my emotions and started glowing a pale blue. Another new thing. Perhaps the blue was poison. While Deep Blue was distracted by the glowing of my sais, I teleported behind him and stabbed him in the back with a glowing sai.

He screamed bloody murder as his whole body started to glow with the pale blue of my sais. I was right, the blue was poison – his skin turned a ghostly white and I could see the blue poison coursing through his veins, to his heart, where it finally killed him.

I was still in shock from what I just did when Sardon reminded me that since I killed Deep Blue, I automatically became the next leader. Well then, I was going to use my powers for good. "I declare this war… over!" A lot of cheering came up from the Mew Mews' side. Kiki and Renee screamed the loudest (hmm, wonder why?).

"Now, new leader, you know our ancient tradition states…

"Yes I know about the sacrifice tradition. Which is why I am appointing a new leader. You!" I pointed to my old friend Alicia, a beautiful girl with long blue-black pigtails. "Alicia. I choose you as our next leader. Make me proud."

"Th-th-thank you," she stuttered, accepting the sword I handed over. "I'll m-m-make you proud, for s-s-sure. But why?" she asked.

"Yeah, why are you appointing Alicia as leader?" A lot of other people mumbled similar things, so I gave them my answer.

"Alicia will be your new leader because I have chosen myself and my two brothers as the sacrifice." A lot of people screamed, "No way!" and "Unfair!" but Sardon pointed out, "Does anyone really want to stay on this planet so badly?"
"Uh, well… no," was the unanimous answer.

"So then, Alicia, take the clan home." As Alicia started to herd the people back onto the spaceship, I turned to my brothers and the Mew Mews and said, "Come on. We've got a Zoey to cure."